Title: Agents of the Four Seasons, Vol. 1
Dance of Spring, Part I
by Kana Akatsuki (Author); Suoh (Illustrator)

Release Date: November, 21st, 2024

3.5 Stars

"Agents of the Four Seasons, Vol. 1" takes readers on a captivating journey through a world where the seasons are not just weather patterns, but entities guided by chosen representatives.

Hinagiku, the Vernal Agent, returns after a decade to restore balance to the cycle of seasons, bringing with her a tale of love, regret, and redemption.

While expecting a manga, I found myself engrossed in a novel that delves deep into the emotional complexities of its characters. The story explores themes of trauma, forgiveness, and the interconnectedness of the seasons, painting a vivid picture of a world where emotions and natural elements intertwine.

Despite some initial surprise, I was pleasantly drawn into the intricate plot and richly depicted emotions. "Agents of the Four Seasons, Vol. 1" is a unique and compelling read that leaves a lasting impression.



Thank you to The Publisher Yen Press | Yen On , The Author Kana Akatsuki & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

This was an interesting read. I enjoyed the concept and the lore. The characters were also pretty good and I'm quite endeared by them. I'm looking forward on the next one.

DNF. I am so disappointed by this! The cover is beautiful, and I loved the concept, but the execution was lackluster. If this was ever made into an anime, I'd probably give it a chance just to see if the problems I had with the reading experience aren't as unbearable. 

A lot of it came down to personal taste. The female main character talks in the third person, pauses a lot, and sounds childlike even though she's sixteen. There is a reason for this explained early on, but I couldn't even think about continuing with it for the whole volume, and it's a rather large light novel!

There was also a scene in the first part wherethe death of a minor character's parent is mentioned, and it's way too early for me in my own healing journey to be reading about that. It was supposed to be a heartwarming scene, but all it did was make me sad. 

Two stars for the concept and some of the writing being beautifully written. I'm sure many will love this, sadly it's not for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am ALWAYS looking for new manga series, especially Shojo and Josei, and am pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this first volume! I'm definitely picking up a physical copy for myself, and I can't wait to read the next installments.

This light novel was quite cute. I also thought it was a manga when I requested but I do love light novels so I wasn’t upset about this surprise!

I feel like I went through a barrage of human emotions while readings this. The main characters experience trauma, joy and all manner of things in between. The storyline, while not extremely heavy, does contain some heavier elements (such as kidnapping) that have ramifications.

If you like light novels with drama and romance I definitely recommend it!

Cute light novel. I too was expecting a manga, but was pleasantly surprised.

Thank you netgalley for a chance to read this.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, this was wonderful! I have never thought I could be a fan of anime or manga, and this changed my mind. The drawings are exquisite, the story exciting. I am waiting for the sequels!

I definitely got this one thinking it was manga, so I was surprised by the deep novel I received!

This is maybe a bit heavier than I was expecting - I was hoping for very romance focused and character driven.

I'm not sure if I would continue this series - just because I haven't been into super heavy and intricate plots like this recently.

Thank you for the ARC.

It did take me longer to get through this then I had planned but only since I was unable to read the ARC through kindle and the watermark was a little distracting.

I originally thought that this was a manga, but was pleasantly surprised by not be a manga. The images in the book were gorgeous.

I had so many issues accessing and reading this book that it seemed likely I would dnf, however I am glad I managed to finish as the afterword of this book truely made me reconsider the story I had just read.

The world of this series is incredibly magical yet simple. Humans have been granted powers to bring forth the seasons.

Initially, I viewed this premise as uncomplicated however it is clear the author has put a great depth of thought into the implications that such powers would have politically, socially and on the mental health of the agents.

The writing was my main issue when reading as it felt like it lacked flow with constant flashbacks, inner thoughts and so many ellipses. However, I’m not one to hold what may be simply translation errors at fault when the story was so interesting.

Overall, fairly interesting premise and I hope to be able to read and enjoy the other remaining volumes!

Thankyou, Yenpress and Netgalley for an arc of this book for an honest review

Surprisingly delightful! Initially anticipating a manga, this turned out to be a charming light novel. Brimming with amazing characters, romance, and a touch of fantasy, it's worth a try for those seeking an enjoyable read. A solid 3-star recommendation!

My thanks to NetGalley and Yen Press/Yen On for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

DNF at 8%. I hated the way Spring spoke. Completely, 100% HATED it. I refused to subject myself to 92% more of it and threw in the towel before it became a hate read.

This was completely a "me" problem and not a "book" problem. It has a good concept, but that wasn't enough for this reader. YMMV

2, I didn't hate the book, just the speech pattern of the MC h, stars.

I love shoujo manga and so I love the FMC’s goal in the story. I feel though that a lot of feelings weren’t drawn out to make Yuuki’s “wish” seem so hard to achieve.

I also think that too many things are happening in the first volume to really digest all the emotions the mangaka wants readers to feel. It was quite difficult to get invested in the story because it was moving too fast.

Overall it does have potential and is possibly something I would have read when I was younger.

4 stars
I will say the pacing of this novel is a bit slow and this is not a manga! I did enjoy the four seasons story but it was confusing.

This light novel begins a series centered around the origin of the four seasons, and the agents who keep the cycle turning. It first follows Hinagiku, the Agent of Spring, who returns after a decade of disappearance and does not return just with her chosen season, but a brave decision to face the trauma and regret of what happened ten years ago.

Like many others, I mistakenly thought this was a manga, and I don't have much experience with light novels. I enjoyed the lovely artwork and the unique formatting for things like flashback pages, but overall I didn't enjoy my reading experience. It was really hard to get into in the beginning because of Hinagiku's speaking patterns, and I didn't particularly enjoy Sakura as a character right away. I think I enjoyed Rosei more overall, especially with the dip into darker themes, but overall the story didn't captivate me and I was a little confused on the purpose of the Agents and relation to the seasons.

I personally won't be continuing, but if you enjoy stories about reconciling mistakes and dark pasts as well as worldbuilding centered around the four seasons, I would recommend you give this a try. I've heard the physical version especially is quite lovely!

Thanks netgalley for a review copy.

This book took me by suprise!
I first tought it would be a manga but it was a lovely light novel.
If you love amazing characters, romance and a good dash of fantasy give it a try!
I am for sure going to buy the other volumes when they come out.

Really good and easy going story. It was my first book of this author so I grateful Netgalley for providing it to me. Nice combine of romance and nature seasons. I always like winter and in this story I really enjoy description of Agent of winter. Sometimes it’s was a little bit hard with Japanese names but in common this story is a good adventure

I always love when they turn manga series into actual books. It is so interesting to see how important the artwork is within a manga, but also that our imagination when we read can really take off. This was a delightful read, and I will always recommend manga that is transferred into novel style.

When I asked for this book, I anticipated a Manga, not a novel. However, I'm pleasantly surprised. The story delves deeper than I expected, with a focus on the four seasons, particularly spring and winter. A notable misunderstanding leads to significant trauma and pain. The narrative is intriguing, and even the side characters are engaging. Looking forward to seeing where it goes in book 2. Thanks to Netgallery and Kana Akatsuki for the opportunity to read this book.

Sweet, heartfelt, emotional, and impactful. As someone who lives in a high traffic manga and light novel area, I can already see how this is going to stick with a lot of readers. Beautiful art, too!