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Chronicles of Gensokai #1
Blade's Edge
Two friends.
Two forbidden powers.
One chance to change everything.
When Mishi is taken from her orphanage home, she fears she'll never see her best friend Taka again. And when Taka is taken to the infamous Josankō that same day, it seems as if more than distance will keep them apart.
Suddenly alone in their fight to survive, each girl must come to terms with her true nature—Mishi as warrior, Taka as healer. Years after their separation, the girls’ journeys lead them each to uncover the horrifying secret that the Rōjū council has spent centuries killing to keep.
Now the Rōjū council wants Taka and Mishi dead and they'll have only one chance to save their people.
How much will Mishi and Taka sacrifice in order to protect all they hold dear?
Nominated as a finalist for the 2019 SPFBO
Two forbidden powers.
One chance to change everything.
When Mishi is taken from her orphanage home, she fears she'll never see her best friend Taka again. And when Taka is taken to the infamous Josankō that same day, it seems as if more than distance will keep them apart.
Suddenly alone in their fight to survive, each girl must come to terms with her true nature—Mishi as warrior, Taka as healer. Years after their separation, the girls’ journeys lead them each to uncover the horrifying secret that the Rōjū council has spent centuries killing to keep.
Now the Rōjū council wants Taka and Mishi dead and they'll have only one chance to save their people.
How much will Mishi and Taka sacrifice in order to protect all they hold dear?
Nominated as a finalist for the 2019 SPFBO
391 pages, Paperback
First published January 23, 2015
87 people are currently reading
2232 people want to read
About the author
Virginia McClain
14 books172 followersVirginia McClain is an author who recently stopped daylighting as a Spanish teacher in Arizona and switched to writing full time in Winnipeg, Manitoba. When she's not writing she can often be found climbing to the top of large rocks, running on trails, backpacking, and generally engaging in any excuse to go play outside. Now that she has moved to the Great White North she will probably add snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and ice skating to her list of outdoor adventures, but as it's still warm out she'll start with canoeing (something she hasn't done in years) and see how it goes from there. She lives with her husband and their furry, canine companion Artemis.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
January 16, 2020
*I read this as a judge for the #SPFBO as this is a 2019 finalist*
This story is one which appeals to a lot of things I love. We have a set up inspired by mystery, myth, and ancient Japan. There are feudal warriors, earth spirits/elements, and more.
We follow two characters, Mishi and Taka. These two are orphans and they are best friends as children. Each of them has their own powers, but they have to hide them in a world where the women and girls can't be seen to have strong magic.
There are two story arcs here, we follow Taka as she learns healing and goes to a dark school which teaches horrible practices and evil.
Then we have Mishi who goes to an entirely different school to train to be a warrior and elite with magic.
They live very difficult and different lives for a long time, but a vital mission to change the way things are currently leads to a possible reunion...
What I like about this story most is the pacing is fast. I read this book quickly and enjoyed getting to know the two girls and their tenacity and resilience in a world which would sooner kill them than let them embrace their powers.
Both Mishi and Taka are strong female protagonists and they prove themselves time and again as intense adversaries to 'the system' enforced by the Rōjō (a council of men with magic).
I think there were a few small quibbles I had with the way that the ending played out, I found it was quite dramatic, but also a little bit safe. I think there were some great ideas and it was compelling, but I felt a little like it was rushed in the end and tied up too well. It's not a big criticism, because I like the direction that the author went, but I think with a bit more time spent it could have had more intricacies and been a little more emotional.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the world and I liked the book. I think a stronger connection with the characters may have come from more time spent with them in a quieter scene, a lot of the book feels very action-packed, but it was a strong story in the end. 3.5*s which is 7/10 for #SPFBO and I'm intrigued about where the story goes next...
This story is one which appeals to a lot of things I love. We have a set up inspired by mystery, myth, and ancient Japan. There are feudal warriors, earth spirits/elements, and more.
We follow two characters, Mishi and Taka. These two are orphans and they are best friends as children. Each of them has their own powers, but they have to hide them in a world where the women and girls can't be seen to have strong magic.
There are two story arcs here, we follow Taka as she learns healing and goes to a dark school which teaches horrible practices and evil.
Then we have Mishi who goes to an entirely different school to train to be a warrior and elite with magic.
They live very difficult and different lives for a long time, but a vital mission to change the way things are currently leads to a possible reunion...
What I like about this story most is the pacing is fast. I read this book quickly and enjoyed getting to know the two girls and their tenacity and resilience in a world which would sooner kill them than let them embrace their powers.
Both Mishi and Taka are strong female protagonists and they prove themselves time and again as intense adversaries to 'the system' enforced by the Rōjō (a council of men with magic).
I think there were a few small quibbles I had with the way that the ending played out, I found it was quite dramatic, but also a little bit safe. I think there were some great ideas and it was compelling, but I felt a little like it was rushed in the end and tied up too well. It's not a big criticism, because I like the direction that the author went, but I think with a bit more time spent it could have had more intricacies and been a little more emotional.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the world and I liked the book. I think a stronger connection with the characters may have come from more time spent with them in a quieter scene, a lot of the book feels very action-packed, but it was a strong story in the end. 3.5*s which is 7/10 for #SPFBO and I'm intrigued about where the story goes next...
December 17, 2019
The Blade's Edge has a lot of things going for it - good, strong women characters, an above average world building and a good pacing. I liked many aspects of it including the strong themes around female emancipation and female infanticide (which is not exactly a common topic in fantasy). While I enjoyed most of the book, I felt that the book was let down by a contrived ending which was not really satisfying.
Read
November 28, 2019I've not read this yet but it's been selected as a finalist in the 5th Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off #SPFBO, so it must be good!
Read more about the contest here:
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Read more about the contest here:
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
June 29, 2019
I like it when authors look for influences further than in an imaginary medieval Europe. I’m not alone, as clearly seen by an increasing number of Asian-inspired fantasy books. Blade’s Edge takes place in a setting strongly influenced by feudal Japan history, traditions, and myths. Kami (Shinto spirits) are real and they influence the world and interact with the living. The magic, based on Zen meditation practices, involves mastery of the elements and requires a solid grasp of inner energy’s working, and self-restraint.
Kisōshi are an elite, magically enhanced protectors of the realm. Only men can join them as no woman is born with elemental powers. At least that’s what the Rōjū council wants people to believe. They’re ready to kill innocent children to keep the truth from citizens. Mishi and Taka, two orphan girls who meet in an orphanage, share not only a beautiful and lasting friendship but also immense elemental powers they need to hide.
The girls are separated from each other in the early chapters. We observe their growth and development of their powers as their plotlines start to converge. Mishi becomes a fierce and dangerous warrior, more competent and deadly than any male Kisōshi. Taka becomes a healer. Both undergo training from Kami (powerful spirits). Both meet sweet boys they initially dislike (although things don’t turn the way one would suspect. A good thing.)
Blade’s Edge builds the plot on well-known tropes (magic school, an orphan with immense powers etc.) but also crafts an intriguing new angle on the formula. Because I have a soft spot for magical training arcs I wish McClain had spent more time showing Mishi and Taka’s training with Kami. She didn’t but I understand the choice. What we get allows us to understand the extent and limitations of their powers and focus on well thought-out plot and strong twists instead. The narrative stays focused and things develop at a steady pace.
The cast of characters is diverse, and it’s good to see the female characters playing leading roles as convincingly as their male counterparts. Both Mishi and Taka are bright, proactive, resourceful and good at heart. As a warrior, Mishi struggles with all the killing she has to do, but her inner conflicts lack credibility and could use some fine-tuning. McClain repeats time and again that Mishi feels bad about the killing and won’t do it anymore, but, truth be told, it’s not something I felt as a reader. I think showing instead of telling is one aspect of an engaging storytelling McClain has yet to master.
That said, the plot engaged me and the build-up to the climax kept me at the edge of the seat.
Unfortunately, the ending itself felt too tidy and convenient. Don’t misunderstand me - I have nothing against stories that don’t finish with everyone broken and miserable, and the world destroyed. I just prefer when things don’t get too easy the closer to the end we get. Here, though, everything felt too tidy, too fast, slightly anticlimactic. And we’re speaking about a huge social change.
Sure, we’re told one of the characters can no longer live the life she used to live but I must take the author’s word for it as I don’t think she portrayed this change convincingly enough.
McClain uses a lot of Japanese or pseudo-Japanese terminology throughout the story, and I applaud her for including an excellent glossary at the beginning of the ebook version. Seriously, more writers should do it. Having a glossary at the end of the paperback comes handy, but in ebooks, I prefer to read and memorize it before starting the story.
I liked Blade’s Edge. Victoria McClain has a smooth touch with characters and plotlines. Her focused narrative should keep most readers engaged in the story and the characters’ arcs. I’ve already bought the sequel and plan to read it soon.
Kisōshi are an elite, magically enhanced protectors of the realm. Only men can join them as no woman is born with elemental powers. At least that’s what the Rōjū council wants people to believe. They’re ready to kill innocent children to keep the truth from citizens. Mishi and Taka, two orphan girls who meet in an orphanage, share not only a beautiful and lasting friendship but also immense elemental powers they need to hide.
The girls are separated from each other in the early chapters. We observe their growth and development of their powers as their plotlines start to converge. Mishi becomes a fierce and dangerous warrior, more competent and deadly than any male Kisōshi. Taka becomes a healer. Both undergo training from Kami (powerful spirits). Both meet sweet boys they initially dislike (although things don’t turn the way one would suspect. A good thing.)
Blade’s Edge builds the plot on well-known tropes (magic school, an orphan with immense powers etc.) but also crafts an intriguing new angle on the formula. Because I have a soft spot for magical training arcs I wish McClain had spent more time showing Mishi and Taka’s training with Kami. She didn’t but I understand the choice. What we get allows us to understand the extent and limitations of their powers and focus on well thought-out plot and strong twists instead. The narrative stays focused and things develop at a steady pace.
The cast of characters is diverse, and it’s good to see the female characters playing leading roles as convincingly as their male counterparts. Both Mishi and Taka are bright, proactive, resourceful and good at heart. As a warrior, Mishi struggles with all the killing she has to do, but her inner conflicts lack credibility and could use some fine-tuning. McClain repeats time and again that Mishi feels bad about the killing and won’t do it anymore, but, truth be told, it’s not something I felt as a reader. I think showing instead of telling is one aspect of an engaging storytelling McClain has yet to master.
That said, the plot engaged me and the build-up to the climax kept me at the edge of the seat.
Unfortunately, the ending itself felt too tidy and convenient. Don’t misunderstand me - I have nothing against stories that don’t finish with everyone broken and miserable, and the world destroyed. I just prefer when things don’t get too easy the closer to the end we get. Here, though, everything felt too tidy, too fast, slightly anticlimactic. And we’re speaking about a huge social change.
