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～第五部「女神の化身XII」

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～ [Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho Ni Naru Tame Ni Shudan wo Erande iraremasen] (Novel) #33

by Miya Kazuki, 香月美夜, You Shiina (Illustrator)

古代の大規模魔術の成功と引き換えに、意識を失ったローゼマイン。フェルディナンドと魔力を繋ぎ、女神に断たれた記憶の海を辿ってゆく。
　領主の養女として旅立つ以前、兵士の娘だったあの頃。大切に育ててくれた家族、愛してくれた彼ら――。下町の人々との思い出が蘇る。
「……みんな……大好き」
　そして、始まる建領のための忙しい毎日。ユルゲンシュミット初の未成年領主の就任によって、図書館都市アレキサンドリアの歴史が幕を開ける。
「皆様に祝福を！」
　全てを夢物語では終わらせないビブリア・ファンタジー完結！
　大増書き下ろしに加えて、椎名優描き下ろし漫画「四コマ」「アレキサンドリア～ある晴天のバルコニーにて～」を収録！

Genres: Light Novel, Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Magic, Japanese Literature

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 9, 2023

About the author

Japanese 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.

Reviews

[Galateea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can we just talk (in great detail) about Ferdinand no longer giving a flying f**k about appearances and pulls out all the stops on our adorable, oblivious bookworm? After making sure that the Supreme Oblivious One is on board, of course. To give you just a few majestic examples from the first chapters:

"I nervously opened my eyes to look at Ferdinand and saw that his face was mere inches from mine. His eyebrows were drawn in a deep frown, but he relaxed the moment he saw I was okay. He held me close and muttered, “Thank goodness...” under his breath.
Wait, what? Is this really him? It can’t be, right? He must have broken or something.”...

Ferdinand NEVER does the hugging first. Or at least not until now:aww:.The bookworm is, of course, still oblivious to her feelings:

“Heave ho...” I muttered, twisting in place so that I could embrace him more comfortably. His scent and warmth put me at ease, but his heart was pounding, and his breathing seemed unusually shallow.”

Um...

“He sounded tired and somewhat annoyed but held me closer with one hand and used the other to play with my hair.”

Umm, just saying girl, but I don't think he likes hugging as much as he likes you. And then, despite everything, my boy Ferdinand, who cannot be selfish even NOW, for crying out loud, wants to make sure that Rozemyne will be happy and incorrectly thinks after he had their memories synched, that she loves Lutz and wants to go back to her commoner family.

“Despite my best attempts to comfort him, Ferdinand still seemed distraught. His heart continued to race, and the fingers combing through my hair froze. He squeezed me so tight that it went from feeling nice to almost hurting. I gazed up at him, worried that something was wrong.”
“Rozemyne, do you...?”
“Do I what?” His voice kept cracking and sounded so raspy that I could barely understand him.
Ferdinand paused, his eyes betraying a deep sense of dread, and then loosened his hold on me enough to pull away a little. “Do you wish to be a commoner again?”

NO, SHE DOES NOT. She wants you and her library city and to eat good food with you and everyone else.

“For my life to return to normal, Ferdinand would need to face a grueling battle as the aub to protect my family and me. Forced to shoulder a crushing burden while showing no weakness to anyone, he would end up facing unthinkable hardships.
My heart aches...
I clutched my chest. Something was eating away at me, but I didn’t know what.”

It's indigestion. Definitely not those romantic feelings you definitely don't have. Now, moving on to the engagement between our favourites and the sublime plotting the Lord of Evil did so he could get the Supreme Bookworm:

“Make no mistake, Rozemyne—I actively sought this outcome.”
I peered at him, unsure what he meant. He must have read my expression because he immediately elaborated.
“For as long as we have known each other, I have observed the bonds between you and your family—the ways you strove to remain close to them as a noble and their determination not to lose you. Then you declared that I meant just as much to you and continued to look out for me even after I moved to Ahrensbach. Everything I understand about family came from you. The synchronization potion made it clear, no? Just how much I crave the kind of bond you have with your family.”
I nodded. His memories had revealed envy and admiration for my family... then bitterness and regret over tearing us apart.
“I might not have felt this way if I had remained in Ehrenfest,” Ferdinand said. “It would have been enough to watch you and your family from the shadows. But when I moved, the voices around you threatened to sever our connection. I did not wish to lose what we had. Thus... exploiting this royal decree was the most practical and and efficient way to obtain you.”
He brushed my cheek with his finger, and an uncertain shudder ran down my spine.
“The king who gave the royal decree is a king no longer, meaning he cannot interfere with my plans,” Ferdinand continued. “I also threatened the new Zent not to intervene unless you order it.”
“You threatened the Zent...? Ferdinand—”
Before I could say anything else, his finger moved to my lips. He pressed against them only gently, but it was enough to silence me. I was hesitant even to breathe.
“I went to great lengths to make sure no one would oppose our engagement after your ascension to mortal divinity. I could not bear the thought of another man taking my place as your true family.”
I swallowed hard. There was a fire in Ferdinand’s light-golden eyes that almost scared me. I wasn’t sure I could give him whatever he was lusting for, and it made me so anxious that I wanted to run away.
But the hand resting on my back kept me in place.
“You are the only one who can stop me now, Rozemyne. The new Zent’s life is in your hands. Will you return to your loved ones and give me glimpses of your happiness? Will you accept our engagement and welcome me into your family? Or will you order Eglantine to overturn the royal decree? The choice is yours.”
Ferdinand stared straight at me as he awaited my answer. His intensity took me by surprise. I didn’t know what he wanted, but I doubted that marrying me was the answer. Romantic love wasn’t something I understood, and it was beyond me to return feelings that I couldn’t even comprehend.”

