10 Best Light Novels From J-Novel Club (2024)

In addition to manga, one of the biggest resources that studios use to adapt series into anime are light novels. Light novels are a form of popular literature that's typically categorized in the same way as YA fiction in Western publishing. Similar to manga, light novels are often serialized works of fiction published in pulp and literary magazines like Gekkan Dragon Magazine, Faust, and Charano!

Among publishers in the west that translate and publish light novels into English, one of the biggest and most highly regarded is J-Novel Club. Founded in 2016, J-Novel Club has released over 800 ebooks and physically produced well over 150 light novel and manga series. Being one of the best in the industry, it's no surprise that the publisher has managed to license some of the more popular light novels to publish for western fans, as well as publishing more niche titles for readers to discover.

Written by Satori Tanabata with art by Tea; originally published on Shosetsuka ni Naro

With a boost in popularity from its anime adaptation that aired during the Winter 2024 anime season, Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss, but I'm Not the Demon Lord has proven itself to be much more than just another addition to the oversaturated isekai genre. Originally a web novel that began being serialization in Shosetsuka ni Naro in 2018 before being picked up by Fujimi Shobo, Villainess Level 99 follows Yumiella Dolkness, who, in her previous life, was a college student who got reincarnated into a new world after passing away in an accident. Yumiella recognizes this new world as the setting from an otome game titled Light Magic and the Hero. Being feared for her black hair and aptitude for dark magic, Yumiella sets out to change the world's perception of her, and to find a way to defeat the elusive Demo Lord that acts as a looming threat throughout the series.

Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss, but I'm Not the Demon Lord acts as an interesting take on the villainess subgenre due to the way the series tackles in-game mechanics as Yumiella fights desperately to change her fate – including how her existence as the game's secret boss as a major point of conflict later in the series. With only six volumes, a manga adaptation and the brand-new anime, Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss, but I'm Not the Demon Lord is an excellent light novel series that serves as a great entry point for new J-Novel Club readers.

9 Tearmoon Empire Is a Villainess Tale About How Hard Change Can Be

Written by Nozomu Mochitsuki with art by Glise; originally published by TO Books

Opening on the bloody demise of its lead protagonist, Tearmoon Empire follows Princess Mia Luna Tearmoon after being executed by way of a guillotine at 20-years-old, only to reawaken as herself eight years in the past. She originally shakes off her execution as some kind of nightmare, only to discover her journal, covered in blood and filled with entries she wrote prior to her death. Wishing to avoid another violent death, she uses her past mistakes as a literal way of growing and fundamentally changing herself as a person, and to earn the favor of those around her.

One of the more underrated works in J-Novel Club's extensive library, Tearmoon Empire has still managed to celebrate a great deal of success, selling over 1.7 million copies across its print and digital releases. The series has also received a manga adaptation which was nominated for the 2021 Next Manga Award in the web comic category, and an anime adaptation produced by Silver Link that released in 2023.

8 Slayers Is an Underrated Classic

Written by Hajime Kanazaka with art by Rui Araizumi; originally published in Dragon Magazine

Originally released in 1989 in Dragon Magazine, Slayers is a classic light novel series that primarily focuses on a young sorceress named Lina Inverse and her adventuring party as they travel the world. The series is perfect for any diehard fantasy lover – as it follows Lina and her group using spells and swords to take on evil wizards, power-hungry demons, and other threats plaguing their adventures. Originally published in English by Tokyopop, the license has since been picked up by J-Novel Club, who has been bringing the series back to a modern English-speaking audience.

Despite its age, Slayers is still an immensely fun read, having spawned a number of spin-offs, including multiple manga series, a television anime adaptation, a number of OVAs and video games, all of which have sold more than 20 million copies – cementing the series as one of the most successful franchises from the 1990s.

