After collapsing at Benno’s store, Myne comes face-to-face with her impending death from the Devouring. Now with the knowledge of what is happening to her, and her prospective survival, she has to make the decision about how she wants to spend the rest of her life. But all hope may not be lost after she makes a surprising discovery at her baptism!

We’ve reached the conclusion of the Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll Do Anything to Become a Librarian! Daughter of a Solider arc in this third volume. Written by Miya Kazuki and illustrated by You Shiina, the English release was translated by Quof, and originally published via J-Novel Club’s digital subscription platform. The ebook was released in September 2019 with a print edition to follow in January 2020.

Once again, this book continues directly after the previous, and therefore
is recommended only to readers already following the series. At the end of the last book, our heroine Myne collapsed in Benno’s office—the Devouring finally overwhelming her small body and eating her from the inside. In a rush to save her life, the merchant is forced to find help from where he least wishes it: The Merchant Guildmaster. Using one of the old, near-broken magic tools the old man had procured for his granddaughter’s treatment, the Devouring has been pushed back and reduced once again, enough to save Myne’s life. It’s not a permanent solution though, and her life expectancy is only around another six months.

Waking up in the Guildmaster’s home, Myne is left under their care until she fully recovers. It’s here that she has to weigh her options; Frieda, her
friend who also suffers from the Devouring, has made a deal with a noble to ensure her survival—signing away her freedom once she comes of age to become their ‘kept woman’. For children outside of the noble class, it’s the only option they have to stay alive; magic tools are so obscenely expensive, there’s no hope for the lower classes ever affording one. Being faced with this possibility, Myne decides to keep her freedom and die at home with her family and friends. For Myne, who has already experienced death through Urano, she’s not afraid of that eventuality.

Her collapse also forces her to assess her future prospects—however short they may be—as an apprentice merchant. With her sickly body and low strength, she isn’t well suited to the physical labor the job would entail, and she wouldn’t be able to rely on Lutz all the time either. She’s well aware that any preferential treatment she may get would only inspire jealousy within the workers and other apprentices of the store, so she instead decides to me a work-at-home scribe. The new plan allows her to stay firmly within her physical limits, and allows her free time on the days Lutz has off from his apprenticeship for the two to keep making their paper and other potential products.

Of course, the revelation of Myne’s impending death, and her calm acceptance of it, does not go over so smoothly with the people who love her. Her family is understandably heartbroken, defeated in the face of the class divide and their own inability to get her the things she needs to survive. There is an incredibly powerful moment concerning her father Gunther’s grief at the news, and it’s wonderful to see how Kazuki has allowed these characters to grow into their own people, and not just props for the plot.

But, regardless of her death, there are other things to be done before that. After avoiding being pulled into Frieda’s family store, Myne accidentally shares another unknown product with the shrewd young girl and her chef: pound cake! Sugar is a new import to the town, and no one knows how to cook with it, so the girl’s simple cake recipe (chosen for its simplicity thanks to our protagonist not knowing weight measurement or conversion) is an exciting, unknown treat. There’s nothing like cake on the market at all, and so Frieda jumps at the opportunity to monopolize the idea. It’s a testament to how much Myne has grown in her bargaining skills that she doesn’t just give all of her information for free, and soon the two girls have various contracts in place for year-long exclusivity rights for the recipe.

This is the first time we’ve seen Myne dealing with merchants who aren’t Benno, and so its also the first time she’s considered diversifying where her ideas could be monetized. Benno has been a supportive benefactor, but his store (actually headed by his sister) specializes in clothing and accessories—which the hairpins and rinsham (all-in-one shampoo) fit under, but not her other product ideas. Unbeknownst to the younger girl, he’s preparing to open another store fully under his control where other products could be sold, and he has been working hard trying to establish a plant paper guild in preparation for manufacturing. The new product has already caused ire for the vested interests in the paper market (ie, the parchment guild), pushing more deals and compromise to allow Myne and Lutz’s plant paper to eventually be sold.

The paper manufacturing process itself is perfected in this book, and finally the two kids have the chance to share and sell a high-quality product before joining Benno’s store. With baptism looming for the two kids as well, the winter is filled with Myne, her mother and sister making the young girl her outfit for the ceremony. As is usual for families like her own, the dress is a hand-me-down from her sister—the biggest problem is just how much smaller she is than her sister. Thus starts Myne’s invention of ruffles and pleats, making her dress totally unique and eye-catching, in an attempt to make it fit better. She also makes a new design for a hairpin; one that will work better for her long, straight hair. The resulting outfit causes even more ruckus than her sister’s did, and all eyes are on the strange young girl with the big ideas on her special day.

The baptismal rites are the first time Myne has been exposed to religion in this new world—and the first time she’s seen (or realized the existence of) the Bible-esque religious text. For those with knowledge on the history of publishing (including Myne, of course), it’s well known that religious texts were the very first books to be made, thanks to the high cost and labor-intensive production of even just one page. It would often take a plethora of monks and priests-in-training to hand write each page of parchment, and later bound with lavish materials and embellishments. The book Myne discovers at the ceremony is no different. (For another light novel series about this topic, check out Wolf and Parchment: New Theory Spice and Wolf.)

Because of this, and the discovery of a chained library further within the temple, Myne immediately decides she wants to join the church (silly Glico pose prayer and all). It’s a rash decision that she doesn’t fully understand the implications of, but surprisingly there’s far more benefit to her than just the availability of books. The church has magical tools that need regular mana infusions, but far fewer nobles are sending their children to live in service to the gods. It’s a situation with mutual benefits (for the foreseeable future at least), and Myne is dead-set on becoming a shrine maiden. Thus ends the first arc of Bookworm, which ended up much, much longer and more involved than I think anyone expected. The end to this novel leads perfectly into setting up the next arc, and the new perspective and situation lends itself to so much potential. I look forward to starting the next!

Ascendance of a Bookworm is a slow-but-steady world-building marvel. It may take readers a little while to warm to Myne at first, but the payoff for patient readers is one of the best isekai light novels being released right now. If you are a fan of quieter slice-of-life isekai or fantasy stories like The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life or Spice and Wolf, I would greatly encourage you to try this one out!

Gee’s Rating: Highly Recommended

With the war between the Principality of Wiltia and the August Federation over, military hero Lud “Silver Wolf” Langart has left his life of piloting Hunter Units to open a bakery in the quiet border town of Organbaelz—only problem, he has no customers thanks to his scary face! All hope is not lost though, when a mysterious young beauty pleads to become a waitress for the shop. Little does Lud realise, his new waitress Sven isn’t exactly what she seems.

The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress volume 1 is the first in an ongoing series by SOW, and illustrated by Zaza. Originally a BookWalker Global exclusive in 2017, the digital release by J-Novel Club has now been made available on digital platforms as of September 2019. The book is translated by David Musto, and has previously been reviewed by Cho.

The Great Europea War has finally ended, bringing an unsteady peace to the region. Now, free from his duties as a soldier, Lud Langart is trying to open his bakery Tockerbrot and start his new life. Things don’t go too well for the former Captain despite his efforts, as his military background make him an unwelcome addition to the small town, and his rough, scarred face kills any remaining goodwill. His only customer is a young boy named Jacob, who insists on paying for his bread—and the only one aware of how delicious the bakery’s goods are.

It’s Jacob who encourages the gruff soldier that he needs a ‘fairer’ face for customers, and although Lud is pessimistic on the idea that any young girl would want to waitress for him, he’s surprised a few weeks later by the mysterious Sven. With beautiful silver hair and ruby-red eyes, the girl begs for the job—ready and willing to devote her life to Lud forever-after. The reality is that Sven is actually an Automaton, filled with the AI personality Avei from Lud’s Hunter mecha during the war. Over the years together the two formed an unbeatable partnership, and the AI grew to truly care for the man who gave her a name and thus individuality. Feeling lost and abandoned after the war, Avei jumps at the opportunity to rejoin her ‘master’—her newfound body a top-secret military project.

Despite the existence of wacky hijinks in the story—where Sven doesn’t quite understand human strength, or gets a little too overprotective of Lud—the story doesn’t feel like a comedy, or even a relaxed look into the daily life of the bakery. There’s a pervasive unrest within the town of Organbaelz, and tensions are bubbling just below the surface. Part of the newly-established region of Pelfe, the citizens don’t accept being annexed into the Principality of Wiltia. The townspeople see Lud as an outsider, a part of the military who brought death and destruction to their town only a few years prior, and refuse to buy his bread.

Aside from Jacob and Sven, the bakery’s only ally seems to be Marlene—a sister at the church who looks after the town’s war orphans—who welcomes the leftovers to feed the children. The church and Marlene play a pretty crucial role in this book, not only in the actions throughout the plot, but as an avenue for Lud to truly face the consequences of the actions he took a part in. All’s fair in love and war, but the reality of a country in and recovering from conflict is never pretty. Together, Lud and Sven (as Avei) very likely created more orphans than they could ever know—and the ex-soldier now accepts the disdain and hatred as his earned fate, willing to bear the burdens of his choices.

For Sven, she has a much harder time reconciling human emotions—not understanding how the master she loves so much could be hated by others for doing his job well. She takes it upon herself to try and convince the townspeople to try and buy the amazing array of breads, and doesn’t fully understand the nuance of upset and hurt and betrayal that the war caused. She may look human, and she definitely has a wider emotional range than the other copies of her program, but Sven (or Avei) has a long way to go before she can fully appreciate how people survive after trauma.

Later we get some insight as to why Lud decided on becoming a baker, and I think this scene gives the character some much-needed motivation and depth beyond the ‘tough soldier with a heart of gold’ trope that has become prevalent within light novels of the past few years. I can only hope Sven gets a similar sort of development in future novels, because right now her personality is painfully one-note in the ‘crazy over-protective girlfriend’ way.

There’s a lot of directions this premise could have gone, especially with a title like The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress, so I’m glad it surprised me with a purposeful exploration of the impacts of war and survivors guilt, even if it’s dressed in a maid outfit. The book was far from perfect though, and the first half really had me struggling to read it. There’s an amateurish quality to the writing, and Sven’s utter delight in servitude to Lud is grating to read (although understandable within context). Thankfully the dynamic between them keeps the baker at a near-constant confusion at the girl’s actions and undying love—but it also makes Lud look like a clueless idiot. Sven is anything but subtle, and the plot suffered in order to keep Lud ignorant of her true identity. I can’t really say if I enjoyed this book, but I can appreciate what it was trying to do.

But the major issue I have is that for a book that has multiple plots, conflicts and characters introduced, if doesn’t feel like much happened at all. I think this was due in part to the amateur writing style, as important scenes lacked ‘impact’—it felt like the writer struggled with building the tone of each scene.

Overall, The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress was surprise. The novel was a mixed-bag of ideas, some better executed than others, and with some surprising poignancy when it’s trying.

Gee’s Rating: Maybe Recommended

You can purchase the ebook online via sites like Amazon. This is an affiliate link, so a small percentage of sales goes toward this site.

After surviving her baptism, and discovering an available library within the temple walls, Myne is starting her days as an apprentice shrine maiden. After a generous donation and some accidental strong-arming, the reincarnated young girl is hoping for some quality time with her beloved books—but little does she realise how difficult it will be for her, a sickly child from the slums, to fit within the hierarchy of priests and shrine maidens.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll Do Anything to Become a Librarian! starts a new arc with this fourth book, appropriately subtitled Apprentice Shrine Maiden. The series is written by Miya Kazuki featuring illustrations by You Shiina and the English translation by Quof. J-Novel Club released the book digitally in November 2019, with plans for a print release to follow in 2020.

