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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～ [Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho Ni Naru Tame Ni Shudan wo Erande iraremasen] (Novel) #3
Ascendance of a Bookworm (Light Novel), Part 1 Volume 3
Just as Myne gets her foot in the door of making paper, she collapses due to the sickness known as the devouring. She's getting better thanks to the help of those around her, but the devouring remains clouded in mystery. As the world expands, so too does her passion for making books! This volume is the conclusion to Part 1 and shows a glimpse into the future of the series!
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2015
229 people are currently reading
569 people want to read
About the author
Miya Kazuki
124 books392 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 - 30 of 119 reviews
June 1, 2020
At the end of the previous volume, Myne passed out due to the Devouring and seemed likely to die. But of course she didn't - in the beginning of this volume, it's revealed that she was taken to the guildmaster to be saved by one of the fragile magical items he collected in order to save his granddaughter, Freida, who also has the Devouring.
It's a good thing that Myne has saved up so much money, because even old and nearly broken magical tools cost a lot, and are typically only available to nobles. And not only that, they don't cure someone with the Devouring, they just temporarily lower the person's mana level enough for them to feel better. If she doesn't sign a contract with a noble and agree to become their slave, Myne likely only has another year at most before the Devouring kills her.
Freida and the guildmaster, who already have connections with nobles, want to corner Myne into working with them. Benno wants Myne (and her lucrative product ideas) to stay with him and the Gilberta Company. Then there's Myne's family and her friend Lutz - if she signs a contract with a noble, she'll likely never see any of them again. So Myne has some tough decisions to make.
In some ways, this was the best volume in the series so far. There were only a few overly detailed "making stuff from our world in a fantasy world" scenes, more emphasis was put on characters' relationships with others (Myne and her family, and Lutz and his), readers finally got a small glimpse of the wider world and its politics, and there was forward movement in the Devouring aspect of the plot.
Unfortunately, the story had a bad tendency to meander - I had to flip through it to remind myself what happened in between the more important plot points. Lots of planning for Myne's baptism, getting Lutz ready to become an apprentice merchant, more paper-making but bigger, and Myne accidentally inventing yet another new food. I still agree with what I wrote in my review for Volume 1: Part 1 really would have been better condensed into a single volume rather than spread out over three books.
The writing was terrible. That fact was easier to gloss over in the previous two volumes, but in this one the author included a few scenes that should have been very emotional and that were instead ruined by the author's reliance upon what were essentially sound effects to convey characters' emotions. Things like: "Sniff," "Nnn," and "Ngggh." And speaking of sound effects, it seemed like Myne said "Bwuh" way more in this volume than she did in the previous two, and it started to irk me a bit. And this series really should have been written in the third person. The author had to cheat a bit in this volume to get around the limitations of Myne's first person POV, and honestly most of the bonus stories also came across as clumsy attempts to get around the series' POV limitations.
I have a bunch of questions about the world-building - it seemed shakiest where foods were concerned. First there was the whole thing, earlier in the series, about commoners not having access to rice. In this volume it was revealed that
Despite all of these problems, I still plan on reading Part 2 once it's possible for me to get all three books. I look forward to seeing where the author goes with the new developments in the story. But I won't lie, this isn't a well-written series. I've been able to put up with its issues so far, but I'd totally understand if others couldn't.
I haven't seen the anime yet but plan to do so. I strongly suspect that the emotional scenes in this volume will work a lot better in the anime than they did here. I prefer You Shiina's artwork to the screenshots I've seen of the anime, but that's normal - Shiina's illustrations can have a level of detail that just wouldn't work in an animated series.
Extras:
A folded page with full-color illustrations on both sides, black-and-white illustrations throughout, a map of the portion of the town Myne has access to, a drawing of Myne's family's home, and six bonus stories.
The bonus stories aren't really bonus - they continue the main story a bit, but from other characters' POVs. Hence my comment about authorial cheating. The POVs included: Tuuli, Leise, Benno (he lost a bunch of points with me in his short story - I'd thought he was a savvy merchant, but he's looking more and more like a reckless idiot), Mark (J-Novel Club made a mistake and used Benno's chapter's title as Mark's chapter's running head, oops), Lutz, and the guildmaster. You know, I can't recall if the guildmaster has ever been given a name.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
It's a good thing that Myne has saved up so much money, because even old and nearly broken magical tools cost a lot, and are typically only available to nobles. And not only that, they don't cure someone with the Devouring, they just temporarily lower the person's mana level enough for them to feel better. If she doesn't sign a contract with a noble and agree to become their slave, Myne likely only has another year at most before the Devouring kills her.
Freida and the guildmaster, who already have connections with nobles, want to corner Myne into working with them. Benno wants Myne (and her lucrative product ideas) to stay with him and the Gilberta Company. Then there's Myne's family and her friend Lutz - if she signs a contract with a noble, she'll likely never see any of them again. So Myne has some tough decisions to make.
In some ways, this was the best volume in the series so far. There were only a few overly detailed "making stuff from our world in a fantasy world" scenes, more emphasis was put on characters' relationships with others (Myne and her family, and Lutz and his), readers finally got a small glimpse of the wider world and its politics, and there was forward movement in the Devouring aspect of the plot.
Unfortunately, the story had a bad tendency to meander - I had to flip through it to remind myself what happened in between the more important plot points. Lots of planning for Myne's baptism, getting Lutz ready to become an apprentice merchant, more paper-making but bigger, and Myne accidentally inventing yet another new food. I still agree with what I wrote in my review for Volume 1: Part 1 really would have been better condensed into a single volume rather than spread out over three books.
The writing was terrible. That fact was easier to gloss over in the previous two volumes, but in this one the author included a few scenes that should have been very emotional and that were instead ruined by the author's reliance upon what were essentially sound effects to convey characters' emotions. Things like: "Sniff," "Nnn," and "Ngggh." And speaking of sound effects, it seemed like Myne said "Bwuh" way more in this volume than she did in the previous two, and it started to irk me a bit. And this series really should have been written in the third person. The author had to cheat a bit in this volume to get around the limitations of Myne's first person POV, and honestly most of the bonus stories also came across as clumsy attempts to get around the series' POV limitations.
I have a bunch of questions about the world-building - it seemed shakiest where foods were concerned. First there was the whole thing, earlier in the series, about commoners not having access to rice. In this volume it was revealed that
Despite all of these problems, I still plan on reading Part 2 once it's possible for me to get all three books. I look forward to seeing where the author goes with the new developments in the story. But I won't lie, this isn't a well-written series. I've been able to put up with its issues so far, but I'd totally understand if others couldn't.
I haven't seen the anime yet but plan to do so. I strongly suspect that the emotional scenes in this volume will work a lot better in the anime than they did here. I prefer You Shiina's artwork to the screenshots I've seen of the anime, but that's normal - Shiina's illustrations can have a level of detail that just wouldn't work in an animated series.
Extras:
A folded page with full-color illustrations on both sides, black-and-white illustrations throughout, a map of the portion of the town Myne has access to, a drawing of Myne's family's home, and six bonus stories.
The bonus stories aren't really bonus - they continue the main story a bit, but from other characters' POVs. Hence my comment about authorial cheating. The POVs included: Tuuli, Leise, Benno (he lost a bunch of points with me in his short story - I'd thought he was a savvy merchant, but he's looking more and more like a reckless idiot), Mark (J-Novel Club made a mistake and used Benno's chapter's title as Mark's chapter's running head, oops), Lutz, and the guildmaster. You know, I can't recall if the guildmaster has ever been given a name.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
March 5, 2022
Completely LOVE this series! I am INVESTED and want Myne and her family to succeed and thrive. Lutz is such a cutie too! 5, on to the next, stars!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2020
First off, let me deal with what I will not claim this series (both the original novels and the anime) to be. I will not claim that it is the greatest light novel ever. I will also not claim that it is the best "isekai" (transported to another world) story. I won't claim it isn't either. These are tastes up to each person, and I will not over-hype something, or under-hype it.
Now, why go to the trouble to state the above disclaimer? Simple. I want to say that this really is a superb series, but in a way that avoids the hype that I've seen online about this series. I genuinely want folks to give it a go, and I know that hype aversion and hype backlash are real (and quite understandable, to be fair) and things that are over-hyped. I hope a more honest and low-key review will be useful to people.
