Of Swords and Parasols

I'm going about this series a little differently from everyone else I know who has/plans to read this book.  That is, I'm reading the book before seeing the anime it's based on.  (And am I right in thinking that the anime hasn't actually been licensed yet?  If so, it's interesting that the book is coming out first.)  I'm curious:  does the anime only cover this first book in the series, or more books from the series?

Anyway, Moribito is about Balsa, a spearwoman who hires herself out as a bodyguard, and has sworn to save eight lives.  You'd think that it'd be easy to save eight lives in a faux ancient Japan,  but apparently, this is eight lives that are saved without taking a life, or ruining one.  Basically, she has to come out eight lives ahead.  I'm actually not quite sure that I buy the explanation, outside of the fact that it provides the valued narrative purpose of providing angst and keeping Balsa and Tanda from getting married until she fulfills her oath.

When Balsa sees the Second Prince, Chagum, knocked into the river, she dives in to save him.  Later, Chagum's mother reveals that the Mikado(emperor) has ordered Chagum to be killed, as the prince is the Moribito, the guardian of the egg of the Water Spirit.   As the existence of the egg challenges the Mikado's status as a descendant of the gods, the Mikado orders his son to be killed before the Imperial line can be dishonored.  In addition, there is the Rarunga, a monster who eats the eggs when they come into being, killing their guardians as they do so.  However, if Chagum can be kept alive and allowed to deliver the egg to its home by Midsummer's Day, then he will be safe from the Rarunga, and no longer a threat to the Mikado.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, the Second Queen effectively traps Balsa into being Chagum's bodyguard, though Balsa doesn't seem to mind the manipulations much.  Along the way, they're joined by Tanda, a magic weaver and healer who is Balsa's childhood friend, and Togorai, Tanda's elderly yet badass mentor.

Like a lot (ok, all) of the light novels that I've read, there's something very clunky about the translation, probably because of language barriers (though that doesn't forgive certain crimes in the Twelve Kingdoms novels!)  Like some others, though, the story is strong enough to overcome the clunky translation.


Also, on a completely different note from any of the above, I have to whine a bit about the books packaging.  At a glance, it's great: about 250 pages, catchy cover that suits the book, smaller dimensions(and appropriately lowered price) than most hardback books.  If you know what I mean, reading hardbacks that size is usually fairly like reading your average trade sized book.  Moribito, however, has a really heavy paper stock that almost makes it feel like reading a huge hardcover.  In fact, when I got home, I pulled the latest Dresden Files book off the shelf(it's been out 2 months now and I still haven't read it...I am a bad fan!) and weighed them one in each hand, and they were about the same.  The Dresden Files book has larger dimensions, and is 150 pages larger.

Incidentally, the author's note mentions there's also a manga adaptation.  Does anyone know anything about that?