The Sword of Kaigen: A Theonite War Story Paperback – February 13, 2019

Well, well, well.I have to admit that this book has been on my agenda for quite a long while. It first came on my radar almost a year and a half ago when another author I admire posted a review about it.Sadly, I have to be very choosy which books I physically read (as opposed to listening to audio) due to time constraints.So of course, when I heard there was going to be an audio edition I was one of the first to get in touch with the author about an early review copy of the audio!After all the hype (especially winning the fifth SPFBO contest!), I was expecting something big. Something powerful. Something intense and emotional and amazing.And let me just say that this book did not disappoint!Before I go any further, let's talk about the narrator for a moment.Andrew Tell is a new name for me. I had never even heard of him before this book, much less heard his voice. What becomes immediately clear is he has a powerful, nuanced voice. I was a bit concerned about his ability to present the female voices, and while I can't say he does so with believable accuracy, what I can say is that he found a natural way to differentiate gender voices that comes off exceptionally well. Apart from that, his voices in general are brilliantly crafted and distinct. He has particular skill in creating nuanced vocal inflections that match the emotional resonance either described or implied from the text. And his shifts in tempo throughout the novel are nigh on a perfect match to the tone and tension of each scene.Now, as is my wont, I will largely dispense with a discussion of the plot of the book. There are plenty of other reviews that summarize the story.So, what is the Sword of Kaigen?Well, here we have a large, sprawling creation that spans multiple nations yet still manages to keep things impressively personal. It is full of action, yet is emotionally resonant to a surprising degree. It is definitely what I would call a slow-burn, yet once we pass a certain point fairly early on, it becomes so engrossing, so fascinating, so viscerally real that I just couldn't put it down.One thing I have to admit is in the earliest chapters, I found my attention waning. At first I found it difficult to connect with Mimoru, on account of his youth, his arrogance, and his utter faith in a system he has never seen any proof of.Misaki I found little better in those early chapters, though for wholly different reasons. She's a woman who does not, in any way, belong in the life she's in, and it wasn't until much later in the story that I finally understood why she found herself living that life.But I digress.In short, this is the epitome of a slow-burn story in which you really don't understand who people are or why they are the way they are until much later. It requires a fair leap on faith in the author's ability to bring it all together and craft something beautiful.And make no mistake, M.L. Wang accomplishes that with finesse and style.I've seen other reviewers criticize the writing style as indulgent, needlessly complex, and overly wordy.Well, I have to disagree on 2-and-a-half of those points.Yes, you read that right. 2.5 of the three points.Allow me to explain.Although the writing is complex, with a good number of new words, ideas, and customs, I find that complexity fits this novel with near perfection.Similarly, while the writing absolutely is wordy, this is a case of characterization more than anything. You'll find many novels written in the third person that are written with considerable distance from the characters, as though the narrator is "God" or a similarly omniscient figure, thereby giving descriptions and background in a clinical way.Not so here. Every word of this novel is written in the voice of a character, and the wordiness is 100% in keeping with the way these characters see the world.Now, on indulgence I give a half-point.Allow me to explain.The author goes to considerable length to explain some things that I found obvious, and does go to great lengths to clarify cultural aspects that I suspect are well known among those more familiar with eastern cultures.However, I didn't find any of it to be excessive.I give it a half point largely because I can see it being tedious to those who might be more familiar with such things.If I had to name a single thing this novel does extremely well, it would be characters. Every major character has an incredible arc and it was far beyond a joy to witness the growth of these characters.The author also manages what I consider the "holy grail" of storytelling, which is the combination of plot and character. The characters are the plot, and the plot is the characters. You truly cannot separate the two in this novel. Every aspect of each character's arc is a major plot point, and every major plot point creates progression along those character arcs.Needless to say, I can't give you specifics about exactly what in those arcs I loved so much without giving spoilers for the story. So what I will say here is that if you read this book (and you should), go into it with the commitment to finish it. Even if you find the opening dull, trust the author to lead you on a wonderful adventure that has one of the most fantastic endings I've seen in a standalone novel.Another aspect of this story that I found absolutely incredible is the mixture of magic system and world building. I place the two together (against my usual method) because they really are inseparable. The magic system is as much a living, breathing part of the world as the culture of the Kaiganese or their enemies. And I find it fascinating. It does have something of an Avatar-meets-X-men vibe to it, in that certain characters or families have their own things that they can do, while pretty much everyone who can manipulate it has access to some variant of the natural elements. But it's so much more than than. There are so many specialized uses for the abilities they possess, and so many ways they turn those abilities into so much more than a normal individual would expect.It was phenomenal, and in the large battle where we get to see almost everything at work, the complexity and the setup that went into it blew my mind.It's a rare thing for me to laugh hysterically, stand up and cheer, and bawl my eyes out all within a single book. Much less a single chapter.This novel accomplished all three extremes in a single SCENE!Take a moment to absorb that and think about what that would take.Now, this is the part where I would normally talk about things that I found problematic in the novel. I'll admit that earlier in the book I had a couple things, but later on it proved to be merely that I didn't have a full understanding yet of the characters or the way this world works. I was under some mistaken impressions.I think the closest thing I have to a critique is the slow progress at the start of the book. I think I was probably 5 hours into the audiobook before I got so engrossed in it that I only put it down when I absolutely had to.I spent so much of the book in complete awe, which was only exacerbated by the fact that for much of it I just couldn't fathom how the story was going to keep going long enough to take up the rest of the runtime!So, let's discuss the ending for a moment.As I alluded to above, there are some major emotional extremes to be found in the climaxes (there are several). Every time you think you've reached the emotional high and it's going to start to wind down, you find an even higher emotional extreme that you have to find a way to come down from. Only at the very end, when you feel so wrung out that you wouldn't survive another emotional dropkick, does it finally end and bring everything around full circle for one of the most incredible endings of any book I've ever read.I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is absolutely my #1 novel of 2020.Really, if you read only one fantasy this year, it should be this one. Even if fantasy isn't normally your thing, read it. If superhero-eske books aren't your thing, read it. If semi-historical isn't your thing, still read it. And even if eastern cultures don't normally do it for you, read this book!You'll be glad you did.

This book left me completely torn—part of me loved it, and part of me wanted to throw it across the room. Wang's storytelling ability is undeniably solid, and I was captivated by the dual POV between mother and son. The way they barely knew each other despite sharing lives was both heartbreaking and sweet.But here's where I hit a wall: I could not understand the main character's motivations. We're supposed to believe that this incredibly strong, highly educated, talented woman—who grew up treated as an equal, had loving relationships, and seemingly everything anyone could want—would walk away from it all to throw herself into years of silent, obedient subjugation? She went from crime-fighting vigilante—basically Batman—to meek doormat because her misguided father commanded it?I see the appeal of that dramatic contrast, but it makes zero sense to me. If it was a cover for some deeper purpose, maybe. But she genuinely just turned off who she was because daddy said so.Maybe it's a cultural disconnect, but her self-inflicted personal subjugation frustrated me beyond belief. I just don’t believe this character would act that way. I almost feel like writing some fan fiction to prove it to myself!But despite my frustration with this character - I will read whatever M.L. Wang produces. It really was a fantastic book overall.

This book had me in awe by the end of the pages I am sad this is a stand alone in this universe. You follow a handful of characters all belonging to the same family and the story is told from their points of view as. I have honestly enjoyed stories written this way. It adds another layer of depth and complexity to bring ideas into the story. You can get more then just one POV in situations and it also just gives you more opportunity to grow a relationship with the characters.People have elemental powers similar to Avatar the last Airbender where people of certain regions or families have control over one aspect. They don't delve too deep into the magic of it all but I have always loved a supernatural edge to a story.You start following Mamoru a young warrior in training from a famous clan Matsuda. You also follow the perspective of his mother Misaki as well they seem to dominate a majority of the major views you see this world from.Following Mamoru you get the sense of a young boy is confident but trying his best to meet the expectations of his powerful and traditional father. He meets a new classmate who has joined his school and this boy eventually shakes the entire foundation of Mamoru's world with truths that have been hidden away for a long time in the remote village his clan resides in. Mamoru struggling with truths he has been taught his whole life and the groundbreaking evidence this boy shows him to start in motion Mamoru's first experience with grappling that he has been lied to his whole life. That his life and the lives of the people in his village serve a darker purpose then what their glorious history shrouds. In these moments of uncertainty Mamoru confides in his mother the revelations he has discovered.Misaki born in another area is privy to the truths that have been hidden from these people for so long but in this world the roles are very traditional so it is not for a woman to voice truths that would tear down the culture of this village of warrior clans. When Mamoru comes to her with his new knowledge of the real reason they have lived and kept the wrong knowledge passed down generation to generation Misaki is struck with the struggle of whether to completely tear the veil from his eyes. Misaki is struggling much with herself. Who she is compared to her younger years and who she had become. She is unhappy but devout in her duty to be a good mother and wife even though it has destroyed any part of who she was. She is lost and while her son is also experiencing that sense of loss she feels a small connection and starts to realize not what she had lost but what she had gained from a cold and uncaring husband.The action in this story is intense. I lost myself everytime I picked the book up in the middle of the turmoil of the plot. There was no hesitating to make a great and heart wrenching scene no matter what characters it affected ( doing my best to avoid any spoilers I apologize about being so vague but you will see) I cried ALOT like just full on sobbing I ot so attached to characters ot the scene was just so emotionally intense I could help but feel my lip tremble and tears slipping down my cheeks. My face was so sore by the end of it all! And when it felt like I had to be close to the end I realized there was still about half of the book to go still.....oh how can this ever be a happy ending? My heart can't take it but I couldn't stop turning pages.After the major action finally calms and we come back to some semblance of normalcy we finally get a break through with Misaki and Takeru ( I will admit Takeru was not my favorite for a majority of the book but he was never so bad I hated his character he was so Stiff and Mean) this softened my heart to Takeru even the strongest have their hearts as well. You finally felt like in some way you could finally understand why he was the way he was and you could relate.The characters all struggle with inner strife finding who they are or accepting things for how they are. Accepting pain and facing it head on. Being true to yourself but also the ones you love and care for. All in all it's a beautiful story and I just wish it wasn't the END. It felt like there was a build up at the end that could have lead to another book maybe two but this is it and it makes me so sad to say goodbye to these characters so soon. What a great story and I just love the eastern theme of itThat said I have read that the other books in this world do not match up and it makes me hesitant to read them. And I do not think they take place in this time so things would be different I am sure. This book is a great read you'll enjoy it!!!!