Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part. 4, Vol. 1 (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. 1 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: 9781718356122
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Rozemyne awakens from her slumber to a world not as she remembers it. Unease stirs her heart, but she has no time to rest—she is soon to be enrolled in the Royal Academy as an archduke candidate. There, she’ll need to master controlling her mana, creating magic tools, and performing the magic necessary to rule as an archduke. Rozemyne has to handle eccentric teachers and students from other duchies, all the while aiming to be the best big sister she can be. With a massive library on the premises, however, there is little chance things will go according to plan. She feverishly delves into its collection, forgetting all about the other archduke candidates and even the royal family. She truly will do anything for books! So begin Rozemyne’s student days in this biblio-fantasy! This volume also includes the results of the series’ second popularity poll, two original short stories, and four-panel manga by You Shiina.

Personal & Info

I can’t believe I waited so long to circle back around to this series. It’s been more than two months since I read a volume. This series is a comfort read for me, and it’s currently one of my favorite things to the point I’m already looking forward to a series reread.

Part 4 has a total of nine volumes.

The second fanbook can be read following this volume. If you haven’t checked out the fanbooks and want more Ascendance content, I highly recommend them. A review for the second fanbook should be up soon. Fanbook 1 already has a review available, if you want some insight into the contents.

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 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. 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 loves cute things, but will never admit to it.

Rozemyne’s Retainers

Rihyarda is Rozemyne’s head attendant in the Noble’s Quarter and Royal Academy. She 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 is a sixth-year apprentice medknight serving as Rozemyne’s guard. She hates studying and wants other people to think for her.

Cornelius is Karstedt’s third son and Rozemyne’s noble brother. He is a fifth-year apprentice archknight serving as Rozemyne’s guard while she is in the Noble’s Quarter and the Royal Academy.

Lieseleta is Angelica’s younger sister. She is a fourth-year apprentice medattendant who likes cute things.

Brunhilde is a third-year apprentice archattendant. She loves starting and keeping up with fashion trends.

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

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

Leonore is a fourth-year apprentice archknight. Part of her job as Rozemyne’s retainer is to help teach Traugott and Judithe.

Traugott is Rihyarda and Bonifatius’ grandson. He is a third-year apprentice archknight.

Judithe is a second-year apprentice medknight who admires Angelica.

Rozemyne’s Personnel

Rosina is Rozemyne’s personal musician.

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.

Primevere is the Klassenberg’s dorm supervisor.

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

Fraularm is Ahrensbach’s dorm supervisor. She teaches the highbeast class.

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

Royal Academy Students

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.

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.

Detlinde is Georgine’s daughter, Wilfried’s cousin, and an archduke candidate from Ahrensbach.

Rudiger is an archduke candidate from Frenbeltag, and Wilfried’s cousin.

Royal Academy Miscellany

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

Other Nobles

Oswald is Wilfried’s head attendant who accompanies him to the Royal Academy.

Moritz is Wilfried’s teacher in the castle and an archnoble. Part of his responsibilities include managing the winter playroom.

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

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

Lower City Family

Gunther is Myne’s father. He works as a soldier and guards the city’s East Gate, which gets the most traffic.

Effa is Myne’s mother.

Tuuli is Myne’s older sister, who now works at the Gilberta Company with Corinna.

Kamil is Myne’s younger brother, now almost four years old.

Story & Thoughts

The first hundred pages feels like a recap, because if you read Part 3 Volume 5, you already know everything they are discussing. The previous volume bonus stories cover the important events during the time Rozemyne is asleep. This chunk of content is restated as an explanation to Rozemyne for everything she missed. As a web novel, this would be the first time we learn any of this, but since the bonus stories are new to the light novels, it feels like a recap.

This volume is a little longer than usual, so the recap content doesn’t take away from it too much. Once the plot gets moving, Rozemyne must prepare for, and attend, the Royal Academy. The book focuses on her adjusting to life at the Academy and laying out her goals for the school term. Of course, her main goal is to be able to go to the library. People put conditions in place to restrict her access, so she does what is expected and blazes forward to clear her task list.

