Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by kendranh
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
dark
emotional
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
3.5
I genuinely don’t know how to rate this.
Is it a beautifully written epic fantasy? Absolutely.
Did I enjoy reading it? I don’t actually know. Maybe, kind of? The first 40% was hard for me to get into, the next 40% was emotionally devastating on an awful level, and the last 20% I actually liked reading despite having my heart destroyed earlier in the book.
That being said, this is NOT a light fantasy with a happy ending. It is dark, violent, political, and heartbreaking.
Mixed feelings galore over here. I guess it’s 3.5 stars? I think I would rate it higher if I had been prepared for everything that happens halfway through. Regardless, it is an amazing book, just not what I personally needed to read.
Is it a beautifully written epic fantasy? Absolutely.
Did I enjoy reading it? I don’t actually know. Maybe, kind of? The first 40% was hard for me to get into, the next 40% was emotionally devastating on an awful level, and the last 20% I actually liked reading despite having my heart destroyed earlier in the book.
That being said, this is NOT a light fantasy with a happy ending. It is dark, violent, political, and heartbreaking.
Mixed feelings galore over here. I guess it’s 3.5 stars? I think I would rate it higher if I had been prepared for everything that happens halfway through. Regardless, it is an amazing book, just not what I personally needed to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail