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A review by jlynnelseauthor
Ronin: A Visions Novel by Emma Mieko Candon
4.0
The first episode of the Visions series was a homerun. Who hasn't thought of samurai as jedi? When the Ronan pulls out his katana-styled lightsaber and faces down the Bandit, it was so cool! This book opens with that first episode and from there explores an alternate universe written through the lens of Japanese mythology. What a great concept. I'd absolutely love to see more of this, really allowing other cultures to build Star Wars using their own mythologies.
One powerful aspect of the story is a mirror made of kyber. In Japanese culture, mirrors are one of the most potent symbols of power, revered as sacred objects representing the gods. This holds true in this story as it influences many of the choices our characters make. The Jedi serve feudal lords who align themselves with one of the emperor princes. The rebellion was a Sith movement to experience individuality instead of being fodder serving for their lords. Basically, the universe is already under an empire with Jedi who are loyal to lords and emperors. Its a dark universe. There's also such beauty from the temple to the inner design of the dreadnaughts. The culture is beautiful but also sitting at a knife's edge.
I enjoyed all the characters and how the developed. The book is ripe with unreliable narrators but their so fascinating! However, there were some things that needed a bit more exploration. The final confrontation in the second to last chapter needed a bit more to it. I didn't quite get the significance of the choice. I also wanted way more lightsaber auxiliaries. The Bandit used a parasol, but her master was mentioned as using a fan--that's one I would have loved seeing in action!
This is an intriguing entry into the Star Wars lore. I hope to see more of these. The characters and plot were engaging, and there were many cool Japanese cultural aspects that were simply fantastic!
One powerful aspect of the story is a mirror made of kyber. In Japanese culture, mirrors are one of the most potent symbols of power, revered as sacred objects representing the gods. This holds true in this story as it influences many of the choices our characters make. The Jedi serve feudal lords who align themselves with one of the emperor princes. The rebellion was a Sith movement to experience individuality instead of being fodder serving for their lords. Basically, the universe is already under an empire with Jedi who are loyal to lords and emperors. Its a dark universe. There's also such beauty from the temple to the inner design of the dreadnaughts. The culture is beautiful but also sitting at a knife's edge.
I enjoyed all the characters and how the developed. The book is ripe with unreliable narrators but their so fascinating! However, there were some things that needed a bit more exploration. The final confrontation in the second to last chapter needed a bit more to it. I didn't quite get the significance of the choice. I also wanted way more lightsaber auxiliaries. The Bandit used a parasol, but her master was mentioned as using a fan--that's one I would have loved seeing in action!
This is an intriguing entry into the Star Wars lore. I hope to see more of these. The characters and plot were engaging, and there were many cool Japanese cultural aspects that were simply fantastic!