Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 5 Volume 9

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) #30

by Miya Kazuki, Quof (translator), You Shiina (illustrator)

The Battle of Gerlach begins at last. Together with Matthias, Rozemyne must defeat the cold-blooded giebe Grausam—but an unexpected development makes that easier said than done. Body doubles, collateral damage, even more dark plots transpiring in the shadows... How does their inevitable battle play out, and what happens to Ehrenfest in the aftermath? Behold the full extent of the explosive war shaking Yurgenschmidt to its very foundation!Time is running out in the newest installment of this biblio-fantasy. Once again, this volume contains more than one hundred pages of original content not featured in the web novel—and more four-panel manga by You Shiina!

Genres: Light Novel, Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Young Adult, Slice Of Life, Japanese Literature

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 10, 2022

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

[Edson Junior · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don’t enjoy the romance. For me, it was good as long as it stayed platonic, but in the end, it fell into the same pattern. It felt like a great step down for me. I still like the series, but having to read three more volumes with the annoying romance stuff, which didn’t exist in the 29 before makes me seriously consider dropping it.

[Mariah Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got alittle repetitive reading about the same fight from everyone’s pov’s but I am OBSESSED with how in on this coupling everyone is except for Rozemyne, genuinely so hilarious. And when he BLUSHES?! Screaming, crying, THROWING UP.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to the series. The first chunk has a lot of action, and then the rest of the book is largely hearing about what those outside of Rozemyne were experiencing (and the bonus stories give even more detail there).

I am curious about a bit in the Afterward, “Once again, I elected to shorten the main section of this volume to make room for another collection of original short stories[…].” I hope this doesn’t mean any content was cut and just that this volume ended earlier than it could have.

But, that worry aside, I enjoyed this volume.

The Prologue is told from Grausam’s POV, and it was interesting to get a glimpse into how the enemy communicated with each other and to see their plan unfolding. It was also nice to see some of his thoughts on his son. But, wow, is it hard to read about all the quick murders going on even if there is no blood or the like. A good way of showing just how cold Grausam is (and nobles in general, even if it isn’t really seen from Rozemyne’s viewpoint).

As for the main story, the action is quick to start, and I really enjoyed the fight for Gerlach. The climax of this fight is emotional and exciting, and I love how it all panes out. I was expecting Rozemyne needing to help out a bit more at Ehrenfest, but that part of things wrapped up without her—rather, those events are told through reports (and then fleshed out more in the bonus stories). It was cool that multiple characters had a chance to shine.

Some revelations are made, which causes Rozemyne to justifiably worry some, but it also felt… unresolved? I kept waiting for something to happen there, but it didn’t, and it seems pretty clear they got the right person. I don’t know. I wish that bit had been handled a little differently—maybe a conversation about Grausam like there was with Georgine.

Then Rozemyne develops some PTSD, which I wasn’t expecting, but it’s completely understandable. It helps to handicap her heading towards the next bit of the fight, upping the tension even as many things have been resolved.

This book ends right as the story moves forward to the next location.

The Epilogue is from Gervasio’s POV, and it’s nice to see what he and Detlinde are up to. It also gives quite a bit more information on how the two countries intertwine and on Gervasio in general. Quite an interesting system, and a bit heartless as well. This ends on quite the cliffhanger.

Bonus story time. This time, there’s only one, but it contains many viewpoints and jumps in location. This covers, as the story is titled, the defense of Ehrenfest. I’m not going to go through every character, but it is told in mostly chronological order (some events overlap, of course).

The beginning bit with Charlotte did feel a bit slow, as it mostly covers preparations, but it was still nice to see her in such an active role. Then there was Leckle’s POV, he a commoner soldier. It seems a little odd this wasn’t from Gunther’s POV, but it does work well for this to be from a normal commoner’s perspective. I loved actually getting to see this fight rather than just hear about it. One of my favorite bits in this bonus story.

Skipping ahead to Sylvester (the other stories were interesting as well, but I don’t have too much to say about them). I loved seeing both his boredom but also the actual confrontation. Though, it did leave a lot of questions—questions that are implied will be answered, so we’ll see.

Overall, I loved this extended bonus story and being able to experience everything for myself. The tension wasn’t always there considering all the outcomes are known to the reader, but it was more about actually experiencing the moments with the characters rather than learning about unknown events.

The bonus comics were all cute. ‘Beastmaster’ is probably my favorite, but they’re all pretty good.

Overall, another excellent volume to the series. It begins with plenty of action, though things slow down to deal with the aftermath of everything and to prepare for the next bit of the fight. Rozemyne has her own personal struggles throughout this, which helps to keep things interesting. Things end right as the next fight is about to begin, which leaves me all the more eager for the next volume.

[Sol González · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seguimos la crónica de la guerra por los cimientos de las ciudades, llegando al final de la guerra en Ehrenfest y viendo la breve pausa antes de concluir que aún quedan más batallas.

Me da mucha ternura que Miya Kazuki haya decidido mostrar otro lado de una guerra. Hace hincapié en personajes que se dedican a mantener aprovisionados de alimentos a soldados, describe el problema de mantener un ejército en breves momentos de paz, y las “flores”. Las flores tal vez fueron lo más gracioso de todo, porque apunta a la inocencia de los personajes y a que aún con todo, todas las necesidades se deben cubrir.

Aún no sabemos la motivación de Georgine, me gustaría saberlo. Y aunque me quejo de que los libros son un 70% historia y el resto son epílogos… en realidad lo agradezco. Una de las cosas que más me molestaba en otros libros era como parecía que todo se congelaba cuando el personaje principal no estaba. Aquí todo tiene vida. Mientras la historia avanza, los personajes que se quedan continúan viviendo y tienen sus propias historias.

Me encanto saber los detalles de Gervasio en la academia. Como marean a Detlinde para seguir haciéndole creer que puede ser Zent. Los sentimientos encontrados de Judith al encontrarse dejada atrás por ser aún muy pequeña. La incertidumbre de Sylvester por defender los cimientos el solo, manteniéndose aislado en una habitación sin color.

Aprecio mucho esta parte de los light novels.

[Pieter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The battle of Ehrenfest is ending and there is some time for relaxation. Myne is struggling with the things she saw and has to do to survive. Meanwhile the opposition is not just relaxing. The story is progressing, more revelations are made about the world and events that took place in the background. I also like the character developments of Myne. What I don't like and which makes me almost give 3 stars are the after stories still focussing on the battle of Ehrenfest. Those changes in point of view would have perfectly fine, if not great, when placed in the correct spot: a more chronological order of events so to speak. Now they just feel like an after thought, lack any kind of tension in many cases we already know what went on because the various characters told Myne what happened earlier on making it feel repetitive at times. Sticking to one point of view in the main story and leaving the others to the after story hurt the flow of the narrative here. Still, I really enjoyed the main story. It is just the after stories I found boring and unnecessary.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

There can never be too many of these wonderful books. How to chose what is best: Rosemyne’s fierce loyalty to her loved oneself surpassed only by her passion for books, Ferdinand’s cold competence and obliviousness, or Detlinde’s impenetrable stupidity? There was tons of action and scheming, still punctuated by Rosemyne’s habit of falling into comas (short duration, this time) and an extended section at the end showing a battle from multiple viewpoints.

