Record of Lodoss War (ロードス島戦記) novels 1-7

So yea, Lodoss War. And not the (in my archaic, unrefined, D&D addled taste) pretty good anime, nor the far less amazing manga. This time it's all about the novels - and yes, they did come first. Even though it's not dōjinshi-themed, I actually meant to finish this writeup for a while, for a number of reasons:

1- It's one of my all-time favorite fantasy series, mostly because it appeals to my very orthodox tastes in fantasy. I like stuff where elves are elves, dwarves are dwarves, evil mages are a dime a dozen, and the knighty guy swings a big sword at a dragon. Sue me.
2- It's basically what fantasy lit was in Japan before that disgraceful isekai nonsense, so yeah, kid, time to see where the shit you're so into came from.
3- As far as I know, Italy is the only country outside Japan (and definitely in the West) where the seven-novels run has been published in its entirety, including the two books that were *not* adapted in the anime series. The French run got up to vol.4 or so, and only the first one is available in English.
4- The covers, while truer to the character descriptions in the novels, are laughably bad. And to think it's a famous Bonelli guy who made them...
5- While the pace, the plotting and the writing belie the story's roots as RPG replays, and Ryo Mizuno is certainly not Tolkien, the series is actually pretty decent.


The Grey Witch 

First volume, which you can actually get your hands on in English. Parn, the token fearless boy who dreams to be a knight, discovers his father's legacy and, after saving his town from goblins and meeting Deedlit the elf, embarks on a journey to stop Karla, a witch from an ancient magical civilization, from unleashing two nations against each other. He mostly fails, by the way. Here the anime follows the novels pretty closely, sometimes down to single scenes: a little more backstory is given to Kastull, the ancient kingdom Karla hails from; and Parn's knightly lineage is explored in slightly more detail.

The Flame Demon

This is one volume that was cut from the anime adaptation, and probably with good reason - not because it's bad, but because it' mostly a sidestory where Karla, now possessing Woodchuck the thief's body, plays a riff in Lupin /Carmen San Diego style, generally travelling around and unleashing ruckus wherever she can. In The Flame Demon, she once again takes advantage of ancient rivalries - a kingdom and a wandering tribe sharing the same patch of desert land - to wreak havoc, while seeking to unleash a powerful ancient djinn of flames on Lodoss.
Little overall arc advancement, except that the desert land that acts as setting is Flaim, the kingdom of king Kashu, who becomes a central character later on, so we get a bit more background on how he became king. Female characters are also slightly more prominent, as Deedlit uses her shaman powers to solve the situation, managing not to look like a complete (though still hot) bimbo; and the queen of the wandering tribe, who does not appear in the anime.

Fire Dragon Mountain pt 1 /pt 2

A Two-volume chapter, it was adapted in its entirety, and the anime follows the story quite faithfully. The forces of Marmo, the evil island kingdom, begin to stir in the form of Vagnard, a dark mage bent of resurrecting the Goddess of Destruction; and Ashram, who follows along on the evil path as a necessary means to save the cursed people of Marmo. This alliance of evil sets out to reclaim five ancient treasure from five dragons all over Lodoss, and it fall on Parn and his team to prevent the catastrophe... which is compounded by the rise of a number of tyrants all over the land, in a free-for-all grab before Lodoss falls into darkness.
As mentioned, story-wise the anime adaptation gives a good idea of the overall plot, and the novel mostly offers more background, flourishes, and details on the world and history of the cursed island of Lodoss. There is a distinct Game of Throne-ish political backstabbing subplot between the various kingdoms that the anime adaptation dropped almost entirely, probably to save runtime and focus instead on the adventure aspect.

The Holy War of Kings

The other volume that, save a few details for continuity, was not adapted into anime. The final two volumes of the series are sort of a 'second season' with different protagonists, which was then adapted in the anime's second series - The Holy War of Kings is, for the most part, a side-adventure bridging the gap between the two. There is some overlap, as some characters that appear in this volume become co-protagonists later on; some that were there in the previous four novels disappear; and some are novel-only (such as the master of the thieves' guild and his righ arm). Evil also makes a sort-of-comeback, as Parn and his friends are pitted against the army of Marmo's newest weapon... some giant that only a certain magic sword can harm. Yay.
Dumb mcguffin aside, more than The Flame Demon, this is the one 'extra' volume I would have included in the anime, as it would have made the protagonist switch from Parn to Spark between series a little less jarring. Same goes for mercenaries Shiiris and Orson, who in the anime just pop out of nowhere with no backstory to be given, details that the book instead covers.

The Holy Knights of Lodoss

Basically the source material for Record of Lodoss War: Chronicle of the Holy Knight (aka second series), which the anime follows quite closely. Spark, a new recruit for the 'good' league led by Kashu against the ever present threat of Marmo (who, through alliances and invasions, has actually managed to snatch away a big chunk of Lodoss for itself), assembles his own merry band of friends (names are irrelevant, just imagine a typical D&D party) and teams up with Parn and Deedlit to stop a double threat: the return of both Ashram (who, by the end, becomes really more of an antihero than anything) and Vagnard, who's basically now a lich and, with the help of Karla, tries to embody the Goddess of Destruction in the vessel of a princess, Nice (or Neese, whichever you prefer).
Especially compared to the still decent anime adaptation, these last two books are... surprisingly deep, and in a philosophical kind of way. There is politicking, with backstabbing both present and foreshadowed; a few very interesting meditations on destiny, predestination, and what it means to accept oneself; and, of course, swordfights. A *lot* more space than in the anime is given to Karla and her backstory, really bringing to the forefront how she embodies the 'end justifies the means' mindset.


So, is it good?

Kind of a moot question, as if you're reading this you probably don't know either Italian nor Japanese, but - if you manage, yes, it is. As the series progresses, Mizuno clearly began to improve both as a writer and as a plotter, gradually moving away from the more monolithic RPG /replay elements, to the point where the last 3-4 volumes are definitely not Tolkien or Weis/Hickman, but definitely no worse than any R.A. Salvatore or Terry Brooks. While the anime adaptations really pared off anything that wasn't action, the novels offer far more than that, fleshing out a fantasy world that could compete with most Western fantasy creations.
In a way, the Lodoss novels are really sort of a time capsule, as they embody what Western fantasy fiction was, in the eyes of a Japanese fan, circa late Eighties - early Nineties: orthodox, close to the canon established by Tolkien and alike, as far removed from isekai bullshit as possible. Even today it eminently stands out as a different, in a way more 'innocent' kind of fantasy, especially compared to overblown, self complacent, 'I would like to write House of Cards but I'm stuck with fantasy' crock like Martin's. Heroes are heroes, evil dudes are evil dudes, elves are magical and hot, dragons hoard treasure. Personal taste, but that's the ride I enjoy. To each one their own.

Note: a few more anime series set in the Lodoss universe followed, Legend of Crystania and Rune Soldier. They are original stories with no basis in any novel, and they are terrible. Avoid.