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Edited as of 3/15/2021
Update as of 4/24/2022
Current Score 10
Reasons at the bottom.

For those of you who have seen the anime and have already decided to pick this novel up and want a bit of guidance/info, scroll to the bottom:

Right off the bat, I will go ahead and say that I have been craving something akin to Spice and Wolf for a long while, and whilst I thought this was due to Spice and Wolf's fantastic romance and journeying aspect with excellent dialogue, what I discovered from reading Ascendance of a Bookworm is that I was truly missing the excellently written characters.

The first ... thing I feel I should address is something that may put people off at first glance, its an isekai. And, just like most isekai, our main character gets isekai'd into a medieval-like society and uses her knowledge and wisdom in her new life to accomplish her desires. Are those desires to go back to her previous world/life? Heck no! Those desires, if it weren't obvious is to read books! But there is only one issue. Oh, did I say one? I meant a TON of issues. She gets put into the sickly body of a little girl. Oh and books as we know them are basically unheard of. And the way the author uses this premise , makes for an excellent read, but a cool premise
alone is not enough to make something engrossing. You need good characters.

Thankfully, the characters in Ascendance of a Bookworm feel real. Everyone has goals, ambitions, things they are good at and things they are bad at. Even side characters have dreams and ambitions that they are actively trying to accomplish. And what's more, the translators over at JNovel Club do a fantastic job at crafting these characters into the Author's desired goal. Not every character is likable, but not every character is SUPPOSED to be likable. But dammit, they are still good characters that accomplish the authors goal and help create this lovely world.

It would be absolutely criminal to review this series and NOT talk about the world building. Because god damn is it great. This series has for me, created a world which I can truly see people living in. Whether it be the power dynamics between the commoners, merchants, and nobility, or the relationships between different groups because of their shared, or competing interests.

So, my overall enjoyment should be obvious, right? Your darn right it is! I am absolutely ecstatic about this series and am excited to see what happens next. And this has easily become among my favorite light novels.

Anime watchers, many of you are probably wondering where should I start? Should I read what the anime covered? Did it skip anything? Etc. I will first start off by saying that the anime covers the first 3 volumes of the light novels. (Part 1) However, if you have the time and the will, I would recommend starting from the start, as there are is a bit of content that was cut out, mostly in terms of additional info in characterizing people. The characters are more fleshed out, the process in how things are made is actually explained and their struggle in making those things (which I think the anime didn't really convey well), as well as negotiations, etc are all things that were under conveyed in the anime. (Still a good anime though, don't get me wrong, just wish they didn't adapt the material so fast.) Now, could you read starting from volume 4? Sure! If you struggle to get through content you have experienced already and the other option is not reading the books at all, then just start from Volume 4 (Part 2: Volume 1). Regardless of how you decide to read these novels, I definitely think they are worth reading!


Edit 3/15/21
I increased my rating from an initial 9, having only read every volume of Part 1 and 1 volume of Part 2. I am currently caught up with J-NovelClub's translation. I have honestly never been so in love with a series. I have been reading the weekly translations that are available to Premium Members for J-NovelClub Members ever since I wrote this review. I can honestly say that I have looked forward to each release every single week. It has honestly given me so much joy and excitement that I cannot reasonably justify giving it any less than a 10. Is it not for everyone? Sure. Though I would think you are insane. But for me? Its perfect. And I can only look forward to what has yet to come!

Edit 4/24/2022
I have been reading this series religiously every Monday (because thats when the pre-pubs are posted on J-NovelClub.). As of right now, I the official translation is at Part 4 Volume 7. Still as amazing as when I last updated, perhaps even more so because of how invested I have become in this series. It is a joy to see how Myne adapts to those around her and at the same time, how everyone else is forced to adapt to Myne. Definitely give this a read if you are on the fence at all.

What to expect:
TL;DR Hai to Gensou no Grimgar is a fresh take on the "Stuck in a video game" type of story. This novel gives you a realistic take on what is likely to happen if one was transported into an MMO-like world. The world is brutal, unforgiving. Character are realistically cautious and take a "slow and steady wins the race" type of approach. The author constantly reminds you what happens when one is careless in this world. If character development is important to you, and you want a realistic approach to the "trapped in another world" genre, then you will certainly enjoy this book.

Characters:
The ... characters well written. Every character is human-like and has unique thoughts and feelings that people can identify with. For better or worse, characters can and will anger you. However, this is intentional as it is used for character growth and development. The characters and how they develop, is easily one of the best things about these novels.

Story: While the story starts off as a generic transported to another world this novel distinguishes itself on its realistic approach. The characters aren't gifted, they aren't given some super special power. They start mediocre and slowly become less mediocre. While world building does occur, it is done in a way of discovery. Less in a way of being taught, and more in a child exploring the neighborhood type of way.

