#mlwang

Takeru Matsuda

No one was making fanart for the series yet, so I decided to make one

I got my Sword of Kaigen swag from @officialtheonite pre-ordering the book! I even got a little handwritten note from @mdotldotwang, which was super cool!

Since no one warned me, I’m here for the people! DO NOT READ THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU HAVE A FULL DAY TO YOURSELF! I MEAN IT!

(Spoilers ahead sweetie)

I started reading this book as I usually do, all happy and excited to enter a new world but then, the worst enemy of any reader came to visit- Life! And this isn't the kind of book you can read while doing your everyday activities , oh no sir, because then you'll find yourself crying your eyes out on a bus on your way to work and trust me, it is as embarrassing as it sounds.

I started the book completely blank, aside from the awesome reviews I had read. They said this book was the best they’d ever read and that it was completely underrated. As the pretentious little book reader that I am, I wanted to judge for myself. Frankly, I think "The Sword of Kaigen" is a really well-made and thoroughly thought-out story!

I saw that the author started writing this series when she was twelve, so it's no wonder she knew her characters inside and out. Each character had unique traits that made them well-developed individuals. None of them were perfect, and I often found myself frustrated with their behavior, but their imperfections made them feel more human to me, rather than just words on a page.

The world-building of the story had some issues. I noticed some plot holes and unrealistic settings that bothered me. For example, the story was set in a place that seemed like the Tokugawa Period but included electricity. This seemed contradictory as I expected the setting to be more advanced and modern. Additionally, there was a TV in the characters' home, but none of them had phones or computers, which seemed odd.

Another issue was with the whole Emperor plot. The Matsudas were the reason the Emperor could continue to rule, yet he still treated them poorly even after they were nearly wiped out. I understand that it was a way to show how the emperor didn't care about his people, but I expected at least a bit of political hypocrisy where they would be publicly thanked, ensuring the soldiers' unconditional loyalty to the government by providing them with goods and services Bluh bluh bluh.

In my opinion, the relationships are the reason this book was so good- the children, the mothers, the newly formed family. The redemption arcs and the bond between mother and child that has shattered my heart.

(I am not lying, I literally cried for an entire hour and couldn't function normally the next day).

It was then I realized that M.L. Wang was no ordinary author. She had a way of tugging at your heartstrings and manipulating them at will. I felt like a puppet in her Avatar-like story, and I don't think I'll ever recover. The grief was so intense that it was agonizing for me to continue reading and see how everyone coped after losing such an important character whom I had grown to love within 200 pages when there are characters I can't seem to like after two whole books!

I want to mention that the fight scenes were incredibly well-written and detailed. I typically skip battle scenes in books because I find it hard to imagine them, but M. L. Wang's descriptions were so vivid and thorough that I felt like I was right there fighting alongside the characters. Amazing writing.

I am genuinely curious about the future M. L. Wang envisioned her characters however, it is uncertain when we will get more books from this world she has created.

The Sword of Kaigen is a compelling and heart shattering novel based in what feels like a futuristic Japanese inspired planet called Duna. SoK follows the events of the Matsuda family and their traditional town as they shift from blind patriotism to having their eyes forcibly opened to the truths of an empire they swore to defend. Our main characters are Misaki Mastuda,  Mamoru Matsuda, Takeru Matsuda. The fantasy elements to this stand alone are akin to Avatar The Last Airbender as those born with an ability can control certain elements. What I think sets this apart is that M.L Wang takes this a step further and shows you all the more interesting ways you can use these elements. The culture and world building is immersive. There is also a map and key in the front and back of the book to help you keep up with all the cool details and people.

M. L. Wang is not afraid to hurt you or her characters. I cried several times and took solace in knowing the characters' tears (and my own) watered the growth that occurred throughout this book. I made the poor choice of listening to some of this on the way to work one day and was ugly crying in traffic for 20 minutes. The Sword of Kaigen is not predictable. One moment you think a character is done for and the next they are literally tearing at their own flesh to get a piece of the action. The author gives you time to get to know your main cast so they are three dimensional. You will get to see the same moments from their point of view which is helpful in understanding them. As a martial artist, the writer created these fight scenes so beautifully that it's easy to imagine. Mamouru is a wonderful kid and I really enjoyed his character, very lovable. Misaki is complex, motherly and a bit chaotic. Takeru is like the sea, there's a harsh world inside him that is distant yet connected and I implore readers to give him time. 

This book is large and gets into the drama fairly quickly with lovely hints leading up to it. The pacing is steady for the most part. It has lots of flashbacks and lore which I personally love but I understand it's not everyone's cup of tea. Please stop reading from here if you don't want spoilers! Once the main battle is over and the story shifts to more of a mental struggle the pacing falters a bit. Takeru’s growth felt unnatural to me and though some of it makes sense, the amount of growth he had in such a small period of time felt rushed. I found it odd that for as much as Misaki wants to break these feminine stereotypes she still pushes toxic masculinity like, “be a man” on Takeru. That chunk of the book felt off to me. That being said, I still enjoyed the book all in all. The ending did a really fantastic job in tying up all questions while leaving readers with some open ended ones that could easily lead into another book. At the end of the day I think this book deserves to be an anime, it would do well and could compete with something like Demon Slayer.