#ferdinan

The circumstances surrounding Ferdinand's forced dismissal is an awkward and dangerous mix of known and unknown dilemmas. Everyone knows Lady Georgine has her sights set on Ehrenfest the Eighth. But does Georgine's revenge exist merely to spite Ehrenfest? Does she hope to elevate Ahrensbach in Ehrenfest's ashes? Does she hope to monopolize Ferdinand, personally? Who else is she willing to sacrifice to get what she wants? Her husband? Her daughters? Nobody really knows. And so, with little beyond a guard knight, a scholar, and his own intuition, Lord Ferdinand embarks on the newest chapter of his tumultuous young life.

Fortunately, before all of that sadness weighs down the narrative, the author saw fit to insert a good deal of drama with a pseudo-side-story that consumes roughly 40% of the book.

In short, someone weasels into the High Bishop's chambers in the temple and thieves the Bible. At length, Lady Rozemyne and the gang must conduct a thorough and detailed search to find the culprit, bring them to justice, and retrieve the stolen artefact. The whole ordeal involves deception, kidnapping, a renewal of Lower City allies, a confirmation of Noble's Quarters egotism, and some good old fashioned violence.

The Bible-stealing incident is a great example of what makes this light-novel series so enchanting. At nearly two dozen volumes, readers know, explicitly, that everything will work out fine. And yet, the narrative construction quickly and abruptly nudges readers with the implicit presumption that things are going to be bumpy for a while. Things may work out for the core cast of characters in the end, but the knowledge they gain from surviving each stress test may well change them for good.

ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v21 is a fond farewell to Ferdinand. The book makes no short mention of the young man's growing emotional entanglement after meeting a certain bookworm (often riddled with worry). The sendoff is sweet. And reality sets in fast. Soon, Rozemyne will require a whole bevy of overeager friends and family to keep her within her remit when her next term at the Royal Academy begins. And just as there will be fewer eyes available to watch Ferdinand's back in Ahrensbach, so too will there be fewer eyes available to keep Rozemyne on course.