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虫かぶり姫 [Mushikaburi-hime] (Novel) #1
Bibliophile Princess: Volume 1
When book-loving Lady Elianna spots Prince Christopher—her betrothed in name only—consorting with another noble lady, she realizes the recent rumors must be true. The prince has someone he truly loves, which means the annulment of their engagement is both inevitable and fast-approaching. What she doesn’t realize is that this is merely a surface ripple—one of many where the truth runs deep, in a conspiracy surpassing her imagination!
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2016
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416 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
November 28, 2022
I watched the season premier of Bibliophile Princess last night and wondered how it differed from the book, which I read two years ago. The setup for the twist seemed harsher to me. It is funny how certain things stick in one’s mind. I became so troubled by the dissonance between the anime and my memory, than I decided to read the book again. Turns out I was right.
I won’t share any spoilers, and I don’t know how the second episode will resolve the plot, but the book was told from Elianna‘s point of view, whereas the anime has a more omniscient point of view. The twist was a trick made possible by the author’s slight of hand that Elianna misinterpreted things. That’s a spoiler enough, and it’s not a trick they can pull in the anime with their harsher setup.
Having determined that I was correct in my recollection, I could have put the book down and gone about my business, but instead finished the book. I’ve raised my appreciation for it by one star.
It’s a sweet story not nearly as romantic as its cover and interior illustrations indicate. The main character, Elianna, is a featherhead. She is book smart but street stupid. Judging by the author’s comments at the end of the book, she’s fully aware of how clueless her main character is and delights in that aspect of her.
If you are looking for a strong female lead who grabs the reins of her fate with her clenched fists and forces the world to turn with her whims, you will be sorely disappointed. Elianna is a porcelain doll who is pure and out of touch, propped up by an entourage of people who work around her, keeping her safe. The problem is that they aren’t very good at their job. It is a comedy, not a serious romance. The shtick is that despite her passivity, Elianna’s knowledge and political bluntness shape the kingdom and win the heart of her prince, often in comical ways.
I enjoyed how the narrative winded through memories. After establishing Elianna as a clueless enigma, the true story is told through recollections from the past that reveal how Elianna affected the world around her with her insightful commentary and observations. The narrative was as fluffy as Elianna’s hair, but I found it to be a pleasant read.
I won’t share any spoilers, and I don’t know how the second episode will resolve the plot, but the book was told from Elianna‘s point of view, whereas the anime has a more omniscient point of view. The twist was a trick made possible by the author’s slight of hand that Elianna misinterpreted things. That’s a spoiler enough, and it’s not a trick they can pull in the anime with their harsher setup.
Having determined that I was correct in my recollection, I could have put the book down and gone about my business, but instead finished the book. I’ve raised my appreciation for it by one star.
It’s a sweet story not nearly as romantic as its cover and interior illustrations indicate. The main character, Elianna, is a featherhead. She is book smart but street stupid. Judging by the author’s comments at the end of the book, she’s fully aware of how clueless her main character is and delights in that aspect of her.
If you are looking for a strong female lead who grabs the reins of her fate with her clenched fists and forces the world to turn with her whims, you will be sorely disappointed. Elianna is a porcelain doll who is pure and out of touch, propped up by an entourage of people who work around her, keeping her safe. The problem is that they aren’t very good at their job. It is a comedy, not a serious romance. The shtick is that despite her passivity, Elianna’s knowledge and political bluntness shape the kingdom and win the heart of her prince, often in comical ways.
I enjoyed how the narrative winded through memories. After establishing Elianna as a clueless enigma, the true story is told through recollections from the past that reveal how Elianna affected the world around her with her insightful commentary and observations. The narrative was as fluffy as Elianna’s hair, but I found it to be a pleasant read.
August 27, 2021
Extremely cute, and I would love to read more. It perfectly summarizes how events can appear different through the eyes of the beholder, that books can transform lives, and even concluded one of her fears with a cute after scene.
