Magus of the Library, Vol. 1
Ratings8
Average rating4.8
15
Ratings8
Average rating4.8
The Magic of the Written Word
In the small village of Amun lives a poor boy named Theo. Theo adores books, but because of his pointed ears and impoverished life, he isn't allowed to use the village library. As he endures the prejudice and hatred of the village, he dreams of going where such things don't exist: Aftzaak, City of Books. But one day, Theo chances to meet a Kafna--a librarian who works for the great library of Aftzaak--and his life changes forever...
Reviews with the most likes.
This was such an unexpected surprise!
This first volume in a series I'm most definitely going to continue follows a boy named Theo, banned from his local library for being poor and ostracized for being different. He meets three Kafnas, librarians from the City of Books, Aftzaak, who have come to his village after hearing rumors of a magical tome there. Theo loves books, loves the idea of Aftzaak, and idolizes these three librarians and what they represent.
This is basically librarianship: the manga. It touches on proper book care, repairs, the history of books, and the librarian code of ethics (admittedly in a fantastical, manga sort of way). It also contains a sweet story about the love of books, what they mean to Theo personally, and the larger role they play in society. And the art. The artwork is fantastic. The four-page spread (two, two-page spreads back to back) near the end of the book as Theo is dreaming in particular is gorgeous. The detail in just about every panel is incredible.
Do you like manga? Do you like books? Do you support your local library? Read this one. It's fantastic.
Featured Series
4 primary books圕の大魔術師 / Magus of the Library is a 4-book series with 4 primary works first released in 2018 with contributions by Mitsu Izumi and Stephen Kohler.
