Month: April 2025

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 1 (LN)

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The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 1 by Natsu Hyuuga, Touco Shino
Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel)
Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-272-7
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Maomao leads an unassuming life with her father, an apothecary, but kidnappers whisk her away to a world of consorts and serving women in the empire’s rear palace. Sold into imperial servitude, the girl keeps her quick wit, sharp mind, and medical knowledge a secret. But the head eunuch, Jinshi, shatters Maomao’s low profile when she catches his eye. He perceives her true skills and makes her a lady-in-waiting to the rear palace’s top consort. Can Maomao quietly pass her term of service as her lady’s food tester, or will observational prowess and curiosity push her into danger as she uncovers turmoil at court?

Personal & Info

I’m going into this having already read the manga and seen the first season of the anime. The manga was my first exposure to the series. The anime came second, so this is the third and final format. It’s a little ironic since this is the core material. The light novel released first, but didn’t get physical releases until recently.

After trying all three formats, I have some advice. If you want to enjoy the light novel to its fullest, read it first. If you want the best possible version, watch the anime (it’s practically a 1:1 adaptation of the light novel with improvements). The manga is good, and the art is beautiful, but they did cut some less important things and change some minor details. This is one of the rare instances in which the light novel is the worst version (in my opinion).

Content Warnings

It’s hard to warn about everything, but I think these are the most important. There are a lot of things that come up briefly to a minor degree and I’m never sure if I should list them.

-Bullying
-Child/Infant Death
-Human Trafficking
-Sexism
-Sexual Assault
-Suicide

Characters

Maomao, the main character, is a trained apothecary. She grew up in the pleasure district, in a house with her adoptive father, along with the assistance of the courtesans at the Verdigris brothel.

Jinshi, a eunuch who appears to be in charge of running the rear palace, seems to be fond of Maomao, or at least intrigued by her. He is androgynously attractive enough that he turns heads wherever he goes, but his looks have no affect on Maomao.

Xiaolan is a maidservant who works with Maomao at the start of the novel. She loves to gossip and eat sweet treats. Xiaolan is probably the closest thing to a friend Maomao has.

Gao Shun is Jinshi’s aide.

Gyokuyou, the Precious Consort, is the Emperor’s favored consort. She resides in the Jade Pavilion of the rear palace, and has four ladies-in-waiting.

Hongniang is Gyokyou’s head lady-in-waiting. The ladies that serve beneath her are Yinghua, Guiyuan, and Ailan.

Lihua, the Wise consort, resides in the Crystal Pavilion of the rear palace. She is the emperor’s second favorite consort. She has several ladies-in-waiting, but they don’t appear to be good at their jobs.

Lishu, the Virtuous consort, resides in the Diamond Pavilion of the rear palace. She is the youngest of the four highest ranking consorts at only fourteen. She has several ladies-in-waiting, but they don’t appear to be nice or good at their jobs.

Ah-Duo, the Pure Consort, resides in the Garnet Pavilion of the rear palace. She is the oldest of the four highest ranking consorts at approximately thirty-five, one year older than the emperor. She has several ladies-in-waiting and they all seem to be well trained hard workers. Ah-Duo also has the added history of being a lifelong childhood friend and confidant to the emperor.

Fengming is Ah-Duo’s humble and capable head lady-in-waiting. Her family business is bee farming.

Lihaku is a young up and coming military man.

Luomen is Maomao’s adoptive father. She often compares him to an old woman due to his personality and hobbled way of walking.

Story & Thoughts

Since I’ve already read the manga and seen the first season of the anime, I went into this knowing it would essentially be nothing new to me. However, due to how much I love the series, an additional format to try is just a bonus. There are always some differences, even if they’re small, and I did learn a few things from this version that I didn’t know before.

The story itself is essentially the same, almost identical to the anime, which is good. Already knowing everything that’s going to happen makes it easier to look for things that stand out as negatives. This might make it seem like I’m dragging the book through the mud, so I’ll say right now that the story being so consistent is grounds enough for a four out of five rating. The only reason I took away half a star is because of personal gripes.

Most of my biggest complaints come down to writing style. I get the feeling, since this started as a web novel, that the author likely isn’t that great at writing. The parts that matter are good. They have a lot of detail and paint a clear picture with words. The problems arise in the parts that seem like they aren’t as important, or feel like maybe the author doesn’t think those parts are.

