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typedtruths's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
▷ Representation: Japanese cast & setting; fat protagonist.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Alcohol, Violence, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Gun violence
➸ Trigger warnings for fatphobia and body-shaming, alcohol consumption (multiple on-page scenes), a secondary character is dying of leprosy with some mentions of his symptoms including loss of fingers and teeth, graphic, on-page fight scenes, including battle scenes/raids, destruction and pillaging of villages, hand-to-hand combat, and gun- & sword violence, murder by gunshot, poisoning, and stabbing (on page), attempted murder by strangulation, and main character death (on-page).n7centurion's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
radomu's review
2.0
This author really knows how to write action scenes. Unfortunately, it also reveals that written prose is probably not the best format to show action. The book starts off a bit slow (in spite of all the action) and I couldn't get myself to relate to any of the main protagonists due to them being somewhat one-sided. It's a standard 'Seven Samurai' (or The Magnificent Seven, Band of Brothers, Rogue One, etc. etc.) plot where you get a ragtag bunch of warriors who all have different specialities. The humour, which is clearly inspired by anime, doesn't seem to really work in written English. The lore itself, which seems to be a mix of Chinese and Japanese culture, is more inspired by Wuxia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuxia) films than anime. I can't help myself but think that films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and Hero (2002) are a bit goofy, but that's just my taste. But my imagination when reading the book was limited to poorly choreographed action scenes with unnatural acrobatics and exaggerated sword-fights. If you love Wuxia or if you grew up playing Dynasty Warriors, you'd probably like this book. I won't recommend this to fans of Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach, and whatnot.
andypeloquinauthor's review
4.0
TL;DR version: 3.5 Stars - Really enjoyed a lot of it: the classic Japanese ronin-style story, intriguing characters, fascinating Asian story elements, legends and heroes, and the overall thrust of the story. Not perfect, but one hell of a read!
Long version:
I've been debating on how to rate this one because there was a lot about it I really loved.
Growing up in Japan, I was raised on Japanese history, with a generous helping of mythology sprinkled in for the mix. Reading this story was like taking a journey back through Japanese history and seeing the "epic" stories of warriors like Oda Nobunaga or Hideyoshi Toyotomi brought to life, with just enough flavor of Avatar: The Last Airbender and 7 Samurai to be thrilling.
Being a huge fan of wuxia movies and martial arts films, I found this felt like the sort of story that Jet Li or young Jackie Chan would have been in. Very reminiscent of Fearless, Hero, or Fists of Legend.
The variety of characters was quite intriguing. Itami Cho the fearless swordswoman, Emerald Wind the snarky bandit, Chen Lu the quintessential fat guy with an iron gut and a predilection for drink, and the Master of Sun Valley, bare-handed fighter extraordinaire. Adding in the rifleman Death's Echo was a really neat touch that added a lot of spice to the story.
Now for the things that left me a tad disappointed:
-The fight scenes. Fascinating fight scenes, but the words used to describe the various moves left me a bit underwhelmed. But I know that's just my preference.
- The characters. Emerald Wind and Chen Lu had great personalities, but the others felt a tad "grey". Itami Cho could have been a truly fascinating powerful woman--a deep, intriguing blend of warrior and woman--but the focus on her "oaths" detracted from getting a sense of who she was and what she wanted beneath her warrior's facade.
- The ending. No spoilers, but that was not the ending I anticipated, expected, or hoped for. My expectations were subverted in a very clever way, but I might argue that it was TOO clever, given how straight the rest of the book was. I found myself disappointed in the final pages, though everything up until then had been exactly as epic as I'd hoped.
Overall, this book is 100% worth the read! I'm definitely a picky reader, and this book sucked me in nicely. I owe the author thanks for helping to pull me out of my reading slump with this book, which had me turning pages like my iPad was on fire.
Long version:
I've been debating on how to rate this one because there was a lot about it I really loved.
Growing up in Japan, I was raised on Japanese history, with a generous helping of mythology sprinkled in for the mix. Reading this story was like taking a journey back through Japanese history and seeing the "epic" stories of warriors like Oda Nobunaga or Hideyoshi Toyotomi brought to life, with just enough flavor of Avatar: The Last Airbender and 7 Samurai to be thrilling.
Being a huge fan of wuxia movies and martial arts films, I found this felt like the sort of story that Jet Li or young Jackie Chan would have been in. Very reminiscent of Fearless, Hero, or Fists of Legend.
The variety of characters was quite intriguing. Itami Cho the fearless swordswoman, Emerald Wind the snarky bandit, Chen Lu the quintessential fat guy with an iron gut and a predilection for drink, and the Master of Sun Valley, bare-handed fighter extraordinaire. Adding in the rifleman Death's Echo was a really neat touch that added a lot of spice to the story.
Now for the things that left me a tad disappointed:
-The fight scenes. Fascinating fight scenes, but the words used to describe the various moves left me a bit underwhelmed. But I know that's just my preference.
- The characters. Emerald Wind and Chen Lu had great personalities, but the others felt a tad "grey". Itami Cho could have been a truly fascinating powerful woman--a deep, intriguing blend of warrior and woman--but the focus on her "oaths" detracted from getting a sense of who she was and what she wanted beneath her warrior's facade.
- The ending. No spoilers, but that was not the ending I anticipated, expected, or hoped for. My expectations were subverted in a very clever way, but I might argue that it was TOO clever, given how straight the rest of the book was. I found myself disappointed in the final pages, though everything up until then had been exactly as epic as I'd hoped.
Overall, this book is 100% worth the read! I'm definitely a picky reader, and this book sucked me in nicely. I owe the author thanks for helping to pull me out of my reading slump with this book, which had me turning pages like my iPad was on fire.
twotonteddy88's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Absolutely loved this book and it made me want to start the sequel immediately.
The twist near the end I saw coming but it didn't make it any less spectacular though the final revelations in the last chapter was phenomenal and was a worthy end to a fantastic book.
For a shorter novel the characters really did have some decent development and were a team you wanted to root for. The battles were brilliantly written and a major focus of the book as well as the journey to Wu. It was like reading a kung fu film and I hope that there ends up being even more books in this world.
The twist near the end I saw coming but it didn't make it any less spectacular though the final revelations in the last chapter was phenomenal and was a worthy end to a fantastic book.
For a shorter novel the characters really did have some decent development and were a team you wanted to root for. The battles were brilliantly written and a major focus of the book as well as the journey to Wu. It was like reading a kung fu film and I hope that there ends up being even more books in this world.
finn_truman's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
amybraunauthor's review
5.0
This is going to be one of the most unforgettable books I’ve ever read. It surpassed well beyond anything I expected, and I hardly express how much I’ve come to love it. A tale of warriors, heroes, and monsters that will leave any reader with a love for Asian folklore excited and eager for more.
The story starts off with a bang and never slows until it’s final moments. Slowly, readers are introduced to memorable characters, none of whom are like the other and whom all leave their mark, regardless of how later they enter the story. I can hardly choose a favourite, since they all bring their own eccentricities and codes to the story, but Itami Cho a powerful warrior woman that I was completely spellbound by.
Monsters and all manner of terrifying creature pursue our heroes, and push them to their limits. The action is intense and bloody and no one escapes unscathed. There is a twist ending that I didn’t see coming and will need some reflection, but at the end of the day, the entire book was just one giant treasure of a quest.
For anyone who loves Asian myths or legends, this is one you need to pick up and listen to. It’s haunting, bittersweet, exciting, and a truly unexpected gem of a story.
The story starts off with a bang and never slows until it’s final moments. Slowly, readers are introduced to memorable characters, none of whom are like the other and whom all leave their mark, regardless of how later they enter the story. I can hardly choose a favourite, since they all bring their own eccentricities and codes to the story, but Itami Cho a powerful warrior woman that I was completely spellbound by.
Monsters and all manner of terrifying creature pursue our heroes, and push them to their limits. The action is intense and bloody and no one escapes unscathed. There is a twist ending that I didn’t see coming and will need some reflection, but at the end of the day, the entire book was just one giant treasure of a quest.
For anyone who loves Asian myths or legends, this is one you need to pick up and listen to. It’s haunting, bittersweet, exciting, and a truly unexpected gem of a story.
maxtrommelen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
thero159's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5