Half Bad

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Half Bad by Sally Green
Series Name: Half Bad
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural, Urban, Witches
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: Viking/ Penguin
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-670-01678-5
Rating: 3.75/5
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Description from the Book

Sixteen-year-old Nathan lives in a cage: beaten, shackled, trained to kill. In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world’s most terrifying and violent witch, Marcus. Nathan’s only hope for survival is to escape his captors, track down Marcus, and receive the three gifts that will bring him into his own magical powers—before it’s too late. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is monitored, when there is no one safe to trust, not even family, not even the girl he loves?

Personal & Info

This book is a three-year-old gift from a friend. My copy originally came from a dollar store. I don’t know the exact price, but I’m pretty sure everything online is more expensive than what she paid. Anyway, it’s something for me to try that has been on my shelf for a while, and I’m going into it completely blind.

Apparently there is a Netflix series inspired by this. It’s called The Bastard Son and The Devil Himself, but from the title alone, it sounds like the content was drastically changed. I have no plans to watch it.

For those interested in the rest of the trilogy, the second one is Half Wild, and the third is Half Lost. There are also two prequel volumes in available in digital format that appear to be fairly short. It looks like they both follow Gabriel’s time before we meet him in Half Bad. They are Half Lies and Half Truths. If I like the rest of the trilogy, I will probably try to read those.

Content Warnings

-abuse
-Bullying
-Death
-Guns
-Hate Crime
-Self Harm
-Suicidal Themes
-Torture
-Violence

Characters

Nathan is the main character. The story covers essentially his entire childhood, and it’s written in his perspective. He is half white witch and half black witch, from a different father than his siblings, and he lives among white witches.

Jessica is Nathan’s oldest sister. She is approximately eight years older than Nathan, and she has a generally mean personality. Her spitefulness is mostly directed at Nathan. She’s nice to pretty much everyone else. Jessica wants to be a Hunter, which is a white witch who hunts black witches.

Debora is Nathans other sister. She is approximately five years older than him. Nathan considers her to be one of the cleverest people he knows. Debora, unlike Jessica, is kind to Nathan and actually cares about him.

Arran is Nathan’s only brother. He is approximately two years older than Nathan. Arran is Nathan’s best friend throughout his childhood. He is a kind person, who dislikes violence, but will stand up for those he cares about.

Mrs. Ashworth is Nathan’s maternal grandmother. She is raising all four of her grandchildren, and she doesn’t judge Nathan for having a black witch father. Her witch talent is potions.

Marcus is Nathan’s infamous and mysterious black witch father. He is supposedly the most evil and most powerful black witch alive.

Annalise O’Brien is a white witch around Nathan’s age. Her uncle is on the council, and most of her family consists of Hunters. Many of her relatives also appear throughout the book, such as: Connor, Niall, Clay, and Kieran. Annalise is the main love interest for the book. She is kind to Nathan, and seems to disagree with the rest of her family’s views and ideals.

Nikita, also named Ellen, is half fain, which means she’s half witch and half normal human. Her witch parent is a white witch. Nikita helps a guy named Bob with errands and meetings.

Celia is a brawny white witch, whom the council trusts to handle raising a black witch according to their dictated rules. Her witch talent involves sound.

Gabriel is a black witch currently working as part of Mercury’s contact chain. People who want to meet her have to earn his trust to be able to see her. His witch power is shapeshifting into other people.

Rose is Mercury’s assistant. She is a white witch, but she was raised by Mercury, so she does not think or act like a normal white witch.

Mercury is a witch who steals from the white witch council as a means to assist orphaned or troubled witches. Her business makes her similar to Rumpelstiltskin. She operates in trades where she names the price or favor.

Story & Thoughts

In Regards to Content Warnings

I think the most important thing to start with is that this book is definitely not for everyone. It is dark and it has several easy-to-spot content triggers. I did my best to list them above, but I’ll give you a better idea of what is actually in the book.

Nathan’s existence as a half white and half black witch results in people treating him like he is a disgusting thing and not an actual person. White witches take any and all opportunities to insult or physically harm him. And I don’t mean just your usual school yard beat-up. People will beat him to the brink of death and actually torture him. It is generally horrifying. At no point has he ever done anything wrong, and for the duration of the book, he’s a child.

Black witches have no rights as far as white witches are concerned, and a half is no better. Any black witches caught by the whites are tortured until they eventually die or kill themselves. Nathan is half, and therefore has potential to be either. There is a whole process in which they try to categorize him.

You’d think this means he would be fine until he is eventually categorized, but you’re wrong. He is treated like dirt just because he is half black witch. As far as the story is concerned, he might as well be just a pure black witch that was born in the custody of the white witches. All that matters to them is how they can use him in regards to capturing Marcus.

I can see parallels to real life racism and horrific historical events. If you’re sensitive to these subjects, don’t read this book. These themes did not even begin to let up until more than half way through the novel.

General Review

There’s a lot to unpack about this book. White witches calling themselves the good guys is way messed up. They are horrible at even bothering to try to convince Nathan that they are good. I get the impression they really don’t care if he thinks they are good or not, because his existence gives them an outlet for their cruelty, and lets them get creative about how to try to control him.

The only way I can describe the majority of the book is, it feels like when you’re watching a car accident and you just can’t look away. The way Jessica and everyone outside Nathan’s family treats him is so appalling and horrifying that it’s riveting. I found myself devouring large chunks of the book before realizing how many pages had gone by. And by the time all the appalling stuff had died down, the story was getting more interesting.

The story itself is nothing special. The person we see at the end, for example, is no surprise at all. What the book seems to do well is the journey. From start to finish, despite the terrible things that happen, it’s enjoyable to read. I’m curious to see where it goes, but I don’t plan on spending any money on it, unless it gets better. Thankfully, I found the series on a library resource where I’ll be able to read it for free whenever I’m ready to circle back.

It doesn’t feel right to rate the book a four, because there are a few things about it that bug me. Most of it is really good. The chapters are even super short, some only being a single page.

The romance is lacking. I think it’s trying to be a romance, but the plot hasn’t had time to build one, yet. I see openings for the second book to try to build on one or two relationships for potentially deepening romance. Annalise is not my choice. That’s all I’ll say on the matter.

What bugs me the most is the random writing style change that occurs, I think, twice. It starts off with a perspective that says “you” a lot, as if it’s trying to do a reader insert. That feels very strange since it’s not a choose your own adventure book. It’s used for the entirety of Part One, and then Part Two changes into a first person “I” perspective. The “you” comes back briefly in Part Three, though. I absolutely hate this. It feels unnatural. This is probably the only reason I didn’t give the book a four.

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part. 3, Vol. 5 (LN)

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Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! Part 3: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke, Vol. 5 by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina
Series Name: Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! (Light Novel)
Genres: Fantasy, Isekai, Magic
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 9781718356115
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

Rozemyne needs only one more ingredient for her jureve: the ruelle fruit she failed to gather the year before. With it, she and Ferdinand can finally brew the potent potion that will make her a normal, healthy girl. Well, probably…She funnels her excitement into advancing the paper-making industry and gathering more support, all to create a world with more books for her to read. As winter approaches, however, the political struggles between nobles intensify. Various plots unfold and sow discord within the temple, and what happens next will forever change not just Rozemyne’s future, but her new little sister’s fate as well. Shocking developments bring Part 3 to its climactic conclusion! This volume also includes short stories leading into Part 4, and a four-panel manga drawn by You Shiina!

Personal & Info

This is the final volume of Part 3. The story itself is only about 220 pages, followed by about 150 pages of bonus chapters.

Characters

The Archduke’s Family

Rozemyne, is the main character. Now that her Devouring is under control, she mostly just suffers from poor health and low stamina. Her memories of her past life, and her upbringing as a commoner with merchant experience, give her unique ideas and perspectives unlike anyone else in Ehrenfest.

High Priest Ferdinand is Rozemyne’s guardian, and the illegitimate younger brother of the archduke. He handles the majority of the work that keeps the temple running, and must also occasionally assist the Knight’s Order.

Sylvester is the eccentric archduke of Ehrenfest and Rozemyne’s adoptive father.

Florencia is Sylvester’s wife, Rozemyne’s adoptive mother, and mother to Sylvester’s three children.

Wilfried is Sylvester’s oldest son and Rozemyne’s older brother.

Charlotte is Sylvester’s daughter and Rozemyne’s sister.

Melchior is Sylvester’s youngest child and Rozemyne’s younger brother.

Bonifatius is Sylvester’s uncle, Karstedt’s father, and Rozemyne’s grandfather. He covers for Sylvester while he is away at archduke meetings. Bonifatius absolutely adores Rozemyne and usually stays away from her for her safety.

The Knight Commander’s Family

Karstedt is the captain of Ehrenfest’s Knight’s Order. He’s also Ferdinand and Sylvester’s cousin, as well as Rozemyne’s noble father.

Elvira is Karstedt’s first wife and Rozemyne’s noble mother.

Eckart is Karstedt’s oldest son. He works for the Knight’s Order and serves as Ferdinand’s personal guard.

Lamprecht is Karstedt’s second son. He works as a knight serving as Wilfried’s guard.

Cornelius is Karstedt’s third son. He works as an apprentice knight serving as Rozemyne’s guard while she is in the Noble’s Quarter.

Rozemyne’s Retainers

Damuel is a knight and laynoble from Part 2, Volume 2, currently assigned as Rozemyne’s guard. He is Henrik’s younger brother. Henrik is the laynoble to whom Freida has a contract.

Rihyarda is Rozemyne’s head attendant in the castle. She is an archnoble who previously took care of Ferdinand, Karstedt, and Sylvester when they were children.

Brigitte is a knight and mednoble serving as Rozemyne’s guard alongside Damuel. She is the younger sister of Giebe Illgner.

Angelica is an apprentice knight and mednoble serving as Rozemyne’s guard alongside Cornelius. She hates studying and wants other people to think for her.

Ottilie is an attendant at the castle. She is an archnoble and friends with Elvira.

Lower City Family

Gunther is Myne’s father. He works as a soldier who currently guards the city’s East gate.

Effa is Myne’s mother. She dyes clothes for a career.

Tuuli is Myne’s sister. Her current occupation is apprentice seamstress and she strives to move up in the industry. She currently works for the Gilberta Company as a leherl.

Kamil is Myne and Tuuli’s baby brother.

Temple Attendants

Fran is Rozemyne’s head attendant in the temple. He is in charge of managing the High Bishop’s chambers and making sure Rozemyne learns everything she needs to know for her job by the time she needs to know it.

Gil is one of Rozemyne’s attendants in the temple. He is in charge of running the workshop inside the orphanage, and traveling when new workshops need to be set up.

Wilma is one of Rozemyne’s attendants in the temple. She is in charge of running the orphanage and therefore does not reside in Rozemyne’s own chambers. Wilma also provides the art for anything the workshop makes.

Monika is a cook who also helps in the High Bishop’s chambers. She admires Wilma and does her best to emulate her to learn from her example.

Nicola is a cook who also helps in the High Bishop’s chambers.

Fritz is one of Rozemyne’s new attendants. He helps Gil run the workshop to lessen his workload and cover for him when he needs to travel for business.

Zahm is one of Rozemyne’s new attendants. Like Fran, he was trained by Ferdinand. He helps manage the High Bishop’s chambers.

Personnel

Ella is Rozemyne’s personal chef.

Hugo is Rozemyne’s personal chef.

Rosina is Rozemyne’s personal musician.

The Gilberta Company

Corinna is Benno’s younger sister. She is the head seamstress of the Gilberta Company.

Otto is the head of the Gilberta Company, and Corinna’s husband.

The Plantin Company

Benno is in charge of the Plantin Company. He assists and advises Rozemyne in her merchant endeavors.

Mark is Benno’s right hand man. He helps manage the store and train the apprentices, as well as cover anything Benno might miss.

Lutz is a leherl apprentice. He helps make sure the Rozemyne workshop is in order and acts as a go-between for scheduling merchant relevant visitors. Lutz also helps the workers at the orphanage understand how to use and make the things Rozemyne thinks up.

Damian is Freida’s older brother and Gustav’s grandson.

The Othmar Company

Gustav is the Guildmaster of the Merchant’s Guild.

Freida is Gustav’s granddaughter with a nose for money. She has a contract with a laynoble to manage her Devouring.

Leise is Freida’s personal chef. She also assists with any projects the company has involving cooking.

Other Nobles

Oswald is an archnoble serving as Wilfried’s head attendant.

Moritz is Wilfried and Rozemyne’s instructor.

Justus is Rihyarda’s son, and one of Ferdinand’s estate attendants. He serves the role as scholar and tax official when necessary. Justus gathers both magical materials and information as a hobby.

Giebe Illgner is Brigitte’s older brother.

Georgine is Sylvester’s eldest sister and the first wife to the Duke of Ahrensbach.

Veronica is Sylvester’s mother, currently in prison.

Viscount Joisontak is part of Rozemary’s family. He insists Rozemyne is his niece.

Viscount Gerlach is a noble loyal to Georgine.

Gutenbergs

Ingo is the foreman of a carpentry workshop. He has Rozemyne’s exclusive business for her carpentry needs.

Johann is a smith talented with fine detail work. He can make otherwise impossible ideas a reality.

Zack is a smith good at coming up with ideas in the form of schematics. He can come up with several usable schematics of varying difficulty using abstract descriptions.

Heidi is an ink craftswoman who loves experimenting with new types of ink

Josef is Heidi’s husband, and an ink craftsman.

Other

Kampfer and Frietack are blue priests receiving training from Ferdinand to help lighten his workload.

Richt is Hasse’s new mayor.

Achim and Egon are the gray priests who are going to stay the winter in Hasse to help educate the citizens.

Volk is one of the gray priests involved in setting up the workshop in Illgner. He wants to stay there.

Carya is a good friend of Brigitte’s back in Illgner. She wants to marry Volk.

Dirk is a Devouring baby abandoned to the temple. In part 2, he was forced to sign a submission contract with Count Bindewald of Ahrensbach.

Delia is Rozemyne’s former attendant from her days as a Shrine Maiden. She takes care of Dirk like he is her own brother.

Lily is one of Egmont’s attendants. She returns to the orphanage in exchange for another after becoming pregnant.

Story & Thoughts

After reading this, I love Bonifatius. He usually keeps his distance from Rozemyne, because he’s an aggressive and excitable person, who usually can’t control his strength, which makes him dangerous for her to be around. He only had grandsons until Rozemyne, so he absolutely adores her. It’s unfortunate she isn’t aware of how he feels.

I like how the climactic events are handled. They are intense and emotional, but have humor mixed in, so they soften the blow for the heart-wrenching parts. I already know there are more Parts to the story, so nothing too terrible can happen, but the emotions still hit hard.

It’s clear that Ferdinand loves Rozemyne. I was touched by his aggressive protectiveness of her. He was speaking the truth when justifying his actions, but I don’t think he’s ever been as emotional or passionate about anything in the entirety of the story.

There are so many loose ends by the time everything is done. Thankfully the seven bonus stories help fill in some of the gaps and answer some questions. As always, I am in love with this series, and can’t wait to read more. I can’t get enough of it.

Grandfather on the Day of the Baptism

I was already loving Bonifatius during the regular story, but this bonus story just makes me love him more. It’s the events of the day of the Baptism in his perspective. He dotes internally on Rozemyne all day, and worries like crazy during the chaotic events of the climax.

