The Sword of Kaigen

This book is the June read for the Sword and Laser podcast. The Sword of Kaigen is a fantasy war story set in a country that feels very similar to Japan. The plot follows a traditional warrior family who are trying to make their family customs and traditions stay true while technology begins to appear in their lives. The various warrior societies have access to magic connected to various elemental forces (water, fire, air, etc). (If you mash up a samurai story with The Last Airbender you're probably in about the right zone.) We follow a few of the family members in particular and in so doing learn about the world and the particular family dynamics.

I seem to have been on a streak of somewhat dark books, and this one is no exception. Obviously, when the title involves the words “sword” and “war story,” you should probably expect some violence is going to be included. In general, I liked this book, and it managed to really surprise me a few times. But there were a few issues with the plot/writing that were a bit heavy/clumsy and took me out of the story at times. Overall, though, a good book!