So my dear bookworm potato my humble conclusion is that you feel romantic love just fine. The only problem is that you don't recognise it as such, bless your heart.

“We sat in silence for a while until, at last, Ferdinand cast his eyes down and sighed. He stopped touching my face and removed the hand resting on my back. The next time I met his gaze, I saw that he was defeated. Even his body language spoke to his disappointment. Now more than ever, I could tell that he was used to having his wishes ignored.
This isn’t right...
On instinct, I shook my head. I didn’t understand the kind of love being discussed, but I couldn’t allow Ferdinand to leave. He rarely ever said what he wanted this openly. I didn’t want to discourage him from ever doing it again, so I reached out and gave him a hug.
“Rozemyne, what are...?”
“I realize this shouldn’t be the case by now, but guess what? I still don’t understand romantic love!”

Those blushes are definitely because of the high temp in Ahrensbach and not something else:



“I cannot stand the thought of our connection being severed and another man becoming a member of your true family. That is all.” Ferdinand touched the rainbow ornament in my hair.”

You mean the same ornament that you made for her and previously flaunted in front of the foolish prince whose gift was so weak it got turned to gold dust upon the briefest touch? That ornament? 'K.

“Ferdinand wrapped an arm around me and once again held me tight. “Would you... truly choose me, Rozemyne?”
“As long as you don’t regret marrying me.”
I’d entrusted my body to Ferdinand and was taking comfort in his warmth when I suddenly realized something: now that we were alone and my divine mana was gone, there was something we needed to do.
“Ferdinand, let me give you back your name stone. I don’t need it now that my divine mana is gone, right?”
He had given me his name for practical reasons—because my overwhelming divine power had made it tough for him to even be near me. Resolved to return it, I took out his name stone... but Ferdinand made no move to accept it. He simply looked to one side.
“You do not need it...?” he repeated, noticeably upset.”

Girl... worst timing. The absolute worst. Y u ruin a nice moment?

“I will take it back two years from now. Please be patient until then. There is no need for you to set aside Schutzaria’s shield.” He then picked me up with one arm and carried me to the exit as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Schutzaria’s shield...? Can you make that with a name stone?”
I had so many questions, but Ferdinand refused to answer them. He uttered not another word as he took me out of the foundation’s hall.”

Well, one thing is consistent. Her understanding of noble euphemisms is still minus infinity. Lemme break it down for you:

SCHUTZARIA'S SHIELD DEFENDS AGAINST WINTER. A.K.A. SUMMONING WINTER BEFORE AUTUMN. I REPEAT, SCHUTZARIA'S SHIELD DEFENDS AGAINST SUMMONING WINTER BEFORE AUTUMN.

Rozemyne darling, lemme explain in simpler therms: it's you who needs that name stone. That name stone stops winter from coming early, okay? Unless of course you DO want winter before autumn, case in which none of us readers will complain about it.

At this point I'm half pitying Ferdinand and half happy that at least he knows what he's doing romantically. She's gonna need it.

“Now then, Rozemyne,” Ferdinand said, lining up tools and ingredients on the brewing stand, “we need to brew the feystones to be exchanged at our engagement ceremony. Are you up to the task? If not, I can make yours for you.”
Wait, what? Is he proposing that he make his own engagement feystone?
I still remembered the joy on his face when I’d given him a protective charm. He had said it was his first time ever receiving one. I couldn’t bear the thought of making him brew his own feystone for our engagement.
“I can manage this much, at the very least,” I replied. “On countless occasions, I’ve seen the negative consequences that arise from avoiding one’s duties. If I run away now, I could hardly call myself a good woman.”

Points for optimism? NOW! Moving on to the much awaited engagement:

“It brings me NO comfort!” came a booming roar from nearby. “Why, Rozemyne?! Why Ferdinand?! Were there not far better options?!”
...
“I apologize for my father causing a scene,” Karstedt said at last.”
...
“You said you weren’t in love with him!” Bonifatius roared at me. “Was that a lie?!”
“No, obviously not. My feelings haven’t changed.”
Everyone gasped and stared at me in shock. Though not a word was spoken, I could hear them collectively scream, “What the hell are you even saying?!” Sensing all the sharp rebukes about to rain down on me, I quickly attempted to backpedal.”
“U-Um, what I mean to say is that I’ve yet to understand romantic love. As for Ferdinand, he simply wishes for us to be family. He is perfectly content with keeping things the way they are and does not expect“the more intimate aspects of a relationship from me. In that sense, this engagement exists merely for us to become family in name as well as spirit.”
Everyone was watching me so intently. Was that explanation not good enough? The silent pressure prompted me to take a step back.”
“So you got engaged to satisfy his wishes?” Bonifatius asked, his blue eyes narrowed. “I care about you, Rozemyne; I could never permit such a one-sided arrangement.”
“Rest assured, Grandfather—it will grant my wishes too. No other man would go to such great lengths to make my dreams come true. Not to mention, his presence calms me; I feel none of the displeasure that characterized my engagements with Wilfried and Lord Sigiswald.”
Bonifatius and Sylvester both cradled their heads and let out heavy sighs. Was it something I said? Maybe romantic love really was necessary for engagements and weddings and the like. I worried that Sylvester might tell me to give up on marrying Ferdinand, so I appealed to him with tears in my eyes.
“This engagement might be the result of a royal decree, but I made Lord Ferdinand a laboratory and intend to both donate mana to his research and come up with tasty meals for him so he stays healthy. I care about his happiness—that much I can promise you—so... please do not intervene.”