By the way, Rosemyne is the best.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tell me, has Lady Georgine ever blessed you? […] Has she ever used her mana for your sake? Or does she only ever take yours? Has she ever saved your life? Your pride? Your home? Has she ever defended you?" (Matthias, page 52)

Who would've thought an extraneous medknight, once doomed to execution due to the arrogant and treasonous actions of his father, could so intuitively articulate the enduring theme of the whole novel series? Matthias has been on one hell of a journey. And although his role in ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v30 is relatively small, the significance of Matthias' appearance cannot be overstated. The novel begins with what is later named The Battle of Gerlach, during which assorted Ehrenfest knights, allied forces, and more descend upon southern reaches of the duchy to defend, fight off, and outright eliminate various usurpers under Georgine's aegis. Matthias' declaration that true fealty is complementary comes as a shock to his father, Grausam, former Giebe of Gerlach, but to readers and Lady Rozemyne, the young man is simply stating cold, hard facts.

This volume is top notch. One also finds it incredibly fortunate to have read the current installment in such quick succession of the previous, because Volume 29 and Volume 30 marry so closely. In any case, Ehrenfest's quest to curtail its foes and take back that which was stolen or attacked is the focus of the book. Following the contest in Ahrensbach, dually named The Purging of Lanzenave and The Battle of Ahrensbach, a group of exhausted but motivated characters charge north — homeward — cleaning up all sorts of messes along the way.

The maze of violence Rozemyne and her retainers must navigate is painful but necessary. This is war. Enemies are filling in the cracks between unknowable pasts (e.g., giebes from Old Werkestock) and uncertain futures (e.g., Grausam is still alive). And the archducal family is spread thin: fighting off invaders in Illgner and Griebel, defending the Gerlach estate, protecting the castle from intrusion, and defending the temple and the lower city. ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v30 is stressful but fun, because the author dedicates so much energy and space to parsing each front/phase of this conflict, each twist and turn, and each consequence thereof. What are the consequences of sending Lord Bonifatius to the south, instead of having him guard the castle? What are the consequences of forcing commoners to guard the west gate of the Noble's Quarter, instead of using the Knights Order exclusively? What happens if Sylvester doesn't stay put to guard the foundation? Readers are about to find out.

But the author pairs the chaos of conflict with the chaos of all that follows. One acknowledges the aftermath feels just as exhausting: Did they catch all of the bad guys? Are they sure? What ever happened to that idiot Detlinde? Why aren't Ehrenfest's allies at the Royal Academy returning any ordonnanzes? Will Aub Dunkelfelger step up and overcome the ultimate test of allegiance?

Rozemyne and Ferdinand scheme to retain control of Ahrensbach following the war, but the mess concerning the Gutrissheit, and its inheritance, continues to muddle things. Fortunately, Ferdinand has a plan. Readers can probably parse the direction his scheme will take, but suffice to say, the confrontation currently scheduled for the following volume will surely involve this once discarded young man fighting to justify his purpose as much as he might fight to save or unify the country. ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v30 provides ample background information on Ferdinand's connection to Lanzenave and his family history more broadly. Rozemyne learns that Ferdinand is familiar with the powerful man who lead the Lanzenave invaders, Lord Gervasio, and she smartly keeps her mouth shut about it.

ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v30 is fast-moving but fun. The battles to take over or retake key strongholds are decidedly more gruesome than the author typically allows for combat scenes, but everything is written to scale and to scope. Rozemyne's struggle with trauma, following the violence, is a remarkable detail worth noting.

The author somewhat underplays Ferdinand's return to Ehrenfest, what with there being a war and everything, but the resulting interplay of how different characters perceive he and Rozemyne's relationship perfectly encapsulates the complexity of the times. Some folks think Ferdinand an indefatigable ally, others fear him, and yet others wonder if he's greater (or more worthy of fear) than they previously suspected, considering the lengths to which Rozemyne went to save him.

For fans keen on reading between the lines, a hilarious blunder on Rozemyne's part might articulate why: When exploring the differences between their copies of the Grutrissheit, Rozemyne ponders if she can just copy-and-place her version of book into his (i.e., dumping all of her mana into his). The bookworm has no idea what she just proposed (or why Ferdinand says "No"): "Even when I peered into his eyes, silently demanding that he elaborate, he put a hand over my face and pushed me away" (page 217).

[R.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The battle of Gerlach is at its peak, Rozemyne and Matthias infiltrate the estate to confront Grausam. After winning the war the people left in Ehrenfest recounts how it was from their side, apparently there were at least four Grausam and Georgine also had a few fakes, and Rozemyne is struggling to cope with the memory of the battle.

I still don't understand how they can travel by boat in Ehrenfest if they don't have a sea, maybe they have large rivers but it wasn't explained at all.

Rozemyne is uncertain about her future but with some help from Hannelore, Ferdinand and Hartmut groundwork is being placed for her to stay in Ahrensbach. It's hinted that the royal decree making Ferdinand engaged to Ahrensbach's archduke candidate is still valid, but said candidate has since changed to Rozemyne, they didn't inform her but he seem to be courting her already.

So the Adalgisa villa had the most mana rich Lanzaneve princesses have children with equally powerful men from Yurgenschmidt. Female children could become new flowers if they had enough mana, others were made to wait for the role, train as attendants or ultimately turned into feystones. Only one male child was selected as the next king and all the others were turned into feystones.
It sounds like Ferdinand was born at the wrong time for the selection, Gervasio seems to be about twice his age, but thankfully he was saved from the villa even though it meant abandoning his mother and half siblings.

If Ferdinand is the son of Gervasio's older sister it means they are uncle and nephew.

After reading about the poison and other battle victims turning into feystones, Raublot using one at the library gains a dark meaning. Schwartz and Weiss recognized it as Hortensia's mana, but I wonder why Solange didn't react to it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. I have read every volume of the light novel that has come out in English thus far. I love the world building. I love the characters. I love the story. This book focuses on the battles occurring in the duchy of Ehrenfest. As the cover of the book implies, there is a battle that pits Rozemyne and Matthias against his father. The differences between how the father and son show that both have very different experiences being name sworn. The difference between the views and goals of Georgine and Rozemyne are illustrated in how the fight between father and son is played out. Once the fighting in Ehrenfest has stopped, Rozemyne has new psychological scars that will have to eventually be dealt with-but due to ongoing events there isn't time to do more than an initial diagnosis. I like that the author includes this because it helps underscore how terrible the fighting was and how that has negatively impacted the characters. Rozemyne is finally given some choices for what her future can be, which leads to the resolve of being an aub of the duchy whose foundation she recently dyed - and Ferdinand seems to be very invested in that choice ;). Looking forward to the next volume.

[Faith Troupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compared to all the battles that have happed so far this one was the best though I wish they gave a play by play of the ending of Georgine instead of a flashback/ retelling from the aub.

Continuing on you can tell the Ferdinand is starting to see her as more of a woman then when he first met her which was when she was a child ( though she is now a young teen) I’m thinking she is about 14 and the coming of age is 16. The fact that they didn’t illustrate Ferdinand blushing (ears turning red was a crime) it’s opposite of his personality so I wanted to see it. Also toward the end you could def both rosemyne and Ferdinand really coming into their relationship thought hey are more the 13 years apart (in body but in mind rosemyne is older) he is starting to show his worry for her more and even showing more of his brotherly relationship with his brother to other people without them in public. I just hope more isn’t take from rosemyne.

Lastly if she needs to die was a person it would be detaline…. She has got to go I’m so ready for her to meet her firey dramatic end… I just hope it’s worth it

[Velta Gūtmane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Šī grāmata fokuss visu laiku mainās - pirmās grāmatas bija par meiteni kura mēģina izgatavot grāmatas, un satura liela daļa bija par viņas izgudrojumiem, tad parādījās reliģijas nozīmība, un tad grāmata bija politiskām cīņām vienam ar otru, un tagad grāmata ir ievirzīta uz mīlestības tematikā. Grāmatas mainīgums radīja to pietiekami interesanti, lai varētu izlasīt visas 30 grāmatas.