Sure, we’re told one of the characters can no longer live the life she used to live but I must take the author’s word for it as I don’t think she portrayed this change convincingly enough.
McClain uses a lot of Japanese or pseudo-Japanese terminology throughout the story, and I applaud her for including an excellent glossary at the beginning of the ebook version. Seriously, more writers should do it. Having a glossary at the end of the paperback comes handy, but in ebooks, I prefer to read and memorize it before starting the story.
I liked Blade’s Edge. Victoria McClain has a smooth touch with characters and plotlines. Her focused narrative should keep most readers engaged in the story and the characters’ arcs. I’ve already bought the sequel and plan to read it soon.
February 9, 2023
This one didn’t hook me right away. I needed to get used to the style and tone first—but once I did, I really enjoyed it! I liked both the main characters and was invested in what would happen to them. The side characters could have been fleshed out a bit more at times, but overall, they were still interesting enough to not feel like they bogged the story down. While I usually prefer a grey character over purely good or bad ones, these felt real enough to still keep me hooked.
I especially enjoyed the Asian setting, which was a nice change from all the medieval Europe ones, not just in differences in culture and behaviours, but also in landscape and surroundings.
The prose was well and fluent enough but could have been a little bit more polished at times. There is one page for example that has the very similar words Mishi or Hishi 10 times in just two paragraphs, which felt so repetitive it took away from the story.
The plot overall was engaging and mostly had me devouring the story, though a few things felt like they were just too easy or felt like they happened because the plot needed them to be work that way. Once again it wasn’t so often it really annoyed me, but with a few other flaws it made what could have been a perfect book for me into “just” a really good one. Which is still a definite recommendation from me!
I especially enjoyed the Asian setting, which was a nice change from all the medieval Europe ones, not just in differences in culture and behaviours, but also in landscape and surroundings.
The prose was well and fluent enough but could have been a little bit more polished at times. There is one page for example that has the very similar words Mishi or Hishi 10 times in just two paragraphs, which felt so repetitive it took away from the story.
The plot overall was engaging and mostly had me devouring the story, though a few things felt like they were just too easy or felt like they happened because the plot needed them to be work that way. Once again it wasn’t so often it really annoyed me, but with a few other flaws it made what could have been a perfect book for me into “just” a really good one. Which is still a definite recommendation from me!
April 17, 2020
A friendship forged during their time together at the orphanage has stayed strong in the hearts of Mishi and Taka. Separated and set on their own paths, they hope to one day reunite. Both girls are powerful in kiso, and face a difficult road ahead as they try to survive in a dangerous and unforgiving time while keeping the strength of their magic under the radar.
***
We meet the girls when they are together at the orphanage but their stories branch off into different directions fairly quickly when they are taken to separate schools to learn their trades.
Mishi, to become a warrior, and Taka to study healing. Each school has very different set of goals with an underlying agenda that isn’t what they appear to be on the surface.
Mishi is being trained as a Kisoshi warrior, to use her elemental powers and weaponry skill to fight. Her training is secretive and all done during the night because a woman being trained or even having this magic is illegal, and means death. During the day she, and the other girls, are there under the guise of servants.
Taka, on the surface is being trained in midwifery. Unfortunately, Taka’s school is not a great place, and their teachings and practices outside of the skills in healing and midwifery, are poisonous and horrible.
I was worried that the girl’s friendship would eventually turn to enmity because of the differing things they were being taught at the schools, and I was very glad that Taka’s story took a little turn and they didn’t end up that way. The girls’ friendship was present even without having seen one another for years. As I have said numerous times in many reviews- there are too few stories with girls as friends, so I really looked forward to the day Mishi and Taka, would find one another again and hoped it would be sooner rather than later.
***
While reading this I at first thought it would be great story for a younger audience.
I loved all of Taka’s time in the forest communicating with the animals, the Kami’s, the hawk Riyoshi, and it was a lot of fun with her tree kami helping her with her home etc.. All things I would have loved to death as a teen (still do really) and even though I’m not huge on school settings, I enjoyed Mishi’s sections as well, getting to know some of her friends and her time with Katagi. I actually wanted more of training and friendships in her sections.
So, even though bad stuff happened and some of the content was dark, a lot of it was read-between-the-lines and things where an older reader would catch on (like the lie behind kiko’s pregnancy) but a younger reader, would just know that it was nothing-good. Later in the story though, things are more openly talked about, pushing that age group appropriateness up a bit- depending on your preferences for younger readers.
***
The story covers a large span of time and a lot occurs over the course of it, but it tells most of it in that jump forward, and catch-you-up to what happened in conversations or thoughts, way of telling. It’s not my favourite storytelling style, I always feel like I am leapfrogging through and I find there’s a bit of a disconnect with this style, because you lose all the build to an event and/or never really suffer or find happiness, with the character as they go through it. The story does catch up to a point where we follow along for the most part but there is still the odd thing that gets jumped over. This kind of style also makes me think “younger reader” because it tends to gloss over a lot of the emotions and “bad stuff”.
There is a pretty good build to the ending but like others I found it a little underwhelming, especially for the change this event is supposed to bring about. There is a sequel and a lot of that change will undoubtedly be seen more in-depth in that book but I did wish for a little punch to the build-up. I was happy to see the girls back together again and I am glad that we didn't have to wait for their reunion until the next book.
Other notes-
I’ve read a few Asian themed books lately and I found this one very easy to catch on to the honorifics and other terms without using the glossary (conveniently placed in the front of the book btw) or maybe I am just getting used to the terms.
Because of their similarities in stories (minus the setting) I had a hard time remembering which girl was who, and being trained for what. I could only keep them straight in my head by the characters around them.
score 7.3 or 4 stars
Go here to find out more about SPFBO contest and to find links to all the participating bloggers/authors and reviews.
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Go here for more team reviews.
https://starlitbook.com/2020/04/17/sp...
***
We meet the girls when they are together at the orphanage but their stories branch off into different directions fairly quickly when they are taken to separate schools to learn their trades.
Mishi, to become a warrior, and Taka to study healing. Each school has very different set of goals with an underlying agenda that isn’t what they appear to be on the surface.
Mishi is being trained as a Kisoshi warrior, to use her elemental powers and weaponry skill to fight. Her training is secretive and all done during the night because a woman being trained or even having this magic is illegal, and means death. During the day she, and the other girls, are there under the guise of servants.
Taka, on the surface is being trained in midwifery. Unfortunately, Taka’s school is not a great place, and their teachings and practices outside of the skills in healing and midwifery, are poisonous and horrible.
I was worried that the girl’s friendship would eventually turn to enmity because of the differing things they were being taught at the schools, and I was very glad that Taka’s story took a little turn and they didn’t end up that way. The girls’ friendship was present even without having seen one another for years. As I have said numerous times in many reviews- there are too few stories with girls as friends, so I really looked forward to the day Mishi and Taka, would find one another again and hoped it would be sooner rather than later.
***
While reading this I at first thought it would be great story for a younger audience.
I loved all of Taka’s time in the forest communicating with the animals, the Kami’s, the hawk Riyoshi, and it was a lot of fun with her tree kami helping her with her home etc.. All things I would have loved to death as a teen (still do really) and even though I’m not huge on school settings, I enjoyed Mishi’s sections as well, getting to know some of her friends and her time with Katagi. I actually wanted more of training and friendships in her sections.
So, even though bad stuff happened and some of the content was dark, a lot of it was read-between-the-lines and things where an older reader would catch on (like the lie behind kiko’s pregnancy) but a younger reader, would just know that it was nothing-good. Later in the story though, things are more openly talked about, pushing that age group appropriateness up a bit- depending on your preferences for younger readers.
***
The story covers a large span of time and a lot occurs over the course of it, but it tells most of it in that jump forward, and catch-you-up to what happened in conversations or thoughts, way of telling. It’s not my favourite storytelling style, I always feel like I am leapfrogging through and I find there’s a bit of a disconnect with this style, because you lose all the build to an event and/or never really suffer or find happiness, with the character as they go through it. The story does catch up to a point where we follow along for the most part but there is still the odd thing that gets jumped over. This kind of style also makes me think “younger reader” because it tends to gloss over a lot of the emotions and “bad stuff”.
There is a pretty good build to the ending but like others I found it a little underwhelming, especially for the change this event is supposed to bring about. There is a sequel and a lot of that change will undoubtedly be seen more in-depth in that book but I did wish for a little punch to the build-up. I was happy to see the girls back together again and I am glad that we didn't have to wait for their reunion until the next book.
Other notes-
I’ve read a few Asian themed books lately and I found this one very easy to catch on to the honorifics and other terms without using the glossary (conveniently placed in the front of the book btw) or maybe I am just getting used to the terms.
Because of their similarities in stories (minus the setting) I had a hard time remembering which girl was who, and being trained for what. I could only keep them straight in my head by the characters around them.
score 7.3 or 4 stars
Go here to find out more about SPFBO contest and to find links to all the participating bloggers/authors and reviews.
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Go here for more team reviews.
https://starlitbook.com/2020/04/17/sp...
January 12, 2020
If this book wins the SPFBO 5 contest, I will be one happy reader. This short Fantasy Novel, and please let this be the new trend, hits all the right notes with me. Two young orphan see another dragged away and promises to not let that happen, only it does. What follows is the tale of these two young girls and their journey in a land that does not value them. Great secondary characters and a nicely paced plot made this a joy to read.
January 27, 2020
The two main characters, Mishi and Taka are both magic users in a world where women who wield magic are considered dangerous. Women are allowed to be healers and midwives, but to be a full-blown Kisoshi is forbidden. It’s believed that women are too weak of character and mind to be able to control magic. Women are “easily corruptible” and will inevitably turn to “evil”. Both characters were raised together in an orphanage but not a lot of time is spent exploring that aspect before they are separated in the first couple of chapters. Taka goes to a midwifery school that has many dark secrets, and the Mishi ends up at a kisoshi school where she trains her powers in secret with the other girls. One grows into a powerful healer while the other trains up her combative skills to become a warrior. Despite their young age Mishi and Taka are generally more mature than I’d expect of young kids. I have a tendency to get annoyed by very immature characters so I was glad that wasn’t the case here.
In this world the kami are real and there are kami for all sorts of things from dragons to trees. The magic is more on the mysterious side of things rather than a set structure but there are rough rules. Some people are able to heal, others are able to use telepathic like powers, but it’s all linked back to elemental powers and manipulation (fire, air, water). It’s rare, but sometimes people are able to use more than one kind of elemental magic. There’s also a bit of celestial influence given that women’s magic is linked to the moon and men’s magic is linked to the sun. The closer the moon or sun is to the planet the stronger men/women’s magic becomes. Japanese honorifics and terminology were used throughout and had I not already read and adjusted to these terms in Sword of Kaigen this may have been a slower read for me.
Since the writing got out of the way of the story I was able to get through this one quickly, it only took me only a day or two to read it. In the glossary section, it tells you that the Japanese language does not pluralize using an “s” so things like “three kimono…” instead of “kimonos” were going to appear throughout the book. It’s good I read this or it would have really irked me and it could have potentially tanked the writing score. The pacing was alright, the ending was packed up a bit too quickly with some things that were a bit too convenient for my taste, but it wasn’t so convenient that I was super disappointed with how it ended.
I’m not sure if I would qualify this as young adult or not, I’m notoriously terrible at making the distinction between what is and isn’t “Young Adult”. What I can say is that this was on the shorter side (under 400 pgs), the characters are young, there’s a school trope complete with a school bully, training sequences, next to no cursing, and the writing is straightforward without a lot of flowery or descriptive passages. Perhaps this is YA? Perhaps not because there’s an off-page rape of one of the girl’s friends? But, I’ve seen that before in YA – so, who knows! There are definitely grimmer aspects to this book but I wouldn’t describe it as one of the darkest things I’ve ever read.
Ratings
Plot: 10/15
Characters: 11/15
World Building: 12.75/15
Writing: 12.5/15
Pacing: 11/15
Originality: 10.5/15
Personal Enjoyment: 6.25/10
Final Score: 74/100 or 7.4/10 for SPFBO
In this world the kami are real and there are kami for all sorts of things from dragons to trees. The magic is more on the mysterious side of things rather than a set structure but there are rough rules. Some people are able to heal, others are able to use telepathic like powers, but it’s all linked back to elemental powers and manipulation (fire, air, water). It’s rare, but sometimes people are able to use more than one kind of elemental magic. There’s also a bit of celestial influence given that women’s magic is linked to the moon and men’s magic is linked to the sun. The closer the moon or sun is to the planet the stronger men/women’s magic becomes. Japanese honorifics and terminology were used throughout and had I not already read and adjusted to these terms in Sword of Kaigen this may have been a slower read for me.
Since the writing got out of the way of the story I was able to get through this one quickly, it only took me only a day or two to read it. In the glossary section, it tells you that the Japanese language does not pluralize using an “s” so things like “three kimono…” instead of “kimonos” were going to appear throughout the book. It’s good I read this or it would have really irked me and it could have potentially tanked the writing score. The pacing was alright, the ending was packed up a bit too quickly with some things that were a bit too convenient for my taste, but it wasn’t so convenient that I was super disappointed with how it ended.
I’m not sure if I would qualify this as young adult or not, I’m notoriously terrible at making the distinction between what is and isn’t “Young Adult”. What I can say is that this was on the shorter side (under 400 pgs), the characters are young, there’s a school trope complete with a school bully, training sequences, next to no cursing, and the writing is straightforward without a lot of flowery or descriptive passages. Perhaps this is YA? Perhaps not because there’s an off-page rape of one of the girl’s friends? But, I’ve seen that before in YA – so, who knows! There are definitely grimmer aspects to this book but I wouldn’t describe it as one of the darkest things I’ve ever read.
Ratings
Plot: 10/15
Characters: 11/15
World Building: 12.75/15
Writing: 12.5/15
Pacing: 11/15
Originality: 10.5/15
Personal Enjoyment: 6.25/10
Final Score: 74/100 or 7.4/10 for SPFBO
January 16, 2015
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Firstly, I love the cover: I think it is very cool and reminds me of Robert Jordans' covers which is all a good thing.
It is obvious the book has been professionally edited and properly formatted, which is refreshing in this indie age where too many mistakes can distract from the reading experience. But by far the strongest quality is the writing itself and the central characters of Mishi and Taka, are exceptionally well-developed. You really care for them and it's nice to have female protagonists in this male-saturated genre.
Although I am not too familiar with all the Japanese names, real or fictitious, an index at the front helps the reader and is very useful. I was never lost and I think the author has done a very accomplished job in keeping everything together while maintaining a steady pace of entertainment and action. It was a novel which kept my interest throughout and I look forward to more work from this author.
It is obvious the book has been professionally edited and properly formatted, which is refreshing in this indie age where too many mistakes can distract from the reading experience. But by far the strongest quality is the writing itself and the central characters of Mishi and Taka, are exceptionally well-developed. You really care for them and it's nice to have female protagonists in this male-saturated genre.
Although I am not too familiar with all the Japanese names, real or fictitious, an index at the front helps the reader and is very useful. I was never lost and I think the author has done a very accomplished job in keeping everything together while maintaining a steady pace of entertainment and action. It was a novel which kept my interest throughout and I look forward to more work from this author.
April 6, 2020
Full review is here, on my blog!~
This is the story of Mishi and Taka, who are orphaned girls and best friends who are suddenly separated from each other when they are unexpectedly taken from their orphanage. Mishi goes to a school for Kisōshi (this means more or less samurai, with magical powers), while Taka goes to another place where women who show kiso, the magical power, are trained to be midwives.
Women Kisōshi are banned in this world by order of the Rōjū council. In fact, women who show any sort of kiso at birth are killed, which Taka finds out the hard way in her midwife training. She eventually escapes and finds herself being trained in healing by a forest spirit. Mishi continues training in secret while pretending to be a servant by day and is finally given an important mission, and from there, the shenanigans really start.
This was a quick and easy read. It was well written and it flowed well, and was very well edited. The typography that’s used for different parts and at the beginning of each chapter really gives this book an extra something. It uses Japanese words and honorifics at times, which are used well and I didn’t find confusing at all, but some might stumble over these.
I liked Mishi and Taka, but I’ll admit that I wasn’t totally enamored with either of them. So it goes sometimes, I guess. I liked Tatsu and Yanagi, who are both Kami (gods). Tatsu, who is a dragon, watches over Mishi, whose element is fire. Yanagi, a forest-spirit, teaches Taka how to heal using the plants of the forest, as well as with her magic. I wish that Tatsu and Yanagi’s stories were a little more in depth, because I found them interesting.
The biggest problem that I had with this one is that the timeline tends to skip ahead a lot. Granted, it does cover about 8 years in about 300 pages, but at times I found this really annoying, because something would happen, and then something else would happen like a year later. Occasionally events that had happened ‘behind the scenes’ so to speak, meaning ‘in these gaps of time’ would be referenced and I wished I could have read about them happening because they sounded like they’d have been more exciting than some of the events that were going on.
I also rolled my eyes when there was a well placed boy for each of the girls to fall for (grudgingly, because they are both disliked at first). There admittedly was a twist with one that caught me by surprise, but also annoyed me because it looks as though it’s setting up a love triangle for future books. I’m going to go ahead and hard pass on that. Honestly, I feel like Mishi and Taka are the best possible relationship here anyway, but maybe that’s just me. 😀
All told, I liked Blade’s Edge but I didn’t love it. I think that some people will definitely enjoy their time with it though, and it’s worth a read if you like YA with strong female characters, or samurai with magic. 6.5/10 stars.
This is the story of Mishi and Taka, who are orphaned girls and best friends who are suddenly separated from each other when they are unexpectedly taken from their orphanage. Mishi goes to a school for Kisōshi (this means more or less samurai, with magical powers), while Taka goes to another place where women who show kiso, the magical power, are trained to be midwives.
Women Kisōshi are banned in this world by order of the Rōjū council. In fact, women who show any sort of kiso at birth are killed, which Taka finds out the hard way in her midwife training. She eventually escapes and finds herself being trained in healing by a forest spirit. Mishi continues training in secret while pretending to be a servant by day and is finally given an important mission, and from there, the shenanigans really start.
This was a quick and easy read. It was well written and it flowed well, and was very well edited. The typography that’s used for different parts and at the beginning of each chapter really gives this book an extra something. It uses Japanese words and honorifics at times, which are used well and I didn’t find confusing at all, but some might stumble over these.
I liked Mishi and Taka, but I’ll admit that I wasn’t totally enamored with either of them. So it goes sometimes, I guess. I liked Tatsu and Yanagi, who are both Kami (gods). Tatsu, who is a dragon, watches over Mishi, whose element is fire. Yanagi, a forest-spirit, teaches Taka how to heal using the plants of the forest, as well as with her magic. I wish that Tatsu and Yanagi’s stories were a little more in depth, because I found them interesting.
The biggest problem that I had with this one is that the timeline tends to skip ahead a lot. Granted, it does cover about 8 years in about 300 pages, but at times I found this really annoying, because something would happen, and then something else would happen like a year later. Occasionally events that had happened ‘behind the scenes’ so to speak, meaning ‘in these gaps of time’ would be referenced and I wished I could have read about them happening because they sounded like they’d have been more exciting than some of the events that were going on.
I also rolled my eyes when there was a well placed boy for each of the girls to fall for (grudgingly, because they are both disliked at first). There admittedly was a twist with one that caught me by surprise, but also annoyed me because it looks as though it’s setting up a love triangle for future books. I’m going to go ahead and hard pass on that. Honestly, I feel like Mishi and Taka are the best possible relationship here anyway, but maybe that’s just me. 😀
All told, I liked Blade’s Edge but I didn’t love it. I think that some people will definitely enjoy their time with it though, and it’s worth a read if you like YA with strong female characters, or samurai with magic. 6.5/10 stars.
December 13, 2023
Blade’s Edge is a refreshing coming-of-age fantasy set in a mystical world reminiscent of feudal Japan. This gripping tale of friendship and survival is filled to the brim with mythical creatures, powerful spirits, elemental magic, and lush settings that will fill you with wonder.
The story is told through the eyes of Mishi and Taka, two young orphaned girls with immense elemental powers they should not be able to possess. They forge an unbreakable friendship, yet fate soon separates them and they are left alone in their fight to survive in a world that would rather see them dead than have them embrace their powers.
The biggest highlight of this book for me was without a doubt the authentic and immersive Asian-inspired world building. As the girls are launched off on their own paths, we get to explore this world with its rich cultural depth in all its glory. There’s just this mystical air permeating every aspect of the story, which kept me quite entranced throughout.
An elemental magic system will also always draw me in, and I really enjoyed how both girls were so in tune with nature and the elements. What’s more, there’s a really brilliant execution of the 'wise old mentor' trope, as both girls are guided by Kami (powerful sentient spirits). For Mishi this mentor appears in the form of a dragon and for Taka in the form of a tree spirit, and the scenes together with these majestic beings just sparked so much wonder in me.
Now, even though these girls are very strong and quite sympathetic characters, I personally had a hard time connecting to them. While they are on very different paths, with Mishi training as a warrior and Taka as a healer, there was a lot of overlap in their storylines and that made it difficult for me to keep them apart. There is also quite a large span of time covered, so I was never really able to find my footing and get comfortably settled in the story.
All that said, as their storylines eventually started to converge again, I ended up getting pulled in more and more. The author does quite a brilliant job of building up a looming sense of dread in the background, which fully comes to the forefront when things start to unravel in the final chapters. This story might seem appropriate for a younger audience, but there is quite a lot of darkness and brutality hidden between the lines, and the deadly political scheming is truly ruthless.
If you are looking for a diverse and fast-paced fantasy story that can be enjoyed by both the younger and older fantasy-loving crowd, then I highly recommend Blade’s Edge. It’s a gripping story that will fill you with equal parts wonder and dread.
The story is told through the eyes of Mishi and Taka, two young orphaned girls with immense elemental powers they should not be able to possess. They forge an unbreakable friendship, yet fate soon separates them and they are left alone in their fight to survive in a world that would rather see them dead than have them embrace their powers.
The biggest highlight of this book for me was without a doubt the authentic and immersive Asian-inspired world building. As the girls are launched off on their own paths, we get to explore this world with its rich cultural depth in all its glory. There’s just this mystical air permeating every aspect of the story, which kept me quite entranced throughout.
An elemental magic system will also always draw me in, and I really enjoyed how both girls were so in tune with nature and the elements. What’s more, there’s a really brilliant execution of the 'wise old mentor' trope, as both girls are guided by Kami (powerful sentient spirits). For Mishi this mentor appears in the form of a dragon and for Taka in the form of a tree spirit, and the scenes together with these majestic beings just sparked so much wonder in me.
Now, even though these girls are very strong and quite sympathetic characters, I personally had a hard time connecting to them. While they are on very different paths, with Mishi training as a warrior and Taka as a healer, there was a lot of overlap in their storylines and that made it difficult for me to keep them apart. There is also quite a large span of time covered, so I was never really able to find my footing and get comfortably settled in the story.
All that said, as their storylines eventually started to converge again, I ended up getting pulled in more and more. The author does quite a brilliant job of building up a looming sense of dread in the background, which fully comes to the forefront when things start to unravel in the final chapters. This story might seem appropriate for a younger audience, but there is quite a lot of darkness and brutality hidden between the lines, and the deadly political scheming is truly ruthless.
If you are looking for a diverse and fast-paced fantasy story that can be enjoyed by both the younger and older fantasy-loving crowd, then I highly recommend Blade’s Edge. It’s a gripping story that will fill you with equal parts wonder and dread.
March 15, 2020
A finalist in the spfbo 2019.
Well this was wonderful to read, a great coming of age book, with great world building and character development as the story went along. Good well done magic system.
So glad I don't have to pick a winner as the quality is very high so in the finalists I have read so far.
Not sure what is next but don't worry about that till after work this afternoon.
Well this was wonderful to read, a great coming of age book, with great world building and character development as the story went along. Good well done magic system.
So glad I don't have to pick a winner as the quality is very high so in the finalists I have read so far.
Not sure what is next but don't worry about that till after work this afternoon.
April 17, 2015
Blade's Edge (BE) is a genre redefining book. Exploring a world ripe for the picking, BE comes off as a novel out of it's time, but in a good way, creating a sort of mysticism not often seen in today's literary landscape.
Written as a standalone (a whole star for this, given today's Hunger Games drag-it-out Trilogy style), at least it comes off that way, BE could easily be expanded to contain other stories within this universe.
There is so much that takes place off the page, it's easy to see that the author has entire plots that don't take place within the binding of BE's pages. This is a testament to the quality of the book's secondary characters, many of which I prefer to the novel's main protagonists (Give another star here). Each character started the book with a defined set of roles, ideas and backstory, which lends plausibility to the novel's more fantastical elements...even the Dragon. Yes, a fantasy book with a dragon in it. How original, I know. But hey, it works, and that's about at cliché as the novel gets.
You follow the tale of Taka and Mishi, and the many trials they face in their quests. These two ladies are friends, but their bond is stronger than blood. The great thing about their love for one another is that isn't told to us. We witness it, which is a laudable trait of this book's show and don't tell philosophy. If BE's ability to have story outside of the pages is the color on the canvas, then the relationship between Taka and Mishi is the ink outline of the portrait. Simply put, for all the fantastical elements, and the plot that is there, it's really a relationship between two strong female leads with very different, out of this world personalities. Give it a third star would you please.
Another aspect I liked as the dual story-line. We would jump to different sections in the world, and pick up with Taka or Mishi and their respective adventures. The balance of both plot lines earns this a fourth star.
For all of it's wonderful traits, I did take issue with a few things in the book.
1. In my honest opinion, the story starts in the wrong place. I think a more compelling narrative could have been weaved had we picked up when the girls were already at their new homes, maybe even further into their lives. Given that most of novel takes place with the girls apart, I don't think it was necessary to have the opening 3 chapters in order. I think better utilization of key flashbacks could have shone light on the aspects of the relationships we need to know, and how they arrived in their predicament, but also helped focus on some of the later plot that I felt was glazed over in favor of still trying to build characters and their personalities.
2. The opening three chapters. I'll admit, it was a bit hard to get into the flow of the story. The first chapter was fine. It set the stage for what Mishi and Taka would face. They have incredible power in a world that doesn't want women to have that power. The next two chapters go on to state the exact same thing in the exact same way. Three chapters in a row, with girls being dragged out and torn away from what they know, all because they're different. I get it.
3. Plot and bad guys. I wanted/needed more from my villains, more than they're just a bunch of oppressive baddies doing horrible things because they have a penis. This is an over generalization, but maybe we could have found and highlighted someone who really believed in their laws because they saw them as the right way to live, rather than to just give them a leg up because, well, they can. It came off like "The Joker wants to host a party for wealthy Gotham socialites in order to steal their money because...reasons."
Take a star away.
Finally, we have some themes and concepts displayed in the book. It would be easy and cliché to say this is a Mulan style rip off that says girls can do anything boys can do, and should be paid the same. On the surface, it may seem like that. But what the book is really saying is that we make judgments and rules based off ill-conceived bias innate in everyone. In BE, women can't have Kiso. Well, this is stupid. Everyone knows in this book that anyone can be born with it. What they're really saying is that women can't use Kiso. And this is a theme very much alive in our world today. White men and women can't rap, it's for black culture only. Men can't be care takers, that's a woman's role. Women can't be combat warriors, men are better.
It is very true that most women are better at taking care of kids because of their more tender nature. I'd much rather my sister baby sit than my playboy cousin. Men play football and become hardened Marine officers because physiology dictates that, on average, they're built for it. Yes, Snoopdog is a much better rapper than Iggy Azalea, but that doesn't mean Iggy can't hold her own or isn't better than 90% of other black wanna be's out there.
Blade's Edge isn't about women being equal to men. It's about people who are born with a skill, who are allowed to harness and train said skill, being allowed the chance to compete and live at a high level if their ability and training gets them to the pinnacle. I say this because Mishi was born with great talent, but she still trained. She earned it. Her road was hazardous and fraught with peril, but she had skill and earned it all the same. Had Mishi just simply shown up and taken the boys down a peg because she's all girl power and what not, this would be a different review. But she was able to succeed because
1. Someone saw something in her, so she was put in a position to do something.
2. She worked hard to achieve a goal.
3. She actually had the talent to begin with.
A lot in our world today demands that things be given just because it should be, because we're all equal at everything. But we're not. Yes, there are generalizations. Yes, people exploit those to the point of bigotry. However, there are always exceptions to the rule. Our goal should be not to make everyone equal in everything, but to give everyone an equal shot.
Give this book another g*d damn star.
Written as a standalone (a whole star for this, given today's Hunger Games drag-it-out Trilogy style), at least it comes off that way, BE could easily be expanded to contain other stories within this universe.
There is so much that takes place off the page, it's easy to see that the author has entire plots that don't take place within the binding of BE's pages. This is a testament to the quality of the book's secondary characters, many of which I prefer to the novel's main protagonists (Give another star here). Each character started the book with a defined set of roles, ideas and backstory, which lends plausibility to the novel's more fantastical elements...even the Dragon. Yes, a fantasy book with a dragon in it. How original, I know. But hey, it works, and that's about at cliché as the novel gets.
You follow the tale of Taka and Mishi, and the many trials they face in their quests. These two ladies are friends, but their bond is stronger than blood. The great thing about their love for one another is that isn't told to us. We witness it, which is a laudable trait of this book's show and don't tell philosophy. If BE's ability to have story outside of the pages is the color on the canvas, then the relationship between Taka and Mishi is the ink outline of the portrait. Simply put, for all the fantastical elements, and the plot that is there, it's really a relationship between two strong female leads with very different, out of this world personalities. Give it a third star would you please.
Another aspect I liked as the dual story-line. We would jump to different sections in the world, and pick up with Taka or Mishi and their respective adventures. The balance of both plot lines earns this a fourth star.
For all of it's wonderful traits, I did take issue with a few things in the book.
1. In my honest opinion, the story starts in the wrong place. I think a more compelling narrative could have been weaved had we picked up when the girls were already at their new homes, maybe even further into their lives. Given that most of novel takes place with the girls apart, I don't think it was necessary to have the opening 3 chapters in order. I think better utilization of key flashbacks could have shone light on the aspects of the relationships we need to know, and how they arrived in their predicament, but also helped focus on some of the later plot that I felt was glazed over in favor of still trying to build characters and their personalities.
2. The opening three chapters. I'll admit, it was a bit hard to get into the flow of the story. The first chapter was fine. It set the stage for what Mishi and Taka would face. They have incredible power in a world that doesn't want women to have that power. The next two chapters go on to state the exact same thing in the exact same way. Three chapters in a row, with girls being dragged out and torn away from what they know, all because they're different. I get it.
3. Plot and bad guys. I wanted/needed more from my villains, more than they're just a bunch of oppressive baddies doing horrible things because they have a penis. This is an over generalization, but maybe we could have found and highlighted someone who really believed in their laws because they saw them as the right way to live, rather than to just give them a leg up because, well, they can. It came off like "The Joker wants to host a party for wealthy Gotham socialites in order to steal their money because...reasons."
Take a star away.
Finally, we have some themes and concepts displayed in the book. It would be easy and cliché to say this is a Mulan style rip off that says girls can do anything boys can do, and should be paid the same. On the surface, it may seem like that. But what the book is really saying is that we make judgments and rules based off ill-conceived bias innate in everyone. In BE, women can't have Kiso. Well, this is stupid. Everyone knows in this book that anyone can be born with it. What they're really saying is that women can't use Kiso. And this is a theme very much alive in our world today. White men and women can't rap, it's for black culture only. Men can't be care takers, that's a woman's role. Women can't be combat warriors, men are better.
