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A review by raeanne
Shinju by Laura Joh Rowland
4.0
Just realized I never posted this after my Throwback Thursday post. So here it is!
Of course, after so long and without any notes I can't review the individual books or give content warnings. :(
But without a doubt, each book rated 4 stars for me and I can't wait to get back to reading this series. Long series often have trouble with getting into a rut, doing the same thing with zero growth (*cough* Stephanie Plum *cough*) but not Sano Ichiro.
There's character and series progression galore. Sano gets married and has a family, who join with great success and make it that much better. His wife that I won't name for those who haven't read any, is brilliant, subverts her cultural norms in subtle and livable ways, and genuinely contributes to solving cases. Her eventual motherhood isn't the typical, trope-spurred irritating display either.
It has court politics, intrigue, and sabotage done better than any other historical or fantasy novel (The Song of Fire and Ice, for instance) I've read before. As Sano moves up the chain, it only becomes more perilous.
There is of course a main antagonist, but not everything wraps back around to him at all times. Boy, does he make a good villain when he does though. He gets depth and growth as the series moves along as well.
Of course, after so long and without any notes I can't review the individual books or give content warnings. :(
But without a doubt, each book rated 4 stars for me and I can't wait to get back to reading this series. Long series often have trouble with getting into a rut, doing the same thing with zero growth (*cough* Stephanie Plum *cough*) but not Sano Ichiro.
There's character and series progression galore. Sano gets married and has a family, who join with great success and make it that much better. His wife that I won't name for those who haven't read any, is brilliant, subverts her cultural norms in subtle and livable ways, and genuinely contributes to solving cases. Her eventual motherhood isn't the typical, trope-spurred irritating display either.
It has court politics, intrigue, and sabotage done better than any other historical or fantasy novel (The Song of Fire and Ice, for instance) I've read before. As Sano moves up the chain, it only becomes more perilous.
There is of course a main antagonist, but not everything wraps back around to him at all times. Boy, does he make a good villain when he does though. He gets depth and growth as the series moves along as well.