This bonus also covers the investigation following the end of the volume’s events. Bonifatius’s thoughts and contributions prove he is not just some meathead. He is smart with a good intuition. The investigation would be at a dead end without him. The chapter also touches on what will happen with Georgine’s scheduled visit next year.

In Place of My Older Sister

Charlotte and Wilfried gain a new respect for Rozemyne when they try to cover all of her jobs, from managing the winter socializing room to her duties as the High Bishop. Wilfried thought he understood, because of their switch day, but he still had no real idea. Charlotte, whose perspective this bonus is, thinks Rozemyne has to be some sort of goddess to do everything she does.

It’s saddening to read this chapter. They’re trying so hard, but Charlotte feels so useless and inferior. Rozemyne has become so important to the regular functioning of Ehrenfest that there is a void to fill whenever she isn’t around.

Two Marriages

This bonus story is in Giebe Illgner’s perspective. It covers the events regarding Volk’s purchase, and the public spectacle of Damuel and Brigitte’s proposal. If I’m being honest, I’m disappointed, but I get it. It seems Giebe Illgner put more thought into things than Brigitte did. However, I think her request for Damuel to choose was unfair.

No Rest for Us

This one is in Lutz’s perspective. Lutz and Tuuli do their best to learn etiquette, while the Gutenbergs all stay busy with projects to fill their time. Unfortunately for Benno, he doesn’t get the break he thought he was getting. More work gets dumped on him with yet another tight deadline. Elvira previously discussed this project with Rozemyne, so it was bound to pop up eventually.

Meanwhile at the Temple

Rozemyne is currently unavailable to provide stories for the workshop to print. This is Fran’s perspective of things during that time. The temple’s overall workload is extra busy, and nobody knows how to compose simple stories into something publishable. I think Rozemyne should add creative writing to her education program.

The Laynoble Guard Knight

This whole bonus chapter is Damuel’s perspective during a conversation with his brother regarding his proposal to Brigitte. As with Brigitte, Damuel’s family put more thought into the proposal than he did. Between Two Marriages and The Laynoble Guard Knight, we get the full explanation behind things and why they turned out the way they did.

One Handful of a Chef

Okay, this one makes me happy. This is in Ella’s perspective. When she was originally introduced, it was clear she had a crush on Hugo. Hugo started seeing someone shortly after, and I got bummed, because two passionate chefs together would be super cute. Well, it’s finally come full circle. Hugo has finally started to look at Ella as someone who would be a good partner, who also understands the demands of his job. I’m happy for them. I’ve been rooting for them since the beginning.

Turning Point

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Turning Point by Lisanne Norman
Series Name: Sholan Alliance
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Adventure, Aliens, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Space Opera
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: DAW
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 0-88677-575-2
Rating: 2.5/5
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Description from the Book

Cut off from Earth by alien conquerors, the human colony on Keiss was slowly building an underground resistance movement to stand against the Valtegan invaders. But for many of the colonists, it was already too late.

Her twin sister Elise captured by Valtegan soldiers, Carrie, telepathically and empathically linked with Elise, experienced all the pain and terror that her sister was suffering. Only her twin’s death freed Carrie from torment, though it also left her completely alone in her own mind for the first time in her life. But this mental void was unexpectedly filled when Kusac, a felinoid crewman of a crashed starship, touched her thoughts. Drawn to him by their shared Talent, Carrie hid the injured Kusac from the Valtegans, and in so doing found a friend and an invaluable ally.

Yet though the trust and understanding between Carrie and Kusac was soon unshakable, it would prove far more difficult to convince each of their races that their only hope of overthrowing the Valtegans was to band together against the common foe. And even such an alliance offered no guarantee of success, for no one on any of the settled worlds had yet found a way to defeat this warrior race ready to lay waste to any civilization they could conquer.

Personal & Info

One of my friends recommended this to me a few years ago. It took me a while to get around to getting a copy and then actually read it. I’m sorry to say, it sat on my shelf for a couple years after I got it. I always meant to read it sooner rather than later.

Turning Point released in 1993, and appears to be rather obscure, so finding affordable copies might pose a small challenge. It’s not super old, but it’s old enough that the cover art makes it look stereotypically retro. I’m pretty sure most of the series is out of print, but they all seem to be available on kindle.

This volume is less than 300 pages long, but don’t let that fool you. The other volumes are all in the 600+ range, so don’t think this will be some convenient short, easy to read, series. I’ve also been told this one is the most docile volume. The romance is supposed to really take off and get more convoluted later.

Characters

Carrie is the female main character. She is twenty-three, and lives in Valleytown with her father(Peter) and her brother(Richard). Carrie has no interest in marrying and settling down to raise a family. She has telepathic abilities, and wants something more exciting out of life.

Peter Hamilton is Carrie and Richard’s father. He leads the Passive Resistance movement in Valleytown.

Richard is Carrie’s brother. Unlike their overbearing father, Richard cares about Carrie’s happiness. He seems like the kind of brother who is a good friend as well as family.

Kusac is the other main character and male love interest. He is a feline alien from the planet Shola. Kusac is a telepath serving as a scout officer in the Sholan military.

Vanna is the medic of Kusac’s military squad. She wants to study xenobiology.

Guynor is a technical scientist in Kusac’s squadron. He’s more brawn than brain, but knows his way around certain types of technlology.

Mito is a tech specialist in Kusac’s squadron. She’s also an opportunistic dater, who wants to be with whomever is the strongest or most interesting. Her current boyfriend is Guynor.

Garras is the Captain of Kusac’s squad. He is the oldest and wisest in the group.

Skai is the ex-boyfriend of Carrie’s deceased twin sister, Elise. His perspective on Elise and Carrie is skewed and inaccurate.

Skinner is one of the Captains in the rebellion against the Valtegans.

Anders is a tech specialist in Skinner’s chosen team.

Jo is a member of the resistance against the Valtegans, who previously worked with Carrie’s twin sister, Elise.

Story & Thoughts

As the first volume of a series, the book is okay. The story is decent and the important characters are well defined. The lore and descriptions are clear enough to be engaging and easy to understand, especially the ones involving the telepathy Link.

However, there is a lot of room for improvement. Some of the word choices are a little strange. Kusac gets hurt way too frequently throughout the story. He’s wounded more often than not. And my biggest issue, I think the book is too short to portray the story as well as it could.

There isn’t a cliffhanger, but the story feels incomplete. It ends rather abruptly. The primary issue gets resolved, but throughout the book, people are constantly talking about a court appearance that Kusac and Carrie are going to have to attend. Ideally, this constantly mentioned event would happen in this volume, because that’s what usually happens when a plot builds something up like that. Well, it doesn’t. That event is likely in the second volume, while this one just kind of drops off after the climactic event concludes. There should probably be one more chapter for the story to wind down for a smooth transition.

It’s not good enough to make me want to spend money on a second volume. However, I am mildly curious to see where it goes and how this can be a series. If I don’t have to pay money to read it, I’ll probably give the second volume try, but don’t get your hopes up on that happening. If it does, I only hope the second book picks up almost exactly where this one leaves off.

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part. 3, Vol. 4

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Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! Part 3: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke, Vol. 4 by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina
Series Name: Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! (Light Novel)
Genres: Fantasy, Isekai, Magic
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 9781718356108
Rating: 4/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Love blooms in Spring! Rozemyne’s retainers are bursting with energy as they sew new clothes, attend their debuts, and thrive in the new season. The improved printing press has finally been completed in the temple workshop, and new types of books are steadily being produced. Knight stories, picture books, sheet music collections, and more are all now being sold! Their next goal is to further develop the paper-making industry in preparation for spreading printing across the entire duchy. To achieve this, Rozemyne’s party travels to Illgner to teach the people there how to make paper and also to research new materials. Rozemyne’s environment slowly improves, but unease spreads throughout Ehrenfest when the archduke’s older sister arrives for a visit…

Personal & Info

The Cat-Eared Maid is my favorite bonus comic in the back, but all of them are pretty good.

Characters

The Archduke’s Family

Rozemyne, is the main character. Now that her Devouring is under control, she mostly just suffers from poor health and low stamina. Her memories of her past life, and her upbringing as a commoner with merchant experience, give her unique ideas and perspectives unlike anyone else in Ehrenfest.

High Priest Ferdinand is Rozemyne’s guardian at the temple, and the illegitimate younger brother of the archduke. He handles the majority of the work that keeps the temple running, and must also occasionally assist the Knight’s Order.

Sylvester is the eccentric archduke of Ehrenfest and Rozemyne’s adoptive father.

Florencia is Sylvester’s wife, Rozemyne’s adoptive mother, and mother to Sylvester’s three children.

Wilfried is Sylvester’s oldest son and Rozemyne’s older brother. He is supposed to become the next archduke of Ehrenfest.

Charlotte is Sylvester’s daughter and Rozemyne’s sister.

Melchior is Sylvester’s youngest child and Rozemyne’s younger brother.

Bonifatius is Sylvester’s uncle, Karstedt’s father, and Rozemyne’s grandfather. He covers for Sylvester while he is away at archduke meetings.

The Knight Commander’s Family

Karstedt is the captain of Ehrenfest’s Knight’s Order. He’s also Ferdinand and Sylvester’s cousin, as well as Rozemyne’s noble father.

Elvira is Karstedt’s first wife and Rozemyne’s noble mother.

Eckart is Karstedt’s oldest son. He works in the Knight’s Order, and he is a big fan of Ferdinand.

Lamprecht is Karstedt’s second son. He works as a knight serving as Wilfried’s guard.

Cornelius is Karstedt’s third son. He works as an apprentice knight serving as Rozemyne’s guard while she is in the Noble’s Quarter.

Rozemyne’s Retainers

Damuel is a knight and laynoble from Part 2, Volume 2, currently assigned as Rozemyne’s guard. He is Henrik’s younger brother. Henrik is the laynoble to whom Freida has a contract.

Rihyarda is Rozemyne’s head attendant in the castle. She is an archnoble who previously took care of Ferdinand, Karstedt, and Sylvester when they were children.

Brigitte is a knight and mednoble serving as Rozemyne’s guard alongside Damuel. She is the younger sister of Giebe Illgner.

Angelica is an apprentice knight and mednoble serving as Rozemyne’s guard alongside Cornelius. She hates studying and wants other people to think for her.

Ottilie is an attendant at the castle. She is an archnoble and friends with Elvira.

Lower City Family

Gunther is Myne’s father. He works as a soldier who currently guards the city’s East gate.

Effa is Myne’s mother. She dyes clothes for a career.

Tuuli is Myne’s sister. Her current occupation is apprentice seamstress and she strives to move up in the industry.

Kamil is Myne and Tuuli’s baby brother.

Temple Attendants

Fran is Rozemyne’s head attendant in the temple. He is in charge of managing the High Bishop’s chambers and making sure Rozemyne learns everything she needs to know for her job by the time she needs to know it.

Gil is one of Rozemyne’s attendants in the temple. He is in charge of running the workshop inside the orphanage.

Wilma is one of Rozemyne’s attendants in the temple. She is in charge of running the orphanage and therefore does not reside in Rozemyne’s own chambers. Wilma also provides the art for anything the workshop makes.

Monika is a cook who also helps in the High Bishop’s chambers. She admires Wilma and does her best to emulate her to learn from her example.

Nicola is a cook who also helps in the High Bishop’s chambers.

Fritz is one of Rozemyne’s new attendants. He helps Gil run the workshop to lessen his workload and cover for him when he needs to travel for business.

Zahm is one of Rozemyne’s new attendants. Like Fran, he was trained by Ferdinand. He helps manage the High Bishop’s chambers.

Personnel

Ella is Rozemyne’s personal chef.

Hugo is Rozemyne’s personal chef.

Rosina is Rozemyne’s personal musician.

The Gilberta Company

Corinna is Benno’s younger sister. She is the head seamstress of the Gilberta Company.

Otto is the new head of the Gilberta Company, and Corinna’s husband.

The Plantin Company

Benno is the merchant in charge of the Plantin Company. He assists and advises Rozemyne in her merchant endeavors.

Mark is Benno’s right hand man. He helps manage the store and train the apprentices, as well as cover anything Benno might miss.

Lutz is a leherl apprentice. He helps make sure the Rozemyne workshop is in order and acts as a go-between for scheduling merchant relevant visitors. Lutz also helps the workers at the orphanage understand how to use and make the things Rozemyne thinks up.

Damian is Freida’s older brother and Gustav’s grandson.

The Othmar Company

Gustav is the Guildmaster of the Merchant’s Guild.

Freida is Gustav’s granddaughter with a nose for money. She has a contract with a laynoble to manage her Devouring.

Leise is Freida’s personal chef. She also assists with any projects the company has involving cooking.

Other Nobles

Oswald is an archnoble serving as Wilfried’s head attendant.

Moritz is Wilfried and Rozemyne’s instructor.

Justus is Rihyarda’s son, and one of Ferdinand’s estate attendants. He serves the role as scholar and tax official when necessary. Justus gathers both magical materials and information as a hobby.

Giebe Illgner is Brigitte’s older brother.

Georgine is Sylvester’s eldest sister and the first wife to the Duke of Ahrensbach.

Veronica is Sylvester’s mother, currently in prison.

Viscountess Gloria Dahldolf is the mother of Shikza, the noble who suffered execution as a result of harming Myne instead of protecting her.

Gutenbergs

Ingo is the foreman of a carpentry workshop. He has Rozemyne’s exclusive business for her carpentry needs.

Johann is a smith talented with fine detail work. He can make otherwise impossible ideas a reality.

Zack is a smith good at coming up with ideas in the form of schematics. He can come up with several usable schematics of varying difficulty using abstract descriptions.

Other

Kampfer and Frietack are blue priests receiving training from Ferdinand to help lighten his workload.

Richt is Hasse’s new mayor.

Dirk is a Devouring baby abandoned to the temple. In part 2, he was forced to sign a submission contract with Count Bindewald of Ahrensbach.

Delia is Rozemyne’s former attendant from her days as a Shrine Maiden. She takes care of Dirk like he is her own brother.

Story & Thoughts

Everyone is thinking ahead in this volume, except Rozemyne. Benno, Mark, and Lutz are making business decisions based entirely on how Rozemyne’s life proceeds, ready to uproot at a moment’s notice. Tuuli, who wants to make Rozemyne’s clothes someday, wants to be able to follow her wherever she might end up, too.

My favorite thing in this book is the romance. Back during the previous Starbind events, we learned both Damuel and Brigitte are seeking marriage partners. If you’re like me, you might think they should just marry each other, but there’s the issue of him being a laynoble, and her a mednoble. Their mana difference makes it an impossibility due to societal expectations.

Nothing is for sure, but the start of a potential romance between them blooms. It’s so cute and sweet. I ship them so hard. We’ll have to wait until next Starbind to see what happens.

After part two, there has been a long break from major political issues. The story is circling back around to politics. However, it doesn’t seem like the people supporting Georgine have thought anything all the way through. Their thoughts seem based on what they want, rather than what Georgine might want.

If you consider Georgine’s rank for her current status, her intentions can’t possibly be what they think. After all, why would anyone with a higher status intentionally throw that away to take something of a lower status? There has to be something more elaborate going on in Georgine’s mind. I don’t think she would throw away her current rank. She seems like the kind of person who likes to have power. We likely won’t see the full culmination of whatever her plans are until somewhere in part four. Needless to say, the whole thing is ominous.

