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Fated Blades #1
Daughter of the Sword
ANCIENT POWER
As the only female detective in Tokyo’s most elite police unit, Mariko Oshiro has to fight for every ounce of respect, especially from her new boss. But when he gives her the least promising case possible—the attempted theft of an old samurai sword—it proves more dangerous than anyone on the force could have imagined.
The owner of the sword, Professor Yasuo Yamada, says it was crafted by the legendary Master Inazuma, a sword smith whose blades are rumored to have magical qualities. The man trying to steal it already owns another Inazuma—one whose deadly power eventually comes to control all who wield it.
Mariko’s investigation has put her on a collision course with a curse centuries old and as bloodthirsty as ever. She is only the latest in a long line of warriors and soldiers to confront this power, and even the sword she learns to wield could turn against her.
As the only female detective in Tokyo’s most elite police unit, Mariko Oshiro has to fight for every ounce of respect, especially from her new boss. But when he gives her the least promising case possible—the attempted theft of an old samurai sword—it proves more dangerous than anyone on the force could have imagined.
The owner of the sword, Professor Yasuo Yamada, says it was crafted by the legendary Master Inazuma, a sword smith whose blades are rumored to have magical qualities. The man trying to steal it already owns another Inazuma—one whose deadly power eventually comes to control all who wield it.
Mariko’s investigation has put her on a collision course with a curse centuries old and as bloodthirsty as ever. She is only the latest in a long line of warriors and soldiers to confront this power, and even the sword she learns to wield could turn against her.
468 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
July 26, 2013
I am somewhat at a loss for words to explain why, exactly, Daughter of the Sword was an emotional miss.
The story begins with a look inside Fuchida's head as he heads out to kill someone. Fuchida is an ambitious member of the yakuza, the Japanese mafia, and has an unnatural affection for his sword. We're next dropped into a scene of a group of Tokyo's cops on a drug bust, led by Mariko, the only female detective in the unit. Raised in America, Mariko is doubly an outsider in the department, and a younger sister with a drug problem doesn't help.
A character-focused sequence on the antagonist, and an action-focused sequence on the protagonist didn't allow for developing character affinity. By the time I felt myself mildly interested in Mariko, Bein drops us into Japan's distant past, 1308 C.E., into the heads of a pair of married samurai and the sword Beautiful Singer. What the time shift really seems to be doing is giving us the background on a mysterious sword first introduced during Fuchida's section. But I found myself equally interested in the role of the female samurai, Hisami, as she sought to maintain honor for her husband and their clan.
When it ends, we drop back into Fuchida's head, followed by an expanded stay in Mariko's storyline. Witnessing her negotiate family relationships and struggle with her supervisor as he assigns her to a seemingly minor case is the first chance to really get a sense of her story and the modern plot conflict. An extended historical sequence follows, and while I found myself somewhat annoyed by the time shift, the story of a pair of brothers and their interactions with the sword Glorious Victory was engaging. Once it ends, it is back to modern Japan, one last time-shift, and then a climactic scene in modern Japan.
Bein is clearly a competent writer, and yet there is something missing, particularly in the ability to engage the reader's emotions. Its worth noting that in the Afterword, he identifies his extensive background in philosophy. Perhaps it is trained disengagement that prevents connection, perhaps it is that he isn't sure if he wants to tell the story of the "fated blades" or of the people drawn to them--I'm not quite sure whose story I'm reading.
Characterization was one of the weaker links. Mariko's character feels a little exaggerated all the way through; supposedly dedicated and driven, she misses obvious opportunities with her informer; supposedly tortured by her past, I never really got a sense of her experiences and her history, beyond her motivation to stay in Japan to honor her dead father; supposedly controlling, she loses her temper at work in various situations and forgets her aikido skills on stakeout. The multilayered interactions with her sister felt the most realistic of all of her dialogue, but were too few to carry the character through the book. Her tutor feels a little tropey with shades of Mr. Miyagi, the wise Asian teacher in disguise.
