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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 ofgabi_715's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Blood, Violence, Death, Murder, and War
Moderate: Sexism and Infertility
thenoboshow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Xenophobia, Child death, Classism, Miscarriage, Rape, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, and War
aksmith92's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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
6/5 stars. This novel is a testament to the author's skill, delivering a devastating and poignant yet beautifully written story that will leave a lasting impact.
The Setup: Mamoru is a Matsuda. Meaning he was born into a line of people resembling gods. Matsudas possess a unique magic form called jijaka, someone able to control water. Well, those in Kaigen can all be jijakalu, but Matsudas have the unique ability to take their control of water even further and take water molecules to make something called a Whispering Blade, a sword of ice that can cut through literally anything. Matsuda boys and men are trained early as warriors, serving the Kaigen empire wholeheartedly and rigidly. They live and train on the Kusanagi Peninsula, known as the Sword of Kaigen, and are the first to defend the Empire's enemies. Mamoru is fourteen, in school, and is one of the best warriors of his age. Thankfully, "warrior" is more of a title than anything; Kaigen and the rest of Danu, the world everyone lives in, have maintained peaceful relations, and there hasn't been a war since the Keleba, the only war that occurred in Danu's history. Mamoru is going to school, hanging out with his friends, trying not to fall asleep in history class, and, of course, training. He is determined to master the Whispering Blade and be the youngest to do so. Therefore, much of his time is spent mastering his jiya and trying to prove to his father that he is focused and talented.
In tandem, Misaki, Mamoru's mother, is battling fifteen years of, for lack of better words, boredom and anger. Misaki was also a warrior, as she spent her teenage years at a school in Carytha, another country in Danu, mastering her jiya and another magic: Blood Needle, the ability to control a small amount of the blood inside their victim's body and freezes it in the shape of a needle. This jijaka technique is specific to the Tsusano family, Misaki's bloodline before she married a Matsuda. She spent time at this school mastering her sword skills and even partnered with a crew of kids her age to fight crime. However, Misaki is from Ishihama, a town in Kaigen, meaning that she knew that her main role in life would be to marry into a powerful bloodline and bear his children, specifically sons. She made the incredibly challenging choice once she was of age to stay back on Kaigen and marry Takeru Matsuda. But life is not easy, and she struggles without a sword on her hip.
The narrative delves into the emotional journeys of both Mamoru and Misaki, revealing Mamoru's battles with new revelations about his assumptions and preconceptions of the Kaigen empire, and Misaki's life as a housewife and a mother, with glimpses of her past at school. The story then weaves in Duna unrest, suggesting that peace may soon become a distant memory.
What made this six stars? I'm having a hard time explaining what made this a phenomenal book. It was NOT a good time, I can tell you that! I cried MULTIPLE times in this book, which generally does not happen to me and hasn't happened since The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah. M.L. Wang is clearly a powerful and amazingly talented writer - her prose isn't fluffy; it's straight to the point and makes you feel like you are living at the Sword of Kaigen with the small community. I would not suggest picking this up if you want atmospheric or whimsical writing. Wang is literal yet still poignant and dives into challenging topics like misogyny, classism, and war. It was beautiful, yet sharp and harsh, and I loved it so much.
So, I generally prioritize character layers and development over everything else. Do not get me wrong, the plot and world-building must be there! However, there is something so beautiful about connecting with characters, regardless of whether they are the protagonists, antagonists, or morally gray folks. This book did that so well. Mamoru and Misaki are beautifully written characters with many layers, conflicts, and flaws. The other characters, specifically Setsuko, Takashi, Hyori, Chul-Hee, and Robin, were also fantastically written. Additionally, I could write multiple paragraphs about Takeru Matsuda - Mamoru's father and Misaki's husband - what a character! Everyone was their own character, and I love nothing more than relating to many characters and seeing them go on their journeys.
Now, technically, Wang's 100-page (or so) action scene was unbelievable. Actually, unbelievable. I've never read an action scene like this one before. I was immersed, captivated, and absolutely DEVASTATED during it. I honestly couldn't put my book down. This gruesome portrayal of battle was incredibly done, even though it was hard to read.
Lastly, this was such a well-done magic system, world, and plot. It takes a slightly different approach to war, combining some politics, war potential, and the aftermath of battle.
