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本好きの下剋上～司書になるためには手段を選んでいられません～ 短編集 #1
Ascendance of a Bookworm: Short Story Collection Volume 1 (Light Novel)
Turn the page on six years of insights and secrets So many things have happened since Urano began a new life as Myne. At first she was a simple commoner, then became an apprentice shrine maiden, and was ultimately thrown into the world of nobility as Rozemyne, the adopted daughter of an archduke! But... what about everyone else? This short story collection is packed with previously unpublished chapters from a plethora of unique perspectives taking place during Parts 1 through 4. Explore the lower city, the orphanage, the temple, the Royal Academy, and many other locations further afield than ever before. What do those in Myne’s (or Rozemyne’s) circle think about her actions? And what’s happening in the places that she can’t see? Find out in this collection of twenty-one tales, including behind-the-scenes notes from author Miya Kazuki and even more four-panel manga by You Shiina!
312 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2019
54 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Miya Kazuki
162 books422 followersJapanese author (香月美夜)
Kazuki started writing novels when she was in her second year of junior high school. After taking an entrance exam, she entered into a national university before graduating and becoming busy with work, stopping her from writing. Once she was married and her child entered kindergarten, Kazuki had more free time, which she used to start writing again. From 2013 onwards, she started publishing her novel Ascendance of a Bookworm on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō which saw success. In 2015, she officially debuted with said series under the T.O. Books imprint.
Kazuki started writing novels when she was in her second year of junior high school. After taking an entrance exam, she entered into a national university before graduating and becoming busy with work, stopping her from writing. Once she was married and her child entered kindergarten, Kazuki had more free time, which she used to start writing again. From 2013 onwards, she started publishing her novel Ascendance of a Bookworm on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō which saw success. In 2015, she officially debuted with said series under the T.O. Books imprint.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 21, 2023
gotta love the short stories
January 15, 2025
Not sure how I missed this book, but I have now rectified that mistake!
This is a collection of short stories that spans the beginning of the series until Part 4 Volume 4. I loved them all, and it helps to flesh out the world and characters all the more.
Before I get into the stories, first there is the cover. I LOVE this illustration, and it's easy to forget how much Myne has physically grown considering that she's always small for her age. But it's a great illustration of her commoner beginning versus her noble present.
On to the short stories!
The first is from Tuuli's POV, and it's a nice glimpse into just how odd Myne's behavior was in the beginning, plus the differences between the real Myne and the isekaied Myne.
The second is from Lutz's POV. This shows off a bit more of Lutz's family and how rough he had it before Myne came along. Plus, we get to actually see how parues are gathered.
The third is from Gunther's POV. This is about Gunther not understanding just how dangerous Myne can be with her magic, as well as him not realizing how important Myne's quest is for her. Gunther's responses make sense as a father trying to be a good parent, but there is more going on than an disobedient daughter...
The fourth story is from Wilma's POV. So, quite a jump in time. This is about Rosina not understanding that Myne is not Christine, and Wilma helping her to make that realization. This is probably one of my least favorite from the bunch, but that's because I don't really care about Rosina. Though, that's exactly why the author wrote this story, so that the readers could get more of an insight into Rosina. XD Which, it works, and I do understand Rosina and her POV, but it still doesn't mean I have much of an interest in her.
The fifth story is from Gunther's POV. I love his overprotectiveness. XD This story is really short, but I enjoyed some of his thoughts on Myne's abilities and the changes going on in her life.
The sixth is from Tuuli's POV. Tuuli's learning to read and write, and I loved seeing some of the text from Myne's picture books.
The seventh is from Rihyarda's POV. This is another big jump, as now Myne is Rozemyne. This takes place during the chaos following Veronica being imprisoned. Rihyarda is summoned by Sylvester to be Rozemyne's attendant. It's a nice insight to what the nobles went through during that time period, and I love Rihyarda's insights into the events and some of the characters, such as Ferdinand.
The eighth is from Hartmut's POV. Hartmut is always fun, but this is back when he did not really know who Rozemyne is. Rather, he attends her baptism because his mom is being assigned to serve her, and he wants to scope things out. I loved seeing the moment Hartmut became obsessed with Rozemyne, and I absolutely love the accompanying drawing. It captures the moment so well.
