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A review by whatevanreads
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As a massive Avatar the Last Airbender fan, I had a feeling I’d, at the very least, really enjoy The Sword of Kaigen as it features a similar elemental-based magic system. ML Wang exceeded my expectations, however, and this is now without a doubt in my top 10 favorite books of this year!
I loved everything about this. First of all, I buddy read it with my girlfriend, which made the experience even more memorable. Beyond our shared experience, the storytelling from Wang was impeccable for me. Seamlessly weaving in world/lore building elements like the magic system, Wang’s prose and her focus on the character dynamics and arcs made for such an enthralling story. There were multiple moments that left me seconds away from tears as some scenes within the story were so evocative.
On top of everything, I loved how the narrative would speed up or slow down appropriately depending on the situation where Wang would take the time to delve deeper into the character building then speed up during more tense battle scenes. I loved the rollercoaster that this novel was!
Most of all, I loved her take on elemental magic and how she incorporated it into the narrative as well as the characters’ stories. Her perfect writing allowed me to clearly picture how they’d bend the elements and their effects.
If you haven’t read this book, you need to. I don’t care if you don’t enjoy fantasy, this is so much deeper than that! It’s the kind of book that will stick with you for years.
I loved everything about this. First of all, I buddy read it with my girlfriend, which made the experience even more memorable. Beyond our shared experience, the storytelling from Wang was impeccable for me. Seamlessly weaving in world/lore building elements like the magic system, Wang’s prose and her focus on the character dynamics and arcs made for such an enthralling story. There were multiple moments that left me seconds away from tears as some scenes within the story were so evocative.
On top of everything, I loved how the narrative would speed up or slow down appropriately depending on the situation where Wang would take the time to delve deeper into the character building then speed up during more tense battle scenes. I loved the rollercoaster that this novel was!
Most of all, I loved her take on elemental magic and how she incorporated it into the narrative as well as the characters’ stories. Her perfect writing allowed me to clearly picture how they’d bend the elements and their effects.
If you haven’t read this book, you need to. I don’t care if you don’t enjoy fantasy, this is so much deeper than that! It’s the kind of book that will stick with you for years.