With the start of this new chapter in Myne’s life, a lot has changed for her. After discovering the chained library within the temple (and subsequently having an emotional breakdown after discovering only clergy could have access to it), the booklover took no time to decide on joining the church and becoming an apprentice shrine maiden. With this new goal and direction in her life, so too do the people around her change. Becoming a part of the religious order has additional benefits for her too—the magic tools used in religious ceremonies are in dire need of ongoing maintenance, which has been interrupted by the removal of many noble-bred priests and shrine maidens from the temple. Myne, with her Devouring, has an excess of mana and no outlet for treatment otherwise. It’s a (temporary) win-win situation for both the girl and the religious ministers, eventually leading to Myne becoming a Blue Robe shrine maiden.

But with the new setting also comes new challenges, as Myne struggles with understanding and existing within the caste system of the temple. Due to her sickly body, large monetary donation, and high literacy (plus a touch of intimidation), she has been given the same rights and allowances as the upper-class children that join the faith. The other group—the grey robes—are the unwanted of society; orphans abandoned to the temple, with the hope that the gods will provide. They also act in servitude to the blue robes, vying to become a chosen servant in exchange for better living conditions. Naturally, Myne is also assigned three grey robes—The level-headed and proper Fran, the cunning and calculating Delia, and the volatile and aggressive Gil. Each have their reasons as for being assigned to the younger girl, and none in the group seem comfortable with the arrangement—least of all Myne.

The three grey robes are now her responsibility—to feed and house and accompany—and it goes completely against Urano’s modern nature to boss around and reprimand the people around her. It makes sense then that her views differ from the majority of her fellow blue robes, treating Fran, Gil and Delia as real people. Even as all three of them initially hate their new ‘master’, she slowly wins them over by affording them the support and humanity they had previously been denied. As orphans, they have been systematically abused and exploited under the guise of service—including implications of sexual assault and grooming of minors, and many of those within the orphanage being unclaimed children of priests and shrine maidens within the temple itself.

These aren’t the only problems and injustices floating beneath the shiny veneer (all too reminiscent of real-life religious institutions, a more-cynical reviewer might say), as the politics and scheming behind the scenes by the Head Bishop and the Head Priest complicate Myne’s apprenticeship even more. Once the young girl becomes are of the orphanage and the terrible living conditions of the children within, she quickly decides to take on the tasks herself—again breaking the unwritten rules of the temple, but ultimately succeeding in her goal. Not only does she want these kids to survive, she wants them to thrive. That of course means her unconventional ideas and programs to let the orphanage be self-sustainable once again throw Myne into the spotlight. It seems subtlety is not her strong suit, regardless the situation.

Though, it’s also the first time Myne can’t wholly rely on her Urano knowledge to muddle through situations, as the religious beliefs of her new world are completely foreign to her. The young girl finds herself struggling with memorizing the numerous religious greetings, gods and ceremonies (made harder thanks to her bad memory), with the High Priest frequently frustrated at the slow pace of her religious education.

With all of the new characters introduced in this book, that’s not so say that the people already in the main character’s life disappear—both Benno and Lutz make semi-frequent visits to the small girl, and the latter still walks with her back home every evening. The paper manufacturing plans are still being perfected, and the restaurant development is a particular point of growth for Benno’s business in this book. All in all, and thanks to the somewhat temporary solution of the temple’s magic tools, Myne’s best hope for long-term survival is monetizing her ideas, revolutionizing the current marketplace and earning enough to purchase her own tools for the future. That plan is dependent on her ability to be accepted by the upper class though—of which her current training as shrine maiden (and the expectations thrust on her as a Blue Robe) will help.

Another interesting development is the escalation and resolution of Lutz’s home life, and efforts in communicating with his family. The short story is the first time we have met the young boy’s father, and gives insight to the larger issues of communication, parenting and personal motivations brewing between Lutz, his parents and Benno.

Ascendance of a Bookworm continues to balance entertainment and worldbuilding in this first book of its Shrine Maiden arc. It’s a pleasure to read about Myne and her perception of the world around her—and her earnest efforts to improve the lives of everyone in her new homeworld; over the course of the eighteen months since her reincarnation, she has also changed for the better. The Urano of her past life would likely be satisfied with just living out her days in the chained library, not noticing or caring about the suffering of those around her and the low education rates—even her paper plans would be incidental in the face of proper books. Its an obvious shift, but one that’s taken place over the course of the past three books in a natural way.

Gee’s Rating: Highly recommended.

Shortly after winning the tournament and getting revenge on her previous party leader, Tanya Artemiciov and the all-women party Lilium have become local heroes—inspiring girls and women throughout the country to pursue their dreams. Everything seems to be going well until Laplace meets the Grand Court Mage Maxwell at a castle party, the same man who sealed her away 300 years before. Now, the sorceress has to face her past—and get her own revenge! Strap on your swords and comfortable shoes, it’s time to fight the patriarchy again with Sexiled: My Sexist Party Leader Kicked Me Out, So I Teamed Up With a Mythical Sorceress! volume 2.

The newest entry in Ameko Kaeruda’s fantasy feminist comedy continues the fun of the last, and was released on digital platforms in December 2019 by J-Novel Club. The book features Kazutomo Miya’s illustrations, and translation by Molly Lee. A print edition for the book is planned for 2020.

After their resounding victory during the tournament, the three members of Lilium—Tanya, Laplace and Nadine—have found themselves well-respected and busier than ever. Although never too busy to visit their favorite eatery, where the (literally) foxy Katherine works. Their former adversary during the tournament has quickly (although with a small amount of denial) befriended the other women, and when Lilium hopes to fulfill a job they’re overqualified for, she joins as the fourth member as a highly-talented Mage.

The main reason for accepting the job is the allure of the all-you-can-eat barbecue reward being offered, but it soon becomes obvious that the young woman is in dire need of their help. After a fun night out with her friends, where she suspiciously became tired after a couple non-alcoholic drinks, she had been confronted at her family’s business by a much older man, claiming that she agreed to marry him. The biggest problem is that her parents are afraid to defend her, as her apparent husband-to-be is the son of an important client. Horrified by the situation, the women decide to defend the young woman in public court. It’s a farce of a trial that places all the blame on the girl, with the main argument boiling down to “she didn’t clearly say no, so that means she agreed!”.

Happily, when Katherine gives the creep a taste of his own medicine, he quickly backs down, but the victim-blaming doesn’t stop. Even the young woman’s father tells her she should have been more careful with what she wears if she didn’t want unsavory attention. Once again the real-life parallels are obvious, and Kaeruda perfectly captures the upset and doubt that victims are faced with on a regular basis. The timing is perfect for this English release, as it coincidentally comes the same week that journalist Shiori Ito won her case against Noriyuki Yamaguchi—a landmark for the #MeToo movement in Japan, and setting a new precedent for laws and prosecution against sexual assault and rape in a country where only 4% of victims come forward.

Shortly afterwards, the Lilium girls are invited to a party being held at the castle. Only Tanya and Laplace decide to attend, the other two too busy manning a food stall during the night’s festivities. Their attendance is two-fold: to recognise their great achievements, and to provide additional security. The second part is hindered by the insistence of palace staff that swords are unsuitable accessories to gowns, and the painful stiletto shoes Tanya finds herself in. The heels in particular echo the #KuToo movement the author notes in the afterword. Thanks to Laplace’s magic though, the Magi-Knight finds herself with new comfortable shoes, and a beautiful gold ring on her finger (the type of relationship ‘subtlety’ I haven’t seen since episode 10 of Yuri on Ice!!!).

The pair end up meeting the young princess Arianora, who has idolised Lilium since the tournament. She’s just another one of the thousands of girls inspired by the women’s achievements, indicating the lack of freedom and choice she has, even as royalty. Things take a turn when the princess is caught by Maxwell, the Court Grand Mage who Laplace has a complicated history with, and Tanya can’t help notice how it impacts her partner. After the run-in, the Sorceress disappears without a word—only rumors left behind for Tanya to follow to the castle dungeons.

This book is the opportunity for Laplace to get her own revenge after helping Tanya with hers. We discover the various reasons why Maxwell sealed away Laplace’s magic three centuries before, and the complicated relationship the two had prior. It’s exhilarating to read the climax of this novel, seeing the woman finally stop ‘laughing things off’ and valuing her own anger and frustration. She not only achieves her revenge, but also breaks the cycle of abuse that has lasted for centuries with the help of Tanya and the young princess. The absurdity of Maxwell’s excuses as to why he became a cackling villain perfectly encapsulates the fear of mediocre men when faced by competent women, and like always it’s not subtle—but it’s also not unrealistic.

The yuri element this time around is far more obvious, and the flirting and kissing between Tanya and Laplace has (mostly) shed it’s flimsy excuse of mana exchange. With the transformation of Tanya’s sword to a ring, there should be little doubt these girls are in love—but we get to hear those words too. Aside from our main couple, the romantic tension between Nadine and Katherine is also building. I’m sure we’ll see more develop on that front in future books.

Like always, it’s easy to prejudge a title like Sexiled as man-hating or radical, but I truly believe that the series knows when to be over the top to make it’s point, and when to keep its characters (and readers) in check when making assumptions. Towards the end, Tanya assumes a young guard is going to ridicule or devalue her just for being a woman—but he instead asks to shake her hand, having been inspired to chase his own ‘impossible’ dreams by Lilium’s great victory in the tournament. Similarly to when Nadine assumed the maximum skill level of lady adventurers in the previous book, Kaeruda makes it clear that the responsibility of societal sexism doesn’t lay solely with men who have been raised within its structure—it’s the exploitation of the powerless in patriarchal society that needs to be dismantled. Feminism isn’t men vs women (despite what certain groups would like young men and women to believe); feminism is an equalisation, a redistribution of power from those who benefit from the exploitation of those without it. The book very literally shows us how our characters do just that, once again being a truly feminist work—and a lot harder to dismiss as “man-hating propaganda”.

Sexiled is the type of escapist power fantasy any young woman wishes she could have—where the repeated sexism, devaluation and objectification of our protagonists end with the perpetrators getting their comeuppance in the most satisfying way, that almost never happens in reality. It is a perfect followup to the first novel, and every aspect has only gotten better—characters, conflicts, the yuri, the humor and the vicarious satisfaction. This is a must-read for everyone who enjoyed the first book, and for anyone looking for a feminist, yuri or fantasy comedy light novel.

Gee’s Rating: Highly Recommended

Myne’s starting to settle into her day to day duties as an apprentice Shrine Maiden and the building expectations from both Benno and the Head Priest, but she hasn’t forgotten her true goal either. With exciting news from her family, she’s even more motivated to create the books she loves–but things will never be so easy for our favorite bibliophile.

Miya Kazuki continues the Apprentice Shrine Maiden arc of Ascendance of a Bookworm with this second volume. The book once again features illustrations by You Shiina, and English translation by quof. J-novel Club published the collected digital release in January 2020, with a print edition expected later in the year.

We return to Myne’s life with the exciting news that her mother is pregnant with another child, and no one seems more excited than our reincarnated protagonist. With a baby on the way, Myne wants to make suitable picture books for her upcoming sibling. The only problem is that the current paper and materials she has been producing with Lutz, Benno and the orphanage are not sturdy enough to survive small children readers. That, coupled with the low literacy rate within society, it’s going to be hard to convince other people about the idea. With that idea on the back burner, the book printing is otherwise going well–when woodblock printing failed, the group then tried stenciling, to much better success–the first batch of children’s bibles have been finished, featuring new art and simple stitched binding. There are mixed reactions to the news that the young apprentice Shrine Maiden has finalized her first book with plant paper, but it’s the biggest success she’s had so far. The thrill and sense of achievement is palpable, and it’s hard not to feel proud of how far our small, sickly protagonist has come since being reincarnated.

The new artwork for the bible was provided by Wilma, a Grey Shrine Maiden who had previously attended a Blue Shrine Maiden who encouraged her in her artistic pursuits. Knowing that she will continue to need illustrations for her books, Myne requests for the older girl to become her newest attendant, to which she agrees–under certain conditions. There’s an important element in this story thread about consent, agency and respect between master and attendant, and Ascendance of a Bookworm handles it with grace and levity that many of it’s contemporaries could learn from.

