My Contract with the Apothecary Monster (Suggestion for J-Novel Club Heart)
-
Name: My Contract with the Apothecary Monster
Kusuri no Mamono no Kaiko Riyuu
薬の魔物の解雇理由
Author: Sakuraze Ayaka
Artist: ボーダー
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo
Publisher: TO Books (Volume 1-3)
Wiem Publishing (Volume 4~)
Jahr: 2021
Volumes: 4 (Ongoing)
Description: In this world, monsters consume a person's lifespan in exchange for granting their every wish. However, Nea's mysterious "apothecary" monster, Dino, seems uninterested in consuming hers. If not her lifespan, what will Dino require of her in exchange for her wishes...?After wandering into the land of Weem, Nea is offered the illustrious position of Songbearer, and forms a contract with Dino — a monster as beautiful as he is powerful. While Nea adjusts to her role (and Dino's peculiar brand of companionship) she is tasked with the search for the Grimmdoll Chain: an artifact in possession of the elusive Masked Monster.
My Opinion: Do you remember? I already suggested the manga some time ago, which got licensed by Tokyopop now. Since they have gotten the manga, it would be very nice, if J-Novel Club could acquire the novel. When I first saw the cover, I got immediately hooked on it and wanted to read it since then. And needless to say, the story sounds really interesting and exiting! Unfortunately the author has died, so it‘s unclear, if there will be more volumes in the future (it seems there is still some web novel content, so maybe the publisher will continue the series). But nevertheless it‘s a series well worth reading, I would love for J-Novel Club to license it.
Update: A newly etablished publisher, Wiem Publishing will continue to release the rest of the series (the web novel is already completed) in cooperation with the family of Ayaka Sakuraze.
-
Hopefully it can get licensed, if the author has already died… Anyway, you have my vote!
-
Sounds really good, I would like to read it!
-
I researched a bit and it seems that the web novel got already completed before the author passed, so maybe if we are lucky the publisher will release the rest of the volumes, too.
-
Referenced by
Silver Sugar Duchess
-
I was so happy when Tokyopop announced the manga! Hope the novel will get an official English release, too.
-
Yes please! I was already interested in the manga, so the novel is bound to be even better, right?
-
Looks pretty interesting. I would definitely give it a try!
-
Looks good, I would like to read it!
-
Referenced by Silver Sugar Duchess
-
Good news for everyone (and me) who is interested in this series. A newly etablished japanese publisher called Wiem Publishing will continue this series from volume 4 onward (though the covers will look different) in cooperation with Ayaka Sakuraze‘s family.
-
@Laplace_1010 Many thanks for the info. Hopefully an English publisher will pick this series up (volume 1-3 from TO Books and also from volume 4 from Wiem Publishing onward then).
-
Here is the cover for volume 4, it really looks different than the illustrated covers from TO Books, but I think it's the content that counts, not the cover:
-
This cover is a real eye-catcher!!! The content of the novel also sounds super exciting. And this male lead, he looks so beautiful! I would love to read it!
-
The cover artwork looks like it belongs on a traditional Christmas card. :)
-
@Ingraman Even though it‘s not your usual light novel cover I think it‘s very pretty!
You are definitely right with the Christmas vibes, but I think the series also has something to do with it, at least with fantasy festivities that resemble Christmas.Apparently the cover art got especially created for Ayaka Sakuraze (or it‘s an old drawing made by Ayaka Sakuraze herself, I‘m not so sure there).
However, this does not mean that in the event of licensing, this cover will also be used for the English edition.
Since the first three volumes of TO Books have manga illustrations as covers, it may well be that the following English volumes will also have illustrated covers to make them look more uniform. -
@Ingraman said in My Contract with the Apothecary Monster (Suggestion for J-Novel Club Heart):
The cover artwork looks like it belongs on a traditional Christmas card. :)
I think so too. But I like the elegant vibes it gives off.
Now I'm really curious, is it even possible to license the first three volumes from TO Books and then the subsequent volumes from the new publisher? Would that even be possible?
@Rahul-Balaggan Don‘t know if you can give some insight, but you are the most likely person I can ask.
-
@mariechan_hime said in My Contract with the Apothecary Monster (Suggestion for J-Novel Club Heart):
Now I'm really curious, is it even possible to license the first three volumes from TO Books and then the subsequent volumes from the new publisher? Would that even be possible?
It can be done, provided the publishers are willing to talk with your firm.
But it wouldn't be a package deal.
A separate license agreement would be required for each publisher.
...One likely wouldn't start serious negotiations with the new publisher until things were nailed down with the initial publisher for several reasons. It'd be a pain if you didn't get the initial volumes...and it'd give the initial publisher significant leverage in negotiations if you were to already have licensed the follow-up volumes.
It's a trifle unusual for a series to shift publishers mid-stream, but it's happened with other LNs I'm aware of.
I'm even aware of it occurring with US SF series. -
It is extremely complicated.
-
@Geezer-Weasalopes Many thanks for the info.
@Rahul-Balaggan Yes, it got already explained. Though it does seem quite complicated, apparently it‘s possible to do so.
-
Adding the disclaimer that it is possible to do so gives off the impression that it may be less complicated than it truly is.
Something’s like this would be enormously complicated.
-
@Rahul-Balaggan Even if it's incredibly complicated, that doesn't mean it's completely impossible, so it's possible. I‘ve never said it wouldn‘t be difficult.
Please don‘t destroy my hope…
