4.5*
Review to come!

this was beautiful! it kind of reminded me of like, the poppy wars lite. i loved the world building and magic, as well as the creatures she introduced. i heard there are 5 books in this story but not all of them are translated, but i think this one stopped at a good place. the action at the end sort of climaxed way too quickly but i liked everything that led up to it. it was beautifully written/translated, and i really enjoyed reading it.

I enjoyed this one. Wow, was it actually almost 15 hours? It did not feel like that, I listened to it really quickly.

It follows Elin, whose mother is killed at the beginning when the serpents under her care die. (yes aholes much!) The rest of Elin's family is nothing to have and she is sent away.

There was a lot of bee talk. Complicated creatures. But I liked it, Elin is 10 and she needed something stable. I liked her time there. Will say no more.

Then there is a school and beasts. This country uses water serpents to fight and then there are the royal beasts that are treasured beyond all as a symbol for the country. Elin comes into her own here. She is a very peculiar 10 year old, she loves to question things and think things true. And she does not loose that as she grows up.

The world was well done too. I felt I was there. The bees made it so.

The end, well it must be a series since this is book 1 and 2. And there are a book 3 and 4 too in Japanese. And I can not read the blurb, srsly, I want to know! Is it about Elin still? About something else. Ok I have to ask someone. Because it does end, sort of good. Happy for now, but things are not calm.

Narrator
She did a great job with male and female, old and young. I felt Elin grow under her narration and it fit her well.

I think this was my first narration by her and I would listen to her again. She felt good for fantasy too

3.5 wish I could read this not in translation.

4/5

I’ve decided I need to read more Japanese fiction, it has such an amazingly different feel and exploration than the popular books in the US and UK right now.

The story had this languid, winding pace, even though big important things were occurring. I loved Elin’s journey from childhood to adulthood, and how she mature into herself and formed her morals. Her love of the Royal Beasts and the challenges she faced were palpable and thrilling.

I am not a bit fantasy person, but this story drew me in. A lot of suspense that gets resolved in the end, mostly. It was good enough that I may even read the sequel.

This was good! I definitely was in and out of really caring about the story and I think the middle was the best part, but it was interesting. VERY out of my comfort zone, but ultimately an interesting and entertaining read. (Read for YA World Lit class)

This was a beautifully written Japanese novel about Elin’s experiences with Toda, giant water serpents that are trained to fight in the royal army and Royal Beasts, giant bird like creatures who protect the defending kingdom. Elin discovers she can communicate with these Royal Beasts and she has to decide which kingdom she could trust with this knowledge and who the real enemies are.

Although the pacing seemed a bit off in the beginning of the novel, this story captivated my interest until the end. The writing was soothing; I felt like I was laying in a sunny meadow with butterflies tickling my nose. Elin’s life was addicting to read about and I believe the slow pacing in the middle of the book was important for readers to fully take in the intricate details of this world. My favorite part was definitely Elin’s life with Joeun. Joeun reminded me of a gentle Brom (from Eragon) because he seemed so kind and intelligent yet knew when to let Elin know she was crossing a line with her extreme enthusiasm for learning about honey bees and wild Royal Beasts. When Elin enrolled in the Kazalumu Sanctuary, where people took care of the defending kingdom’s Royal Beasts, readers are able to see the development of Elin and Leelan’s phenomenal relationship. I can’t really say anything else without spoiling stuff but everytime I think about Elin and Leelan my heart smiles.

I absolutely love when there are multiple perspectives and characters in a book and the side characters were very interesting. I especially appreciated Ialu’s character and the way he carried himself throughout the storyline. However, I was annoyed when the author would repeatedly explain conflicts to each character in the same way. It was as if she was telling the readers how to feel rather than showing us how serious the conflicts were. I kind of ignored it, thinking it’s a cultural thing because of how frequently this happened. However, I was absolutely annoyed when she put off the “tragic” story Elin heard from her mother’s people until the last few chapters of the novel. I think this is such a weak way to build anticipation and keep readers interested.

The ending left enough questions for a sequel and I cannot wait to read what happens to these creatures and Elin’s life. I want to find out more about the water serpents and I would like to see more of Ialu. Totally recommend :))