Dialogue for important explanations and details in the manga and anime are often instead summarized in this version. I can’t tell you how many times the story explains something in a narrator paragraph instead of using the characters to actually portray a discussion. Sometimes they even just say that someone explained something, instead of taking the time to explain it to the reader. It feels like lazy writing and, in my opinion, it takes away from the enjoyment of the story. It breaks the immersion that the better parts of the story have.

In addition to that, there are conversations that seem stiff. You get the occasional clenching of fists or tilting of the head, but there are many times where it seems people are just standing or sitting stiffly for entire conversations. Sometimes the other adaptations add movement in these places. I think that’s an improvement.

There are also some areas that are just confusing to read. A good example of this is early on when Maomao is summoned along with other serving girls to see Jinshi. (These are pages 20-22.) Instead of singling her out just the one time, it somehow singles her out twice. The details in this particular area are extremely lacking. The first time she’s singled out gives no rhyme or reason. Did the girls who arrived before her not have freckles and therefore get dismissed? The second time is the one we all know where she reads the note. I reread this section several times to make sure I wasn’t missing anything, but it must just be poorly written.

I do think it starts to get better toward the later parts of the volume. It’s possible the first chunk might just be a rough start while the author gets comfortable with the style in which they want to write. I won’t know if that’s the case until I read more volumes.

If I had to describe the book, though, I’d say it comes across as more serious than the other versions of the story. The slow burn romance that seems obvious elsewhere seems like it might not even be there at all. It’s hard to explain, but the vibe is just a bit different, even though it’s the same story.

Overall, it’s still good. It does some things better than the other adaptations and others worse. No version is ever going to be perfect. The important thing is that I enjoyed reading it. I plan to keep reading the light novels for the time being, so even though I complain about the writing, it’s not bad enough for me to want to give up on it.

The Magician’s Lie

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The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister
Genres: Abuse, Fantasy, Historical, Magic, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4926-2899-6
Rating: 3.75/5
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Description from the Book

The Amazing Arden saws a man in half every night. The crowds pay good money to watch: she’s perhaps the most notorious illusionist in the country. But when one show goes terribly wrong, she finds herself in a one-room police station with a desperate officer determined to discover the truth. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless—and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie, endless night, the magician will need to pull off one final act—this time with her own life at stake.

Personal & Info

My main reason for reading this is that it’s apparently recommended for people who like Water for Elephants and The Night Circus. I like both of those, so I think it’s worth trying. After reading it, I think the recommendation is accurate. The book has similar vibes to both of those novels. It has more magic than Water for Elephants, but less than The Night Circus.

Content Warnings

-Abuse
-Animal Abuse
-Attempted Rape
-Self Harm

Characters

Ada, also known as Vivi, or the Amazing Arden, is the main character. She is a stage magician specializing in illusions. Her most notable feature is her unique eyes. They are blue, but her left eye is half brown as if cut through the middle.

Ray is Ada’s cousin by marriage. He is the son of Ada’s step father’s brother, and he is four years older than her. Ray is effectively the villain of the story.

Clyde is Ada’s first love. He is two years older than Ada and has a talent with plants.

Adelaide is the wife of a recently deceased magician who owns an entire company. She takes it upon herself to complete his obligations and step into the spotlight as a magician herself. Adelaide is also Ada’s mentor and kind of a surrogate mother.

Officer Virgil Holt is a main character in the sense that he is the police officer to whom Ada is telling her story. He is the only officer in a small Iowa town called Janesville, and he doesn’t expect to have his job much longer due to medical reasons.

Story & Thoughts

I think the most important thing to know about this book is the plot has an overarching abuse theme. Spoiler or not, it’s also important to know it has a good ending. So, while the book can be a bit dark, it’s not horribly depressing. The balance between the abuse, romance, and tension is good. No one aspect lingers too long, but they last long enough to keep the story interesting and stir the right feelings

The story covers about thirteen years of Ada’s life, from age twelve to approximately twenty-five. Suspected of murder, her life story is supposed to prove her innocence. Her tale is full of abuse, tragedy, hope, and love. Her life has been both ordinary and anything but.

Normally I don’t resonate well with historical fiction. They’re usually dull and boring. However, I think this is one of the better ones. I tag it loosely as fantasy, because Ada has real magic in a debatable sense. She can heal herself, but it’s not instant. Her injuries heal remarkably faster than the norm, which can only be explained as magic. It adds a tiny fantastical element to the book, but the story and writing themselves are good enough without it. During the long sections when her ability doesn’t come up, it still holds my interest.

I think the only reason I’m not giving this book a four is because there are a few places that montage the passing of time. Those parts are fine, but I find them less interesting. More actual magic would appeal to me more, too. None of the magic in Ada’s show is real. They emphasize many times it’s all an illusion. I like it well enough the way it is, though.

The Centaur’s Bride

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The Centaur’s Bride by Tamsin Ley
Series Name: Mates for Monsters
Volume Number: 4
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Horses, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Shifters
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Twin Leaf
Edition: Kindle
ISBN: 978-1-950027-05-7
Rating: 2.5/5
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Description

Renee’s shunned and recently deceased grandfather left her his ranch in Montana, along with a riddle in the form of a poem. There is treasure to be found at the ranch, but what kind? Renee hopes the sexy farmhand can help her find it, but she wants him to show her a good time, too.

Black Sevens is a defective shifter in the eyes of his herd, and a creature of myth to humans who see him. His incomplete shift has given him nothing but problems. When attraction and the herd’s wishes align, he might be able to earn the acceptance in the herd he’s always wanted.

Personal & Info

The Centaur’s Bride is volume four of a series, but it is a stand alone story, so no other Mates for Monsters volumes are necessary.

As much as I don’t like the idea of posting a review of something without all of the previous volumes, I feel like I should, because Mates for Monsters volumes can be read as stand alone stories. The three books before this one are about merpeople, two mermen and one mermaid to be exact. Those ones interconnect a little by sharing a continuity, but can still be read as stand-alones. Their titles are The Merman’s Kiss, The Merman’s Quest, and A Mermaid’s Heart.

I did read them a few years ago. I just don’t have enough information to post reviews for them without rereading them. At this moment, I have no plans to reread them any time soon, if at all. I do have ratings for them, though, so I will include them here.

The Merman’s Kiss: 3.5/5

The Merman’s Quest: 3/5

A Mermaid’s heart: 4/5

The books for the series seem to be exclusively available as digital books. Some of them have physical paperback copies available. Based on how they are listed, it looks like they might be a print on demand situation through Amazon.

Characters

Renee, the leading lady, is twenty-five and approximately 5’1″. She is estranged from her father, and hasn’t been to her grandfather’s ranch since she was eight. Her life as an adult consists of following her best friend around on expensive adrenaline seeking trips and expeditions.

Steph is Renee’s best friend. She’s some kind of influencer who makes music videos and shares every aspect of her life online. It’s pretty clear she is also an adrenaline junkie.

Black, the leading man, is closer to thirty and 6’3″. He is a trained veterinarian in order to assist the shifter herd in one of the few ways he can as a member who is looked down upon for being different. His inability to fully shift into a horse is what makes him seem to be a centaur.

Lori is the herd’s Lead Mare. Black describes her as a bully. She bosses people around and favors dealing out harsh punishments while tolerating zero resistance.

Millie is a member of the herd who has just recently given birth. She is getting on in years and has a submissive attitude, likely due to Lori’s bullying.

Ivy-Jane is Millie’s newborn foal. She won’t be able to shift into a human form for a few years.

Saul is Black’s uncle and the leader of the Bachelor Herd. They share relation through Black’s grandmother Gloryanna.

Story & Thoughts

This is a novella, so it’s pretty short. I read it leisurely in a single day. I think the first thing I should say is this is an instant attraction story. It’s not love at first sight, more like lust at first sight. However, it becomes a soul bond or mate bond and love after sex. If that’s not the style of erotica you enjoy, then this book might not be for you.

The story itself is simple. Renee goes to the ranch intending to see it one last time before selling it off in order to keep up with Steph’s expensive lifestyle. Various romance and fantastical things happen, and then she must decide if she still wants to sell. As a true romance, there is a happily ever after. I’m leaving out some details to avoid spoiling the whole thing, of course.

As a standard romance novella, I think it’s fine. I probably wouldn’t read it by choice. As a monster themed erotic novella…it’s not great. The story is lacking the most important aspects of the style of story it’s trying to be. If you read other monster novels, you probably know what I’m referring to.

As a whole, the merpeople volumes of this series are far better. I expected more than just falling for a guy who happened to secretly be a centaur. It doesn’t really add anything. He doesn’t even do any cool centaur things or have any special equipment to use while in his centaur form to help protect the herd. I can’t say I recommend this one, but I didn’t hate it.

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part. 4, Vol. 2 (LN)

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Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian! Part 4: Founder of the Royal Academy’s So-Called Library Committee, Vol. 2 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: 9781718356139
Rating: 4.25/5
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Description from the Book

Since the moment she set foot in the Royal Academy, Rozemyne has put her absolute all into her studies so that she can finally get into the library! Unfortunately, she behaves so abnormally in the process that her retainers and professors end up concerned…

Then, she clashes with the greater duchy Dunkelfelger over Schartz and Weiss, and a game of treasure-stealing ditter is arranged. In Rozemyne’s quest to do anything to protect the library, she continues to be a constant source of headaches for the leaders of Ehrenfest. She completely ignores diplomatic norms by accepting furtive consultations from other duchies’ archduke candidates, and even gives the prince himself romantic advice!

Personal & Info

The Barnes & Noble and ThriftBooks shop links have the correct titles, but incorrect images. The ebook version has the correct image, so something must just be wrong with the paperback images.

Characters

The cast of characters keeps getting larger and larger. To cut down on space, I’m only going to list the people who actually appear, and leave out the ones who only get mentions.

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 is a workaholic who handles the majority of the work that keeps the temple running, and must also occasionally assist the Knight’s Order, as well as assist the archduke whenever there is a request.

Sylvester is the 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. They are in the same grade at the Royal Academy.

Charlotte is Sylvester’s daughter and Rozemyne’s younger sister. She will be attending the Royal Academy next year.

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.

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. He is a strong man who loves cute things, but will never admit to it.

Rozemyne’s Retainers

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

Ottilie is one of Rozemyne’s attendants at the castle. She is an archnoble and friends with Elvira. Hartmut is her son.

Angelica, a sixth-year apprentice medknight serving as Rozemyne’s guard, hates studying and wants other people to think for her.

Cornelius, a fifth-year apprentice archknight, is Karstedt’s third son and Rozemyne’s noble brother serving as her guard.

Lieseleta, Angelica’s younger sister and a fourth-year apprentice medattendant, tends to like cute things. She is grateful to Rozemyne for not giving up on Angelica.

Brunhilde, a third-year apprentice archattendant, wants to help Rozemyne start new trends, and is in charge of assisting with social situations.

Hartmut, a fifth-year archscholar, is Otttilie’s son. He is dedicated to spreading Rozemyne’s reputation as the Saint of Ehrenfest.

Philine, a first-year apprentice layscholar, is determined to gather stories for Rozemyne.

Leonore, a fourth-year apprentice archknight, serves as Rozemyne’s guard, and helps teach Traugott and Judithe.

Traugott, a third-year apprentice archknight, is Rihyarda and Bonifatius’ grandson serving as Rozemyne’s guard.

Judithe, a second-year apprentice medknight, serves Rozemyne as a guard, and admires Angelica like an idol.

Damuel, a layknight, is Rozemyne’s longest serving guard. He does not accompany her to school, instead spending his time training to better protect her.

Rozemyne’s Personnel

Rosina is Rozemyne’s talented personal musician. She helps write and compose music that Rozemyne hums or sings.

Ella is one of Rozemyne’s personal chefs.

Royal Academy Professors

Hirschur is the Ehrenfest’s dorm supervisor. She previously taught Ferdinand, and they share several mannerisms and personality traits. She teaches and assists with mana control classes.

Rauffen is Dunkelfelger’s dorm supervisor. Rozemyne identifies him as a loud gym teacher stereotype.

Pauline is Frenbeltag’s dorm superviser and one of the music teachers.

Solange is a mednoble and the Royal Academy’s librarian.

Royal Academy Students

Anastasius is the Sovereignty’s second prince. He is a senior, so Rozemyne will only be at risk of dealing with him for one year.

Eglantine is an archduke candidate from Klassenberg. She is very kind despite her territory’s high rank.

Lestilaut is an arrogant archduke candidate from Dunkelfelger.

Roderick is an apprentice medscholar from Ehrenfest. His family is part of the former Veronica faction, and he was involved in getting Wilfried into trouble in Part 3.

Royal Academy Miscellany

Schwartz and Weiss are magic tools for the library in the shape of bipedal shumils, which look like rabbits.

Other Nobles

Eckhart is Ferdinands guard knight and Karstedt’s son.

Temple Attendants

Fran is Rozemyne’s head attendant. He is in charge of managing the High Bishop’s chambers.

