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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
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.75
Context:
I used my free Kindle Unlimited trial to finally get around to reading The Sword of Kaigen, which has been on my TBR for a couple of years now. In case you were confused like I was, this book is a STANDALONE—I confused Wang’s recent standalone Blood Over Bright Haven for a sequel.
Review:
Whew! I did not know what I was getting into with this book. I’m someone who enjoys my fantasy on the lighter side with moments of darkness rather than books that feature a lot of violence and trauma. Needless to say, I was not prepared for the sheer amount of violence and emotional devastation that lay in store for me in The Sword of Kaigen. Despite not being exactly my cup of tea in this regard, this book is one of the best fantasy novels I’ve ever read. I have so many good things to say about it, so I’m going to make a bulleted list to make sure I touch on everything.
· The writing is incredibly cinematic. I could easily visualize everything that happens in this book, to the point where making it into a movie out would be redundant. I felt this to be true even for the action scenes, which I normally struggle to visualize in fantasy stories. Typically, I find them boring and confusing. However, Wang is a master of writing exciting, comprehensible, high-stakes action, which is a good thing because this book is chock full of action scenes!
· Holy cow, this book is full of some of the best-written characters I’ve read in a fantasy book. All of the characters—from the side characters to the protagonists—are complex, interesting, and believable. Every story beat with these characters is earned, making for a phenomenally emotional story.
· The pacing and organization of The Sword of Kaigen is flawless. Every story beat occurs exactly when it is most effective. Wang seems to have an intuitive grasp for how long each scene should last; nothing feels rushed or glossed over, but at no point does the story drag.
· The worldbuilding takes a familiar structure of elemental magic (very similar to that found in Avatar: The Last Airbender) but adapts it in a unique and original way that combines traditional elements of Japanese culture with modern technology.
· The Sword of Kaigen provides an emotionally cathartic exploration into themes of family, loyalty, honor, and grief. It damn near emotionally destroyed me in the process, but if that’s something you like in a book, you should definitely pick this one up.
· This book manages to explore feminist themes and create strong female characters without falling into traps of preachiness, shallowness, or stereotypes. It shows rather than tells, something so many modern books with feminist themes fail to do.
If I had one criticism of The Sword of Kaigen, it’s that it rather clumsily handles elements the racial dynamics in its world. For example, the substitution of white people for positions of subjugation that BIPOC people often face is insensitive at best. At other points, the book has its characters spout rhetoric of racial/blood supremacy without fully pushing back against these inherently racist concepts. (The same can be said for the characters’ problematic ideas about pregnancy/miscarriage). I was able to overlook these missteps for the most part because they do not seem malicious and play a minor role in the plot. That being said, I hope Wang learned from this book and does better in the future.
In sum, The Sword of Kaigen is a masterpiece of fantasy and storytelling. I would recommend it to anyone who feels prepared to handle the book’s immense amount of violence and pain.
The Run-Down:
You will probably like The Sword of Kaigen if . . .
· You want an incredible character-driven story led by an immensely strong—yet complex— female protagonist
· You find family dynamics and motherhood to be interesting themes in fantasy novels
· You like well-written, creative, and exciting action scenes
· You love elemental magic systems
· You want a fantasy book that combines ancient customs and beliefs with modern technology
· You want a book that will emotionally destroy you and then build you back up
You might not like The Sword of Kaigen if . . .
· You don’t have a strong stomach for violence or the host of other heavy topics present in this book
· You want a book that will take you across many different locations in its world
· You don’t like morally gray protaganists
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Violence, Grief, War, Pregnancy, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Vomit, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Rape, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Ableism, Abortion, Classism, Homophobia, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Slavery
ghostyreadsy's review
adventurous
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, War, and Suicide
Moderate: Classism, Death, Xenophobia, Racism, Sexism, and Child death
Minor: Child abuse, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
lilifane's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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
I expected an epic fantasy adventure. What I got instead was emotional damage.
Because I ignored the subtitle of the book. "A Theonite War Story" should have prepared me for... an actual war story. With all the gruesome horrors of war. Yeah, that's on me. Probably not the best time to read the book given the current global situation, either.
But! I really really really loved it. I hated it, but I loved it. It hurt, but it was SO good.
The character work is exceptional. It's fantastic, maybe even the best I've ever encountered. The main characters and points of view are a mother and her firstborn son. And I loooooove them both with all my heart. But all the side characters are amazing as well. All of them are flawed, which makes them so real.
But since this is such a character-driven story, the plot and action take a very long time to develop. Even then, I would say the climax of the story is in the middle of the book, with epic and creative magic/battle sequences. The second half mainly deals with the aftermath. And it's so impactful and painful. Because you care so much for these characters, it physically hurts to see them suffer and process the trauma. But the character arks, their development, the way relationships and dynamics change are worth it in the end, at least they were for me.
I can't say I enjoyed the direction the plot took. I wish it had gone in 10 different directions tbh. But I realize that this wasn't about the plot, but about the effects that war has on the individuals who have to live through it. It's also about love and duty, about community and survival, family and friendships.
Although the characters are what makes this book so special, I really enjoyed the world building and atmosphere. The mix of fantasy elements, magic and traditional values with advanced technology reminded me a little of Studio Ghibli movies, especially the ones that have war as a theme as well. And the action sequences are actually really good. I usually don't care for action unless it's interesting and can hold my attention. Which is the case here.
I don't know if I can recommend this book to anyone. But definitely to people who value character-driven stories and like to suffer. Just check trigger and content warnings beforehand, please.
Because I ignored the subtitle of the book. "A Theonite War Story" should have prepared me for... an actual war story. With all the gruesome horrors of war. Yeah, that's on me. Probably not the best time to read the book given the current global situation, either.
But! I really really really loved it. I hated it, but I loved it. It hurt, but it was SO good.
The character work is exceptional. It's fantastic, maybe even the best I've ever encountered. The main characters and points of view are a mother and her firstborn son. And I loooooove them both with all my heart. But all the side characters are amazing as well. All of them are flawed, which makes them so real.
But since this is such a character-driven story, the plot and action take a very long time to develop. Even then, I would say the climax of the story is in the middle of the book, with epic and creative magic/battle sequences. The second half mainly deals with the aftermath. And it's so impactful and painful. Because you care so much for these characters, it physically hurts to see them suffer and process the trauma. But the character arks, their development, the way relationships and dynamics change are worth it in the end, at least they were for me.
I can't say I enjoyed the direction the plot took. I wish it had gone in 10 different directions tbh. But I realize that this wasn't about the plot, but about the effects that war has on the individuals who have to live through it. It's also about love and duty, about community and survival, family and friendships.
Although the characters are what makes this book so special, I really enjoyed the world building and atmosphere. The mix of fantasy elements, magic and traditional values with advanced technology reminded me a little of Studio Ghibli movies, especially the ones that have war as a theme as well. And the action sequences are actually really good. I usually don't care for action unless it's interesting and can hold my attention. Which is the case here.
I don't know if I can recommend this book to anyone. But definitely to people who value character-driven stories and like to suffer. Just check trigger and content warnings beforehand, please.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Infertility, Medical content, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, War, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Alcohol, Kidnapping, Homophobia, Racism, and Rape
purplepentapus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Kidnapping, and Trafficking
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