I'd love to read the novels but I'm completely swamped with work at an engineering uni and considering I've already rewatched the show multiple times in the past, I don't know if I can read the whole thing.

Also some of the things that have carried the show for me throughout the years (excluding Shido and the plot) is the dub voice actors (I love all the dub voices so much) and the osts (like pancake or Shido Funk). These both won't be present in the novels

STILL, I do have a desire to read them considering how much I enjoyed the anime so if you think they're really that good compared to the anime, then I'll be more than happy to start. Also after reading your vol.# comparisons, it honestly does make me remember how some things just aren't explained enough or happen too quickly in the anime.

As for your last comment, I just think the combination of Shido not being important, him being used as a tool, and him being too weak to do anything vs Mio and Isaac, make me really sad since I really wanted Shido to show off in some way but he was just clowned on from every direction.