Tea Party

This is Florencia’s experience during Georgine’s visit. She attends a couple tea parties with Sylvester and Elvira to discuss the previous High Bishop’s death and learn more about Georgine. Florencia apparently never met Georgine, until now. She is more familiar with Sylvester’s other sister. We also get to see her side of Wilfried’s blunder. She has nothing but praise when it comes to Rozemyne. Florencia doesn’t speak much during the main story, but it’s clear she’s a kind person with good intentions, who has been treated unfairly in the past.

Damuel’s Proposal

If there’s a bonus chapter you’ll want to read, it’s going to be this one. Rozemyne was not present for the events of the actual Starbind socializing, so this chapter covers what actually happened, without any embellishment. Damuel’s goal is unheard of, but I’m rooting for him. Brigitte and Damuel are so cute together.

Staying in Illgner

This last bonus chapter is in Gil’s perspective. It takes place over the summer in Illgner, while they’re experimenting with new types of paper. Things are very different in Illgner. There are no stores, no thieves, and everybody has to work. Damien doesn’t like it there one bit. He was sent because he has experience with nobles, but really that has little to no significance in Illgner. I’m pretty sure I did not see the feybeast wood mentioned here, so they may not have tried it yet. This chapter’s resulting paper is the stuff Rozemyne uses to make her fan.

Light Novel & Manga Haul January 2025

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About

I didn’t think I’d have enough books for a January haul, but various sales and impulse purchases happened. All of the light novels and one of the manga came from Amazon. Two of the manga were in-store purchases from a small local store, and the fourth was a late Christmas gift. Usually there are one or two light novels next to a bunch more manga, so I’m surprised I have an even ratio this time.

Light Novels

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Royal Academy Stories

I couldn’t pass up buying this one. It was on sale for half price. It’s not part of the main series, though.

This volume is a collection of short stories involving the characters for Rozemyne’s first year at the Royal Academy. None of the stories are in Rozemyne’s perspective. The description says they are all stories from the perspectives of her classmates.

I don’t know exactly when this should be read, but it’s somewhere in or after Part Four. I’m sure I’ll have a better idea for when I should read it once I actually start reading that part. The side stories at the end of each volume are usually enjoyable, so I’m looking forward to reading this.

What is it?

Side stories for an isekai about a bookworm who wakes up as a five-year-old girl in a world where books are unobtainable by the general public, so she decides to make her own and strive to make them more accessible.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Short Story Collection, Vol. 1

This is the first volume of the short story collections. There are currently two volumes of these, but the second is not yet available in physical print. The stories span anywhere from part one to Part Four, which probably means part four should be read before this. I generally enjoy all the short stories the series has to offer, so I’m looking forward to reading this.

What is it?

Side stories for an isekai about a bookworm who wakes up as a five-year-old girl in a world where books are unobtainable by the general public, so she decides to make her own and strive to make them more accessible.

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Vol. 22 & 23

These are Part Five, volumes one and two. I haven’t read any of Part Four, yet, so I have a substantial buffer at this point. I plan on trying to get caught up on physical volumes, because they are still releasing, and the end of the series is in sight. Part Five is the final, and longest, part.

Reviews for the Ascendance of a Bookworm light novel volumes I have already read can be found in the Index.

What is it?

An isekai about a bookworm who wakes up as a five-year-old girl in a world where books are unobtainable by the general public, so she decides to make her own and strive to make them more accessible.

Manga

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 8 & 9

I’m not terribly behind on this series, but it has been a while since I got any volumes. Season two of the anime isn’t far off, so I want to try catching up before watching it.

I didn’t actually intend to buy these when I went to the store. My intention was to pick up the latest volume of Daemons of the Shadow Realm, that I was two months late in grabbing, but the store didn’t have it. I always feel bad going into a store and walking out with nothing, so I grabbed these instead, since I had already planned to buy one or two manga.

Reviews for the Frieren volumes I have already read can be found in the Index.

What is it?

A fantasy story about an Elf mage coming to terms with how long her lifespan is compared to those around her.

Inuyasha VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 6

I read the entirety of the Inuyasha manga a number of years ago. However, I did not own them at the time, so I’m collecting the VIZBIG editions. I think they’re overall cheaper and more efficient than getting more than fifty single volumes.

This series will always be special to me, because it had a huge impact on my childhood. My friend group bonded over it back when it was first premiering on Adult Swim. I’m about to date myself, but I remember setting up the VCR to record Adult Swim so I could watch the episodes the following day. The anime was a big part of the culture of my childhood.

Owning my own copies of the manga and having some figure merchandise means a lot to me. It was fairly recently that I managed to get a Koga Funko figure, and it meant the world to me. There is little to no merchandise available of him, and he is one of my favorite characters. The nostalgia of it all makes me happy, and I love that there’s a sequel series for me to enjoy for some new content. I haven’t read or watched much of Yashahime, yet, but I love everything I’ve seen of it, so far.

What is it?

A time travel adventure romance with demons.

Skip Beat! Vol. 49

Skip Beat! is one of my all time favorite shojo manga series. I haven’t given it a reread in years, but it’ll be time to circle back soon. At this point I might have more volumes I haven’t read than volumes I that I have.

I’m glad it’s still going, but the current volumes are noticeably thinner than they used to be, substantially so. Hopefully, that won’t be a reflection of story quality. Volume 50 is due out on March, 4th.

What is it?

A revenge showbiz story with comedy and romance.

Behind the Attic Wall

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Behind the Attic Wall by Sylvia Cassedy
Genres: Ghosts, Mystery, Paranormal, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Avon/ Camelot/ Hearst Co.
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 0-380-69843-9
Rating: 2/5
Amazon ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

At twelve, Maggie had been thrown out of more boarding schools than she cared to remember. “Impossible to handle,” they said—nasty, mean, disobedient, rebellious, thieving—anything they could say to explain why she must be removed from the school.

Maggie was thin and pale, with shabby clothes and stringy hair, when she arrived at her new home. “It was a mistake to bring her here,” said Maggie’s great-aunts, whose huge stone house looked like another boarding school—or a prison. But they took her in anyway. After all, aside from Uncle Morris, they were Maggie’s only living relatives.

But from behind the closet door in the great and gloomy house, Maggie hears the faint whisperings, the beckoning voices. And in the forbidding house of her ancestors, Maggie finds magic…the kind that lets her, for the first time, love and be loved.

Personal & Info

This is a children’s book from 1983. I can’t remember if I got it from a pre-owned book sale or as a random grab from Goodwill. Either way, I got it as something a little different to try.

The cover is misleading. Yes, there are dolls in the story. No, Maggie is not a ghost. I have no idea why the artwork makes her look like that. Yes, there is a dog in the story, but it’s supposed to be ceramic. I have no idea why the cover portrays an actual normal looking dog.

The description is also misleading. The magic it refers to is metaphorical.

Content Warnings

-Self Harm (mild)

-Self Hate

-Anorexia

-Death

-Animated Dolls

Characters

There are a few characters I will not list here, because knowing them ahead of time would take away from the story.

Margaret Ann Turner, who goes by Maggie, is the main character. When the story begins, she is twelve, but by the end, she’s approximately fourteen. Both of her parents died in an accident, so she’s an orphan who has been passed from one living situation to another.

Great-Aunts Lillian and Harriet are Maggie’s aunts who take her in for the duration of the story. Maggie can only tell them apart by Lillian’s freckles and Harriet’s wrinkles.

Uncle Morris is Maggie’s eccentric uncle. He always says strange things and makes odd jokes that Maggie doesn’t understand. Most of his dialogue takes what anybody says extremely literal.

Edith and Clara are Maggie’s new younger sisters to whom she is telling the story.

Story & Thoughts

Behind the Attic Wall tells the story in the form of both a memory, and retelling of events to Maggie’s new little sisters. Maggie looks back on her time living in Adelphi Hills with her great-aunts. Overall, it’s pretty sad.

Maggie is a frustrated and troubled orphan who has been treated poorly, insulted, and bullied by pretty much everyone, since she lost her family. She doesn’t want any friends, or even any things from anybody. She won’t even accept the clothes her aunts provide upon her moving in.

The torment she’s endured has taken a toll on her self-confidence to the point she is starting to believe the nasty words people use to describe her. Maggie even emulates the way people treat her when playing with her imaginary friends. She imagines them as poorer than herself and dumb as rocks with the memories of goldfish, and she lords this over them to be in a position to be able to say mean things to somebody else. It’s possible she just thinks that’s how people normally interact, because of her personal experience, but she’s only been on the receiving end and clearly wants to be on the end that dishes it out.

Maggie is supposed to grow and heal throughout the story, but the whole thing is bittersweet. Her life gets better just for it to fall apart. It’s one of those simple stories about a child who has a supernatural experience and then has to move on with their life as if it never happened. It’s an unsatisfying ending that leaves a lot of questions.

The story is cute and a little silly, because the friends Maggie encounters are eccentric, but I don’t think it holds up to modern day books. I think kids of today would find it dull. Some with similar mental health struggles might relate, but I don’t think that’s enough to save it.

What I think would make the story better, would be to latch onto the mysterious aspects. Explore the lore more deeply. I certainly have questions I would like answers to after reading it, so it would be nice if the story would go more deeply into some hows and whys. However, doing so would likely change the feel of the story enough that it probably would no longer be what the author was aiming for.

When all is said and done, it was okay. I have no interest in ever reading it again, and I’m probably not going to keep it. I can’t say I would recommend it to anyone, either. It’s a product of its time and it really shows with how Maggie acts more like a six-year-old than a modern day twelve-year-old.

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part. 3, Vol. 3 (LN)

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Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! Part 3: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke, Vol. 3 by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina
Series Name: Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! (Light Novel)
Genres: Fantasy, Isekai, Magic
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 9781718356092
Rating: 3.75/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll Thriftbooks

Description from the Book

Rozemyne the High Bishop has her hands full: she’s participating in noble society, the baptism ceremony, and the Dedication Ritual, as well as tutoring young children and guard knights with bad grades! Her influence in noble society and the temple increases steadily, and her squad of Gutenbergs work on improving the printing press. As her love for books grows, her mana grows stronger as well. The Saint of Ehrenfest’s work doesn’t stop there, as she must also hunt the Lord of Winter with the Knight’s Order, and then gather a new ingredient for her jureve potion during spring prayer. This is another action-packed volume of this biblio-fantasy, including two lengthy short stories and a four-panel manga drawn by You Shiina!

Personal & Info

It’s unfortunate that the title box for this volume covers the pandabus. The bus can be seen inside the book on the mini-poster version of the cover image. We need more pictures of the pandabus.

Characters

The Archduke’s Family

Rozemyne, is the main character. Now that her Devouring is under control, she mostly just suffers from poor health and low stamina. Her memories of her past life, and her upbringing as a commoner with merchant experience, give her unique ideas and perspectives unlike anyone else in Ehrenfest.

High Priest Ferdinand is Rozemyne’s guardian at the temple, and the illegitimate younger brother of the archduke. He handles the majority of the work that keeps the temple running, and must also occasionally assist the Knight’s Order.

Sylvester is the eccentric archduke of Ehrenfest and Rozemyne’s adoptive father.

Florencia is Sylvester’s wife, Rozemyne’s adoptive mother, and mother to Sylvester’s three children.

Wilfried is Sylvester’s oldest son and Rozemyne’s older brother. He is supposed to become the next archduke of Ehrenfest.

Charlotte is Sylvester’s daughter and Rozemyne’s younger sister.

Melchior is Sylvester’s youngest child and Rozemyne’s younger brother.

The Knight Commander’s Family

Karstedt is the captain of Ehrenfest’s Knight’s Order. He’s also Ferdinand and Sylvester’s cousin, as well as Rozemyne’s noble father.

Elvira is Karstedt’s first wife and Rozemyne’s noble mother.

Eckart is Karstedt’s oldest son. He is around eighteen-years-old and works in the Knight’s Order. Eckart is a big fan of Ferdinand.

Lamprecht is Karstedt’s second son. He is around sixteen-years-old and works as a knight serving as Wilfried’s guard.

Cornelius is Karstedt’s third son. He is around eleven-years-old and works as an apprentice knight serving as Rozemyne’s guard while she is in the Noble’s Quarter.

Rozemyne’s Retainers

Damuel is a knight and laynoble from Part 2, Volume 2, currently assigned as Rozemyne’s guard. He is Henrik’s younger brother. Henrik is the laynoble to whom Freida has a contract.

Rihyarda is Rozemyne’s head attendant in the castle. She is an archnoble who previously took care of Ferdinand, Karstedt, and Sylvester when they were children.

Brigitte is a knight and mednoble serving as Rozemyne’s guard alongside Damuel. She is the younger sister of Giebe Illgner.

Angelica is an apprentice knight and mednoble serving as Rozemyne’s guard alongside Cornelius.

Ottilie is an attendant at the castle. She is an archnoble and friends with Elvira.

Lower City Family

Gunther is Myne’s father. He works as a soldier who currently guards the city’s East gate.

Effa is Myne’s mother. She dyes clothes for a career.

Tuuli is Myne’s sister. Her current occupation is apprentice seamstress and she strives to move up in the industry.

Kamil is Myne and Tuuli’s baby brother.

Temple Attendants

Fran is Rozemyne’s head attendant in the temple. He is in charge of managing the High Bishop’s chambers and making sure Rozemyne learns everything she needs to know for her job by the time she needs to know it.

Gil is one of Rozemyne’s attendants in the temple. He is in charge of running the workshop inside the orphanage.

Wilma is one of Rozemyne’s attendants in the temple. She is in charge of running the orphanage and therefore does not reside in Rozemyne’s own chambers. Wilma also provides the art for anything the workshop makes.

Monika is a cook who also helps in the High Bishop’s chambers. She admires Wilma and does her best to emulate her to learn from her example.

Nicola is a cook who also helps in the High Bishop’s chambers.

Fritz is Rozemyne’s new attendant. He helps Gil run the workshop to lessen his workload and cover for him when he needs to travel for business.

Zahm is the High Priest’s attendant who handles all matters between him and Rozemyne.

Personnel

Ella is Rozemyne’s personal chef.

Rosina is Rozemyne’s personal musician.

The Gilberta Company

Benno is the merchant in charge of the Gilberta Company and the Italian restaurant. He assists and advises Rozemyne in her merchant endeavors.

Mark is Benno’s right hand man. He helps manage the store and train the apprentices, as well as cover anything Benno himself might miss.

Lutz is a leherl apprentice. He helps make sure the Rozemyne workshop is in order and acts as a go-between for scheduling merchant relevant visitors. Lutz also helps the workers at the orphanage understand how to use and make the things Rozemyne thinks up.

Corinna is Benno’s younger sister. She is the head seamstress of the Gilberta Company.

The Othmar Company

Gustav is the Guildmaster of the Merchant’s Guild.

Freida is Gustav’s granddaughter with a nose for money. She has a contract with a laynoble to manage her Devouring.

Leise is Freida’s personal chef. She also assists with any projects the company has involving cooking.

Other Nobles

Oswald is an archnoble serving as Wilfried’s head attendant.

Moritz is Wilfried and Rozemyne’s instructor.

Justus is Rihyarda’s son, and one of Ferdinand’s estate attendants. He serves the role as scholar and tax official when necessary. Justus gathers both magical materials and information as a hobby.

Philine is a laynoble in the same class year as Rozemyne. She has a love of books and reminds Rozemyne a little of herself when she was starting out on her book journey in Ehrenfest.