It is very true that most women are better at taking care of kids because of their more tender nature. I'd much rather my sister baby sit than my playboy cousin. Men play football and become hardened Marine officers because physiology dictates that, on average, they're built for it. Yes, Snoopdog is a much better rapper than Iggy Azalea, but that doesn't mean Iggy can't hold her own or isn't better than 90% of other black wanna be's out there.
Blade's Edge isn't about women being equal to men. It's about people who are born with a skill, who are allowed to harness and train said skill, being allowed the chance to compete and live at a high level if their ability and training gets them to the pinnacle. I say this because Mishi was born with great talent, but she still trained. She earned it. Her road was hazardous and fraught with peril, but she had skill and earned it all the same. Had Mishi just simply shown up and taken the boys down a peg because she's all girl power and what not, this would be a different review. But she was able to succeed because
1. Someone saw something in her, so she was put in a position to do something.
2. She worked hard to achieve a goal.
3. She actually had the talent to begin with.
A lot in our world today demands that things be given just because it should be, because we're all equal at everything. But we're not. Yes, there are generalizations. Yes, people exploit those to the point of bigotry. However, there are always exceptions to the rule. Our goal should be not to make everyone equal in everything, but to give everyone an equal shot.
Give this book another g*d damn star.
February 11, 2020
There are several books with a 'far eastern' setting, some specifically with Japan. For me, this is the best of the lot. The language and martial arts terminology don't dominate (as one other did and it spoiled the story) yet you capture the essence of the world all the same. I think this is a sign of a skill writer who can employ great subtlety in her storytelling.
In fact, the social and cultural insights into this version of medieval Japan was a massive strength. It drove the central theme of the lack of (and need for) gender equality. The two female characters are not your traditional trope either - 'badass' martial arts experts. Sure, one is an amazing warrior but it comes at a cost. A childhood robbed of innocence. Both are intensely real women, that is how they engage you - by doubting themselves, worrying about each other and whether they are right in the actions they pursue.
The magic in the story, as with other stories of this kind, comes from the natural world. This isn't unique but it again brings an originality in how they learn to access it.
Strongly recommend this book.
In fact, the social and cultural insights into this version of medieval Japan was a massive strength. It drove the central theme of the lack of (and need for) gender equality. The two female characters are not your traditional trope either - 'badass' martial arts experts. Sure, one is an amazing warrior but it comes at a cost. A childhood robbed of innocence. Both are intensely real women, that is how they engage you - by doubting themselves, worrying about each other and whether they are right in the actions they pursue.
The magic in the story, as with other stories of this kind, comes from the natural world. This isn't unique but it again brings an originality in how they learn to access it.
Strongly recommend this book.
October 14, 2015
Blade's Edge is a fantasy set in a feudal-Japanese style setting, and the first fantasy novel I've read that combines fantasy elements with this particular setting.
I have to say, this book is a success on so many levels. Even readers who may have no immediate interest in Japanese style or culture are well advised to invest their time in its depths. There's a lot of Japanese or pseudo-Japanese terminology throughout, but the author weaves it into the story so seamlessly that after the first couple of times you see a word, you know what it means, and the glossary is almost unnecessary. It has fantastical elements, but is built on the plausible and the realistic, lending it a blended feel that makes it much easier to get invested in.
Like another book I recently read, The Stonegate Sword, this is the type of book where you can tell that the author hasn't just thought about or seen pictures of the setting, but has lived in it at some point. The descriptions of the softly-falling snow gathering on the mountains and the gardens evokes such stark imagery in the mind of the reader, all without any over-description. The author shows the underlying beauty of a land suffering from oppression through these delicate but beautiful descriptions.
The characters are also a strength of Blade's Edge. None of the characters are perfect, and amusingly, most of them are quite insecure, even the heroes. They all have distinct personalities, and each gets enough face time that they don't come across as props or two-dimensional bit part players. Each has their shadowy past, their goals and dreams, and their perceptions of the world and each other, and their lives and their destinies are interwoven well into the plot. And, best of all to me, is the fact that Mishi, one of the main characters, does not simply start killing people with no repercussions. Her reaction to having to kill people reminded me a little of Achilles saying that at night, he sees the faces of all the men he's killed; Mishi is the same way, and is not just an "instant stone-cold killer" like we see in so many books nowadays. On the other hand, she also isn't an angsty whiner who cries about it for page after page; she's pleasantly in the middle.
The elemental abilities of the characters are well-established and well-regulated to prevent anyone, good or bad, from becoming so over-powerful that they can't reasonably be defeated. Despite their abilities, the characters don't become godlike or untouchable, whether hero or villain. What's great about this is that it presents people who, while they possess some limited but extraordinary powers, are just regular people seeking to change their world. This is not "orphan gets told a prophecy says they'll dethrone the dark lord," and that's a big part of what makes this book so enjoyable.
Finally, to the story itself: this is one of those books where the "villains" are of a quite realistic variety. There's no dark lord, no demon lord, no master of ultimate evil; it's the sort of villainy we can identify with because it's something similar to things we see in reality. This gives the reader a greater appreciation for its ordinary heroes rising up to try to accomplish extraordinary things, and to change the world. It is a battle of ideologies more than a black-and-white good-versus-evil, though it can certainly be cast in those shades as well.
Overall, one of the best books I've been asked to review since signing up for Goodreads.
* - I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have to say, this book is a success on so many levels. Even readers who may have no immediate interest in Japanese style or culture are well advised to invest their time in its depths. There's a lot of Japanese or pseudo-Japanese terminology throughout, but the author weaves it into the story so seamlessly that after the first couple of times you see a word, you know what it means, and the glossary is almost unnecessary. It has fantastical elements, but is built on the plausible and the realistic, lending it a blended feel that makes it much easier to get invested in.
Like another book I recently read, The Stonegate Sword, this is the type of book where you can tell that the author hasn't just thought about or seen pictures of the setting, but has lived in it at some point. The descriptions of the softly-falling snow gathering on the mountains and the gardens evokes such stark imagery in the mind of the reader, all without any over-description. The author shows the underlying beauty of a land suffering from oppression through these delicate but beautiful descriptions.
The characters are also a strength of Blade's Edge. None of the characters are perfect, and amusingly, most of them are quite insecure, even the heroes. They all have distinct personalities, and each gets enough face time that they don't come across as props or two-dimensional bit part players. Each has their shadowy past, their goals and dreams, and their perceptions of the world and each other, and their lives and their destinies are interwoven well into the plot. And, best of all to me, is the fact that Mishi, one of the main characters, does not simply start killing people with no repercussions. Her reaction to having to kill people reminded me a little of Achilles saying that at night, he sees the faces of all the men he's killed; Mishi is the same way, and is not just an "instant stone-cold killer" like we see in so many books nowadays. On the other hand, she also isn't an angsty whiner who cries about it for page after page; she's pleasantly in the middle.
The elemental abilities of the characters are well-established and well-regulated to prevent anyone, good or bad, from becoming so over-powerful that they can't reasonably be defeated. Despite their abilities, the characters don't become godlike or untouchable, whether hero or villain. What's great about this is that it presents people who, while they possess some limited but extraordinary powers, are just regular people seeking to change their world. This is not "orphan gets told a prophecy says they'll dethrone the dark lord," and that's a big part of what makes this book so enjoyable.
Finally, to the story itself: this is one of those books where the "villains" are of a quite realistic variety. There's no dark lord, no demon lord, no master of ultimate evil; it's the sort of villainy we can identify with because it's something similar to things we see in reality. This gives the reader a greater appreciation for its ordinary heroes rising up to try to accomplish extraordinary things, and to change the world. It is a battle of ideologies more than a black-and-white good-versus-evil, though it can certainly be cast in those shades as well.
Overall, one of the best books I've been asked to review since signing up for Goodreads.
* - I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 30, 2020
Blade’s Edge by Virginia McClain is a deeply immersive secondary world fantasy that tells the story of two young girls growing up with magic in a world where magic is forbidden to them. The pathos of these characters is communicated so well by McClain, and you feel for them deeply as the story unfolds. The world is inspired by feudal Japan while still maintaining its secondary world status.
The world building and magic are exceptional in this one. The magic is explained well without being over-explained, leaving tantalizing mysteries about the way it works. The complexity the magic system offers allows it to play an important role in both the story and the development of the characters without ever becoming confusing. I always love when fantasy stories are able to make magic an important aspect of the world, and that’s certainly the case in Blade’s Edge. The Japanese-inspired world building is exquisite and creates a wonderful ambiance for the story, right down to the haikus that open each part of the story. The world building is so detailed that it almost feels like historical fantasy, but it isn’t. The two main characters are engaging and serve—to some extent—as foils for one another. Separated as children, the two spend their early adolescent years growing up on their own, apart from one another. But their individual arcs mirror one another in fascinating ways. Partly this is because magic is forbidden to women in their world, and that forces them both to hide their magic. But there are other elements of the story that are similar in each of their arcs and the similarities and dissimilarities create a sort of harmony and counterpoint. Part of what unites the two stories is the driving need of each to overthrow the system of oppression in which they find themselves. Overthrowing oppression always appeals to me in stories, and that’s certainly the case here.
Not every element of the novel worked for me. The largest frustration I had was in the large time jumps that sometimes occur. This happens not only when one begins a new part of the story, but sometimes between chapters within a particular part. Flip a page and weeks, months, or years have passed and you have to play a little catch-up, figuring out what has transpired in the interim. This is especially frustrating when a chapter ends and you expect an important event to happen next. The event happens, but off-screen, and we learn about it only in retrospect, as a character remembers the event. I’m never a fan of this sort of literary device. It only created frustration for me here and took me out of the story. Too often I felt like I was missing the climactic part of a scene or arc. This is particularly noticeable in the first third of the book. After that, it settles down and either through exposure or because it genuinely happens less the story feels to flow more naturally.
Blade’s Edge is a coming-of-age story set in a world where women have few rights and certainly can’t do magic. The two viewpoint characters work well, especially as their stories mirror one another in engaging and sometimes surprising ways. This will appeal especially to fans of Japanese-inspired fantasy, Samurai stories, and coming-of-age tales.