Along with Wilma, Myne is also appointed Rosalina, another past-attendant of the art-loving Sister Catherine; the Head Priest Ferdinand encouraging Myne to learn an instrument in preparation for Noble society. Rosalina is ecstatic for the opportunity to reunite with her beloved music, but has a harder time adapting to Myne’s rules and expectations. As always, it’s wonderful to see how so many opposing personalities interact with, and are handled by, the young girl. The cast has slowly grown over the course of these books as the personal circle of people surrounding Myne and her crazy ideas has expanded.

Family is another theme that returns to the forefront with this novel; one that I was worried might disappear thanks to the change in setting. Of course much of this is fueled by the pregnancy, but Kazuki gives some great moments to Tuuli too–giving her the spotlight and love she’s due after supporting her sister for so long, and in so many ways. Even as threats get larger, and Myne’s life gets more complicated, the unequivocal love her family has for her has not, and will not change.

As we settle into this current arc, more and more discrepancies between the Temple, Noble Society and the lower classes become apparent. The corruption, totalitarianism and arrogance of higher stations is slowly making itself known—both overtly, with the attack on Myne by a member of the Knight’s Order, to the subtle, in how utterly inappropriate the story of Cinderella is deemed, even as fiction. As Myne gets more and more entangled in Noble Society, this will only continue to be explored, I’m sure.

Additionally to that point, the trombe removal and summons of the Knight’s Order towards the end of the book is the first interaction Myne has had with a Noble outside the confines and decorum of the Temple–and it’s far from friendly. Witnessing our naive and trusting protagonist being verbally and physically attacked by a fully grown man is immensely upsetting. Her desperation and anguish actually hurt to read, and I have to once again commend Kazuki’s writing and Quof’s brilliant translation work. The moment proves just how (potentially) dangerous it is for Myne to underestimate and disregard the strict class system in her new world. Noble society is powerful, and clinging to modern standards of equality without being smart about it will only lead to very scary enemies. Thankfully, she has a powerful and insightful ally with the Head Priest, so she’s not alone either.

The catastrophic trombe affair also prompts Ferdinand to explore who Myne truly is, making him the only other person aside from Lutz to learn the young girl’s secret. I’m not thrilled about the methodology though–there’s an uncomfortable element in him exploring her mind whilst she sleeps, and without her prior consent. There’s already too many jokes about the potential of gifts being misconstrued as courting gestures for me (especially as we know that ‘flower offering’ and other various illicit relationships with young girls are common in the Temple and for Nobles). Although Myne-slash-Urano is fairly blase about the whole situation, and somewhat relieved about not having to find excuses anymore, it’s hard not to compare it with the confrontation and confession that happened with Lutz. Ultimately, despite the young boy’s suspicions, he left it up to Myne to tell him the truth. She made the choice to trust him with her secret and her life–and it speaks volumes on their partnership. Comparatively, although Myne is being protected by the Head Priest in various ways, there’s still a level of trust that needs to build up between them–perhaps now easier done, with her secret known.

Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 2: Apprentice Shrine Maiden continues to balance its elements with ease–it can often be hard to naturally introduce world-building into a fantasy setting without it sounding like an info dump, but this series never struggles with that. The frightening threat of both trombes and the arrogance of nobles are highlighted later in the book, with an emotional genuinity that any invested reader will appreciate. Unfortunately, although Myne continues to treat those around her with respect and humility, the same has not been afforded to her–from friend and foe. It will be interesting to see how things will change in the story now that certain elements have been introduced, and as always, I’m excited for more.

Gee’s Rating: Highly Recommended

After being abruptly removed from his mission as Chidori’s bodyguard, Sousuke finds himself unmotivated and regretful in the middle of a warzone–an active terror threat in Hong Kong demanding his attention. Meanwhile, Kaname is missing the intense protection of her soldier classmate in his absence–afraid of her life now being in threat, forcing her to rash and dangerous situations. Both teens are struggling through their seperations in their own ways, whilst the past returns…

Full Metal Panic! Ending Day by Day (Part Two) is the fifth volume of Shouji Gatou’s military light novel series, featuring illustrations by Shikidouji. J-Novel Club releases the English edition translated by Elizabeth Ellis. The ebook was released on digital platforms in December 2019.

As the second half of this story arc, the novel understandably relies on the build up of the previous book. Here, we deal with the aftermath of Mithril removing Sousuke from his posting in Japan and his (relatively) peaceful school life with Kaname. With the abruptness of his departure, a deep chasm is left in both teens lives–pushing their feelings that have grown over the past several months to the forefront, and forcing them to reassess their lives now without each other.

Sousuke continues to struggle with his own self-doubts over piloting the Arbalest; he’s spent a majority of his life fighting wars for other people, and it’s finally taking its toll on the teen. Paired with his removal from Japan, his superior officer’s death, and the general stress of his Mithril’s expectations, the stoic soldier finally reaches his breaking point in Hong Kong, disappearing into the city streets after making another preventable mistake. His self-imposed isolation doesn’t last long though, as a coded message beckons him to a seedy apartment to face the remnants of his past self.

It’s interesting to note that Gatou’s version of the city is split between two factions of power, a la Berlin post-war. Whether or not the geopolitical changes the author decided have any real relevance to the story other than making it easier to write combat without dragging in real-life wars is yet to be seen, but it’s also not hard to see certain inferences either.

Back in Japan, Kaname has come to the realization that Sousuke is very likely gone for good–his phone’s been disconnected, his apartment’s bare, his withdrawal from school submitted. Aside from her heartbreak (to which she curses her avoidance at not telling him the truth), she realises that without a guard like Sousuke she can trust by her side, there’s a very real threat on her life–from Amalgam and Mithril alike. The shadowy Wraith is on her tail, but it’s unsure as to whether they’re friend or foe. In a bout of self-preservation, Kaname decides to lose whomever may be trailing her by hiding in crowds and disappearing off of her usual routes. Her plans seem relatively fruitless though when her own self-doubts start–sure that a trained professional would see right through her preparations. It’s this that prompts our teenage protagonist to hoodwink a drunken office worker into taking her to a love hotel–where she quickly knocks him out and escapes out a window.

The rationale is that Kaname needed a place to check her clothes in case of tracking devices, whilst not looking suspicious (but still unpredictable!) to outside eyes. Even so, there’s an uncomfortableness in the very real risk she puts herself in here–and I’m not thoroughly convinced it was necessary. Before she incapacitates the older man, he’s ready and willing to sleep with the teenager; jumping on her almost immediately once behind closed doors. As a female reader, it’s hard to believe that Kaname would put herself in that sort of danger–even armed, and especially when she’s already on high alert. The tussle is pretty quickly ended, but it’s then immediately followed by her stripping down completely and changing into a bathrobe. It’s a tone-deaf shift between events, made even more aggravating by the fact that we, as an audience, are expected to believe that anyone would willingly try to parkour out a hotel window in only a bathrobe and underwear. I know desperate times call for desperate measures, but it feels like Gatou just wanted the robe for the later bait-and-switch and couldn’t think of any other method. Reading about Kaname taking out an assassin in nothing but her panties doesn’t feel like the powerful moment I think it’s supposed to be–it feels like unwarranted humiliation.

Kaname’s rooftop escape does lead her to discovering those following her though, and fully reveals a character only hinted at before–Leonard Testarossa, Tessa’s twin brother. His ties to Amalgam, and the rocky relationship he has with his sister are obvious, but his motivations towards Kaname as a fellow Whispered are still unclear.

Despite my annoyances with certain choices made at the expense of Kaname here, I do want to acknowledge that this book is the first to push the characters into agency. Kaname risks her life in order to reclaim what has been taken from her; Sousuke stops mindlessly following orders and chooses his own path; even the Arbalest even becomes it’s own independent thinker. The events of the last two books have irrevocably changed these characters, and it will be interesting to see how that will change the dynamic going forward. It is a shame that the rom-com aspect means that we’ll have to wait before either hero admits their romantic feelings; but nor is it surprising from a series from this era.

This book wraps up the stories introduced last time, as well as signalling a significant change for these characters. The character growth also gives Gatou freedom with upcoming arcs so I’m anticipating that it won’t be a complete return to business as usual for our teen protagonists and Mithril. Once again Full Metal Panic! has managed to balance it’s moving parts well, with attempts at nuance in themes. (Although not always successful.)

Gee’s Rating: Recommended

After a lifetime of dominating the battlefield, striking fear into the hearts of his enemies and companions alike, Gaius Balderus has relinquished his title and fame for a simple life in the country—back to where his hometown once stood decades before. But when he discovers a neighboring Kobold settlement, rescuing the strongest of their warriors, he quickly decides to protect the canine-looking fairies from impending threats!

Kobold King vol 1 is one of the first new titles from J-Novel Club’s Legend imprint; a label dedicated to Kodansha titles with darker themes and more mature content. The series is written by Syousa and features cover art by sime. The English ebook was released January 2020, and was translated by Fatuma Muhamed.

After serving the previous king and bringing glory to the kingdom during the Five Year War, serving the crown princess as both guard and husband, and leading the valiant Knights of the Chain for decades, Gaius Balderus has chosen a more peaceful life for himself. Sick of the constant politics of the kingdom, and at odds with the current ruler, the hulking warrior has rescinded his hard-fought glory in hope to return to his humble roots. The man is both feared and respected across the land—his huge stature, enormous strength and horrific cursed facial scar all painting a fearsome picture, only enhanced by his many nicknames: “ally-killer”, “slayer of fifty” and more. His scary looks (due in part to being part troll) and rumored reputation (thanks to the twisting of legends) hide his true self—a kind and earnest man, with a heart of gold and simple dreams.

After returning to the ruins of his hometown, Gaius runs into the Greadwood, the land’s fearsome forest full of monsters, to rescue a screaming child from attack. What he finds is a Bugbear and a talking dog. The ferocious monster is no match for our hero, and once killed the dog introduces herself as White Fog—a Kobold warrior, member of the canine-looking fairy clan of which humans have only heard rumors. She brings him back to the Kobold settlement a little further down the riverbank, and the gruff-looking man soon becomes besotted with the fluffy adorableness of the townspeople. All is not well, however, as Gaius learns about how humans had attacked the Kobold’s previous town—looting the valuables and slaughtering indiscriminately. Caring and protective as he is, the man decides to help keep them all safe.

This isn’t just Gaius’s story though, as we also meet a variety of interesting characters too. There’s half-elf Sashalia, who defects from her position to follow Gaius (and her heart); Dwaemon, a cocky (in more ways than one) teenage dwarf who is adventuring to make a name for himself; and Darke, a sultry and powerful young woman who toys with the idea of becoming Gaius’s adoptive daughter. The three join the older man for their various reasons, and with the Kobolds, work together to save the furred residents of the town from more human attacks.

Kobold King and its characters leave me very mixed, and for much of the middle chapters I found myself questioning how the book had so drastically betrayed my expectations. Thankfully, by the end the gravity of the situation and the character writing managed to pull the story back into ‘enjoyable’ for me, but there were still problems I’m not sure it will ever fully shake. One of my favorite aspects of the early chapters was the relationship and interaction between Gaius and Fog, which we unfortunately lose midway through. The two have a very likeable and understandable friendship; she’s his only ally early on, and together they work to protect the Kobolds as best they can.

On the other hand, the rest of the non-Kobold cast have very distinct personalities which although give this story added dimension, also make them hard to like at points. Sashalia, despite being in her twenties, looks (and sometimes acts) like a child because of her elven heritage. Her romantic feelings for a man several decades her senior is fine in-and-of-itself, but petty jealousy is her defining character trait for most of the book; compounded by her tsundere “I don’t love him” denials and the weird emphasis on her body being pre-pubescent, it leaves a weird vibe to the whole thing. Darke might be even worse, continually manipulating Gaius with the hope she’ll let him adopt her, whilst knowing she never will. Her main goal is to steal his virtue—yes, in the carnal way—in order to repay him for saving her as a child. She’s recognized as having fallen into madness by the book, but again, it just leaves a weird vibe. I also don’t think these two ladies ever have a conversation (or a thought) that isn’t about Gaius; Syousa certainly isn’t passing any type of Bechdel Test here. Dwaemon at least is to the point and understandable—his entire motivation is the possibility of bedding beautiful women across the land—but dedicates himself on becoming stronger, a true storied hero, after suffering multiple defeats. His excited perversion is almost (almost) quaint.

