Physically confronting your abusive superior might be cool and satisfying when it happens in a drama, but, as Kazuo Sugishita is learning, it's less cool when you're sitting at home afterwards, terrified to learn how you'll be punished when you return to work the next day. The sentence he faces sounds surprisingly lenient - just a temporary reassignment to the company's entertainment department while things blow over. But he changes his mind when he gets the specifics: Kazuo has been assigned as manager-in-training (read "servant") to Shiro Hoshizono, the "Star Watcher": A pompous, showoff-y, completely insufferable talent with no actual talents except using his sickeningly sweet words and foreign model looks to seduce lonely middle... more>> aged women into paying for the privilege of hearing him speak.

The day after his new assignment, Kazuo and Hoshizono leave for Saitama Prefecture, where Hoshizono has been recruited to become an image character for a campground in the mountains, alongside a group of other colorful characters, including a romance novelist with the looks of Cleopatra but the personality of someone's grandpa and a UFO obsessed conspiracy theorist.

But the morning after their arrival, their host is found strangled to death in his lodge, the road back is buried in an avalanche, and... you can probably see where this is going.

Turns out, despite how he comes across normally, Hoshizono is actually a genius detective!

The novel features a unique chapter naming scheme where each chapter is titled as a three to four sentence summary of its own contents, focused upon what information about the case is discovered and what evidence appears, for ease of reference.

A nominee for the 50th annual Mystery Writers Association of Japan Award, long story category. <<less

The once wealthy and powerful Ryuuzen clan has been all but destroyed. Their misfortune began in 1960, when a majority of the family was wiped out when their vacation villa was buried under a landslide. However, search and rescue teams discovered something even more shocking: A majority of the bodies they discovered showed obvious signs of having been mu*dered before the landslide.... more>>

As though it were a trigger, what came to be known as "The Curse of the Ryuuzen Clan" spread throughout the descendants of the family's only survivor. By mu*der, by su*cide, by accident... it seemed none who held the name "Ryuuzen" could live to see the age of 35, and now, the family has been reduced to a single woman, lying in a hospital bed, days away from death.

Kamo Touma was once just another of the endless parade of sleazy tabloid journalists looking to exploit a prominent family's tragedy to sell magazines, but Ryuuzen Rena's kindness melted his frozen heart, driving him to quit his old job and become an investigative journalist specializing in overturning cases of false arrest. Eventually, he and Rena were married, but now, the curse threatens to steal away their happiness.

Kamo prays for a miracle, and his prayers are answered by the Hourglass of Miracles, an artifact spoken of in rumors and urban legends, said to grant one wish to anyone who obtains it.

"Meister Hora", a guide for those who obtain the hourglass, tells Kamo there is only one way to break the curse and save Rena: He must travel back in time to the year 1960 and catch the culprit of the original Ryuuzen Family massacre.

Who was the culprit of the mu*ders that took place almost 60 years ago? Why did they steal away the lives of the Ryuuzen clan? What is the true nature of the "Curse of the Ryuuzen Clan?" And perhaps most mysteriously of all... What is Meister Hora's goal in all this?

Winner of the 29th annual Ayukawa Tetsuya Award. <<less

A young man walks alone through frozen land covered in snow and ice as far as the eye can see. Not for himself, not because... more>> he cares about his hometown, but in order to return to the only woman he loves - a fragile human fighting against a harsh environment. The extreme north of physical expression. <<less

This world is the world before the true savior “The Hero” appeared.... more>>

In this world, there are “Three Hopes.

The “Hero Licht,” the “Saint Milka,” and the “Sage Jamil” exist as the most powerful human beings fighting against the demons.

And…

*The title spoils the story… but there are no heroes in this world yet.

Therefore, unfortunately, there are many beings among the demons that cannot be defeated by them.

This story is not the cool story of the “heroes” you know, but the story before that. <<less

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the gaming industry has seen an explosion in popularity. One of the most popular games ever released is Mystery Maker, a VR RPG where players can create baffling puzzles in a virtual space and challenge other players to solve them.... more>>

As a promotional stunt for the game's upcoming sequel, eight real life great detectives have been hand chosen by Kurata Chikage, executive director of MegalodonSoft, to challenge each other to a match in a demo of Mystery Maker 2. Among them are Kamo Touma, a magazine contributor well known for his investigative work overturning false convictions, and his wife's cousin Ryuuzen Yuki, a recently debuted mystery novelist.

However, on the day of the demo event, the detectives are all drugged. When they awaken, they find their smartwatches are locked to their wrists and they are shown videos of their families and loved ones being held hostage. They are contacted by a Gamemaster, who tells them that if they wish to save themselves and their families, they must play a death game called "Delicious Death for Detectives".