Surprisingly, the historical sections felt the most engaging. Perhaps its the gestalt that doesn't work in this case: although plotted well enough to draw the timelines together through the different swords and (minor spoiler) it still ends up feeling disjointed in the overall storytelling--too many people, too many swords. Perhaps its the problem of maintaining writer voice through the different periods--Mariko's colloquialisms and swearing were jarring in their contrast with historical Japan.
There's also a feeling of trying to be different, as if a couple of plot choices were made that were incongruent with the mysticism built for the swords and the characters. It was extremely disappointing to discover Fuchida .
What was enjoyable was the unusual take in the urban fantasy genre, the Japanese setting, both current and historical, and the general skill with language. Its worth noting that there was--most thankfully--and absence of romance in the main character's storyline--and a consistently serious tone, both uncommon in the UF genre. I wouldn't rule out reading any other books Bein decides to write, but I'd hope he narrows down his focus a little so that his skills can shine.
"That was the sole logic of the triathlon, and the sole logic of police work as well: no matter how wearisome it became, the difficult life was her sole inoculation against terminal boredom."
Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
April 20, 2013
I don't use the term brilliant much when I'm writing reviews. But this is the term that just keeps coming to mind about this book. I knew I'd appreciate it, because I have an appreciation for Asian culture and people, and swordsmanship; and honestly, something about a book with a woman holding a sword on the cover just pulls me in.
This book speaks to me of a writer who loves Japan, both modern and ancient. Someone who has taken the time to investigate and learn the culture, even to the deepest levels. You can't gain that kind of authenticity any other way.
Bein has taken an idea about three swords crafted by a legendary swordsmith and created a beautifully rich novel around them. While this is labeled as fantasy, the fantasy element is that the swords have animus and their very natures affect the destiny of those around them. Bein cleverly unfolds his story with a combination of past and present narrative. I was a bit worried I would find the historical parts dry, but I didn't. It was fascinating. I realized how little I know about samurai and how bushido affects everything about their lives. The insight into this period was crucial in this novel, because the swords are over nine hundred years old. Since I haven't even lived in cities that old, I can't even conceive of owning something that old! But for a Japanese person, not such a stretch. Now add in the fact that these swords have shaped history in major ways!
It takes some skill to make an inanimate object sinister. But that's exactly what Beautiful Singer is. It's a sword that takes over the owner's mind and leads him hand and headfirst down the path of doom. This is why I don't go in for antiques! The other two swords have their own distinctive natures as well. What was interesting is that the swords can’t make you into something you’re not. They seem to work on the inherent nature of the person. This destiny attached to these swords brings Mariko Oshiro to the front door of elderly Professor Yasuo Yamada, who is the owner of a sword that a violent Yakuza criminal tried to steal. This twisted path could only be destiny, as all the forces send her in the direction of a deep bond with the nearly blind expert swordsman, who takes her on as a student. Because she is the only one who can stop Fuchida, a man who has been seduced by the voice of his own sword, Beautiful Singer.
This book is just so good. It’s amazing how the story just drew me deeper and deeper. I wanted to find out about how these three swords could draw people into relationship with each other from historical to modern times, and not always in a good way. But ultimately, the right people end up in the right places, until we end up in the present with Mariko and Yamada’s story.
If you’re looking for an over-the-top fantasy story with all kinds of out there scenes, this isn’t the book. If you want a book with an excellent narrative building on a concept that seems magical, if you don’t believe in swords that are blessed and cursed, then you’d enjoy this book.
The cultural aspects had major appeal. As I mentioned earlier, the look at bushido and historical samurai was a good learning experience. But equally important was the view into modern Japan. I especially appreciated that the main character was a Japanese woman, who dealt with a society which is profoundly sexist, and she was driven enough to fight for what she wanted and needed in life, even as she ran into stumbling blocks of prejudice within her own agency, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. I admired her drive and determination. I also liked seeing the walls come down between her and Yamada, as she realized that this old man was what she was missing from her life, the companionship and the belief in her that he offered. Yamada, I adored him! No words! I can easily see why Mariko came to love him so much. Relationships can be pigeon-holed because it is the natural way of humans to classify what is hard to define. But they are so complex. They provide what we need in this life in a way that goes way beyond labels. That’s how Yamada and Muriko’s relationship impacted me. And also Keiji and Hayano’s back in the 40s. Heck, all the stories added so much texture to this book.