It definitely feels like an introductory volume, which makes sense, since it’s the first in Part 4. The start feels a bit slow, but once things get going, it’s interesting to see how the school operates. I suspect there’s something extra special about the room where she finds her Divine Will. I’ll be surprised if nothing else about that comes up later. The library isn’t in this one much, but it probably will be in the others a lot more, since this one focuses on Rozemyne doing everything she is told to get done.

I like seeing the practical classes. The teachers are eccentric, but but the fact she is actually learning magic now makes the story feel more fantasy than it has been.

I wasn’t expecting Georgine’s daughter to be at school. Nothing good could possibly come of that. The impending political drama gives me a feeling of anticipation. Rozemyne is drawing so much attention to herself and she doesn’t even care. As usual, I can’t wait to read more and see what happens. It’s hard to believe I went a few months without reading any volumes. This series is so addicting.

A Productive Earthday

This bonus story is in Lieseleta’s perspective. It takes place on the day Rozemyne must stay in bed to absorb her Divine Will. We learn a bit more about Lieseleta’s relationship with Angelica and her family. In order to affordably be Rozemyne’s retainers, they choose to share a room, and both only have one attendant each.

What I take away from this story is that Rozemyne makes it a difficult job to be one of her retainers. They essentially have to follow her lead in order to meet her needs. Rozemyne wants to ace all her exams quickly to be able to go to the library, but she’s not supposed to go places without her retainers. In order to have them with her, they have to pass their own exams almost as quickly as she does her own. The fact she has so many makes it more likely someone will be available for anything she needs, but they still have to account for everything she wants to do and plan their own time entirely around it, even if it’s unfair or difficult.

It certainly seems like not just anyone would be able to meet the requirements for the job. Most of the people Rozemyne chose for her retainers were recommended to her, so i’m sure her family made sure they would be capable enough to do the job. There are some exceptions of course, but they seem to like Rozemyne enough to work harder for her, not that they have much choice with their family reputations on the line if they fail.

Myne Awakes

This is Effa’s perspective on the day Lutz sees Rozemyne after she awakes. It covers how Myne’s family has been feeling and dealing with the knowledge of her long sleep. Kamil is almost four, so it’s a little strange to see him walking and talking after he was just a baby not long ago.

It’s tragic that they can’t tell Kamil about his sister. I think Tuuli is right in regards to all of this, though. Kamil doesn’t associate with nobles in any way, and likely won’t for a really long time, if at all, so he can’t possibly understand the danger associated with the situation. Plus, he’s still very young, and children aren’t the best at keeping secrets. It would probably break Rozemyne’s heart to find out Kamil doesn’t know who she is, but she’d likely understand.

When Lutz met Rozemyne after she woke up, she gave him a letter for her lower city family. That note makes no appearance in this story. I don’t know if it was forgotten or if it will get a mention in a later volume. I thought for sure he would give it to them during this visit.

Black Ice

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Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Survival, Thriller
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7426-0
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn’t prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin and accept the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. Things get even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that took place on that very mountain—a discovery that may make her the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy or an ally?

Personal & Info

For my first read, I went into this blind. I had read the Hush, Hush Saga, and wanted to try something else by the same author. Honestly, the description kind of spoils chunks of the drama, so I’m glad I did it that way.

At the time I’m typing this review, it’s been approximately ten years since I first read the book. This is my second time reading it. Due to various circumstances, like getting sick for two weeks, it took far longer than I would have liked to get through it. To be fair, I will be using my original rating of four out of five from my first time through. The review itself will be a combination of my original thoughts combined with any new ones.

Content Warnings

-Abuse
-Guns
-Kidnapping
-Murder
-Suicide Attempt
-Violence

Characters

I think learning about the characters naturally throughout the story is the best and least spoilery way to learn who everyone is and what they are like, especially if you don’t read the book description. Because of this, I will keep the character descriptions as vague as possible.

Britt is the main character. The story is in her perspective. She is a senior in high school, and is still hung up on her ex-boyfriend who dumped her eight months ago. Britt has an older brother (Ian) and a single father. At the start of the story, Britt is known for heavily relying on the men in her life.