As scheduled, the eight of them will play Mystery Maker 2's demo, and the Detectives will challenge the mu*der puzzles created by the mu*derer. If the Detectives are not able to reveal the mu*derer and their tricks before the time limit, all players will be killed. However, if the mu*derer is exposed, both they and their hostages will be killed. And if a Detective makes an accusation but gets even the tiniest detail wrong, they will be mu*dered by the Gamemaster's secret accomplice, the Executioner.

Now the only way for the eight detectives to survive is to expose the mu*derer and Executioner lurking among them, even if they must risk their lives and those of their compatriots to do so.

Which is an especially big problem for Kamo, because he's the one who's been chosen as the mu*derer! <<less

The mountain was once home to a dragon with fiery red eyes and a red mane.... more>>

Its breath scorched the forest, its claws cut through the rocky skin of giants, and its fangs devoured even devils with horns and wings.

One night, the soul of a sobbing child wandered to the dragon and settled on it.

The dragon, with its power approaching that of a god, is undaunted and will not yield to anyone.

However, the red dragon knew nothing of how to protect those who were much weaker than it, or how to hold on to the life that was dying. <<less

"I expect a fox to come down this evening."... more>>

I, who spend my daily life working in a factory, saw a woman standing alone on a deserted mountain pass and called out to her without thinking.
She shakes her hair tied in one knot and turns her head to look at me. I was puzzled by her unrealistic words, but I felt nostalgic for her face and decided to wait for the fox to fall with her.

"Um, have we met before?"
"――――, I was sure you'll remember me."

《I》 traced my memories one by one as if I was counting them with my fingers.

A town in the countryside. The noisy sound of cicadas and the choking smell of grass. The summer festival at the shrine and the red and scarlet sleeves of the yukata. The "Fox Fireworks" that the two of us lit on fire together - those days when a new summer came around every year. <<less

A scientist who lost his wife in an unforeseen accident.... more>>

He set out to create a clone of his wife because of loneliness.

But just before the birth of the clone, he was converted and the clone was discarded.

But then for a while. Scientists who are subjected to guilt will receive unexpected punishment.

The runaway of the science which does not stop. The sci-fi short short of two men who are crazy for love, depicting their sins and punishments. <<less

It started when my weirdo classmate, Chiba, tried to save me from a runway truck and got us both killed instead. Idiot. Then we got... more>> transported to another world, which I guess is like an otaku dream come true, or something? Chiba ends up with cheat abilities, and what do I get? Nothing! Lucky me, I get to be a s*x worker instead. Gotta earn some money somehow - but since I have to do it, I'm gonna kick ass at it. This world treats women even worse than the one we came from, so things get...rough. Still, I've made friends with some of the girls, and if I can juggle Chiba's idiocy and Sumo the virg*n's emotions on top of all the various kinks my customers throw at me, things will be alright...won't they? <<less

After the world was recreated countless times, a world that would not be destroyed was created. This marked the beginning of the City era.... more>>

From Berlin to Detroit, this series tells the stories of the unique cities that came to be in that world.

It was Kawakami's debut series and it takes place in the final era of Kawakami's light novels, which include Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon and Owari no Chronicle. <<less

Balsa the spearwoman is a wandering warrior, who takes on the task of saving lives, in atonement for a past sin. On her journey, she happens to save a prince, and is tasked with becoming his bodyguard. And he is going to need one, for his own father, the emperor, wants him dead.... more>>

Batchelder Award Winner <<less

Shortly after her nineteenth birthday, Florence was told that she was incapable of bearing a child. It was a fatal flaw for the daughter of a nobleman.... more>>

She was about to give up on life, thinking that she would have to become the wife of a man who was not much older than her father.

Suddenly, Stanley, her father’s squire, who had been like a brother to her since she was a child, was chosen to be Florence’s fiancé.

“They say you and I are to be married.”

“‘Yes, sir. Yes, I’ve heard that.”

This is a story about two people who had a master-servant relationship, but gradually came closer to each other after their engagement. <<less

For Tohko Amano, a third-year high-school student and self-styled “book girl,” being the head of the literary club is more than just an extracurricular activity. It’s her bread and butter…literally! Tohko is actually a literature-gobbling demon, who can be found at all hours of the day munching on torn out pages from all kinds of books. But for Tohko, the real delicacies are hand-written stories. To satisfy her gourmet tastes, she’s employed (rather, browbeaten) one Konoha Inoue, who scribbles away each day after school to satisfy Tohko’s appetite. But when another student comes knocking on the literary club door for advice on writing love letters, will Tohko discover a new kind of delicacy?... more>>

Bungaku Shoujo won Kadokawa Shoten’s 2007 light novel award for light novels under the mystery category.

Placed 7th (2007) and 3rd (2008) on “このライトノベルがすごい!” (This Light Novel is Amazing!) without an anime nor manga associate.

