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A review by songwind
The Tengu's Game of Go by Lian Hearn
4.0
I literally put this audiobook in my to-be-read list because it involves go. I may be obsessed.
However, what I got was a very interesting tale, full of many layers of characters, struggle, intrigue and history.
The setting evokes feudal, Shogun-era Japan without actually *being* Japan, or being constrained by Japanese history. Instead, it fully embraces myth and folktales like the tengu, guardian spirits, immortals and more. It's a story about struggles for power. It's a story about identity. And it's a story of a family both blessed and cursed by its history.
I didn't realize until I was already into it that this is the 4th and final part of a series. Despite this, I was able to follow along well.
I'll definitely be reading the rest of *The Tale of Shikanoko*, and very likely other books by the author as well.
However, what I got was a very interesting tale, full of many layers of characters, struggle, intrigue and history.
The setting evokes feudal, Shogun-era Japan without actually *being* Japan, or being constrained by Japanese history. Instead, it fully embraces myth and folktales like the tengu, guardian spirits, immortals and more. It's a story about struggles for power. It's a story about identity. And it's a story of a family both blessed and cursed by its history.
I didn't realize until I was already into it that this is the 4th and final part of a series. Despite this, I was able to follow along well.
I'll definitely be reading the rest of *The Tale of Shikanoko*, and very likely other books by the author as well.