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3rd out of 124 books
—
171 voters
Sea of Shadow (The Twelve Kingdoms #1)
For high-schooler Yoko Nakajima, life has been fairly ordinary--that is until Keiki, a young man with golden hair, tells Yoko they must return to their kingdom. Once confronted by this mysterious being and whisked away to an unearthly realm, Yoko is left with only a magical sword; a gem; and a million questions about her destiny, the world she's trapped in, and the world s...more
Hardcover, 464 pages
Published
March 13th 2007
by PopFiction
(first published June 1992)
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79th out of 783 books
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609 voters
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Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com
Yoko Nakajima is the perfect daughter. She's a good student, she always does what she's told, she never complains, she never calls attention to herself -- perfect. Except for her red hair that stands out everywhere in Japan, but no one can explain that one. Aside from that, she's perfect. So, when she starts falling asleep in class, it's surprising to everyone. If it weren't for those terrifying dreams, maybe she could get some sleep at night. And...more
Yoko Nakajima is the perfect daughter. She's a good student, she always does what she's told, she never complains, she never calls attention to herself -- perfect. Except for her red hair that stands out everywhere in Japan, but no one can explain that one. Aside from that, she's perfect. So, when she starts falling asleep in class, it's surprising to everyone. If it weren't for those terrifying dreams, maybe she could get some sleep at night. And...more
Sometimes a publisher wanting to cash in on a popular genre is actually a good thing. The author of the Twelve Kingdoms series, Fuyumi Ono, is usually at home in the genres of horror and mystery, which maybe explains the detailed gorey descriptions during the fighting scenes. Her editor suggested to her to visit the fantasy genre, because it was popular at that moment, and Ono ended up creating one of the major works of modern Asian Fantasy.
At the beginning, main character Yoko is very annoying....more
At the beginning, main character Yoko is very annoying....more
This is quite a surprising, whirlwind read. After having viewed the first half of the anime, I did not think I was going to like the main character, Nakajima Yoko any more in the novel. However, I was very impressed at the level of detail and rich history that Ono Fuyumi has woven into this story of the Twelve Kingdoms which spans over seven volumes (only the first two have been translated into English thus far).
Ordinary schoolgirl Nakajima Yoko gets drawn into a world of demons, danger, mystery...more
Ordinary schoolgirl Nakajima Yoko gets drawn into a world of demons, danger, mystery...more
Sep 30, 2008
Rebecca
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
modern-earth
Yoko Nakajima is a Japanese high schooler. Her main defining trait seems to be that she wants to make everyone happy, which leaves her with all the spine of a wet noodle. After being dropped into a fantasy country with the clothes on her back, a sword, and a spirit that lets her use it, this personality trait is not going to help her out.
One reason I really liked Sea of Shadow was that Yoko showed a great deal of character evolution through the book. Her journey teaches her to both become self-r...more
One reason I really liked Sea of Shadow was that Yoko showed a great deal of character evolution through the book. Her journey teaches her to both become self-r...more
There’s a lot of fantasy fiction out there, mostly consisting of orcs and elves and manly heroes. Problem is, who wants to read “World of Warcraft” when you can play it instead? And some authors seem stuck on emulating J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythology.
Fuyumi Ono, however, creates an unchartered world for our imaginations to explore. She introduces us to Yoko, a studious high-school girl who obeys her parents and her peers. Only problem is, she’s having a recurring nightmare that intensifies with each...more
Fuyumi Ono, however, creates an unchartered world for our imaginations to explore. She introduces us to Yoko, a studious high-school girl who obeys her parents and her peers. Only problem is, she’s having a recurring nightmare that intensifies with each...more
I recently watched the animated television series based on these books, and really enjoyed it. I soon found out that the books (a seven book series originally written in Japanese 1991-2001) were being released in English. So I decided to picked up the first in the series. I was hoping for more content and story than presented in the TV series, but the TV series followed this first book closely. However, the TV series does leave a few loss ends, and the books are suppose to resolve them; however,...more
I find this book to be rather predictable, in all honesty. It's a rather standard girl is transported into magical world story. The most interesting part by far is Yoko in the forest. She's stranded in the magical world without any means to care for herself, friends or idea of where she is. She does have the means to defend herself. She soon lears that people can't be trusted to help her, that they will cheat and lie to herShe fights to make peace with the world and the idea that though people w...more
With the Twelve Kingdoms series, Fuyumi Ono has created a high fantasy universe on a par with the more familiar medieval European milieu. Her "Middle Earth" springs out of ancient China, and boasts a highly complex cultural and political system, interwoven with the "rational" use of magic.