While this book was incredible, please know you will be angry. Kaigen was awfully sexist and misogynistic - it was a patriarchal society where women had to watch what they said to their husbands, let alone fight in battle. It can be challenging to read, but it made you appreciate Misaki and her wonderful friends even more. The balance Misaki portrayed as a mother and a warrior was unique, and her relationship with her husband, Takeru, was incredibly layered. However, unlike other fantasy novels with a main female protagonist, this one doesn't have the nice, neat power ending we're used to, and it may frustrate you. As someone who cares deeply about feminism, this should have angered me, but Wang portrayed all of this in an incredibly realistic way and therefore didn't make the story seem to go into a 180 abruptly.
I have no criticism. At all. You may and I get that, but I don't. What an incredible ride - Wang will be an auto-buy author for me. I've read Blood Over Bright Haven, which I LOVED, and I can't wait to see what else Wang comes out with. I am so thankful for this novel, yet now it is time for a fluffy and light book where I shed no tears.
The Setup: Mamoru is a Matsuda. Meaning he was born into a line of people resembling gods. Matsudas possess a unique magic form called jijaka, someone able to control water. Well, those in Kaigen can all be jijakalu, but Matsudas have the unique ability to take their control of water even further and take water molecules to make something called a Whispering Blade, a sword of ice that can cut through literally anything. Matsuda boys and men are trained early as warriors, serving the Kaigen empire wholeheartedly and rigidly. They live and train on the Kusanagi Peninsula, known as the Sword of Kaigen, and are the first to defend the Empire's enemies. Mamoru is fourteen, in school, and is one of the best warriors of his age. Thankfully, "warrior" is more of a title than anything; Kaigen and the rest of Danu, the world everyone lives in, have maintained peaceful relations, and there hasn't been a war since the Keleba, the only war that occurred in Danu's history. Mamoru is going to school, hanging out with his friends, trying not to fall asleep in history class, and, of course, training. He is determined to master the Whispering Blade and be the youngest to do so. Therefore, much of his time is spent mastering his jiya and trying to prove to his father that he is focused and talented.
In tandem, Misaki, Mamoru's mother, is battling fifteen years of, for lack of better words, boredom and anger. Misaki was also a warrior, as she spent her teenage years at a school in Carytha, another country in Danu, mastering her jiya and another magic: Blood Needle, the ability to control a small amount of the blood inside their victim's body and freezes it in the shape of a needle. This jijaka technique is specific to the Tsusano family, Misaki's bloodline before she married a Matsuda. She spent time at this school mastering her sword skills and even partnered with a crew of kids her age to fight crime. However, Misaki is from Ishihama, a town in Kaigen, meaning that she knew that her main role in life would be to marry into a powerful bloodline and bear his children, specifically sons. She made the incredibly challenging choice once she was of age to stay back on Kaigen and marry Takeru Matsuda. But life is not easy, and she struggles without a sword on her hip.
The narrative delves into the emotional journeys of both Mamoru and Misaki, revealing Mamoru's battles with new revelations about his assumptions and preconceptions of the Kaigen empire, and Misaki's life as a housewife and a mother, with glimpses of her past at school. The story then weaves in Duna unrest, suggesting that peace may soon become a distant memory.
What made this six stars? I'm having a hard time explaining what made this a phenomenal book. It was NOT a good time, I can tell you that! I cried MULTIPLE times in this book, which generally does not happen to me and hasn't happened since The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah. M.L. Wang is clearly a powerful and amazingly talented writer - her prose isn't fluffy; it's straight to the point and makes you feel like you are living at the Sword of Kaigen with the small community. I would not suggest picking this up if you want atmospheric or whimsical writing. Wang is literal yet still poignant and dives into challenging topics like misogyny, classism, and war. It was beautiful, yet sharp and harsh, and I loved it so much.
So, I generally prioritize character layers and development over everything else. Do not get me wrong, the plot and world-building must be there! However, there is something so beautiful about connecting with characters, regardless of whether they are the protagonists, antagonists, or morally gray folks. This book did that so well. Mamoru and Misaki are beautifully written characters with many layers, conflicts, and flaws. The other characters, specifically Setsuko, Takashi, Hyori, Chul-Hee, and Robin, were also fantastically written. Additionally, I could write multiple paragraphs about Takeru Matsuda - Mamoru's father and Misaki's husband - what a character! Everyone was their own character, and I love nothing more than relating to many characters and seeing them go on their journeys.
Now, technically, Wang's 100-page (or so) action scene was unbelievable. Actually, unbelievable. I've never read an action scene like this one before. I was immersed, captivated, and absolutely DEVASTATED during it. I honestly couldn't put my book down. This gruesome portrayal of battle was incredibly done, even though it was hard to read.