Enjoyment: Between the good story and the excellent character development, this is definitely a great read.

Note: This review is aimed at people who generally don't care much for the Harem/Ecchi genre. If you love the genre, this will be one of your favorite shows.

To give a general idea of my tastes in Anime know this. Harem/Ecchi is NEVER my favorite. In fact, more often than not, it will make me give it a lower score because of how unnecessary it is. With that being said, I STILL give this show an 8 and believe it is worth watching!

If nudity bothers you just stop reading. This show is not for you. This show has a HUGE amount of Nudity. But the ... design of the Characters make it great.

Now to answer the question. Is this show worth watching or not?

This show is superb in many aspects but at the same time awful in others. You have the typical cliche start where the main character is a pervert and seeks his own harem. But wait, he isn't just any pervert, he is a SUPER pervert. The depths at which this guy fantasizes about anything and all things perverted, is nothing short of astonishing. The depths of his perversion in and of itself is at such a high level, where it actually becomes funny. The type of funny that makes you face palm and think to yourself, "is this kid for real?"
The cliche opening doesn't stop there! The main character, woe and behold, has a special power! Stuff happens and he ends up as a servant to a Demon.

Now for the biggest highlights of this show:

Pros:

The setting. The world is basically divided into 3 Angels, Archangels, Demons. These factions constantly having skirmishes. The dynamics between how these 3 factions interact with each other is very interesting. (In the future, the Author would be able to do a TON more with this concept.)

The battles. In this show, when Demon's take up "Servants," they assign a chess piece to that person. Each piece enhancing certain powers of that individual. Just like in chess, they can only have a certain amount of a specific piece type. The battles themselves are enhances because of this concept.

The Comedy. Normally, I am not a huge fan of the "accidentally walk into bathroom and see naked girl" type of comedy. However, the perversion of this main character makes it absolutely hilarious. But it doesn't stop there. Instead of the typical female reaction of being embarrassed and mad, the women ENCOURAGE it! The constant struggle between these women practically opening their legs for the main character and the main character's humongous perversion and simultaneous cowardliness, is extremely entertaining.

Cons:

The extreme amounts of Nudity. Seriously, if you can't stand Nudity, don't watch this show.

Cliche Harem where all the women fall in love with Main Character. (Although at least there is a valid reason unlike many other Harems.)

THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER FREE PAST THE FIRST EPISODE!

Too lazy to read the whole Review? Read the Character and Story sections! Or if even more lazy, the TL;DR section!

Noragami's Setting:

What is Noragami? Noragami is a world in which Gods fight creatures called Phantoms (basically creatures that feed off of sin.) Although they are Gods, they do not necessarily all get along with each other. (Like not how all humans get along with each other.) These Gods use weapons to defeat these Phantoms called Regalia. Regalia are spirits who were once Humans who have died with a will to continue living. This is why these previous ... humans are now Regalia. For a mere 12 episode show, Noragami has an incredibly in depth story and setting. They did an incredible job of developing the characters, story, and the universe in a time frame of which most shows cannot do given 24 episodes.

Story overall 9:
Everyone has their own tastes and preferences, Noragami is likely to appeal to people interested in Fantasy, Shounen, Comedy, and people who like a hint of romance in their shows. The story was well developed. Through little nuances and certain actions performed by the characters, you get a thorough understanding of the universe in which they live. There are a few cliff hangers in the story which a possible season 2 can easily fill. However, these cliff hangers are by no means a deal breaker for this show.

Art/Animation: 7
Okay, a 7, that is pretty low. But why is it a 7? While I really enjoyed the art, (I would score that a 9) the animation was good, but nothing special. The animators were great at choosing key frames during fight scenes. The animation is typical fast paced fighting. Because the animation isn't extremely fluid compared to other shows of similar genre, I give the animation a 7.

Sound: 8
The opening theme and ending theme are both very good. They use multiple songs for different fights, different songs for different moments. It is not the same song over and over. That would be tiring. Most importantly, they used a variety of sound tracks that helps inspire the mood they want you to feel. Quite well, I might add.

Character: 9
This, is one place I believe this show really shines. A show of this genre to develop the characters with such depth in a mere 12 episodes is nothing short of astonishing. The characters are entertaining, and play off of each other really well. Many shows have characters that are boring by themselves, and are only good because of how they play off of each other, but Noragami is not like that. Noragami's characters play well off each other, and are independently, really entertaining.

Enjoyment: 9
By far the most important aspect of an anime. The characters mixed with the incredible story make this show incredibly enjoyable to watch. There is never a dull moment in this show! I found myself watching all of the opening and ending themes resisting the incredible urge to skip straight to the next episode!

TL;DR 9:
Because of the incredible depth of the characters and story, this show is a must watch for anyone who is interested in these genres!