Grandia series. I’m partial to the leveling systems but the battle system is fantastic. There’s ATB, field movement, charged attacks/magic incantations that can be canceled, a light combo system. I just love it

I also really liked them, novellas included, except book 6. That one just didn’t work for me (and apparently for quite a few people), and I ended up reading a summary.

Since books 7 to 9 aren’t included in the show, they’re worth reading just for the continuation and conclusion of the series.