Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 4 Volume 7 (Light Novel) (Volume 19) (Ascendance of a Bookworm

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) #19

by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina (Illustrator), Quof (Translator)

Faint hopes of peace and quiet...but not for long!  After fainting at a tea party for bookworms, Rozemyne is forced to return to Ehrenfest. She reunites with her lower-city associates and settles in for some long-awaited reading time in the temple... but as peaceful as these cold winter days may seem, a revelation in the bible means they might be numbered! Rozemyne’s second year at the Royal Academy draws to a close with interrogations, investigations, and a resolute apprentice. She also attends the Interduchy Tournament for the first time, but a grave development causes more trouble than anyone could have expected! Can she and Ferdinand survive the chaos that emerges so soon before the graduation ceremony? Tensions between duchies are high in the newest volume of this megahit biblio-fantasy! Also includes two romance tales from graduated students and a four-panel manga by You Shiina!

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

368 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2019

About the author

Japanese author (香月美夜)

Kazuki started writing novels when she was in her second year of junior high school. After taking an entrance exam, she entered into a national university before graduating and becoming busy with work, stopping her from writing. Once she was married and her child entered kindergarten, Kazuki had more free time, which she used to start writing again. From 2013 onwards, she started publishing her novel Ascendance of a Bookworm on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō which saw success. In 2015, she officially debuted with said series under the T.O. Books imprint.

Reviews

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Praise be to Mestianora!

As with each new release I couldn't put it down! Miya Kazuki has such great characters and the best world building. The royal academy arc has been my favorite and each new book in it manages to be better than the one before. Can't wait to see what happens next!

[Susan Toussaint · Rating 5 out of 5]

💙💛💜💚

I am in love/obsessed with this series, and I am so glad the next book will be out in a couple of months!! This series just keeps getting better and better, with more action taking place. I enjoy Rozemynes interactions with her family (noble) and how she causes so much chaos without realizing it 😂😂. Cannot wait to see what happens next!!

[Pieter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been recalled home early again after events in the previous volume, Myne is taught a few things about how the kingdom operates and what exactly some of the things she did wrong. Somewhat prepared, she quickly returns and this time she can actually join the end of year tournament and graduation, not that things go as planned, although this time due to no mistake by Myne.

Some great world building, mostly in regards to the civil war and the role of the temple. Quiet some action and plot progression (at least for Bookworm) as well. As always there are a few moments of exasperation due to Myne's obsession with books, her panicking over/missing something obvious (even for Myne) and Ferdinand's perfection. Nothing to lessen my enjoyment of the series. And all the more curious about where things are heading now that the civil war has taken a more prominent role in the story.

[CraftyChara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 19

[Faith Troupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going to be honest the part I was looking forward to the most fell a bit flat for me but it was still very funny.

Sill in this this latest installment i had fun was still amazing.
I look forward to the next book.

Waiting for August

[Yassine Idrissi · Rating 5 out of 5]

finally some action

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great volume, and things are really getting interesting.

First off, I love the cover. I love the almost wonder on Rozemyne's face, and Ferdinand with his usual stern expression is a great contrast next to her. Since I'm talking about the artwork, it's just as great as always. I really love the style, and the facial expressions are always great.

Now, the Prologue. It's told from Hannelore's POV, and it starts with Rozemyne's collapse at the tea party. It's nice to get a bit of follow-up to various things as well as to see how Hannelore and some of the others from her duchy reacted to what had transpired.

As for the main story, it doesn't take too long before things get very interesting. I'm really excited for how things are building in terms of the bible/religion. More and more odd things are occurring, and it seems like it's building towards Rozemyne playing a huge role in the future of the country as a whole, though that's all just my own speculation. Still, I'm excited to see how it all plays out.

The Ternisbefallen Inquiry was quite interesting, and it adds to the above point. The questioning did not play out at all like I thought it would, though I'm also not sure what I expected. This series does a great job at surprising the reader while making all the worldbuilding and setup seem effortless. Things are quickly growing more tense and dangerous, as well.

I'll stay vague about the Roderick stuff, but I'm really liking where the series is going with him.

I will say things near the end of the book felt like it came out of nowhere, but it's increasingly clear just how much unrest still plagues the country. I do want to clarify that this isn't a criticism, as it was meant to be shocking.

The Epilogue is told in Eglantine's POV, and it's nice to return to her. I won't say too much, as it follows right after the previous events. It's nice to get some insight on what some of theories are, and it's also nice to just see her and Anastasius together. They're some of my favorite characters in this series.

Bonus story time. The first one is told from Clarissa's POV (a character introduced in this book, I believe). I do wish this story had been a little quicker to name the viewpoint character, but I have no complaints otherwise. It's nice to see what Clarissa is like, and she really is a perfect fit for a certain character. XD

The second story is told from Leonore's POV. It's a sweet story that gives some insight into her romance (I don't remember if that is a spoiler for this volume or not, so I'm staying vague).

As for the bonus comics, they're cute as always. The final panel of 'Love Train off the Rails' made me laugh.

Overall, a lot happens in this volume, and things are just growing more and more interesting and tense. I'm really curious where the religious side of things is going to go, and Rozemyne just finds herself unwittingly involved in bigger and bigger things. There was still plenty of humor, as always, and it balances well with everything else going on. Another great volume.

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is back on track. Every time I try to think about the future of the series, it turns into another completly different path. This volume had a good balance between tranquility and chaos. Even the extra stories reflect that. Waiting two months for the next volume is agonizing. Seeing that the 8 pages’ preview is there to read is a slow torture. It just won’t be enough, but maybe a little will suffice until the second preview is available. Sadly I tried reading the web novel, but the translations were confusing. Reading such well written translation of the light novel and then switching to that is disappointing.

Spoilers** I am going to start writting my idea of what’s gonna happen next in the general scheme of things.
Eglantine said to Anastasius that she wishes for a true king/queen. Ferdinand said that one needed noble blood to become king. Even in a magic world as this one, I wonder what makes a noble a “noble”. I always thought that people with mana in the past used their power over the mana-less and declared themselves rules and nobles. Therefore, noble blood can’t be a condition in becoming king as it is not accepted by the gods or world but by themselves. On the other hand, if there’s a magic contract that stipulates that a noble can only become kings and that a noble is one who is a descendant of a noble, then it can also be overcome. As no one is born noble, the first nobles didn’t had noble parents, and it can happen again, as Myne became one. Therefore, I think Myne is going to be queen. She is a self imposed noble with mana that qualifies in the other aspects necessary to become queen (king? Not sure in the correct terminology). Eglantine and Anastasius are going to support her, Hildebrand as well, and since Ferdinand will accept in a way or another, Sylvester and Ehrenfest will also. Maybe Dunkelfelger wil also and of course the church will be pro Myne. To arrive there, to Myne becoming a prospect of a King in the country’s eyes, something must happen. This something will be when Georgine tries to take control of Ehrenfest and Myne will use her abundant mana to stop it in some way. She’ll get intorrogeted as to how she has that kind of power and, in the eyes of the nation, she will become a better option of a king than the current one and the first prince. The first prince will try to kill her. Eglantine will supoort Myne. Myne will confess to her about being candidate to become King and then, everything checks. Maybe this is nonsense. I know I haven’t considered the time variable as Myne is still 11 years old (9 really). If you think I’m wrong, don’t be shy and communicate with me.

[s. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so tense!

Too many things are happening omg. I feel like it made up for all the peaceful days prior. Those were really the calm before the storm and in this book, the storm is finally brewing.

Big things are coming. Bad things are coming. And Rozemyne is at the center of it all. Things are starting to get heated up and Rozemyne, as oblivious as she is, would het caught up. Ferdinand is now starting to get caught up and honestly, it makes me nervous. I am yet to fully understand what Raublut said to Ferdinand but I imagine that to be explained in the coming books so I simply can't wait to read more about that.

Rozemyne's surroundings are getting tenser and it seems her retainers are falling in love on their own too lmao. Can't say I'm all for it but I support nonetheless.