Zahm helps manage the High Bishop’s chambers. Like Fran, he was trained by Ferdinand.

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

Gil is in charge of the orphanage workshop along with Fritz.

Nicola is a cook who helps in the High Bishop’s chambers. Her real passion is cooking.

Wilma is in charge of running the orphanage. She also draws any art necessary for the workshop projects.

Lower City Merchants

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

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.

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

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

Gustav is the Guildmaster of the Merchant’s Guild.

Story & Thoughts

Part 4 volume 1 focuses on catching Rozemyne up on events and describing what the Royal Academy is like. With that out of the way, and Rozemyne’s classes complete, this one can focus on more important things. It definitely feels like a larger number of events occur. It’s hard to choose what I like best in the volume, but the first things that come to mind are the ditter game and Rihyarda’s talk.

It’s unlikely any apprentice knights would think to use the types of strategies Rozemyne does without having any actual field experience. Her strategy is completely formulated from things she’s seen the Knight’s Order do in the field and feybeast knowledge gained during her hunt for jureve ingredients. Some might think her actions were malicious, but in a way, they were genius.

As for Rihyarda’s talk, it’s so sweet. The way she calmly speaks to Rozemyne explaining the difference between first, second, and third rate attendants and the importance of communication while they are learning how to best serve her is so heartwarming. Anybody can be a third rate attendant, but it’ll take a lot of work for anyone to become a first rate attendant working for someone as eccentric and unpredictable as Rozemyne.

I’m actually surprised by how many social missteps Rozemyne has apparently done since arriving at the academy. It seems like all she’s done is try to be helpful and stay out of trouble, but pretty much everything she has done has been wrong. Noble politics are so nuanced, she can’t seem to do anything without causing problems for Ehrenfest. I can’t wait to see how all this plays out. Will it all really be a headache for Ehrenfest, or will her actions inadvertently help? It can’t all be bad.

Honest Courting

This is Prince Anastasius’ perspective of the tea party he has with Eglantine after Rozemyne faints. He tries to take Rozemyne’s advice to be more direct to clear up misunderstandings. This requires him to swallow his pride and confess his true feelings and intentions.

I get the feeling that despite his frequent all mighty attitude, Prince Anastasius isn’t a bad guy. He’s haughty and arrogant, but seems to have a good heart. We see from the main story that he tries to be fair and upholds his decisions. This story is a good peek into his head to further verify he isn’t horrible.

Life Without One’s Lady

I think this one can technically be considered part of the epilogue. It’s in Leonore’s perspective and covers a few days of what she is doing to help the Ehrenfest apprentice knights train. Her first objective is to run them all ragged and take note of the results.

That’s not all it covers, though. Apparently, there are some issues with Wilfried. He seems to have some lingering behavioral problems from his time around Veronica. I hope they bring this up to Rozemyne when they see her again. He is being unfair to retainers that are not even his, just because they have been ordered to assist him. Wilfried doesn’t seem to understand what assist means. The lack of growth in this particular area saddens me.

The Clockwork Three

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The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Urban
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-545-20339-5
Rating: 1.75/5
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Description from the Book

Giuseppe is an orphaned street musician who sees no way to escape from his ruthless master, until the day he finds an enchanted green violin.

Frederick is an apprentice clockmaker with a past he cannot remember, who secretly works to build the most magnificent clockwork man the world has ever seen.

Hannah is a maid in a grand hotel, whose life is one of endless drudgery, until she encounters a mystifying new guest and learns of a hidden treasure.

As mysterious circumstances bring them together, the lives of these three children soon interlock, like the turning gears of a clock, and they realize that each one holds the key to the others’ puzzles. The trios’ adventures sweep them through the winding alleyways and glittering plazas of their city, and along the way Giuseppe, Hannah, and Frederick must learn to trust in one another — and in themselves — for they risk losing the things they hold most and dear, as the dangers they face quickly become all too real.

Personal & Info

This is from a fill a basket pre-owned book sale. My only reason for grabbing it, is that it is a stand alone novel. I like to just grab some stand alone novels to try something different.

Interestingly, this book is in multiple perspectives, which consistently alternate in the same order. It’s always Giuseppe, then Frederick, and then Hannah. This is the first book I’ve seen like that, but oddly, it works.

I went into this blind. I didn’t look at the description until after I finished the whole book. It’s pretty clear that the description embellishes a bit.

The Barnes & Noble shop link only has the ebook and audiobook versions.

