Review: The Sword of Kaigen

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I won't tell you much about the plot of this book, as much of my enjoyment of it came from not knowing where the plot would go. I can tell you, though, that it's a story about secrets, war, family, and coming of age. The story chiefly follows the Matsudas, a family with a heritage of god-like war prowess that lives on Takayubi, a mountain on the coast of Kaigen. While Takayubi seems like a serene place of traditions and a simple way of life, it is historically thought of as the first line of defense against foreign aggressors--specifically, the Ranganese.

The Sword of Kaigen shines brightest in its depth of worldbuilding and its dynamic characters. Wang tells the story of the great warrior families of Takayubi with a clear, confident voice. This story is as broad as it is deep, and it speaks to Wang's capability as a writer that she is able to handle it with graceful prose.

After reading this, I am definitely interested to read more of Wang's Theonite tales. Being able to rent this book for free on Kindle with Amazon Prime is an absolute steal.

P.S. Being on the Kindle edition, I didn't realize that there is a glossary at the back of the book. Using that would have really helped me keep track of everything. The thorough worldbuilding and use of in-world language makes Sword of Kaigen dense, so I highly recommend you refer to the glossary as needed.

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