I quite enjoyed reading this light novel series, as well as watching the anime. I truly hope that anyone who reads this review will want to do so as well. So, with the disclaimer out of the way, here we go.
Ascendance of a Bookworm is composed of various arcs, which the author then divides up into volumes. The first story arc is subtitled Daughter of a Soldier, and is comprised of three volumes. Each volume in this first arc will be reviewed herein, and then a few words in summary will be given.
Part 1, Vol. 1 -
The story begins with a recent college graduate in Japan, named Urano, who is still living at home while she prepares to begin a new life as a librarian. She is as excited as she can be about such things as she, no joking here, loves reading to an almost obsessive degree. The feel and smell of books, the words on the page, taking in information this way, it all appeals to her. She is, as the title says, a bookworm. On steroids, if you will. She has a separate room at her house she lives in with her mom that is basically dedicated to an unfathomable number of books. So many, that in a bit of black humor and sad situation all rolled into one, she is crushed to death by the books during an earthquake.
I kid you not.
She wakes up in a strange place with strange people and a strange body. She realizes that she is in the body of a very sickly girl in another world. And this girl, Myne, is not just incredibly sick, but quite poor, and worse of all, she has no books. Seriously, that is what she is upset the most about.
But not one to be kept down, she begins to hatch a plan to live with these strangers and seek out a path towards getting books, even if she must make them herself. Even self-written books are better than nothing.
Eventually, with the help of her family and her friend Lutz, she begins to make progress towards this goal, using the mysterious genius and knowledge little Myne somehow gained from her dreams. Really, this is the knowledge from her breadth of reading and crafts she did on her own and with her mother in her previus Urano life.
But this is, of course, far from easy. She is, after all, quite sickly, and there is a reason for that which will be revealed later on. Moreover, the amount of effort that a small child can exert to finish such huge endeavors as she desires to do would be daunting even if she were actually in good health.
This first volume, though it did much to move the story forward, was focused a lot on character development and world-building. But it was anything but boring. In that way, it was reminiscent of American fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. Like with Mr. Sanderson, Miya Kazuki has a knack for explaining the inner workings of her created world without it being tedious. In fact, she mixes in the right amount of slice of life elements to make it quite enjoyable.
I will admit that the constant snootiness of Urano turned Myne towards her new world and family can be grating a bit, even if more than understandable. She is, after all, an adult trapped in a young child's body. Moreover, she comes from apparently upper-middle class modern Japan in our world to a poor medieval status in her new world. Obviously the culture shock will make things hard for her.
This can be annoying. Though I didn't find it quite so bad as others I've seen mention this online seem to have found it. Thankfully, Kazuki makes this organic as a part of the development, has it be relatively short-lived, and has Myne change.
Rating for Part 1, Vol. 1 - 5/5 Stars.
Part 1, Vol. 2 -
Vol. 2 begins with our main protagonists, Myne and Lutz, trying to fulfill the requirement from their potential employer and backer, Mr. Benno of the Gilberta Company, to present to him the new plant-based paper as a test to see if they will receive apprenticeships at his shop. As we saw in the previous volume, the society is one that has only progressed in the terms of paper to using parchment, or animal based paper. This plant-based paper is revolutionary as a concept just as it was in our own world, and though Mr. Benno has his doubts they can succeed, with Myne's other invention backing up the idea of her cleverness, he takes a risk.
Of course, all is not exactly simple. Though she and Lutz have Benno helping them with the supplies and what not that she needs for her goals, she is still sickly, and her health problems are growing increasingly worrisome for her and others. On top of this, Lutz is growing more and more suspicious of the knowledge and that his formerly bedridden, homebody friend suddenly has.
This and the next volume (up until it's resolution of this arc) is when things take a much darker turn. The fact that Myne can, and seems likely will, die is made clear. The idea that, given her status as not just a commoner, but a poor one, she would have to do things that a richer commoner might not to get the tools to survive is also laid bare.
What keeps this from being too overly dark was how the authoress mixed in enough humor, characterization/character development, and happy plot developments to keep it from becoming depressing. We see Myne and Lutz gain their share of victories, and see happy moments amid the more depressing ones.
Rating for Part 1, Vol. 2 - 4/5 Stars.
Part 1, Vol. 3 -
At the end of the last volume, things took a turn for the worse. Myne had a major attack of her illness, called the Devouring. It turns out this is a disease that is caused by out of control mana. In this world that Urano is reincarnated into, magic does, indeed, exist. Moreover, it is most often in nobles only. Sometimes, however, commoners have it, and it is implied that they have it in such amounts that it basically burns their bodies alive from the inside.
In the midst of one such attack of the Devouring, little Myne nearly dies until her new friend, Frieda, gives her the use of a magic tool that absorbs the excess heat of her mana and thus preserves her life. Unfortunately, it is only a stop-gap measure. The Devouring can not be cured that easily. This merely extended her lifespan for about a year before the out of control raging mana threatens to kill her once more. Even worse, the magic tools the nobility is willing to sell to commoners are cheap ones that break after one use.
Now, Myne is faced with a gut-wrenching choice. Either make a contract to a noble, becoming their slave essentially, or else die with her family after a year. She chooses the latter, and tries to reach her goals of helping her family out, helping Lutz in his aspirations and completing a book in that time. However, one poor choice on her part gives her a chance, however slim to live with her family. But if she isn't careful, it could turn into a nightmare where those she loves are in grave danger, and she could be enslaved anyways.
This volume, ending the first arc, did a few things that were necessary. First of all, it fleshed out more the nature of not just Myne's disease, but also of how important this illness of hers is to the world at large. In so doing, it expanded the world even more. The world-building was cleverly woven into the plot so it wasn't just a boring infodump, but was a proper part of the larger narrative, and thus more compelling and interesting.
Moreover, we were handed a view into the inner workings of characters like Benno. This is interesting stuff, as like with Spice & Wolf, it shows us that this "greedy merchant" actually has a heart and views Myne and Lutz as loved ones he puts above profits (though he is very much unwilling to admit this).
Finally, this volume completed the process begun earlier in the arc of having Myne truly accept not just Lutz as a friend, but her family AS her family. When first awakening as Myne in the first volume, former Urano didn't love or care for these people and there seemed to be resentment against how they unknowingly disrespected her, as well snootiness against their poor lifestyles. That is gone, and Myne adores them. The sweetness of this was really one of the best parts for me.
Rating for Part 1, Vol. 3 - 5/5 Stars.
First Arc Summary -
I know that this series, in both the word of mouth about the light novel and anime has gotten quite a bit of hype. As I said at the beginning of this review, I know that such things can cause some to react negatively. I understand that. I have done the same thing before. I hope that what I have written will help folks to understand how truly enjoyable and inventive this story is. Not because it has done something absolutely original. I imagine it has not, and that few things are truly "original" anymore. Works, whether fictional or non-fictional, tend to have elements be derivative. And that is fine, really. It is how such derivative elements are handled that makes a work a quality one or not. Not some appeal to originality.
This story has some elements that make it a stand-out from recent isekai works. First of all, it is not with an all-powerful main character. Though she is extraordinarily powerful in mana, this is a bad thing for much of the story. She is poor in this new world, and doesn't have (at first) the nicest personality when she awakens as Myne. She also (supposedly, at least) is not a genius. She has to do enormous trial and error to recreate some of the ideas and inventions she read about or did in her previous life.
I say "supposedly" as she seems to have pretty good recall of almost anything she has done or read of in the past. And she is very skilled at negotiation and understands foundational scientific principles in certain areas, as well as those in other fields. What makes this actually make sense is that her intellect is basically in the areas she cares or did care about, while she is hopeless in ones she did not. Books, crafts and stuff studied with her mom in her previous life, as well as knowledge that interested her she gleaned from books are things that she retains to a degree or another. Everything else, she is, well, kinda airheaded and dumb about.
Perhaps one of the best things about this series - and this arc exemplifies this - is the interpersonal relationships and Myne's growing love for her family. Whether the father Gunther, mother Effa, or sister Tuli, the dynamic with her family is just as important as that with Lutz, Benno and others. In some ways, though they are minor characters, this interplay between them and Myne is more important. And this is another sign of the characterization. Gunther, Eff, and Tuli, as well as other the other folks in the story, all have distinct characterizations that are fully fleshed out in the narrative.