Although the plot seemed to treat everything seriously, I was never quite sure if the constant discussion of bodily waste was meant to be a joke or not. I can handle a poop joke or two, don’t get me wrong, but I almost had to start a counter with how often characters voiced their need to got to the bathroom, kids played with monster droppings, etc. I feel crazy even mentioning it, but it was so prolific I can’t not. I also had to take a moment to process what I was reading when it was flippantly revealed our hero has a self-inflicted castration curse on him, but at least that has a semi-logical in-story explanation. It’s an odd unevenness when paired with the otherwise heavy violence, or the heartwarming interactions between Giaus and the Kobolds.

The villains of the piece are fairly rote and expected for this sort of plot and setting, but they do give the finale impact. I mentioned earlier that I was drawn back into the story by the end, and it really was because of how heavy and lasting the consequences were throughout. There’s a distinct lack of plot armor around as well, which worked well in getting the reader invested. It gave stakes to the fighting; true moments of visceral pain showing that ‘yes, the threat is real’. This book definitely feels different to many of J-Novel’s previous releases, and I think it’s a good indication for the Legend imprint going forward.

Although I didn’t love everything about this book, I do find Gaius very likeable, if somewhat naive for his age. And after the final fight of this book, there’s some interesting potential here with the other characters too. In some ways this book reminds me a lot of Little Princess in Fairy Forest, and I’d recommend that if you enjoyed this one—don’t judge a book by its cover (or title). All in all, I wouldn’t say this is a perfect book, but it’s definitely got more teeth than your average fantasy light novel. If you like the (non-isekai) fantasy setting, enjoy consequences to your fights and don’t mind an uneven middle chunk, give Kobold King vol 1 a try!

Gee’s Rating: Maybe recommended

Japanese Title: 終わりのセラフ 一瀬グレン、19歳の世界再誕 “Owari no Serafu – Ichinose Guren, 19-sai no Sekai Ressurection”
Author: Takaya Kagami — 鏡 貴也
Illustrator: Yo Asami — 浅見 よう
Translator: James Balzer
English Publisher: Vertical

Despite the three-year time skip in the title, Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose: Resurrection at Nineteen picks up immediately after the events of its prequel light novel series, Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen. It also continues to be a prequel to the original Seraph of the End manga. The light novels are actually written by the manga’s author, so these are canon and consistent with the events of the manga.

This volume deals with the outcome of Guren’s choice at the end of Catastrophe where he resurrected his friends, despite knowing it would trigger the apocalypse.

The book has three narrative sections: Guren trying to keep his friends in the dark regarding their deaths (there is a reason, but I won’t spoil it), two boys from Guren’s clan witnessing the onset of the apocalypse first hand, and Guren and his friends rejoining the Imperial Demon Army.

I was glad to see this one avoided an immediate time skip. First off, it would cheapen the build-up of the previous series to not see what the promised apocalypse looked like. Also, it allowed the reader to experience Guren’s emotional state, knowing what his decision caused. It shows his growth from the loner at the start of Catastrophe to someone who cares and values his friends above all else. But it also starts a new emotional journey for the character–the question of whether he deserves to exist in this new world. It’s interesting to watch a character struggle with the idea of whether they have the right to fix a world they helped destroy.

Perhaps my favorite part of the book was the journey of the two boys from Guren’s clan, Makoto and Shusaku. Initially, they are up in the mountains training. When they see planes falling from the sky (I mean this literally), they make their way home. It’s their journey that shows the brutal “wrath of God.” Kagami uses a clever way to let the boys view the apocalypse as it occurs, while allowing them to maintain some distance from its immediate dangers. And the small, localized view they glimpse not only reveals the horror, but makes it personal enough to give emotional weight.

The third arc of the book reveals multiple levels of duplicity on the part of the Imperial Demon Army, but also of Mahiru’s brother, Kureto. This final section is obviously the setup for much of the rest of the series and the new world order seen in the Seraph of the End manga. It also reintroduces us to a changed Mahiru, and I can’t help but be curious about her new relationship with Guren and whether this still somehow is part of her plan.

Like Catastrophe’s volumes, the pace of this one is fast. Not only is the volume relatively short, but with action sequence immediately following action sequence, there is little time to take a breath. This mostly works in the book’s favor as it heightens the tension. Though some sections, most notably part of Makoto’s and Shusaku’s journey, felt rushed, or I guess existed as throwaways to shout-out fans of the manga.

Aside from these minimal pacing issues, my only other small gripe with this volume was the jarring “we’re still horny teenagers” moments. While the author plays this off as the characters lightening the mood, it just felt out of place with most of the book. But thankfully, these are few.

Fans of both the Catastrophe light novels and Seraph of the End manga will find they enjoy Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose: Resurrection at Nineteen volume 1. While Catastrophe raced toward disaster, this volume begins a new journey to find a worthy life in a changed and frightening world.

You can pick this book up at the following retailers:

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justus R. Stone has been running a light novel dedicated YouTube channel since 2014. He’s also the founder of the Light Novel Podcast, one of the first English language podcasts dedicated to Light Novels. In addition to his love of Japanese light novels, he is also the author of his own light novel-inspired series, The Bleeding Worlds.

Japanese Title: たとえばラストダンジョン前の村の少年が序盤の街で暮らすような物語 — “Tatoeba Last Dungeon Mar no Mura no Shounen ga Joban no Machi Kurasu Youna Monogatari”
Author: Toshio Satou — サトウとシオ
Illustrator: Nao Watanuki — 和狸ナオ
Translator: Andrew Cunningham
English Publisher: Yen On (Yen Press)

Suppose a Kid From the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town is one of those rare light novels where virtually all the components are typical tropes, yet magically blend together into something that, while not ground-breaking, prove to be enjoyable.

The title pretty much sums up the main plot (light novel trope #1). Lloyd is a boy who considers himself average (trope #2). If anything, he has a very poor opinion of himself and his abilities because his village is ridiculous. It’s a place located in one of the most remote areas of the world, where fish are sea monsters, the trees roam the land in a murderous rage, and the villagers themselves are descended from mythic heroes, each of them equal to god-tier characters. Since Lloyd feels he can’t compare with the other villagers, he decides to move to the main city and join the military so he can learn to be stronger. Naturally, his logic is flawed, because even as the weakest in his village, he is light-years ahead of any person living in the city (trope #3).

As the story progresses, numerous girls become enamored with Lloyd (trope #4) and he inadvertently becomes involved in a plot to destroy the kingdom (trope #5). This doesn’t even begin to address how each of the secondary characters and members of Lloyd’s harem are all pretty archetypal.

Yet the book manages to rise above this and be entertaining.

First off, I credit the author’s voice as being a large factor in the enjoyment of the book. The voice is a third-person omnipotent narrator who regularly interjects how ridiculous, silly, naive, or just plain dumb situations are. This self-aware commentary on the book’s events was a source of numerous laughs and it’s hard to pick on tropes when the author themselves are already doing it for you.

Speaking of laughs, there were plenty of them in this book. And what I appreciated was not all of them were a repetitive mess of “Lloyd is so OP and doesn’t get it.” There are plenty of other running gags (such as a secondary character who keeps threatening to destroy the world–and can!) that keep the book from being one-note.

Also, there’s the character of Lloyd himself. Unlike other clueless OP main characters, Lloyd’s backstory provides an explanation for his lack of common sense. Lloyd is a character you root for. He’s kind, selfless, and a good house-husband. But even his ability to cook and clean is born out of the belief he isn’t strong enough to do anything but chores around the house. As a reader, instead of being exasperated by Lloyd’s low self-awareness, I pitied him because his continued lack of awareness wasn’t out of stupidity, but rather low self-esteem. This flips the usual paradigm in a positive way. With these clueless OP main characters, their character journey is typically limited to becoming aware of their power. But for Lloyd, this is more about self-acceptance and confidence. It’s a far more compelling and satisfying character growth trajectory.

The secondary characters, as I said above, fall into some common archetypes. We have a mercenary, Riho Flavin, with a mithril arm who’s an obvious tsundere, yet she’s nicely balanced out by having more common sense than other characters. Selen Hemein has a curse that has made her an outcast. When Lloyd breaks it, she falls deeply in love with him (as girls often do in similar situations in light novels). But her devotion is comedically tempered by her yandere leanings! Marie the Witch is the older-sister archetype. Her backstory combined with her moral compass make her very likeable. But she is also easily flustered and in a constant tizzy about the chief from Lloyd’s village (the aforementioned world-destroyer). Speaking of the chief, she’s referred to regularly as loli-grandma. That and her regular world-threatening tantrums tells you most of what you need to know. I often found her funny, but her designs on Lloyd make her cringey! Definitely not a character for everyone.

I could go on and on about these various characters. There’s quite a sizable cast for a first book, but they all have individual quirks that add to the story and makes them memorable.

I know I’m pointing out lots of positive things about this book. But there’s no point in discussing the obvious negatives. Yes, the plot itself is predictable (except for one little twist I was surprised by), ticking most paint-by-number boxes for an over-powered main character, fantasy, light novel. No, you won’t walk away from this marveling at how it did something new. You won’t walk away from this with a new worldview.

But combining the familiar with enjoyable characters and decent humor helps this book be a winner. Suppose a Kid From the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town is highly recommended for those times you need some warm, escapist entertainment.

You can pick up your own copy of this light novel at the following retailers…

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justus R. Stone has been running a light novel dedicated YouTube channel since 2014. He’s also the founder of the Light Novel Podcast, one of the first English language podcasts dedicated to Light Novels. In addition to his love of Japanese light novels, he is also the author of his own light novel-inspired series, The Bleeding Worlds.

English Title: Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina
Japanese Title: 魔女の旅々 — “Majo no Tabitabi”
Author: Jougi Shiraishi — “白石定規”
Illustrator: Azure — “あずーる”
Translator: Nicole Wilder
English Publisher: Yen On (Yen Press)

Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina is a series of adventures held together by their shared main character, the witch Elaina. While the book has some semblance of linearity, it does not have an over-arching narrative. This is more of a magical travel log than a novel.

After passing the certification exam to become a full-fledged witch, Elaina decides to follow the inspiration from her favorite series of books and explore the world. While she sometimes gets pulled into events, she does her best to maintain an impartial and distant stance and act only as an observer. After a short period of time, days at the most, she leaves, whether situations have been resolved or not.

There are fourteen tales in this first volume. Some give background on Elaina and also on how one becomes a witch. A few are linked by goofy characters and played strictly for laughs. But the majority are standalone stories that have a mostly melancholy tone. Some chapters are stronger than others. Overall, the book seems more concerned with giving us glimpses into an odd and magical world. There are times when the stories present a slightly heavy-handed moral, typical of fairy tales, but overall they fall more into the category of showing the nature of the world and its humans without commentary.

Part of this lack of commentary comes from the detached nature of Elaina herself. In fact, one of the more jarring things to me about this story was the lack of a clear hero.

My natural inclination was to think of Elaina as one who would right wrongs or fix things which are broken. But she isn’t that person at all. More often, she flies away with her back to the horrors still occurring, or set to occur, behind her. Even her voice makes her feel distant from the events of the stories–she is snarky and judgemental. It is often at odds with the events happening around her. For this reason, I initially disliked Elaina. In the beginning I found myself asking, “how could you not do anything?” This was particularly an issue immediately after the first story, where Elaina seemed more willing to help someone in need (even though, looking back, she was only doing it because she was currently stuck in that town).