7 Otherside Picnic Has an Immersive, Fantastical Premise

Written by Iori Miyazawa with art by shirakaba; originally published by Hayakawa Publishing

Lauded as something of a cult classic among light novel readers, Otherside Picnic follows a college student named Sorawo Kamikoshi who is able to explore magical doors that lead to a place called the "Otherside", a parallel universe where urban legends and other scary stories are capable of being brought to life. After nearly losing her life to one of these monsters, Sorawo is rescued by another young woman named Toriko Nishina, who is looking for a long-lost friend. The pair, aided by a third woman called Kozakura, traverse the Otherside to destroy the monsters inside and to collect artifacts they find within. As the series progresses, the two find themselves increasingly affected by this alternate dimension, and by each other.

Otherside Picnic is a unique spin on paranormal thrillers, and on yuri romance. While the series avoids common tropes found in other yuri series, its obvious LGBTQ+ tones are extremely well-handled amid the tense situations that the series thrusts its leads into. And, despite being otherworldly and focusing much of its horror on urban legends and creepypasta references, Otherside Picnic is able to explore horror and trauma in a sensitive, deep manner that isn't typically explored through this type of book.

6 Crest of the Stars Is a Rare Sci-Fi Fantasy Gem

Written by Hiroyuki Morioka with art by Toshihito Ono; originally published by Hayakawa Publishing

One of the best space opera franchises ever created, Crest of the Stars was originally a three-volume series that was quickly followed up with a sequel titled Banner of Stars and a short story collection titled Fragments of the Stars. The franchise follows Jinto, who, as a young boy, lost his home in an invasion by the Abh Empire. After his father sacrifices their star system to secure their family a place among Abh society as nobility, Jinto is sent away to attend school on a planet called Delktou to learn the ways of the Abh Empire. After a chance encounter with the princess of the Abh Empire, a young woman named Lafiel, the pair find themselves caught in the center of an intergalactic war between the Abh Empire and the Four Nations Alliance of Humankind.

Crest of the Stars originally began being published in 1996, and since then, the series has spawned a number of other media projects – including a manga, a video game adaptation, an anime adaptation, and even a radio drama. During the time of its initial publishing, many thought that the science fiction genre in Japan had died out, but Crest of the Stars reinvigorated sci-fi in popular Japanese literature, and went on to earn a Seiun Award.

5 Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill Is an Excellent Comedy Isekai

Written by Ren Eguchi with art by Masa; originally published in Overlap

While comedy isekai is nothing new in today's landscape, there is the occasional gem that pops out in the genre's endless sea of content. One such series, Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill, is as charming as it is silly, showcasing many of the genre's best features. Perfect for fans of other cooking-centric fantasy series like the recent hit series Delicious in Dungeon, Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill is a tongue-in-cheek series following four average people after being transported to a fantasy world asking for their assistance in fighting back in a war against demons. Each of the four are given some kind of special ability to aid in this quest. However, one of the heroes, a salaryman named Tsuyoshi Mukouda, is given the unlucky ability: "Online Supermarket".

After refusing to take up the call of being a hero, Tsuyoshi convinces the people of the new world that his power is virtually useless, and sets out to adventure on his own. Experimenting with his new skill on the road, Tsuyoshi discovers that he can summon food and other grocery-related items from the real world to use on his adventure. He eventually befriends a legendary beast named Fenrir on his travels, who loves Tsuyoshi's cooking and coerces him into a "familiar contract". Fun, campy, and not afraid to embrace its large-scale adventuring premise, Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill is a great read for new and old fans of light novels.

4 Bibliophile Princess Became an Unexpectedly Engaging Romance Series

Written by Yui with art by Satsuki Shiina; originally published by Ichijinsha

As the shojo and josei demographics have experienced something of a modern renaissance, with many series under these labels celebrating success that hasn't been publicly recognized in years. This extends to light novels, with many series that would be considered shojo or josei being adapted into manga and anime. One of these series, titled Bibliophile Princess, is a surprisingly tender and charming josei romance series. With art by Satsuki Shiina that calls back to the classics, Bibliophile Princess follows a young noblewoman named Elianna who becomes engaged to His Highness Christopher Ashelard, heir to the throne of the Sauslind Kingdom. Elianna believes that the two were only paired together to keep other suitors away from Christopher, but quickly learns how deep his devotion for her runs after another young woman in the court tries to frame her for crimes Elianna didn't commit.

