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J-Novel Club Publisher Launches to Release Light Novels in English Digitally
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The new digital publishing company J-Novel Club founded to release light novels in English worldwide launched its first releases on Saturday. The company plans to release the novels in weekly installments for J-Novel Club members on its website and on its app for iOS and Android. The company also plans to release finalized books on e-book retailers such as Amazon, iBooks, and Kobo.
The company has partnered with the publishers Hobby Japan and OVERLAP. The launch titles for the service include:
Title: Occultic;Nine
Author: Chiyomaru Shikura with illustrations by pako
Synopsis: Q: Do you believe in ghosts?
A: Of course not!
Yuta Gamon, a young boy who lives in Kichijoji, runs an occult blog called "Kirikiri
Basara." He spends his days dreaming of making a fortune off his affiliate links. What
starts off as a tiny feeling that something's wrong develops into a case that goes
beyond imagination. Suddenly, Yuta brings together the fates of nine strangers.
Black magic, the afterlife, psychics, fortune-telling, other dimensions, prophecies,
hypnosis, urban legends... The world is filled with flim-flam!
This is the first book in the Paranormal NVL Occultic;Nine series, from the mind behind
Steins;Gate and Chaos;Child! An anime adaptation is airing and streaming worldwide
Fall 2016.
Title: Brave Chronicle - The Ruinmaker (Kimi kara Uketsugu Eiyū Keifu: Brave Chronicle)
Author: Kenya Atsui, illustrations by Saori Toyota
Synopsis: Meet Kurono Kokuya, a student in the lowest rank at Star Gate Academy – the world's
cutting-edge training facility for star sorcerers, the beings who use star sorcery to
protect the Earth from otherworld invasions. His childhood friend Yukihime Yukigane
just happens to be the world's strongest star sorcerer, and she never lets him forget
that fact. One day, their days of peace are interrupted by a powerful threat from
another world. Kokuya and Yukihime stand on the front lines, risking their lives to
protect those they love, but will they be able to defeat the Dark Lord Redge and his
cruel minions?
Title: My Big Sister Lives in a Fantasy World (Nee-chan wa Chūnibyō)
Author: Tsuyoshi Fujitaka, illustrations by An2A
Synopsis: One day, first year high school student Yuichi Sakaki suddenly awakens the power of
“Soul Reader” within him, and he can see words above people's heads that describe
their true nature! With just a glance at the people around him, he sees crazy things
like “Zombie”, “Witch”, and “Vampire”... That would be bad enough, but then there is
“Serial Killer” Natsuki Takeuchi walking straight toward him... Nobody would ever
believe him! Well, except for his older sister Mutsuko: This kind of stuff is right up her
alley.
Title: My Little Sister Can Read Kanji (Boku no Imōto wa Kanji ga Yomeru)
Author: Takashi Kajii, illustrations by Halki Minamura
Synopsis: The year is 2202, and Japan has become the land of moe. Aspiring author Gin Imose
and his little sister Kuroha are traveling to TOKYO to meet with the world famous
author, Gai Odaira. Kuroha is uninterested in his orthodox literary style, and
amazingly is able to read ancient modern Japanese books written in kanji! This fateful
encounter sets off a chain of events that could change the course of literary history!
Could it be that, long ago, books could be about more than little sisters showing their
panties and getting in compromising situations with their non-blood- related older
brothers? Impossible! It's hard to even imagine a Japan where everyone could read
kanji and the Prime Minister was a 3D human being...
J-Novel Club has the worldwide digital English rights to all four series.
Membership to the service costs US$4.50 a month or US$54 a year, which gives subscribers access to a new chapter a week for all its series. The company plans to announce 10 new series in the future, and will continue to license new series. Subscribers also get access to a member-only forum. Premium Membership gives subscribers a free finalized e-book each month in addition to the benefits of the regular membership, and costs US$10.95 each month or US$120 for a year. More information can be found on the company's FAQ page.
The first part of each of the novels is available now for free. Subsequent parts require a membership.
Sam Pinansky, who previously founded the Anime Sols company, is the president and founder of J-Novel Club.
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history