Ascendance of a Bookworm: Short Story Collection Volume 2

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 #2

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

Rozemyne’s third year at the Royal Academy reaches its conclusion. So much has changed since her days as an apprentice blue shrine maiden—her name, of course, but also her height, as she’s now twenty-five centimeters taller than she used to be! More and more books have been printed, and a lot of things have happened without her knowing. Lutz and Tuuli are engaged now?! What?!

This second volume of Bookworm’s Short Story Collection is packed with previously unpublished chapters that expand upon an already extensive world. Nineteen stories spanning Parts 2 to 5 cover events never seen in the main series, supplying readers with a greater insight into Myne’s attendants, her lower-city family, the nobles of other duchies, and even members of royalty!

Includes behind-the-scenes notes from author Miya Kazuki and more four-panel manga by You Shiina.

Genres: Light Novel, Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Slice Of Life, Manga, Japanese Literature

253 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 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

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I’m just all in for these. They are a soft pillow for me.

[Midori318 thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous!

I was enraptured by this book filled with short tales from different characters main and side. I thought at times when the author was introducing the next chapter I would skip the ones that I didn't know yet that never happened. Each perspective was really interesting to read and just kept making me long to reread the whole series again.

[Licho · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of fantasy stories can fall into a trap of feeling like anything outside its main character's journey doesn't exist, making the created world feel flat. Ascendance of a Bookworm does a fantastic job avoiding this problem by fully rounding out all the side characters and the culture that our (sometimes clueless) heroine finds herself in. This short story collection shows the thought that goes into that intentional world building by following the main stories events from the side characters POV, or simply just what's going on in their lives outside the main plot.

Some of the stories are a little slow, and I would recommend this only for "completionists" as the side stories really don't recontextualize anything or bring greater depth to the story. They're fun, but not really necessary to enjoying the main series.

[s. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read!

It's always nice reading from other characters' POV. It makes me understand the lore and world of the story more. A lot of things here surprised me, that's for sure. And it's nice reading about events and things we merely breezed through the main story due to it being not holding as much importance in Rozemyne's perspective. So yeah, that's nice. We had a wealth of Tuuli's POV here and his short stories surprised me most haha still kinda conflicted tbh but alas, I'm glad things turned out the way it should.

I'm curious about Justus' POV. It promises MORE of the story and I can't wait for exactly that!

I'm so glad I got to read this. It was a time well-spent.

[SHANE KLINKENBERG · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic collection

I’m heartbroken to find lutz and tulli don’t love each other.

Effa gets some TLC chapters, and we find out more on what was going on with benno and that one girl who’s dad abandoned her for a season.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES! More lore! Glad to see the lower city characters again :)

[Jina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think these stories would be better enjoyed if I actually read them during the points they actually take place in the main series.

[Nischal · Rating 4 out of 5]

klassenbergians (the commoners, at least) live UNDERGROUND!! what a weird way to drop this bit of lore tbh.
my favourite stories were those that featured tuuli and her family, and lutz too.

[slugbiscuit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good addition. Features additional view points and fills in some of the blanks in the main story.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore reading more Bookworm and the different perspectives is always refreshing. I'm impressed that Miya Kazuki can make each character so distinct and provide the motivations from very different backgrounds.

[Pieter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like any collection of short stories, some are better than others, but overall it was a good read. I really enjoyed the stories set among the commoners, especially in regards to Lutz, Tuuli, their changing lives and how they became engaged (not particularly romantic, but very pragmatic and believable). So a good read for any fan of the series.