Never mind the optimism. Everyone just gave up on her. At this point I can almost see them, 5 years from now, with 2 kids and Rozemyne still saying it's not romantic love at all and all those doki doki moments were just arrhythmia.

“Engraved within the feystone were the words “Let me embroider your cape.” It was the best way I could think to translate “Let’s be family” into noble, as cape embroidering was a task done only by a person’s loved ones.
As I understood it, when Ferdinand entered the temple, Veronica had confiscated the cape his father had given him. He had sincerely appreciated it when Sylvester gave him a new one, though you wouldn’t have guessed it by how much he complained about its poor defenses. Taking his desires into account, I wanted to give him a cape that only a true family member could prepare.
Ferdinand accepted the feystone, read the message inside, and then inhaled. For a moment, his fake smile gave way to an expression of pure joy. Even when his false countenance returned, he continued to hold the feystone tight. I couldn’t help but chuckle in response.”

OK, I'm proud of her now. You worked hard, Mine. She really thought it through and wrote a meaningful message for him.

“Divine Avatar of Mestionora and my Goddess of Light, your radiance dispels the darkness and shines without end. Lost in Chaocipher’s swaying veil, I was powerless to save my Geduldh. I could only wait for Ewigeliebe’s sword to fall. But then you appeared, my Goddess of Light. You tore through the gloom and brought order to chaos.”
His slew of metaphors took me by surprise. If only he’d written them down so I could actually take the time to decipher them.
Each of the gods had several meanings associated with their name. I couldn’t work out which ones Ferdinand was referring to—not when they were appearing in such quick succession—but I could extrapolate from everyone’s reactions that this was a profound declaration of love. Elvira’s eyes sparkled, and other women clasped trembling hands over their mouths.
He compared me to the All-Shining Goddess of Light, the All-Changing Goddess of Water, the All-Protecting Goddess of Wind, and the All-Embracing Goddess of Earth. Every single one of the main goddesses, then. It seems so excessive that I don’t know what to think.”
“I offer you this feystone, my Goddess of Light.”
Ferdinand then held out his omni-elemental engagement feystone. I accepted it and read the golden text inside.
“I will protect Alexandria and you with it.”
Dad’s promise echoed in my mind. Ferdinand never made vows he couldn’t keep, so this declaration was all the more unfair. The comfort of knowing he would always be by my side was almost overwhelmed as my heart raced, my hands trembled, and my throat started to ache. My cheeks flushed, and tears welled up in my eyes.
“Ferdinand... I, um...”
I needed to communicate my feelings, but I couldn’t find the words. My voice kept catching in my throat.
Ferdinand rose to his feet and wiped the tears from my eyes, using his sleeve to hide my crying face from our audience. “Do not weep here,” he whispered. “I will not be able to console you.”

Scratch that. He worked harder. Just look at how sublime this image is:



“Before we could say much else, cries of glee or horror—I couldn’t tell which—arose among the nobles. I almost leapt out of my skin, so surprised that my tears dried up in an instant.
“What’s going on?”
Despite my best attempts to look, I couldn’t see past Ferdinand’s sleeve. I gazed up at him for an explanation.
“It would seem I have erred...” he said with a frown.
“I-In what sense?”
“Do not ask.”
Just tell me!
Ferdinand took a step back and sighed. Hartmut was watching us with a troubled expression, while Justus was desperately trying not to laugh. Lieseleta had turned beet red and was looking around the hall.
In the crowd, Elvira was the only one grinning from ear to ear and waving her lit schtappe through the air. Sylvester wore a more subtle smile, though I could tell that he was deeply moved. And then there was Bonifatius, who was shaking his fists while every knight in the vicinity fought to keep him under control.”

Tell me everyone thought that he kissed her without telling me that everyone thought that he kissed her.

At this point, can we please, PLEAAAASSEEE, dedicate a shrine to Miya Kazuki and just pray for.one.last.part.6? PLEEEAASSEEE???

Because as much as I love Hannelore and can't wait for the LN sequel from her point of view (my highly spoilery review for the first volume featuring the Crybaby Princess over here ), I really, very badly need just one more book about how Rozemyne saves Ferdinand and the current timeline.
...

[Mello · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 for the whole series 😭. I can't believe this is over after 5 years waiting for new chapters every week. What am I supposed to do with my life now?

RTC when I stop crying 😭

[Chandandhrana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series belied my expectations going into it. I can praise it for many things but the care and detail author put into writing the whole thing is probably what I liked the best about it.

[RS · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Mistress OP · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pacing was off for the last couple books in the series but as a work of art. THE WHOLE of the tale, was on par with the greats. Just really well executed. I've rarely see so many magical creatures that didn't exist in "magic lexicon" work out so well. Gods, and magic system so well thought. A nomenclature that was so sharp that I found myself using random terms and no one around me understanding me. But they felt so meaningful. I'd love a live action of this via netflix or hbo. (prefer hbo but hbo has a habit of not finishing it's series off if the budget is too big)

[Velta Gūtmane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visa grāmata bija vienas lielas atvadas. Aizkustinoši un tā man šī sērija beidzās. Kaut arī ne visas grāmatas bija līdzvērtīgas tomēr es priecājos izlasīt šo grāmatu sēriju. Man patīk galvenās varones personība - bezatbildīga, atbildīga vienlaicīgi, ir ļoti aizrauta ar savām interesē un idejām un dodas tās realizēt vienalga , kas ir ceļā, ļoti emocionāla , izdzīvo visu emociju gammu, kas ir iespējama, darīs visu lai aizstāvētu sev tuvos cilvēkus, kurus uzskata par ģimeni. Tāds ļoti idealizēts tēls. Pavisam noteikti viens no iemesliem, kāpēc turpināju lasīt šo sēriju. Ļoti izstrādāta pasaule, no ikdienas paradumiem, līdz jaunai maģijas sistēmai, dažādiem sabiedrības slāņiem. Labrāt lasītu turpinājumu, ja tāds būtu. Gribētu uzzināt, kas notiktu Aleksandrijā. Kādi jauni izaicinājumi sāktos. Tomēr katrai sērijai kaut kad ir jābeidzas un šī grāmata ir noslēgums. Žēl, bet neko darīt.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was billed as the last book. And yes in the afterword, the author does state that there are short-stories coming. And perhaps a side tale. So probably better to say, this is the last book for now.

