A light novel is a type of Japanese literature that contain manga-style illustrations. While it’s still not as popular as anime and manga, you’ll be surprised that many of the two are actually based on light novels.

It’s a medium currently experiencing much growth, especially in the Western market. And with English translations becoming more available, it’s expected to rise more in the coming years.

Top Light Novels

Getting into light novels can be intimidating. Its author base keeps on growing, and they churn out books at a speed that’s almost ridiculous. Some even publish a book a month.

With so many stories coming in, it’s hard to sift through all the noise and find ones worth reading. So here’s a list of light novels that many consider as excellent representatives of the format.

1. Goblin Slayer by Kumo Kagyu, illustrated by Noboru Kannatsuki

A young, inexperienced priestess is on her first adventure when her party is massacred by goblins. All hope is lost until the arrival of an adventurer whose life-long mission is the eradication of monsters commonly considered as fodder.

2. Boogiepop by Kouhei Kadono, illustrated by Kouji Ogata

It’s said that Boogiepop takes away the misery of those in pain. He’s also an urban legend, something out of the imagination.

But when female students from Shinyo Academy begin disappearing, Kirima Nagi knows something sinister is afoot. And that it’s all connected to Boogiepop and something much more dangerous.

3. Slayers by Hajime Kanzaka, illustrated by Rui Araizumi

Lina Inverse is a teenager who also happens to be a sorcerer who wields some of the most powerful magic in the world. Together with her companions, they go on various adventures ranging from comedic to world-threatening crises.

4. The Saga of Tanya the Evil by Carlo Zen, illustrated by Shinobu Shinotsuki

An atheist salary is murdered by a subordinate and is confronted by a being calling itself God. He is reincarnated into a world of hardship and bloodshed to make him beg for help from a higher being.

Reborn as the child soldier Tanya Degurechaff, this young girl will do anything to rise up the ranks and be stationed far away from the battlefield. Because if she dies an unnatural death, her soul will be forever damned in hell.

5. Spice and Wolf by Isuna Hasekura, illustrated by Jū Ayakura

Being a traveling merchant is a lonely life, with nothing but your horse as a companion. So while Kraft Lawrence is surprised, he is also welcoming when he finds Holo, a wolf deity asleep in his cart.

Together, the two explore the land, making deals and increasing profits. But while they grow as merchants, Holo’s true nature slowly draws unwanted attention from people who can bring them a lot of hurt.

6. Eighty-Six by Asato Asato, illustrated by Shirabii

The Republic of San Magnolia prides itself for fight a war with no casualties. To the public, autonomous drones are used to combat the neighboring Giadian Empire’s army.

But beyond the walls of the republic lies a sector that doesn’t exist. In this land live the Eighty-Six, young men and women stripped of their humanity, forced to pilot the republic’s “unmanned” weapons, and die for a bloodless war.

7. Kino’s Journey by Keiichi Sigsawa, illustrated by Kouhaku Kuroboshi

Kino is a traveler who constantly explores a mysterious world full of many countries and different adventures. Always with her is her trusty companion Hermes, a talking motorcycle.

Always moving forward, they only stay at one place for 3 days and two nights—just enough time to learn everything important about a place while leaving time to explore new lands.

8. No Game No Life by Yuu Kamiya

Sora and Shiro are step-siblings who have shut themselves off from the world. In the gaming world, they are known as Blank, a legendary group of undefeated gamers.

One day, they are challenged to a game of chess by a god from another reality. But while it was the hardest match of their lives, their victory comes with an unexpected prize: life in a world centered around games.

9. A Certain Magical Index by Kazuma Kamachi, illustrated by Kiyotaka Haimura

Touma Kamijou is one unlucky man. Though he lives in Academy city—a place where superhuman abilities are found, studied, and developed—he himself is classified as without potential. And the power that he does have is more trouble than it is worth.

But running into a nun raving about sorcerers changes all that. Now he must rely on his unique ability in order to survive the struggle for supremacy between science and magic.

10. Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions by Torako, illustrated by Nozomi Ōsaka

Yūta Togashi once suffered grand delusions of having supernatural powers, calling himself the “Dark Flame Master.” Embarrassed by his past, he tries his best to hide it, including moving to a school where no one knows him.

But forgetting proves difficult when a classmate with her own delusions learns of his past. Together, they establish a club where students suffering similar cases can gather.

11. Ascendance of a Bookworm by Miya Kazuki, illustrated by You Shiina

Urano Motosu is a book lover and soon-to-be librarian, so it’s ironic when a stack of books crushes her to death during an earthquake. With her dying breath, she wishes to be reincarnated in a world where she can read books forever.

The next thing she knows is waking up in the body of a five-year-old girl in a world where books are scarce, expensive, and only for the elite. If she wants to read books, then she’ll have to make them herself!

12. Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! by FUNA, illustrated by Itsuki Akata

Misato is a genius who has difficulties making friends. Dying after saving a child, she is offered the chance to be reborn in a fantasy world. She agrees, but with one peculiar request: make her average in her next life.

What she failed to realize is that her wish takes into account the strongest (a dragon) and weakest creatures (an amoeba) in her new world. And so the average she wished for is much stronger, physically and magically, than any other human.

13. Full Metal Panic! by Shoji Gatoh, illustrated by Shikidouji

As a member of an anti-terrorist military organization, Sagara Sousuke has only ever known military life. Tasked with protecting a high school girl, he moves to Japan and finally enters civilian life.

Branded a military maniac, he only sees everything from a combat perspective. While struggling to adjust to his new situation, he must also discover why he is protecting a seemingly normal high school girl.

14. Overlord by Kugane Maruyama, illustrated by so-bin

YGGDRASIL, a popular Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (VRMMORPG), is about to shut down. Out of nostalgia, Momonga, one of its elite players, stays until the servers are shut down.

But when the timer runs out, he’s surprised to find that the game hasn’t vanished. Instead, it seems to have become real—with him stuck in his skeletal “Overlord” avatar.

15. Otherside Picnic by Iori Miyazawa, illustrated by shirakaba

There are doors that lead to the Otherside—parallel worlds connected to ours. Sorawo Kamikoshi and Toriko Nishina willingly step into these portals, searching for artifacts and lost friends.

But the Otherside isn’t a friendly place. Urban legends and creepypasta come to life here, all intent on harming the outsiders stepping into their domain.

Reading Light Novels

Light novels can be quite the rabbit hole to fall into. Not only are they easy to read because of their simple prose (being meant for young people) and length (average of 50,000 words per volume), but authors are also able to expand their stories quickly. You don’t have to wait much for the next installment, and if you do, it’s easy to find other stories that can fill your time.

You don’t even need to trawl through the countless novels available. All you need to look at is their titles. Most light novels have comically long titles that already explain the premise of their content.

And if you’re ever too lazy to read text, chances are some of the light novels you like have already been adapted into manga or anime.

What other light novels do you recommend? Share them in the comments below!

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