At the same time, the trilogy of novels covering Youko's adventure is a classic exploration of the hero's journey (or "monomyth"). The moral evolution of her character, symbolized by her encounters with the har...more
At the same time, the trilogy of novels covering Youko's adventure is a classic exploration of the hero's journey (or "monomyth"). The moral evolution of her character, symbolized by her encounters with the har...more
Apr 09, 2009
Verbera Rules
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who loved the anime, fantasy fans
Shelves:
fantasy
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A great book based on the anime series Twelve Kingdoms (or the series was based on the book, I am not sure which to be honest).
This story focuses on a young girl named Yoko. A standard Japanese girl who works hard to fit in with others. One day a man appears before her, along with Fantastical beasts. She is whisked away to a different world by this man called Keiki. Before she is whisked away she is told it is for her ow safety and those around her and that she can always be returned home later...more
This story focuses on a young girl named Yoko. A standard Japanese girl who works hard to fit in with others. One day a man appears before her, along with Fantastical beasts. She is whisked away to a different world by this man called Keiki. Before she is whisked away she is told it is for her ow safety and those around her and that she can always be returned home later...more
The book is fascinating , despite a somewhat too ordinary beginning.
However I'm a bit disappointed at the English Translation by Alexander O. Smith. It seems that he constantly removes Yoko's thinking voice , marked by the italic font, as he wants.
let's take a few paragraphs from "Sea of shadow" and compare it with the French translation:
La pluie tombait comme de fins filaments qu'une main géante aurait semés du ciel. Yôko restait étendue, la joue posée dans la flaque, incapable due moindre mouv...more
However I'm a bit disappointed at the English Translation by Alexander O. Smith. It seems that he constantly removes Yoko's thinking voice , marked by the italic font, as he wants.
let's take a few paragraphs from "Sea of shadow" and compare it with the French translation:
La pluie tombait comme de fins filaments qu'une main géante aurait semés du ciel. Yôko restait étendue, la joue posée dans la flaque, incapable due moindre mouv...more
This book was a BLAST, omg.
On the downside: the prose was a bit flat and clunky (once again, no idea if this was a matter of translation or not), but it wasn't too bad. The decision to just... skip the whole battle scene at the very end was completely inexplicable - really, I cannot understand why the battle wasn't shown. That was just a bizarre decision that made the ending a bit anti-climatic. Info-dumps were present, but remained engaging enough, and honestly I don't know how they could have...more
On the downside: the prose was a bit flat and clunky (once again, no idea if this was a matter of translation or not), but it wasn't too bad. The decision to just... skip the whole battle scene at the very end was completely inexplicable - really, I cannot understand why the battle wasn't shown. That was just a bizarre decision that made the ending a bit anti-climatic. Info-dumps were present, but remained engaging enough, and honestly I don't know how they could have...more
Mar 19, 2010
Lir Feuerschein
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fantasy fans
Recommended to Lir by:
kitschprinzessin
In Short: Aside from its really boring/typical beginning, I actually quite enjoyed reading the book. Give the book about 50 pages and it will intrigue you! :D
In Detail:
As I said before, it was a good read. This is not necessarily because of the story alone but also due to the character development the protagonist undergoes in the course of the events and storyline.
THE MAIN CHARACTER is likable, but also has her flaws and weaknesses.
Her strengths are not too supernatural but human character trait...more
In Detail:
As I said before, it was a good read. This is not necessarily because of the story alone but also due to the character development the protagonist undergoes in the course of the events and storyline.
THE MAIN CHARACTER is likable, but also has her flaws and weaknesses.
Her strengths are not too supernatural but human character trait...more
Going into this, I had seen some episodes of the anime adaptation, so I already knew a fair chunk of the story in this first volume. So I'm not sure how this book would read to someone who went into it cold.
The protagonist, Yoko, was well done. It was nice to see a protagonist who neither wallows in her misery the whole time, nor acts like the ultimate badass right from the get-go. She struggles with what is dealt her way, but ultimately rises up against her troubles.
Yoko felt like a believable...more
The protagonist, Yoko, was well done. It was nice to see a protagonist who neither wallows in her misery the whole time, nor acts like the ultimate badass right from the get-go. She struggles with what is dealt her way, but ultimately rises up against her troubles.
Yoko felt like a believable...more
My first review, so sorry if it sucks.
I attempted to read it once, but couldn't get into it. Circumstances left me with nothing to do one evening except read this book. I felt like the first part of the book dragged a bit as the characters and setting were established, but near the middle it really started to get interesting. The ending of the novel makes me think that the next books in the series will be even more interesting.
I found the protagonist to be an interesting girl, and the rest of t...more
I attempted to read it once, but couldn't get into it. Circumstances left me with nothing to do one evening except read this book. I felt like the first part of the book dragged a bit as the characters and setting were established, but near the middle it really started to get interesting. The ending of the novel makes me think that the next books in the series will be even more interesting.
I found the protagonist to be an interesting girl, and the rest of t...more
I have already read all books of this entire series in Japanese. Fuyumi Ono is especially one of some Japanese authors I like. I was glad that those books would be translated into English because I was able to practice reading of English with using novels I like.
If you have watched the animation of this series and have liked that interpretation of the world so much, I would want you to read this book really. Performances of voice actress and actors are also fascination, and I also like its sound...more
If you have watched the animation of this series and have liked that interpretation of the world so much, I would want you to read this book really. Performances of voice actress and actors are also fascination, and I also like its sound...more
I loved the Juuni Kokki anime and have slowly been working my way through one of the later novels in this series, but picked up this first book when I saw it at the library. It's a great story, with a complex and detailed world filled with adventure, demons, and political intrigue.
However, I think if I had not already seen the anime and knew how characters change and develop, I would have been pretty annoyed with Youko, who spends pretty much the entire book being helpless and whiny. But at lea...more
However, I think if I had not already seen the anime and knew how characters change and develop, I would have been pretty annoyed with Youko, who spends pretty much the entire book being helpless and whiny. But at lea...more
This is a world of great depth; it's obvious author Fuyumi Ono has planned our discovery of the Twelve Kingdoms. Fans of the anime will find this first novel of the series a bit slow, as the anime seems to have condensed the story to fit several novels in each season, but first-time readers will enjoy this first tour of this exotic world.
The weak point of this story is Yoko's lingering experience in the wilderness; it felt a bit like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, in the sense of dragging...more
The weak point of this story is Yoko's lingering experience in the wilderness; it felt a bit like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, in the sense of dragging...more
I was eager to read the book series the moment I saw a translation arrive at the bookstore. I had watched the animated series, which came to the USA much earlier in the 2000s.
The translation is written with the care of an original work, painting a gritty re-awakening for Yoko as she travels through the new world of the Twelve Kingdoms. It's a solidly spun tale of woman vs. herself, as all of us should wonder if we are as good a person we assume ourselves to be, Yoko lives it in extreme circumst...more
The translation is written with the care of an original work, painting a gritty re-awakening for Yoko as she travels through the new world of the Twelve Kingdoms. It's a solidly spun tale of woman vs. herself, as all of us should wonder if we are as good a person we assume ourselves to be, Yoko lives it in extreme circumst...more
Aw man, another series I need to read front to back. I'll leave the plot synopsis to the book's main page, but in general, this is a terrific action-adventure. The main character is highly dynamic, and is quite the poor protagonist in the beginning, and the storytelling during the "go to the mountain to learn yourself" stuff was great fun.
I did some looking ahead, and while there are 7 books in the series, only 4 of them have been translated into English. Like so many other things that I like, I...more
I did some looking ahead, and while there are 7 books in the series, only 4 of them have been translated into English. Like so many other things that I like, I...more
This is the first in the series of novels that inspired the anime of the same name. This novel describes the trials and tribulations of Yoko Nakajima, a normal high school girl* who is transported to another world by a strange man named Keiki. Yoko is separated from Keiki and has to fight her way through monsters and growing cynicism before she can discover why she is in this world and whether she can go back home.
For those of you familiar with the anime series, the first novel overlaps with the...more
For those of you familiar with the anime series, the first novel overlaps with the...more
I was really sad when Tokyopop went under, since it meant this series would never get finished. A take on an epic level, this story starts out on earth, with a normal, very boring Japanese girl, Yoko. It then sweeps us into a world of the author's creation, based on a mixture of ancient Chinese and Japanese myths, where people are born from trees and each kingdom is ruled by immortals and mythical beasts. Yoko's story in integral to drawing us into this world. ...My Japanese is never going to be...more
What a fabulous book! I was a little confused by the end of the first chapter, but I really wanted to know what was going to happen next. I loved the way the author developed the character and how we were just as confused about this new world as Youko was. Her survival skills are honed for a world much different than the one she ends up in and it is interesting to see how she begins to cope and change the way she thinks. Nothing like trial by fire! The thing I like about Japanese stories is the...more
Two things stopped me from unreservedly loving this book: Yoko is difficult to root for (read: annoying) in the first two-thirds of the story, and the unavoidable reality that this first entry largely serves as world building. World building is all well and good, but so much of it was (apparently) necessary that the action crawls for much of the book. And heck, flawed protagonists are fine too. But I wanted to reach into the book and shake Yoko when she reached her 'absolute lowest point' for th...more
I watched the anime adaptation of this years ago, and as I found that so impressive, this has been on my to-read list for ages now. A teenage girl being transported to another world is a real staple of Japanese fantasy, and sometimes it can be genuinely magical and at other times it's workmanlike at best. This story falls squarely into the former category - primarily because of the focus on the main character Yoko's inner journey. She starts out quiet, demure and eager to please, and then she pa...more
De toda la series el mejor. Me encanta Yoko, el cambio que hace es espectacular y es muchísimo mejor q el anime. Es el típico de chica-escogida-se-va-a-otro-mundo, el caso es q de guardaespaldas guapos nada, en realidad, si queréis romance aquí no lo encontraréis. Yoko es la típica alumna q no destaca, es buena chica y saca buenas notas pero es un poco... "mojigata" no es la palabra, resulta difícil insultar a un personaje después de haber leído sus pensamientos más íntimos, pero es alguien q no...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow, a book of mystery and a world of new beginnings and prejudice, and a girl that must learn to understand it all.
Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow starts out in Japan in "our world" with a young girl named Yoko. She was taken to a strange world by a mysterious boy named Keiki to the world of the Twelve Kingdoms. Yoko is chased and attacked by strange creatures and is prejudiced against because she is a Kaikyaku (human from our world), though, as time passes she sees f...more
Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow starts out in Japan in "our world" with a young girl named Yoko. She was taken to a strange world by a mysterious boy named Keiki to the world of the Twelve Kingdoms. Yoko is chased and attacked by strange creatures and is prejudiced against because she is a Kaikyaku (human from our world), though, as time passes she sees f...more
Grades: 9 to 11 Genre: Fantasy
Yoko has never really felt that she fits with her family. The strange reddish tint to her hair makes her a stick out in her Japanese school. One day when she is at school, a strange man comes up to her and states that she must come with him. Yoko is terrified of him, but soon after that some strange creatures start to attack her school. The man, Keiki, calls upon strange creatures of his own to defend them. He gives Yoko a sword and tells her to kill the creatures....more
Yoko has never really felt that she fits with her family. The strange reddish tint to her hair makes her a stick out in her Japanese school. One day when she is at school, a strange man comes up to her and states that she must come with him. Yoko is terrified of him, but soon after that some strange creatures start to attack her school. The man, Keiki, calls upon strange creatures of his own to defend them. He gives Yoko a sword and tells her to kill the creatures....more
Three stars for a just average book-- something to kill your reading time with if you have nothing better to do/read.
I read this because I really liked the animated series. The events in the novel are mostly the same, but of course the anime moves much faster.
I found this translation to be rather uninspired. There are no grammatical errors, but the prose is quite dull. The visual medium of the anime does a much better job conveying the actions and setting of this fantasy world.
I read this because I really liked the animated series. The events in the novel are mostly the same, but of course the anime moves much faster.
I found this translation to be rather uninspired. There are no grammatical errors, but the prose is quite dull. The visual medium of the anime does a much better job conveying the actions and setting of this fantasy world.
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| oops!!! | 2 | 45 | Aug 11, 2008 12:05am |
Kanji Name: 小野 不由美.
Fuyumi Ono (小野 不由美, Ono Fuyumi) is a Japanese novelist who is best known for writing the Twelve Kingdoms (十二国記, Juuni Kokuki) series, on which a popular anime is based. Her name after marriage is Fuyumi Uchida (内田不由美, Uchida Fuyumi), but she writes under her maiden name.
Ono was born in Nakatsu, Ōita, Kyūshū in 1960. She graduated from Ōtani University in Kyōto with a degree in B...more
More about Fuyumi Ono...
Fuyumi Ono (小野 不由美, Ono Fuyumi) is a Japanese novelist who is best known for writing the Twelve Kingdoms (十二国記, Juuni Kokuki) series, on which a popular anime is based. Her name after marriage is Fuyumi Uchida (内田不由美, Uchida Fuyumi), but she writes under her maiden name.
Ono was born in Nakatsu, Ōita, Kyūshū in 1960. She graduated from Ōtani University in Kyōto with a degree in B...more
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“Now she realized that she was not peering at a so-dark-blue-it-looked-black ocean, but rather she was looking straight through miles of incredibly clear water at something enormous and black in its nethermost depths. Maybe it was the bottom--so deep that not even light could touch it.
And yet, down in those impossible depths, she thought she could see tiny lights sparkling. She stared uncertainly at the tiny glimmerings. They seemed almost like scattered grains of sand lit from within; in some places they clustered like colonies, faint and twinkling.
Like stars...”
—
3 people liked it
More quotes…
And yet, down in those impossible depths, she thought she could see tiny lights sparkling. She stared uncertainly at the tiny glimmerings. They seemed almost like scattered grains of sand lit from within; in some places they clustered like colonies, faint and twinkling.
Like stars...”
Nov 24, 2008 10:29am