Korbie is Britt’s best friend. She comes from a rich family due to her mother being a divorce lawyer and her father a CPA.

Calvin is Korbie’s older brother, and Britt’s ex-boyfriend. He is supposed to chaperone their trip to the mountains.

Mason and Shaun are two guys Britt and Korbie encounter in an isolated cabin in the wilderness.

Story & Thoughts

This is a survival kidnapping story with a murder mystery going on in the background. There’s also a focus on romance with a constant debate on whether or not it’s Stockholm syndrome, while also pining after a romanticized ex. All of the characters are far from perfect, so don’t expect them to make the wisest decisions. Everything is overall messy as far as the social interactions and decisions go, but the main characters experience significant growth.

Originally, going into this book completely in the dark, I was hooked at the beginning. I still feel that way. There’s something about the gas station scene that I absolutely love. Maybe it’s the fact a stranger flawlessly plays along with Britt’s shenanigans? I can’t really explain it, but it’s my favorite and most memorable scene in the whole book.

The writing is good. It feels like you’re right there with Britt the whole time. Becca has a way of hiding what is really important until things come together at the end. It leaves me with a smile every time i finish one of her books.

If the book ended on the last numbered chapter, I would have been so sad. I’m glad there is a one year later epilogue. It gives the story the closure it needs.

While I like the journey of the story, there are some things that bug me. The most notable that I remember is the use of the term “Subway sandwich shop.” We all know they are referring to the Subway restaurant chain, and everybody I’ve ever met just says “Subway.” I don’t know if the extra clarification is there to make sure the reader understands it was a restaurant and not a train station or what. That terminology sounds unnatural and rubs me the wrong way.

The other thing, which is very minor, is that someone left Korbie a canteen of water. I swear they said the cabin has running water. Why leave her a canteen if there is running water? I could be misremembering, but that detail bugs me.

Also, Korbie’s boyfriend is supposed to be going on this trip with them. His name is Bear, and he’s supposed to meet them at the family cabin. Nothing about him is ever mentioned after the drive up to the mountains. That feels like a bit of a loose end. I guess we’re supposed to assume he turned around and went home when the snow started.

The book is by no means perfect, but I like it. It’s one of the few non-fantasy books I actually enjoy, and that speaks volumes. It is a rare occurrence for me to read a standard fiction novel and not get bored with it.

Grand Passion

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Grand Passion by Jayne Ann Krentz
Genres: Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Pocket Books/ Simon & Schuster
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 0-671-77870-6
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

Cleopatra Robbins believes she’ll know when she meets the man of her dreams, a man worth the risk of trusting and loving again. She’s imagined the moment: a jolt of emotion, butterflies in her stomach, an intoxicating feeling. She’s even described her fantasy lover—under a pseudonym, of course—in a book of erotica called The Mirror. But when drop-dead handsome Max Fortune strides into the Robbins’ Nest Inn, a devastating sensation sweeps through her. She knows it’s him. And he’s all wrong!

Exuding a ruthlessness barely disguised by his polished manner, Max is a stark contrast to casual, sneaker-clad Cleo. The driving force behind the giant Curzon Hotel chain, a man whose only passion in life—so far—has been for rare works of art, Max is looking for the inheritance left to him by his mentor, Jason Curzon. Jason had bequeathed to Max five priceless paintings, and he made Max promise to go to the Robbins’ Nest Inn to claim the pictures and “everything else with them” that are his legacy—and his secret gift—to the hard-edged young man he viewed as a son.

For openhearted Cleo, nothing is more transparent than Max’s snobbish exterior. He may drive a Jaguar, but she decides that the man is emotionally starved. Max takes one long look at Cleo Robbins and feels desire, fierce and unexpected, sweep through him…a feeling so powerful that he almost forgets his search for the paintings Cleo claims she’s never seen. With his defenses down, Max lends a hand at fixing everything from the plumbing to the fractured lives of the inn’s quirky denizens: helping Trisha, the pregnant and ever-hopeful maid, to search for her errant lover; winning the trust of Daystar and Andromeda, chefs and New Age divorcées; and easing the loneliness of fatherless little Sammy, who idolizes Max on sight.

