A review by dngoldman
Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Volume 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

4.0

This book is the first installment of a 20-volume manga series set in an alternate Edo period Japan, where a mysterious epidemic called the Redface Pox has decimated the male population. Women have assumed all the roles of power and authority, including the shogun, while men are kept as precious breeders and concubines. The story follows two unconventional characters: the shogun, who wants to reform the stagnant and decadent society, and Yunoshin, a young man who voluntarily joins the shogun's Inner Chamber. Through various court intrigues he becomes the Shogun’s concubine.   The book explores the themes of gender, power, love and identity in a richly detailed and imaginative world. The author skillfully historical facts with fictional elements, creating a compelling and original narrative. The book is well-written, engaging and provocative, and it sets the stage for an epic saga.