Gutenbergs

Ingo is the foreman of a carpentry workshop. He has Rozemyne’s exclusive business for her carpentry needs.

Johann is a smith talented with fine detail work. He can make otherwise impossible ideas a reality.

Zack is a smith good at coming up with ideas in the form of schematics. He can come up with several usable schematics of varying difficulty using abstract descriptions.

Other

Kampfer and Frietack are blue priests receiving training from Ferdinand to help lighten his workload.

Hasse’s Mayor is in charge of the town where Rozemyne’s new temple workshop is progressing. He has connections relevant to the previous High Bishop, and owns all of the orphans of Hasse.

Richt is both a relative and assistant to the Hasse Mayor.

Story & Thoughts

There is a lot going on in this volume. It covers the end of autumn all the way through Spring Prayer. There are time skips, but still, it’s a lot. Rozemyne’s schedule is packed the whole time.

I’m surprised they cover two seasonal gathering attempts in one book. The winter one is kind of boring. The feybeast is cool, but the actual encounter is rather dull from Rozemyne’s perspective. All she can do is wait, while she can hardly see anything, until Ferdinand comes to get her for the final step.

The spring gathering attempt, however, I love that one. It’s less combat oriented than autumn and winter. They clear out some weaker feybeasts, but the overall gathering is more of a fantastical magical experience. It’s kind of funny, too, because of the guys’ perspective afterward.

Knowing Rozemyne, I won’t be surprised if she keeps most of her current guards as her official retainers when the time comes. She likes to keep people around once she builds trust with them. I can see Brigitte probably leaving her after marriage.

I hope Rozemyne and Philine become good friends. She needs a kindred spirit around. As of right now, I have no idea who she might choose from the playroom to make retainers, but I can’t wait to get to know the new characters better.

Angelica has basically no dialogue or anything until now, so it’s nice to finally get to know her a little. I’m looking forward to seeing how things play out for Brigitte with the new dress, too. I just love all the characters so much.

Winter Debut and the Playroom

These are the events of the Winter Debut and the playroom from Lamprecht’s perspective. What I gather from the story is that all of the people around Wilfried are concerned about Rozemyne swiping the title of the next Aub from him, even though everybody makes it clear Rozemyne has no intention of becoming Archduke. If they aren’t worrying about Rozemyne, they are worrying about Wilfried’s sister, Charlotte, who comes of age the following year. It’s kind of sad, because this just shows most of the people around Wilfried don’t have confidence in him.

The High Bishop’s Exclusive Business

This short story is Ingo’s perspective regarding the carpentry work in Hasse, as well as his stress and uncertainty about whether or not he has Rozemyne’s exclusive business. In the volume, he makes it clear his reputation is on the line if he can’t get clarity, but here we actually get to see the doubt from those around him. It’s clear Rozemyne has more to learn about how to properly work with craftsmen without causing problems.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Fanbook 1

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Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! Official Fanbook by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina, Suzuka
Series Name: Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian!
Genres: Fantasy, Isekai, Magic
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 9781718350540
Rating: 4/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Here is the first official Ascendance of a Bookworm fanbook, intended to be read after finishing Part 3 volume 2. This book contains a slew of additional content, including all the color and cover artwork up to Part 3 Volume 1, a short story on Monika and Nicola’s first tour of the temple, a manga chapter by Suzuka, and three four-panel manga by You Shiina. Also inside are design sheets showing how Bookworm’s characters were visually brought to life, and a Q&A with author Miya Kazuki containing lesser-known details about the plot as well as information on how she planned out and developed the series.

Personal & Info

If you’re not familiar with fanbooks, they usually compile a bunch of bonus material. This one has cover art, inner color art, concept art for character designs, bonus comics, a Q&A with the creator, and a short story. The size of the book itself is larger than the manga or light novel, but the page count is small.

Characters

Instead of doing a full character list for every character in the entire series, I will just list the characters that appear in the short story and comics.

Rozemyne, previously Myne, is the main character. Now that her Devouring is under control, she mostly just suffers from poor health and low stamina. Her memories of her past life, and her upbringing as a commoner with merchant experience, give her unique ideas and perspectives unlike anyone else in Ehrenfest.

Lutz is a leherl apprentice at the Gilberta Company. He helps make sure the Rozemyne workshop is in order and acts as a go-between for scheduling merchant relevant visitors. Lutz also helps the workers at the orphanage understand how to use and make the things Rozemyne thinks up.

Gunther is Myne’s father. He works as a soldier who currently guards the city’s East gate. Earlier in the series, he guarded the South gate.

Effa is Myne’s mother. She dyes clothes for a career.

Tuuli is Myne’s sister. Her current occupation is apprentice seamstress and she strives to move up in the industry. She currently works for the Gilberta Company as a leherl. Early in the series, she would go to the forest with the other kids in the neighborhood.

Fran is Rozemyne’s head attendant in the temple. He is in charge of managing the High Bishop’s chambers and making sure Rozemyne learns everything she needs to know for her job by the time she needs to know it.

Rosina, previously one of Rozemyne’s temple attendants, is now her personal musician.

Monika is an attendant who cooks and also helps in the High Bishop’s chambers. She admires Wilma and does her best to emulate her to learn from her example.

Nicola is an attendant who loves cooking and also helps in the High Bishop’s chambers.

High Priest Ferdinand is Rozemyne’s guardian at the temple, and the illegitimate younger brother of the archduke. He handles the majority of the work that keeps the temple running, and must also occasionally assist the Knight’s Order.

Otto is one of Gunther’s co-workers who handles the clerical work at the gate. He is married to Corinna, Benno’s younger sister, and will start to play a bigger part at the Gilberta company.

Story & Thoughts

Overall, this fanbook is a great source of bonus content to read, flip through, or stare at whenever you need a little a little more Ascendance of a Bookworm. It has a little bit of everything. I look forward to getting the rest of the fanbooks for the series.

Color and Cover Art Gallery

This section is so beautiful. It’s nice to see all the art from each volume blown up. I never get tired of looking it. The only negative is the binding crease. It really takes away from the larger images that require two pages. I’m not sure if the book should have been bigger or if the larger pictures should have been fold out, but the binding crease is definitely worse than the fold out creases the individual volumes had. That is the main reason I didn’t give the book a five.

Color and Cover Art Sketch Gallery

The sketch section is cool. When one hears the word sketch, they typically don’t expect something with as much detail as we see here. The pictures are beautiful and complex with an almost ethereal quality.

Temple Tour

My biggest excitement about this part is there is a temple diagram. I’ve been wanting this for a long time. I thought it should have been included in many volumes, since there were diagrams of the city and the country. So if you’re like me, and have been waiting and hoping for a map of the temple, they put it here. You can follow the entirety of this short story using the temple diagram.

It takes place during the time when Rozemyne is resting while her chambers are being prepared for her role as High Bishop. Monika and Nicola have just been hired as her newest retainers, and Fran is giving them a tour of the temple, since they’ve never left the orphanage before. It’s in Nicola’s perspective, and the tour is turn by turn, so it’s easy to follow where they are in the building. After reading this, it’s pretty clear I was imagining the majority of the building wrong.

The story is cute, because Monika and Nicola are both so nervous to be taking on such an important job in the noble section of the building. However, I find it a little concerning that Rozemyne’s promotion causes so many people to have to relocate their chambers. I can see how that might contribute to resentment, but some of those people are likely glad to move if they don’t like her. It’s always interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes outside of Rozemyne’s view.

Character Design Sheets

It seems like You Shiina got immediate approval for a majority of the character designs, and only minor adjustments for the others. That’s crazy good. I love seeing the before and after designs for the ones that show both.

Bonus Manga Chapter by Suzuka

This is a “side episode” that takes place while Myne is at home, sick, after her clay tablets have been destroyed. The story is amusing enough. Gunther stresses over Myne’s health while she plots revenge using terms nobody can understand, because they are all things from her Urano days.