As I have stated already, the world-building is quite interesting, well-thought out and was integrated well into the plot, and the characterization and character development are quite compelling. All of these, and other, factors, combine to make a truly terrific story and series. Ascendance of a Bookworm is a story that I certainly recommend heartily. Not as the greatest thing ever or some other massive over-hype, but as a really enjoyable and well-written tale.
Rating for Ascendance of a Bookworm - Part 1: Daughter of a Soldier - 4/5 Stars.
Note:
There is one thing I wanted to get out of the way here. Some might find the story depressing under the idea that the original Myne dies and a different person, Urano, takes her place. That is, after all, what she and Lutz think. The author, Miya Kazuki, has stated that this is not the case. They are both the same soul with different personalities. Myne somehow ended up copying Urano's personality to cope with the pain of the Devouring, and that why Urano thinks she replaced Myne, but hasn't. They are the same person.
Now, why go to the trouble to state the above disclaimer? Simple. I want to say that this really is a superb series, but in a way that avoids the hype that I've seen online about this series. I genuinely want folks to give it a go, and I know that hype aversion and hype backlash are real (and quite understandable, to be fair) and things that are over-hyped. I hope a more honest and low-key review will be useful to people.
I quite enjoyed reading this light novel series, as well as watching the anime. I truly hope that anyone who reads this review will want to do so as well. So, with the disclaimer out of the way, here we go.
Ascendance of a Bookworm is composed of various arcs, which the author then divides up into volumes. The first story arc is subtitled Daughter of a Soldier, and is comprised of three volumes. Each volume in this first arc will be reviewed herein, and then a few words in summary will be given.
Part 1, Vol. 1 -
The story begins with a recent college graduate in Japan, named Urano, who is still living at home while she prepares to begin a new life as a librarian. She is as excited as she can be about such things as she, no joking here, loves reading to an almost obsessive degree. The feel and smell of books, the words on the page, taking in information this way, it all appeals to her. She is, as the title says, a bookworm. On steroids, if you will. She has a separate room at her house she lives in with her mom that is basically dedicated to an unfathomable number of books. So many, that in a bit of black humor and sad situation all rolled into one, she is crushed to death by the books during an earthquake.
I kid you not.
She wakes up in a strange place with strange people and a strange body. She realizes that she is in the body of a very sickly girl in another world. And this girl, Myne, is not just incredibly sick, but quite poor, and worse of all, she has no books. Seriously, that is what she is upset the most about.
But not one to be kept down, she begins to hatch a plan to live with these strangers and seek out a path towards getting books, even if she must make them herself. Even self-written books are better than nothing.
Eventually, with the help of her family and her friend Lutz, she begins to make progress towards this goal, using the mysterious genius and knowledge little Myne somehow gained from her dreams. Really, this is the knowledge from her breadth of reading and crafts she did on her own and with her mother in her previus Urano life.
But this is, of course, far from easy. She is, after all, quite sickly, and there is a reason for that which will be revealed later on. Moreover, the amount of effort that a small child can exert to finish such huge endeavors as she desires to do would be daunting even if she were actually in good health.
This first volume, though it did much to move the story forward, was focused a lot on character development and world-building. But it was anything but boring. In that way, it was reminiscent of American fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. Like with Mr. Sanderson, Miya Kazuki has a knack for explaining the inner workings of her created world without it being tedious. In fact, she mixes in the right amount of slice of life elements to make it quite enjoyable.
I will admit that the constant snootiness of Urano turned Myne towards her new world and family can be grating a bit, even if more than understandable. She is, after all, an adult trapped in a young child's body. Moreover, she comes from apparently upper-middle class modern Japan in our world to a poor medieval status in her new world. Obviously the culture shock will make things hard for her.
This can be annoying. Though I didn't find it quite so bad as others I've seen mention this online seem to have found it. Thankfully, Kazuki makes this organic as a part of the development, has it be relatively short-lived, and has Myne change.
Rating for Part 1, Vol. 1 - 5/5 Stars.
Part 1, Vol. 2 -
Vol. 2 begins with our main protagonists, Myne and Lutz, trying to fulfill the requirement from their potential employer and backer, Mr. Benno of the Gilberta Company, to present to him the new plant-based paper as a test to see if they will receive apprenticeships at his shop. As we saw in the previous volume, the society is one that has only progressed in the terms of paper to using parchment, or animal based paper. This plant-based paper is revolutionary as a concept just as it was in our own world, and though Mr. Benno has his doubts they can succeed, with Myne's other invention backing up the idea of her cleverness, he takes a risk.
Of course, all is not exactly simple. Though she and Lutz have Benno helping them with the supplies and what not that she needs for her goals, she is still sickly, and her health problems are growing increasingly worrisome for her and others. On top of this, Lutz is growing more and more suspicious of the knowledge and that his formerly bedridden, homebody friend suddenly has.
This and the next volume (up until it's resolution of this arc) is when things take a much darker turn. The fact that Myne can, and seems likely will, die is made clear. The idea that, given her status as not just a commoner, but a poor one, she would have to do things that a richer commoner might not to get the tools to survive is also laid bare.
What keeps this from being too overly dark was how the authoress mixed in enough humor, characterization/character development, and happy plot developments to keep it from becoming depressing. We see Myne and Lutz gain their share of victories, and see happy moments amid the more depressing ones.
Rating for Part 1, Vol. 2 - 4/5 Stars.
Part 1, Vol. 3 -
At the end of the last volume, things took a turn for the worse. Myne had a major attack of her illness, called the Devouring. It turns out this is a disease that is caused by out of control mana. In this world that Urano is reincarnated into, magic does, indeed, exist. Moreover, it is most often in nobles only. Sometimes, however, commoners have it, and it is implied that they have it in such amounts that it basically burns their bodies alive from the inside.
In the midst of one such attack of the Devouring, little Myne nearly dies until her new friend, Frieda, gives her the use of a magic tool that absorbs the excess heat of her mana and thus preserves her life. Unfortunately, it is only a stop-gap measure. The Devouring can not be cured that easily. This merely extended her lifespan for about a year before the out of control raging mana threatens to kill her once more. Even worse, the magic tools the nobility is willing to sell to commoners are cheap ones that break after one use.
Now, Myne is faced with a gut-wrenching choice. Either make a contract to a noble, becoming their slave essentially, or else die with her family after a year. She chooses the latter, and tries to reach her goals of helping her family out, helping Lutz in his aspirations and completing a book in that time. However, one poor choice on her part gives her a chance, however slim to live with her family. But if she isn't careful, it could turn into a nightmare where those she loves are in grave danger, and she could be enslaved anyways.
This volume, ending the first arc, did a few things that were necessary. First of all, it fleshed out more the nature of not just Myne's disease, but also of how important this illness of hers is to the world at large. In so doing, it expanded the world even more. The world-building was cleverly woven into the plot so it wasn't just a boring infodump, but was a proper part of the larger narrative, and thus more compelling and interesting.
Moreover, we were handed a view into the inner workings of characters like Benno. This is interesting stuff, as like with Spice & Wolf, it shows us that this "greedy merchant" actually has a heart and views Myne and Lutz as loved ones he puts above profits (though he is very much unwilling to admit this).
Finally, this volume completed the process begun earlier in the arc of having Myne truly accept not just Lutz as a friend, but her family AS her family. When first awakening as Myne in the first volume, former Urano didn't love or care for these people and there seemed to be resentment against how they unknowingly disrespected her, as well snootiness against their poor lifestyles. That is gone, and Myne adores them. The sweetness of this was really one of the best parts for me.
Rating for Part 1, Vol. 3 - 5/5 Stars.
First Arc Summary -
I know that this series, in both the word of mouth about the light novel and anime has gotten quite a bit of hype. As I said at the beginning of this review, I know that such things can cause some to react negatively. I understand that. I have done the same thing before. I hope that what I have written will help folks to understand how truly enjoyable and inventive this story is. Not because it has done something absolutely original. I imagine it has not, and that few things are truly "original" anymore. Works, whether fictional or non-fictional, tend to have elements be derivative. And that is fine, really. It is how such derivative elements are handled that makes a work a quality one or not. Not some appeal to originality.
This story has some elements that make it a stand-out from recent isekai works. First of all, it is not with an all-powerful main character. Though she is extraordinarily powerful in mana, this is a bad thing for much of the story. She is poor in this new world, and doesn't have (at first) the nicest personality when she awakens as Myne. She also (supposedly, at least) is not a genius. She has to do enormous trial and error to recreate some of the ideas and inventions she read about or did in her previous life.
I say "supposedly" as she seems to have pretty good recall of almost anything she has done or read of in the past. And she is very skilled at negotiation and understands foundational scientific principles in certain areas, as well as those in other fields. What makes this actually make sense is that her intellect is basically in the areas she cares or did care about, while she is hopeless in ones she did not. Books, crafts and stuff studied with her mom in her previous life, as well as knowledge that interested her she gleaned from books are things that she retains to a degree or another. Everything else, she is, well, kinda airheaded and dumb about.
Perhaps one of the best things about this series - and this arc exemplifies this - is the interpersonal relationships and Myne's growing love for her family. Whether the father Gunther, mother Effa, or sister Tuli, the dynamic with her family is just as important as that with Lutz, Benno and others. In some ways, though they are minor characters, this interplay between them and Myne is more important. And this is another sign of the characterization. Gunther, Eff, and Tuli, as well as other the other folks in the story, all have distinct characterizations that are fully fleshed out in the narrative.
As I have stated already, the world-building is quite interesting, well-thought out and was integrated well into the plot, and the characterization and character development are quite compelling. All of these, and other, factors, combine to make a truly terrific story and series. Ascendance of a Bookworm is a story that I certainly recommend heartily. Not as the greatest thing ever or some other massive over-hype, but as a really enjoyable and well-written tale.
Rating for Ascendance of a Bookworm - Part 1: Daughter of a Soldier - 4/5 Stars.
Note:
There is one thing I wanted to get out of the way here. Some might find the story depressing under the idea that the original Myne dies and a different person, Urano, takes her place. That is, after all, what she and Lutz think. The author, Miya Kazuki, has stated that this is not the case. They are both the same soul with different personalities. Myne somehow ended up copying Urano's personality to cope with the pain of the Devouring, and that why Urano thinks she replaced Myne, but hasn't. They are the same person.
November 13, 2020
Still enjoying the story, but the editing feels a bit weaker in this book than the last one. The plot is also in no hurry to get anywhere.
July 30, 2020
The end of the first story arc and I'm not reading any more of the books.
Once again, the painfully slow and boring actions continue. Later in the book, we finally get some movement. We could all guess how this story was going to go long before reading about it. Honestly, the payoff just wasn't there. All of the boring moments by average boring people basically added up to a minor ripple in the story telling...
This series isn't a bad series, it just doesn't have excitement or a lot of originality. The main character isn't all that impressive, and the stories of those around her aren't all that interesting either.
The nicest thing I can say about the series is that I made it through the first arc...
Once again, the painfully slow and boring actions continue. Later in the book, we finally get some movement. We could all guess how this story was going to go long before reading about it. Honestly, the payoff just wasn't there. All of the boring moments by average boring people basically added up to a minor ripple in the story telling...
This series isn't a bad series, it just doesn't have excitement or a lot of originality. The main character isn't all that impressive, and the stories of those around her aren't all that interesting either.
The nicest thing I can say about the series is that I made it through the first arc...
March 5, 2020
The detailed and increasingly important arc toward using revitalized business acumen and a love for books to take over the world is becoming more and more apparent.
Myne has survived her most recent bout with the Devouring. But now she's living on borrowed time. Naturally, existing on such a short leash, in such a tightly bound, class-based society, the little girl decides to go all out and have as much fun, make as many products, and amass as much money as she, Lutz, and Mr. Benno possibly can. Myne wants to be the ultimate librarian, but suppose she became the world's greatest innovator and businesswoman instead?
ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM #3 represents a uniquely unrelated but nevertheless interesting angling of the central narrative, relative to where the story began. This novel series was initially about a little girl searching for ways to create paper, through trial and error, given what rudimentary tools and resources were available to her. Now, she's embarking on a life full of curious and comical encounters with people whose ambition matches her own, if for different reasons or in different areas of industry. It's hard to imagine, now, reading a book about an infirm girl physically making paper with nothing to her name . . . but Kazuki has somehow woven together a character, her story, and her friends in a way that readers can genuinely nod and approve of the girl's growth thus far.
Myne sure is busy. New innovations in papermaking, sewing, cooking (sweets!), business marketing, and more are on tap for the girl's recently incorporated workshop. It's a good thing Kazuki has sought to introduce additional characters to both help and compete with Myne, because things would get boring fast if the little girl went unopposed in all her success.
The barriers to Myne's bookmaking are diverse. She must obtain working capital but is stymied by bureaucracy. She needs assistance but is limited to Lutz's help, which is all the more dire once the boy goes off to work on his own. She requires magical tools to beat back her illness, but the only viable solution rests in the hands of the corrupt religious institution on the other side of town.
ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM #3 has a few nice surprises along the way. One of the nicest touches being how Lutz's mother comes around to accepting her son's ambition. There have been moments where the boy's family simply hung around in the background as an incompetent foil . . . but here's to hoping the outgrowth of the character's family will contribute to an outgrowth in the character himself.
Another key surprise concerns Myne's illness and whether she manages to successfully cope with its dangerous side effects. Who knows, maybe this weak little girl is more than just an entrepreneur. She may just have the instinct worthy of saving all of Ehrefest.
Myne has survived her most recent bout with the Devouring. But now she's living on borrowed time. Naturally, existing on such a short leash, in such a tightly bound, class-based society, the little girl decides to go all out and have as much fun, make as many products, and amass as much money as she, Lutz, and Mr. Benno possibly can. Myne wants to be the ultimate librarian, but suppose she became the world's greatest innovator and businesswoman instead?
ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM #3 represents a uniquely unrelated but nevertheless interesting angling of the central narrative, relative to where the story began. This novel series was initially about a little girl searching for ways to create paper, through trial and error, given what rudimentary tools and resources were available to her. Now, she's embarking on a life full of curious and comical encounters with people whose ambition matches her own, if for different reasons or in different areas of industry. It's hard to imagine, now, reading a book about an infirm girl physically making paper with nothing to her name . . . but Kazuki has somehow woven together a character, her story, and her friends in a way that readers can genuinely nod and approve of the girl's growth thus far.
Myne sure is busy. New innovations in papermaking, sewing, cooking (sweets!), business marketing, and more are on tap for the girl's recently incorporated workshop. It's a good thing Kazuki has sought to introduce additional characters to both help and compete with Myne, because things would get boring fast if the little girl went unopposed in all her success.
The barriers to Myne's bookmaking are diverse. She must obtain working capital but is stymied by bureaucracy. She needs assistance but is limited to Lutz's help, which is all the more dire once the boy goes off to work on his own. She requires magical tools to beat back her illness, but the only viable solution rests in the hands of the corrupt religious institution on the other side of town.
ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM #3 has a few nice surprises along the way. One of the nicest touches being how Lutz's mother comes around to accepting her son's ambition. There have been moments where the boy's family simply hung around in the background as an incompetent foil . . . but here's to hoping the outgrowth of the character's family will contribute to an outgrowth in the character himself.
Another key surprise concerns Myne's illness and whether she manages to successfully cope with its dangerous side effects. Who knows, maybe this weak little girl is more than just an entrepreneur. She may just have the instinct worthy of saving all of Ehrefest.
February 9, 2022
A new chapter awaits.
This book tells the struggle, acceptance then the challenging of Myne of everything that comes her way (especially with everything relating to her "sickness".) It emphasizes Myne's relations and her attachment to these relations. She was never the one to have a healthy social relationship, even with her family, back in her Urano days but this book shows how she has come to form relationships - with her family, her friends, and her colleagues/business partners, and treasure them.