This starts kind of rough - it really isn't clear what's going on - though perhaps it would be clearer if you had just finished the previous volume. But it ends very sweetly. There are a lot of characters that don't get a last scene, but quite a few do. And there are quite a few reminders of the journey. This is basically book 33. I read volume 1 five years ago, June 2020 so at the beginning of covid. At that point the series was five years old. Of course there was a delay for the books to be available to us. So we caught up fairly fast and after book 6, needed to wait for new volumes. And in the end we were able to read the last few volumes digitally through one of the libraries. I don't know that I'll ever re-read this.

But it was a fun series. And always better to be able to read it with others.

4.5 of 5

[Banks of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew this had to come to an end, but I’m sad it finally happened. For years I’ve followed this series, and it has taken my heart and hasn’t let it go from the moment I read the first light novel. My love for this series can’t be expressed in words, it’s my favorite series of all time. Thank you, Miya Kazuki Sensei!

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the previous 32 volumes of this story, this book was awesome. I was introduced to this series for the first time in May of this year and spent two full months reading the first 32 volumes, which I finished about a month ago. I can't even imagine having had to wait for this series over the multiple years like so many other people. Having read the other books so recently for the first time probably puts me into a fairly unique position, so I'm adding my review here.

First off, the writing style: I was very happy to see the writing style and "voice" of Myne come back to a more bubbly / happy style than it had been in the last couple of books. During the last 4 or so books, there was so much going on that it seemed we were losing some of the feel of the story to the plot.The plot was very good, so it was a worthwhile sacrifice. With this last book, we brought back some of the slowness that we were used to from the earliest books. Suddenly, Myne again has time to talk to lots of different people and hear things from their perspectives.

That brings us to the storyline for this book: I would categorize this book almost as an epilogue. In this book, we (as Myne) see many different characters we haven't seen in a while, hear their perspectives and learn more about them, wrap up loose ends, and go through old memories to see the difference between "then" and "now." Since I read the other books so recently, I personally would have gladly traded some of the "walking down memory lane" for some more information on what happens in Myne's future. I want to see some books arrive so Myne can shelve them, hear more from Ferdinand's perspective, and find out what Myne's life is like in the future. But the author got very close to perfection with this last book, especially the epilogue. I loved being able to see Myne and Ferdinand together from a commoner perspective and being able to see Myne get back together with her family at last. Overall, I'm very happy with this book.

Storyline: The book starts where the last one left off, with Ferdinand desperately trying to save Rozemyne. He manages to synchronize their thoughts and shows her his memories of her life. Myne doesn't remember anything until Ferdinand shows her his memory of the blessing she gave to everyone she cared about when she had to leave her life as Myne. That blessing somehow gets her memories back. After that, Rozemyne wakes up in Ferdinand's arms. He finally makes it clear to her that he wants to marry her. Even though she is unaware of romantic love, she knows she loves Ferdinand as family already and she decides to marry him after he tells her that people will stop bothering her about caring about him if he's officially her husband. He also promises that nothing has to change in their relationship and makes her keep his name stone as his proof to her that she has complete control over the relationship (although Myne does not realize this). They then get officially engaged and Myne goes back to Ehrenfest to wrap things up there. When she returns, it's time for the archduke conference and she gets recognized as Aub. That's where the official story ends. The epilogue is told from Lutz's perspective and involves Myne and Ferdinand visiting Myne's family and getting engaged in the commoner way.

[fool · Rating 5 out of 5]

The epilogue made me incredibly emotional... I can't think of a more appropriate scene to finish this incredible saga about the power of familial love. But, somehow, 36 books doesn't seem enough for me, I would read 100 more volumes about these characters.

The five stars rating is for the series as a whole - it's very hard to rate every book individually since there are so many and I read them back to back.

Ascendance of a Bookworm is a shining gem among the isekai genre and what every high fantasy novel should strive to be!

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could forget everything about this series, just to experience it again for the first time

[Breno Lorena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ela conseguiu, é isso. 10/10
Essa história é muito especial, nunca algo me marcou tanto de chorar e rir tanto como foi aqui.
Só tenho que agradecer pode ter lido isso.

[Mistborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

At long last, this beautiful story finally came to an end with the happiest ending I ever read. From a commoner to an avatar of a goddess and become an archduke of a great duchy while still maintaining connection with her old family. She has achieved so much, and she's earned every single one of it.

There are so many moments in this book that stood out to me, but I have to mention the engagement ceremony between Rozemyne and Ferdinand. My eyes really tear out when they exchange the engagement feystone, and when I read the vow appear on it, man... I'm so happy for them. I'm so glad that I had followed this series until the end. At first I felt really skeptical because so many people were praising it, but now this series had become one of my favorites.

Everything from the world building to the characters, everything was perfect. It's really hard to find a series with the quality this consistent; you can really tell how much love the author put into it, and I am truly grateful for Kazuki-sensei for everything she did. And shout out for the translator of this series, Quof, for bringing to us an insanely high-quality work that made me feel like I'm reading an original, not a series being translated.

