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A review by raenyreads
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
5.0
Spoiler-free review. Wow, first off, I just have to say this book is incredible, and I can't believe I put off reading it for so long. I have not become this immersed in a book in a while.
The worldbuilding is extremely detailed, and honestly after about 1/3rd in, I stopped checking the glossary at the back and just went with it. Though the glossary still came in handy at times!
The characters are the biggest triumph of this book. They are so detailed and have so much depth to them that I immediately became so attached to the two main POVs. Which makes every emotional gut punch so much more effective as the plot develops. There's many characters to love, but there's also many characters to hate (in a good way). I always think it is a sign of great writing if an author can make me feel so strongly for characters, good or bad.
This is a standalone prequel to the authors (I believe discontinued) series, and you can tell the world is already so well developed. The end has a bit of an unfinished feel as hints are given to the future plot of the series, but it in no way reduced my enjoyment. The focal characters still get fully realised and completed development within this book; it just leaves it open for the next generations story. I love political fantasy, and while the range of different countries all with their own histories was a bit overwhelming, I found the plot line to be very interesting and immersive alongside the characters' development.
Overall, this is an amazing book. If you enjoy deeply emotional high fantasy, you need to read this. For me, it deserves nothing less than a 5 🌟 rating!
The worldbuilding is extremely detailed, and honestly after about 1/3rd in, I stopped checking the glossary at the back and just went with it. Though the glossary still came in handy at times!
The characters are the biggest triumph of this book. They are so detailed and have so much depth to them that I immediately became so attached to the two main POVs. Which makes every emotional gut punch so much more effective as the plot develops. There's many characters to love, but there's also many characters to hate (in a good way). I always think it is a sign of great writing if an author can make me feel so strongly for characters, good or bad.
This is a standalone prequel to the authors (I believe discontinued) series, and you can tell the world is already so well developed. The end has a bit of an unfinished feel as hints are given to the future plot of the series, but it in no way reduced my enjoyment. The focal characters still get fully realised and completed development within this book; it just leaves it open for the next generations story. I love political fantasy, and while the range of different countries all with their own histories was a bit overwhelming, I found the plot line to be very interesting and immersive alongside the characters' development.
Overall, this is an amazing book. If you enjoy deeply emotional high fantasy, you need to read this. For me, it deserves nothing less than a 5 🌟 rating!