While Cleo is tempted to confide in Max about the tragedy that led her to seek shelter with this odd surrogate family, even to choose him to make the lush sensual fantasies of The Mirror come true, she senses that he doesn’t quite trust her. Max knows she’s hiding something—and by the time he realizes it’s not the paintings, it’s almost too late to save her form the danger rising out of her past.

Personal & Info

I’m pretty sure I got this book from a second hand sale as part of a large pile of novels. It’s been hard to decide what I’m in the mood to read lately, so I chose this one at random from my shelf of stand alone stories.

Content Warnings

-Death of a parent/family member

-Death

-Guns

Characters

Max Fortune is the male main character. He is about thirty-four, going on thirty-five. Max likes to collect things, such as books and art, and he has a special eye for judging the authenticity and value of paintings. His general background is that he grew up as an orphan since approximately six-years-old.

Cleopatra Robbins is the female main character. She is about twenty-seven, and she runs a hotel that she purchased with her inheritance. Her parents both died horrifically, and she’s been building a new found family for herself ever since.

Sylvia Gordon is part of Cleo’s family residing at the inn. She usually assists with people checking in or out or just watching the counter. Sylvia is also Sammy’s mother.

Sammy Gordon is Sylvia’s five-year-old son. He carries around a rubber duck by the name Lucky Ducky, and he idolizes Max.

Andromeda and Daystar are part of Cleo’s family, and the primary chefs for Robbins’ Nest Inn. Both have been though divorces and are now members of the Cosmic Harmony Women’s Retreat, which is about a mile and a half down the road from the hotel.

Trisha Briggs is part of Cleo’s family. She works as a maid, and she’s in a relationship with Benjy Atkins.

Benjy Atkins is part of Cleo’s family. He is similar in age to Trisha at around twenty-three. He is the general handyman and plumber for Robbin’s Nest Inn.

George is part of Cleo’s family. He works as the night man for Robbin’s Nest Inn, but he is not great at his job. George is usually sleeping whenever anyone checks on him. While he is part of the staff, which makes him part of Cleo’s family, he is never included in any important discussions or activities.

Nolan Hildebrand is the part-time mayor of Harmony Cove. He is casually dating Cleo, and has his eye on a future in higher politics.

Herbert T. Valence is a motivational speaker who frequently hosts his seminars at the Robbin’s Nest Inn. He’s a rather strange and neurotic man, but supposedly his seminars are successful and his methods work.

Jason Curzon is practically part of Cleo’s found family. He was also Max’s employer, and he thought of Max as the son he never had. Before Jason died, he was in charge of running Curzon International, which is a very successful hotel chain.

Dennison Curzon is Jason’s brother. He is less business savvy than Jason, but now that Jason is dead, Dennison is running the company.

Kimberly Curzon-Winston is Max’s ex-fiancee, and Jason Curzon’s niece.

Roark Winston is Kimberly’s husband. He comes from old money and has a successful business empire of his own as well as a seat on the board of Curzon International.

Compton O’Reilly is Max’s private investigator friend.

Adrian Forrester is a local unpublished writer who despises novels with women main characters or romantic themes.

Garrison Spark is a shady art dealer, who formerly employed Max about twelve years ago.

Story & Thoughts

I have to say, this book is a bit of a let down. Compared to the majority of the other books I’ve read by this author, this one is lackluster. I knew where the paintings were the whole time, but that didn’t bother me. I don’t care if parts of a story are predictable, as long as the journey is good. The journey in this case is not great.

My main issue is the writing feels lazy. Max has the right to claim five specific paintings, because they are given to him in a will. Right. Good. But what does he not bring with him at any point? A copy of the will or any physical proof that he has any right to them aside from the words out of his mouth. What kind of successful business person…It just seems like such an idiotic oversight. He would know he should have something to prove his legitimacy.

That’s just what bugs me at the beginning. The biggest problem with the plot is how dramatic information is delivered. People, mostly Kimberly, keep showing up out of the blue, just to drop dramatic info dumps that are supposed to make Cleo gasp and reconsider her interest in Max. There has to be a better way to handle inserting this information. I honestly got sick of it. The characters had basically no real reason to be there. They might have a question for a two second conversation, but they drag it out into what’s supposed to be a, “you should know who you’re getting involved with,” scene that has nothing to do with anything going on.