Novels:

– Main story:

1. Book Girl and the Suicidal Mime

2. Book Girl and the Famished Spirit

3. Book Girl and the Captive Fool

4. Book Girl and the Corrupted Angel

5. Book Girl and the Wayfarer’s Lamentation

6. Book Girl and the Undine Who Bore a Moonflower

7-8 Book Girl and the Scribe Who Faced God

– Short stories:

1-4. Bungaku Shoujo to Koisuru Souwashuu (Episode)

– Gaiden:

1. Bungaku Shoujo Minarai no, Hatsukoi

2. Bungaku Shoujo Minarai no, Shoushin

3. Bungaku Shoujo Minarai no, Sotsugyou

– Last Volume:

Hanjuku Sakka to Bungaku Shoujo na Henshuusha (Muse) <<less

The story is staged in the distant future within our own Milky Way Galaxy, approximately in the late 36th century. A portion of the galaxy is filled with terraformed worlds inhabited by interstellar traveling human beings. For 150 years two mighty space powers have intermittently warred with each other: the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance.... more>>

Within the Galactic Empire, based on mid 19th century Prussia, an ambitious military genius, Reinhard von Müsel, later conferred Reinhard von Lohengramm, is rising to power. He is driven by the desire to free his sister Annerose, who was taken by the Kaiser as a concubine. Later, he wants not only to end the corrupt Goldenbaum dynasty but also to defeat the Free Planets Alliance and to unify the whole galaxy under his rule.

In the Free Planets Alliance Star Fleet is another genius, Yang Wen Li. He originally aspired to become a historian through a military academy, and joined the tactical division only out of need for tuition money. He was rapidly promoted to an admiral because he demonstrated excellence in military strategy in a number of decisive battles and conflicts. He becomes the archrival of Reinhard, though they highly respect one another. Unlike Reinhard he is better known for his underdog victories and accomplishments in overcoming seemingly impossible odds and mitigating casualties and damages due to military operations.

As a historian, Yang often predicts the motives behind his enemies and narrates the rich history of his world and comments on it. One of his famous quotes is: “There are few wars between good and evil; most are between one good and another good.”

Besides the two main heroes, the story is full of vivid characters and intricate politics. All types of characters, from high nobility, admirals and politicians, to common soldiers and farmers, are interwoven into the story. The story frequently switches away from the main heroes to the Unknown Soldier fighting for his life on the battlefield.

There is a third neutral power nominally attached to the Galactic Empire called the Phezzan Dominion, a planet-state (city-state on a galactic scale) which trades with both warring powers. There is also a Terraism cult, which claims that humans should go back to Earth, gaining popularity throughout the galaxy. Throughout the story executive political figures of Phezzan in concert with the upper-hierarchy of the Terraism cult orchestrate a number of conspiracies to shift the tide of the galactic war so that it may favor their objectives. <<less

The world revolves around me.... more>>

My name is Sakagami Kagura. I’m incredibly cute, unbelievably intelligent, and my manners are utterly flawless. No diamond in the world could compare to my illustrious beauty. You could say that I simply put the rest of the world to shame with both brains and beauty.

Regrettably, someone such as myself is beset by troubles at every turn, just as a ill-fated protagonist of a story might be. My tendency to attract such misfortune is perhaps my one and only flaw. Mournfully, I sigh, raising my chin slightly so as to better catch the illumination of the streetlights. Even sighing, I must look simply exquisite.

Then, I give the stuffed rabbit in my arms a squeeze and focus my gaze on the two individuals in front of me, the source of my most recent plight. One is a black-haired young woman, the kind that would be idiotic enough to walk the streets this time of night. The other is a quite literally wolf-faced man. Naturally, he has her cornered. A werewolf and his prey.

My duty is to exterminate such horrific, inhuman creatures before they can wreak havoc on human society — using puppets such as this little fellow here…

Winner of the 7th Shogakukan Light Novel Grand Prize. <<less

"Hey, Yoshi-kun. I think you’re——"... more>>

Hearing that voice for the first time stopped me in my tracks. On my way home from school. On the playing field of our junior high, and at the bookshop in front of the station. And then in the empty lot where the white cat slept. Shiina Yuki, the strange girl who somehow knew all about me, always approached me like that.

We laughed, cried, got angry, held hands. Again and again, we repeated those disappearing memories and ephemeral promises. That’s why I never knew. I never knew the value of Yuki’s smiles or the meaning of her tears. Nor even the singular sentiment behind her many 'Nice to meet you’s.

This is a captivating, heartrending tale of meetings and partings. <<less

On the will left behind by the 14 year old su*cide victim K:... more>>

"Taku Sugawara is the devil. Nobody should believe his words." <<less

Your game friend, whom you mistook for a man, is actually a shy girl with a complex over her white hair!?... more>>

A frustrating coming-of-age love comedy about a reclusive girl!