My feelings for this book are so intricate, that I’m having trouble putting them into words. So I’ll just end by saying I just loved this book so much. It may not hit you the same way, but I hope that others find something to offer them in Daughter of the Sword.
This book speaks to me of a writer who loves Japan, both modern and ancient. Someone who has taken the time to investigate and learn the culture, even to the deepest levels. You can't gain that kind of authenticity any other way.
Bein has taken an idea about three swords crafted by a legendary swordsmith and created a beautifully rich novel around them. While this is labeled as fantasy, the fantasy element is that the swords have animus and their very natures affect the destiny of those around them. Bein cleverly unfolds his story with a combination of past and present narrative. I was a bit worried I would find the historical parts dry, but I didn't. It was fascinating. I realized how little I know about samurai and how bushido affects everything about their lives. The insight into this period was crucial in this novel, because the swords are over nine hundred years old. Since I haven't even lived in cities that old, I can't even conceive of owning something that old! But for a Japanese person, not such a stretch. Now add in the fact that these swords have shaped history in major ways!
It takes some skill to make an inanimate object sinister. But that's exactly what Beautiful Singer is. It's a sword that takes over the owner's mind and leads him hand and headfirst down the path of doom. This is why I don't go in for antiques! The other two swords have their own distinctive natures as well. What was interesting is that the swords can’t make you into something you’re not. They seem to work on the inherent nature of the person. This destiny attached to these swords brings Mariko Oshiro to the front door of elderly Professor Yasuo Yamada, who is the owner of a sword that a violent Yakuza criminal tried to steal. This twisted path could only be destiny, as all the forces send her in the direction of a deep bond with the nearly blind expert swordsman, who takes her on as a student. Because she is the only one who can stop Fuchida, a man who has been seduced by the voice of his own sword, Beautiful Singer.
This book is just so good. It’s amazing how the story just drew me deeper and deeper. I wanted to find out about how these three swords could draw people into relationship with each other from historical to modern times, and not always in a good way. But ultimately, the right people end up in the right places, until we end up in the present with Mariko and Yamada’s story.
If you’re looking for an over-the-top fantasy story with all kinds of out there scenes, this isn’t the book. If you want a book with an excellent narrative building on a concept that seems magical, if you don’t believe in swords that are blessed and cursed, then you’d enjoy this book.
The cultural aspects had major appeal. As I mentioned earlier, the look at bushido and historical samurai was a good learning experience. But equally important was the view into modern Japan. I especially appreciated that the main character was a Japanese woman, who dealt with a society which is profoundly sexist, and she was driven enough to fight for what she wanted and needed in life, even as she ran into stumbling blocks of prejudice within her own agency, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. I admired her drive and determination. I also liked seeing the walls come down between her and Yamada, as she realized that this old man was what she was missing from her life, the companionship and the belief in her that he offered. Yamada, I adored him! No words! I can easily see why Mariko came to love him so much. Relationships can be pigeon-holed because it is the natural way of humans to classify what is hard to define. But they are so complex. They provide what we need in this life in a way that goes way beyond labels. That’s how Yamada and Muriko’s relationship impacted me. And also Keiji and Hayano’s back in the 40s. Heck, all the stories added so much texture to this book.
My feelings for this book are so intricate, that I’m having trouble putting them into words. So I’ll just end by saying I just loved this book so much. It may not hit you the same way, but I hope that others find something to offer them in Daughter of the Sword.
December 25, 2022
💀 DNF at 18%.
This story is so incredibly fascinating and the characters so wonderfully engaging that I'd actually forgotten all about the book, which I
To think I was expecting to read a thrilling UF novel set in a refreshingly original world, with likable, intriguing characters to boot. Hahahahahaha. Goes to show one can be both supremely nefarious and ridiculously naive (or is it ridiculously nefarious and supremely naive? I forget).
Bye now and stuff.
September 13, 2012
Full Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic
ANALYSIS: There are some books that grab your attention because of their blurb or genre details, some books that hook your eyes with their cover art. Yet few books manage to do both and this debut by Steve Bein beckoned me with its blurb details and awesome cover. I was excited and began reading to see how this book would hold up against my curiosity. I couldn’t have ever imagined what was to happen next.
