Review by Jong Chung
Holo and Lawrence continue their journey in the fourth volume of Spice & Wolf. The pair now find themselves heading to the small village of Tereo, in search of a monk at a particular abbey that can hasten their journey to Holo's hometown of Yoitsu. He is said to have a collection of tales about pagan gods, and thus possibly information about Holo's origin. Amidst their inquiry, however, they encounter a roadblock in the form of a sort of an internal dispute between Tereo and the Church. Lawrence also discovers that the villagers seem strangely well off despite their halted labor as soon as the harvest season was over – quite an anomaly in a village the size of Tereo's, being a part of a neighboring town's – Enbarch's – fiefdom. Along with that, Lawrence was given the cold shoulder as soon as he approached the Church and the village elder regarding whereabouts of the Abbey in question. Finally, there's the mystery behind the existence of a Church in Tereo itself, as the village follows strong faith in Paganistic beliefs. Not only will the traveling pair have to get to the bottom of all of this – but they may find themselves in more trouble than they could have imagined (as usual, of course).
It seems to be a pattern in which I enjoy reading the descriptions of weather and climate in these novels. Rightfully so, as the images are fantastic and reading this volume set in a cold season helped me to appreciate the opening of the novel all the more as we head into the tail end of November. Like always, the volume begins quite familiar and light in tone, as we return to see the casual interactions between Holo and Lawrence during their travels. The usual troubles Lawrence gets into with Holo are as entertaining as ever, and I couldn't help but smile at the little ways their relationship showed a growing depth.
Spice & Wolf is a series I find myself enjoying in various degrees, from the scenes with lighthearted exchanges following a short argument between the duo or the suspenseful, action-packed parts that usually close out the volumes. This volume is no exception. In summary, the consistency is in no way compromised. If anyone reading this hasn't had the chance to purchase this volume yet – the fifth volume's release is just around the corner, so don't wait! I hope readers find themselves smiling while reading Spice & Wolf vol.4 just as I did. © 2011 Linda Thai
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