The ninth is from Christel's POV. If the name doesn't sound familiar, it's because she's a background noble. This story does a great job at showing the changes Ehrenfest is going through with party factions, and it gives great insights to just how complicated the factions and changing allegiances can be.
The tenth story is from Lamprecht's POV. Lamprecht is unsure of his path in life after he is given the chance to resign from serving Wilfried. I loved the insights into this moment, and it was great to see Lamprecht find his way.
The eleventh is from Eckhart's POV. This is a conversation between Eckhart and Justus, and it was a fun one. I especially love Justus' plan to enter the Goddesses' Bath during the Night of Flutrane. XD
The twelfth is from Wilfried's POV. I always love seeing more of Melchior, though this was more about noble family norms and what Wilfried doesn't understand because of being favored by Veronica. But I loved seeing Wilfriend interact with Charlotte and Melchior, even if he isn't necessarily good at it.
The thirteenth is from Cornelius' POV. This is about him questioning his choices after Rozemyne is poisoned, and him realizing just how much he has to grow after a conversation with his mother.
The fourteenth is also from Cornelius' POV, and it is along the same veins as the prior story, but with Cornelius talking with others about the events plus the plans for the immediate future. After all this is a conversation with Hartmut, and it's interesting how off the mark Hartmut is about some things while still being completely dedicated to Rozemyne.
The fifteenth story is from Hirschur's POV. This one shows how one goes about securing special accommodations at the Royal Academy, plus I loved seeing others thoughts as to the situation with Rozemyne (even with how little was known about it). It was also just nice to see Hirschur's thoughts on all the changes going on with Ferdinand/Ehrenfest from her sliver of understanding about all of it. I also really liked the illustration of Hirschur at the end. Her pose and expression were great.
The sixteenth story is from Roderick's POV. He's one of my favorite characters, so I'm always happy to see more from him. This story shows just how little the children of the Veronica faction know about what is going on, and it also shows how Roderick has been treated ever since he was tricked into leading Wilfried to the Ivory Tower. I loved seeing how Roderick ended up in the library transcribing books and writing his own stories.
The seventeenth story is from Philine's POV. I'm super happy this story (and the next) were written, as these events weren't really seen from Rozemyne's POV, and I love Philine so much. Philine returns home from the Royal Academy, where she is reunited with her brother, though things seem a little... off. Plus, it was nice to see a bit of how those who are barely nobles live, even with Philine's situation isn't a healthy one.
The eighteenth story is also from Philine's POV. Here we go. The actual incident that led to her needing to be rescued by Damuel. I love that Philine tried to stand up to her step-mother, though that did not go well at all... I absolutely love how kind Damuel is to Philine, and I'm really rooting for those two to end up together!
The nineteenth is from Charlotte's POV. This is her dealing with the fact she is now out of running as the aub because of Rozemyne's and Wilfried's engagement. I feel so bad for Charlotte, and I enjoyed seeing her struggle and try to come to terms with it all. I don't know who actually ends up becoming the next aub, but I am really rooting for Charlotte. But it was nice to see Charlotte find new goals to work towards.
The twentieth story is also from Charlotte's POV. This is about Charlotte doing her best to help Rozemyne with a task, but it is also about seeing just how manipulative and sneaky Oswald is.
The final story is from Philine's POV. This flashes back to when Philine first enters the playroom and meets Rozemyne. I love seeing Philine's insights and thoughts into Rozemyne and everything. I also loved seeing how dedicated Philine was in writing stories while Rozemyne slept for two years. There's also a nod to Hartmut hanging out with the orphans to gather intel on Rozemyne. It's a nice little story that covers a large stretch of time to show just how hard Philine has worked to reach where she is.
The short stories done, there's the bonus comics. They're cute, as always, but I especially loved 'Warning Sign.' XD
A long review, but I couldn't help but make a few remarks on each story. I love having this collection of stories brought together in a single volume, as I never would have known they existed otherwise (and I don't know if there's an English translation of them outside of this volume, so I might not have been able to read them without this book, even if I had known of them). I loved every story, as they always expanded on characters, events, and the world at large.
My favorite stories of the bunch are those dealing with Philine's situation and rescue, but I loved them all. What's also great is that the bonus color illustration includes all fourteen characters that had stories told in their POVs. I hope if there's any other unpublished short stories, that they make their way to another collection volume.
This is a collection of short stories that spans the beginning of the series until Part 4 Volume 4. I loved them all, and it helps to flesh out the world and characters all the more.
Before I get into the stories, first there is the cover. I LOVE this illustration, and it's easy to forget how much Myne has physically grown considering that she's always small for her age. But it's a great illustration of her commoner beginning versus her noble present.
On to the short stories!
The first is from Tuuli's POV, and it's a nice glimpse into just how odd Myne's behavior was in the beginning, plus the differences between the real Myne and the isekaied Myne.
The second is from Lutz's POV. This shows off a bit more of Lutz's family and how rough he had it before Myne came along. Plus, we get to actually see how parues are gathered.
The third is from Gunther's POV. This is about Gunther not understanding just how dangerous Myne can be with her magic, as well as him not realizing how important Myne's quest is for her. Gunther's responses make sense as a father trying to be a good parent, but there is more going on than an disobedient daughter...
The fourth story is from Wilma's POV. So, quite a jump in time. This is about Rosina not understanding that Myne is not Christine, and Wilma helping her to make that realization. This is probably one of my least favorite from the bunch, but that's because I don't really care about Rosina. Though, that's exactly why the author wrote this story, so that the readers could get more of an insight into Rosina. XD Which, it works, and I do understand Rosina and her POV, but it still doesn't mean I have much of an interest in her.
The fifth story is from Gunther's POV. I love his overprotectiveness. XD This story is really short, but I enjoyed some of his thoughts on Myne's abilities and the changes going on in her life.
The sixth is from Tuuli's POV. Tuuli's learning to read and write, and I loved seeing some of the text from Myne's picture books.
The seventh is from Rihyarda's POV. This is another big jump, as now Myne is Rozemyne. This takes place during the chaos following Veronica being imprisoned. Rihyarda is summoned by Sylvester to be Rozemyne's attendant. It's a nice insight to what the nobles went through during that time period, and I love Rihyarda's insights into the events and some of the characters, such as Ferdinand.
The eighth is from Hartmut's POV. Hartmut is always fun, but this is back when he did not really know who Rozemyne is. Rather, he attends her baptism because his mom is being assigned to serve her, and he wants to scope things out. I loved seeing the moment Hartmut became obsessed with Rozemyne, and I absolutely love the accompanying drawing. It captures the moment so well.
The ninth is from Christel's POV. If the name doesn't sound familiar, it's because she's a background noble. This story does a great job at showing the changes Ehrenfest is going through with party factions, and it gives great insights to just how complicated the factions and changing allegiances can be.
The tenth story is from Lamprecht's POV. Lamprecht is unsure of his path in life after he is given the chance to resign from serving Wilfried. I loved the insights into this moment, and it was great to see Lamprecht find his way.
The eleventh is from Eckhart's POV. This is a conversation between Eckhart and Justus, and it was a fun one. I especially love Justus' plan to enter the Goddesses' Bath during the Night of Flutrane. XD
The twelfth is from Wilfried's POV. I always love seeing more of Melchior, though this was more about noble family norms and what Wilfried doesn't understand because of being favored by Veronica. But I loved seeing Wilfriend interact with Charlotte and Melchior, even if he isn't necessarily good at it.
The thirteenth is from Cornelius' POV. This is about him questioning his choices after Rozemyne is poisoned, and him realizing just how much he has to grow after a conversation with his mother.
The fourteenth is also from Cornelius' POV, and it is along the same veins as the prior story, but with Cornelius talking with others about the events plus the plans for the immediate future. After all this is a conversation with Hartmut, and it's interesting how off the mark Hartmut is about some things while still being completely dedicated to Rozemyne.
The fifteenth story is from Hirschur's POV. This one shows how one goes about securing special accommodations at the Royal Academy, plus I loved seeing others thoughts as to the situation with Rozemyne (even with how little was known about it). It was also just nice to see Hirschur's thoughts on all the changes going on with Ferdinand/Ehrenfest from her sliver of understanding about all of it. I also really liked the illustration of Hirschur at the end. Her pose and expression were great.
The sixteenth story is from Roderick's POV. He's one of my favorite characters, so I'm always happy to see more from him. This story shows just how little the children of the Veronica faction know about what is going on, and it also shows how Roderick has been treated ever since he was tricked into leading Wilfried to the Ivory Tower. I loved seeing how Roderick ended up in the library transcribing books and writing his own stories.
The seventeenth story is from Philine's POV. I'm super happy this story (and the next) were written, as these events weren't really seen from Rozemyne's POV, and I love Philine so much. Philine returns home from the Royal Academy, where she is reunited with her brother, though things seem a little... off. Plus, it was nice to see a bit of how those who are barely nobles live, even with Philine's situation isn't a healthy one.
The eighteenth story is also from Philine's POV. Here we go. The actual incident that led to her needing to be rescued by Damuel. I love that Philine tried to stand up to her step-mother, though that did not go well at all... I absolutely love how kind Damuel is to Philine, and I'm really rooting for those two to end up together!
The nineteenth is from Charlotte's POV. This is her dealing with the fact she is now out of running as the aub because of Rozemyne's and Wilfried's engagement. I feel so bad for Charlotte, and I enjoyed seeing her struggle and try to come to terms with it all. I don't know who actually ends up becoming the next aub, but I am really rooting for Charlotte. But it was nice to see Charlotte find new goals to work towards.
The twentieth story is also from Charlotte's POV. This is about Charlotte doing her best to help Rozemyne with a task, but it is also about seeing just how manipulative and sneaky Oswald is.
The final story is from Philine's POV. This flashes back to when Philine first enters the playroom and meets Rozemyne. I love seeing Philine's insights and thoughts into Rozemyne and everything. I also loved seeing how dedicated Philine was in writing stories while Rozemyne slept for two years. There's also a nod to Hartmut hanging out with the orphans to gather intel on Rozemyne. It's a nice little story that covers a large stretch of time to show just how hard Philine has worked to reach where she is.
The short stories done, there's the bonus comics. They're cute, as always, but I especially loved 'Warning Sign.' XD
A long review, but I couldn't help but make a few remarks on each story. I love having this collection of stories brought together in a single volume, as I never would have known they existed otherwise (and I don't know if there's an English translation of them outside of this volume, so I might not have been able to read them without this book, even if I had known of them). I loved every story, as they always expanded on characters, events, and the world at large.
My favorite stories of the bunch are those dealing with Philine's situation and rescue, but I loved them all. What's also great is that the bonus color illustration includes all fourteen characters that had stories told in their POVs. I hope if there's any other unpublished short stories, that they make their way to another collection volume.
July 24, 2024
Another collection of short stories? Cautious optimism is warranted, for the breadth and depth of this novel series has unintentionally conjured a handful of gaps in worldbuilding and incomplete character arcs. Even so, ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM: SHORT STORY COLLECTION v1 has a few gems.
This omnibus collects bonus stories, intercalary chapters, and promotional stories stretching from Part 1.1 through Part 4.4, which is to say, 16 sequential volumes of narrative storytelling. The inelegant truth is that reading side stories from characters who were important to the story two dozen volumes ago is awkward and tedious. Multiple chapters from Gunther, gushing over his daughters while fearing for their safety? Not as fascinating as, say, a chapter offering readers a glimpse into Hartmut's first encounter with Lady Rozemyne. Not as entertaining as, say, Eckhart debriefing Justus on his impression of Rozemyne and Ferdinand's relationship.
Readers will gain more from SHORT STORY COLLECTION v1 if they perceive the book as a failsafe, secondary view into the minds of secondary characters whose reliability is rarely stated (and thus never honestly challenged). In other words, these stories serve to validate the character development one already knows to have taken place. For example, one already knows that Hartmut is a dedicated, exacting, young but dynamic individual. But what one doesn't know is that Hartmut detests castle politics (Hartmut: "Factions this, influence that . . . It's all so foolish," page 101), and he often invests his time accordingly.