For anyone who has taken an interest in the Japanese light novel or fantasy genre overall, this is a series that you should not miss, and I really think you should give it a try; maybe you will fall in love with it's world like I am. 

[Eressea · Rating 4 out of 5]

小書痴是唯一一套從頭跟到尾的長篇輕小說
雖然還有外傳跟fanbook沒看
不過至少本傳是一本一本的跟完了
雖然小書痴也是在異世界開掛
但比起爛大街的轉生作
這部在異世界開創新天地算是很辛苦了
作者文筆不錯，沒像大多數輕小說那麼水
尤其第一部講仿中世紀世界觀下平民的生活
意外的很符合正經史學研究的內容
顯見作者是有下功夫設定異世界的

本傳最後一集糖灑好灑滿
我反而沒啥感覺
只覺得就是一個論文結論的概念
把五部的重點還有各位龍套們都提一輪
最後收尾總結就能灑花了

不是說這部不好看
只是我的直男腦對最後一集沒有感覺而已XD
fanbook好像很多圖，猶豫是否要買電子書呢...

[Renatta Alfonsina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ame esta historia, fue un subí y baja de emociones, los personajes, además no me espera la pareja de Myne.

[Tyler & Tylar · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOOOOOOOOO ITS OVER!!!! 😭

This series has been my favorite series for years and now that I have finished the last book I am devastated...
I don't know of any other series can measure up to the feelings I have for this one. And the very idea that I won't get more is heart wrenching. I loved this series so much I've watched the anime, read the manga, bought the light novel series in book form then re bought them on Kindle just to read ahead since the printed ones were behind. I feel like I just lost a very near and dear friend....the ending was beautiful and everything I could have ever wanted, but I need more for forever. 😭

[Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do I even sum up what this series has meant to me and how happy I am that it is part of my life?

To start, I think the final volume does a great job tying up loose ends and concluding the main story. Our bookworm has ascended! She's an archduchess!, building her dream library city in her new duchy Alexandria, and rebuilding her family with her engagement to Ferdinand and the lifting of the magic contract that prohibited contact with her lower city family. This really was the most fitting way to end the main storyline. And the Epilogue! What can I even say; I teared up while reading it. The only thing I could say is that I wanted MORE. The transition from the last chapter to Epilogue could have been expanded.

This whole series is so special to me. It first came into my life in 2022 when I started watching the anime. This series really couldn't have been more perfect for me. I'm a bookworm who loves libraries and had recently started library school. How could I not fall in love with a story about a bookworm librarian reincarnated into a world with NO BOOKS! Quelle horreur! Once I finished the anime, I was off and running with the light novels, because, again, how could I NOT want to know what happened next?!?! From late 2022 through September 2024 I voraciously consumed the light novels and immersed myself in this richly created world. I fell in love with all the characters - I cried with them, I cheered them on, I had to know what happened next!

Even though the main story has concluded, I eagerly anticipate the English translation of Hannelore's Royal Academy Fifth Year and the untranslated fan books and short story collections.

This series is incredible and I HIGHLY recommend it to book lovers everywhere! "Spread forth, my bookworm virus!" - Rozemyne, Part 5, Volume 1

[Peony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my review for the entire series.

The most memorable light novel I've ever read.The English translation completed in September of 2024, but there may be more books, and its spin-off series, Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, which I have not read but apparently features time travel(?) is still ongoing. I started reading this series when the prepublications of the translations were still airing on the J-Novel website, alongside the 14k member strong subreddit which is still active (and enthusiastic about potential more books set in that world.) How much does it contribute to one's reading experience, spending years waiting for the release of a new volume, speculating with an active, suspenseful fandom, grieving the attacks of multilingual and google-translate-gremlin spoiler trolls? While I aim to re-read it to answer those questions for myself (and deconstruct as a study what I like about this story in more precise measurements), the entire series is ~12,700 pages long/3,195,702 words (compared to The Wheel of Time's ~11,700 pages/4,410,036 words, or Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive's ~6,452 pages/1,788,151 words.) ...Needless to say, while it's undoubtedly an easier read, please do not wait up on my re-reading the entire series. I'm currently 50% into book 1 out of 33.



This is a magical, "boring-dystopia"/"realistic" type story, heavy in worldbuilding with an interesting emphasis on responsibility within a society and mundane work, and the importance of learning socio-political tact. A thorough and expansive world with different 'common sense' and values, nuanced social cause-and-effect, and in-context drama that has you putting two and two together yourself to go "wait, what? Oh my..." For that alone, this story will hold a 'favorite' place in my heart for a very, very long time, and has inspired me to be more thorough in my own creative endeavors. --It has been delightful to connect dots, speculate, and attempt to gauge the norms of this world against my own and try on the shoes of tight-laced (but not in all the ways that actually matter apparently) nobles, and to try and reconcile the social demands of this world (as far as Myne learns) with the clues of human nature. The contrast between the serious tone of this world and the realistic blunders, quirks, and realities characters face is a strange but thrilling comedy. Sometimes, the ripple effects of Myne's actions or the scoldings she received felt like they made me a better and more socially conscious person.

