Sword Art Online 19 (light novel): Moon Cradle (Volume 19) Paperback – April 21, 2020

The ln came in perfect condition! The artwork is beautiful! I’m sorry excited to read it!

This light novel tells us what our boy kirito and asuna did after they got trapped in project alicizaztion or the underworld for 200 years. So if you want to know what happened when the time accelerator factor changed then this is a very beautiful thing to read. Highly recommended to sword art online fans.

I'd recommend reading only after finishing the Alicicization arc novels or if you haven't read the novels wait until this current anime series ends, which is only a few months. Until then, the description would even spoil but expect the unexpected

Excellent story, as always. So glad it pucked up right where the show ended. The books add so much more depth to the story.

I enjoyed the dragoncraft and the deeper question of lies beyond but, I'd be remiss not to mention how slow the pace was on this volume. I'll pick up the next one as I'm curious to see what's to come.

Book 18 leaves a very solid ending. This one is seriously a letdown. The story occurs during the time period mentioned at the end of 18, but it's a shallow plot that we didn't need to know about.19 and 20 are both for this arc. I personally recommend stopping at 18, but I might try 21 at some point (the unital ring arc)

I ordered it for my son and he loved it

Although volume 18 ended with a beautiful poster commemorating Kirito, Eugeo, and Alice's time as kids in Rulid Village and a tease about the Inter-intelligence war, Kawahara resorted to his usual tendency post arc conclusion of writing an additional sidestory volume to help connect us with the world and the characters. Indeed, Volume 19 starts the two volume Moon Cradle focusing on one year or so after Kirito and Asuno were left locked in the Underworld for 150-200 or so years. Honestly, I would have preferred this to be in the main Alicization story line instead of coming afterwards but I can understand that maybe it would have affected the pacing a little since that story was focused on Alice, and for a bit told from her point of view.Speaking of points of view, this volume is told mainly from Ronie's point of view, Kirito's page of one or two months. It seems, that since the middle of Alicization, that Kawahara has enjoyed telling the story from everyone's perspectives but Kirito's. Remember, of course, that Kirito was practically a vegetable who could do nothing more than respond based on muscle memory for two or so volumes and Alice, as well as everyone else became the focus.For this volume, Ronie provides a glimpse into how Kirito and Asuna are changing the world around them, and how she has to embrace her own feelings and weaknesses regarding initiating the cascade of events to lead to disrupting everyone's life at school. Fortunately, Ronie is an interesting character who offers a glimpse of how everyone sees these people from another world as well as showing how artificial fluctlights can have feelings too. Even more so, we see a further blend of concepts that were present in Kawahara's other story, Accel World, with the power of the imagination (incarnation) leading to system breaking world altering phenomenon.I enjoyed the story as an extended epilogue to the Alicization arc and the mystery that the volume is focused on is compelling. Seeing how those in power in both the human territory as well as the dark territory have to embrace their new world is exciting. Perhaps my favorite was the attempt at peace and unity following the rebellion of the four emperors, the attempt at following up on a few of the couples (Iskhan and Scheta), and also seeing how Kirito and Asuna have brought modern conveniences into the world. Lastly, the action is interesting as Ronie is a great swordsperson who is continuing the Aincrad style as beautifully as Eugeo did.Overall this was a good epilogue and gives me faith that its conclusion in the following volume will be incredibly strong.