Bibliohile Princess isn't a villainess reincarnation tale, nor is it an isekai at all. Instead, the series positions itself in a similar position as classic romance stories like Rose of Versailles, being something of a political period romance. The series' leads are absolutely charming, and their dynamic is absolutely irresistible to readers, making the series an absolute must-read for anybody who appreciates a well-written love story.

3 My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Was a Trailblazer in the Villainess Subgenre

Written by Satoru Yamaguchi with art by Nami Hidaka; originally published by Ichijinsha

One of the first major series in the villainess subgenre of isekai to gain mainstream notoriety, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom! set the standard for what fans of this type of series expected going forward. The series begins by introducing Catarina Claes as a young child, who, after a head injury, is suddenly flooded with memories of her previous life – that of a hardcore gamer from the "real" world. She then realizes that she hasn't been reborn as the main character, instead, she has been reincarnated as the villainess of the game, who just so happens to meet a fatal end in every single one of the game's routes. Catarina spends the rest of her childhood and teen years attempting to be better than the villainess from the original story while being riddled with anxiety that she's doing something wrong, and that everyone hates her. Little does Catarina realize, she has utterly charmed every member of the cast, and they all absolutely adore her.

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom! was an absolute trailblazer for the villainess reincarnation subgenre of isekai. Many of the same tropes and gags seen in similar series are apparent here, and Catarina's total obliviousness to the fact that everyone around her absolutely adores her is shockingly endearing, given how many characters written this way can be seen as grating or annoying.

2 The Apothecary Diaries Is Rapidly Becoming One Of the Best Series Of the Decade

Written by Natsu Hyuga with art by Touko Shino; originally published by Shufunotomo

One of the most popular and universally beloved seinen series in recent years, The Apothecary Diaries light novel is one that is often overlooked by readers due to the success of the series' manga and anime adaptations. Following Maomao, an apothecary working in the red-light district of a fictionalized country based on China, who is kidnapped and swiftly sold to work in the Imperial Palace. To the best of her abilities, Maomao attempts to keep her skills as an apothecary as hidden as possible until she hears that the emperor's children have fallen ill. She investigates the incident, and despite wanting to stay as mysterious as possible, catches the attention of a man named Jinshi, who introduces himself as an influential eunuch in the palace. The two strike up an unlikely friendship, and the rest of the series follows the pair investigating mysteries plaguing the palace.

The Apothecary Diaries does everything that a masterclass cozy mystery should. Semi-episodic in its narrative structure, the series gets readers invested in the vivid dynamic between Maomao and Jinshi, as well as Maomao's other budding relationships with members of the palace. The series isn't just focused on random mysteries, though, as there is an overarching plot filled with unexpected twists, The Apothecary Diaries is an addictive page-turner.

1 Ascendance of a Bookworm Is a Certified Isekai classic

Written by Miya Kazuki with art by You Shiina; originally published on Shosetsuka ni Naro

One of the most well-written and rich worlds in the isekai genre comes from Miya Kazuki's famous series Ascendance of a Bookworm. The story focuses on Urano Motosu, a young woman preparing to become a full-time librarian who ends up being crushed by a pile of books in an earthquake. As with every other isekai, she is reincarnated in the body of a five-year-old girl named Myne into a world where books are considered a scarce rarity, and reserved to belong only to the elite. Armed with the memories of her past life, Myne is determined to create and print her own books in the hopes that she can return to being a bookworm in her new life.

Ascendance of a Bookworm originally began as a web novel published through Shosetsuka ni Naro before being picked up and published by TO Books in 2015. As of December 2023, the massive isekai series has been collected into 33 volumes and divided into five different parts. Ascendance of a Bookworm has performed incredibly well, selling 8 million copies across its digital and physical releases, and has been adapted into both a manga and an anime series. The series has also been nominated for a number of awards, and in 2023, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Takarajimasha's light novel guide book titled Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! as part of the tankobon category.

Source(s): J-Novel Club