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A review by betwixt_the_pages
Adventures of Takuan from Koto by Ryu Zhong
4.0
Rating: 4.5/5 Penguins (rounded down)
Quick Reasons: super cute, light-hearted read set in an alternate, medieval Pan-Asia; Takuan the Trickster is an intriguing, though often impulsive, character; the trickster fox was the PERFECT addition; entertaining, fast-paced, reads as if it were being spoken aloud
HUGE thanks to Ryu Zhong, Anno Ruini Books, and Lola's Blog Tours for the title! My review is voluntarily written and in no way altered or impacted by this gesture.
"Your destiny is away from Surin, esteemed sir. The stars never lie." With that, he raised his hand, pointing to a sky that contained only a single star.
The stars never lied, but it was only because the stars could not speak. People spoke, and they all lied, one as bad as another. Takuan did not mention this to the merchant.
This read was super cute, fast-paced, and filled to the absolute BRIM with history. Ryu Zhong pulled upon various mythologies, origin stories, and bedtime tales to weave a narrative of adventure, coming-of-age, and trickery fun. The juxtaposition between the stone marten seeking to capture the sun, and Takuan the Trickster coming into his own, was well-balanced and entertaining. Set in a (slightly) alternate universe, magic is rooted into the corners of every page of this read, really bringing the feel of the mysterious and the mystical to life.
This is a very long read, but that is due to this actually being 3 "books" all combined into one binding. On top of this, this tale is written in a way that reads as if it were being spoken aloud, with all of the chapters closing by "breaking the fourth wall" so to speak and nodding to the reader in an effort to convince them to continue reading. Sprinkled throughout, the narrator breaks the story telling to provide context, foreboding, and (in some instances) foretelling secrets. This helped to really set the stage for this being meant to be an ORAL narrative...but also helps to "break up" the story and make it more approachable for readers, in my opinion.
"This is where the sun lives!" so thought the marten, pouring warm sand between her claws. The sun itself loomed right over the marten's head with a mocking smile--or so it seemed to the marten, and she made a fist at it. "Laugh, laugh!" she called. "The night will come, and I will catch you!"
I definitely recommend this to lovers of historical mythologies/origin stories, fantasies set in a slightly alternate world where magic reigns free, and those who enjoy a good amount of trickery humor with their journeys. This is an entertaining, fast-paced, hefty read of coming into your own and finding your way, and I had a ton of fun following along with our characters. Are you ready for an adventure, Penguins?
Quick Reasons: super cute, light-hearted read set in an alternate, medieval Pan-Asia; Takuan the Trickster is an intriguing, though often impulsive, character; the trickster fox was the PERFECT addition; entertaining, fast-paced, reads as if it were being spoken aloud
HUGE thanks to Ryu Zhong, Anno Ruini Books, and Lola's Blog Tours for the title! My review is voluntarily written and in no way altered or impacted by this gesture.
"Your destiny is away from Surin, esteemed sir. The stars never lie." With that, he raised his hand, pointing to a sky that contained only a single star.
The stars never lied, but it was only because the stars could not speak. People spoke, and they all lied, one as bad as another. Takuan did not mention this to the merchant.
This read was super cute, fast-paced, and filled to the absolute BRIM with history. Ryu Zhong pulled upon various mythologies, origin stories, and bedtime tales to weave a narrative of adventure, coming-of-age, and trickery fun. The juxtaposition between the stone marten seeking to capture the sun, and Takuan the Trickster coming into his own, was well-balanced and entertaining. Set in a (slightly) alternate universe, magic is rooted into the corners of every page of this read, really bringing the feel of the mysterious and the mystical to life.
This is a very long read, but that is due to this actually being 3 "books" all combined into one binding. On top of this, this tale is written in a way that reads as if it were being spoken aloud, with all of the chapters closing by "breaking the fourth wall" so to speak and nodding to the reader in an effort to convince them to continue reading. Sprinkled throughout, the narrator breaks the story telling to provide context, foreboding, and (in some instances) foretelling secrets. This helped to really set the stage for this being meant to be an ORAL narrative...but also helps to "break up" the story and make it more approachable for readers, in my opinion.
"This is where the sun lives!" so thought the marten, pouring warm sand between her claws. The sun itself loomed right over the marten's head with a mocking smile--or so it seemed to the marten, and she made a fist at it. "Laugh, laugh!" she called. "The night will come, and I will catch you!"
I definitely recommend this to lovers of historical mythologies/origin stories, fantasies set in a slightly alternate world where magic reigns free, and those who enjoy a good amount of trickery humor with their journeys. This is an entertaining, fast-paced, hefty read of coming into your own and finding your way, and I had a ton of fun following along with our characters. Are you ready for an adventure, Penguins?