Danmachi Volume 17 Novels & Stories

I just finished the book last night and wow, the Frieza Familia thing is way more intense than I expected. Bell basically gets forced into this insane wargame where if he loses, the entire Hestia Familia gets dissolved. The author really cranked up the stakes this time.

What got me was the twist with the Frieza captain, Dix Perdix. He’s not just some power-hungry jerk; his whole motivation is tied to some ancient grudge against the gods for abandoning the lower world. It reframes the conflict from a simple bully scenario to this ideological clash. Bell’s whole ‘hero’ shtick gets tested in a different way—it’s not just about beating a stronger enemy, but confronting a completely different philosophy on what adventurers even are.

Also, Welf’s magic sword development took a surprising turn. I won’t spoil the details, but it sets up some massive potential for the upcoming dungeon dive.

Yeah, I've been hunting for something extra for my collection too. The standard release for Volume 17 is definitely the most common one floating around everywhere. I remember checking Yen Press's site directly when it first came out in English, and there weren't any announcements for limited or special editions at that time.

But, speaking from my time in the fan communities, Japanese releases sometimes get store-exclusive bonuses, like small booklets or cards. For a volume that pivotal, I'd be shocked if there weren't any in Japan. I've seen some resellers list the Japanese edition with what they call a 'special drama CD' bundle, but that's usually a pre-order thing from specific retailers, not an official alternate hardcover.

It's a bit of a bummer for us overseas collectors, honestly. My shelf just has the regular paperback.

I ran into that hunt last month and it's trickier than you'd think. The print edition seems to be perpetually out of stock on the major retailers I checked, like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It might be a supply chain thing or maybe it had a smaller print run? I ended up ordering a physical copy through a local comic shop that could special-order it, which took about three weeks.

For the ebook, it's straightforward if you're okay with digital. I bought mine on Kindle. I think Google Play Books and Kobo have it too. The Yen Press page usually lists the official vendors, but double-check the ISBN because sometimes different editions get mixed up.

Worth noting that the audiobook is available on Audible as well, narrated by the usual guy. That might be an alternative if the ebook or print is elusive.

My copy arrived with a slightly creased cover, which was a bummer, but the story itself is as fun as ever.