A review by nightswim78
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have no words to describe the emotional rollercoaster I experienced over the 8 days I read this. While I think the political messaging is typical of epic fantasy, it feels like a perfect place to start to get into the genre.

Pros: The tenseness of about 40% of the middle was unbelievable and glorious! The worldbuilding was well done and each nation had a distinct culture. The characters were flawed and reveals were made about them at the right moments. The combat scenes were vivid and heart pounding. Grief was handled well and even when it was no longer mentioned on every page, it could be felt underneath the words and actions of the characters.

Cons: The time skip near the end felt as if it occurred one or two scenes too early. It was very sudden. Also, the ending felt as if it was setting up a spin-off sequel for a character due to a conversation that happens.
However, I have not read the rest of the series but I am aware that this takes place at least a decade before the series does and focuses on a character that appears in this as a child. So, whatever I think is mentioned here could happen there.
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