Another, keener example comes from Charlotte. When the young woman learns that Wilfried is the next aub in line for Ehrenfest, her fury is quiet but genuine: "All of my training had been for nothing" (page 282), "[M]y efforts had never been rewarded" (page 284), "It was truly frustrating how often noble customs and expectations made one's hard work amount to nothing" (page 285). At one point, the girl brags that if she were assigned male at birth, then she would have roundly given Wilfried a more earnest run for the position of aub. Who is to say the girl is fully out of the mix? Recent events might suggest the girl still has a shot.
SHORT STORY COLLECTION v1 is for the completist. Of the 21 stories packed into this book, only a handful are truly informative. Some episodes are wildly dramatic, yet emotionally out of tune with the novel series overall (e.g., stories focusing on the physical abuse and neglect suffered by Philine and Roderick at home). Other episodes are interesting, but only in a foundationally germane way (e.g., Cornelious is exquisitely, ruefully boring). But in an omnibus, the imbalance cannot be helped. One wishes to learn more about Philine's possible inheritance (her father, Lord Kashick, married into her family), but that knowledge has likely sailed on the wind. One wishes to learn more about the truth and staying power of Charlotte's emotional grievances, but that dialogue, too, has likely been sidelined for other, more prescient discourse.
This omnibus collects bonus stories, intercalary chapters, and promotional stories stretching from Part 1.1 through Part 4.4, which is to say, 16 sequential volumes of narrative storytelling. The inelegant truth is that reading side stories from characters who were important to the story two dozen volumes ago is awkward and tedious. Multiple chapters from Gunther, gushing over his daughters while fearing for their safety? Not as fascinating as, say, a chapter offering readers a glimpse into Hartmut's first encounter with Lady Rozemyne. Not as entertaining as, say, Eckhart debriefing Justus on his impression of Rozemyne and Ferdinand's relationship.
Readers will gain more from SHORT STORY COLLECTION v1 if they perceive the book as a failsafe, secondary view into the minds of secondary characters whose reliability is rarely stated (and thus never honestly challenged). In other words, these stories serve to validate the character development one already knows to have taken place. For example, one already knows that Hartmut is a dedicated, exacting, young but dynamic individual. But what one doesn't know is that Hartmut detests castle politics (Hartmut: "Factions this, influence that . . . It's all so foolish," page 101), and he often invests his time accordingly.
Another, keener example comes from Charlotte. When the young woman learns that Wilfried is the next aub in line for Ehrenfest, her fury is quiet but genuine: "All of my training had been for nothing" (page 282), "[M]y efforts had never been rewarded" (page 284), "It was truly frustrating how often noble customs and expectations made one's hard work amount to nothing" (page 285). At one point, the girl brags that if she were assigned male at birth, then she would have roundly given Wilfried a more earnest run for the position of aub. Who is to say the girl is fully out of the mix? Recent events might suggest the girl still has a shot.
SHORT STORY COLLECTION v1 is for the completist. Of the 21 stories packed into this book, only a handful are truly informative. Some episodes are wildly dramatic, yet emotionally out of tune with the novel series overall (e.g., stories focusing on the physical abuse and neglect suffered by Philine and Roderick at home). Other episodes are interesting, but only in a foundationally germane way (e.g., Cornelious is exquisitely, ruefully boring). But in an omnibus, the imbalance cannot be helped. One wishes to learn more about Philine's possible inheritance (her father, Lord Kashick, married into her family), but that knowledge has likely sailed on the wind. One wishes to learn more about the truth and staying power of Charlotte's emotional grievances, but that dialogue, too, has likely been sidelined for other, more prescient discourse.
June 7, 2025
Ahhh that was such a nice read! Each short story has me feeling nostalgic and I can't help but feel the urge to reread the series again with each story I read. I think I'll really go ahead and read some volumes again, especially the older ones. It's been years! I'm sure I'll appreciate them anew.
I loved every short story included in this omg and I LOVE the colored illustration too!
