What light novel(s) have you read last week, and what do you think about it? [March 31 - April 06]

OMG, what year is it? What the hell had I even reported on last time? Well, last month I briefly showed up to mention how the epilogue in Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 3 Volume 5 started mid-way through the novel. Recently I finished Part 4 Volume 9 so I'm starting on Part 5 now.

Just wow. I understand why people love this LN so much. The writing has gotten so much more impactful and the art is SO much better than in previous volumes. Miya Kazuki has this expert ability to establish normality in a fantasy world and then flip everything on its head and subvert expectations.

I feel like I haven't talked about anything in forever so... heavy spoilers ahead!

Part 3 Spoilers

This was the first part that I read past the anime and it was such a trip getting into it. At the time I was somewhat overwhelmed by all the new sights and people once she got to be a noble. Looking back at it now, it has become the norm. I love that her fake family took her in right away and then so did her adoptive family. Yet even with two very welcoming families she still missed her commoner family.

The fact she becomes the High Bishop is SUPER cool and I love how that one tiny decision way back here continues to have profound effects all the way up to where I'm reading in part 5 volume 1. She also makes her juvere but right before she can use it to become a real girl again ANOTHER dastardly plot my the Former Veronica Faction poisons Rosemyne and forces her into her juvere... for two years. When she wakes up and you find out about the timeskip it blew my mind. Oh, and surprise, she's still not fully healed!

The side-stories were amazing too and set up Part 4 really well. Seeing how Wilfred and Charlotte view Rosemyne once they have to fill her shoes... I cannot describe how nuanced and amazing that was. And all these tiny things come together to form a story that is so incredibly deep and makes so much sense on such a fundamental level.

---

Part 4 brought the academy arc I was waiting for! And it delivered SO hard!

But before that, just, WOW... nine whole volumes. Anyway...

Part 4 Spoilers

The academy arc was everything I wanted and more. Right from the onset Rosemyne is already causing a ruckus despite her best efforts to be just an ordinary normal little girl with her only desire to be to go to the library. What I found really cool was that this didn't just feel like "Rosemyne goes to Hogwarts" and instead feels like something truly unique.

---

I mentioned this before when I was writing about Reincarnated as a Sword and Trapped in a Dating Sim that I love how the world's make sense. And when things don't make sense, an explanation comes up later that explains why things are the way they are. It shows that the author is thinking things through and not just pulling stuff out of their butt. Bookworm is no different.

More Part 4 Spoilers

A number of things didn't make sense in Part 2. The purge is a HUGE plot point but from a world standpoint it doesn't make much sense since it left the country so mana-starved in every capacity. But okay, that can just be attributed to war not making sense. But then we look at the Temple. Rosemyne is able to wield magic because she knows prayers so she understands magic to be divine intervention by the gods. However most nobles not only shun the Temple but also don't believe in the gods which seems illogical based on what we know.

But things start to come together when we the Royals and the Sovern Temple interact with each other in an antagonistic fashion. It can be implied from history that some kind of power struggle happened in the past resulting in a firm separation between church and state. Furthermore we can see that part of the reason Rosemyne is so amazing is because of her upbringing in the temple.

Through all the school shenanigans we also see Lady Georgina making moves with the Former Veronica Faction. But largely due to Rosemyne's compassion we see the children of the Veronica faction switch sides which helps lead to the Purge. Really good thrill-ride there.

And finally, I cannot mention Part 4 without talking about the huge and magnificent duo that is Rosemyne and Ferdinand. It is slowly revealed how much of a profound impact the two have had on each other. Rosemyne becomes powerful in noble society from Ferdinand's lessons and support and Ferdinand's heart heals from Rosemyne's compassion and love. This culminates in the second saddest scene in the series where Ferdinand leaves Ehrenfest and Rosemyne behind. I still get teary-eyed when I think about Ferdinand giving Rosemyne the key to his estate for her library. The estate which was given to him by his father. The estate given to Rosemyne to fulfill a promise he made to her when she was a blue shrine maiden.

And then Rosemyne's emotions explode again just like at the end of Part 1... except this time she's more in control and knows what she's doing. And she ends up giving a most beautiful and powerful blessing.

Considering what happened with Damuel at the end of Part 1 with her blessing, I'm curious what will happen with Ferdinand with this supercharged version of her blessing. I also love how everyone thought that at that moment she looked just like a Saint. Initially the "Saint of Ehrenfest" was just a publicity stunt but as time has gone by it has become more and more true to the point where I finally am starting to understand the "Ascendance" in the title... more than just ascendance to nobility, ascendance to sainthood and beyond.

Whew, that was a lot of typing.

Anyway, I am watching the Ascendance of a Bookworm anime with a friend who has never seen it before and she's thinks it's pretty silly how obsessed Myne is with books and feels like it's a fun little ride but the LN are definitely a lot deeper and pick up steam. And yet, nothing feel superfluous.

<Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody> - Vol. 23

I am only a couple of chapters in. But… Proof reader where art thou?

---

Nana is multiplying?

Shortly after, Nana and Mia returned, dragging along with them the remains of a monster that resembled a stalk of broccoli.

I guess we’re having stewed broccoli and wild boar ribs for lunch.

I put the monster’s remains inside a bag made for carrying the spoils from our hunts called a “Magic Bag,” then all of us headed in the direction that Nana and Lulu had gone before disappearing.

---

Isnt Mia from Bolenan?

“Not to mention, isn’t this a first? I don’t think an elf from the Bolenan Forest has come to Arcatia before, right?”

“Wrong.”

“Really? Have I just not met one befo—?”

“Wrong. Polanian.”

I explained to the very confused gorilla man that Mia wasn’t Bulainan; she was Polanian. I could tell that was what Mia wanted to tell him.

---

Arias the Spear women!

“I’ll latch onto his ankle!” Arisa yelled as she used her “Helix Spear Attack” on the champion’s ankle, making him lose his balance.

Liza’s special attack collided with the champion’s mouth, and the aftereffects of Liza’s “Helix Spear Attack” ricocheted through the champion’s head, exploding it into several parts.

---

Other

Can you guess which other book I was reading?

“At times, I am but a simple, though beautiful, swordswoman!” She swung her left hand to the side to strike a different pose. “At times, I am a mysterious dragon tamer!”

Next, she assumed Rider #2’s transformation pose. Her gestures become more intense with every motion. Did she really have to pose while giving her speech?

“But beneath all that…!”

Finally, she put both hands to her hips and puffed out her chest. As she did so, an explosion erupted behind her—a spell she’d cast herself, by my reckoning.

<Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden Volume 6> - I had hoped for more of the Magivision production side after the long stretch of adventuring in the last volumes. There was a little bit of that, but the focus shifted for the largest part to two side characters and their goings-on leading up to the big tournament. In a series called “Lia Niston,” I really don’t want almost an entire volume of Bob the Builder and Yogi the Bear. [5/10]

<Victoria of Many Faces, Vol. 2> - Absolute exceptional volume. The first half is an adventure story that made me feel like watching Goonies for the first time as a kid. I wish this part could have lasted longer. The second part dealt with the fallout of that adventure and tying up loose ends to bring it to a nice and tidy conclusion. My main problem with the series at this point is that there was over half a year between volume 1 and 2. I don’t want to wait that long for vol. 3. [8/10]

META: As you can see, Myne now does scores. I'm still looking for a good name though. Rotten Tomatos has a "TomatoMeter". What should we have? "BookScore"? Boring. WormScore? Do people get that it's adapted from Bookworm? How about "WyrmScore"? Same idea as the last option but with InstantCool™ mixed in.