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A review by thebooknerdscorner
Prince of Blue Flowers: Adventures of Takuan from Koto by Ryu Zhong
4.0
The start of an epic trilogy starring a young trickster and his mischievous fox companion.
After one too many pranks, young Hatsukoi is sent away from his village and banished to the life of a monk. Despite his family's expectations, this doesn't stop his devilish ways—Hatsukoi starts tricking the monks left and right until he is granted a new name, Takuan, after the stone marten Ta-Guan who always found herself getting into trouble in the Celestial Palace in the Heavens Above. Takuan soon finds himself embarking from his newfound home with his trusty fox sidekick at his side in which the world is their oyster to trick and bamboozle.
This story is unlike anything I've ever read before. It's told in a fable/fairy tale-esque type vibe, but it more so reads as if you are watching an old adventure show. Personally, it reminds me of the old Zorro show, especially with the way that each chapter ends with something like, "Figure out what happens in the next chapter of Takuan's story!" Many would probably find this cheesy, but it really only brings back fond memories for me and gives the book a unique storytelling flavor.
The beginning is a bit dull, but it acts as a bit of backstory for how Takuan gets his name. And hopefully Ta-Guan, the stone marten, will show up in later installments of this series. Once it got into Hatsukoi's point of view, the story really picks up quickly. It is fun to read about his childhood tomfoolery, his discontent with monastery life, and his evolution into Takuan the trickster who goes on to steal from the greedy, selfish, and cruel.
This book most definitely is meant to warn the reader against greed, envy, and other negative attributes. The best part is, Takuan isn't immune to these either and gets a taste of his own medicine in the end. I find reading about morally gray trickster characters to be a blast and I'm excited to consume more of Takuan's chaos in the future.
I also have to mention Takuan's stalwart companion, Jin the fox. He not only is a cutie, but he is imperative to Takuan. Jin has helped this crazy boy out of many tough scrapes and Takuan wouldn't be in one piece without his trusty fox. I'm interested to see a bit of lore on this guy in the next volumes as well.
Overall, I found "Prince of Blue Flowers" to be a great introduction into this Asian world of fantasy, trickery, and mischief. I like both Takuan and Jin as characters and I am very intrigued to see where their journey takes them in the next two books!
After one too many pranks, young Hatsukoi is sent away from his village and banished to the life of a monk. Despite his family's expectations, this doesn't stop his devilish ways—Hatsukoi starts tricking the monks left and right until he is granted a new name, Takuan, after the stone marten Ta-Guan who always found herself getting into trouble in the Celestial Palace in the Heavens Above. Takuan soon finds himself embarking from his newfound home with his trusty fox sidekick at his side in which the world is their oyster to trick and bamboozle.
This story is unlike anything I've ever read before. It's told in a fable/fairy tale-esque type vibe, but it more so reads as if you are watching an old adventure show. Personally, it reminds me of the old Zorro show, especially with the way that each chapter ends with something like, "Figure out what happens in the next chapter of Takuan's story!" Many would probably find this cheesy, but it really only brings back fond memories for me and gives the book a unique storytelling flavor.
The beginning is a bit dull, but it acts as a bit of backstory for how Takuan gets his name. And hopefully Ta-Guan, the stone marten, will show up in later installments of this series. Once it got into Hatsukoi's point of view, the story really picks up quickly. It is fun to read about his childhood tomfoolery, his discontent with monastery life, and his evolution into Takuan the trickster who goes on to steal from the greedy, selfish, and cruel.
This book most definitely is meant to warn the reader against greed, envy, and other negative attributes. The best part is, Takuan isn't immune to these either and gets a taste of his own medicine in the end. I find reading about morally gray trickster characters to be a blast and I'm excited to consume more of Takuan's chaos in the future.
I also have to mention Takuan's stalwart companion, Jin the fox. He not only is a cutie, but he is imperative to Takuan. Jin has helped this crazy boy out of many tough scrapes and Takuan wouldn't be in one piece without his trusty fox. I'm interested to see a bit of lore on this guy in the next volumes as well.
Overall, I found "Prince of Blue Flowers" to be a great introduction into this Asian world of fantasy, trickery, and mischief. I like both Takuan and Jin as characters and I am very intrigued to see where their journey takes them in the next two books!