What a fantastic story.Let me start by saying I'm a fan of Kanako Meiji's other trilogy, Son of the Mimura Family. It was a bit of a hot mess, but it had excellent characters and a plot that went beyond what you'd normally find in a BL. This series keeps those qualities, but unlike Son of the Mimura Family, The Sorcerer on the Hill is tightly-written from start to finish. There's enough plot and unique, high-fantasy world-building to fill out a much longer series, but it never feels cluttered or rushed, and even the additional exposition the author sometimes adds to the title pages is fascinating and relevant.The art might put some people off, but the sketchy, hand-drawn style suits the story perfectly and it's hard to imagine it looking any other way. The detailed backgrounds and full-page spreads can be really quite beautiful. The main romance (I won't spoil between who) is a sweet, slowburn affair between two star-crossed lovers, woven together seamlessly with politics, magic and well-earned tragedy. The translation is seamless. My sole complaint is that the ending felt like it came too quickly

I was going to rent it, because it seems like a gentle and slightly more mature shoujo story. Sadly, the translation is awkward. In slow stories that focus on characters, dialogue needs to flow.