Everything example-specific I could tell you about this story would be a spoiler: It is extremely slow burn--We start out with our protagonist waking up to the body of a sickly 5 year old commoner who can barely leave her bed, and to memory, we might even be several books in before we learn magic exists in this world, let alone see it, and this escalates to (endgame spoilers but I must prove a point. The plot....escalates about as far as your wildest imaginings, heavily tied into the worldbuilding, which trickles down as smoothly as rain) a race to avoid the end of the world and the death of an entire civilization because of the combination of a civil war in a world where entire losing political factions are executed, generations of gradual corruption and neglect of responsibilities in the upper echelons, and the subsequent decay of magic in a world built on magic and religious devotion(which, to be frank, *was* the original magic system and should still be the focus of it. Of course, and a very important book.) Honestly, as much as the cause and effect, I love how serious daily life is treated in this story. From the moment they can be trusted to wash a plate, tend a fire, or follow the older kids out to the gathering spot in the woods, children in this world have serious chores that contribute to the survival of their family. Literally, only diaper-bound infants are monitored 24/7, and the state of the daycare available to a commoner is... neglectful. 7 year olds begin their apprenticeships literally as soon as they're registered as legal citizens, and their only choice is usually between whichever professions their parents are in because commoners don't have too many social connections. I told you, a "boring dystopia." Heck, I'd even go so far as to say our main character is lucky-- despite the harsh conditions, there is no abuse in her childhood, and most people around her are nice.... Then the bookworm starts ascending, and her world expands, and ....uh.. this world is a lot more brutal than underpaid 7 year old woodworkers and 4 year old foragers scavenging the woods outside the city gates for their family's next meal. Thankfully, most of the more shocking elements happen off-screen or even historically. And somehow, the upper class kids are not an exception to difficult expectations and immense responsibility, and the story makes it make sense. Everyone in this medieval world has the short end of a stick, everyone has to hold their tongue or risk making enemies they cannot afford to make, ruining their family's reputation (and how are you going to survive without interpersonal bonds in a society?), or if you're really unlucky and hard of head, you may simply get yourself roped into the machinations of adults and get yourself executed at the age of 7 or something. Everyone has a job, not even the corrupt can afford to sit down and twiddle their thumbs in decadence. The main character's free time is very soon a point of notable reference. There's something simultaneously dry and healing about this slice of life element.

Sometimes the early plots are a little... eh. The whole 'tossing the chamberpot out onto the streets' thing is an outdated estimation of medieval city life, and some characters are talking as living encyclopedias, at times unrealistically for how young the main character is and how much faith they have in her. I did not enjoy the writing style itself, and the pacing felt strange. It's not economic or tactful, even if it gets a lot of psychological nuances right: A lot of time is spent on strange and bland routine interactions, rambling straight-laced details that go nowhere, and a lot of climaxes are foot-dragged towards or written in a way that did not capture the excitement and follow through I imagine the scene itself would have had. Paradoxically, something about the vibe itself of this story is so fundamentally different from everything else I've read. Perhaps something about the writing style demands an energy of patience and mundane-ness, and that contributes negatively when proportions do become epic and on-screen rather than as world-building, but contributes a seriousness and level-headed realism to the world: elaborate routines and formalities go on, chores are completed, and duties are met or neglected.

Despite these issues, I would rate it as a 4, but it could have easily been a 5. It was so close to a 5, it put in so much work. The author keeps a file cabinet of who's doing what and when, and references them for Q&A's. The worldbuilding is better than most actual books I've read so far, definitely far above any manga, webcomic, or anime I've completed (and I've read and watched a lot more of those in my time than actual books....). It's not *that much* of a weird world, but it's an extremely solid and compelling one, and I haven't seen 'a society with different common sense' done so well. It's also interesting that Myne at the beginning of the story is around the same age that the author's child was when she began writing the books, so when children around Myne say something outrageous or merciless, I can't help but imagine the inspiration behind those moments, haha.

Trigger warnings... The problem with the trigger warnings in this story is that most of them are major plot points. Major reveals where the main character is stunned, finds out why logically things are the way they are, and then tries her best to fix things. While there's not much on-screen gore or spectacle, I'm hard-set to find anything else that could be a trigger warning that this story *doesn't* have going on, be it in the historical context, implications, or sub-plots... So they will be spoiler tagged. While serious content is tackled, the 'junio bunko' editions (which I understand to have easier to read japanese, but the exact same text and material) are targeted at older elementary schoolers, so it's not relly 'spectacle' type brutality. Content warnings: death, slavery, child abuse and neglect, extremely normalized SA, mass executions, (heavily implied) forced pregnancy ... Yeah, some of these warnings and "the demographic includes elementary schoolers" sound very wrong together. Ask google and the publishers, not me please. If anything, I'd say this speaks to this story not treating these issues as fodder for drama and shock value.

[Ene Sepp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Selle sarja lõppemine on minu jaoks võrreldav Harry Potteri sarja viimase raamatu lõpetamisega. Ma ei ole AoAB lugemist siin nii palju jõudnud kajastada, kui tahaksin (no mida ma kirjutan, et iga osa on suurepärane!), aga kohe kui uus jupp saadavaks tehti, siis lugesin seda nii et silmad krõllis. Kujutan ette et nii võis olla siis, kui lugeda kord nädalas ajalehe sabas ilmuvat järjejuttu. Õnneks on tulemas veel fänniloomingut ja lisaks ka lähilugusid ehk et täiesti kuivale ma ei jää, aga ma pean ootama lugemiseks ingliskeelset tõlget! Tõesti, kui ma oleksin lugenud AoAB teismelisena, siis ma ei imesta, kui hakkaksin puhtalt selle raamatusarja tõttu jaapani keelt õppima. Praegu võib see mõte olla, ent ajast/jaksust tuleb puudu.

