Myne picked a good one this week because I finished one fitting for this topic just yesterday. When I picked up They Don’t Know I’m Too Young for the Adventurer’s Guild I expected a generic isekai and was pleasantly surprised when I got a surprisingly good fantasy novel with great side characters.

Another example would be Zilbagias the Demon Prince: How the Seventh Prince Brought Down the Kingdom. I didn’t expect something with such a thought-provoking dilemma. The entire series is basically a fantasy novelization of the Tolley-problem. How many acts of evil are okay to do in the name of saving more in the long run? And how does one live with doing those acts of evil and finds the strength to keep going. How much is too much and where does one draw the line? It’s surprisingly thought out and balanced perfectly between asking only surface level questions and going too deep.

Good Surprise - Ascendance of a Bookworm

I came from the anime first so what was most surprising was how well it added small details to the world and also how well things were explained. I thought that as the anime had visuals and sounds the book would not be able to keep up and make it as immersive but it exceeded my expectations.

Bad/Joke Surprise - Death March to a parallel World Rhapsody

What kind of release schedule is 6 Months? Give me more now!

A slow release is a big surprise for a great series.