Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

194 reviews

blue_guitar's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I read this as part of the 2024 r/fantasy Bingo – Self published or indy  

Sword of Kaigen by ML Wang was a book I was really looking forward to, especially given the high regards that I’d seen for it in the last few years. 

After reading it, I can say there’s a lot of greatness to it. 

I really liked the world, the magic, the potential for a grand epic story and the action scenes were incredibly well written.  

But there’s also some pretty significant elements that disappointed me. The book revolves around the two central characters, Misaki and her son, Mamoru, dealing with a domineering and abusive husband and father, and some sort of government conspiracy (that unfortunately is never really explained) and the ramifications of past and future wars. It’s a character driven plot, with most of the ‘action’ of the book happening internally to the two POV characters. 

However, the pacing just seems off. Multiple points throughout reading the book, I was asking myself – when is something interesting going to happen? So much of Kaigen is just slice of life description. There’s a lot of conversations that don't advance the plot or show anything new about the characters, they just have small talk. Alternatively, you get page after page of exposition, lots of telling and not showing. 

Which brings me to the next issue that came up, you’d assume that this was a novel set in a period like the Edo Shogunate in Japan. It’s not, you soon realize that this world has satellites and jet fighters and computers. 

I’m not sure this was the right call for the book. It creates a strange dissonance between the magic and world building – especially when the characters seem to exist in this pseudo medieval lifestyle. The characters bounce between very traditional mentalities to near modern conversations. It kept pulling me out of the story when it happened. At one point, character says "touché” after being presented with a good point.  

Towards the end of the book, I was getting a little frustrated by a few repeating motifs, many scenes of someone telling someone to go and hide, but they refuse, very "I won't leave you" type scenes. In fight scenes, Misaki keeps having her age and limits brought up as negative factors, this never happens for the male fighters. There’s also this uncomfortable theme of purity of bloodlines being equated with more powerful individuals. There’s a race of people who are described as “white” with “impure bloodlines” who are physically weaker and lack magical powers. Those beliefs are never really challenged by any of the characters.  

Finally, I found the ending is really clumsy. There is a new plot point introduced, apparently for a sequel that was canceled, but it really makes it more long-winded than it needed to be. The central conflict between the main characters gets wrapped in a way that I’m not sure the story earned, particularly giving a very cruel character a happy ending. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Child abuse

kirstym25's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, War, and Violence

Moderate: Miscarriage, Suicide, and Rape

_tylermagee's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Minor: Rape

gigi_bebe's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Death, and Sexual assault

mcire's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Made me cry. 6 stars. 7 stars. There are not enough stars. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and War

Moderate: Sexism, Suicide, and Rape

anguawolf's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Blood, Child death, Racism, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, War, and Sexism

Moderate: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Suicide

Minor: Bullying and Racial slurs

lola218_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Sexual violence, Violence, War, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Child death, Rape, and Sexual assault

gracecrandall's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Grief, Suicide, Misogyny, War, Violence, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Child death, Blood, Death, and Sexism

Moderate: Rape and Pregnancy

The child abuse/physical abuse is in the context of

a 14-year-old trying to start a conversation about the government that could be perceived as traitorous. His dad backhands him and then orders him to spar, which turns into a beating. His mother is afraid for the boy's life a few times during the match.

hfejvi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

“I protected Setsuko and the children.” Misaki felt her face twist into a snarl of rage. “Five people were here in the house with me when the Ranganese broke down the doors, and all of them are with us now.” Her snarl turned predatory and she felt the need for blood in her teeth. “One of our sons was with you. Just one. And where is he now?”

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Misogyny, War, Rape, Torture, Sexual assault, Murder, and Violence

kcweber22's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

It took me foreveeeerrr to really get into this, but by god it blew me away once I did. Definitely would recommend and revisit

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, War, Suicide, Death, Child death, Violence, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Rape