It was quite emotional overall too. Anything that concerns her family is emotional to Myne in this Volume and it was nice to see her opening up to her family and then even fighting for them, that she'd kill with no questions. The emotional parts that stuck to me were: 1) was really painful. I had to pause reading for a bit when I got to that part because I no longer could see the letters properly, tears were falling on their own from my eyes; and 2) Besides that part showing more what kind of a man Ferdinand is, I too really liked how Myne's parents fought for her and Myne fought for her parents. It was the first look on how nobles really were and it was a good point to end the main part with for this Part.
It showed change. It showed that a new chapter is waiting for Myne. It promises a new world.
The book was hilarious and casual at parts it is not serious but otherwise, it really progressed the story, built the world, and showed the serious parts that are foreshadowing the next parts.
The epilogue chapters were more this time. I was surprised when the main part of the story ended still with 100+ pages left but it was worth it reading through them. There were around 5 epilogue chapters and they were all of different person's perspective and thus, are fun to read. They really gave more context and clarity to the story, especially since Myne's perspective is quite narrow. The chapters on Benno and the Guildmaster were especially welcomed (by me). It cleared what really went on between them two, but honestly, I couldn't help but mumble about the lack of communication between these men! It was quite frustrating but nonetheless, entertaining.
It was a joy reading this Volume. It was especially longer this time so reading it was satisfying and finishing it was fulfilling.
The next book promises new world/environment and I can't wait to read on!
This book tells the struggle, acceptance then the challenging of Myne of everything that comes her way (especially with everything relating to her "sickness".) It emphasizes Myne's relations and her attachment to these relations. She was never the one to have a healthy social relationship, even with her family, back in her Urano days but this book shows how she has come to form relationships - with her family, her friends, and her colleagues/business partners, and treasure them.
It was quite emotional overall too. Anything that concerns her family is emotional to Myne in this Volume and it was nice to see her opening up to her family and then even fighting for them, that she'd kill with no questions. The emotional parts that stuck to me were: 1) was really painful. I had to pause reading for a bit when I got to that part because I no longer could see the letters properly, tears were falling on their own from my eyes; and 2) Besides that part showing more what kind of a man Ferdinand is, I too really liked how Myne's parents fought for her and Myne fought for her parents. It was the first look on how nobles really were and it was a good point to end the main part with for this Part.
It showed change. It showed that a new chapter is waiting for Myne. It promises a new world.
The book was hilarious and casual at parts it is not serious but otherwise, it really progressed the story, built the world, and showed the serious parts that are foreshadowing the next parts.
The epilogue chapters were more this time. I was surprised when the main part of the story ended still with 100+ pages left but it was worth it reading through them. There were around 5 epilogue chapters and they were all of different person's perspective and thus, are fun to read. They really gave more context and clarity to the story, especially since Myne's perspective is quite narrow. The chapters on Benno and the Guildmaster were especially welcomed (by me). It cleared what really went on between them two, but honestly, I couldn't help but mumble about the lack of communication between these men! It was quite frustrating but nonetheless, entertaining.
It was a joy reading this Volume. It was especially longer this time so reading it was satisfying and finishing it was fulfilling.
The next book promises new world/environment and I can't wait to read on!
April 22, 2022
The first arc of the series, where our resident bibliophile Myne struggles to find her place in a world where commoners do not have access to paper, let alone books, has concluded. I personally adore experiencing her journey so far; she has made so many strong and wonderful connections with multiple characters, and she is as relatable, funny and determinedly stubborn as ever.
This series is not for everyone, there is a lot (an incredible amount, I mean it) of detail in Myne and co.'s daily dealings and shenanigans. Each side character is given ample word count to have their own adventures and growths. Through them, the world is gradually expanding too. If that is something you enjoy, you'll have a blast rooting for these people whom you grow to love!
I also do not have a strict literary standard in books. I'm aware that the translation is not very eloquent or professional, but I'm able to move beyond that really easily since this is a read I like to indulge in when I'm flat out tired and can only understand basic English anyway. For instance, there is very extensive use of sound effects such as "bwuh" and "ngh", and the sentence structures are definitely not poetry.
With this conclusion comes joy from getting closer to Myne's goal of being surrounded by books and spreading books across the world... but we are far from it so onto the second arc!
This series is not for everyone, there is a lot (an incredible amount, I mean it) of detail in Myne and co.'s daily dealings and shenanigans. Each side character is given ample word count to have their own adventures and growths. Through them, the world is gradually expanding too. If that is something you enjoy, you'll have a blast rooting for these people whom you grow to love!
I also do not have a strict literary standard in books. I'm aware that the translation is not very eloquent or professional, but I'm able to move beyond that really easily since this is a read I like to indulge in when I'm flat out tired and can only understand basic English anyway. For instance, there is very extensive use of sound effects such as "bwuh" and "ngh", and the sentence structures are definitely not poetry.
With this conclusion comes joy from getting closer to Myne's goal of being surrounded by books and spreading books across the world... but we are far from it so onto the second arc!
February 6, 2023
I'm a bit conflicted! I liked the way this first arc concludes, and I'm slowly growing to like the interactions Myne has with the other people around her, abrasive as they are sometimes.
But this series (thus far) seems to be extremely about setting up a scenario where engaging with Capitalism and profiting off the labor of others is not only good but a dire matter of survival, and... eh, not all that big on narratives that extoll (even indirectly) the virtues of Capitalism and The Market and whatnot.
It sucks because I'm honestly pretty interested in where these characters will go from here. Maybe I'll read more. I dunno.
But this series (thus far) seems to be extremely about setting up a scenario where engaging with Capitalism and profiting off the labor of others is not only good but a dire matter of survival, and... eh, not all that big on narratives that extoll (even indirectly) the virtues of Capitalism and The Market and whatnot.
It sucks because I'm honestly pretty interested in where these characters will go from here. Maybe I'll read more. I dunno.
June 27, 2025
Loved this book.
It ruined all the chores and adulting I had to do but I really enjoyed my time so I can't complain. The story is covered for the most part in the anime but I enjoyed spending time with these characters quite a bit. The extra sweetner were the deeper dives in certain places - and especially the side stories. Those are definately worth reading if one has already seen the anime. The plot wasn't new per se but I was smiling throughout. There is something comforting about the book - I think the translation is done quite well. It captures the fun but touching tone of the story well.
Here ends the first arc of Myne's story - which is making me heart twinge a little. But I am looking forward to her journey as an apprentice priestess soon.
It ruined all the chores and adulting I had to do but I really enjoyed my time so I can't complain. The story is covered for the most part in the anime but I enjoyed spending time with these characters quite a bit. The extra sweetner were the deeper dives in certain places - and especially the side stories. Those are definately worth reading if one has already seen the anime. The plot wasn't new per se but I was smiling throughout. There is something comforting about the book - I think the translation is done quite well. It captures the fun but touching tone of the story well.
Here ends the first arc of Myne's story - which is making me heart twinge a little. But I am looking forward to her journey as an apprentice priestess soon.
March 25, 2023
This is getting better the further it goes along. I did end up requesting the second part. I still have problems with some of the inventions being things that a peasant culture (especially a food insecure peasant culture) ought to know about, but I'll roll my eyes and move along. I like how Myne and where the story look like it's headed.
May 9, 2024
I really enjoyed the main story! Officially converted to the Bookworm fanclub, and to my biggest surprise, I also VERY much enjoyed the side stories at the end. Can't wait to find out what happens next!
April 3, 2024
The story finally begin! Now i really interested in what coming next.
February 17, 2021
tl;dr Series continues vastly the same, the emotional development is nice, the final plot part comes out of seemingly nowhere.
For the most part, this was the same as volume 2. The plot for part 2 (note that this series has parts, so vol 1-3 = part 1, the next four are part 2) of the series was introduced quite suddenly, it feels a bit out of nowhere, but it works to make part 1 end on a climactic moment. This volume very nicely showed Myne's emotional development as a character and how coming to a new world has changed her, however, it doesn't seem to show much or any development in her skills. I was a little disappointed in that, but I liked the development they did show, so it was alright. Bonus points too for having one of my absolute favourite and potentially the single funniest scene in the entire series.
