About
This haul combines the light novels and manga for February and March. I had enough books to post a small haul for February, but due to various reasons, I ended up unable to post. Five were obtained in February and the other three in March.
In February, I got two fanbooks, one light novel, and two manga. In March, I got two light novels and one manga. Some things are from Amazon, some are gifts, some are from Barnes & Noble, and some are from Thrift Books. I’m planning to start prioritizing Thrift Books as my main source for online orders.
Light Novels
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 4
Initially, I was stocking up on these to be able to binge later. However, I recently did a reread of the manga, and might be itching for more Apothecary Diaries before the next volume comes out in October. I might be reading these sooner rather than later. It’ll be interesting to see how they differ from the manga.
Volume five comes out next month, May 6th, and volume six comes out August 5th, so that’s two more light novel volumes before October.
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. 24 & 25
These are Part 5 Volumes 3 & 4. I just started Part 4, so it’ll be a while before I get to these. I’m building a buffer ahead of time, so I don’t run out of volumes, and to try catching up to the current print releases. I’m still a few volumes behind on that.
There are a total of twelve volumes in Part 5, so it’s the longest part in the whole series. At the time I’m typing this, the most recent volume to release is Part 5 Volume 8. Reviews for the volumes I have already read and reviewed 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
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 1 & 13
It should be pretty obvious that I already have volume one of The Apothecary Diaries, since I’ve been actively reviewing the series. This version is a special Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition. It has alternate cover art that stands out more than the standard volume. It costs $4 more than the regular one, but it includes six pages of exclusive color art from an Apothecary Diaries volume 13 special edition booklet, two pages of black and white art from the same booklet, and four pages of color story art from the standard volume 1.
The extra art doesn’t spoil anything as far as I can tell. If you’re just starting the series, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. It seems harmless.
I’m pretty sure the volume 13 special edition booklet is something that will not be localized, because otherwise, we probably would not be getting the extra content in this B&N edition.
I couldn’t pass up getting the exclusive edition. Even if it just had an alternate cover, that would have been enough for me to want it for my collection. The regular cover art is fine, but this cover is blatantly more beautiful.
At the time I’m typing this, volume 13 is the most recent volume. I have already read and reviewed it. The next one won’t be out until October, so it’s a pretty long wait compared to the usual three months.
What is it?
A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.
Final Fantasy XIV: Eorzea Academy
This manga was a birthday gift. A friend already has it and wants me to read it with them. It’s a stand alone story that puts the characters from the MMO Final Fantasy XIV into a school setting. I don’t know if you actually have to play the game to enjoy it, but if you want to be familiar with all of the characters, it seems like you would need to complete the story up until about the beginning of the Endwalker expansion.
What is it?
A stand alone manga that puts Final Fantasy XIV heroes and villains in a school setting.
Miscellaneous
Ascendance of a Bookworm: Official Fanbooks 2 &3
Both of these were birthday gifts. They kept going out of stock everywhere and became a real pain in the butt to find. Of course, now that I have them, they’re back in stock pretty much everywhere. That seems to be how things tend to work.
I’m reading these where they indicate. Fanbook 2 says to read it after Part 4 Volume 1 of the light novel, so I did. The review is already available. Fanbook 3 says to read it after Part 4 Volume 4 and Royal Academy Stories: First year, which is a side novel. I’m not quite there, yet, but that is when I intend to read it.
Fanbook 4 is apparently getting a physical release this July. It’s long overdue, considering how far ahead the light novel run is. Fanbook 4 is supposed to be read after reading Part 4 Volume 8, and Part 5 is more than halfway done releasing. I hope the fifth fanbook also gets a physical release soon.
Ascendance of a Bookworm is the first series I’ve cared enough to want the fanbooks for, and I think that says a lot about how wonderful it is.
What is it?
A complication of art, bonus stories, and Q&A’s relevant to Ascendance of a Bookworm.