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Light Novel - Attack on Titan

The huge success of the Attack on Titan anime series directed by Tetsuro Araki and the original manga created by Hajime Isayama has led to the publication of numerous spin-offs and stories in various media and formats, particularly in the light novel market. Here are some of the recent Attack on Titan light novel releases with a brief synopsis.

Before the wall

Attack on Titan: Before the Wall is a light novel written by Ryo Suzukaze and illustrated by Thores Shibamoto. It was originally published by Kodansha. The novel was released on December 2, 2011, and ran until June 29, 2012. It spans three volumes. Its story serves as a prequel to the original story and was written and illustrated by the original author, Hajime Isayama.

Summary

This light novel takes place 70 years before the events of Attack on Titan. It is divided into two parts: the first focuses on a character named Angel Aaltonen, the inventor and developer of the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment, the device used by many soldiers to fight against the Titans . The second part follows the life of Kuklo, a boy who was found in a pile of Titan vomit as a baby. He was born inside a Titan after a victim had already been eaten, earning him the name "Titan's Son." Kuklo was imprisoned during his youth, but was eventually freed by his owner's daughter, Sharle, and eventually joined the None Survey Corps.

Strict mistress of the city

Attack on Titan: Merciless Mistress of the City is the second light novel series based on Attack on Titan . It was written by Ryo Kawakami and illustrated by Range Murata. It was published between August 1, 2014 and May 1, 2015, by Kodansha and was released in two parts. In North America, Vertical published the novels in 2014 and 2015.

Summary

On the same day that Wall Maria was breached, a Garrison recruit named Rita Iglehaut attempts to help quell the chaos while half of the Quinta District's population is escorted to Wall Rose. She attempts to help the citizens escape and finds a young child she decides to protect before joining her comrade, Wilco. Once they arrive at Quinta, Wilco is killed in an accident during the Garrison's attempts to force the approaching Titans back. Rita places the girl she saved in charge of a middle-aged woman upon their arrival. Fighting breaks out among the citizens when the order to close Quinta's inner gate is given. However, despite all her losses, Rita does her best to maintain order among the citizens.

Setting of the Attack on Titan light novels

The Attack on Titan light novels officially take place in the same universe as the original story. Thus, the only major differences between the two are the time period in which each novel series takes place and the characters involved. Attack on Titan: Before the Fall is a prequel to the main manga series, while Attack on Titan: The Merciless City Mistress is a novel series about a young commander that helps bring a different perspective to the events that occurred in the main manga. In the original series, the lives of those who survived this attack on Wall Maria were explained (although it focused on the main characters, Eren None Mikasa and Armin ) , however, in this novel, the audience can understand the difficult task the garrison faced, as the novel shows a more direct perspective of the angry and scared victims of the attack.
Since all the light novels are supposed to exist in the same universe as the series itself, some fans might consider it canon. This allows the reader to connect the stories in the light novels to the manga series and create a deeper and more complex understanding of the Attack on Titan universe.

Other light novels

Attack on Titan: Lost Girls was written by Hiroshi Seko and released on December 9, 2014. It includes three short stories featuring Mikasa and Annie Leonhart titled "Lost in the Cruel World," "Wall Sina, Goodbye," and "Lost Girls." The English version was published by Vertical in 2016. The first two stories are based on the visual novels of the same name that were released on the Blu-ray copies of the anime. The third story was a novelization and was also adapted into a manga by Kodansha. Both novels were originally included as bonus features in the Japanese Blu-ray releases, while the introduction and main story are unique to the book.

Garrison Girl: An Attack on Titan Novel is a novel created by American writer Rachel Aaron and published by Quirk Books on August 7, 2018. The novel was translated into Japanese by Kodansha as Attack on Titan: Roses on the Wall on April 4, 2019. This new story takes place in the dystopian universe of Attack on Titan and features many adventures, romances, and battles. It introduces all-new characters and is said to be a side story that takes place concurrently with the original Attack on Titan story. "Garrison Girl" tells the story of a young woman who decides to defy her wealthy family and join the Garrison Regiment to fight against the enemies of humanity.

On December 3, 2018, Kodansha Comics announced that four light novels based on Attack on Titan would be available as e-books on digital platforms such as BookWalker, Google Play, iBooks, Kindle, and Nook the following day, December 4.