March 26, 2020
Probably more of a 3.5, but how could I, personally, not love a book with this title?
January 6, 2022
It was a cool twist on the trope on dropping into the prince's fiancé, but once that was revealed? It was repetitive. She read something and accidently improved the kingdom by mentioning it to the right person (accidently). Rinse and repeat. Though my rating does reflect my frustration was oblivious heroines - everyone has blind-spots but if you don't ever notice anything? Eye-roll emoji.
August 6, 2021
Follows the first few manga pretty well. 4 stars.
April 16, 2024
Very cute manga about a “princess” who loves books. Ended up getting repetitive though.
October 13, 2025
cliché misogyne ....
March 26, 2026
This was cute. Cliché but nonetheless cute. I know it’s recently (or like semi-recently) become an anime so I really wanted to see what the source material was. Super cute.
February 20, 2023
This and a bunch of books I'm interested in was originally posted on a self-pub online platform (think Wattpad) called 小説家になろう, "Let's be a novelist"! I just think that's cute and imagine it would be very motivating to see this branding over the site. Anyway I love reading about people who love reading so I was immediately drawn in by the English title, short and sweet just the way i like it.
There's nothing about this series I haven't seen talked about before so here I go on a tangent - what is up with that japanese title - what does 虫かぶり mean, exactly? 虫 is insect and かぶり is hiding or somehow disguising, but 猫かぶり (cat hiding? disguising as a cat???) is somehow "pretending to be naïve". Maybe 虫かぶり is like, pretending to be an insect so nobody notices you? A Japanese Y!Answers reply says the title is most probably a pun on the Japanese title for Cinderella, 灰かぶり姫 (princess hidden/covered in ashes) so that's our likeliest reference yet!
Originally posted on Instagram.
There's nothing about this series I haven't seen talked about before so here I go on a tangent - what is up with that japanese title - what does 虫かぶり mean, exactly? 虫 is insect and かぶり is hiding or somehow disguising, but 猫かぶり (cat hiding? disguising as a cat???) is somehow "pretending to be naïve". Maybe 虫かぶり is like, pretending to be an insect so nobody notices you? A Japanese Y!Answers reply says the title is most probably a pun on the Japanese title for Cinderella, 灰かぶり姫 (princess hidden/covered in ashes) so that's our likeliest reference yet!
Originally posted on Instagram.
October 2, 2020
Today's post is on Bibliophile Princess: Volume 1 by YUI, Satsuki Sheena (Illustrator), Alyssa Niioka (Translator). It is 160 pages long and is published by J-Novel Club. The cover is a beautiful illustration of the two main characters. The intended reader is someone who likes fantasy romance novels with some very pretty pictures. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this novel. The story is in first person close of the character moving from chapter to chapter. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From Kindle blurb- When book-loving Lady Elianna spots Prince Christopher—her betrothed in name only—consorting with another noble lady, she realizes the recent rumors must be true. The prince has someone he truly loves, which means the annulment of their engagement is both inevitable and fast-approaching. What she doesn’t realize is that this is merely a surface ripple—one of many where the truth runs deep, in a conspiracy surpassing her imagination!
Review- This is a wonderful and charming light novel. Elianna is from a family that loves books more than anything and she is just as bad. But she is engaged to the crown prince of her country, Prince Christopher. They get along just fine, as Elianna thinks that she is just a stand-in fiancée for the prince when a other noble girl starts making moves on him. Elianna is forced to realized that they are not just friends. This novel is very cute, the story is sweet, and I really liked Elianna and understood her desire to read always. As far as romance novels go, it does not do anything new but what it does it very good. Poor Christopher as loved Elianna for many years and has been trying to get her to notice him, the villain(s) are good and add some excellent flavor. I would recommend this novel for romance readers.
I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this novel with my own money.
