#quof

[ahb-writes]

Book Review: 'Ascendance of a Bookworm' #20 (4.8)

Ascendance of a Bookworm #20 (4.8) by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina, Quof

adventure

fantasy

magic

library science

librarian

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Back at home, things should be peaceful. Unless, of course, that home happens to be the Ehrenfest the Eighth, and the annual Archduke Conference is approaching. Lady Rozemyne aims to pass the time by studying in advance of her third year of schooling and returning to her workshop-managing ways. Regrettably, trouble is around the corner.

ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v20 introduces a rather late-in-the-game narrative shift on the part of Ehrenfest's adversaries, but the lateness and abruptness of the move merely emphasizes its severity. In brief, while Rozemyne's return home comes with the usual array of scolding, considering her successes (and antics) at the Royal Academy, her return also brings to the fore a dozen new interduchy disasters that require fine-tuning. At length, Ahrensbach is a duchy on the decline (e.g., poor agronomy, declining aub, lack of mana-wielding nobility), and the venomous Lady Georgine is keen to give her grift one last shot. Can Lady Georgine take out both Ehrenfest and Lord Ferdinand, in one brash move?

Lady Georgine's designs on Ehrenfest may be sharpening, but it's also abundantly clear she's willing to sacrifice her own family to get what she wants. Lady Detlinde, her daughter, may be a bit cocky, but she probably doesn't deserve what her mother has in store for her.

Altogether, this is a curious volume. Not a lot happens to progress the story, but much of the book's events are very much akin to what one might expect of a middle-arc tome just before the rising action. Perhaps the author didn't plan this all too well. As such, change (or the threat of change) is on the horizon, and characters must decide how invested they are in combatting or navigating it. The true danger and fear associated with that change is not as strenuous as simply not knowing the context of an enemy's movements. It's an amoeba conflict. Whether the next volume or two deliver, or are merely anticlimactic, is unknowable.

On the better end of things, Rozemyne's pre-third-year lessons are interrupted when Ferdinand is called to join the Archduke Conference in person. And yet, comically, Rozemyne and her siblings decide to help out Lord Bonifatius in conducting various aub work. One suspects Rozemyne will ace her coursework in the coming semester due to her executing actual, practical aub work rather than studying the previous year's materials.

ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v20 also, positively, offers some much-needed background information on Ferdinand's personal history. When the High Priest's safety is threatened by outside parties, Rozemyne takes it upon herself to berate the young man until he reveals (part of) his origin. Ties to royalty? Something to do with a foreign princess? And if a deal with Ahrensbach goes sour, would Rozemyne go on a rampage to save him from harm? Ferdinand is shocked (and warmed) at the thought of so many others caring for his safety. But at the same time, the guy's turbulent past may be nothing compared to what lies ahead.

[banana-boatt]

Felix: I see the red flags, I acknowledge that they're there, and then I completely ignore them.

[ashpashpirateworld]

[lordherdier]

P5V12P8 (final) spoilers and thoughts

welp, here we are for the last time, a touching ending to a series that i hold dear to my heart. it’s a little bittersweet to be done with the main series, but the journey was amazing nonetheless.

rozemyne’s inauguration ceremony was delightful and i’m glad she didn’t let the pressure get to her. i know that the lower ranked nobles didn’t have a good grasp of all the events that had transpired that had lead to her being inaugurated, but im still not sure where they got the gall to heckle her. like, girlie literally got possessed by a goddess and saved the country and the nobles are like “hmm but is that really anything worthwhile?”…. i’m glad rozemyne shut them up lol

the real highlight of the part was the epilogue, though. after 3 long parts myne was finally able to return home to her family! there’s so many wonderful things about this chapter that i struggle to pick what to write down, but i think one of the highlights for me was ferdinand and gunther and how he was accepted into their commoner family. after so many years of torment by his true family, he’s finally found a place where he can be at ease. also ferdinand’s line about rozemyne being all of his goddesses had me absolutely fangirling lol

though i do feel like the last book felt a little rushed in wrapping things up, i do believe this was the perfect ending for the series. granted, with a series this long you could probably go on for a couple of books just tying up loose ends (not that i think Kazuki left a lot of those).

it’s definitely going to be painful not having Bookworm to read each week, as the series has honestly gotten me through some of the hardest times in my life, and would always give me something to look forward to for a new week, but all good things must come to an end, as they say. i’ll just have to look forward to Hannelore 5th Year and the side story collections coming out!

also can’t forget to thank Kazuki for writing such an amazing story, and Quof for being such a fantastic translator.