Wrapping up this volume has me feeling quite fulfilled and nostalgic. This was such a nice and filling read. I can't wait for the Volume 3 (I read the Volume 2 first before I got to this hehe)!
I loved every short story included in this omg and I LOVE the colored illustration too!
Wrapping up this volume has me feeling quite fulfilled and nostalgic. This was such a nice and filling read. I can't wait for the Volume 3 (I read the Volume 2 first before I got to this hehe)!
May 6, 2023
For true fans
Definitely need to read the main series first, but if you adore the bookworm world these are fantastic! It's a bunch of short stories done in the style of the books prologues and epilogues. Each one is from a different side characters pov. This is great because Myne is an unreliable narrator and there are many things she doesn't know. This helps give perspective on how others view her actions and more lore! My fav is always a good Gunther pov. He's the most stalwart earnest and hilarious dad.
Definitely need to read the main series first, but if you adore the bookworm world these are fantastic! It's a bunch of short stories done in the style of the books prologues and epilogues. Each one is from a different side characters pov. This is great because Myne is an unreliable narrator and there are many things she doesn't know. This helps give perspective on how others view her actions and more lore! My fav is always a good Gunther pov. He's the most stalwart earnest and hilarious dad.
July 29, 2023
Perfection. I absolutely love getting stories from different points of view, especially since it's so fun to see how different everyone else interprets things vs how Myne interprets things.
Every single one of these was fun to read, but my favorites were Hartmut, Eckhart, Hirschur, Charlotte, and Philine.
Every single one of these was fun to read, but my favorites were Hartmut, Eckhart, Hirschur, Charlotte, and Philine.
January 1, 2026
4.5 Stars
This was surprisingly good. I'm not usually a fan of anthologies, but I am so glad I picked this up. I enjoyed the vast majority of these stories, and some were even emotional. I loved that Miya Kazuki explained each tale, where they fit, and why they were not included. I'm just glad that I got to get the fuller picture that these short stories gave.
This was surprisingly good. I'm not usually a fan of anthologies, but I am so glad I picked this up. I enjoyed the vast majority of these stories, and some were even emotional. I loved that Miya Kazuki explained each tale, where they fit, and why they were not included. I'm just glad that I got to get the fuller picture that these short stories gave.
April 28, 2023
Outstanding
While not critical to the story, these provide more deep background on characters and events surrounding our favorite library gremlin.
While not critical to the story, these provide more deep background on characters and events surrounding our favorite library gremlin.
May 21, 2023
This series is so rich in characters and nuance that it seems like there could be no limit to these side stories that expand on the perspectives of minor characters.
June 15, 2023
終於，花了兩年多的時間，把放在閱讀器裡，一直擺著沒看的文字書全部看完了。
在曼谷寫下這篇書評，接下來十一小時的航程，要來讀剛裝進來，全新的書啦。這次要看幾年呢～
這集是每個龍套的短篇，補足了正傳的細節，應該還會有第二集短篇集吧
在曼谷寫下這篇書評，接下來十一小時的航程，要來讀剛裝進來，全新的書啦。這次要看幾年呢～
這集是每個龍套的短篇，補足了正傳的細節，應該還會有第二集短篇集吧
June 16, 2024
The prologues and epilogues are the best part of this series, and then to have an entire book of them is just fantastic.
June 24, 2024
Happy Pride to Charlotte and Charlotte only… 😂
July 4, 2025
Rozemyne is a notoriously unreliable narrator, so it's interesting to see so many other characters' perspectives of events through P4
September 13, 2025
Some were great, some were poor. I appreciate as it spanned over 15 books that they wrote the book and context.
March 31, 2023
(Read at JNC pre-publishing)
The book contains various short stories set between the start of the series and Myne's two year coma all from other characters' perspectives much like the various after stories. As always with a collection of such stories, some are interesting and fun and others feel a bit superfluous and add little. Still, a good read for any fan of the series.
The book contains various short stories set between the start of the series and Myne's two year coma all from other characters' perspectives much like the various after stories. As always with a collection of such stories, some are interesting and fun and others feel a bit superfluous and add little. Still, a good read for any fan of the series.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews