Review: Light Unto Another World, Volume 2 by Yakov Merkin

When meeting the king does not go according to plan…RUN!

Having survived a battle with a demon after his entrance into this strange new world, Uriel Makkis went to see the king who had apparently summoned him. A member of the Israeli Defense Forces, Uriel fortunately had his dress uniform on him when he was taken to a new world. So he can look his best to see the King of Fulnar and claim the Sword which he was summoned to wield.

The problem, as Uriel learns, is that the king didn’t actually want him. Uriel has a moral compass and has befriended the local demi-humans, whom most of the resident human population wishes to annihilate. To that end the King of Fulnar and his people have summoned the Four Swords to lead them in eradicating the demi-humans. The other three Swords are onboard with this idea but Uriel is not, particularly after he recognizes one of the other Swords as a Hamas terrorist.

Outnumbered and outmatched, Uriel does the only thing a sane man can be expected to do in the circumstances. He runs!

The Story

Despite the fact that the Sword of Earth is a Hamas terrorist named El-Syedd, Uriel finds the Sword of Nature (a young woman named Karen) and the out-of-shape American Sword of Storms (a young man called Mike) are both quite willing to go along with both the terrorist and the King of Fulnar. With the help of a demi-human slave, Uriel set out to escape the city and ends up in a brief scuffle with the other three Swords. Each has a particular element at their beck and call; Karen can summon plants while Mike – when he manages to speak his ancestral language, German – can call up lightning. El-Syedd proves to be the most dangerous of the other three Swords due to his combat experience but Karen is surprisingly creative with her more limited power set. Mike is the only one who cannot keep up either with his compatriots or with Uriel.

Still unpracticed in wielding the full range of his light magic, Uriel barely manages to get away from the three and reunite with Kirala, the young demi-human woman he befriended early in the first novel. Once he has rejoined her and some of her friends, Uriel finds out that the reason he is the sole non-evil Sword is that the local demi-human resistance against the Fulnarites interrupted the humans’ ritual. They were hoping desperately to summon a Sword of Light to aid them instead of slaughter them, but they were not certain the plan would work or that Uriel would actually be inclined to help them. This is why Kirala and her fellow demi-humans (a) kept that knowledge from him and (b) were waiting to see if he would come out of the city of Fulnar on his own or with a Fulnarite escort of some kind.

Understanding Kirala’s reasons for keeping this fact a secret, Uriel does not lose his temper with her or the resistance. Rather, he thanks her for her help and throws himself into the resistance’s plans. The Fulnarites are gathering strength to wipe out the demi-humans still on their land, and most of the demi-humans are not fighters. To keep it from becoming a massacre, Uriel, Kirala, Sela, and new friends Revi and Akirui must team up to stall the other Swords and their Fulnarite support forces. But how can they do that with limited resources?

The Characters

Uriel Makkis returns with enthusiasm to take up leadership of the demi-human resistance. Frustrated on Earth about politics holding him back from taking action to protect his people, he is more than happy to engage in actively protecting his friends and other innocents in this new world. It doesn’t hurt that one particular demi-human mage named Kirala has caught his eye, with the young elf Sela becoming their shipper-on-deck even as she enjoys prodding and annoying Uriel in any way she can.

Revi brings a sense of calm and control to what might otherwise be an out-of-hand situation. After all, a real rebellion is not game for the youth alone; at three hundred years old (the equivalent of thirty), Revi has diplomatic status, experience, and training. She is not afraid to use it, though by far her greatest contribution is helping with magical problems and aiding Uriel in practicing his spells. Akirui lightens the mood as her youth, inexperience, and blunt faith in a prophecy regarding the Sword of Light brings some welcome winsomeness to the gang. She fits in well as the “kid sister” in the quintet.

Meanwhile, El-Syedd poses the greatest danger to the team. Ruthless and cunning, he has no problem playing rough and dirty with Uriel and the girls. Karen makes up in intelligence what she lacks in physical and magical power, basically behaving like Batman’s nemesis Poison Ivy, except sane and therefore even more perilous. Mike is the only pathetic combatant, as he can barely speak his ancestral language, which is necessary to cast spells. But he can always call on Fulnarite troops to fight for him if he cannot combat an opponent, making him dangerous even if his is an incompetent coward.

The World

Wonder and awe take a back seat to practicalities in Light Unto Another World, Vol. 2. Though they do not disappear, Uriel puts aside his astonishment at each new revelation of this world in order to deal with the fact that he has a resistance to lead and innocent lives to save. This means that, as the world expands, the awe and amazement is dialed back to serve the plot. Luckily the story leaves plenty of room for the audience to gasp and squeal when Uriel can only blink, shake his head, and wish he had more time to enjoy the view.

Politics

One of the villains is a Hamas terrorist. Given the events of October 7, 2023, that might upset some people. Karen’s name may also trigger some people. Beyond that, however, the only politics are those relevant to the story.

Content Warning

El-Syedd mentions taking Uriel’s friends as his harem, but that is about it. The book has no swearing, cursing, or gore and is PG-13 on violence all the way.

Who is it for?

Anime fans will love this book, particularly if they know anything about The Rising of the Shield Hero, which helped to inspire this series. Young readers looking for a fun romp will certainly enjoy the tale as will boys. Uriel is a very active protagonist who is curious, asks questions, and still makes time to kick butt, meaning he is a charismatic male lead readers will wish to imitate. Anyone seeking an isekai story that actually thinks through the complications and necessities of being tossed into an alternate world at war will also find Light Unto Another World, Vol.2 as stimulating as its predecessor.

Why buy it?

It is good guys fighting bad guys creatively on a shoestring, a prayer, and a hope. Is there any better light fare to read, particularly these days?