But after spending some time traveling with Elaina, I started to change my way of thinking about this book. It isn’t a typical light novel filled with wrongs for the hero to fix. Instead, it is a journal about a world with flaws and wonder to match. And all of it is narrated by this young girl who has a bit of a sharp tongue who keeps most of the ugliest things at bay by never getting too involved herself. As we traveled further, I found myself intrigued about seeing more of this world. And with the chapters giving us some more insight into Elaina’s character, I found that I liked her a bit more with each trip.

I suppose what I’m saying is, I ended up really enjoying this book despite myself. But it took realizing that the world, not Elaina herself, is the main character. Elaina is our guide, not our hero. I think it also helped to improve my thoughts of the novel as it progressed as the stronger of the stories occur later in the book. This could be due to the webnovel origins of the series as the author would’ve become more acquainted with his character and world as they wrote more.

I see where down the road, perhaps that might change. After all, there are some hints Elaina might be more than she lets on. Is there a reason she needs to see the world? Will her judgements after seeing all there is have larger ramifications? I don’t know the answer. I don’t even know if the author intends for any of that to matter. But I am intrigued.

In the end, Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina is not going to be for everyone. It’s lack of cohesive narrative and tone will turn some people off. But this world held wonder for me. It was a different experience than most light novels. And for that reason, I intend to journey with Elaina again. Recommended for fantasy fans who love exploring the world as much/or more than the actual stories told there.

You can pick up your own copy from the following retailers:

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf — Bookwalker

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justus R. Stone has been running a light novel dedicated YouTube channel since 2014. He’s also the founder of the Light Novel Podcast, one of the first English language podcasts dedicated to Light Novels. In addition to his love of Japanese light novels, he is also the author of his own light novel-inspired series, The Bleeding Worlds.

Japanese Title: 女神の勇者を倒すゲスな方法 — “Megami no Yuusha wo Taosu Gesu na Houhou”
Author: Sakuma Sasaki – 笹木さくま
Illustrator: Asagi Tosaka – 遠坂あさぎ
Translator: Jordan Taylor
Genre: Comedy, Isekai, Fantasy
Original Run: January 2017 – December 2018
English Run: July 2019 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: Famitsu Bunko (Enterbrain)
English Publisher: Yen On (Yen Press)

The Dirty Way to Destroy the Goddess’s Heroes is an isekai comedy series that looks to differentiate itself from numerous others by having its hero summoned by a Demon Lord to help defeat heroes!

Shinichi Sotoyama is your typical Japanese high schooler. Until he finds himself summoned to another world by a Demon Lord who asks Shinichi to do him a favor–get rid of the heroes who keep trying to start a fight! As it turns out, the Demon Lord is only in the human world to get good food for his sweet little daughter. He’s not interested in fighting or conquest. But humans keep attacking and he’s getting sick of it. Not to mention it makes it near impossible to find the aforementioned good eats! Can Shinichi figure out a way to deal with these chosen heroes of the Goddess?

First off, this one succeeds at being pretty funny. Shinichi actually relishes his role as advisor to the Demon Lord. As it turns out, he’s one of those characters who loves to unleash his inner-bastard online. And now, in a world where no one knows him and his only friends are demons who value strength and winning above all else, he’s allowed to behave that way in the physical world. How he dispatches his first set of heroes gave me a good laugh.

With the introduction of the hero Arian, this book takes a turn for the sweeter. Shinichi befriends Arian as he plans to destroy her from a place of friendship. But as they get to know each other, their relationship grows and Shinichi decides there’s a way to help the Demons and turn his twisted nature toward some truly deserving targets that will also aid Arian.

This book is one of those simple pleasures. The plot is pretty straight ahead and the humans are made to look so corrupt you never really question why Shinichi sides with the demons. The setup allows for a character who operates in some very dark grey areas, but because of the behavior of the humans and heroes (aside from Arian) you never feel like Shinichi is much more than a troll being allowed to live his “best” life. Even his end goal is something most decent people can support without much reservation. It also helps that Shinichi is actually quite clever. His plans, especially his grander scheme toward the end of this volume, demonstrate not only well-thought out ideas, but also insight into human nature. I liked that he was able to identify flaws in his plan and that much of it hinged on a few elements of luck.

Arian also ends up being a major component in the enjoyment of this one. Initially, she is setup as an exceedingly happy, kind, and naive young girl. During this time, when we had yet to learn of her full story, Shinichi’s designs on her did seem creepy. But the truth about her goes a long way to make the character more relatable. Not to mention it also changes Shinichi’s plan as well (less creepy! Yeah!).

In addition to our main characters, we have a demon maid who is about as tsundere as you can get and the venom she spits at Shinichi often gave me cause to chuckle. The Demon Lord is just this decent, doting dad, who is OP and knows it. And his sweet daughter, who looks like a cute, young human girl, provides the “little sister” support character Shinichi needs to inspire him.

The Dirty Way to Destroy the Goddess’s Heroes can be silly fun. It fails to make use of a cool concept by making Shinichi’s loyalty to the demons the more morally correct choice. But fun characters with decent chemistry and some good laughs make it an enjoyable read.

You can purchase this light novel at the following retailers:

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justus R. Stone has been running a light novel dedicated YouTube channel since 2014. He’s also the founder of the Light Novel Podcast, one of the first English language podcasts dedicated to Light Novels. In addition to his love of Japanese light novels, he is also the author of his own light novel-inspired series, The Bleeding Worlds.

English Title: Koyomimonogatari Part 2 (Part of the Monogatari Series)
Japanese Title: 暦物語
Author: Nisio Isin — 西尾 維新
Illustrator: VOFAN
Translator: Daniel Joseph
Genre: Supernatural, Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Harem, Comedy
English Publisher: Vertical

Koyomimonogatari Part 2 was originally paired with Part 1 as a single book in Japan. Though they were originally published as one, this second English volume represents a departure from the first half in both tone and theme.

Like the volume before it, Part 2 tells six short stories, each set in a different month, with the final two occurring after Tsukimonogatari, which was the most recent volume that moved the main story forward. While the stories throughout the two volumes are enjoyable for their character moments, it is the final two stories which make this book a mandatory read before proceeding with the rest of the series.

Stories one and three are the fluffiest of this bunch, with the first involving Tsukihi wanting her brother’s reassurances about a ghost in her clubroom, and the third seeing Koyomi and Shinobu fighting over homemade donuts from Senjogahara. Both stories are light reads that don’t have much in the way of plot outside advancing character relationships or reminding us how volatile Tsukihi is and the cringe-factor of Koyomi’s sister-complex. Still, they’re fun and in a sense help lighten the emotional load of the other four tales. Not to mention I’m always in the mood for more Shinobu snark!

For the remainder of the book, we get stories much more tied into the events of the main story.

In the second tale, we have Ogi and Koyomi visiting the shrine which has been central to the series. Ogi’s discussion about the lack of balance in the town is very telling given what we know. And the epilogue of this story, where Nadeko says the shrine will be probably be fine if “Mr. Snake” er The Snake God takes up residence again. Foreshadowing!

In the fourth short, we have Koyomi helping Yotsugi look for…something? This one takes place during the events of Koimonogatari and the sense of impending doom hanging over Koyomi is palpable.

Finally, stories five and six take place as sequels to the previous complete book, Tsukimonogatari. They involve the enigmatic specialists Kagenui and Gaen. With Kagenui, Koyomi seeks her aid in surviving without his vampire powers as well as trying to understand her relationship with the aberration Yotsugi, as he knows he and Shinobu will be connected for life. By the time Gaen enters the stage for the final story, it’s clear things are not right in the Monogatari universe. And Gaen is determined to fix things, no matter how hard it might prove to be. This final story ends with a crazy cliffhanger, the likes of which we really haven’t experienced in the series to date. It also means these two stories make this book required reading.

Overall, I felt this volume focused much more on the lies people tell out of consideration for others. If Part One was about revisiting the past, Part Two seems more concerned with looking to the future. Also, since much of this book takes place during Nadeko’s death-sentence, Koyomi’s almost-vampirification, and the looming date of his entrance exam, it makes everything seem heavier and full of consequences. Seeing as how Nisioisin planned for this season to be the last, the four stories in particular in this volume truly felt like they were heading toward a definite conclusion.

Nisioisin mentions in the afterword of this one that he wanted to return to the series’ beginning before facing its end. There is a definite nostalgia factor to these stories, particularly those in Part One. While some will consider Vertical’s decision to break this book into two as nothing more than a cash-grab, I found I appreciated being able to put distance between the two halves. I think it would’ve been much harder to reach the meatier stories of Part Two if the book was an intimidating 600+ pages. Not to mention that the stories in this second half do feel like their own beast compared to those of Part One.

Overall, I enjoyed this volume more than Part One. Probably because it felt like we had returned to events which matter and seeing Koyomi during stories where he wasn’t the narrator (such as Koimonogatari) gave some insight to his emotional state during that time. While I struggled to get through the fluff of Part One, this volume left me anxious to read more of the series.

Definitely the two parts of Koyomimonogatari are for true fans. It’s arguably the weakest part of the series as it does little to move the cast forward. But, it was fun to visit them in simpler times when they could just talk nonsense and worry about how to pay off Meme Oshino. And it ended on a breathtaking note that made me glad I already have the following volumes.

You can purchase this volume at:

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justus R. Stone has been running a light novel dedicated YouTube channel since 2014. He’s also the founder of the Light Novel Podcast, one of the first English language podcasts dedicated to Light Novels. In addition to his love of Japanese light novels, he is also the author of his own light novel-inspired series, The Bleeding Worlds.

English Title: Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
Japanese Title: 青春ブタ野郎シリーズ — “Seishun Buta Yarou Series”
Author: Hajime Kamoshida — 鴨志田 一
Illustrator: Keeji Mizoguchi — 溝口ケージ
Translator: Andrew Cunningham
Genre: Comedy, Romance, School Life
Original Run: April 2014 – ongoing
English Run: April 2020 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: Dengeki Bunko
English Publisher: Yen On (Yen Press)

Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai is one of those books that uses the odd or supernatural to address real life issues. It is also a surprisingly sweet slice of life light novel with engaging characters.

Our story begins when main character Sakuta Azusagawa finds something very strange at the library. One of his senpais, famous childhood actress Mai Sakurajima, is wandering around in a bunny-girl costume. Perhaps even stranger is the fact no one else seems to notice. As Sakuta and Mai become closer, he discovers she suffers from a mysterious affliction called Adolescence Syndrome. And that particular syndrome seems to be causing more people to not notice her.

For a story with a supernatural event at its core, Rascal spends a surprising amount of time focusing on the everyday, slice-of-life, aspects of Sakuta’s and Mai’s relationship. The tone is often sweet and funny.

Sakuta is very straightforward. The kind of character who has little in the way of filters and gives little thought to the words coming out of his mouth. Part of this is in response to his personal withdrawal from the “rules” of society. While I heard him compared to the likes of Araragi from Monogatari and Hachiman from My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong as I Expected, I would say he’s the better of the three as he’s less cringy and less damaged. What we are given of his backstory makes him relatable and provides a good foundation for his character.

Mai flirts with the tsundere archetype, but never gets there enough to truly be one. Like Sakuta, her backstory informs who she is as a character. Growing up in show business, feeling used by those close to her, or having lip-service paid toward her has left her with a prickly defensiveness.

These two work because they seem like sincere results of the backstory they’ve been given. The way their opposite personalities compliment each other makes their dialogue a treat. Overall, their relationship was a highpoint I was pleased to see the book dedicate most of its time to. It provided a stronger emotional tie to the characters and so made me more invested in the solution to Mai’s problem.

