I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was super excited to see this become available because Record of Lodoss War is a super nostalgic property for me and the original printing of the manga volumes are insanely expensive on eBay so they were totally inaccessible to me. I was a little disappointed in the beginning because I thought it was going to be a re-release of the original manga, but this is a whole new story set in the same universe. Instead of Parn and Deedlit being the current heroes of Lodoss, they are legendary heroes of the past. The art style is perfect for the story and everything feels fresh and new, but still nostalgic enough that others like me will be satisfied.

Record of Lodoss War is a classic fantasy series I’d always meant to dive into, but never got the chance. I picked up Crown of the Covenant not knowing a thing about the Lodoss War franchise beyond the two most iconic characters, Parn and Deedlit, and I was surprised when I realized it is a sequel series that takes place a century after the conclusion of the last arc.

The first chapter had a bit of a heavy info dump about the world and I struggled a bit, but by the second chapter I was able to adapt and follow along. The story introduces a large cast of characters, centering on the descendants of Spark and Little Neese, on the even of an impending war. The plot quickly sends each of the siblings in different directions, and this story set-up reminded me a lot of A Song of Ice and Fire and the way that the Stark siblings were pulled to opposing sides in the conflict. There is a lot of potential for a complex story like this in the future, but for the first volume it’s a bit clunky. Most of the characters are given much time on the page, and I didn’t feel that invested in most of them.

Overall not a bad start to the series, it’s easy enough for newcomers to the Lodoss franchise to follow along while providing new story for old fans. The art style is good and I am curious to see the way that the conflict will play out in future volumes. More than anything though, reading this volume made me more interested in going back to read the earlier series first.

This was great! Interesting story that kept me interested from start to finish and I am eager to read the next one. The characters were very likeable. And I loved the art style.
My only issue was that the events felt a bit rushed, but this didn't take back from the story, though I wished we could explore the characters a bit more.

I feel like this book is a great start to a new series.

I enjoyed the artwork, and the story felt very adventurous.

I would like to know what happens next to the characters.

I can't wait to embark upon that quest.

I learn from a friend of mine that this book isn't a new thing and I was quite surprise. I felt like the drawing and the story hasn't come up to me ever. So I was happy to discover this manga. My friend is going to cosplay one of the character of later volume. The storyline is great and the fact that there is a malediction and then brothers against brother made me thing that the story will not be boring over time.

This is an interesting story about a kingdom who had peace due to some magical crowns. When one of the kings dies and their son takes over he refuses to wear it which means there would be war. This story follows a young prince from another kingdom and his adventure that he goes on. Can't wait to read more and see where this adventure goes.

Netgalley Review

Star Rating: ★★★☆☆

There is a lot going on in this manga. This was an alright one to read. Not one I'd buy for myself and I'm not sure if I'd ever go back and re-read it, but so far it was an alright read.

Like always read it and decide for yourself!

This was a pretty fast read! The art and overall plot is great, but the pacing is a bit off. From the get-go you're being bombarded by political drama and introduced to like 5 different people that barely reappear in the later parts of the volume. It's better to focus on what's happening rather than the characters because of that. I hope the author will flesh out the rest of the characters because all of them are worth writing their stories about (especially the 3 brothers. Please make it so it's like Vinland Saga!). 3.5 ⭐ s!

The drawing style is very lovely. This is vol 1 and very heavy on the world building and there is a lot of text, but it doesn’t take away from the art. I am fully intrigued and want to know more about the past knights and the future! Also I need more interactions with the main MC and his childhood friend. She seems like she will bring comic relief to the heavy topics.

Lot of political information dumping and tough to keep up with all of the info dumping. I was not aware that this was a sequel/there are previous mangas and anime about this, so if I had had the background of these it may have been more enjoyable to me. I just may not have been the target audience for this. I enjoyed the art, very crisp and lots of value.

3.5 stars
The artwork in this manga is incredible. The story is fascinating and I love the fantasy world that is being created here. However, as this is my first foray into Lodoss, there is an excess amount of names, faces, and locations to keep track of. Thankfully the names are not all similar which helps a lot. But there is a lot dumped on the reader all at once so in manga format it's on the harder side to get connected to the myriad of characters.
As for the story itself, we have the four Princes of Marmo all going off to deal with the war in different ways. There's a bunch of political maneuvering to start the story. The brothers will be fighting one another in the future. Lyle, the youngest of the brothers believes strongly in justice and has set off on a quest to find the eternal maiden. His is the story we see the most of and it's interesting. I'd like to get to know him and his companions more though. With so many characters thrown at the reader it's hard to get a feel for personality.
Enjoyable, I'm curious about the other material out there and will likely give volume 2 a try.

I admit I wanted to read this simply because I haven't read comics/graphic novels in a long time. But when I started to read it, I came to a realization that I don't have the capability of reading it anymore. I'm lost for the most part, and trying to keep up with what's happening in this comic was hard for me. I'm going to stick with reading novels only, I realized comics aren't for me anymore. I also had a hard time understanding this story even though the blurb sounded promising.