Kokkuvõtlikult terve sarja kohta, siis see on metsikult kaasahaarav. Mõnes mõttes tõeline "rentslist kuningalossi" tõusmise lugu. Tegelased on kaasahaaravad, jõulised ent igaüks oma vigade ja miinustega, mis muudavad nad ka realistlikumaks. See maagiline maailm, mis on nii samm-haaval üles ehitatud et algul tundub ainus maagiline juhtum Urano ärkamine Mynena, ent siis see laieneb ja kasvab ja absoluutselt kõik on maagiline! See detailsus ja fantaasia! Teost läbivast religioonist kõiksugu elukate ja taimedeni. Oeh! Lihtsalt hämmastav. Mul poleks midagi selle vastu, kui saaks KOGU selle sarja oma raamaturiiulitele ilutsema, et siis aegajalt üle lugeda.

Üks online seltskond hakkas nüüd sarja lõppedes seda uuesti otsast lugema ja toovad välja, kui palju leidub juba esimestes osades vihjeid ja viiteid sellele, mis tulevikus ees ootab, aga millele esimest korda lugedes tähelepanu ei osanud pöörata! Ja see, on minu meelest alati näitajaks, kui hästi on raamat kirjutatud.

[Gamal Esam · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to believe that Myne's journey has ended. Her dream of creating her library city has finally been realized, and it’s been an emotional ride, especially since I started following her story after the anime concluded. We’ve all witnessed her struggles and triumphs as she adapted to a new world, living as a commoner and facing the joys and challenges accompanying it. It’s genuinely poignant to see how far she has come and the growth she has experienced.

We observed her earnest attempts to include those around her in her whimsical adventures, and we felt a warmth as Lutz vowed to support her dreams. We followed her journey into the temple, filled with trials and wonders, which led to her unexpected transformation into the archduke’s adopted daughter. Her story is one of resilience, hope, and the pursuit of belonging, notably highlighted by the heartbreaking separation from her family.

Her time as the archduke’s adopted daughter was tumultuous, culminating in a two-year coma after saving her little sister, Charlotte. Then we saw her again as the brave, adventurous girl who dragged the whole duchy into her shenanigans at the Royal Academy, experiencing all her ups and downs.

Ultimately, her arduous journey led her to embrace a new identity as Aub Alexandria. Marrying Ferdinand gave her a profound sense of belonging, and the emotional reunion with her family was a touching moment filled with joy, tears, and the warmth of love that she had longed for.

PS: Although we are promised a Hannilore-spinoff series, but I REALLY want more and more of Ferdinand/Myne lore. I want part 6 of the series to follow what’s going to happen after she’s became Aub Alexandria and all the shenanigans to come, PLEASE Author-san make that happen 🥲🙏

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an astonishing series. I first started in this series in its manga form, expecting an easy-to-finish isekai (subgenre where the protagonist is transported/reincarnated in another world or universe, usually a fantasy world). And it started that way, but as our protagonist grew, so did the maturity of the plot, expanding the universe and taking on explorations of difficult topics such as classism, social-economic class interdependencies, abuse of authority, serfdom, politically arranged marriages, the loss of religious traditions in exchange for progress (which they find out is not the case).

There are downsides to the series, including one, that I still can’t get over, where the protagonist (a 15-year-old child by the end of the book) ends up with a 20-ish man who used to be her guardian when she was 7. Ick. (Fans will protest and say that she was a 22 year old woman when she was reincarnated, but I still think it’s gross). On top of that, the book was written more for manga, so the writing feels clunky and lacking of depth. The protagonist often goes “bwuh!” to demonstrate shock or surprise - a terribly lazy way to express emotion in a novel. Ideas are expressed somewhat clumsily, but if you’re a frequent manga reader like myself, you can picture it quite easily.

But I can forgive all of that because the story was still deeply imaginative, immersive and begging to be unpacked. I was so taken by the story, the world building and the clever magic system. It was just incredible. The characters are well fleshed out and the plot, action-packed. The twists and changes throughout the series were purposeful and planned - you know the author put a lot of thought into it. Lovely, lovely lovely!

[Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh! My heart! So warm, fuzzy, and nostalgic.

This book had some amazingly satisfying scenes that wrapped up all the old ongoing story arcs and plots. There are new story arcs that could be started or continued about setting things up in the new dutchie. Things like restoring the industry of Alexandria, or helping the devastated neighbor duchies. But these are all just possible futures that haven't been explored yet.
It also had several points where the characters thought back on their lives. If you are binging the whole series, these parts could be annoying as they feel like recaps. But, for all of us long-time readers, it was pretty nice reflecting on how far the characters have come.

I also have to congratulate the author for how grounded they keep the story. There have been many times where I expected the power of friendship or plot armor to make things work out happily for the characters. But instead things happen realistically, but not realistically in an Earth way. They're realistic for the world that they live on. Just because some characters want something really bad, and doesn't mean that Noble society lets them just do what they want. Just like how Damiuel couldn't marry Brunhilde. Even though they both liked each other a lot and made such a beautiful love story, their end goals were completely different. So they were unable to get married.

Basically, I think this is one of the best endings to a story I have ever read. Especially considering this was a super long series with many intricate plots. The author wraps things up beautifully, but still leaves the readers with interesting things to wonder about the character's future.

[Faith Troupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this when it first came out and honestly I find there is a formula to theses books. Have a battle and then we see the after effect of what happens (which is the most boating part). I’m happy she gets her happily ever after plus it felt really organic the way these two were put together. I knew they would be together from book 8 due to people reading the fan translations. I had no idea how it would be done but it was cute she didn’t think he would ever love due to childhood trauma and everyone else saw it but she didn’t because she would only love books but they both have their own obsessions but made room for each other. The fact that her future husband had someone he could scheme with made her happy. In her own way she fell for him and knew him like the back of her own hand but the age gap with my only issue. By the end of the book I think she was like 14 and he was in his late 20s. They are betrothed but won’t get married till she is of age which I think is 16 though she is truly 15 I believe due to her being re baptized as a year younger.