7.5/10
3.75/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
The world building and magic are exceptional in this one. The magic is explained well without being over-explained, leaving tantalizing mysteries about the way it works. The complexity the magic system offers allows it to play an important role in both the story and the development of the characters without ever becoming confusing. I always love when fantasy stories are able to make magic an important aspect of the world, and that’s certainly the case in Blade’s Edge. The Japanese-inspired world building is exquisite and creates a wonderful ambiance for the story, right down to the haikus that open each part of the story. The world building is so detailed that it almost feels like historical fantasy, but it isn’t. The two main characters are engaging and serve—to some extent—as foils for one another. Separated as children, the two spend their early adolescent years growing up on their own, apart from one another. But their individual arcs mirror one another in fascinating ways. Partly this is because magic is forbidden to women in their world, and that forces them both to hide their magic. But there are other elements of the story that are similar in each of their arcs and the similarities and dissimilarities create a sort of harmony and counterpoint. Part of what unites the two stories is the driving need of each to overthrow the system of oppression in which they find themselves. Overthrowing oppression always appeals to me in stories, and that’s certainly the case here.
Not every element of the novel worked for me. The largest frustration I had was in the large time jumps that sometimes occur. This happens not only when one begins a new part of the story, but sometimes between chapters within a particular part. Flip a page and weeks, months, or years have passed and you have to play a little catch-up, figuring out what has transpired in the interim. This is especially frustrating when a chapter ends and you expect an important event to happen next. The event happens, but off-screen, and we learn about it only in retrospect, as a character remembers the event. I’m never a fan of this sort of literary device. It only created frustration for me here and took me out of the story. Too often I felt like I was missing the climactic part of a scene or arc. This is particularly noticeable in the first third of the book. After that, it settles down and either through exposure or because it genuinely happens less the story feels to flow more naturally.
Blade’s Edge is a coming-of-age story set in a world where women have few rights and certainly can’t do magic. The two viewpoint characters work well, especially as their stories mirror one another in engaging and sometimes surprising ways. This will appeal especially to fans of Japanese-inspired fantasy, Samurai stories, and coming-of-age tales.
7.5/10
3.75/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
November 26, 2020
Blade's Edge is one of the SPFBO5 finalists I've read as a judge. Find out what my team had to say about it in our joint review. We gave it an overall score of 7.1/10
Here follows my own review. I personally rated Blade's Edge 7/10 which translates to 3.5*
I have a bit of mixed feelings about Blade’s Edge in general. It took me a long time to get into it and get over my annoyance to actually enjoy it. Blade’s Edge is the story of Mishi and Taka and all the girls in this world who didn’t have a chance in life due to the brutality of the Rōjū council’s rule.
The story is definitely engaging as we follow the two girls finding their own paths in life. While turning the world upside down. There is a lot to like about this book, and I can see why it was picked as an SPFBO finalist. First, we have two very different kick ass characters – Taka and Mishi – with their totally different skills and powers. They balance each other out pretty well and their bond is something that I enjoyed reading about. I also liked the magic system and the fact that both girls had a mentor of mythological being. In Taka’s case a tree kami (spirit) and in Mishi’s case a dragon. Mitsuki’s appearance and the hint about his and Taka’s relationship is something I considered a nice touch. There were some really nice twists along the way and the pieces fell nicely together by the end.
And while overall I enjoyed Blade’s Edge, I also had a number of issues with it, especially in the first half. At the beginning, I felt like some things weren’t explained well and I had a hard time to get the terminology sorted out in my head. I think the worldbuilding needed some more to be added about the magic, about the council, about the aforementioned mythological beings, about why Kishosi needs to complete a task, about why the Josanko was so strict and cruel to the girls, etc. Sometimes the sudden jumps in time were disorientating – one moment Mishi is sent to the dragon, the next 1 year passed and they are training. I was left blinking, thinking “Wait. What? How did THIS happen?” I had a few instances like that. I’m also not very much of a fan of that kind of storytelling where something happens then it’s left unexplained but gets hinted at in later conversations and eventually cleared. Somewhat. It works in some cases, but I don’t think it did here. I was especially annoyed with Taka not seeing through Kiko’s lies. I wanted to shout at her “ARE YOU DAMNED BLIND? IT’S. SO. DAMN. OBVIOUS. WHAT. HAPPENED.” I mean, Taka was supposed to be a smart girl and a close friend to Kiko. Anyone would have put that together in about 5 minutes, but it had to be someone else telling her what happened much later. Seriously. Maybe because of this, but I wasn’t able to really connect with either of the characters.
Blade’s Edge is a pretty decent coming-of-age YA(ish) fantasy novel, in which the two main characters discover their strength and worth in a world which outlaws them. Set in an Asian inspired world, tradition and “modern” ideologies clash with each other, determining the future of Gensokai, in which equality might become a reality. It definitely has an interesting world, I just wish we got to know it a bit more to be able to immerse ourselves in it. Virginia McClain is sure one of the authors we should look out for in the future.
Here follows my own review. I personally rated Blade's Edge 7/10 which translates to 3.5*
I have a bit of mixed feelings about Blade’s Edge in general. It took me a long time to get into it and get over my annoyance to actually enjoy it. Blade’s Edge is the story of Mishi and Taka and all the girls in this world who didn’t have a chance in life due to the brutality of the Rōjū council’s rule.
The story is definitely engaging as we follow the two girls finding their own paths in life. While turning the world upside down. There is a lot to like about this book, and I can see why it was picked as an SPFBO finalist. First, we have two very different kick ass characters – Taka and Mishi – with their totally different skills and powers. They balance each other out pretty well and their bond is something that I enjoyed reading about. I also liked the magic system and the fact that both girls had a mentor of mythological being. In Taka’s case a tree kami (spirit) and in Mishi’s case a dragon. Mitsuki’s appearance and the hint about his and Taka’s relationship is something I considered a nice touch. There were some really nice twists along the way and the pieces fell nicely together by the end.
And while overall I enjoyed Blade’s Edge, I also had a number of issues with it, especially in the first half. At the beginning, I felt like some things weren’t explained well and I had a hard time to get the terminology sorted out in my head. I think the worldbuilding needed some more to be added about the magic, about the council, about the aforementioned mythological beings, about why Kishosi needs to complete a task, about why the Josanko was so strict and cruel to the girls, etc. Sometimes the sudden jumps in time were disorientating – one moment Mishi is sent to the dragon, the next 1 year passed and they are training. I was left blinking, thinking “Wait. What? How did THIS happen?” I had a few instances like that. I’m also not very much of a fan of that kind of storytelling where something happens then it’s left unexplained but gets hinted at in later conversations and eventually cleared. Somewhat. It works in some cases, but I don’t think it did here. I was especially annoyed with Taka not seeing through Kiko’s lies. I wanted to shout at her “ARE YOU DAMNED BLIND? IT’S. SO. DAMN. OBVIOUS. WHAT. HAPPENED.” I mean, Taka was supposed to be a smart girl and a close friend to Kiko. Anyone would have put that together in about 5 minutes, but it had to be someone else telling her what happened much later. Seriously. Maybe because of this, but I wasn’t able to really connect with either of the characters.
Blade’s Edge is a pretty decent coming-of-age YA(ish) fantasy novel, in which the two main characters discover their strength and worth in a world which outlaws them. Set in an Asian inspired world, tradition and “modern” ideologies clash with each other, determining the future of Gensokai, in which equality might become a reality. It definitely has an interesting world, I just wish we got to know it a bit more to be able to immerse ourselves in it. Virginia McClain is sure one of the authors we should look out for in the future.
April 9, 2015
Today, I am reviewing the Fantasy story Blade’s Edge by Virginia McClain. This is a story set in a pseudo-Japanese setting and utilizing many of the terms from Japan’s medieval history, but adds several different intriguing elements, like elemental magic, a council dedicated to the repression of a particular subgroup, and dragons and kami.
I give this book a 4.75/5. Here is my breakdown.
Characters: 5/5. Absolute perfection. Virginia’s two main characters, Mishi and Taka, were deep and real. I felt their pain and their triumphs, and my understanding of them grew as they did. The book spans eight years (called “cycles”), and I felt they grew believably throughout that time. I especially liked Mishi’s development from scared orphan to kick-ass Kisoshi warrior.
Plot/Storyline: 5/5. The story is as epic as they come. A sprawling conspiracy kept in line by a few oligarchs? Assassins? Intrigue and betrayal? All present in spades. Virginia wove her story deeply and well, and I felt the last few pages blaze by like they almost weren’t there. Fantastically done.
Flow: 4.5/5. The sentence flow was excellent and Virginia’s use of language keeps the story moving at an excellent pace. I felt we spent an appropriate amount of time on each of the characters (as the action cross-cuts between the two of them) and that things didn’t happen too fast or too slow.
My only issues with the flow: There were a few instances that I felt important or interesting action was glossed over to get us to the next development. This happened only a few times, but I did note it. Second, the time passage was done very well in terms of character development, but the chapter headings, being in Japanese (or pseudo-Japanese, I’m not sure) that were supposed to tell us how much time had gone by only confused me, so I had to ignore them.
Spelling/Grammar: 4.5/5. I think I counted four grammatical/typographical errors in this novel. For as many pages as it is (286, paperback version), that’s a pretty good rate (less than one error per fifty pages). I’m happy with that. Good job, Virginia!
Overall: 4.75/5. What a ride! The story starts slow, builds up quickly, and finishes with a bang. I’m hoping for a sequel to this. Thank you for the read!
I give this book a 4.75/5. Here is my breakdown.
Characters: 5/5. Absolute perfection. Virginia’s two main characters, Mishi and Taka, were deep and real. I felt their pain and their triumphs, and my understanding of them grew as they did. The book spans eight years (called “cycles”), and I felt they grew believably throughout that time. I especially liked Mishi’s development from scared orphan to kick-ass Kisoshi warrior.
Plot/Storyline: 5/5. The story is as epic as they come. A sprawling conspiracy kept in line by a few oligarchs? Assassins? Intrigue and betrayal? All present in spades. Virginia wove her story deeply and well, and I felt the last few pages blaze by like they almost weren’t there. Fantastically done.
Flow: 4.5/5. The sentence flow was excellent and Virginia’s use of language keeps the story moving at an excellent pace. I felt we spent an appropriate amount of time on each of the characters (as the action cross-cuts between the two of them) and that things didn’t happen too fast or too slow.
My only issues with the flow: There were a few instances that I felt important or interesting action was glossed over to get us to the next development. This happened only a few times, but I did note it. Second, the time passage was done very well in terms of character development, but the chapter headings, being in Japanese (or pseudo-Japanese, I’m not sure) that were supposed to tell us how much time had gone by only confused me, so I had to ignore them.
Spelling/Grammar: 4.5/5. I think I counted four grammatical/typographical errors in this novel. For as many pages as it is (286, paperback version), that’s a pretty good rate (less than one error per fifty pages). I’m happy with that. Good job, Virginia!
Overall: 4.75/5. What a ride! The story starts slow, builds up quickly, and finishes with a bang. I’m hoping for a sequel to this. Thank you for the read!
