This contains mild spoilers and implied one big spoiler.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 5 Volume 12 by Miya Kazuki, Quof (translator), You Shiina (illustrator)

The last light novel of the main story. Without writing a lot here, this is one of the best fictional series I’ve ever read. The level of detail that Miya Kazuki has included is incredible. I liked that it’s a series with humour with fantasy elements that is both high and low. It’s a very unique series as well with the way things are balanced. I really enjoyed my journey and I will continue as I read the bonus material and spin off series to come.

This last novel was really a true denouement as our protagonist said goodbye or see you later to many of her retainers, friends, and family. It’s also the beginning of another chapter where she was finally reunited with her family. It was appropriate that Lutz had the epilogue even though it saddens me that his love for her will not be requited. He has moved on too.

I wish I was more invested in the end game couple. I had mixed feelings when I read about end game couple. I really doubted that the author could make me love it completely by the end. There was a lot of foreshadowing for it and the Male Lead expressed a bit more of feeling, affection, and attraction in the last couple of volumes. Not enough for me though. The relationship made a lot of sense because the writer had set it up in a great way including making one or both of the protagonists on the asexual spectrum. Emotionally, I am not that invested in it. He remained too much of a tsundere. We rarely got his perspective as a character and when we did, I empathised with him more. Also, he’s too overpowered as a character. Their relationship was quite codependent especially with her dependency on him. I don’t think Rozemyne gets enough over him. I hope that the future material will make me appreciate this ship more. In any case, I need to take a break and will read the other material more slowly now that I am done the main series.

April 19-20, 2025 on Kobo Libra 2 and Clara BW.