While light novels have been around since the 1970s, they've only really picked up in popularity in the last couple of decades. A lot of this is due to the innumerable anime and manga adaptations that have come out since then. Classic anime series like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, A Certain Magical Index, and many others originated from light novels, and their success encouraged more anime adaptations, and many light novel series have received prominent anime adaptations since then.
Despite this, there are still many light novel series that have yet to receive an anime adaptation. Here are some great light novel series that are still waiting for a proper anime adaptation.
10 I'm The Evil Lord Of An Intergalactic Empire!
After dying alone, betrayed by everyone he ever trusted, a young businessman is reborn as Liam Sera Banfield, a member of the intergalactic empire's ruling family. Believing that living morally would only lead to him being betrayed again, Liam decides to live only for his own gain, but that would turn out to be more difficult than he thinks.
I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! is a little unique for an isekai, especially since it takes place in a futuristic, space-faring world. Nevertheless, it has a lot in common with the genre, and is an easy recommendation for fans of such works.
9 Black Summoner
Kelvin awakens in a strange world with no memories of his past life. He soon learns from a strange voice that as he was selecting his new attributes, he traded away his memories for some very powerful abilities, including the ability to capture monsters as followers and summon them using magic!
Black Summoner is a very standard isekai series, with your usual overpowered protagonist and his growing list of love interests. This series is highly recommended for fans of isekai series, especially those who are fans of high fantasy.
8 Failure Frame
Mimori Toka and his classmates are summoned to another world, where each of them gain unique powers. However, Mimori alone only gains weak and pointless spells. The goddess mercilessly banishes him to a dungeon to die, but he is saved when his powers turn out to not be so worthless after all.
Failure Frame is a very dark isekai story, with the main motivation of the protagonist being revenge on those who abandoned him. In addition, his powers are quite gruesome, so fans of such stories should check out this series.
7 Berserk Of Gluttony
With only a skill called “Gluttony” that makes him eternally hungry, Fate Graphite is doomed to a life of being trampled by those stronger than him. One day, however, he kills a bandit and absorbs the man's strengths and abilities – the true power of his accursed skill.
Berserk of Gluttony is a dark and gritty fantasy series that features a main character with a unique power. Fans of overpowered protagonists will certainly enjoy this series, as Fate continues to gain power from those he kills to sate his hunger.
6 Altina The Sword Princess
With weak physical abilities and a bad habit of getting sucked into books, Regis Aurick is quite a poor representation of a soldier. He is banished to the borderlands of Belgaria, where he meets a young girl named Altina. She reveals that she is the fourth princess of Belgaria, and she wants him to serve as her tactician.
Altina the Sword Princess is a sword-and-sorcery fantasy tale interwoven with political intrigue. While the characters are not too unique, they have a charm that makes this story quite the page-turner.
5 Cooking With Wild Game
Asuta Tsurumi has spent his life training to work in his father's restaurant. However, after a fire causes him to lose his life, he is surprised to find himself in another world. Stranded in the wilderness, he is saved by a huntress named Ai Fa, who is the last of her clan.
Cooking with Wild Game puts a cooking spin on the isekai formula. Unlike other stories that tend to focus on obtaining amazing powers or going on wild adventures, this series focuses on cooking for survival, as well as the politics of a small village with lots of traditional rules.
4 Record Of Wortenia War
Ryoma Mikoshiba, a high schooler adept in the use of martial arts, is summoned to the Empire of O'ltormea, who mean to make him fight for them. In this world, people can absorb the strength of those they kill and use it as their own. After killing his summoners, Ryoma now must navigate this new world as a fugitive.
The Record of Wortenia War is yet another isekai story, but one that is more focused on military strategy and warfare over anything else. Fans of epic war stories are sure to get their fill reading this work.
3 The Strange Adventure Of A Broke Mercenary
After living his life as a mercenary on the battlefield, Loren is forced to become an adventurer when his mercenary band is utterly destroyed. While he has little experience as a proper adventurer, his skills that have been honed on the battlefield will be needed to keep him alive.
The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary is a straightforward fantasy story that will appeal to fans of sword-and-sorcery tales. While it is not as obviously unique as other works, it has the realistic perspective of a veteran mercenary, which gives the story an interesting spin.
2 The Ideal Sponger Life
Zenjiro Yamai is suddenly transported to the fantastical kingdom of Capua, whose queen, Aura Capua, wants him to marry her and produce her an heir. He'll never have to do any work and laze in luxury for the rest of his life. Is this deal too good to be true?
The Ideal Sponger Life starts off unassuming, but it holds a great deal of political intrigue as Zenjiro expertly navigates the subtleties of court manners and royal dealings. It's very different from the usual isekai, and a breath of fresh air for those tired of the usual formulas.
1 The Apothecary Diaries
A young girl named Maomao is kidnapped and forced to work as a serving girl in the Emperor's rear palace. While many see her as an ordinary girl, her unusual level of medical knowledge eventually lands her a role as a lady-in-waiting to one of the Emperor's consorts.
The Apothecary Diaries is a historically influenced tale that combines elements of drama, mystery, and political intrigue. Despite her desire to live unnoticed and undisturbed, Maomao's inquisitive character ends up getting her into all sorts of trouble.