July 10, 2015
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is an interesting story that held my attention well. While I had no idea where the plot was going or what was really going on behind closed doors, the two main characters were so well developed that I couldn't help but be fascinated.
A truly unique piece. Highly enjoyable.
This is an interesting story that held my attention well. While I had no idea where the plot was going or what was really going on behind closed doors, the two main characters were so well developed that I couldn't help but be fascinated.
A truly unique piece. Highly enjoyable.
October 1, 2017
I received a review copy from Rockstar Book Tours. Below is my honest review.
When I received an email from Rockstar Book Tours saying they're looking for bloggers to host a book tour for the sequel of this book, Traitor's Hope, I took a quick look at the synopsis - a YA fantasy set in a world based on Japan with two badass female protagonists? Sign me the hell up!
There were no grammatical/spelling mistakes in the book! I have received several review copies with mistakes on almost every page and that totally ruined my reading experience. Without all the wrong spelling and grammar, I was able to be entirely focused on the story itself.
The girls have magical powers (pretty cool, huh?) Mishi's a warrior and Taka's a healer - the book is packed with badassery and I LOVE IT.
* I love this GIF so much hahahaha
** It perfectly describes Mishi and Taka
The author used a lot of Japanese words in the book, which I wasn't too familiar with. She included a glossary at the beginning of the book and every time I didn't understand a word, I simply swiped back to the glossary and read the definition.
And... on to the things I didn't like.
Katagi and Mishi's romance? It is so sudden and barf-worthy. Allow me to sum it up below.
Katagi: You're so beautiful.
Mishi: Huh?? I'm not beautiful?2?? No one's ever called me beautiful before?2??2? Did I mention I'M NOT BEAUTIFUL?2? AND NO ONE HAS EVER CALLED ME BEAUTIFUL BEFORE?2?? Why does Katagi think I'm beautiful??2?
*yeah, it's that terrible.
The character's names are so similar. At first I couldn't tell Mitsu and Mishi apart.
What went on in my brain when I was reading the sentence: ??????????????????????. It was very confusing.
Overall thoughts
I really enjoyed reading this book. I love the characters so much, and I really like the storyline. I would recommend this book to fans of fantasy and adventure. Can't wait to read Traitor's Hope!
When I received an email from Rockstar Book Tours saying they're looking for bloggers to host a book tour for the sequel of this book, Traitor's Hope, I took a quick look at the synopsis - a YA fantasy set in a world based on Japan with two badass female protagonists? Sign me the hell up!
There were no grammatical/spelling mistakes in the book! I have received several review copies with mistakes on almost every page and that totally ruined my reading experience. Without all the wrong spelling and grammar, I was able to be entirely focused on the story itself.
The girls have magical powers (pretty cool, huh?) Mishi's a warrior and Taka's a healer - the book is packed with badassery and I LOVE IT.
* I love this GIF so much hahahaha
** It perfectly describes Mishi and Taka
The author used a lot of Japanese words in the book, which I wasn't too familiar with. She included a glossary at the beginning of the book and every time I didn't understand a word, I simply swiped back to the glossary and read the definition.
And... on to the things I didn't like.
Katagi and Mishi's romance? It is so sudden and barf-worthy. Allow me to sum it up below.
Katagi: You're so beautiful.
Mishi: Huh?? I'm not beautiful?2?? No one's ever called me beautiful before?2??2? Did I mention I'M NOT BEAUTIFUL?2? AND NO ONE HAS EVER CALLED ME BEAUTIFUL BEFORE?2?? Why does Katagi think I'm beautiful??2?
*yeah, it's that terrible.
The character's names are so similar. At first I couldn't tell Mitsu and Mishi apart.
Mitsu had gone in search of Mishi.
What went on in my brain when I was reading the sentence: ??????????????????????. It was very confusing.
Overall thoughts
I really enjoyed reading this book. I love the characters so much, and I really like the storyline. I would recommend this book to fans of fantasy and adventure. Can't wait to read Traitor's Hope!
December 9, 2020
This is a solid coming-of-age fantasy that follows the paths of two good friends separated in their youth, each getting separately embroiled in a plot of conspiracy, suppression and magic. McClain has an efficient writing style, and I've seen others' concerns about areas lacking backstory or explanation but I personally felt this moved at a good pace with enough information to never be confusing; even when words weren't directly explained, the context made them clear. But then, maybe it helps that I grew up on Japanese animations...
The Japanese-themed world is a bit different and gives a good sense of atmosphere, while the themes of female emancipation are relevant and engaging. There are two strong leads and a fair bit of action and excitement in there, too. That said, the story overall rests in fairly comfortable ground, with orphans, magic/fighting schools, rebel plots and mentors that don't stray far from what you'd expect. It's a great example of this type of story, with a bit of an edge from its setting and themes, but exactly how much you'll like it might depend on how the tried tropes resonate with you. Personally, I was in the mood for it and enjoyed it!
I listened to the audiobook version of this, which was very well performed and produced, particularly impressive considering it was narrated by the author herself!
The Japanese-themed world is a bit different and gives a good sense of atmosphere, while the themes of female emancipation are relevant and engaging. There are two strong leads and a fair bit of action and excitement in there, too. That said, the story overall rests in fairly comfortable ground, with orphans, magic/fighting schools, rebel plots and mentors that don't stray far from what you'd expect. It's a great example of this type of story, with a bit of an edge from its setting and themes, but exactly how much you'll like it might depend on how the tried tropes resonate with you. Personally, I was in the mood for it and enjoyed it!
I listened to the audiobook version of this, which was very well performed and produced, particularly impressive considering it was narrated by the author herself!
dnf
October 1, 2023Time of death: 16%. I had a bad taste in my mouth from the way this book uses Japanese elements out of context of actual Japanese culture, and it turned bitter when we have a prolonged sequence of assuming and then confirming that a teenage student has been repeatedly sexually assaulted by her teachers and the resulting pregnancy means she forfeits bodily autonomy. I did not feel that the author was truly considering what this would do or be like for not only her characters but for the actual people represented here reading her book, and found I was disinclined to extend the benefit of any further doubt.
Read
February 16, 2020Read for SPFBO - Review will be on website.
I enjoyed it!
I enjoyed it!
June 26, 2016
There are many things to like about this book. I appreciate the focus on Mishi and Taka's friendship, even though they spend most of the book apart. There are plenty of great characters, most but not all of them female. There are some romantic elements but they very much take a backseat to the ra-ra sisterhood aspects. That is all good.
Alas, I found this book a little boring, as well as problematic. It's taken me a while to write this review, because I've been puzzling out my reaction. Which is as follows:
The world-building is quite lacking. The author states very firmly, in her intro that this is NOT JAPAN! It's a fantasy world heavily inspired by Japan. But methinks the author doth protest too much, because... it's Japan. That is to say, this book almost entirely eschews fantasy-world-building in favor of an over-reliance on presumed reader familiarity with historic Japan. There's no explanation of anything, really. We're just supposed to go with it. "It" being everything from the cultural oppression of women to the overabundance and repetitive use of Japanese language and terms.
Apart from that, I also had a hard time with the dual POV's, alternating between Mishi's story and Taka' story, because I kept getting confused which one I was reading any given which time. They are much too similar in both character voice, plot structure, and many particulars including but not limited to their supernatural powers. This all improved towards the end of the book (largely, I would add, due to the addition of new secondary characters in each girl's storyline -- especially the spy/courtesan girl!) but it was kind of too little too late.
I'm torn between 2 and 3 stars. I'm rounding up, because I like to give this kind of book the benefit of the doubt when it's perhaps a matter of my own expectations being too high. I was really expecting to love this book based on all the great ratings and reviews. Oh well.
I might still recommend it for fans of decidedly YA fantasy who already happen to be both A)non-Japanese, and B) really into Japan, but probably not anybody else. This might be a controversial position, but I suspect that many actual Japanese readers might take issue with their country's representation (the white author's "It's not Japan!!!" protests notwithstanding) -- that is, if they're not simply bored by the whole thing -- and I suspect that most non-Japanese readers who don't already have some kind of self-professed strong affinity with or interest in Japanese culture would find it simply an average or subpar fantasy novel.
** I received a Review Copy of this book via NetGalley **
Alas, I found this book a little boring, as well as problematic. It's taken me a while to write this review, because I've been puzzling out my reaction. Which is as follows:
The world-building is quite lacking. The author states very firmly, in her intro that this is NOT JAPAN! It's a fantasy world heavily inspired by Japan. But methinks the author doth protest too much, because... it's Japan. That is to say, this book almost entirely eschews fantasy-world-building in favor of an over-reliance on presumed reader familiarity with historic Japan. There's no explanation of anything, really. We're just supposed to go with it. "It" being everything from the cultural oppression of women to the overabundance and repetitive use of Japanese language and terms.
Apart from that, I also had a hard time with the dual POV's, alternating between Mishi's story and Taka' story, because I kept getting confused which one I was reading any given which time. They are much too similar in both character voice, plot structure, and many particulars including but not limited to their supernatural powers. This all improved towards the end of the book (largely, I would add, due to the addition of new secondary characters in each girl's storyline -- especially the spy/courtesan girl!) but it was kind of too little too late.
I'm torn between 2 and 3 stars. I'm rounding up, because I like to give this kind of book the benefit of the doubt when it's perhaps a matter of my own expectations being too high. I was really expecting to love this book based on all the great ratings and reviews. Oh well.
I might still recommend it for fans of decidedly YA fantasy who already happen to be both A)non-Japanese, and B) really into Japan, but probably not anybody else. This might be a controversial position, but I suspect that many actual Japanese readers might take issue with their country's representation (the white author's "It's not Japan!!!" protests notwithstanding) -- that is, if they're not simply bored by the whole thing -- and I suspect that most non-Japanese readers who don't already have some kind of self-professed strong affinity with or interest in Japanese culture would find it simply an average or subpar fantasy novel.
** I received a Review Copy of this book via NetGalley **
October 17, 2017
“Was it impossible to hide who you really were forever?”
What an incredible book! Blade’s Edge is such a phenomenal story. A fantasy world built with similarities to feudal Japan, but written with such intensity that it mirrors a dystopian novel. I was immediately swept into the enormity of this world and immersed in the beauty and horror of these characters lives.
To be a woman in Gensokai, the island that this story takes place on, is a terrible fate. We don’t know the details, but learn that the actions of one powerful female Kisoshi have damned the future of all females for the past one thousand cycles. It is dangerous to be a girl. Even more dangerous to be born a girl with any detectable kiso.
“Fear can be a powerful destructive force.”
