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A review by bookishdamzel
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Read for All Us Bookworms Bookclub Pick for January!
TLDR
- Military Fantasy with Hierarchical and Patriarchal Society
- Immaculate Character Study: A Mother with a hidden past and her Son, the eldest, who struggles growing up and learning more about his society.
- Topics: Traditional vs Modernity; Generational Trauma; Family Dynamics; Colonization; the effects of War; and so much more.
This is a slow paced fantasy that'll hit you in the gut by the end. This was so good and I feel like I should have picked it up sooner, but I'm glad I picked it up this month. The character work is the thing that shines in this fantasy, not to say I don't love the world and the power of god like humans. But for me, Misaki and Mamoru shined in this. You get to see Misaki (the mother of Mamoru and wife of second eldest Takeru Matsuda) both present day and past pov from her, you learn about her past, what she's been through with her marriage, & how it's led to the present day. Then you see from Mamoru (the eldest of the 4 sons of Takeru and Misaki) and his struggle growing up, meeting Kwang, and learning that the empire may not be what it seems. The story is dark and the characters are dark and complex. I think the biggest take away from TSOK is to live, learn from the past, and try to create/do something better.
Absolutely loved this one and I totally recommend it <3
TLDR
- Military Fantasy with Hierarchical and Patriarchal Society
- Immaculate Character Study: A Mother with a hidden past and her Son, the eldest, who struggles growing up and learning more about his society.
- Topics: Traditional vs Modernity; Generational Trauma; Family Dynamics; Colonization; the effects of War; and so much more.
This is a slow paced fantasy that'll hit you in the gut by the end. This was so good and I feel like I should have picked it up sooner, but I'm glad I picked it up this month. The character work is the thing that shines in this fantasy, not to say I don't love the world and the power of god like humans. But for me, Misaki and Mamoru shined in this. You get to see Misaki (the mother of Mamoru and wife of second eldest Takeru Matsuda) both present day and past pov from her, you learn about her past, what she's been through with her marriage, & how it's led to the present day. Then you see from Mamoru (the eldest of the 4 sons of Takeru and Misaki) and his struggle growing up, meeting Kwang, and learning that the empire may not be what it seems. The story is dark and the characters are dark and complex. I think the biggest take away from TSOK is to live, learn from the past, and try to create/do something better.
Absolutely loved this one and I totally recommend it <3