Lastly, this was such a well-done magic system, world, and plot. It takes a slightly different approach to war, combining some politics, war potential, and the aftermath of battle.
While this book was incredible, please know you will be angry. Kaigen was awfully sexist and misogynistic - it was a patriarchal society where women had to watch what they said to their husbands, let alone fight in battle. It can be challenging to read, but it made you appreciate Misaki and her wonderful friends even more. The balance Misaki portrayed as a mother and a warrior was unique, and her relationship with her husband, Takeru, was incredibly layered. However, unlike other fantasy novels with a main female protagonist, this one doesn't have the nice, neat power ending we're used to, and it may frustrate you. As someone who cares deeply about feminism, this should have angered me, but Wang portrayed all of this in an incredibly realistic way and therefore didn't make the story seem to go into a 180 abruptly.
I have no criticism. At all. You may and I get that, but I don't. What an incredible ride - Wang will be an auto-buy author for me. I've read Blood Over Bright Haven, which I LOVED, and I can't wait to see what else Wang comes out with. I am so thankful for this novel, yet now it is time for a fluffy and light book where I shed no tears.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Blood, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, War, Death, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Classism, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Genocide, Gaslighting, and Confinement
Minor: Cursing
Please, please, please take some of these triggers seriously. M.L. Wang does a phenomenal job with action scenes, but they involve lots of detail about injuries and death, including for literal children. Please take care.trash_reader_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
When I went into this book, I was expecting a strong-willed mother who left her life of fighting behind to start a family, but picks it back up again when her family is threatened. That's not at all what this book is though? I'm not even sure the book knew what it was supposed to be doing, since there wasn't really a cohesive plot. Things jumped around a lot, the pacing was really weird, and so many aspects of this book didn't seem to connect with one another or have any relevance to anything.
Yes, Misaki was trained as a fighter when she was in high school, but the fact that she was trained as a fighter doesn't really matter because the country she lives in is extremely sexist (which you can tell by the sexist, misogynistic comments on every. single. page.), and so is the family that had sent her across the world to train in an elite military school. What was the point if you were going to force her into gender roles afterward anyway? Because she needed to be protected? Didn't you send her away so she could protect herself? Makes no sense.
The sexism grated my nerves to the point where it almost overshadowed everything else in the book. Especially since there wasn't any reason for it. "That's just how things are done here" I guess, but for what purpose? Absolutely nothing changed in Takayubi except for the renewal of the dojo and Takeru's attitude. And Takeru doing a total 180 so fast just because he was confronted with being a coward (which he already knew he was, by the way, and had admitted it several times) just seemed so out of place. Not out of place because it was unrealistic (which it wasn't), but it was out of place because it seemed as if it was only written in to make Misaki not hate her husband anymore and to give her more "character development." Because how is every response he gives to her "I don't know" and "I was afraid"?
Misaki's "character development" also seemed odd to me because how can someone repeatedly think about how they don't love their children and how they never wanted to be a mother or a wife and how much she hates where she is and hates her husband and resents her father for forcing her to go through with the marriage, but then randomly change her mind and love all her children so much to do the things she did? It seemed forced and the rest of her character development seemed strong-armed into the story just to further along everything else.
Also - Chapter 31? Unnecessary. Not a single thing about that last chapter was needed and I slogged through it. I don't care about Robin, and it seemed like it was an extended, boring catch-up type of Epilogue, which I guess would be fine if you actually cared about Koli and Elleen and whoever else Misaki knew in school, but I didn't care. We didn't see them enough for me to care, and I didn't connect with their characters at all. I actually laughed at Robin for his Batman-esque point of view.
I also did not appreciate the stance that the characters took about miscarriages. As if the sexism wasn't bad enough, miscarriages are the mother's fault? And Misaki fully believed her hatred for the life growing inside her was what hid terminated the pregnancy? GTFOH with that, we don't need anymore victim-blaming in the world, imaginary fantasy world or not.
The fight scenes were extremely detailed, though, often going on for pages at a time, and they kept my interest more than anything else in the book. And honestly, I think those fight scenes were the redeeming factor that kept this from being a 2 star read. Because not everything needed to be all wrapped up in a nice bow like it was, especially the "war" aspect of the novel. I have no idea how I would go about expressing my feelings on that whole "war" because I'm at such a loss for words. In the bad way, mind you.