One more small thing on the negative side, why would Cleo publish a book she claims is so highly personal, even if it’s anonymous, if she didn’t want people to read it? Most pen names get found out eventually, so if she thought nobody would ever know, she is incredibly naive. This is one of the more minor things that bugged me, and might just be one of her character flaws. There are more things I could list, but they’re fairly minor.

Despite the negatives, the overall story itself is not bad. It follows a similar formula to other Castle/Krentz/Quick books. Reading this still feels comforting to me, like it does whenever I read anything by this author. The characters that matter are also enjoyable and engaging. It’s an instant attraction story, so if you don’t like those, it might not be for you.

Liesl & Po

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Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
Genres: Adventure, Alchemy, Fantasy, Ghosts, Magic, Paranormal, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Harper/ HarperCollins
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-201452-8
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost named Po appears from the darkness.

That same evening, an alchemist’s apprentice named Will makes an innocent mistake that has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

Personal & Info

I don’t remember where I got this. It might have been Ollie’s. Anyway, it’s one of many books I grabbed at one point or another for something to try. It’s the same author as The Spindlers, and I think I like that one better. Don’t get me wrong, this one is not bad, it’s just a bit less fantasy in comparison.

Content Warnings

-Death
-Death of a parent
-Child abuse

Characters

Liesl Morbower is one of the main characters. I think, going by the information throughout the novel, she’s about eleven. Liesl lives locked away in the attic. She spends most of her time drawing near her window. Her mother died four or so years ago, and her father remarried in hopes of giving Liesl a good female role model.

Po is one of the main cahracters, and a ghost who likes seeing Liesl’s lamplight from the Other Side. Po has no gender, because it can’t remember who it was before, and its form is mostly shapeless with no visual details.

Bundle is Po’s pet who goes wherever Po goes. It is unclear whether Bundle is a cat or a dog and the difference ceases to matter to ghosts.

Augusta Hortense Varice Morbower is Liesl’s cruel stepmother. She was previously Liesl’s teacher, and even then, she did not like her.

Will is one of the main characters. He is the adopted assistant/apprentice to the alchemist, Merv. Will often sees Liesl drawing from his view on the street while running errands in the middle of the night.

Merv is the old, grouchy alchemist, who adopted WIll to be his assistant and apprentice. He seeks power and glory for his work.

Mo, short for Molasses, which is a nickname, is a guard for The Lady Pemiere. He is a big man, with a big heart, not known for his intelligence.

Lefty is Mo’s cat. Mo carries Lefty around in a sling, so they are always together.

The Lady Premiere is supposedly a princess in her home country of which nobody seems to know. She is considered beautiful, and a favorite of the Mayor.

Henry Morbower is Liesl’s father. He is dead from the start of the book.

Story & Thoughts

This is basically a story about a girl who escapes her evil stepmother to spread her father’s ashes at his preferred location. Various meetings, accidents, and motivations lead to a more convoluted adventure than necessary. All those things make it more book-worthy, though, because a normal story along those lines would be boring.

It’s pretty simple, despite having ghosts and alchemy, but I like how it all ties together. Several people end up pursuing the children, some to a ridiculous extent. Like, why would anyone chase a little girl across the countryside for being a little nutty? And why would a police officer bother to humor those demands when no crime has been committed?

Most of the characters are terrible. Almost every adult hates children and has no problem abusing them. There’s even a casual mention of kicking animals. I’m sure all of this is meant to drive home the point of how despicable these people are. There’s something about the setting with the world being generally gray and depressing with terrible people that reminds me of The Series of Unfortunate Events.

Overall, I find the book a bit lackluster. There’s nothing wrong with the story. I just think it’s a little bland for me, personally. There aren’t enough fantastical elements. The Alice in Wonderland-esque story for The Spindlers is much more interesting to me. This one is too close to normal to stand out, but it’s okay.

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
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

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
Amazon ThriftBooks

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.