The seventh novel in the core SAO storyline corresponds to episodes 18-24 of Sword Art Online II, which in my evaluation is the best SAO story arc released in the U.S. to date. I expounded on the merits of its storytelling in great detail in my review of the anime version, so here I am mostly going to concentrate on the similarities and differences of the two versions and what the novel version might have to offer fans of the anime.

For those who may not have seen the anime yet, this is the franchise's first story arc to exclusively feature Asuna as the central and viewpoint character, which allows her to finally step beyond just being “Kirito's love interest.” (Kirito, for his part, actually functions pretty well as a secondary supporting character.) This gives us a much clearer sense of the difficulties at home that Asuna never talks to anyone about, a desperation almost equal to Sinon's to transfer the strength she learned in the game world into the real world, and the way that she has changed for the associations that she made in the game. Gradually the story also becomes about the bond that she forges with vivacious newcomer Yuuki, one that might be at least as substantial as the one she has with Kirito. While the adventure aspect of the story allows Asuna to regain some of her confidence as the capable commander that she was in the original Aincrad, the connection she develops with Yuuki, especially once she learns of Yuuki's complicated circumstances, becomes a rich and complementary one. Asuna's friendship gives Yuuki just the boost she needs at the most difficult time of her life, and Yuuki's spirit and advice push Asuna to solve her problems with her mother. That turns a story which could have easily been a tragedy into an affirmation of life – a life lived, and how a life should be lived.

(Note: From this point on there may be mild spoilers.)

The anime rendition of the novel is an utterly faithful one; not a single scene is left out, and dialog is often a word-for-word reproduction. The anime also did not stretch the story much or add a significant amount of new content, which is quite remarkable considering that we have a full seven episodes based on a mere 202 pages of storytelling. It does expand the final scene a bit, show the referenced boss fight on Floor 21 in more detail, rework some of the initial conversation Asuna has with Dr. Kurahashi, and add in Yuuki reciting part of “A Lorry,” but other additions are minor ones: drawing on Kirito's face in the early scene in the cabin, a short conversation Asuna has with Rika (Lisbeth) and Keiko (Silica) at school after encountering the Sleeping Knights, and a few other tidbits here and there. Essentially, you are getting the complete, direct story by watching the anime.

That being said, the novel version does have a few things to offer which make it a worthwhile read for those who have seen the anime. In numerous places it provides just a little more context, details which would have been difficult or impossible to show in the anime without throwing off the pacing. For instance, the novel provides considerably more specific details about Yuuki's precise condition, using medical terms well beyond a layman's understanding. (This includes revealing that one of the conditions is effectively leaving Yuuki blind without the Medicuboid.) It also provides more background about Asuna's family situation, including clarifying her mother's occupation and the competitive nature of the Yuuki family, something which the anime doesn't touch on at all. It also explains the mechanics behind how Original Sword Skills work and reveals that both Asuna and (naturally!) Kirito also have their own, albeit much less impressive ones than Yuuki's. A variety of other little bonus tidbits also pepper the writing, such as a little more elaboration on Yuuki's backstory or some explanation on how everyone knew about what was going on with Yuuki at the end. Those extra details are not crucial to the overall story but definitely help alleviate the sensation of just rehashing what the anime did.

The physical production of the novel is up to normal Yen Press standards, with the typical glossy color pages at the beginning and a two-page Afterword at the end, where author Reki Kawahara elaborates on some of the decisions he made when writing this novel. It does also provide a page at the beginning explaining Original Sword Skills and has a standard array of black-and-white illustrations scattered throughout; at least one of those probably directly inspired one scene in the anime and the last illustration was directly lifted for a still shot used in the anime's last episode. The curious production choice here is why the novel is named Mother's Rosary when the thing that the name is taken from is still named Mother's Rosario in the text. Also, Yuuki's nickname in the anime version, Zekken, is only used in its translated form of Absolute Sword.

Despite the extra details that the novel provides, I still find the anime rendition to be the stronger and more impactful version. Though the novel has some emotional bite, the visuals, musical score, and especially the outstanding vocal performances in the anime make the story so much more impactful and effective. Hence my recommendation is to watch the anime version and then read the novel for the extra insight it provides.