Firstly a few details are necessary in regards to the book, the blurb above does not tell us about the full story that is contained in this book. This book is divided into nine sections that take place is various time eras; the first one is set in the 22nd year of the Heisei era or 2010 C.E. The first story thread is about Mariko Oshiro, the only female detective of the elite Tokyo Metropolitan Police department and her constant struggle in gain respect among the eyes of her peers. She is assigned to a simple probable robbery case wherein she meets professor Yasuo Yamada, who clues her in to the mystery regarding the Inazuma blades. The Second thread is set in 124th year of the Kamakura era or 1308 C.E. and focuses on Saito Toshiro a samurai in the service of lord Asikaga Owari-no-kami Jinzaemon. The story focuses on what happens when he comes across a special Inazuma blade and the carnage that follows.
The Third story jumps to the 20th year of the Azuchi-Momoyama era or 1587 C.E. and centers upon Okuma Daigoro who is bequeathed his father’s sword upon his death and wonders at the reason behind it as familial tensions arise due to that single decision. Lastly the fourth story is set in the 17th year of the Showa era or 1942 C.E. and Kiyama Keiji is the narrative force. A young lieutenant in the Military intelligence wing of the Japanese army, he strives to do right by his country in the time of World War II. He comes across a young girl Hayano Shoji who clarifies the nature of things around him and his sword and sets him on his path to redemption.
This is the main gist of all the four stories occurring in this book, the first thread has five sections devoted to it while the third one gets two sections and the second and fourth has one each. The main reason why this book resonated with me so strongly was because of the excellent characterization that occurred with each new POV voice, they all succeed in making the reader completely engrossed in their specific portion of the story and oblivious to the previous parts you have read. Beginning with Mariko who's trying to fight chauvinism in her department and help professor Yasuo Yamada with his quest, then with Saito and Hiyama as they each try to get to bottom of a mystery. Then we come across Daigoro who has to manage family and his new status and yet try to remain true to his Father's wisdom and lastly Keiji upon whose youthful shoulders rests the future of a nation at war. All four story threads have been impacted by the various Inazuma blades and it was interesting to see which story focussed on which blade. This multifocal character approach made this debut that much more exciting to read and not to mention special!
The story threads all focus on these various characters but behind them are the Inazuma blades that ascertain their characteristics from time to time. Thereby often swaying the characters and the trajectories of their lives. This mystical aspect of the blades is never overtly explained but things happen too much in concert for it to be labeled as simple coincidence. I liked this light-handed authorial touch in making this mystical aspect a natural occurrence of the story without over-emphasizing it and yet the reader will be convinced of their effect. This light paranormal approach to the storyline was very reminiscent of John Connolly’s Charlie Parker books and I hope that Steve Bein will strive to achieve excellence in his craft a la John Connolly. The second aspect of the book that I cherished was how smoothly the story flowed from section to section. The author has presented each tale as a standalone piece and yet there are links tying each the stories intricately to each other. This aspect of separate stories that link together to form a wonderfully enigmatic mosaic was a great way to draw the reader into the world of the Inazuma blades and one which should gain the author many accolades.
Another point that I want to talk about is the world showcased within as well as the author’s research undertaken. The places and times shown in this book are presented very precisely. The details of samurai ways and Japanese culture along with minutiae about swords and sword fighting are interspersed generously throughout the story. This not only enriches the story but also helped me imagine the world as detailed by the author’s prose. I daresay none of it felt like info-dumping at any stage and I was completely absorbed by the author’s focus in presenting several different worlds that are so lushly described within these pages.
Lastly the epic-ness of the story is very much understated but its there. In regards to this factor, I can vouch without worry that this is one of the best debuts I have ever read. Come to think to of it, Its hard to put a genre label on this book. It can be called a contemporary fantasy story or a historical thriller with a supernatural bent to it. In the end all that matters is that this book is simply FANTASTIC and the reader will be thoroughly enthralled by the storyline & characters presented within. On a side and personal note, for years I’ve been trying to get my wife to read SFF books to no avail as she prefers thriller & mysteries only. However with this book I think I can finally get her to come and read the fantas(y)tic side of fiction.