I've seen so many people talk about how much they loved this, and I can see why they would. It just isn't for me, and maybe that had something to do with my expectations not being met or maybe I just wasn't understanding a deeper meaning behind everything, but regardless of the reason, I am really disappointed that I didn't like this book better. I was hoping I would since it sounds like something I'd normally love but I struggled so bad with this. By the end I felt as if I'd read about children being eviscerated just because. That's how unsatisfied this book left me.
Yes, Misaki was trained as a fighter when she was in high school, but the fact that she was trained as a fighter doesn't really matter because the country she lives in is extremely sexist (which you can tell by the sexist, misogynistic comments on every. single. page.), and so is the family that had sent her across the world to train in an elite military school. What was the point if you were going to force her into gender roles afterward anyway? Because she needed to be protected? Didn't you send her away so she could protect herself? Makes no sense.
The sexism grated my nerves to the point where it almost overshadowed everything else in the book. Especially since there wasn't any reason for it. "That's just how things are done here" I guess, but for what purpose? Absolutely nothing changed in Takayubi except for the renewal of the dojo and Takeru's attitude. And Takeru doing a total 180 so fast just because he was confronted with being a coward (which he already knew he was, by the way, and had admitted it several times) just seemed so out of place. Not out of place because it was unrealistic (which it wasn't), but it was out of place because it seemed as if it was only written in to make Misaki not hate her husband anymore and to give her more "character development." Because how is every response he gives to her "I don't know" and "I was afraid"?
Misaki's "character development" also seemed odd to me because how can someone repeatedly think about how they don't love their children and how they never wanted to be a mother or a wife and how much she hates where she is and hates her husband and resents her father for forcing her to go through with the marriage, but then randomly change her mind and love all her children so much to do the things she did? It seemed forced and the rest of her character development seemed strong-armed into the story just to further along everything else.
Also - Chapter 31? Unnecessary. Not a single thing about that last chapter was needed and I slogged through it. I don't care about Robin, and it seemed like it was an extended, boring catch-up type of Epilogue, which I guess would be fine if you actually cared about Koli and Elleen and whoever else Misaki knew in school, but I didn't care. We didn't see them enough for me to care, and I didn't connect with their characters at all. I actually laughed at Robin for his Batman-esque point of view.
I also did not appreciate the stance that the characters took about miscarriages. As if the sexism wasn't bad enough, miscarriages are the mother's fault? And Misaki fully believed her hatred for the life growing inside her was what hid terminated the pregnancy? GTFOH with that, we don't need anymore victim-blaming in the world, imaginary fantasy world or not.
The fight scenes were extremely detailed, though, often going on for pages at a time, and they kept my interest more than anything else in the book. And honestly, I think those fight scenes were the redeeming factor that kept this from being a 2 star read. Because not everything needed to be all wrapped up in a nice bow like it was, especially the "war" aspect of the novel. I have no idea how I would go about expressing my feelings on that whole "war" because I'm at such a loss for words. In the bad way, mind you.
I've seen so many people talk about how much they loved this, and I can see why they would. It just isn't for me, and maybe that had something to do with my expectations not being met or maybe I just wasn't understanding a deeper meaning behind everything, but regardless of the reason, I am really disappointed that I didn't like this book better. I was hoping I would since it sounds like something I'd normally love but I struggled so bad with this. By the end I felt as if I'd read about children being eviscerated just because. That's how unsatisfied this book left me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Suicide, Misogyny, Sexism, Child death, and War
maucha's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book broke my heart made me cry so badly. I love it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Gore, Blood, Child death, War, Misogyny, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Miscarriage and Suicide
Minor: Sexism and Rape
tsuharesu's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
When I think about Misaki, her development, and everything that she goes through and how she leaves "the other side", I think this book is 5 stars. It was the first book I read with a mother's perspective on things, and I quite enjoyed it!
But when thinking about it from a plot perspective, it was strange for me to have a slice of life type of book. Maybe because I'm not used to it, maybe because I wanted to know more about this universe, maybe something was just not that detailed and explained. I got this feeling that I wanted more. So it would be more like 4 stars.
And then, some things that happened I didn't see coming! Apart from the storyline, which I'm not going to spoil, but I think both parts that got me "what?!" was when they talked casually about the characters using cell phones, and when their powers were shown for the first time.
