Yen Press Reveals A Novel and Three Audiobooks For 2023!

December just got a little better! Yen Press is here to deliver holiday cheer with the announcement of a new novel acquisition and three upcoming audiobook releases!

Black Dungeon Castle, the latest novel by prolific mystery writer Honobu Yonezawa and his first work to be translated into English, is the newest novel to join Yen On! Honobu Yonezawa is best known for his young adult mystery novel series the Classic Literature Club, which has been adapted into an anime titled Hyouka, named after the first volume. Through the publication of Black Dungeon Castle, Yen Press is honored to introduce Honobu Yonezawa to the English-reading world. 

Black Dungeon Castle

The winter of 1578, four years prior to the Honnnoji Incident. Araki Murashige has betrayed his ally Oda Nobunaga and holed up in Arioka Castle—but a string of strange incidents within the castle walls has him at his wits’ end. The desperate warlord’s only hope in solving these mysteries is imprisoned in the castle’s dungeon: a man named Kuroda Kanbei, one of Oda’s most gifted strategists. When all the conflict and intrigue reach their end, what will Murashigeand Kuroda have up their sleeves? 

Yen Audio also announced plans to expand its lineup with the release of three new audiobook adaptations of Yen On novels: Even If This Love Disappears Tonight (March 2023), Tezcatlipoca (April 2023), and Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! (June 2023).

Even If This Love Disappears Tonight (audio)

Story by Misaki Ichijo

When Tooru Kamiya is pushed into falsely confessing his love to Maori Hino, she tells him they can date on three conditions: 

1. Don’t talk to her until after school.

2. Keep any communication between them short.

3. Don’t truly fall in love with her.

Unfortunately, Tooru finds he cannot adhere to the last rule. When he finally tells her how he feels, Maori reveals she has an illness—she’s unable to remember anything that happened the day before. Nevertheless, Tooru is determined to build a relationship with her one day at a time…

Even If This Love Disappears Tonight is a critically acclaimed Japanese novel that has made its way to the Western world. A beloved tale of love and loss that was adapted to a live-action film, this title has captured attention and acclaim for its beautiful yet heartbreaking story of a complicated love from a boy who falls for a girl with memory issues. The audiobook adaptation of Even If This Love Disappears Tonight is scheduled to debut on March 14, 2023. 

Tezcatlipoca (audio)

Story by Kiwamu Sato

In the wake of a brutal war with a rival cartel, a certain drug lord flees Mexico and ends up halfway around the world, where he runs into a Japanese organ broker doing business in Jakarta. After their fateful meeting, the two of them travel to Japan to establish a new business in the organ trade. There, the former cartel leader takes a young, lonely boy under his wing. These three lives gradually become inextricably entangled in a web of crime, violence, and human flesh…

Kiwamu Sato’s Tezcatlipoca is a brilliant and compelling crime novel that won the 165th Naoki Prize as well as the 34th Yamamoto Shugoro Prize. This prestigious novel has received critical acclaim from other lauded Japanese authors, such as Miyuki Miyabe (Brave Story, All She Was Worth) and Shion Miura (The Great Passage, The Easy Life in Kamusari), as well as celebrated figures in the world of Japanese media, such as Mamoru Oshii (director of Ghost in the Shell) and Paru Itagaki (mangaka of BEASTARS). The audiobook adaptation of Tezcatlipoca is scheduled to debut on April 18, 2023. 

Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! (audio)

Story by Natsume Akatsuki

Game-loving shut-in Kazuma Sato’s life as a young schoolboy in Japan abruptly comes to an early end…or at least it was supposed to. When he opens his eyes, he sees a beautiful goddess that offers him a once-in-an-afterlifetime chance to be reborn in a parallel world. The catch is that the world is violent and threatened by a growing evil! Fortunately, he can choose one thing to bring with him. So he chooses the goddess, Aqua! And his adventure with his gorgeous companion begins—if he can just get enough money and food to survive, keep his goddess out of trouble, and avoid grabbing the attention of the Demon King’s army!

Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! is a staple comedy series in the world of light novels and was one of the earliest isekai properties to reach mainstream heights. The iconic anime adaptation debuted in 2016, which propelled the original light novel released by Yen On in 2017 to become a bestseller in the category. The audiobook adaptation of Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! is scheduled to debut on June 20, 2023.

We’re so excited to announce these upcoming releases! As Yen On and Yen Audio become the home for light novels and critically acclaimed works of literary and genre fiction, we hope to bring more beloved titles to our fans!