While the book dips its toe into Quantum Mechanics to try and explain its supernatural element, it thankfully never goes too deep–even the science-oriented character who proposes the theory isn’t sold on it. But what it does demonstrate is there are dangers with subverting our own sense of self with the beliefs of others. The negative ways others see us is hurtful, yes, but the greatest destruction happens when we believe it ourselves and live our lives in service to it. It’s a solid and timely theme even though this volume was written six years ago. There was also something refreshing about the main challenge being more personal and intimate as opposed to “save the world,” “save the kingdom,” or “save the town.”

About the only minor complaint I would have with this book is that it leaves a number of characters, mysteries, and to an extent the syndrome itself, underdeveloped. However, looking at future covers, it seems pretty clear we’ll be seeing far more of those characters and their issues with Adolescence Syndrome. I think the author wanted to use this first volume to setup Sakuta’s and Mai’s relationship, while also getting a number of pieces into play for later in the series (including a cliffhanger ending that sets up volume 2). It would be a larger complaint had this been a single volume release.

Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai works on a number of levels. It is a romance, a sweet slice of life, and a supernatural mystery. With decent pacing, engaging characters, some laughs, and a solid theme, it’s a fun and rewarding read that I look forward to enjoying more of.

You can purchase your own copy of this book from these retailers:

Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — Rightstuf

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justus R. Stone has been running a light novel dedicated YouTube channel since 2014. He’s also the founder of the Light Novel Podcast, one of the first English language podcasts dedicated to Light Novels. In addition to his love of Japanese light novels, he is also the author of his own light novel-inspired series, The Bleeding Worlds.

After the trouble during the trombe removal, Myne’s life just seems to be getting busier. With the Spring Prayer approaching, a new bodyguard appointed and the imminent birth of her baby sibling on the horizon, its hard for a girl to keep up! Plus, all is not as it seems as forces far beyond Myne’s expectations have gained an interest in the oddball apprentice blue shrine maiden.

The Apprentice Shrine Maiden arc of Ascendance of a Bookworm continues with volume three; the sixth novel within the series overall. Written by Miya Kazuki and illustrated by You Shiina, English translation was done by Quof for J-novel Club’s edition. The digital ebook release was published in April 2020, with a print edition following in November.

As this Apprentice Shrine Maiden arc has continued to develop over the past several books, it has become obvious that despite all the knowledge of future technologies and modern life Urano has from her past it can’t help her within a society with such a segregated class structure. Her previous lessons and warnings about the futility of challenging the status quo are starkly proven throughout this book, making it that much more obvious how hard change will be. The paired circumstances of her reincarnation and her potent Devouring allowed her the opportunity to make small changes and spread relatively revolutionary ideas amidst her peers without too much backlash, but this third volume shows exactly what the larger consequences of that has been within the upper echelons of society.

First things first is the successful development of the metal type by the young and talented Johann, following Myne’s complicated and detailed order. Whilst the completion of the set is a cause for Myne’s celebration (and affectionately renaming the young apprentice to Gutenberg), the excitement is rapidly soured when further development has to be halted. Ferdinand explains that the ease of mechanised printing will directly encroach on scribe work for nobles, and as such cannot be permitted—the vested interests much more powerful than those Myne has encountered in the past.

It’s not just the printing press that has been causing waves within high society, and as more and more powerfully dangerous have been taking notice the High Priest has been working hard to protect her.

His solution and ultimatum for our protagonist is her adoption into a noble family. Within two years she is expected to leave her commoner past behind and join the house of a trustworthy Lord. In this decision Myne doesn’t have a choice—leaving her family, friends and way of life behind in order to protect them from noble ire. This hits especially hard knowing how excited she is to be a good older sister.

These aren’t paranoid fears that Ferdinand has though, and it truly does feel like the priest is working with Myne’s best interests in mind. Without the protection of a noble name supporting her and her ideas, she’d very likely be imprisoned, enslaved or killed immediately for causing problems. This point is made even more obvious when the carriage procession for the Spring Prayer is attacked en route—with Myne as the obvious target. It’s only with the combined effort of Myne, Ferdinand and the newly introduced, aggrivatingly childish Sylvester that the worst is avoided. The untimely death of the Ink Guildmaster who had been investigating Myne and her methods also comes as a terrifying warning. Because of all of this, its deemed too dangerous for Myne to travel without a guard at all times—the newly-appointed Damuel forced into the role.

That’s not to say everything is doom and gloom in the book though, as the exciting arrival of Myne’s newest sibling caps off the main story. Aside from being the sweet introduction of baby Kamil, bringing the little family even closer, it’s an fascinating opportunity for world-building. Showing the celebration of new life along with the very real risks of childbirth and infant mortality amongst the lower classes.

Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 2: Apprentice Shrine Maiden volume 3 signifies a real turning point to the consequences of Myne’s actions thusfar. Up until now her main adversaries towards her goal were a lack of physical health and pre-existing methods or materials. Now she’s coming face to face with the overt power imbalance within a class society, and how dangerous it can be defying it.

Gee’s Rating: Highly Recommended

Written by Toru Toba with illustrations by Falmaro. Released in English by Yen On with a translation by Jessica Lange.

“Holy. Her boobs are huge…
He was the worst of the worst.” – Toru Toba
As aptly stated by our narrator, this light novel’s titular protagonist’s motivations doesn’t rank high on the ‘admirable’ scale.

The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 1 is the introductory entry for a fantasy light novel series in which the prince regent of a small kingdom plots to sell off his position and nation for money and a lazy life… but fails spectacularly at every step. It’s a tale that combines an OP character, a peculiar motivation, and the underdog story archetype. Despite the seemingly contradictory foundational tropes, Toru Toba successfully spins a solid story with a good mix of comedy, intrigue, and action.

To start, let us discuss the world-building; one of the light novel’s strongest points. Despite my initial reservations (e.g. long title, third colour insert), I was pleasantly surprised by the density and quality of the introductory chapters. In the span of about thirty-three pages, I felt like I had a solid grasp of:
(1) the geopolitical relationship between the titular kingdom and its superior Empire,
(2) current key events occurring in both nations,
(3) the relevant history surrounding them, and
(4) the two protagonists’ roles and their relationship.
That’s a lot to cram in without sounding dry. However, the depth and breadth of the setting are either seamlessly weaved into dialogue or described in an engaging manner. The comedic aspect further maintains the reader’s attention. Unfortunately, there are some occurrences of somewhat unnatural speech but they are few and far between. Overall, Toru Toba does an excellent job setting the scene and adeptly keeps this momentum through the entire volume.

Impressively, the large focus on the world doesn’t go to waste. Given this world lacks fantastical elements, conflicts are determined through resource quantity and effectiveness (i.e. manpower/information and strategy/intrigue). Thus, it is important that we understand a situation to really appreciate its development and resolution. The entertainment in this case comes from trying to figure out the prince’s plans. Coupled this with a sprinkling of comedy and one has multiple layers to enjoy. However, there are some cases where too much information is withheld and this can leave conclusions feeling undeserved. Hopefully this particular issue becomes less frequent in future entries.

Moving on, the short length of this entry (about 160 pages) leaves Toru Toba limited in the plot progress they can make with sufficient detail. However, as is with the world-building, the density is impressive. Without venturing into spoiler-territory, The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 1 covers enough to set up the important plot points without dragging on. The flow of the writing and dialogue also gives life to possibly boring sections of exposition and keeps a comfortable pace throughout. Unfortunately, the occasional time-skips and conveniences (read: OP incidents) that occur to help push the story forward leaves me disappointed at times. At its worst, a couple of weak setups result in their associated payoffs failing to satisfy.

Another issue with the volume’s length is the character development. The world-building and plot progression are well done but everyone’s characterization falls a little flat. This is a particular issue for the protagonists and those fiercely loyal to the prince. While certain scenes flesh out special relationships, individual motivations are left in the dark. Most key secondary characters can be summed up with ‘loyal to the kingdom and has their reasons.’ I wish we could delve more into the ‘why’s but I suppose those reveals can wait for future volumes and/or side stories.

As a sort of consolation for the length, there are many beautiful illustrations scattered among the pages. Falmaro does an amazing job at capturing the physical beauty of the depicted characters and gives them a well-varied collection of expressions. However, they don’t make up for the lost setup impact and character development time. In fact, they seem wasted on some of the scenes into which they are inserted. If instead they were better placed at critical moments, they could get more value from the illustrations.

Admittedly, I really enjoyed this book. I ended up finishing it in one sitting and it’s brevity left me wanting so much more. Despite the short comings in setup and character development, the writing flow and excellent world-building more than makes up for them. In fact, rather than the characters driving the plot, one could perceive them as actors playing out the consequences of key triggering events. With this mindset, I’m excitedly waiting to dive into Vol. 2. Sadly, I’m only giving this a 4.4/5 due to the concluding conflict’s resolution leaving a bad taste in my mouth (and souring an otherwise great dish).

Rating:
4.4 / 5 – Highly Recommended

Recommended for:
Readers looking for a fun take on an unwilling hero in a decent fantasy world.
Readers captivated by beautiful, white-haired, red-eyed heroines.

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read my review (even if you scrolled straight to the bottom). I hope that you take home even a little of what I’ve written down.

I’m 春華 or Haruka, aspiring novelist and light novel reviewer. I’ve only started diving into light novels, so please bare with my naiveté. You can follow my Twitter for updates on my reviews and writing progress. Let’s all get along!

Written by Toru Toba with illustrations by Falmaro. Released in English by Yen On with a translation by Jessica Lange.

“The moon rose high in the night. Among the guests at the banquet, Geralt was living the high life sandwiched between Wein, the crown prince of Natra, and Lowellmina, the Imperial Princess of the Empire.” – Toru Toba
Caught in the verbal cross-fire of two scheming nobles… what fate awaits this unfortunate soul?

(Warning: contains minor Vol. 1 spoilers)

The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 2 is the continuation of the fantasy light novel series in which a certain prince regent worms his way through the turmoil of ruling a kingdom with the end goal of selling it off to the highest bidder. Of course, it’s never that easy… and as his plots continue to succeed (in all the wrong ways), we see him fall further and further from the finish line! As before, Toru Toba weaves a great story with comedy, political intrigue, and action-packed battles.

As my review of Vol. 1 hopefully communicated, I dove headfirst into this book with excitement and high hopes. While I was not impressed by the third colour insert (again), the inclusion of a map was a great idea (see below). It let me appreciate how well described the setting was in Vol. 1 as their illustration was perfectly as I had imagined. Additionally, we are subtly told the physical scope, current state of the world, and important players of this volume. It just goes to show how much depth a simple one page drawing can add to the reading experience.

On that note, given the strong world-building in Vol. 1, this volume had a solid foundation to better explore and deepen or to jump from and increase its scope. Vol. 2 does a good job at both; examples include the political turmoil within the Empire and the inner workings of the state that shares Natra’s eastern border. References to the consequences of the previous volume’s events help add a sense of continuity between entries. As a consequence of all the above, the world feels expansive and persistent; a great way to immerse the reader.

Unlike Vol. 1’s focus on wartime efforts, much of Vol. 2’s plot is spent uncovering and defeating schemes developed by other nations’ nobilities. A battle fought with sharp tongues instead of blades. This type of conflict lends itself well to Toru Toba’s strength of weaving plot, humour, and dialogue. The interesting choice of giving us the viewpoints of the other schemers allows for a better exploration of their motivations and thought-processes. At times, the rapid switching of perspective is disorienting but normally done to overlap the reveal of the current step in a plan with introducing the next. This technique aids in condensing the novel and preserving momentum through dialogue- and exposition-heavy sections.

For those worried it’s all talk and looking for more of the first volume’s content, there are a few fight scenes sprinkled in. However, compared to Vol. 1’s war, they are much smaller in scale. This shrinking of size works well as each combatant’s impact is more readily understood and believable. No single character does anything more than is expected of/possible for them. This also allows for more time to detail any particular character’s actions. By contrast, one instance from Vol. 1 has a particular Commander surviving a swarm of Marden’s fodder soldiers. While this is a common trope to showcase a character’s strength, it detracts from the fact the battles were won through strategy and meticulous preparedness (as per the prince’s genius). Without any spoiling of Vol. 2, let me assure you that the awesome-factor has not depreciated because of these changes.

As battles have taken a backseat, this volume uses the time to better develop the entire cast, old and new alike. Further exploration into Wein’s time in the Empire solidifies important relationships and motivations for a handful of characters. Unfortunately still, no explanation is given regarding his genius (whether by experience or talent) or his progressive worldviews which takes away from an otherwise strong foundation for his character. The princess introduced in this volume is also well-developed. Between her dialogues and glimpses into her past, both her base motivations and current character are established. Interestingly, her experience in the Empire feels a little unbelievable given its status as a meritocracy but is a great analog to some experiences found in the real world. Perhaps, it’s unreasonableness is the point (and further hammers in the analogy). For the most of the rest, we do see minor development but we’re still left in the dark for their pasts and motivations. This fortunately doesn’t affect any important parts of this volume and can be left for future entries. Overall, characterization is at a high point here and I hope we see more like this in the future.

Now for the general experience. Like it’s preceding volume, Vol. 2 is well-written in terms of flow and content. My complaints of some weak set-ups due to withheld information are still present but they are less frequent and less jarring. The illustrations’ quality is as before and mostly suffer from the same issue of being inserted at inconsequential times. (I just love the expressions! <3) However, there is an example (pg. 148, not shown below) which is decent visually and has a strong impact by showing the resolve of the characters at a critical moment. This is evidence of improving technique in this department.

To summarize, this book is a nice step above its predecessor. I finished this volume in one sitting, once again. (Don’t blame me! It’s exciting and interesting in all the right ways!) Toru Toba continues to demonstrate strong potential for world-building, plot progression, and dialogue. While a few issues addressed in Vol. 1 are still present (setups, character development, and illustrations), they show clear improvement which gives me hope in continuing with future installments. I’m excitedly waiting for the next volume!

Rating:
4.6 / 5 – Highly Recommended

Recommendation:
To readers looking for a good fantasy light novel involving a bit of political intrigue.
To readers captivated by beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed princesses.

Hello again! Thank you for taking the time to read my review (even if you scrolled straight to the bottom). I hope that you take home even a little of what I’ve written down.

If you’re looking for more incentive to read: Ninym is the perfect mix of serious, playful, smart, and strong.
The more entries, the more Ninym!

I’m 春華 or Haruka, aspiring novelist and light novel reviewer. I’ve only started diving into light novels, so please bare with my naiveté. You can follow my Twitter for updates on my reviews and writing progress. Let’s all get along!

With the arrival of not one, but two, babies into Myne’s life, the wheels seem to be turning ever faster for the young girl and her associates. This arc comes to an exciting but heartbreaking climax with this final book, especially once the scheming of the High Bishop is revealed.

The Apprentice Shrine Maiden arc of Ascendance of a Bookworm concludes with the fourth volume; number seven within the series. Author Miya Kazuki and illustrator You Shiina bring us a wonderful final book to this chapter, with J-Novel’s English translation provided as always by Quof. The digital ebook release was published in June 2020, with a print edition planned for later.

The biggest lesson I have learnt when it comes to Ascendance of a Bookworm is to never get too comfortable or attached to the status quo. This is not just in reference to Myne’s tireless efforts to improve the society and circumstances around her (and in extension the book printing process), but also with how drastically and completely Kazuki will upturn her story by the end of each story arc. With the Apprentice Shrine Maiden plot coming to a close, it’s not just the cloistered life of blue and grey robes we’re leaving behind—but the entirety of the life she’s lived til now.

But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself.

Following the last book, Myne is doing her utmost to be the best big sister ever to Kamil. As always, the girl never does or feels things in half-measures, and her recent baby mania is no exception. Delia is less impressed though; her upbringing as an orphan making it hard to fathom the idea of siblings. This frames the main theme of this book: family.

After the abandonment of a baby, Dirk, outside of the orphanage, Myne uses the opportunity to appoint Delia his big sister—giving the retainer a chance to build family bonds of her own. For a character like Delia, whose loyalties are split for her own security, the gesture indicates the great trust and kindness Myne has developed for all of her grey robes. The diligence that Delia shows this job also shows the first time the calculating girl has worked purely for someone else’s benefit. This makes it even sadder once things go wrong.

On the book-making side of things, ink experimentation has begun thanks to the help of two new Gutenburgs—a young husband and wife team with the curiosity and facilities to indulge Myne’s requests. With the ink now underway, her dreams are getting closer to reality even if the moving type has been put on hold for now.

With our protagonist happy with her friends and family, excelling with her work, and the book-printing advancing steadily the tense sensation that things are going far too well is immediately justified. Under the duress of the High Bishop, a noble from an neighboring duchy attempts to take Myne for himself, or destroy her trying. She calls for help using a mysterious black charm Sylvester had gifted her, unknowingly hastening her own heartbreak. The High Bishop’s plans are a cruel punishment for overstepping the class boundary—uncaring as he threatens Dirk, Tulli and Fran’s lives without pause.

Thankfully Sylvester does come to the rescue, and with his arrival comes the revelation that he’s not just a quirky, annoying blue robed priest; he’s the current Lord of Ehrenfest.

Along with his protection comes the end of Myne’s life, even if she hadn’t realised that at the time. His involvement in her life now means that the two year reprieve the young girl had before she was forced to be adopted is now gone—she’s now to become Sylvester’s adopted daughter that very same day. Understandably our protagonist is heartbroken; Myne the daughter of Effie and Gunther, sister to Tulli and Kamil, is dead. Given one last farewell to her old life before she’s rechristened Rozemyne, the separation just emphasizes how much more real the dynamic Myne has had with her reincarnation’s family has been, compared to her Urano days.

Literally laying her past self to rest with the death of Myne, it’s almost as if this truly is the real reincarnation. Although Rozemyne will still be able to see her family and friends in certain circumstances, there’s now a impenetrable layer of distance from her ‘old life’. Things have irreparably changed, and with it, the future’s uncertain.

I never stop being impressed by the sheer scope and depth that Ascendance of a Bookworm has. Kazuki never fully rests on the normality she’s written for her protagonist for long, and it’s exceedingly impressive with how easily she jumps into challenging our expectations. For those who may find the earlier books in each arc too slow or methodical to really ‘entertain’, this finale for Apprentice Shrine Maiden should satisfy. As always, I look forward to the next installment—just how is Rozemyne’s life (and plans) going to change from here?

Gee’s Rating: Highly Recommended

Written by Toru Toba with illustrations by Falmaro. Released in English by Yen On with a translation by Jessica Lange.

People change. But there is one constant: They will always have desires greater than serving the nation. – Wein Salema Arbalest
Strong words coming from our titular treasonous prince. What happens when those desires contradict what’s good for the nation, I wonder…

(Warning: contains minor Vol. 1 and 2 spoilers)

The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt (Hey, How About Treason?), Vol. 3 is the next entry of the fantasy light novel series where plots and schemes rule. Whether Wein is setting one into motion or being caught up in one, there is no escaping their prevalence. Perhaps one day our prince can get that ending he’s been dreaming of…! As is standard for the series, Toru Toba continues to integrate comedic elements, plot-laden dialogue, and skirmishes of all scales.

From the previous reviews for Vol. 1 and 2, one would rightfully assume that this series is currently in my good books (hah!) and I can’t be completely unbiased. Even so, I will try my best!

To start, we should notice the cover (above) now includes some background art. While not really important for deciding to continue the series, it’s a nice bonus for those who stayed and adds playful energy to my bookshelf (<3). On the topic of art, I was impressed by all the colour inserts at the beginning of the book this time around. The three illustrated scenes focus attention onto new characters and significant changes to the old. Falmaro also continues to stun with their art quality. However, I would like to see more male characters illustrated in the future; Raklum and Hagal especially.

The added map (see below), a technique introduced in Vol. 2, has shifted towards the West and depicts the geographic positions of Natra, Marden, and Cavarin. This solidifies the setting and important locations in which this particular volume’s story occurs. Given the developments in the West and relative mystery of their culture, I was happy to see them getting the spotlight for this entry.

In contrast to Vol. 2’s focus on the East (the Empire), Vol. 3 deals with the consequences of the war with Marden (Vol. 1) and further explores the West’s culture and religion. As before, the strong world-building by Toru Toba continues to deepen our understanding of Natra and broaden our horizons. However, by constantly adding world elements, the reader may feel overwhelmed; either through volume or boredom. Through weaving details into dialogue and hinting at deeper reasons, Toru Toba invites one to pull at the threads and keeps the reader engaged. Additionally, the logical consistency of the world and consequences of previous events improve the realistic feel and give the impression that it persists beyond our given narrative.

Furthermore, the strong sense of agency given to our characters helps us feel invested in their actions, whether they are good or bad. For example, when Natra defeated Marden, we see both the immediate effects, the consequences two volumes later, and how this new situation changes our protagonists’ strategies. Having the characters meaningfully affect the world and vice-versa is another great aspect for this series.

Like its predecessors, political intrigue and large-scale conflict consume significant portions of Vol. 3. I have previously discussed both aspects in my Vol. 2 review, but I will re-iterate some points and comparisons for this entry. Firstly, huge battles are exciting but risk becoming confusing and harder to detail. Vol. 3 sees improvements in clarity and plausibility over the war in Vol. 1 in this regard. Skirmishes of all sizes are present and I’m sure their awesome-factor won’t disappoint. Secondly, political maneuvering requires interesting dialogue and strong setup-reveal coupling to be both interesting and believable. Compared to Vol. 2, Vol. 3’s intrigue is significantly weaker. This is a result of poorly-developed characters as antagonists and application of many overused tropes. This leaves their motivations and dialogue predictable and uninteresting. As I found the politics to be the better aspect of this series, this volume left me quite disappointed overall.

Given the amount of time allocated towards the exciting parts of the plot, character development has been left a little thin. The growing cast then spreads this already sparse resource even further. This volume mostly puts the development of the established cast on hold and instead focuses on those hailing from the West. As previously stated, many of these characters are one-sided and trope-y. Put simply, the effort and time is essentially wasted. Hopefully, this volume only serves as an introduction for key players and we will see more sides of them in future installments.

As for the old cast, one character’s past and motivations are vividly detailed. Since they were a mystery for the past two volumes, it was a pleasant surprise to get a deeper look into how they came to be. Furthermore, Wein’s characterization is better represented in this volume. It was nice to see some strongly held ideals hold him back (if even a little). Though properly exploring Wein still seems to be distant, I hope we get more character moments like that in the future.

Like the volumes before it, Vol. 3 is fairly short but manages to cram loads of excitement, dialogue, and world-building between its covers. Toru Toba continues to show their strength in weaving all three aspects together to form a well-written and solid narrative. The quality of the illustrations continue to impress me and their placement at critical events has significantly improved. As it is, the Toru Toba and Falmaro duo has proven to be quite skilled and I’m sure this series will continue to be in good hands.

Overall, I would rate this book’s experience between Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. There were small improvements in the fighting and illustrations but they came with critical shortcomings. Specifically, weak development of introduced characters and overused tropes undermined the political sections and took away from the total enjoyment. World-building and writing technique continue to be strong parts of the series and I would like to see more Wein character moments in the next entry. So excited, I can’t wait!

Rating:
4.5 / 5 – Highly Recommended

Recommendation:
To readers looking for a wild ride filled with factions, skirmishes, and schemes.
To readers who prefer dark over light (hair colour, dummy!)

Hello again! Thank you for taking the time to read my review (even if you scrolled straight to the bottom). I hope that you take home even a little of what I’ve written down.

If you’re looking for more incentive to read: Please see the colour insert with Zeno. Aren’t they so cool?! I wish I could look that imposing in uniform again.

I’m 春華 or Haruka, aspiring novelist and light novel reviewer. I’ve only started diving into light novels, so please bare with my naiveté. You can follow my Twitter for updates on my reviews and writing progress. Let’s all get along!