From Kindle blurb- When book-loving Lady Elianna spots Prince Christopher—her betrothed in name only—consorting with another noble lady, she realizes the recent rumors must be true. The prince has someone he truly loves, which means the annulment of their engagement is both inevitable and fast-approaching. What she doesn’t realize is that this is merely a surface ripple—one of many where the truth runs deep, in a conspiracy surpassing her imagination!
Review- This is a wonderful and charming light novel. Elianna is from a family that loves books more than anything and she is just as bad. But she is engaged to the crown prince of her country, Prince Christopher. They get along just fine, as Elianna thinks that she is just a stand-in fiancée for the prince when a other noble girl starts making moves on him. Elianna is forced to realized that they are not just friends. This novel is very cute, the story is sweet, and I really liked Elianna and understood her desire to read always. As far as romance novels go, it does not do anything new but what it does it very good. Poor Christopher as loved Elianna for many years and has been trying to get her to notice him, the villain(s) are good and add some excellent flavor. I would recommend this novel for romance readers.
I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this novel with my own money.
March 2, 2025
Finally, Anime about an introvert bookworm, and some true love proven by actions!
As an adult that likes purity and peace, most anime stuff is either way too lewd or violent for me, and I've had the same trouble with books. I was also in need of a bridge between TV and books, as I wanted a healthier habit. And this series has just been the one for me. I'm an introvert and a storyteller who wishes I was raised in a library. And I was scared that not enough people out there both know what true love is and actually write about it. But this story is amazing! The princess is not desperate, she's too busy reading to think about boys, but she has naturally and accidentally won the heart of her soulmate! Which is actually what happens when your love isn't fake! Most girls can't imagine it, a guy who just loves them and pursues them. And he's not desperate either, he's just passionate, patient, willing to work for and wait for his dream girl. The prince purely takes good care of her and does everything right for her. And it's a total shock to the girl who couldn't imagine she was attractive, or that anyone would see her value. But the prince sees her and her worth clearly, and he winds up showing off a bookworm's secret powers to the whole world. And the girl just accidentally helps save the world by doing what she loves. She can't believe she's doing all this either, but yeah, she can prevent wars, and then still wonder how the prince could give her credit for it. Insecurities are so adorable here! Absolutely my kind of story! I hope they come out with a second season for the TV series, but I think I can understand what's happening much better in text anyway.
As an adult that likes purity and peace, most anime stuff is either way too lewd or violent for me, and I've had the same trouble with books. I was also in need of a bridge between TV and books, as I wanted a healthier habit. And this series has just been the one for me. I'm an introvert and a storyteller who wishes I was raised in a library. And I was scared that not enough people out there both know what true love is and actually write about it. But this story is amazing! The princess is not desperate, she's too busy reading to think about boys, but she has naturally and accidentally won the heart of her soulmate! Which is actually what happens when your love isn't fake! Most girls can't imagine it, a guy who just loves them and pursues them. And he's not desperate either, he's just passionate, patient, willing to work for and wait for his dream girl. The prince purely takes good care of her and does everything right for her. And it's a total shock to the girl who couldn't imagine she was attractive, or that anyone would see her value. But the prince sees her and her worth clearly, and he winds up showing off a bookworm's secret powers to the whole world. And the girl just accidentally helps save the world by doing what she loves. She can't believe she's doing all this either, but yeah, she can prevent wars, and then still wonder how the prince could give her credit for it. Insecurities are so adorable here! Absolutely my kind of story! I hope they come out with a second season for the TV series, but I think I can understand what's happening much better in text anyway.