My only problem with it is I’m not fond of the art style the manga uses. I’m not saying this to be mean, but it seems like a step down in quality when compared with the light novel and anime. I think the art for the light novel is the best, followed by the anime, and lastly the manga. I’m not saying it’s bad, I’m just saying it doesn’t hit the same if the manga was not the first exposure to the series.

A prime example to make my point would be Gunther’s hair. The light novel and anime both use relatively similar hairstyles for him. The manga, in Suzuka’s style, makes him look like a completely different person. His hair, and even his face, are so different from the others. I don’t know why his design is so different, but it bugs me. I’ll have to get used to it eventually, though, because I do plan on reading the manga version of the series at some point.

Q&A with Miya Kazuki

The Q&A has so much interesting information. It made me aware I have missed some details or forgotten some things along the way. I’m now looking forward to a reread of the whole series at some point in the future.

Miya Kazuki’s writing process and personal story are so inspirational. It just goes to show, you never know if your hobby or art might take off or become someone’s favorite thing someday. It’s clear a lot of love went into the making of the series.

Bonus Manga Shorts by You Shiina

This section is four panel comics by You Shiina, like what we usually see at the end of the light novel volumes. They are cute and funny shorts discussing what fanbooks are and of whom they would want fanbook content made. For example, Otto would want a Corinna fanbook.

Light Novel Haul November-December 2024

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About

Holiday burnout has me running behind schedule, so bare with me while I get back on track. This haul covers all my light novels from November and December. I didn’t buy any regular novels or manga during those months.

This is probably the largest batch of light novels I’ve had so far. Everything is either a gift, or a purchase from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Most of the Amazon purchases came in paper bags, which is why you might see some corner damage in the picture.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 3

At the moment, I’m just stocking up on this version of the series as they release in physical print. I’ll read them at my leisure eventually, but right now, I’m more focused on the manga version of the series. If you want to see the reviews for those, they can be found in the index. I am looking forward to reading these light novels, but it’ll likely be a while.

What is it?

A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Vol. 10-21

These are Part 3 Volumes 3 through 5, and the entirety of Part 4, which is nine volumes. I’ve been hyper-addicted to this series, so I’ve been getting as many volumes as I feasibly can. Reviews for the rest of Part 3 are done and ready to go, so those will likely be up soon.

I’m starting to reach the point where there will be side story novels to collect. As far as I’m aware, there is a side story series that has at least two volumes, and at least one book specifically involving Rozemyne’s classmates from Part 4, so that gives me at least three extra books to read. The Fanbooks and side novels all start to be applicable in parts 3-5. It’s not as expansive as say, My Hero Academia’s universe, but I love that it has bonus side stuff.

What is it?

An isekai about a bookworm who wakes up as a five-year-old girl in a world where books are unobtainable by the general public, so she decides to make her own and strive to make them more accessible.

Miscellaneous

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Official Fanbook 1

I’ve never really been interested in getting fanbooks before. My guess is because nothing resonated with me enough to warrant bothering with them. I love Ascendance of a Bookworm so much that I knew I had to have them when I found out they existed. This one was a Christmas gift, and I’ve already read it, so if the review is not up, it will be soon.

As of right now, there are five known fanbooks for the series. Only three of them are currently published in physical print in English. I plan on getting all of them eventually, but the second one is currently out of stock everywhere, so it’ll likely be a while until I can get a copy.

What is it?

A complication of art, bonus stories, and Q&A’s relevant to Ascendance of a Bookworm.

Uprising

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Uprising by Sean McCabe
Series Name: Vampire Federation
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Supernatural, Thriller, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Signet/ Penguin
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-41306-2
Rating: 2/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

A gruesome ritual murder has stained the Oxfordshire countryside. It’s the first incident in a chain of events awaking Detective Inspector Joel Solomon to his worst nightmare—and it’s a dreadful omen of things to come. Because Joel has a secret: He believes in vampires.

Alex Bishop is an agent of the Vampire Intelligence Agency. She’s been tasked with enforcing the laws of the global Vampire Federation and hunting rogue members of her race. A tough job made tougher when the Federation comes under attack by Traditionalist vampires. They have a stake in old-school terror—and in an uprising as violent as it is widespread.

Now Alex and Joel find themselves in a deadly war between the living and the Undead—and against a horrifying tradition given new life by the blood of the innocent.

Personal & Info

Vampire Federation is a duology. For those interested in the second volume, it’s The Cross. As of right now, I have no plans to read or review the second volume.

Content Warnings

-Violence

-kidnapping and consumption of a baby

Characters

Alex Bishop is the female main character. She is a Vampire Intelligence Agency enforcer. Her job is to travel the world and threaten or execute vampires breaking Federation rules or risking exposure. Alex is approximately one hundred and thirteen years-old as a vampire, and doesn’t completely agree with how the Federation runs things.

Joel Solomon is the male main character. He is a Detective Inspector with a tragic childhood vampire experience. Joel is the spitting image of Alex’s lover from her human life, possibly even a reincarnation.

Kate Hawthorne is the seventeen-year-old daughter of Gillian Hawthorn and her solicitor husband. She lives next door to Dec Maddon, and she has a crush on him.

Dec Maddon is Kate Hawthorne’s neighbor and close friend. Gillian Hawthorne does not think much of him or his family. Dec has a crush on Kate and sometimes doesn’t see clearly because of his feelings.

Harry Rumble is the chief of the London branch of the Vampire Intelligence Agency. He is Alex’s boss, and he reports to the Ruling Council of the Federation.

Xavier Garrett is Harry Rumble’s assistant. He hates Alex Bishop and doesn’t even try to hide it.

Gabriel Stone is the main villain of the novel, and leading General of the anti-Federation group, also referred to as “Trads” or Traditionalists. He reports to a group of ancient vampires to give reports and receive orders.

Lilith is Gabriel’s sister. She’s the one vampire in his group he seems to care about most, even though she can be a bit of a loose cannon. Her combat specialty is swordsmanship.

Seymour Finch is Gabriel Stone’s butler or personal assistant. He is not human nor a vampire.

Jeremy Lonsdale is a multimillionaire politician serving office as a cabinet minister. He is tangled up in the wrong crowd and in over his head with no way out.

Story & Thoughts

I like the setting. It’s relatively modern, so cell phones and most technologies we’re familiar with in current day exist. Vampires have adapted to the modern world by inventing medications that serve their needs, which makes sense. They have three drugs they use regularly: Nosferol, Solazal, and Vambloc.

Nosferol is a poison the Federation uses to execute rogue vampires and those who break the rules. It’s not pleasant. It basically makes all the blood vessels explode and turns the vampire inside out, resulting in a very painful and bloody death.

Solazal, the most necessary drug to blend with society, allows vampires to walk in the sun. They have to take it every twelve hours to keep it in their systems. It seems like Federation registered vampires normally operate during typical human business hours thanks to Solazal.

Vambloc, probably equally important, if not more so, is a short term memory eraser. It allows vampires to feed from humans without risk of exposure. It also prevents humans from changing after a feed.

All this, along with the premise of the story, seems promising. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into it. I struggled the whole way through.

The chapters are very short, sometimes only two pages. They change by time of day and perspective to tell the story. Early on, it feels like it’s jumping around way too much. I got used to it eventually, but it was jarring for a while to only get a few pages of content from a character before jumping to another.

I’ve seen the book tagged as fast-paced, but it didn’t feel like that to me. A lot of ground was being covered with a lot of characters, but I didn’t feel like the story was actually moving until about halfway through. Even then, I just couldn’t click with it.

I like the overarching story well enough, but maybe I just don’t resonate with how it’s told. If I already had the second book, I would probably read it, but I’m not interested enough to put in the effort to get it. I enjoyed the book enough not to abandon it, but I did consider doing so a few times.