Overall, I have to say, I greatly enjoyed part 1 of this series. As awkwardly written and translated as it is, there is something unique about it, and once Myne's strengths are balanced out and she stops feeling too op in volume 2, it's a highly enjoyable series. The characters all grew on me despite some of their dialogue suffering from the writing/translation, I feel like the creator must have had a thorough image of them and even with the struggles in putting those images into an English text (at whichever step that happened), it shone through. The side stories that aren't from Myne's POV help a looot with that, and are generally some of my favourite parts. They give every character their own story and their own place in the world and it makes everyone feel like they are real people that don't just exist to accommodate Myne's story. I mean, even the chef that works for a friend of Myne has a backstory. Even Benno's butler has a backstory. And Benno's backstory really made him an interesting character for me. I'm looking forward to part 2!
For the most part, this was the same as volume 2. The plot for part 2 (note that this series has parts, so vol 1-3 = part 1, the next four are part 2) of the series was introduced quite suddenly, it feels a bit out of nowhere, but it works to make part 1 end on a climactic moment. This volume very nicely showed Myne's emotional development as a character and how coming to a new world has changed her, however, it doesn't seem to show much or any development in her skills. I was a little disappointed in that, but I liked the development they did show, so it was alright. Bonus points too for having one of my absolute favourite and potentially the single funniest scene in the entire series.
Overall, I have to say, I greatly enjoyed part 1 of this series. As awkwardly written and translated as it is, there is something unique about it, and once Myne's strengths are balanced out and she stops feeling too op in volume 2, it's a highly enjoyable series. The characters all grew on me despite some of their dialogue suffering from the writing/translation, I feel like the creator must have had a thorough image of them and even with the struggles in putting those images into an English text (at whichever step that happened), it shone through. The side stories that aren't from Myne's POV help a looot with that, and are generally some of my favourite parts. They give every character their own story and their own place in the world and it makes everyone feel like they are real people that don't just exist to accommodate Myne's story. I mean, even the chef that works for a friend of Myne has a backstory. Even Benno's butler has a backstory. And Benno's backstory really made him an interesting character for me. I'm looking forward to part 2!
July 27, 2025
2025 reread: 4 stars
March 17, 2024
a.k.a., "Well, well, well, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions" part 1.3
I still love this series more than any other, *probably*, because I absolutely sympathise with both Myne's disabilities AND obsession with books (and sweets). I haven't given a full five stars, though, because
1. this is basically the start of the end: Myne will never again get to be just a "normal" kid, thanks to the abovementioned own actions and their consequences, and
2. it's actually TOO long?? Is that actually a thing??? I know I felt like it should've been over but kept going (even though this is a re-read, so I should've known about where it would stop—there are SO MANY bonus stories, though!).
Best parts:
- Gunther gritting his teeth when Myne and Lutz hold hands going to the temple for their baptism, as he overhears comments from others that, "They look like they're getting married!" (Myne x Lutz ship canonically sailing away!)
- Benno finally revealing why he's still single (I have some spoilery feelings about this as relates to another character)
- the High Priest is quite a bit kinder, since he only just meets Myne and hasn't had time to become thoroughly fed up with her, haha
- gets what's coming to him, even if, unfortunately, he still gets to royally mess things up in the future (which I already know turns out "fine" even if it's a path I had hoped the story wouldn't go down... spoilers why)
- Gunther correctly congratulating Otto before Otto could say it himself (OMG BABIES)
It also occurs to me after watching the anime for 7th Time Loop and seeing a comment on it (paraphrased):
Still recommended for fans of the series, but not for completely new readers.
(slightly guilty tag: A dog is very briefly mentioned as cleaning up the "dishes" in a pub: slightly damp bread used to wipe the tables. I want to remember that, though, since animals don't really appear in this series that much.)
(even guiltier tag: One of the bonus stories describes the gray-robed priests/shrine maidens as "slaves" of the blue-robed ones, something that has been used as a criticism against the series. Why does the existence of bad things in a series make the series bad? I mean, how would Arslan heroically risk his life to abolish slavery if it doesn't exist? I'm not saying I love it, but if a child like Myne ends up growing up and gaining enough power to be able to change the world and eliminate said slavery, wouldn't that be AWESOME?)
I still love this series more than any other, *probably*, because I absolutely sympathise with both Myne's disabilities AND obsession with books (and sweets). I haven't given a full five stars, though, because
1. this is basically the start of the end: Myne will never again get to be just a "normal" kid, thanks to the abovementioned own actions and their consequences, and
2. it's actually TOO long?? Is that actually a thing??? I know I felt like it should've been over but kept going (even though this is a re-read, so I should've known about where it would stop—there are SO MANY bonus stories, though!).
Best parts:
- Gunther gritting his teeth when Myne and Lutz hold hands going to the temple for their baptism, as he overhears comments from others that, "They look like they're getting married!" (Myne x Lutz ship canonically sailing away!)
- Benno finally revealing why he's still single (I have some spoilery feelings about this as relates to another character)
- the High Priest is quite a bit kinder, since he only just meets Myne and hasn't had time to become thoroughly fed up with her, haha
- gets what's coming to him, even if, unfortunately, he still gets to royally mess things up in the future (which I already know turns out "fine" even if it's a path I had hoped the story wouldn't go down... spoilers why)
- Gunther correctly congratulating Otto before Otto could say it himself (OMG BABIES)
It also occurs to me after watching the anime for 7th Time Loop and seeing a comment on it (paraphrased):
Ah, capitalism's perfect employee: a 16-year-old with 30 years of experience!That's Myne, too! ...or, well, she's a 7-year-old with 20 years of experience, but the comment is still true! That's why she's being fought over so much, and why Benno is so frustrated with her just letting loose stray secrets (which, surprisingly, almost no one questions where she got them).
Still recommended for fans of the series, but not for completely new readers.
(slightly guilty tag: A dog is very briefly mentioned as cleaning up the "dishes" in a pub: slightly damp bread used to wipe the tables. I want to remember that, though, since animals don't really appear in this series that much.)
(even guiltier tag: One of the bonus stories describes the gray-robed priests/shrine maidens as "slaves" of the blue-robed ones, something that has been used as a criticism against the series. Why does the existence of bad things in a series make the series bad? I mean, how would Arslan heroically risk his life to abolish slavery if it doesn't exist? I'm not saying I love it, but if a child like Myne ends up growing up and gaining enough power to be able to change the world and eliminate said slavery, wouldn't that be AWESOME?)
July 13, 2022
This book finishes the initial story arc that explored a Japanese adult book lover who has died and awoken as a sickly child in another world that resembles mid evil Europe with magic. She is now Myne, the child of a poor “Daughter of a soldier”. In the first book she battles poor health and culture shock., vowing to create books herself so that she can spend her days reading. In the meanwhile she uses knowledge from crafting and reading in her previous life to create unheard of products. In the second book Myne and her best friend Lutz work to develop plant paper as a cheaper alternative to parchment. The merchant that the have signed with begins to sell some of her other products but Myne learns that her poor health is caused by the rare instance of a commoner with manna. The excess manna builds up and causes her fevers. Without expensive magic tools to keep it under control it is fatal. Unless she signs a contract with a Lay Nobel who is low in manna but rich enough for the tools, she will die within a year.
Myne has decided to stay with her family for her remaining time rather than live her life as a slave to a Nobel. Although the plot sounds depressing, the story is mostly woven around life with her family and her trial and error at making paper and learning to be a merchant. She may be a sickly child but she has the mind of an educated but impulsive adult and the experience of person from modern earth. Plus nothing matters to her other than her obsession for obtaining books. There is lots of humor from the culture clash. At the end of the book, she accidentally stumbles upon a book room and her impulsive behavior catapults her into a new path in life.
Myne has decided to stay with her family for her remaining time rather than live her life as a slave to a Nobel. Although the plot sounds depressing, the story is mostly woven around life with her family and her trial and error at making paper and learning to be a merchant. She may be a sickly child but she has the mind of an educated but impulsive adult and the experience of person from modern earth. Plus nothing matters to her other than her obsession for obtaining books. There is lots of humor from the culture clash. At the end of the book, she accidentally stumbles upon a book room and her impulsive behavior catapults her into a new path in life.
October 10, 2023
I hadn't realized how much of the story this book covers, as it lays the ground for the next arc. Plus, there are quite a few bonus stories in this one, which was a nice surprise.
