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

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was absolutely blown away by this book! Based on the reviews that I had seen prior to reading this book, I was expecting it to be excellent, but I could not have predicted the emotional impact it had on me. Despite being someone who reads a lot of fantasy and particularly a lot of character driven fantasy, this felt like something completely fresh. I have had a hard time trying to accurately trying to break down what exactly I feel about this book. I really enjoyed the world and the magic system, and also really loved the story itself. The real star of the book though was the character work. The characters and their development are incredibly well done. The way the author was able to capture the impact of the story's event on the characters is what really gripped me while reading. These characters are going to stick with me for a long time because of the depth they were given through the writing. 
That definitely doesn't accurately describe all of my feelings about this book, but I have no real capability to effectively do that.