Solid art and character designs, sadly held back by the mass of names, places and lore dumped on the reader so early on. The story allows no time for the reader to engross themselves in this world as its thrust upon you at breakneck speed. Characters are introduced with little page time and it quickly grows hard to care. I know a characters name, occupation, race... But I don't know what they're like or what their personality is. I am personally a character-driven reader. I find that the most enjoyable part, to experience their growth and facets. So this was hard for me to resonate with in any capacity.
I get the impression this isn't going to be a long manga run and they are forced to cram all this into a much smaller package than many manga which can run for 20, 30, even upwards of 6o volumes. So while this is not bad, it lacks the oomf and impact of its contemporaries.

This was amazing! The illustrations are just great, the storytelling was interesting and lively. I can’t wait to read the next one. It’s also on the list for my anime/manga loving brother.

I remember OG Record of Lodoss War, so I was expecting something more like that. This was good, and I found it easily followable. The art is gorgeous.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I can't wait to read the 2nd in the series and I know my students will greatly enjoy this series.

ARC From Netgalley.
Following the Demon Wars, the War of Heroes, and the War of Evil Spirits, all six Kings of Lodoss were given a Crown of the Covenant, signifying that they dedicate their people and their lands to 1000 years of peace.

Unfortunately, the Isle of Lodoss has only kept peace for 100 years. The new King of Flaim, Diaz, has refused to wear the Covenant Crown and instead declares his intention to make war on the rest of the Kingdoms, to prove that Flaim should rule over all.

When news reaches the Kingdom of Marmo, Lyle, Fourth in line for the throne, is given the quest to find the legendary elf maiden Deedlit. 100 years prior, she aligned herself with a group of heroes that included Lyle’s idol Parn, self proclaimed Knight of Lodoss, and her assistance is vital in uniting the people to rise up against the tyranny of Diaz.

When I was a teen, Record of Lodoss War was a pivotal anime that helped cement my appreciation for both the art form, and the connection to its manga. The adventures of Deedlit and Parn were covered in both, and serve as the past here in the new publication of Crown of the Covenant Volume 1. Ryo Mizuno, the author who has brought us the entire Lodoss Saga gives his blessing to writer/illustrator Atsushi Suzumi (Venus Meets Virus) to show off this rich fantasy world, bringing the new chapter to modern audiences.

I’m really excited to see where this will go and how exactly everything will unfold. I’ve got both Volumes 2 and 3 queued up to read soon. For fantasy violence and political planning and content, Crown of the Covenant Volume 1 is best read by those 13 and up.

As a fan of the original Record of Lodoss War, I had to read this. It perfectly captures the atmosphere and the illustrations are lovely and so detailed. It has a whole new cast of characters to enjoy and yet returns you to a familiar place of adventure, war, and courage where the hero’s are tested at every turn and stories bring hope and light in the darkness. Excellent work, I can’t wait for more!

I haven't read the Lodoss War series, but now I'm interested. We get a story of throne politics, thievery, and adventure.

Prince Lyle's father has died, and his older brother the crown prince has renounced the throne in favor of worship. It's good enough for Lyle; he wants to right the wrongs in his kingdom, and ensure criminals get punished, like his uncle Parn, a knight that protected the innocent. Lyle's brothers are not happy about this, being second and third in line, but they have a bigger problem: the new king of Flaim won't wear the Crown of the Covenant, a binding oath of peace. He also wants to use Marmo's resources to declare war.

Prince Alucia decides to become king and wear the Crown of the Covenant while Prince Zayd announces his plans to defect with Princess Bina, in the hopes of changing Flaim's mind from the inside, and to preserve Marmo's ways if Flaim wins the upcoming battles. Both brothers send Lyle on a quest to find a mysterious woman that can save their kingdom and prevent war.

Sibling interactions are complex enough; being siblings to a kingdom makes things harder! But Lyle is determined, and soon he assembles a band of people to go to Lodoss to find Deedlit and ask for her aid. He's a sweetie, and you can see why he's a hero of the people.

The color pages are gorgeous in this. While I miss the 90s-2000s style coloring, you can tell the artists know what they're doing.

The art style is my favorite part of this book. I am not familiar with the original book or anime. I was not even aware that there was an original before starting this book. That being said, I didn't feel lost while reading. I wasn't invested in the characters like someone who might be familiar with the original source material, but it didn't take long to become invested. It was well written and I am always a sucker for a fantasy war story.

4 stars

2.5 stars

Going into this manga, I didn’t realize it was a sequel. I have not read any of the other Record of Lodoss War or seen the anime. This didn’t matter, as I could still understand the story. I may be missing some of the history, but that is made up for within the storytelling itself.

I think this would be better as a Light Novel instead of a manga. There is so much info dumping, and the manga format seems not quite right. I found the cast of characters to be too broad. There are so many players that you can’t really build a connection to them. I know the antagonist, but I don’t have any strong feelings for those fighting against him. The story also feels redundant. It pulls from Tolkien lore and is just another fantasy world with a war. It’s not very original. Sometimes, I don’t need original content, but this was a little boring.

The art was beautiful. It is well-drawn and I enjoyed the style when I wasn’t overwhelmed by the text. The cover is beautiful, which pulled me in to read the volume. Unfortunately, good art and covers can’t carry this manga.

I probably won’t be continuing this series. There are others out there that are worth my time. This was too easy to put down and not pick back up again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Udon Entertainment for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.