Content Warnings

-Child Abuse
-Death
-Guns
-Human Trafficking
-Kidnapping

Characters

Giuseppe, one of the main characters, is eleven. His parents died and he and his siblings were sent to live with his uncle, who sold him to Stephano at age five. Giuseppe is a gifted musician with a kind heart. All he wants is to go home to Italy and be reunited with his brother and sister.

Stephano is a Padrone. He kidnaps and purchases children to work for him as slave labor. All the kids work on street corners playing instruments to collect money on his behalf.

Paolo & Ezio are two of the meaner kids working for Stephano. They bully the younger kids and steal their money, which guarantees they get punished by Stephano for not bringing home their quota. Paolo and Ezio also function as enforcers, because they seem to like inflicting violence.

Pietro is a new kid working for Stephano, who was abducted from his family’s yard back in Italy. He never seems to be able to make enough money on his own to avoid punishment.

Reverend Grey is the elderly Priest of the Old Rock Church, and a good friend to Giuseppe.

Frederick, one of the main characters, is thirteen. He is an orphan apprentice clockmaker with a traumatic past that he would rather not remember. All he wants is to qualify for Journeyman with the clockmaker’s guild so he can gain more independence.

Master Isaiah Branch is Frederick’s guardian and master. He is the one who took Frederick out of the orphanage.

Hannah, one of the main characters, is twelve. Her father is not well, so she quit school to be able to work while her mother takes care of him. Hanna works at the Gilbert Hotel as a maid.

Miss Wool is a mean woman who manages the maids at the Gilbert Hotel.

Mister Hans Grunholdt is the Gilbert Hotel manager. He’s not the best person, but apparently does his job well.

Mister Twine owns the Gilbert Hotel. He is also sort of a friend of Hannah’s family. Her father used to work for him, and he gave her a job when requested.

Madame Constance Bernadette Pomeroy is a wealthy spiritualist currently residing on the top floor of the Gilbert Hotel.

Yakov is Madam Pomeroy’s bodyguard. He is a former Russian soldier with the ability to predict the future via dreams and visions. Madam Pomeroy refers to him as her golem.

Alice is the Gilberta Hotel’s gardener. As far as anyone can remember, she’s always been there, and has always been old.

Pullman is the McCauley Park warden. His family has fulfilled the job for generations.

Mister Reginald Diamond is the current owner of the Archer Museum. He doesn’t seem like a good or kind person.

Story & Thoughts

So, first things first, I chose to read this at this particular time, because various labeling claimed it is lighthearted. It is definitely not. I don’t know what peoples’ definition of lighthearted is, but all the main characters are in depressing or traumatic situations.

Giuseppe is basically enslaved. His own uncle sold him when he was only five. He works day in and day out to make money for Stephano, and he doesn’t get to keep any of it, nor does he get to eat enough to be content. It specifically says the kids only get fed enough to keep them half starved. On top of that, if the kids don’t make a daily quota, they get a beating or are thrown into the rat cellar. Giuseppe clearly states kids have died in that room.

Frederick is traumatized from his mother abandoning him at the orphanage when he was about six. The orphanage made him do dangerous slave labor working with machines. Punishment for mistakes or bad behavior was basically flogging. He had to endure this environment for four years, and now the memories haunt him.

Hanna’s father had a stroke and lost the use of his speech and legs. Her mother has to take care of him, and her sisters are too young to contribute anything to the family. Hannah had to drop out of school to work and support her whole family by herself. She’s only twelve. Part of the story involves her father’s condition worsening.

All of this is very depressing. On top of their situations, their city sounds like a huge disgusting mess. This is not the kind of book I would choose for something lighthearted.

As for the rest, the story is slow. Despite the depressing subject matter, it does have a happy ending. Well, sort of, it feels bittersweet. The kids achieve their goals, but it feels like they didn’t really have anything to do with the result. When I read a children’s book, or a book about kids, I want it to feel like the kids are the heroes, like they really did something. I don’t get that feeling from this book. It feels like the adults in their lives conveniently remedy all their problems for them. It’s like the kids show up to deal with the issue, but the adults involved swoop in and save the day.

I can’t say I liked it, but I didn’t hate it, either. The characters were enjoyable, but the story was weak. I think people who like this might also enjoy Liesl & Po. That one was also lackluster to me, but I kind of get similar vibes.

Light Novel & Manga Haul February-March 2025

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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.