But when thinking about it from a plot perspective, it was strange for me to have a slice of life type of book. Maybe because I'm not used to it, maybe because I wanted to know more about this universe, maybe something was just not that detailed and explained. I got this feeling that I wanted more. So it would be more like 4 stars.
And then, some things that happened I didn't see coming! Apart from the storyline, which I'm not going to spoil, but I think both parts that got me "what?!" was when they talked casually about the characters using cell phones, and when their powers were shown for the first time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Child death
mikaylamarie's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
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
5.0
This book is peak fantasy. Every single review I have seen for this book sings its praises, for the world building, the magic system, the sheer amount of dark and heavy themes that are tackled within it, and done so beautifully. I struggle to find the right words to describe just how amazing this book is, as well as how hard it it to understand the impact this story left on me.
Misaki is a 34 year old mom of four. She gave up a life with her sword to marry and have children, but she finds that she doesn't really know who she is or what her purpose in life has become. Her oldest son Mamaru is 14, he is incredibly powerful and yet he struggles with having to live up to his peoples' expectations, and later on with what it really means to protect what you care about. An outside war is gaining on them as things start to fall apart, and when it does, it is heartbreaking.
This book has the same vibes as Avatar the Last Airbender, both in the incredible displays of power through the elements, but in the heart of people wanting to do the right things and protect their people.
It's just so good, and I cannot recommend it enough. Although be prepared to be angry, confused, heartbroken, sad, angry again, and then at peace.
Misaki is a 34 year old mom of four. She gave up a life with her sword to marry and have children, but she finds that she doesn't really know who she is or what her purpose in life has become. Her oldest son Mamaru is 14, he is incredibly powerful and yet he struggles with having to live up to his peoples' expectations, and later on with what it really means to protect what you care about. An outside war is gaining on them as things start to fall apart, and when it does, it is heartbreaking.
This book has the same vibes as Avatar the Last Airbender, both in the incredible displays of power through the elements, but in the heart of people wanting to do the right things and protect their people.
It's just so good, and I cannot recommend it enough. Although be prepared to be angry, confused, heartbroken, sad, angry again, and then at peace.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Child death, Miscarriage, Death, Grief, War, and Blood
Moderate: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Rape
andrew_corduroy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-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
Absolutely fantastic. An excellent exploration of such a wide range of emotions and experiences; from honor and understanding to grief, shame, perseverance and love. I’ve read some bangers so far this year but none have moved me quite like The Sword of Kaigen.
Admittedly there are some interesting stylistic choices like: italics for languages other than the local dialect (there are several), flashbacks where they don’t quite fit with the tone of the previous chapter(s), and a single POV chapter from one of the main characters at about the 70% mark and not giving the character another POV for the rest of the book.
However, despite these choices I found the book engrossing and didn’t feel like my attention was being whipped about too much. I highly recommend reading this.
Admittedly there are some interesting stylistic choices like:
However, despite these choices I found the book engrossing and didn’t feel like my attention was being whipped about too much. I highly recommend reading this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Sexism, Miscarriage, and War
Minor: Racism, Rape, Physical abuse, and Suicide
ellenisntcool's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
DNF 53%
Technically this is a DNF, but I’m giving it one star anyway as I did read a lot of it and honestly would still give it that rating if I ever finished it.
At first I was genuinely enjoying myself, I liked Misaki but Mamoru was the character I really wanted the focus to be on or I wanted them both to work together as a mother and son duo! They both have their different strengths and character that would have worked if we saw more of Mamorubut instead he had to die halfway through ruining it for me as I was hoping for him to see the outside world.
My other issue is the formatting as well. It confused me when the dialogue was written with italics as I genuinely thought that was how the whole book would be written, thankfully it wasn’t (for the most part) but it was jarring and a bit too confusing.
Overall, I do wish I could finish this book but it would be a slog and not worth it when I have other books I could enjoy.
Technically this is a DNF, but I’m giving it one star anyway as I did read a lot of it and honestly would still give it that rating if I ever finished it.
At first I was genuinely enjoying myself, I liked Misaki but Mamoru was the character I really wanted the focus to be on or I wanted them both to work together as a mother and son duo! They both have their different strengths and character that would have worked if we saw more of Mamoru
My other issue is the formatting as well. It confused me when the dialogue was written with italics as I genuinely thought that was how the whole book would be written, thankfully it wasn’t (for the most part) but it was jarring and a bit too confusing.
Overall, I do wish I could finish this book but it would be a slog and not worth it when I have other books I could enjoy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Sexism, Death, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Medical trauma