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A review by bonzai
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
emotional
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
4.5
Check content warnings (this is not an extensive list but rather broad topics) : war, violence, grief, child death, miscarriage, suicide, rape, child abuse
This was a heavy and emotional story the entire way through. I really liked following the different POV’s between son, mother and a bit of the father because it gave a more complex and layered perspective on the same events. How could anyone who enjoyed this book not love Misake and validate the feelings/struggles of being a woman in this patriarchal society. An elemental magic system is always a fun one to dive into (definitely wanted even more), and I’d totally be into reading more books from this world if the author ever decides to revisit it. There are huge themes on familial/societal expectations and different forms of grief that I think any reader could relate to. There were multiple scenes depicting loss of loved ones and how characters can honor those efforts and sacrifices while continuing to go on. Any good war story also touches upon how a government censors and essentially lies to citizens in order to keep them complacent/ignorant alongside great action scenes. There are some plot holes that would’ve suggested other stories were going to be written and expanded upon, but I was fairly satisfied with the ending. Overall, for me, it was a page turner and one I would recommend to others.
This was a heavy and emotional story the entire way through. I really liked following the different POV’s between son, mother and a bit of the father because it gave a more complex and layered perspective on the same events. How could anyone who enjoyed this book not love Misake and validate the feelings/struggles of being a woman in this patriarchal society. An elemental magic system is always a fun one to dive into (definitely wanted even more), and I’d totally be into reading more books from this world if the author ever decides to revisit it. There are huge themes on familial/societal expectations and different forms of grief that I think any reader could relate to. There were multiple scenes depicting loss of loved ones and how characters can honor those efforts and sacrifices while continuing to go on. Any good war story also touches upon how a government censors and essentially lies to citizens in order to keep them complacent/ignorant alongside great action scenes. There are some plot holes that would’ve suggested other stories were going to be written and expanded upon, but I was fairly satisfied with the ending. Overall, for me, it was a page turner and one I would recommend to others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, and War
Moderate: Rape