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angstifies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
the characters and dynamics were so well written it blew my mind, this world and magic system are super interesting and it had the literal best fighting scenes i’ve ever read.
probably one of the best standalone fantasy books out there, i truly loved this story and how it progressed so much, and i couldn’t have thought of a better ending, wow
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Suicide, War, Misogyny, Rape, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, and Sexism
Minor: Pregnancy, Genocide, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Domestic abuse
lilifane's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
purplepink951's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, War, Child death, and Sexism
Moderate: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Rape
Minor: Homophobia
danielleor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, War, Xenophobia, Suicide, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Grief, Genocide, Death, and Child death
moonlitreading_'s review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Violence, and Sexism
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, and War
Minor: Homophobia
purplepentapus's review against another edition
- 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
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
thetuscany's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Miscarriage
Minor: Homophobia
genny's review against another edition
- 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
There were little things that annoyed me. Why keep other "Earth words" like traditional Japanese honorifics but deem our units of time too unbelievable for the setting? I kept consulting the glossary because all the new terms were overwhelming in the beginning, but I did become comfortable enough to rely on context clues eventually. I also got taken aback every time there was a mention of modern technology. It's easy to forget that this isn't set "in the past", Shirojima is just a very traditional village...but that's more of a me problem. I guess I had some sort of bias against visualizing it as a part of the "modern world", even though places like that exist in my own country.
The last chapter was definitely hinting at something more, but I've heard that the Theonite books (taking place in the same setting but with different characters, if I understand correctly) have been discontinued. It may be a strange ending for some, but I'm glad that the Matsudas' story wraps up with a sense of peace.
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Racism
Minor: Homophobia
mendthecat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Misogyny
Moderate: Rape and Miscarriage
Minor: Homophobia
m_________'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Racism, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Homophobia and Racial slurs
WOW WAS THIS BOOK GOOD. First, I want to list out some of the major content warnings for the book (there are out of context spoilers here): \ \ \ \ \ \ physical/verbal/emotional abuse, violence/gore, death, death of children, rape, suicide/suicidal ideations \ \ \ \ \ REVIEW/RANT/GUSH: I was so impressed by The Sword of Kaigen. Everything is done incredibly well: character work, world-building, action sequences, the elemental magic system, the prose - I loved it all. This book is certainly not short, but I genuinely never felt bored by it and, if not for pesky things called sleep and school, would have absolutely devoured it in one sitting. M. L. Wang is not afraid to go there in this book - actually probably even a step past there - and it definitely caught me by surprise in many sections. If there was one stand-out feature, it would be the character work. To give specifics would be spoiler-y, but I love M. L. Wang's characterization and depiction of how various characters struggle with their identity, legacy, and guilt throughout the novel, as well as their progression and the healing they seek in themselves and their relationships. The characters felt so real to me, especially in terms of their morality, in a way that very few characters do. They are all very complex, but their moral complexities are not larger than life, they simply are, and I found that refreshing, particularly in a fantasy novel. In particular, her portrayal of Misaki and her growth from a teenager, to the start of the book, to beyond, is so, so superb. The book follows a very interesting structure where what people would consider the climax of the book occupies its middle chunk, not the just-prior-to-the-end chunk, and it worked SO WELL. It allows the latter part of the book to become very character driven, and I think it was integral to portray what happened after *climax which I won't describe in further detail*. This plot structure definitely wouldn't work for every book or author, but it is absolutely perfect in this case. Lastly, I am also just so impressed by the way the author elicits emotion through her writing. It is not a stretch to say that I sobbed through nearly 50% of the book - and I really don't cry that often while reading (there are notable exceptions, clearly). Despite it being a standalone, everything felt so actualized and real in a way many others can't do in full length series. Highly, highly recommend!!!