Kiso is the ability to manipulate energy. People have various levels of kiso and some are stronger than others. Once trained, they test to become kisoshi and can move up to higher ranks. At the beginning of the book, we get a glossary of terms and even a forward by the author ensuring that while this may feel and sounds like pieces of Japanese history and culture, this is entirely fantasy.
I will say that this is an instance when having the physical copy would have been enormously helpful. I find it a pain to toggle to an index with a kindle, and would have preferred to simply be able to turn the pages.
That said, the terms and their uses are so thorough that I didn’t feel lost while reading, or really feel that I needed to flip to know the terms. You learn them quickly as you read and by the end, they are as much a part of the story as if you had known the definition all along. That is quite an accomplishment in writing!
The story is written entirely from two main characters, Taka and Mishi, both female. We do get a third perspective thrown in from a woman we are introduced to who plays a larger role later in the book. Given how dreary this world is from a female perspective, it was a nice touch to only show us the viewpoint of female characters. It really focuses on how awful and male driven this society is. It isn’t just the power that the men hold. It is the way they look down on women, dismissing them as not being worthy of any respect or worth the air they breathe.
“It was clever work really, the work that the instructors put into making the girls fearful, then timid… wouldn’t that timidity eventually lead to self doubt?”
This book reads a bit like The Last Airbender blended with The Handmaid’s Tale. The fantasy portion of this book is incredible. Amazing world building with such vivid descriptions of the sweeping landscapes that you practically smell the forest and feel the mountain breezes. The elemental magic and magical beings are very creative and come to life on the page. But the portions that depict life as a woman, are so bleak, it’s nauseating. The contrast between the beauty of the land and the horror of life as a girl is stark and severe.
While there aren’t any graphic scenes, this book tackles incredibly brutal topics. Abuse, rape, murder, slavery, war. These are the horrifying realities of this world. With each new truth revealed as the girls grow into their own powers, the more you are chilled to the core at how this society functions.
“She hadn’t understood it very well when she was still living under Haha-san’s roof, but over the cycles since then she had come to understand the cruel fate that produced the girls with the empty eyes.”
Regardless of the brutality and dark nature of their surroundings, the girls Taka and Mishi are incredible characters. Both strong in their own unique ways, the journeys their lives have taken them on give us a broad view of this country and society. Even though Mishi’s journey seems easier than Taka’s in some aspects, they both have an incredibly difficult road in their futures. Regardless of the difficulty in their paths, though, they are smart, strong, funny, resilient women.
Even though we see only from the perspective of Mishi and Taka, that doesn’t mean we don’t get a good idea of the people in their lives. We are introduced to a wide array of men and women, some good, some evil. They are all complex and unique. The side stories are well developed and even though we don’t know their thoughts, we get a really good sense of who they are based on dialogue and the girls’ observations. Again, this is solid writing.
The main accomplishment of this novel, (outside of the brilliant character development and fantastic world building, is that throughout the very dark and brutal topics woven into this society), these girls never lose hope. This is such an amazing novel of the strength of finding yourself and resiliency. No matter what is thrown at them, they never lose faith that they are fighting for a better future. And it made the book an amazing read!
“How can anything about me surprise you, when you know absolutely nothing about me?”
In addition to creating this divine landscape and these incredible characters, the book itself is gorgeous. Each section has a haiku written for it, and the chapters have Japanese characters depicting the timeframes they take place in. It just feels balanced and beautiful. The physical layout of the book is as poetic as the writing.
I haven’t been as enthralled in a world like this in a long time. This novel is simply phenomenal. As both a fan of fantasy and dystopian, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves either genre. The themes and topics are difficult but eerily relevant to not just history, but our present as well. This book would be fantastic for a book club. There are so many detailed and complex topics to explore. I cannot wait to dive into the second book, and will be looking for this author in the future.
I received a copy of this book from Rockstar Book Tours to read in preparation for for m participating in their tour of the sequel, Traitor’s Hope. I was not required to review it.
What an incredible book! Blade’s Edge is such a phenomenal story. A fantasy world built with similarities to feudal Japan, but written with such intensity that it mirrors a dystopian novel. I was immediately swept into the enormity of this world and immersed in the beauty and horror of these characters lives.
To be a woman in Gensokai, the island that this story takes place on, is a terrible fate. We don’t know the details, but learn that the actions of one powerful female Kisoshi have damned the future of all females for the past one thousand cycles. It is dangerous to be a girl. Even more dangerous to be born a girl with any detectable kiso.
“Fear can be a powerful destructive force.”
Kiso is the ability to manipulate energy. People have various levels of kiso and some are stronger than others. Once trained, they test to become kisoshi and can move up to higher ranks. At the beginning of the book, we get a glossary of terms and even a forward by the author ensuring that while this may feel and sounds like pieces of Japanese history and culture, this is entirely fantasy.
I will say that this is an instance when having the physical copy would have been enormously helpful. I find it a pain to toggle to an index with a kindle, and would have preferred to simply be able to turn the pages.
That said, the terms and their uses are so thorough that I didn’t feel lost while reading, or really feel that I needed to flip to know the terms. You learn them quickly as you read and by the end, they are as much a part of the story as if you had known the definition all along. That is quite an accomplishment in writing!
The story is written entirely from two main characters, Taka and Mishi, both female. We do get a third perspective thrown in from a woman we are introduced to who plays a larger role later in the book. Given how dreary this world is from a female perspective, it was a nice touch to only show us the viewpoint of female characters. It really focuses on how awful and male driven this society is. It isn’t just the power that the men hold. It is the way they look down on women, dismissing them as not being worthy of any respect or worth the air they breathe.
“It was clever work really, the work that the instructors put into making the girls fearful, then timid… wouldn’t that timidity eventually lead to self doubt?”
This book reads a bit like The Last Airbender blended with The Handmaid’s Tale. The fantasy portion of this book is incredible. Amazing world building with such vivid descriptions of the sweeping landscapes that you practically smell the forest and feel the mountain breezes. The elemental magic and magical beings are very creative and come to life on the page. But the portions that depict life as a woman, are so bleak, it’s nauseating. The contrast between the beauty of the land and the horror of life as a girl is stark and severe.
While there aren’t any graphic scenes, this book tackles incredibly brutal topics. Abuse, rape, murder, slavery, war. These are the horrifying realities of this world. With each new truth revealed as the girls grow into their own powers, the more you are chilled to the core at how this society functions.
“She hadn’t understood it very well when she was still living under Haha-san’s roof, but over the cycles since then she had come to understand the cruel fate that produced the girls with the empty eyes.”
Regardless of the brutality and dark nature of their surroundings, the girls Taka and Mishi are incredible characters. Both strong in their own unique ways, the journeys their lives have taken them on give us a broad view of this country and society. Even though Mishi’s journey seems easier than Taka’s in some aspects, they both have an incredibly difficult road in their futures. Regardless of the difficulty in their paths, though, they are smart, strong, funny, resilient women.
Even though we see only from the perspective of Mishi and Taka, that doesn’t mean we don’t get a good idea of the people in their lives. We are introduced to a wide array of men and women, some good, some evil. They are all complex and unique. The side stories are well developed and even though we don’t know their thoughts, we get a really good sense of who they are based on dialogue and the girls’ observations. Again, this is solid writing.
The main accomplishment of this novel, (outside of the brilliant character development and fantastic world building, is that throughout the very dark and brutal topics woven into this society), these girls never lose hope. This is such an amazing novel of the strength of finding yourself and resiliency. No matter what is thrown at them, they never lose faith that they are fighting for a better future. And it made the book an amazing read!
“How can anything about me surprise you, when you know absolutely nothing about me?”
In addition to creating this divine landscape and these incredible characters, the book itself is gorgeous. Each section has a haiku written for it, and the chapters have Japanese characters depicting the timeframes they take place in. It just feels balanced and beautiful. The physical layout of the book is as poetic as the writing.
I haven’t been as enthralled in a world like this in a long time. This novel is simply phenomenal. As both a fan of fantasy and dystopian, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves either genre. The themes and topics are difficult but eerily relevant to not just history, but our present as well. This book would be fantastic for a book club. There are so many detailed and complex topics to explore. I cannot wait to dive into the second book, and will be looking for this author in the future.
I received a copy of this book from Rockstar Book Tours to read in preparation for for m participating in their tour of the sequel, Traitor’s Hope. I was not required to review it.
January 17, 2015
Blade's Edge is a Japenese-styled coming of age fantasy adventure, in which two young girls must master their mysterious powers and come together to defeat an evil oppressive regime. It moves along at a pleasing speed, introduces a range of characters who manage to be memorable to the reader without labouring the point, does a good job of making hand-to-hand combat sequences work on the page and features an interesting visualisation of magic as "kiso" that helps distinguish it from other similar books.
There's a slightly odd few bits where dragons and talking trees show up which are enjoyable in themselves but feel a bit set apart from the rest of the world, and I'd have liked more material with the two leads in the same place. Nonetheless, a strong standalone adventure which flies by without seeming rushed, boring or predictable. Recommended.
There's a slightly odd few bits where dragons and talking trees show up which are enjoyable in themselves but feel a bit set apart from the rest of the world, and I'd have liked more material with the two leads in the same place. Nonetheless, a strong standalone adventure which flies by without seeming rushed, boring or predictable. Recommended.
February 23, 2016
A tale of Two Girls
Sometimes a little gem slips through and sparkles amongst others almost as worthy. This pleasant read was well presented and well written and I was most impressed with the amount of purported Japanese that was used throughout the whole adventure. As i'm sadly no expert I dont know if it was properly done, but it sounded so real and felt correct and made the storyline come to life and flow even more.. I could write more but there's no need, just read the book and see what I mean. It would be nice if there was a further book to find out how the girls got on in life.
Review copy provided my Netgalley in exchange for an honest Review
Sometimes a little gem slips through and sparkles amongst others almost as worthy. This pleasant read was well presented and well written and I was most impressed with the amount of purported Japanese that was used throughout the whole adventure. As i'm sadly no expert I dont know if it was properly done, but it sounded so real and felt correct and made the storyline come to life and flow even more.. I could write more but there's no need, just read the book and see what I mean. It would be nice if there was a further book to find out how the girls got on in life.
Review copy provided my Netgalley in exchange for an honest Review
May 1, 2015
This was a different kind of book for me but I enjoyed it. It was interesting to see how the girls each went different ways and were trained differently. I very much enjoyed each time Mishi woke up from using her fire Kiso the firsthand thing she saw was teeth! I liked Tatsu, such a nice dragon, the end was my favorite part. The uprising and the battle and the friends stood together and won.
Thank you for letting me read your book:)
Thank you for letting me read your book:)
November 29, 2015
Girls with skills. I like the book already. I think this book had a great plot and good characters. I think the bond the girls had is a great touch to the book. This book kept my interest so to me that is worth the read. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
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