The only smidgen I can think about this book which didn’t fit amidst all the awesomeness of this book, is its ending. It seemed all ends were tied up a bit too neatly (if that can be thought of as a drawback). Everything worked out a bit too perfectly but this is a personal quirk and I'm sure we'll discover further discrepancies associated with the blades in the sequel. This book is supposed to be book one of a series and so it’s obvious that there will be more to follow however should the reader be interested in reading a standalone book. Its safe to say this book can be read as a standalone story and as you reach the last page you can be satisfied with all the plot resolutions offered.
CONCLUSION: Steve Bein’s Daughter Of The Sword is one of those rare debuts that checked all my critical points that I look for in a book. Daughter Of The Sword is an epic story that cannot be precisely defined by genre settings or its blurb. Read it for what it is; an epic tale that heralds the emergence of a major talent. For me Daughter of The Sword is the 2nd best book I have read this year and most importantly one of the best debuts I have ever read. Grab it ASAP and see for yourself why Steve Bein deserves all the praise coming his way…
July 16, 2021
i liked this a lot.
BUT.
as someone whose grandparents, grand-aunts/uncles etc have been affected by the WWII japanese involvement of the philippines... i don't know, man, something just rubbed me the wrong way about implying it was all The Evil Sword's fault that the Bataan Death March happened.
i GET what the author was trying to say, i just think it was... kinda clumsy. we don't need a paranormal curse explanation for the Bataan Death Match and the Rape of Nanking, humans really can just be fucking horrible because humanity has an inherent capacity for being The Fucking Worst. don't need any curses or demons, people can really just be absolute monsters sometimes.
i mean, if a novel came out implying Hitler was Only Bad Because Of An Evil Magic Sword and that's why the Jewish concentration camps and the Holocaust happened, a lot of people would rightfully be rubbed the wrong way.
it's not SUPER OFFENSIVE, or anything. i KNOW bein wasn't literally trying to say Japanese war atrocities were made because of a magical sword. but it rubbed me the wrong way, and maybe it's because my family is Filipino so i'm sensitive about it. i admit that, perhaps i'm being too sensitive. but that's what i feel.
because i understand what bein was TRYING to say and understand he didn't mean anything malicious, he was just a little clumsy; i'm not going to castigate him or this book. as the rating implies, i liked this book a lot.
it is very difficult for an author to switch between the present and a different time frame, because most of the time everyone is all, "why the hell do i care about these people, take me back to the main story." but bein managed it, and i was just as intrigued by the historical chapters as i was by the main, modern day narrative.
there just seemed to be a little something missing. not a lot, just something that prevents this from being propelled to the coveted 5 star rating. maybe it's my Filipino bias being salty (just to clarify, i love Japan, i'm not salty about Japan. i'm salty about a war crime being put down to the influence of an Evil Magic Sword.), maybe it's that i felt mariko was a little contradictory in her characterisation, maybe it's that there wasn't really a Big, Revelatory Plot Twist anywhere.
overall - this is certainly a cut above other books in the genre, and i'd probably recommend it. but the things mentioned above just... ruffled my feathers a little, i suppose.
BUT.
as someone whose grandparents, grand-aunts/uncles etc have been affected by the WWII japanese involvement of the philippines... i don't know, man, something just rubbed me the wrong way about implying it was all The Evil Sword's fault that the Bataan Death March happened.
i GET what the author was trying to say, i just think it was... kinda clumsy. we don't need a paranormal curse explanation for the Bataan Death Match and the Rape of Nanking, humans really can just be fucking horrible because humanity has an inherent capacity for being The Fucking Worst. don't need any curses or demons, people can really just be absolute monsters sometimes.
i mean, if a novel came out implying Hitler was Only Bad Because Of An Evil Magic Sword and that's why the Jewish concentration camps and the Holocaust happened, a lot of people would rightfully be rubbed the wrong way.
it's not SUPER OFFENSIVE, or anything. i KNOW bein wasn't literally trying to say Japanese war atrocities were made because of a magical sword. but it rubbed me the wrong way, and maybe it's because my family is Filipino so i'm sensitive about it. i admit that, perhaps i'm being too sensitive. but that's what i feel.