Truthfully these books made me very happy and excited for the next book. I don’t stick to series very much due to them telling you everything you need to know before the end of book 1 but sticking to this series for all 36 books is amazing (I skipped the extra book ~first hear stories~) The world building is amazing and I can’t wait for the next series this author makes. There is going to be a series about hanlor so I look forward to this.

[s. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh gods. I'm done. I finished it!

And my heart can't be any fuller!! That was the best way to end the main story omg I'm so glad Kazuki-sensei ended this story in such a way.

I love LOVE the short comic at the end. My heart is too full and as much as I want to read more of that, I can say this story has satisfied me more than enough already. (Of course I wouldn't say no to more hehe)

What exactly do I say to this? My mind is in a jumble and my heart is too full. I love this series so much. I'm so glad to witness Myne's story. So glad to see her forge relationships, care for people, and treasure everything that makes her happy and makes her who she is.

I've read this story years ago—back when I was just making do with mtl of the webnovel and now that I've read it in it's official translation in a language I know well, I can't help but feel emotional. It's been a long winding road for Myne and I'm simply glad to have been with her through it all.

I love this story so much. I've always said 'on to the next' in my reviews of it, but alas, this is the last now. I am both happy and sad but nonetheless, I will continue to cherish this story and hold it close to my heart.

Thank you for this beautiful story, Kazuki-sensei. My utmost thanks for sharing us Myne's story, and may the gods' blessings be with you!

[R.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ferdinand muses about his meeting with Mestionora, and saddened about Rozemyne's personality change vows to restore her memories. I didn't quite understand the curse part, wasn't she the favorite? Everyone important was name sworn to Rozemyne and would have died with her, even though she did dye the foundation so the country would be ok for some time no one else knew where the foundation was or how to find the book so history would have repeated itself. It made no sense, those gods didn't sound very smart but still.

After another synchronization potion Ferdinand shows Rozemyne his own memories of her commoner family, due to their connection she can also sense his honest feelings about those moments that he was able to hide behind his usual blank expression.

Rozemyne recovers and Ferdinand wishing for her happiness tries to send her away with her commoner family, they have a fairly honest conversation at last (Even though Rozemyne doesn't seem to pick up on his jealousy or why he looked disappointed when she wouldn't give him a clear answer).

Ferdinand is a little awkward with his silent declarations and Rozemyne is as oblivious as ever.
It was kind of funny to see him trying to comfort her saying they can keep a regular familial relationship, only for her starting to talk about having children.

[Pieter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a long ride, but we arrived at the end. Our resident gremlin with the aid of Ferdinand has to resolve a few loose ends, but if everything goes according to plan, she might finally have the end she wished for in volume 1: a life filled with books (and a family to embrace even if that was a realization she got further on in the series). As far as endings go, it was a good one, no twists at the last minute, which is no surprise considering the real conflict has been resolved two volumes before. I enjoyed reading this volume a lot. Great characters, decent world building for the most part and enough dangling plot threads for a sequel or new story if the author wants to write such. What to do now on Tuesday morning (the time the parts were published on JNC pre-publish section)?

[Sandra (I don't read, I devour.) · Rating 5 out of 5]

And done! This has been the greatest series I think I have ever read. And I've read a lot of books. The characters have been well fleshed out from the shyest servants, to the most gregarious of main characters. The humor is something that never fails to make me laugh, and I have shed so many tears over this series it is ridiculous. I will be collecting all of the series in book form, and that came into the series through anime. In fact, this was kind of my gateway into light novels. And I don't think I'm ever going to look back. I am now a heavy reader of light novels, and my reading has increased a lot from what it used to be. No longer will I haunt fanfiction.net looking for actual good stories. Lol I now have no shortage of wonderful things to read.

[Abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so many emotions. I can't believe I've really finished this series! This volume wrapped up a lot of loose ends and gave some time to characters all across the board that we hadn't seen in a while, particularly in Eirenfest. It also beautifully set up Myne and Ferdinand's life to come in Alexandria. The epilogue made me cry, as did discovering the pictures at the very end of the volume. (They're usually at the start, so I thought they weren't there. They were lovely!) I don't really know what to say in this review, except that this is an excellent conclusion to the series. (There are a couple of more bureaucratic chapters in the middle, but it's largely full of a lot of emotional conversations, including some goodbyes that brought tears to my eyes.) 5 stars.

[Kyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe this series is finished! I will reread it now that I now how things turn out.

Rozemyne is unconscious (again) after trying to rid herself of the divine mana that has taken over her body. Ferdinand is trying to restore the memories she's lost, so she will be herself again. Then she can rule Ahrenfest, and maybe create the library duchy she's always wanted to.

Okay, it's definitely a fantasy, and I do wonder about some things, but on the other hand, I really enjoyed this journey through a strange medieval land. I have a lot of admiration for the mind that put Myne in this place, and showed how (with determination, luck, and good friends) she set about making books and making things better for both commoners and nobles.

[Pascalle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have followed the light novel series since the end of the first seasons of the anime—I had to find out more, and they did not dissapoint. Reading them is always a joy. The writing style is not entirely to my taste—it's action upon action, explanation upon explanation, very much like working down a list mixed with a book on customs— but the worldbuiling is simply divine and the characters are definitely interesting and lovable. I *loved* seeing more of Ferdinand's emotions and seeing how far everyone had come in the past seven years. The ending was absolutely perfect, too. Feels like we've come full circle, or like we've come exactly where we should be. Looking forward to the side stories!