“Schwarz was a girl………..?”

Yuuma and Schwarz are partners in an online game. But when they meet face to face in real life…he finds out that person is a shy girl!

so he decided to try making friends for her, who has never been able to make one due to her natural white hair complex. He also try to avoid from betraying her by trusting her “as a friend” .However, the numerous of unconscious and intimate skinship gradually makes him aware of her as the opposite s*x.

A sweet and frustrating coming-of-age story is intertwined with a shy, white-haired beauty in this story. <<less

Ever since the death of someone important to me, I've been living recklessly. After I became a high school student, there was a girl in my class who remained hospitalized due to "luminescence disease." This disease is named for the fact that the bodies of those who suffer from it glow faintly when exposed to moonlight, and that glow becomes stronger as their time of death draws closer. The girl's name is Watarase Mamizu.... more>>

After learning that she doesn't have long to live, and there are things that she wants to do before she dies...

"Will you let me help you with that?"

"Really?"

As this promise was made, the time that had frozen for me began moving again - <<less

“Kill Hamyuts Meseta”... more>>

A story about a world where all dead people become “Books” and are housed in a Library. The boy named Colio Tonies had his memories taken and a bomb transplanted in his chest. His life’s purpose is killing the world’s strongest Armed Librarian, Hamyuts Meseta. But, one day he gets his hands on the “Book” of a beautiful princess and falls in love at first sight. Furthermore, that love will cause Colio to get involved in a grand scale battle… <<less

Popular for being filled with bugs, the virtual-reality game New Communicate Online (a.k.a. Nekomimi Neko Offline).... more>>

A die-hard fan of the game, Sagara Souma, is sent to the game world from the power of a mysterious device.

Though surprised by the sudden turn of events, Souma conveniently knows the laws of the world.

Mastering every bug, using the game’s logic against it, he is soon known as “Maverick Swordsman Souma.” <<less

Shiraishi Gomichi, an ordinary high school student, has a secret. He has a memory of his previous life. In another world, different from this one, Morimichi was a 'hero" who saved humanity. However, this is only the story of his previous life. In this life, it was supposed to be a normal student life, but the appearance of Mai Shiina, a girl who moved into the same class as him, changes his ordinary life. She was a reincarnaited witch like Gomichi, who once plunged another world into disaster. They had killed each other many times in their previous lives, but when Gomichi asks her what she wants now, Mai tells him.... more>>

"I can't live without you!"
"What... ?" <<less

The protagonist is a guy who is among the s*upidest of the s*upidest in the school. In this school, your grades can, under the supervision of teachers, take a virtual form to do combat! However, if you leave an examination half way, you get zero marks. A bright and cute girl, Mizuki Himeji, was having a high fever during the examination. Despite her potential to be the second highest scorer in the level, she obtained zero marks for having left due to her illness and is thus allocated to the worst class, class F. ... more>>

Grades mean almost everything. For Class A, they have a smart-looking teacher, a plasma TV as big as the entire wall as their blackboard, personal laptops, personal air-cons, refrigerators, adjustable seats and all kinds of different appliances. Within the refrigerator, there are all kinds of drinks and snacks. Their ceiling is made of glass, the wall lets them put up high-class drawings and plants.

As for Class F, the worst class... They have Japanese desks and seat paddings. Their blackboard is dirty and there is no chalk even! Someone complains that the legs of his desk are broken, so the teacher asks, "Didn't we distribute some glue to stick wood together? Glue it back yourself later." Another one complains that wind is blowing in from the broken window. The teacher says, "I got it. I will apply for plastic bags and invisible glue to fix it later." There are spider webs everywhere, not a patch of the wall is clean. A unique moldy smell spreads across the entire room; it must be from the old tatamis used to tile the floor. This is the status of class F.

The protagonist feels displeased at such an arrangement, and seeks help from his friends to try to make a change through summoning war!! And they devise all kinds of plans to try to beat the famous class A, intending to get class A's classroom and equipment if they win!! <<less

A painfully conspicuous master adventurer, Dale.... more>>

Due to a certain request, he set foot in a deep forest and by chance, encountered a severely underweight and thin young girl of magic lineage. Unable to leave the girl, Latina who carried the branding of a criminal, Dale reluctantly decided to become her protector. However―

"Because Latina is too cute, I don't want to go to work."

―Before he realized it, he had completely gained a parent complex!? <<less

Mimizuku, a small girl with chains on her wrists and ankles and the numbers "332" branded onto her forehead, wanders into the Forest of Night... more>> seeking to be eaten by a monster. However, when the ruler of the monsters, the mysterious and beautiful "King of Night," refuses to eat her, she tries to formulate a way to convince him otherwise. <<less