August 27, 2022
I was interested in this book because an anime is coming, and I ended up just wishing the anime would be better. Because the book is //annoying//. I do not know whether the writer really wrote things that way, or whether it's the influence of the translator, but the result is that the characters are INSUFFERABLE. Sadly Eliana, the main heroine, is the most insufferable of all. Arc 1 was the worst - written from Eliana's POV, we saw her doing NOTHING other than 1) trying to convince us that she and her family are just SO DIFFERENT because they're great lovers of books 2) brooding, without trying to confirm, over the thought that the prince might call their engagement off. Everything else was done by other characters out of Eliana's knowledge, which means we readers know nothing about them too - until the prince said yeah everything's sorted out, and let me name her great accomplishments up to now one by one that she herself is even oblivious about!!!! (And when the story switches to others' POV, it's hardly any better.)
There were moments in the story that just made me want to scream ENOUGH, STOP IT, but I kept reading it until the end just for closure. Won't be spending money for the series again, and will just wait wait for the anime.
There were moments in the story that just made me want to scream ENOUGH, STOP IT, but I kept reading it until the end just for closure. Won't be spending money for the series again, and will just wait wait for the anime.
June 3, 2021
This started off nice enough but was then derailed buy Chris' perspective, because for these books by women aimed at women, we always have the POV from the man. Whoo boy does he kill the story. He's of course the obsessive-possessive type that simply must have the MC from the minute he interacts with her when they were kids. What's also sad is it seems that his parts were added later.
Other points about the story are that they have a race of people called Roma that are well... pretty much like the Rromani people. Described as nomadic and brown and mysterious and that everyone doesn't seem to like them, but don't worry we get a couple to show how great they are.... the one that's blond and the one that has blue eyes.. you know.. the one's that conform to European standards than the dark eyes, brown skin and black hair they are said to have. Which is another thing that kind of kills the story. The latter half of the book is more or less focused on this, add in the "YOu my dad!" kid that seems to show up in these kinds of stories and there we are.
Other points about the story are that they have a race of people called Roma that are well... pretty much like the Rromani people. Described as nomadic and brown and mysterious and that everyone doesn't seem to like them, but don't worry we get a couple to show how great they are.... the one that's blond and the one that has blue eyes.. you know.. the one's that conform to European standards than the dark eyes, brown skin and black hair they are said to have. Which is another thing that kind of kills the story. The latter half of the book is more or less focused on this, add in the "YOu my dad!" kid that seems to show up in these kinds of stories and there we are.
October 27, 2025
This has been on my TBR pile for awhile now as I enjoyed both the manga and the anime. As is usual with most series that have all 3 of these media formats, much more ground is covered in one light novel than in a manga volume or anime episode. This volume takes us entirely through the engagement concerns that kick off the series through the festival and meeting the Roma. Roughly through volume 3 of the manga if memory serves. Even more of Eli's thoughts and point of views are clearer in this form as the story is told from her viewpoint. The one viewpoint that we don't get as much from, is from Prince Christopher's, though it's still clear in his interactions and words to Eli that he adores her beyond belief.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2021
Like many light novels, this had a great premise but very poor execution. The author may be enthusiastic about books, but she is not a very good writer. It felt very amateurish in word choice and plot. I found it frustrating how dense and outright stupid Eli seemed to be, yet she’s apparently brilliant. I also found it very unrealistic when they carried out her advice - it’s all very idealistic and illogical.
I wanted to like this because the manga has such beautiful artwork. However, the manga was already weak and this was much worse.
I wanted to like this because the manga has such beautiful artwork. However, the manga was already weak and this was much worse.
January 29, 2022
This was cute, but not very memorable.
The characters were interesting enough to keep my interest, but I never felt much of a connection to them. Their emotions weren't conveyed in a way that touched me, which created an overall impression of the story and world being rather shallow. I think the idea of this book and the characters described in it have potential—it just wasn't lived up to in this novel.
Needless to say, I won't be continuing the series, but I hope it progresses nicely for the sake of anyone who does!
The characters were interesting enough to keep my interest, but I never felt much of a connection to them. Their emotions weren't conveyed in a way that touched me, which created an overall impression of the story and world being rather shallow. I think the idea of this book and the characters described in it have potential—it just wasn't lived up to in this novel.
Needless to say, I won't be continuing the series, but I hope it progresses nicely for the sake of anyone who does!
October 9, 2022
A quick read that I enjoyed overall. I thought the way the story was told was a bit odd at times - there were so many flashbacks that I think the story could have benefitted more from showing more of the relationship buildup, rather than revealing everything in the beginning and then retelling past events. Sometimes certain events were retold multiple times, which I found a little repetitive. I think telling it once in greater detail would have sufficed.
Overall though I enjoyed the romance. Some of the side characters were interesting, and I wish we got to see more of them.
Overall though I enjoyed the romance. Some of the side characters were interesting, and I wish we got to see more of them.
April 20, 2026
I'm done. Half way through and I felt nothing but boredom.
This is not a book for me. While the language is easy to read and I find the romance interesting. It's not enough to leave me wanting to know more of our main character.
She is still as boring as heck.
I also felt there is no incentive for me to continue to reading this book. Halfway through and all the interesting parts are done and fixed. With no help from our titular character herself. And I felt no interest in finding out what happens next. When all the stakes are gone
This is not a book for me. While the language is easy to read and I find the romance interesting. It's not enough to leave me wanting to know more of our main character.
She is still as boring as heck.
I also felt there is no incentive for me to continue to reading this book. Halfway through and all the interesting parts are done and fixed. With no help from our titular character herself. And I felt no interest in finding out what happens next. When all the stakes are gone
June 18, 2022
I love books about bookworms, it just resonates. And there a couple series that I just love. This one was good, but it was also a little more on the boring side at times. The main character doesn't have much emotion or personality for the first part of the book which makes things move rather slowly.
August 16, 2022
Really cute, really nice read. Its a bit heavy on the "wish-fullfillment" side for me (Favor: i cant see how good i really am and how much i am treasured).
It didnt bother me too much but at times i did have to restrain myself from rolling my eyes wish i thought was enough to give slight minus points. Sadtly i can only revoke full stars so... sorry about that!
4.5 ~ 4.7 Stars
It didnt bother me too much but at times i did have to restrain myself from rolling my eyes wish i thought was enough to give slight minus points. Sadtly i can only revoke full stars so... sorry about that!
4.5 ~ 4.7 Stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2022
A sweet, yet funny story, of a girl, Elianna, who is the fiancée of the kingdom's prince. She is part of a rather (in)famous family of bookworms. Though of nobility, this family is more interested in reading books than procuring power or building prestige...which makes Elianna the ideal bride for Prince Christopher.
June 11, 2022
This is a really promising story. I like the idea of childhood sweethearts: a prince who loves a book lover. I really want to continue with this series and how they turn out and hopefully they'll be married in the story soon!
April 26, 2024
Cute, lighthearted, and funny. Reading from Elianna’s POV makes it seem like not a lot is happening - mostly because she’s just constantly either reading or thinking about books. That’s what makes her so endearing as a main character though.
March 25, 2020
Interesting book which did not end the way i thought it would based on the first 20 pages. The side stories are ok
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2021
It's cute, but halfway through it went nowhere real fast. If there'll be a main arc in the next few books, I'm not sure I saw hints of it here. Still, it's a cute and quick read.
April 1, 2021
Delivered what I was expecting!
September 3, 2021
2.5? I don't know, I expected a little bit more. It's what it promises but lacking.
September 16, 2021
After reading the first chapter, I stopped reading this book. I tried to pick it up again, but I don’t care anymore for the characters.
December 27, 2021
3.5
Picked this up after reading the manga, it was really cute and romance felt more developed in this format
Picked this up after reading the manga, it was really cute and romance felt more developed in this format
May 13, 2022
The prince and his live rival, books!
A fun non linar story with romance and comedy. Very strong in its first half but found it tappered off a bit.
A fun non linar story with romance and comedy. Very strong in its first half but found it tappered off a bit.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews