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meissa 's review for:
Stormdancer
by Jay Kristoff
DID NOT FINISH
I actually DNF'd the Kindle sample I got to check this book out. In the first few chapters, there are already too many things bugging me, I can't image paying to get the whole book. And I feel I have to write a review, even though I'm not much of a review writer...
The story being set in Japan is what caught my attention in the first place. Now I do not pretend to be an expert in all things Japanese, but I've been studying the language, for nearly 3 years in the classes of a native Japanese who loved to add all sorts of tidbits of knowledge during class. Thus I am not a complete ignorant regarding Japan. So by the time I'd finished the first half of the sample, I already had the following things bugging me:
Geishas: the shogun calling for geishas, as if he were asking for prostitutes. That geishas are simply prostitutes is a tale made up by the Americans after WWII, asfar as I've been informed by my Japanese Sensei, mostly. Japan had and has prostitutes, and they're not geishas. Geishas are highly educated entertainers which would be called to add value to meetings that took place only between men. They can play at least one music instrument, dance (traditional highly formalised Japanese dances), can talk about nearly every subject. So they would be called to add a feminine touch to those meetings. Not the kind of "celebration" you'd do on your own just before breakfast, as the shogun is planning to do.
"sama": "sama" is indeed a term of respect, but it is not an independent word per se. It's an added suffix, like "-san" or "-chan". As such, it is not used alone, but only at the end of a name or a noun (like okyaku-sama, esteemed guest/client).
"Hai": "hai" does mean yes, but it's regular use is in answering a question or as a marker of attention. It is not used for something like "it's enough for today, yes?". Definitely not. If at all, something like "ne" would be used.
Obi + hakama: the way the obi Yukiko is wearing in chapter 3 is described, it obviously is supposed to be like the obi worn with a kimono or yukata. Honestly, such an obi, no matter type of knot, and a hakama together? The only belt I've ever seen worn with a hakama is a thin belt tied at the front, like in karate for instance. It's the only thing that makes sense to wear with a hakama. An obi not only does not go well with that piece of clothing, because why would you wear such a wide belt over something that has a rigid plate over the lower back (so making the obi unnecessary as posture keeping accessoire) and a belt tied up on the front, making a knot that would destroy the obi's line? I don't think anyone would do that. Also, if Yukiko is wearing a hakama for practical reasons as a fighter, then she would not wear such a highly unpractical piece of clothing as a kimono obi is. First, the kimono obi is a rather large and rigid belt. The obi is about 20-25cm wide, and even if it's folded in 2 in those parts that are wound around the waist, it's still some 10cm wide or more. And the fabric is rather rigid, as it is meant to stay in shape for hours. As a result, bending as a major hassle. I know it personally, because I wore one for a whole day at a friend's wedding. I sure kept a very good posture that day, but it does definitely not help with the mobility and flexibility required in a fight. The second reason would be safety. I would not want to be in a fight and have that belt come undone. It's wound twice around the body, and as I mentioned, the fabric is not meant to be nice and flowing, which would make it easier to get rid of it. So if it would come undone, I'd have a double coil of fabric, somewhere between 10 and 20cm in width (no idea if it would stay folded in 2 in such a case) wrapped around my legs and tripping me. In a fight, that would be pretty much a death sentence.
Anyway, so far it sounded to me like not much research had been done about the country the story is set in, which has greatly disappointed me, as I was really interested in this book.
Edit: I didn't mention this part, though it also disturbed me, because I had to check a few facts first. But now I've checked them, I definitely have to add it too. And it's the fact that the shogun is tattooed, and not with a small tattoo, but a large one depicting the griffon he wants to own. The thing is, tattoos are just not done in Japan, at least not by the regular population. Tattoos nowadays are pretty much only worn by Yakuzas, and the stigma that comes with being tattooed goes to the point that any Japanese wearing a tattoo is forbidden entrance to public bath establishments and onsens, for instance. Tattoos were used for centuries to mark criminals (small tattoos on the forehead for instance) and were officially forbidden by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the one who finished uniting Japan and took the power as shogun from the emperor. So since the 17th century, tattoos are not used in Japan except by criminal organisations. Thus, having the shogun wear a typical yakuza tattoo, coupled with his behaviour, makes him feel more like a thug than a ruler to me, and frustrated me no end. Especially since yakuza, as far as I heard, for all they're considered criminals, are well educated and don't behave like western thugs (if I am to believe my first Japanese language teacher, who is acquainted with a yakuza boss, and about 12 pupils from his class, who actually got to meet said yakuza boss and have dinner with him and some of his men....).
The story being set in Japan is what caught my attention in the first place. Now I do not pretend to be an expert in all things Japanese, but I've been studying the language, for nearly 3 years in the classes of a native Japanese who loved to add all sorts of tidbits of knowledge during class. Thus I am not a complete ignorant regarding Japan. So by the time I'd finished the first half of the sample, I already had the following things bugging me:
Geishas: the shogun calling for geishas, as if he were asking for prostitutes. That geishas are simply prostitutes is a tale made up by the Americans after WWII, asfar as I've been informed by my Japanese Sensei, mostly. Japan had and has prostitutes, and they're not geishas. Geishas are highly educated entertainers which would be called to add value to meetings that took place only between men. They can play at least one music instrument, dance (traditional highly formalised Japanese dances), can talk about nearly every subject. So they would be called to add a feminine touch to those meetings. Not the kind of "celebration" you'd do on your own just before breakfast, as the shogun is planning to do.
"sama": "sama" is indeed a term of respect, but it is not an independent word per se. It's an added suffix, like "-san" or "-chan". As such, it is not used alone, but only at the end of a name or a noun (like okyaku-sama, esteemed guest/client).
"Hai": "hai" does mean yes, but it's regular use is in answering a question or as a marker of attention. It is not used for something like "it's enough for today, yes?". Definitely not. If at all, something like "ne" would be used.
Obi + hakama: the way the obi Yukiko is wearing in chapter 3 is described, it obviously is supposed to be like the obi worn with a kimono or yukata. Honestly, such an obi, no matter type of knot, and a hakama together? The only belt I've ever seen worn with a hakama is a thin belt tied at the front, like in karate for instance. It's the only thing that makes sense to wear with a hakama. An obi not only does not go well with that piece of clothing, because why would you wear such a wide belt over something that has a rigid plate over the lower back (so making the obi unnecessary as posture keeping accessoire) and a belt tied up on the front, making a knot that would destroy the obi's line? I don't think anyone would do that. Also, if Yukiko is wearing a hakama for practical reasons as a fighter, then she would not wear such a highly unpractical piece of clothing as a kimono obi is. First, the kimono obi is a rather large and rigid belt. The obi is about 20-25cm wide, and even if it's folded in 2 in those parts that are wound around the waist, it's still some 10cm wide or more. And the fabric is rather rigid, as it is meant to stay in shape for hours. As a result, bending as a major hassle. I know it personally, because I wore one for a whole day at a friend's wedding. I sure kept a very good posture that day, but it does definitely not help with the mobility and flexibility required in a fight. The second reason would be safety. I would not want to be in a fight and have that belt come undone. It's wound twice around the body, and as I mentioned, the fabric is not meant to be nice and flowing, which would make it easier to get rid of it. So if it would come undone, I'd have a double coil of fabric, somewhere between 10 and 20cm in width (no idea if it would stay folded in 2 in such a case) wrapped around my legs and tripping me. In a fight, that would be pretty much a death sentence.
Anyway, so far it sounded to me like not much research had been done about the country the story is set in, which has greatly disappointed me, as I was really interested in this book.
Edit: I didn't mention this part, though it also disturbed me, because I had to check a few facts first. But now I've checked them, I definitely have to add it too. And it's the fact that the shogun is tattooed, and not with a small tattoo, but a large one depicting the griffon he wants to own. The thing is, tattoos are just not done in Japan, at least not by the regular population. Tattoos nowadays are pretty much only worn by Yakuzas, and the stigma that comes with being tattooed goes to the point that any Japanese wearing a tattoo is forbidden entrance to public bath establishments and onsens, for instance. Tattoos were used for centuries to mark criminals (small tattoos on the forehead for instance) and were officially forbidden by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the one who finished uniting Japan and took the power as shogun from the emperor. So since the 17th century, tattoos are not used in Japan except by criminal organisations. Thus, having the shogun wear a typical yakuza tattoo, coupled with his behaviour, makes him feel more like a thug than a ruler to me, and frustrated me no end. Especially since yakuza, as far as I heard, for all they're considered criminals, are well educated and don't behave like western thugs (if I am to believe my first Japanese language teacher, who is acquainted with a yakuza boss, and about 12 pupils from his class, who actually got to meet said yakuza boss and have dinner with him and some of his men....).