Review: #496
Title: Sword Art Online 4: Fairy Dance
Series: Sword Art Online - 4th volume
Author: Reki Kawahara
Read Before: no
Comments: Continuing and finishing up the Fairy Dance arc from Volume 3, the first chapter in this volume is a little bit jarring. Volume 3 ended with Kirito defeating General Eugene so it was surprising to find Kirito and Leafa suddenly in a snow covered field, with powerful god-tiered monsters prowling around. The first 100 pages cover Kirito and Leafa’s escape from this underground world (and also sets up the scene for a later story arc, Calibur). This feels like a break of pace since in the previous volume, we’re constantly reminded of the urgency but we end up spending so much time on this side distraction. Once Kirito gets to the World Tree and attempts to beat the grand quest, we see the full impact of Sugou’s cruel plan. The final face off against Sugou was a bit disappointing and the way Kirito wins will leave you feeling cheated. The epilogue was long but it addressed and explained some of concepts presented such as the Seed. It allows you to understand the significance. We also get to see properly what happened to SAO players after they were released, with the dedicated school (or adult players getting back with their lives). Volume 4 is one of the weaker light novels so far but still enjoyable.
Rating: 6.5/10