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A review by aashna
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
5.0
what a truly stunning book. i admit it started off slow (which is why i ended up pausing it for almost a year after i first picked it up) but all the friends i saw praising this book for its depiction of themes of war, family, patriarchy, and grief were completely right.
misaki and mamoru both had such unique voices as narrators and i especially loved wang's portrayal of misaki- we got to understand her on such a deep, personal level and as a result i truly empathized with her struggle to balance her past and present roles. but it wasn't just these main characters that were intriguing- somehow, i wanted to know more about every single side character too, because no one was truly what they seemed. these twists could have been used without any real basis, but every new thing we learned about each character made them more well-rounded and also connected them more deeply to the actual story. consequently, it felt like i was emotionally there for everything that happened to the characters- i laughed with them, i grieved with them, i held my breathe with them- in a way that i've never consistently felt throughout an entire book. emotional highs weren't just one-off events, but instead, as a reader, i felt the emotional fallout from these plot points throughout the novel.
the magic system was another highlight for me. though seemingly basic (elemental control is probably one of the most popular magic systems i've seen across media), the way it was wrapped into the story was fascinating. the magic wasn't just there to be there, it was truly integrated into every aspect of society. as someone who usually as trouble visualizing fast-paced scenes, the action scenes were some of the best parts of the book. i held my breath every time a fight scene happened, and seeing how the characters used their powers for their advantage was truly so interesting to read about.
i have small complaints about the last few chapters, namely, but in the grand scheme of things, they feel like minor complaints that aren't big enough to decrease my rating.
overall, the sword of kaigen is easily one of the best adult fantasies out there. with expansive yet thorough worldbuilding and powerful yet nuanced characters, ml wang truly brings the story of the matsudas to life, and i don't think i can recommend this book enough.
misaki and mamoru both had such unique voices as narrators and i especially loved wang's portrayal of misaki- we got to understand her on such a deep, personal level and as a result i truly empathized with her struggle to balance her past and present roles. but it wasn't just these main characters that were intriguing- somehow, i wanted to know more about every single side character too, because no one was truly what they seemed. these twists could have been used without any real basis, but every new thing we learned about each character made them more well-rounded and also connected them more deeply to the actual story. consequently, it felt like i was emotionally there for everything that happened to the characters- i laughed with them, i grieved with them, i held my breathe with them- in a way that i've never consistently felt throughout an entire book. emotional highs weren't just one-off events, but instead, as a reader, i felt the emotional fallout from these plot points throughout the novel.
the magic system was another highlight for me. though seemingly basic (elemental control is probably one of the most popular magic systems i've seen across media), the way it was wrapped into the story was fascinating. the magic wasn't just there to be there, it was truly integrated into every aspect of society. as someone who usually as trouble visualizing fast-paced scenes, the action scenes were some of the best parts of the book. i held my breath every time a fight scene happened, and seeing how the characters used their powers for their advantage was truly so interesting to read about.
i have small complaints about the last few chapters, namely
Spoiler
how quickly misaki seemed to get over her 15 years of mistreatment from takeru and how the chapter with robin opened up more questions that were obviously supposed to set up future booksoverall, the sword of kaigen is easily one of the best adult fantasies out there. with expansive yet thorough worldbuilding and powerful yet nuanced characters, ml wang truly brings the story of the matsudas to life, and i don't think i can recommend this book enough.