I can't wait to read the next!

[Aelvana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rozemyne's poor health has undermined her yet again. With the latest big embarassment at school enough to force her home, she's ready to take on the usual rounds of rituals. Except that the ternisbefallen incident is turning into something far bigger than anyone wanted, Rozemyne has once again uncovered a secret that could get her killed, and other duchies are making their own plans for her . . .

This volume has, besides the usual hilarious shenanigans, some intriguing details about the world as a whole. Rozemyne being High Bishop was always more of a convenient post for her mana use, but she's once again discovered secrets that reside in the special bibles only High Bishops can use. And those secrets, Ferdinand is very quick to point out, are ones that can and will get her killed.

Which mostly means I'm waiting to see how they'll play into things down the road, since a plot detail THIS big is unlikely to exist just to be mentioned and forgotten.

And those greater world details become particularly relevant during the interdutchy tournament, which goes sideways in a number of different ways.

Once again, this series excels at mixing a fantasy slice-of-life with quite a bit of humor and character drama. I'm hopeful Rozemyne may yet destabilize the entire country in her pursuit of ever more books. I rate this book Highly Recommended.

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

More goodness from Kazuki Sensei this volume!

Once again, the timeline is somewhat accelerated in this volume to allow for all the important events to fit together. That is all to the good however.

In this volume, alongside our usual engaging character development and world building, we are treated to another high stakes, large scale battle scene directly after the one in the last volume. Great to have so much action from this series back to back!

Consequences that reach far beyond the borders of Ehrenfest are starting to be felt strongly in this volume. Who are the culprits behind the scenes? How will their actions effect the land and all the many characters we have come to know in it? I couldn’t be more invested!

[Juliana Terraza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Qué puedo decir, apareció nuestra hermosa Clarissa demostrando que con lo raro que es Hartmut aun así siempre existe alguien destinado para ti (Los simps de Rozemyne incrementan).
Los partidos de Ditter siempre me gustan, está vez no fue la excepción y definitivamente cualquier tomo que muestre la grandeza y belleza de Ferdiand (La capa amarila!!!!) es un gran SÍ además del juramento de Roderick que estaba esperando desde hace mucho (solo falta que Mattias tenga más protagonismo) y por último, qué decir de las citas en el mirador, hasta yo quiero tener una ( y si es con nuestra diosa de la luz Eglantine no me quejaría)

[Kyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if it was taking a break from the series, or if this volume was just more interesting, but I certainly enjoyed it. Lots of action, a fair amount of intrigue, and some romance (i really do not understand the expected romantic actions of this civilization). It was nice not to have Rozemyne keeling over every other second (she does plenty anyhow). There's some explanations for the tensions in the Sovereignty. There's also minor ongoing feuds. While new inventions are not a major focus, there's enough to keep things interesting. I'm looking forward to the next volume explaining a few things.

[An · Rating 4 out of 5]

No me acuerdo del nombre de la hermana de Sylvester pero que chinge a su madre mil veces!! En otras noticias pasaron cositas en este, muy bueno de hecho, osea que zent no es el zent. Pero rozemyne y Ferdinand pueden leer las condiciones para ser rey. Los cochinos ahrenfest creo que se llaman queriendo culpar a ehrenfest ya wey, consiganse una vida ojetes. Tan aburrida está vieja? Otra que odio es la fraulem, me recuerda a todas vecinas chismosas castrosas, cállese vieja pedorra!! Estuvo bueno la verdad no le doy 5 porque necesito que Rozemyne ya madure por dios! Un poquito de crecimiento te pido!

[Julie Ditton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot finally picks up the pace with new developments. Rozemyne has discovered a special entry in the high bishop’s bible that lists the true requirements for the king. One of which is that the king should have the original bible which is now missing. Rozemyne and Ferdinand keep it a secret to avoid being embroiled in the fight between royalty and the fundamentalist Sovereign Temple. After binging the whole series currently available in English, I now have to wait for the next English edition.

[Scott Mattson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to believe it's been 19 novels so far. The story has come so far. In this volume Rosemyne's second year at the royal academy is coming to a end. She has to navigate an investigation into her home's Duchy's use to black weapons, a question of Bibical accuracy and the interduchy tournament all while trying to stay out of trouble.

As usual it's still it's still interesting. Lots of characters and various events happening and are very interesting. There is action, and interesting ways of solving problems.

[R.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rozemyne examines the High Bishop's bible and discovers a secret inside, one that may be dangerous to make public so Ferdinand orders her to not tell anyone else. Very convenient that what makes royalty in this world is a book.
During the Interduchy Tournament Ferdinand is coerced into accepting a game of ditter from Dunkelfelger, once again Rozemyne seem to find comfort in seeing Ferdinand look evil, and then all hell breaks loose when the Royal Academy is attacked by a group of extremists against the King. Now the Sovereignty seem to be suspicious about Ehrenfest.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continues to surprise and entertain

I'm really enjoying where the story is going and how the characters and relationships continue to grow. Plot cycles can easily become predictable and boring this deep into a series, but book worm continues to drop the unexpected in plots and lore.

[Lois Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rozemyne ends her 2nd year with a bang

Well, she always does but it seems that few troublesome rumors and speculations are heading toward’s Ehrenfest. I totally love how Ferdinand has been involve heavily in this volume. Judging by the next one, it will be a exciting drama with him and Rozemyne’s circumstances. Can’t wait!

[Velta Gūtmane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Otrās skolas gada noslēguma.

Izskatās, kā reliģija šajā pasaulē glabā daudz noslēpumus un ir vēl nozīmīgāka pasaules daļa nekā man likās iepriekš. Reliģija kura zaudē varu šajā pasaulē, bet ir neatņemama daļa no tās.

Ferdinanda noslēpumi. Tagad ar Rozmyne noslēpumi. Iespējams uzzināsim, ko jaunu par Ferdinandu. Kaut ko ko viņš slēpj no visiem, bet ne tuvākā nākotnē to varēs uzzināt.

[Coral Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

That got dark.

Conspiracies. Mysteries! WHAT IS THE SEED OF ADALGISA AND WHAT IS FERDINAND'S CONNECTION WITH IT??? I need to know!!!!!!
Just when I thought this series was just a slice of life genre, the world explodes with a failed assassination of the royal family??? I gotta know more.

[Anny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author was simply superb at world building, every little revelation got me excited at the potential for future plot development. At the same time the development of each and every characters was also superbly done, no cardboard supporting characters here! Each of them had their own view and purpose that reading from the multiple POVs only made you more aware of the complexity of this world.

[A S · Rating 5 out of 5]

funny

Not a lot happens in this volume, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very funny and quite sweet. I want Mile to build up more power and start smacking down more enemies, but she’s gradually kicking ass.

[Christina Blank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you know … I’m still in love with a series

Owe! the Romance is on! Not the main characters course, but it’s nice to see how they approach it in this world she’s creating. And the action is heating up! It’s really very exciting… Onto the next

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good one. Lot's of stuff happening but also hints of what might happen - and that hasn't been a thing in awhile. And more view into the country. And some combat that moved the plot along a bit. And with this, still a pleasant read. 3.5 of 5.

[Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

好一段時間沒看小書痴，等到第四部電子版都出完之後放心追進度啦
（一邊復健劇情⋯⋯）

1.這集與波尼法迪斯打勾勾可能會骨折的冷箭讓我大笑
2.科尼留斯跟萊歐諾蕾的番外很可以啊！開始體會看艾倫菲斯特戀愛故事集的讀者的心情XD
3.尾聲那段阿妲姬莎之實的對話意涵未解，希望在我瞭解他的意思之前不會忘記劇情⋯⋯

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is consistently enjoyable to read.

[Zosia · Rating 5 out of 5]

uwielbiam tą serię <33

[Jesse Deleon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waiting for August 2022!

I really enjoyed reading this series and can only say that I hope you are happy with it, too. A fan!

[Sol González · Rating 3 out of 5]

El ataque a la escuela, el juego de digger con Ferdinand y ¿en este universo la gente no se besa?