[aubdrewanchel]

Ascendance of a bookworm celebration!!

Just thinking how it's been 5 years since the first English translation of Ascendance of a bookworm. Thank you every so much Carter "Quof" Collins!

[honzuki-reymilie]

what i meant about a part 6 is that there are rumors kazuki-sensei has one planned (rumors that were even mentioned by quof). and the tiny glimpse we get into what rozemyne does in her fifth year in h5y really supports the idea that there is more plot that could be covered in a part 6!

Yeah I know. What I meant is that this sequel from Rozemyne's POV is already confirmed by the author, it's not just rumors. She also said that it won't be a part 6 since it'll have its own subtitle (something other than "I'll do anything to become a librarian"). For now it's only a matter of when. At first, after finishing HY5, she was intending on writing a new series before the sequel, but in a most recent interview (the one from Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi), she was hesitating about which to write first, so there's a possibility that we could get the sequel after HY5 :)

[jamesdavisnicoll]

Adopted Daughter of an Archduke, volume 2 by Miya Kazuki (Translated by Quof)

Lessons in governance abound as Myne offends another well-connected functionary and a well-meaning Duke discovers his son's happy childhood left the boy unfit to inherit the duchy.

[tekknonerd]

Love the implications of a neuro divergent crew person just looping the same chorus line, or musical sting from the song in question on loop. I presume this is how SpaceHR gets involved.

Steve *in his head*: Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna turn around and desert you.......Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna turn around and desert you....Never gonna give you up...

Zorf: oh no, the record is stuck again

Quof: just smack it a few times and it will clear the memory

Telepathic aliens enjoy that humans will "play music" for hours at a time. When it's too mentally quiet on deck, they just announce the catchiest song titles they know and the humans will start thinking about it automatically.

The humans hate this so, so much.

Zorf: Human Steve, can you please play that song I like, the one with all the females

Steve: what

Zorf: A little bit of Monica in my life

Steve:

Steve: mother fu--

[peachyheartq3838]

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[ahb-writes]

Book Review: 'Ascendance of a Bookworm' #17 (4.5)

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Vol. 17 (Part 4, Volume 5) by Miya Kazuki

adventure

fantasy

magic

library science

librarian

royal academy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An intriguing pattern has emerged in terms of Lady Rozemyne's tendency to demand change, as well as of the authority of those who recognize the significance of the change she demands. Notably, the individuals who attune themselves to Rozemyne's wild ideas, and rightfully discern her curiosity as worth revering, are usually two or three degrees removed from positions of high authority. Meanwhile, most people who scoff, disregard, or glance askew whenever the young woman's ideas come to the fore are usually those with the power to make change happen.

ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v17 completes the remainder of seasons in-between Rozemyne's first and second years at the Royal Academy. She visits the northern region of Groschel, to further establish the paper-making industry, and she tends to myriad events at the castle, including the welcoming of two ladies of Ahrensbach, whom have now married into the family. But Rozemyne's standards for industry growth are high, and her tendency to forget her directives and chat up suspected enemies on tangential topics gives everyone an ulcer. In short, the usual.

The current volume is another collection of awkward and interwoven castle affairs. Naturally, many such events threaten to spiral out of control but never do, which speaks well of the author's sprawling network of subplots, but doesn't do much for readers interested in some decent drama.

For example, when Rozemyne goes to Groschel, she leans on her attendant, Brunhilde, who is native to the area. But their visit is replete with problems: the lower city is deeply impoverished, the nobility is stiff and uncompromising, and the local water supply is polluted. Will the paper-making industry forsake setting down roots in an area with so little social progress? Brunhilde doesn't see much of a problem with simply ordering the commoners to do the tasks and then blaming them when things go wrong. But Rozemyne, careful not to offend but conscientious of the need to be truthful, sets the young woman straight: The people are responsible for the work, true, but the nobility is responsible for the people and their environment; it's all connected.

ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v17 reinforces the novel series' most essential emerging theme: egalitarianism. Quintessentially Japanese though not without other cultural precedence, the equal delegation of opportunity, the equal expectation of good work, and the shared consequences of failure are fundamental convictions of this novel series.

Counter-navigating an ambush during a wedding ceremony? Appeasing the anxiety of a newlywed woman who once felt trapped in her own home? Staying mindful of the watchful gazes of the surrounding duchies once the new school year begins? In each of these scenarios, Rozemyne must rely on her own wits, as well as the untested virtue of individuals who do not always have the station or authority to make a change. When Lady Aurelia of Ahrensbach marries into the family, will she be bitter and ambitions, or will she be uncertain of her position? When Adolphine of the Duchy of Dunkelfelger keys on Rozemyne at the Royal Academy, is it because she's upholding a promise to the now-graduated Lady Eglantine, or is it because she spies value in the tiny blue-haired girl that no one else sees?

The number of scenes that lend one the impression of foreshadowing are high, but the number of scenes with legitimate action or drama are minimal. Readers may have to wait another volume to see if Philine's brief military training comes in handy, or if Ferdinand's warning about the conflict between the old factions' children usurping their parents ever comes to pass, or if Lady Adolphine's role swerves from pleasant nuisance to legitimate knave.

❯ ❯ Light-Novel Reviews || ahb writes on Good Reads

[insert-clever-username-1133]

kind of this because with "what a glow-up" and "calm down man" quof kinda had Sylvester and ferdi going surfer dude mode but really i just want to use this image for something

sylvester would say radical and tubular

[roramitchell]

Fran's advice to Wilma in "Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 3 Volume 5" breaks my heart every time.

"...I understand the fear of being forced to do something that you do not wish to do, but you were rescued before ever being thrust into such a situation yourself. There are some people who never get saved, and are forced to do things against their wishes repeatedly. It is necessary that you learn to live on even in those situations and gradually conquer your weaknesses."

[booksandwords]

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part 1 by Miya Kazuki. Illustrated by Suzuka. Traslated by Quof.

Series: Ascendance of a Bookworm, #1 Read time: <1 Day Rating: 4/5

The quote: There once was a woman named Urano Motosu who loved books. History, psychology, religion, geology, folklore, mathematics, biology, art, language, fiction. From the bottom of her heart, she loved these books that were packed with all the knowledge of mankind. She found no greater joy than living a life surrounded by books. But in a stroke of irony, she was crushed to death by books. — Urano Motosu/ Myne

I've never read a book that felt like it was so targeted at a specific demographic. In this case booklovers, the sort of booklovers that are never without a book. But what is appealing about it is that the main character is 5, she's 5... with blue hair... and her eyes are just big in the anime tradition. Though before she died the main character Myne, was a 20 something Japanese woman called Urano Motosu. The setting in medieval and the writing is unlike any modern that I recognise. But essentially in her reincarnated form, she could be any of us... stuck in a terrifying hellscape without any books.

This is just really cute. The idea of being crushed to death by books is highly amusing to me. It plays on the idea of the stranger in a strange land but without it being quite that simple. We see the whole world through Myne's eyes we don't know any better than her. I like the mystery. Myne carries both her memories as the young adult Urano Motosu and the 5-year-old Myne. But at 5 Myne's memories don't help much with anything other than who is who. I like that people are noticing the changes in her behaviour and mannerisms. Her faux pars are logical too. Feeling like they are what a modern woman would do. As I said it's cute. Suzuka's art compliments the writing well. Making the world feel medieval, different and so big to the eyes of the reader.

I think you would get the most out of this if you are a lover of all things book and reading but that doesn't mean you need to be to enjoy it.

[personshapedsplder]

NOTHING fucks harder than evil houses. I love a good haunted house, but when it's the house ITSELF that's evil/supernatural/antagonistic AHHHHH that's good shit!!!

[thisismisha]

As heads is tails

Just call me Lucifer

[elysianblessing-old]

Name aes board #2 - Cian

(’F you know a Cian, RB and tag em!) @grinshady01