One person, however - our protagonist, Lena Milizé - has spoken out about the monstrous treatment of the Colorata of 86.Īs a member of the military, Lena is assigned as the overseer (or Handler) of a group of Colorata soldiers. However, these pilots are still not considered human, since they are all from the eighty-sixth district. It is soon revealed, however, that the Juggernauts are in fact piloted. The people believe that this war is being fought by autonomous machines called Juggernauts, and no human lives are being lost. They are considered to be subhuman by the rest of the republic, which is made up entirely of a race known as the Alba.įor nine years, San Magnolia has been at war. The titular 86 is the name given to the home district of an abused race of people: the Colorata. This country is divided into eighty-five human districts. If you’re unfamiliar with the anime or the light novel, 86 is set in a pseudo-dystopian world, in a country known as The Republic of San Magnolia. The anime adaptation of 86 EIGHTY-SIX was one of the best anime of 2021, leading a lot of new fans in search of the original 86 EIGHTY-SIX light novel series, which is easily one of the best light novels ever penned. All are popular and beloved light novels, whatever their genre. Of course, a few of these are isekai light novels, but many are not. With that definition out of the way, here are some of the best light novels to read right now.
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It’s easy to watch a popular anime series and never realise it was first a light novel series, and often then a manga as well.Ī common trope with some of the best light novels is their comically long titles (especially if they’re of the isekai genre). There aren’t hundreds of these, but usually a few per chapter.Īs already mentioned, the best light novels are also frequently adapted into both manga and anime. Usually, every few pages, there will be a full-page manga panel depicting the current scene. Reading ten volumes of a light novel isn’t the same as reading The Wheel of Time or A Song of Ice and Fire.Īnother feature of light novels is that they feature art in a manga style. However, because they’re breezy in tone and light on word count, they’re quick to get through (hence the name “light novel”). Some of the best light novels go on for as long as some manga, spanning dozens of volumes. Light novels share a lot of themes, tropes, and style with the broader YA genre of literature.Īnother feature of light novels is that they are often serialised, rather than standalone works. Light novels usually come in at around 50,000 to 60,000 words, so they definitely are novels.īut what also defines a light novel is its target audience: teenagers and young adults. Anything shorter is often defined as a novella.
But to meet the definition of light novel, it needs to have certain features.Ī novel is typically defined as any work of prose over 30,000 words in length (roughly 100 pages).
Put simply, a light novel (literally ライトノベル in Japanese) is a novel.
In fact, whether you’ve read any of these light novels or not, you’ll recognise the names of at least a few - such as KonoSuba and Re:ZERO - thanks to their popular anime adaptations.īefore we dive into the list of best light novels, and just in case you’re wondering and unfamiliar, let’s ask and answer the question: what are light novels? What is a light novel?