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Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 2 Volume 4 (Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 2 by Miya Kazuki My rating: 5 of 5 stars The shortest but most dramatic volume of the novel series thus far, ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM #7 sets into motion several converging elements: Myne's final puzzle piece of printmaking, an anonymous outside threat to Myne's entourage, and a known internal threat to the temple's stability. Little Myne is doing everything she can to keep her head up and her eyes forward as the number of challenges bloom and multiply. She has allies in the High Priest, Benno, her family, and elsewhere. But the brilliant librarian-to-be has plenty of enemies as well. ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM #7 brings to light an extensive and far-reaching scheme to bring the commoner apprentice shrine maiden to heel. Nobility near and far have heard tale of the little girl with unusual stores of magic who refuses to behave. Could they manifest a foolproof scheme to steal away the girl for themselves? Readers hungering for a neat and tidy convergence of the story arc's many odds and ends will be pleased with the author's solution. Myne is a fun character who continues to amuse and inspire. She continuously pushes others to do their best and be the best versions of themselves. Delia, for example, goes on one seriously wild ride in terms of character development. The emotional firebrand continues to make mistakes out of genuine interest, only to double back and suffer grave consequences for her behavior. Myne, as always, gives the girl one opportunity after another to own up to her errant ways. Another example is a new character, Heidi, a chemist employed by the ink guild. Heidi is a scatterbrained scientist whose curiosity and hunger for knowledge overrides almost every programmatic duty to which she must abide as the heir to a local ink shop. Her obsessive behavior and ribald loyalty reminds readers that good people come in all types. The showdown toward the conclusion of ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM #7 finally pits the interests of the nobility against the interests of Myne and her family. Indeed, will the young apprentice shrine maiden be involuntarily adopted by a rich noble for safekeeping? Will she be crudely sold, for a modest sum, to a foreigner who disobeys local laws? Or will the girl lose herself while struggling to protect those closest to her? Will she die? Myne fights, earns a few scratches, and defends what is hers. It's great to see actual magic use claim greater and greater prominence in the story's critical moments. At Myne's side are her attendants, her family, and the High Priest, Ferdinand, who lays down a serious butt-whipping when the time calls for it. A cleverly written surprise sneaks into the narrative's final 45 pages or so, concerning Myne's fateful future with the Eherenfest nobility. Readers will feel happily conflicted about the revelation, but the author does a great job of staying true to the characters, their needs, and their motives. The novel series' next arc will likely focus on Myne's haphazard attempts to fit into high society. Hopefully, she doesn't cause too much chaos. Then again, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing.