Published: February 2019
Pages: 651
Summary
A mother struggling to repress her violent past,
A son struggling to grasp his violent future,
A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.
When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?
High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’
Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.
Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.
My thoughts
When I read this book earlier this year I posted a review on Goodreads; ‘My heart is in agony after what this book has put it through. The writing is so incredibly beautiful, thought provoking, immersive. So many important themes not just touched on but explored, I am so incredibly impressed.’ And now.. writing this more detailed review for a new blog, my heart is in pain thinking of this story and it’s characters.
“A student like you, who can absorb what he is told but also think beyond it, is capable of anything.”
It’s not often I find a book that I get so overly consumed by, that even now months later, it hits me as if I’ve just read that final page. Perhaps it’s because of where I was in my life when I read this. Maybe it’s the beautiful, yet humanly flawed characters that we get to really dive into and get to know. Either way, Wang is a master of words and let me explain why.
This novel plunged me into a richly imagined world inspired by Japanese mythology. We follow Misaki, a young woman from a warrior clan, forced to confront her past and embrace her true identity. However, we also get to see through her son’s perspective, and I thoroughly enjoyed this dual POV. The impact of seeing these events through a mother and son feels incredibly intimate and I genuinely felt my heart wrench for the both of them.
This is a heavy book. In the sense that the topics, themes, behaviours, are incredibly raw and at times, hard to stomach. Misaki is a strong woman, yes she’s a trained fighter, but I’m speaking more of her sacrifice, resilience and will. We watch her grow and develop, and I found my own assumptions and way of thinking changing with her. What I felt so strongly about at the start of this book was completely different by the end, and I applaud Wang for her storytelling to take a reader on such a journey.
But the themes here are challenging. We see a society where men are the heads of family, and women are the housewives expected to deliver baby boys to continue the family name. Girls, and women in general, are held to a lowly standard. Not to be mistaken with poor treatment, they are treated as fellow human beings, they are not harmed in a physical sense. However, they are mistreated in the sense that their worth is limited to caregiver and baby carriers. They are not taken seriously, and this is so engrained in society that most, if not all, women believe it too.
But we see the impact this has. Women feel like failures to their husbands for having a baby girl. Women feel inadequate and instantly they always set the blame on themselves. Misaki is breaking that mould and that causes fear in many of the other women. Misaki’s loneliness was a pit in my stomach.
Sometimes she found it difficult to believe that the brothers could have shared a roof with her all these years and not picked up on her combat background. Then again, it was very possible that the sexism inherent to their upbringing had created a blind spot so opaque that they weren’t capable of recognizing those abilities in a woman
Misaki and Mamoru each have their own inner turmoil and challenges to face, yet through the story we see them grow closer together. Supporting each other, enabling them to challenge the status quo and feel.. hope? This mother and son only want what’s best for each other, but are grappling with their feelings, especially in this environment looming with war.
“Yes, my son. I’m proud of you.”
“I’m not sure I’m worthy of your pride,” Mamoru said with a smile, “but I will be. Just wait.”
The worldbuilding here is also incredibly expansive. For some this may be too much, but I loved it. Wang brought this world to life to the point I felt I was standing right there next to the characters. She crafted distinct cultures, languages, magic systems and political landscapes, it was completely immersive and with such depth and originality.
Throughout this story we learn more of Mamoru and his struggles. The magic system here is tied to bloodlines and personal beliefs, which adds a layer of complexity to this story. As Mamoru discovers new information, we see this new and growing insight battle with his responsibility as part of the famous Matsuda family.
“You learn over time that the world isn’t broken. It’s just… got more pieces to it than you thought. They all fit together, just maybe not the way you pictured when you were young.”
This is such an engaging, intricate plot and I wish I could read it again for the first time.
Would I recommend?
Absolutely yes. The Sword of Kaigen is phenomenal. Wang has such an incredibly talent for world-building, and the character development shines through, creating a captivating and memorable reading experience. This book gutted my heart and wrenched at my soul. I think about this book often and would love to talk about it with someone.