A review by jpw447
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

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

4.75

This is a beautifully written book, and it wasn't really what I expected at all. I went in anticipating a magic-fuelled quest with lots of combat, but it was instead a heart wrenching tragedy about love and loss through the eyes of a mother to the honor-bound warriors of the Matsuda family. 9.5/10

The combat in this is spectacular, and the characters are downright brilliantly complex. The middle of the book was absolutely incredible and pushed this to be one of the best books I've read.

Some of the scenes and themes in this book are pretty distressing, since it's a story about war and its horrific implications. It also explores authoritarianism and propaganda in a fascinating yet disturbing way. Probably the most unsettling scene wasn't even a fight.

This book really is great, and deeply emotional, although the final 100 pages sure do slow down once you've read through the middle portion.
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