I love this book almost as much as the second one. Myne's and Benno's relationship cracks me up so much, and it's nice to see Myne really starting to care about others in this new world. Not to say she isn't plenty short-sighted at times, but the bonds between the characters are growing, which is great to see. I also love the steady but slow progress Myne and Lutz are making, and Myne just can't help but keep standing out.
Also, I LOVE this cover. Myne is super adorable, and it's great to see her whole family.
This novel starts to delve into a new part of the world, where Myne, of course, continues to blunder, but it's nice to see just how scary and complex the class structure can be.
As for the bonus stories, I love that they mostly took place chronologically and focused on the same event. It was nice to see the various viewpoints while keeping things moving. It was especially interesting to see the guildmaster's POV, as he almost seems reasonable in it.
Overall, this is a great conclusion to the first arc of Myne's story while delving into the beginning of the next arc. I loved seeing more of all of the characters as well as more worldbuilding. The artwork is adorable as always, and I'm excited for what comes next.
I love this book almost as much as the second one. Myne's and Benno's relationship cracks me up so much, and it's nice to see Myne really starting to care about others in this new world. Not to say she isn't plenty short-sighted at times, but the bonds between the characters are growing, which is great to see. I also love the steady but slow progress Myne and Lutz are making, and Myne just can't help but keep standing out.
Also, I LOVE this cover. Myne is super adorable, and it's great to see her whole family.
This novel starts to delve into a new part of the world, where Myne, of course, continues to blunder, but it's nice to see just how scary and complex the class structure can be.
As for the bonus stories, I love that they mostly took place chronologically and focused on the same event. It was nice to see the various viewpoints while keeping things moving. It was especially interesting to see the guildmaster's POV, as he almost seems reasonable in it.
Overall, this is a great conclusion to the first arc of Myne's story while delving into the beginning of the next arc. I loved seeing more of all of the characters as well as more worldbuilding. The artwork is adorable as always, and I'm excited for what comes next.
August 14, 2020
Even after up till this point I am still enthralled by Myne's ideas and determination. This volume served as the closing of the paper making arc along with a glimpse of how the story is gonna be and it is not disappointing at all.
There is no new character but instead, we get more of Benno's and Mark's past, the reason why he chooses to support Myne so much and, if you read the side story, guild master side of the story of the incident which causes the year-long "conflict" of Benno versus guild master.
On the world-building side, we start to see more of the country and the state of the Kingdom. For example, there is another country called Sovereignty, and judging by how the story goes, this country might be our center of attention in the near future.
Continuing from the previous volume, we see more of magic here and not only magic tools this time. Even though for me, the existence of magic in this series is not that important (yet !) but it is a nice reminder that this book is supposed to be a fantasy-realism book and not just about a crazed bookworm trying to create book~~.
If you have read up till the previous chapter, you should read this ! and even if you don't, start read this series immediately, especially if you into slow-but-interesting kind of book! I'm going to read the next volume soon, hope the quality is still as good as this one!
There is no new character but instead, we get more of Benno's and Mark's past, the reason why he chooses to support Myne so much and, if you read the side story, guild master side of the story of the incident which causes the year-long "conflict" of Benno versus guild master.
On the world-building side, we start to see more of the country and the state of the Kingdom. For example, there is another country called Sovereignty, and judging by how the story goes, this country might be our center of attention in the near future.
Continuing from the previous volume, we see more of magic here and not only magic tools this time. Even though for me, the existence of magic in this series is not that important (yet !) but it is a nice reminder that this book is supposed to be a fantasy-realism book and not just about a crazed bookworm trying to create book~~.
If you have read up till the previous chapter, you should read this ! and even if you don't, start read this series immediately, especially if you into slow-but-interesting kind of book! I'm going to read the next volume soon, hope the quality is still as good as this one!
August 1, 2022
Part 1 overall was really good 🙌🏻
I’ve been wanting to start the light novels for sometime now, but didn’t because I remembered not enjoying the beginning of the anime, and something similar happened here. Up until she meets Benno, it was an ok reading for me, and I feared I wouldn’t like the rest of the volumes since I had seen the anime.
Still I decided to keep reading because I didn’t feel comfortable skipping parts 1 and 2 just so I could continue where the anime left off. And it was a great call for me.
I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the volumes, I loved every interaction with Benno, and I came to realize why my favorite chapters of each volume were the chapters narrated by other characters.
Having watched the contents of part 1, the extra stories added depth to certain events. Yes, I knew what would happen but sometimes I didn’t know or remembered why or how something happened and many of those situations involved someone other than Myne.
The short stories not only shed light onto the gaps the anime left but also explained certain behaviors I just had overlooked or ignored, and added new information about the rest of the characters I didn’t even know I wanted to know.
The light novel, understandably, gives more information than the anime can adapt. For this Part, I feel like the adaptation was good.
So… looking forward to the short stories in Part 2 😂🔥
I’ve been wanting to start the light novels for sometime now, but didn’t because I remembered not enjoying the beginning of the anime, and something similar happened here. Up until she meets Benno, it was an ok reading for me, and I feared I wouldn’t like the rest of the volumes since I had seen the anime.
Still I decided to keep reading because I didn’t feel comfortable skipping parts 1 and 2 just so I could continue where the anime left off. And it was a great call for me.
I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the volumes, I loved every interaction with Benno, and I came to realize why my favorite chapters of each volume were the chapters narrated by other characters.
Having watched the contents of part 1, the extra stories added depth to certain events. Yes, I knew what would happen but sometimes I didn’t know or remembered why or how something happened and many of those situations involved someone other than Myne.
The short stories not only shed light onto the gaps the anime left but also explained certain behaviors I just had overlooked or ignored, and added new information about the rest of the characters I didn’t even know I wanted to know.
The light novel, understandably, gives more information than the anime can adapt. For this Part, I feel like the adaptation was good.
So… looking forward to the short stories in Part 2 😂🔥
August 17, 2022
L'aventure continue
Mots Clés : light novel, young adult, fantasy
Immédiatement après avoir fini le tome 2, j‘ai enchainer avec le tome 3 car le suspense était bien présent.
Sans spoiler personne, on retrouve Maïn qui n’est malheureusement pas en très grande forme. Il lui faut petit à petit repenser son futur afin de prendre en compte tout ce qu’elle a appris jusque-là. On voit donc beaucoup Maïn et Lutz mais également les gens qui les entourent. J’ai eu l’impression de voir plus de personnages dans ce tome que dans le précédent. Bon par contre, y en a un que je n’aime déjà pas du tout, si vous avez lu le tome, vous savez surement de qui je parle. De plus, ce tome montre bien le fait que Maïn accepte et aime sa nouvelle famille. Ce tome marque aussi la fin du premier arc car Maïn va changer de vocation, en gardant en tête ses livres bien évidemment. J’espère qu’on continuera à voir Lutz dans la suite mais j’ai hâte de voir comment Maïn va maintenant s’en sortir. En tout cas, je réitère, j’adore cette série. C’est rythmé et prenant. C’est avec grand plaisir que je suis les aventures de Maïn et de son entourage. Dans ce tome, il y a beaucoup d’histoires bonus (environ un quart du livre) car elles contiennent des éléments très importants pour le prochain arc.
Je continue de recommander.
5/5
Mots Clés : light novel, young adult, fantasy
Immédiatement après avoir fini le tome 2, j‘ai enchainer avec le tome 3 car le suspense était bien présent.
Sans spoiler personne, on retrouve Maïn qui n’est malheureusement pas en très grande forme. Il lui faut petit à petit repenser son futur afin de prendre en compte tout ce qu’elle a appris jusque-là. On voit donc beaucoup Maïn et Lutz mais également les gens qui les entourent. J’ai eu l’impression de voir plus de personnages dans ce tome que dans le précédent. Bon par contre, y en a un que je n’aime déjà pas du tout, si vous avez lu le tome, vous savez surement de qui je parle. De plus, ce tome montre bien le fait que Maïn accepte et aime sa nouvelle famille. Ce tome marque aussi la fin du premier arc car Maïn va changer de vocation, en gardant en tête ses livres bien évidemment. J’espère qu’on continuera à voir Lutz dans la suite mais j’ai hâte de voir comment Maïn va maintenant s’en sortir. En tout cas, je réitère, j’adore cette série. C’est rythmé et prenant. C’est avec grand plaisir que je suis les aventures de Maïn et de son entourage. Dans ce tome, il y a beaucoup d’histoires bonus (environ un quart du livre) car elles contiennent des éléments très importants pour le prochain arc.
Je continue de recommander.
5/5
July 23, 2020
Myne is up to her usual shenanigans. She doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut. Even with everything she knows and has been learning she lets things slip that she might have wanted to keep quiet about... to the point of even offering to become a Apprentice Shine Maiden at the temple without having any clue what that actually entails solely because the Temple has a library!
If you're a fan then you know what to expect, but this volume is full of even more of it. While the series did start a tad slow, but was interesting, this one is still very interesting but a lot of the character introduction has been accomplished and that space can be devoted to the story. Never fear, Myne and the rest of the gang will fill your reading time with plenty of fun and interesting things.
The shorts at the end were pretty good. Most of them gave a good perspective from some of the supporting cast which was fun to see.
I am certainly looking forward to part II of the series.
Verdict: Best of Part I, lots more going on while still setting the world up for even more.
If you're a fan then you know what to expect, but this volume is full of even more of it. While the series did start a tad slow, but was interesting, this one is still very interesting but a lot of the character introduction has been accomplished and that space can be devoted to the story. Never fear, Myne and the rest of the gang will fill your reading time with plenty of fun and interesting things.
The shorts at the end were pretty good. Most of them gave a good perspective from some of the supporting cast which was fun to see.
I am certainly looking forward to part II of the series.
Verdict: Best of Part I, lots more going on while still setting the world up for even more.
Read
June 5, 2025Again, I didn't read this exact edition of the book; I read (listened to) a friend's translation of the webnovel. I'd be curious to read one of the light novels someday and see how they compare. Apparently the webnovel was written extremely quickly, a chapter a day until it was done, and I wonder whether the official publication is noticeably more polished. I'm enjoying the story as-is, though: it was the perfect read for when I was sick, with a compelling plot but not too demanding. That said, I put it down in the middle for a while because the protagonist was a bit too fatalistic for me.
November 13, 2025
And so we reach the final volume of the third part. Honestly, when a book is this good, time just flies by. This author truly deserves praise — not only for this particular volume, but for the entire first arc as a whole. The character development, the evolving relationships, and the way the story unfolds are all handled beautifully.
In this volume, Myne continues to grow both as a person and as a creator. She’s now able to make paper and earns money crafting hair ornaments with the help of her family and her friend Lutz. Through her new connections, she learns more about her mysterious illness and its consequences, which adds an emotional depth to her journey. Despite the hardships she faces, her determination and curiosity remain as strong as ever.
One of the most charming parts of this book is seeing how Myne’s love for books continues to shape her path. A key event at the temple ends up opening unexpected opportunities — and, of course, more reasons for readers to fall in love with her story all over again.
In this volume, Myne continues to grow both as a person and as a creator. She’s now able to make paper and earns money crafting hair ornaments with the help of her family and her friend Lutz. Through her new connections, she learns more about her mysterious illness and its consequences, which adds an emotional depth to her journey. Despite the hardships she faces, her determination and curiosity remain as strong as ever.
One of the most charming parts of this book is seeing how Myne’s love for books continues to shape her path. A key event at the temple ends up opening unexpected opportunities — and, of course, more reasons for readers to fall in love with her story all over again.
July 6, 2021
After giving all three books in the series so far a perfect rating, I feel the need to explain myself.
I've tried reading other light novels before without really enjoying them. The writing didn't feel great and I didn't feel like I was losing anything by just watching an anime adaptation.
Clearly things went differently this time. The writing is still simple, but it makes more sense given the perspective of the main character. Stakes are low. Everyone generally seems happy. It's a sugary sweet reading that in another time I'd probably hate but right now it's incredibly comforting. Other books may feel childish but this one makes me feel like a kid again in a way that not even books I grew up with could do.
I've tried reading other light novels before without really enjoying them. The writing didn't feel great and I didn't feel like I was losing anything by just watching an anime adaptation.
Clearly things went differently this time. The writing is still simple, but it makes more sense given the perspective of the main character. Stakes are low. Everyone generally seems happy. It's a sugary sweet reading that in another time I'd probably hate but right now it's incredibly comforting. Other books may feel childish but this one makes me feel like a kid again in a way that not even books I grew up with could do.
June 20, 2023
Overall Part 1 is good, I love the slow pace and enjoy how Myne slowly changes into a person that cares more about others, reflecting on her past life.
This loving family has made her care about them in a way she has never felt and for the first time, she cares about people not just books. I love how Gunter was ready to throw hands if they forced Myne into the temple without negotiations.
High Priest seems nice, I think he will become an ally, although a bit stoic. She pretty much got all the conditions she wanted pretty easily after the crushing of the High Bishop.
Lutz also grew some balls and finally talked to his mother, resulting in her supporting him, although his family still doesn't understand his work. Maybe if they saw him work things would change for him, but who knows?
This loving family has made her care about them in a way she has never felt and for the first time, she cares about people not just books. I love how Gunter was ready to throw hands if they forced Myne into the temple without negotiations.
High Priest seems nice, I think he will become an ally, although a bit stoic. She pretty much got all the conditions she wanted pretty easily after the crushing of the High Bishop.
Lutz also grew some balls and finally talked to his mother, resulting in her supporting him, although his family still doesn't understand his work. Maybe if they saw him work things would change for him, but who knows?
November 23, 2021
IHastuttavan Mynen tarina jatkuu!
Juuri kun Myne on saanut paperin valmistuksen sujumaan, romahtaa hänen terveytensä jälleen. Selviää, että kuumesairauden takana on mystinen "kalvaus" (devouring), joka vaikuttaa etenkin niihin joilla on taikahiukkasia ruumissaan. Ja Mynen ruumissa näitä hiukkasia on aivan liikaa. Sairauden hoito on erittäin kallista, eikä Mynellä taikka hänen perheellään ole mitenkään tarpeeksi varaa siihen. ONko Mynen uusi elämä tuomittu loppumaan jo ennen kuin se ehti kunnolla alkamaankaan, vai löytyykö tilanteeseen sittenkin jokin ratkaisu?
Juuri kun Myne on saanut paperin valmistuksen sujumaan, romahtaa hänen terveytensä jälleen. Selviää, että kuumesairauden takana on mystinen "kalvaus" (devouring), joka vaikuttaa etenkin niihin joilla on taikahiukkasia ruumissaan. Ja Mynen ruumissa näitä hiukkasia on aivan liikaa. Sairauden hoito on erittäin kallista, eikä Mynellä taikka hänen perheellään ole mitenkään tarpeeksi varaa siihen. ONko Mynen uusi elämä tuomittu loppumaan jo ennen kuin se ehti kunnolla alkamaankaan, vai löytyykö tilanteeseen sittenkin jokin ratkaisu?
April 8, 2022
soooo...I was really digging this series but I was interested in the adult-reincarnated-in-a-child's-body-in-an-alternate-dimension deal, not reincarnated-child-adult-goes-into-papermaking-business deal. This seemed to get bogged down in a lot of boring details about business transactions. I guess the papermaking process was kinda interesting, but I didn't need EVERY DETAIL SPELLED OUT. I honestly read this several months ago, and am stuck in the middle of part 1 vol 4. I've got three more volumes checked out from the library. If it doesn't get better after those, I'll likely move on.
March 5, 2025
This book definitely made me happy I'm reading the light novels as well as watching the anime because, much more than the previous two volumes, it contained a lot of relevant material not in Season 1 of of the anime: in particular, the whole discussion of the affair with the parchment guild, the explanation of the Head Priest's thought processes during the confrontation with the High Bishop, and the explanation of why Corinna married Otto and how it relates to the business and family situation of the Gilberta Company.
August 2, 2025
Again, the anime continues to be better, smoothing out the plot holes and moving along at a much quicker pace, but still maintaining all the points of the book. It still remains one of the better isekai books, but it suffers from an obvious lack of planning on the author's part.
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