Šī grāmata ir par sekām, kas notiek pēc kara. Par varoņa iegūto traumu. Raksturojot šo jaunu traumu var saprast tik asiņains bija karš. Kā karavīri kuri atgriežas pēc kara mājās , bet nevar aizmirst notikušo. Šis aspekts bija daudz reiz interesantāka par pašu karu.

Grāmatā ir arī seksa joki, kurus var saprast tikai tad , kad ir sekojis grāmata saturam iepriekš. Šajā pasaulē ir papildus aspekti, kas ir jādara, lai uzsāktu gultas priekus.

Tagad man ir jāgaida nākamais tulkojums, kas iznāks maijā. Ar nepacietību gaidu. Pēdējās grāmatas bija ļoti interesantas un varoņu izaugsme ir manāma. Man pietrūks šie varoņi, kad beigšu lasīt atlikušās 3 grāmatās. Ceru, kad tulkojums netiks atlikts, jo vēlos noskaidrot kā viss beidzās.

[Cody Enos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Closer to a 3.5

I’ve been liking this war arc. It’s had hype moments, tearful moments, and traumatic moments, but I think my biggest problem with it has been the format. It’s felt like a puzzle where you keep going back in time to flesh out scenes that have been talked about before. Like, I appreciate the short stories at the end that gave perspectives on different battlefields, but we heard all those perspectives earlier in the book. At times I felt like I wished the story moved on.

That said, there is a lot to love here. Rozemyne has gained a new phobia — and something tells me her resolution to that will propel her goddess legacy. She also has a very hilarious talk about love and marriage with a bemused Tuuli in the room. I desperately wanted a short story of Tuuli laying down all the Myne gossip to her family. Alas. Maybe next volume?

The series is almost over so I’m guessing things will wrap up next volume and then we can breathe and sit with these characters for a bit.

The Rozemyne/Ferdinand dynamic has been missed so I’m glad that’s being rekindled here.

Onward!

[s. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much as I want to say this is the calm after the storm, alas, I cannot. But nonetheless, we finally get to experience some calm after almost two volumes of action and drama and tension! I'd say this is a break. And during this break, we see mostly of how the relationship between Rozemyne and Ferdinand is progressing. We see largely how Ferdinand operates, especially now that he is acting for his benefit and his preference.

I couldn't help but smile each time I read their bantering. We can see quite well the closeness they have fostered over the lengthy time they have been in each other's care. I am here to see just how much more it progresses!

This volume mostly focuses on the dynamics between Ferdinand and Rozemyne and how everything will shift to accommodate them two now. I simply cannot wait to read just how they will execute their plans here on out, especially with Rozemyne's current state. Ferdinand has become more protective now and I say Rozemyne fully deserves that kind of protection and doting!

I can't wait to read more about them. On to the next!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel series finishes it's fifth and final arc and brings all storylines to a stratifying close. The secret of Ferdinand's birth, the secrets kept by the royal family, the system of magical power that's kept them safe from invasion...it all comes out and the result is war! A completely satisfying end to the series. Note: if people are interested in what happened after the end of the last book, there's some additional info in the "fan books" that were published along side the novel series. They include interviews with the author and short shorts that give answers about events outside the main books.

[Abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wild ride and I enjoyed every minute of it. Rosemyne destroyed (some of) her enemies, resolved to become the Aub of Arencebaha, had a hilarious conversation with Hanerol during her clothes fitting, and continued to spread her avatar of the goddess legend. I spent way too much time laughing out loud while reading the more light hearted parts of this book. Especially when Ferdinand and Rosemyne had one of their usual banter-filled interactions and someone around them went, "Are they always like this?" It was hilarious.

[An · Rating 3 out of 5]

La historia avanzo espectacular y me tuvo en hype casi todo el volumen, excepto al final. Mi mayor problema con este volumen no es la historia la verdad está súper bien contada pero creo que el capitulo donde están en el comedor donde hay largos párrafos sobre los pov resumidos de los otros personajes en vez de ayudar, hicieron que cuando llegáramos a los detallados me aburriera o se me hicieran pesados de leer. Creo que el ritmo de la historia estuvo flojo por la manera en la que se acomodaron y se sintió eterno.

[Kyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things are coming together (there's only 3 more volumes, I think). I'm thinking I know how part of things will turn out, but I've been fooled before.

This book focuses on the battle for Ehrenfest to remain under Sylvester's rule. There's a lot of Georgine and her retainers. There's a small amount of the background of Adalgisa, and lots of issues with class and loyalty.

While Rozemyne plays a major role, there are a whole lot of other characters stepping forward in this one. Very intriguing.

[Nalei Halemano · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 almost 4 stars.
The battle scenes were good but the after events were kind of meh. And though I do like how the author’s epilogue included what was going on around Erhenfest during the main battle, It felt too redundant considering there was also a section in the actual story where characters recapped big chucks of what had happened.
But I can’t wait to see how the whole sovereignty insurgence comes out as well as how Ferdinand & Rozemyne will mcguiver the royal family.

[Nischal · Rating 4 out of 5]

rozemyne suffers long term effects of ptsd from rushing off to wage a war she didn't fully think through and was completely and utterly unprepared to face. fun! i can't wait to see how the anime (if we ever make it that far) decides to depict the scenes of war. the anime didn't completely shy away from showing blood and violence, but nothing in the entire series so far comes anywhere close to the horror and levels of gruesome-ness of this volume. fun!

[Arielle-Autumn Stott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waiting impatiently

Man do I love this story, and the actual portrayals of struggling with the consequences of battle? *chefs kiss*
This book finally truly gets into the battle and the start to the conclusion of all the planning that has been hinted at since Georgine's appearance so long ago. I LOVE this series, so glad I've gotten both the digital AND the currently in print copies. Money well spent.

[Christina Blank · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot tell you how much I love these books in this series

Another amazing book very exciting, it just gets better and better. The characters, the plot lines just fill me with delight and joy. I cannot wait for the last two in this series. I’m so excited that she has decided to give a definite end to the series and not just leave us hanging forever and so many other series. Can’t wait to see the craziness that comes next, long live Ferdinand

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a lot of combat. And tell stories about combat. Sure it was cool to have the stories from all the characters perspective. But I kind of wish it had been told in chronological order switching back and forth from pov to pov. And finally we know just a bit more about Ferdinand. I've got some guesses for the next book. It kind of feels like the next volume could wrap everything up. But there seems like there are at least three more volumes left. 3.5 of 5

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very excited

I love the fact we could get clear picture of the battles and regrets of Rozemyne but I was expecting a more clear explanation of Georgia actions.
We had a preview on her life on the previous book but a talk with Sylvester will be great! Also, I was hoping to get a point of view from Ferdinand about be engaged with Rozemyne.

[slugbiscuit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This concludes the battle of Ehrenfest, though half of it is relegated to a side story at the end. It was great and everyone seems to be thinking about their desired futures. Looking forward to next battle.

[Jesus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shocking

I'm just shock to see how much pain the invasion has been. The effects of the war on young children. The politics that happen when people ate trying to get their ambitions to fruition. The love between Rozemyne and Fernidad.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Battle's aftermath

I love how the author brings the negative effects of war in and provides insight on some of the ways it's delt with commonly. But a new fight awaits in the wings.

[Mary H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where can I buy / download books of this series after part 5 vol 5 ?

[Yessenia Andaverde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosemine and Ferdinand are together and fighting. I can't ask for more. Maybe a marriage between them but that's another dream.

[M❀m⚙︎]

The Adalgisa business is so gross and sordid. Absolutely appalling and disgusting. It makes me wanna throw up lowkey

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

This was awesome but gah I really want Ferdinand’s perspective

I kept wondering how this was going to continue I’ve been dying for each installment did not disappoint