Written by Jougi Shiraishi with illustrations by Azure. Released in English by Yen On with a translation by Nicole Wilder.

“‘Then it’s decided. You are now the Ashen Witch, Elaina. Do your best from now on, okay?’ She clapped a hand on my shoulder. I inhaled deeply and responded, ‘I will.'” – Elaina
There was a beautiful girl with alluring ashen hair and deep violet eyes. She wore a black robe and signature pointy hat. To any and all, she was a definitely a witch. Who was she? That’s right. It’s Elaina.

Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Vol. 1 is the introductory volume to the fantasy light novel series that takes the perspective of the titular witch as she aimlessly travels about her world (i.e. wanders). It takes the premise and anthology-like story structure from Kino’s Journey and adds the fantastical element of magic. While this may seem like a small change, it allows for a greater variety of scenarios. Unfortunately, I have only seen the anime for Kino’s Journey and will make no further comparisons in this review. Aspects of drama, adventure, and action are woven together by Jougi Shiraishi in a fantastical setting to create a unique experience.

Our protagonist, Elaina, is a young witch (around 18) that wants to see the world, eat good bread, and rest at decent inns. As Azure’s illustrations hopefully depicted, she is pretty, cute, and dresses well. (H- Hey! I’m not jealous or anything!) The entire novel is told from her perspective, meaning her inner monologues play a significant part in the telling and presentation of the stories. Unfortunately, Elaina usually offers less than interesting thoughts/insights and a small fraction of time is spent exploring her past and development. This leaves her as a character with a shallow motivation, lack of deeper characterization, and snarky tone (the last being more of a personal gripe). This particular issue is magnified in chapters where she takes up more of the role of a simple observer rather than an actor. Alongside her shallow insights, there are times where she acts less than admirable. She’s human, so it’s understandable, but it can be disconcerting to only have her perspective at those points. In the chapters where her presence does change the course of the plot and/or magic takes a more prevalent role, her history as a witch adds a lot more flavour. Using her background as a witch in ways to deepen the world and create new perspectives could be a huge draw for the series. Considering Elaina and the fantastical elements are the selling points, I hope to see more of that in the future. Furthermore, as we spend more time with Elaina in successive entries, her motivations and characterization will hopefully be better explored.

Next from Elaina, the most important component of the stories are their settings. As chapters are fairly isolated, Jougi Shiraishi must build up each destination from scratch. This allows for each setting to have unique traits that distinguishes them and the ability to explore a wide range of themes. However, this approach requires a lot of work to make them convincing and realistic. Of course, this load can be lightened by having a strong common base setting. Unfortunately, in Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, the world is one of generic fantasy and many chapters do not spend enough time for their settings to be meaningful. Instances of ‘small countries with no defining characteristics’ both exemplify and exaggerate this shortcoming. The few times where the setting is decently done are those with a connection to Elaina or explores the ‘magic’ aspect of their world. In doing so, we achieve a deeper understanding of our character and elevate magic beyond a simple gimmick to advance plots. As it stands, there is much to be desired and hopefully we will see further improvement in the next volume.

After the protagonist and settings, it is the stories that take shape. There are a total of 14 chapters in this 229 page volume. Each chapter is mostly self-contained; the exception being three connected by an over-arching plot (a side-story, each constituent chapter is relatively short). A few references improve connectivity but they lack the impact required to form a cohesive world. The disconnected nature of the chapters means each set-up, climax, and conclusion must be relatively strong. Unfortunately, for most of them, I was left unsatisfied by the end. This can be for a variety of reasons, such as:
(1) the story’s climax/reveal was a little too lacklustre/obvious,
(2) me being unable to find a greater meaning to the story (maybe I’m as thick-skulled as rumours say), or
(3) the deeper implications of the story were uncomfortable.
While (3) is perfectly fine if it’s intentional, (1) and (2) mean a story needs a little more to develop. A particularly poor example for (3) are the frequent allegorical uses of ‘pig’ to refer to larger-set individuals. On the other hand, the ending of a certain chapter is unsettling and fine as is. Similar to our review of the settings, the strongest stories were those that featured Elaina-development and where magic took a larger role in the plot. In those cases, the reward/meaning is the insight provided and large climaxes/reveals are not really required. Overall, each story could be a lot stronger and this could be fixed through longer chapters and better weaving of Elaina/magic-development with those of setting and plot.

Now for the final notes. The writing style is clear and simple. For light reading, this is a plus. Descriptions of the world invoke well-defined physical images of the fantasy setting, and side characters have distinct enough personalities and roles that they don’t feel simply conjured up to progress plots. These factors help develop and fill out the world, slowly but surely. Lastly, the artwork for the book is sparse but beautiful and skillfully placed. I would like to see more and that just attests to their quality. If possible, illustrations containing landscapes or depictions of settings can better enhance the immersion of the fantasy setting.

Overall, the light novel has its charm and is well-suited for easy reading during a commute or similar. Given the disconnected structure, it might be best to read a chapter, take a break, and digest before moving forward. Elaina requires better development and has a potential for insight as a witch that has not been realized. Settings are well-described and full of distinct characters but lack a certain depth that would better suit their stories. Similarly, each story needs to be stronger; whether that is through better climaxes, deeper meanings, or more cohesiveness. Despite these shortcomings, I really want to like this series. Fortunately, the writing style and chapters focused on Elaina are worth the read. I am excitedly waiting and hopeful for the next entry!

Rating:
3.7 / 5 – Somewhat Recommended

Recommended for:
Readers looking for a series of somewhat-fantastical short stories through the lens of a witch.
Lovers of silver-haired, purple-eyed, magically-inclined girls.

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read my review (even if you scrolled straight to the bottom). I hope that you take home even a little of what I’ve written down.

If you’re looking for a good reason to start/continue Wandering Witch, it’s looking like there’s a lot of growing up for Elaina over the course of the series (physically and otherwise). An interesting change from what I’ve seen in Kino’s Journey.

I’m 春華 or Haruka, aspiring novelist and light novel reviewer. I’ve only started diving into light novels, so please bare with my naiveté. You can follow my Twitter for updates on my reviews and writing progress. Let’s all get along!

Written by Jougi Shiraishi with illustrations by Azure. Released in English by Yen On with translation by Nicole Wilder.

“I opened the door without hesitation. Because I’m brave and strong.” – Elaina
Along the pages of a novel, the girl continued her travels. Her ashen hair fluttered with each page turn. Her violet eyes twinkled with every new tale. The signature hat and robe determined she was a witch. Who was she? That’s right. It’s Elaina.

Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Vol. 2 is the next entry of the fantasy light novel series that follows the Ashen Witch, Elaina, on her seemingly aimless journey. This time around, added to her aforementioned love of bread and travelling is coffee and cats! Their fantastical world, seemingly unlike ours, hides many truths and tales. Her interactions with the many interesting characters uncover these secrets, unsettling and otherwise. Jougi Shiraishi mixes drama, adventure, and action in a fantastical cauldron and brews us a unique potion (in literary form).

As our review from Vol. 1 did, we will look at the characterization (of old and new), the settings/world-building, and the stories presented in Vol. 2. This is done to better compare the entries and path the overall trajectory of the series.

While Elaina’s characterization has somewhat improved from Vol. 1 to 2, I would like to focus on the growing cast (one-off and recurring). The non-recurring characters can be further split into named and unnamed categories; usually present in longer and shorter chapters, respectively. Named characters are more developed overall given their increased time as the focus. Many, if not all, of them are given enough backstory and personality to make them feel like people in their world rather than characters in a plot. By contrast, the unnamed characters are typically relegated to being side characters for longer chapters or unable to develop at all in their short chapters. This lack of development is fine though, as the short stories focus more on their current flaws and issues instead of the journey. The use of this technique is a good way for Jougi Shiraishi to indicate whose backstories and arcs are important. However, this leaves the unnamed characters harder to remember as we only have the stories to go off of (the number of times I had look at the chapter list for this review was… irrationally high). This can be particularly bad if the story has a weak impact. On the other side of the spectrum are the recurring characters who are usually re-encountered with pleasant surprise. Seeing how they have changed since we last saw them is a treat, akin to catching up with a best friend after a while. In a way, this is a great way to see how they’ve developed, improve story connectivity, and show that the world persists beyond Elaina’s perspective. And, like Elaina, recurring characters will likely develop over time as we get more chapters where they play a role. Hopefully we see even more of these types of stories in the future.

Continuing on, encompassing these characters are their respective settings. The world-building in this volume is significantly stronger than in Vol. 1. The use of more unique destinations (rather than ‘insert-uninteresting-nation-here’) injects a greater sense of wonder to keep the reader engaged. In this volume, we get a snowy city, a desert, and a ghoul town among others; this is a great step in the right direction for the series. Of course, there are still some instances of pretty generic fantasy locales (particularly those where Elaina meets someone between two cities) but the location isn’t the focus then and they’re in very short chapters where detailing would add unnecessary length. Jougi Shiraishi’s clear love for describing scenes shines better now that it’s directed where it matters. In future entries, it would be nice to see settings better mesh with the message they are trying to send (see Chapter 6 for progress towards this).

The largest improvement from Vol. 1 to 2, alongside the world-building, would have to be the quality of the stories. In Vol. 1, many of the stories dragged on (particularly those with the “On-The-Road” title) and then proceeded to have weak endings. Even with the few decent stories, the bad apples soured my overall view of Vol. 1. By contrast, Vol. 2 cuts some stories short giving more time to those that need some to properly develop. The three/four stronger stories present in this volume are decent reads throughout and end with a satisfying conclusion. One longer story in particular, left me in tears with how it resonated with me and demonstrates writing improvement from Jougi Shiraishi. This is not to say that the short stories are all of lower quality. While Vol. 1 felt fairly bland (on my 2nd read through), I genuinely reacted to many of the stories presented here (chuckling, crying, etc.) The range of emotions Jougi Shiraishi evokes alongside more impactful stories plot an upward trajectory for this series.

Alongside the stories, the writing seems to have improved. Particularly, while the long descriptive sections are present, they are not wasted on the stories that don’t need it. This ties well with the greater variety of settings. By describing unique destinations, these sections are filled with a sense of wonder instead of boredom. Secondly, the character illustration insert was a great addition to help solidify imagery paired with physical descriptions (see below). However, to note, they are all female and fairly detailed. (I- I want a character sheet too!) While their designs are quite unique, I would appreciate some effort put towards male characters (where are my bishounen?!) and additional background art (see cover art for example). Lastly, the illustrations among the chapters are visually appealing and well-placed; usually punctuating a big scene in one of the longer chapters. Seeing so much effort put towards these sorts of chapters leaves me wondering if some of the really short ones are needed at all.

Overall, this light novel is a significant step-up from its predecessor. Like Vol. 1, it continues to possess a unique charm. The wide range of stories, from short-and-sweet to dark-and-heavy, present strong evidence for the duality of their world. While this runs the risk of sharp tonal shifts, Jougi Shiraishi maintains a consistent atmosphere for each separate story. As a result, we get a collection of tales that showcase the highs and lows of life in a fantastical world whose hopes and strifes may not be so different from our own. The improved characterization, world-building, and overall story-telling give me confidence that this series will get even better in the future. Hopefully this trajectory continues through to the next volume. I’m so excited, I can’t wait!

Rating:
4.0 / 5 – Moderately Recommended

Recommended for:
To readers who were on the fence on continuing after Vol. 1.
To lovers of brave and strong girls who happen to be super cute.

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read my review (even if you scrolled straight to the bottom). I hope that you take home even a little of what I’ve written down.

If you’re looking for more incentive to read: please focus on ‘Rosamia’ in the character sheet. Isn’t her knight-design super awesome?!

I’m 春華 or Haruka, aspiring novelist and light novel reviewer. I’ve only started diving into light novels, so please bare with my naiveté. You can follow my Twitter for updates on my reviews and writing progress. Let’s all get along!