“Riviere and the Land of Prayer” official synopsis from Yen Press: “Welcome to the island nation of Cururunelvia, the land of prayer—a mysterious place where magic has been sealed away! Here, strange objects known as “sancta” possess the power to make prayers come true. A red-haired beauty by the name of Riviere runs a shop that specializes in dealing with dangerous sancta such as fate-changing perfume, a talking vase, a bag of living puffballs, and more. And she isn't alone! With the help of her enthusiastic assistant, MacMillia, and everyone's favorite Wandering Witch, Riviere aims to rehome these arcane antiques while turning a profit!”
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Set in the same world as “Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina” by author Jougi Shiraishi, “Riviere and the Land of Prayer” uses characters and settings but acts as a stand-alone series. Much like what came before, “Riviere and the Land of Prayer” is more slice-of-life and comedic than a heavy-action fantasy series. Readers familiar with Jougi Shiraishi's work will find comfort in the novel's flow and emphasis on humor and character building. However, for those new to the author, and since you can read “Riviere” without reading “Wandering Witch,” the series appeal can be limiting.
What Jougi Shiraishi does exceptionally well is create lightly comedic scenarios with low-stakes action. Any conflict is utilized to develop the relationship between characters, with their outbursts and boisterous personalities becoming the story's focus. At no point does MacMillia (the character introduced to the series) and Riviere (from “Wandering Witch”) come under a threat they can't easily thwart. There is an unquestionable comfort in this approach that allows the reader to casually approach the content and focus solely on celebrating the characters' eccentricities. Even in the chapter where the duo deals with ‘ghost wolves' hunting them, the emphasis rests on how the two plot to get out of the scenario instead of fighting the beasts.
Those looking for heavy action fantasy will be vastly disappointed, as the primary focus in “Riviere and the Land of Prayer” is the consequences of the misuse of magic. This leads to a series of mysteries, and in each chapter, the duo is given a new scenario to solve; sleuthing and light-hearted laughs are the series' bread and butter. The other factor that may be limiting to a broader audience is the focus on female friendship, pushing all elements of the story. The writing is not exclusionary, but the focus on comradery between MacMillia and Riverie combined with the low-stakes conflict will inherently not interest some fantasy genre fans.
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The accompanying art from Azure is complimentary, representing the soft and playful tone of the story with illustrations focused on capturing character reactions. The first few pages are full color, offering a quick character guide, but they lack a pull-out poster or a pristine piece of art that would make one lean towards collecting physical over digital. The physical edition has a soft cover and meets the expected standards for a Yen Press release, but it lacks flair. This is one case where, if you generally prefer reading digitally, you don't have to fret about missing out on the aesthetic perks of owning a physical copy.
Jougi Shiraishi excels at crafting wonderfully expressive personalities that balance cute humor, positivity, and evident love for the characters. It is oddly infectious, endearing, and easy to approach; the book is a quick read that can be tackled casually because of its relaxed flow. “Riviere and the Land of Prayer” will be a perfect blend for the right reader, but those needing action will find the work underwhelming. While the book is a stand-alone, checking out the source material is still recommended if you want to explore as much work as possible from the author. Thankfully, “Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina” is also available in print through Yen Press.
