Oreta Ryuukotsu

[Corvadox]

Author: Honobu Yonezawa (Koten-bu Series/Hyouka)
Title: Oreta Ryuukotsu (The Broken Keel)(折れた竜骨)
Publisher: Tokyo Sogensha (Novel), Kadokawa (Manga).
Type: Novel (Original) and Manga (Adaptation).
Volumes: 1 (Maybe 2)(Novel), 5 (Manga)
Status: Completed (Novel), Ongoing (Manga).
Awards and nominations (Novel):
2011 - Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel
2011 - The Best Japanese Mystery Fiction of the Year (2012 Honkaku Mystery Best 10)
2011 - Nominee for Honkaku Mystery for Best Novel
2011 - Nominee for Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize

About:
Oreta Ryuukotsu is a mystery novel set towards the end of a twelfth-century Europe where magic exists.

Synopsis (Machine translated):
The Solon Islands, which sailed from London and floated along the rugged North Sea for three days. One day, Amina, whose father is the lord, meets Falck Fitzjohn, a knight on a wandering journey, and Nicola, his servant's boy. Falk told Amina's father that he was destined to be killed by an assassin knight who was a terrifying magician.
A father who was killed by the assassination knight's magic on an island that was supposed to be a natural fortress, eight suspects of "Minion" candidates, suspicious mercenaries in the end, a sunk bell, key An immortal young man who suddenly disappeared from the prison on which the stricken tower towered-and when was the resurrected "cursed Danes" invaded? In the world where magic and curse falter, can the power of "reasoning" really reach the truth?

Novel: Official Site (Japanese)
Manga: MAL, MangaUpdates

Covers:
Oreta Ryuukotsu <top> and <bottom>


Oreta Ryuukotsu Paperback

Oreta Ryuukotsu (Manga) Vol. 1

Note:
Hey guys. I've got kind of an unusual suggestion here, a Non-LN Japanese mystery novel, by the author of Hyouka, Oreta Ryuukotsu! I'm a fan of the Koten-bu series (RIP my dreams of having an official English hardcover) and have found myself really wanting to read some of Yonezawa's other works. I can't even remember how I found this novel of his in particular, probably serendipity, I just remember running upon it some years ago and finding myself rather infatuated with the idea of it. I'd essentially resigned myself to never getting the chance to read it since the odds of some random mystery novel (not even an LN) being translated were nigh zero. However, while perhaps a suboptimal solution, as of 2015 Oreta Ryuukotsu has actually been receiving a manga adaptation, which makes the odds of me (and you) getting the chance to consume the story in some capacity look many times less grim. But, at any rate, I'm here to recommend the Oreta Ryuukotsu Novel (and the manga too, I guess) for translation and gauge interest. So, is anyone else here interested in seeing a translation of the Oreta Ryuukotsu Novel, Manga, or both?

Sources:
Novel's Official Site, Oreta Ryuukotsu (Mystery Frontier) Amazon.co.jp Page, Oreta Ryuukotsu <top> Amazon.co.jp Page, Oreta Ryuukotsu <bottom> Amazon.co.jp Page, Oreta Ryuukotsu Vol. 1's Amazon.co.jp Page,Oreta Ryuukotsu Vol. 5's Amazon.co.jp Page, Broken Keel <top> Tokyo Sogensha Store, Broken Keel <bottom> Tokyo Sogensha Store, Honobu Yonezawa's Wikipedia Page.

[Corvadox]

Bump.

It's been a long time, I figured it may be worth revisiting to gauge if interest has changed at all.

To avoid adding nothing new, here is a quick summary and review quoted directly from this Reddit post made around the same time as my original post here.

Broken Keel(折れた竜骨) 2011 Weekly Bunchun Mystery Award 2nd. 2012 Japanese Authentic Mystery Novel Award 1st. 2012 This mystery is awesome Award 2nd. 2012 I want to read Mysteries Award 1st. 2011 Japanese Authentic Mystery Grand Award final candidate.

Intro: This is the late 12th Century, the age of crusade, but with magic real and everywhere. Amina Aylwin always dreams world past the Solon isles, which is very remote, only reached by sailing the North Sea for three days from London. But as the daughter of the Laurent Aylwin, lord of the isles, that seems impossible. One day, her father gathers mercenaries and soldiers, saying the long-forgotten Immortal-Cursed Danes will invade the island. After just that, Sir Falk Fitzone of the Order of the St. Ambrosius Hospitaller Brotherhood and his page Nicola arrives at Solon isles. They warn about the Assassination Knights, renegade templars who studied Hashashin's assassination magics. One of the, Edric, has crept into the isles and plotting the murder of the Lord Laurent. A day later, Laurent is found dead at his operation room. Sir Fitzone announces the use of the forced creed, a magic that forces its victim to kill the designated target...

Review: My favorite book. I really wishes it could be turned into anime. Yonezawa successfully merges fantasy, medieval history, and classical mystery all together. The main characters and suspects are all iconic, memorable, and has hidden depth, plus acts like real medieval persons, not some modern person thrown in 12th Century.. Doubly enjoyable if you know the medieval history well(and triply if you enjoy the Assassins Creed series! - Templar, Hashashins, "Creed") The mystery element of this novel is very well planned, but its twist being rather predictable. The fantasy part features a giant robot, undead horde, german witchcraft while staying realistic. Also liked the novel's theme: "Using logic and reason to purge the restraints(symbolized by magic)". Has been adapted into manga by Famitsu.