because i understand what bein was TRYING to say and understand he didn't mean anything malicious, he was just a little clumsy; i'm not going to castigate him or this book. as the rating implies, i liked this book a lot.
it is very difficult for an author to switch between the present and a different time frame, because most of the time everyone is all, "why the hell do i care about these people, take me back to the main story." but bein managed it, and i was just as intrigued by the historical chapters as i was by the main, modern day narrative.
there just seemed to be a little something missing. not a lot, just something that prevents this from being propelled to the coveted 5 star rating. maybe it's my Filipino bias being salty (just to clarify, i love Japan, i'm not salty about Japan. i'm salty about a war crime being put down to the influence of an Evil Magic Sword.), maybe it's that i felt mariko was a little contradictory in her characterisation, maybe it's that there wasn't really a Big, Revelatory Plot Twist anywhere.
overall - this is certainly a cut above other books in the genre, and i'd probably recommend it. but the things mentioned above just... ruffled my feathers a little, i suppose.
January 20, 2018
The main story thread in Daughter of the Sword belongs to policewoman Mariko Ochiro, who has to face off sexism everyday at work.
Her dream is to work in narcotics, but her boss lets her only work on a boring breaking and entering case, involving ancient japanese swords.
These swords seem to have a life of their own and suddenly Mariko has to realize that her case is much bigger than it seemed.
Mariko's story is old in 5 out of 9 larger subsections of the book. The other 4 take us back to ancient times in japanese history and tell the stories of the swords involved.
Overall this was a solid and enjoyable story. For my personal liking it lacked the sense of wonder I seek out in books as the fantastical element is very subtle, which fits the style of the book perfectly though.
As a former student of japanese culture and history, you can imagine that I enjoyed the setting a lot and itfelt good to read a crime mystery set in a non-western country.
Her dream is to work in narcotics, but her boss lets her only work on a boring breaking and entering case, involving ancient japanese swords.
These swords seem to have a life of their own and suddenly Mariko has to realize that her case is much bigger than it seemed.
Mariko's story is old in 5 out of 9 larger subsections of the book. The other 4 take us back to ancient times in japanese history and tell the stories of the swords involved.
Overall this was a solid and enjoyable story. For my personal liking it lacked the sense of wonder I seek out in books as the fantastical element is very subtle, which fits the style of the book perfectly though.
As a former student of japanese culture and history, you can imagine that I enjoyed the setting a lot and itfelt good to read a crime mystery set in a non-western country.
October 4, 2012
Mariko Oshiro is the only female detective in the Tokyo police force something that disgusts her new Lieutenant, but she is determined to prove herself she knows she is as good, better really, then the other cops on the department. She certainly doesn't deserve to be taken off a big case involving a possible cocaine shipment and given a rubbish dead end one in its stead. But she gets stuck with a case involving the theft of a supposedly magicical sword and with its unusual owner the mysterious and elderly Yasuo Yamada. But murders of drug pushers start showing up on the street, murdered by a sword and somehow the big drugs case and her attempted robbery all seem to link up, it almost seems like destiny.
What a fascinating book this was! Magic swords and samurai set alongside drugs and modern Tokyo and all blending in together to produce an engrossing and original story.
This is one of the few books that I have read that wasn't set either in the UK, America, or a fantasy Westernised world, this made the setting new and exciting for me but the huge change in culture could have become very confusing if it wasn't for the Mariko, she was an essential bridge between me and Japan. Mariko herself was a good lead character, she had the tough female bit going on, not that much different from other heroines I have read about, but likeable none the less.
What I found most enjoyable about this book was the way it switched from the past to the future, mapping the history of the swords and showing the havoc the have wreaked through out time to the unwary. It really added something epic and most definitely magical to the book.
An interesting and absorbing read, I really recommend it and can't wait to see what happens next in this series.
What a fascinating book this was! Magic swords and samurai set alongside drugs and modern Tokyo and all blending in together to produce an engrossing and original story.
This is one of the few books that I have read that wasn't set either in the UK, America, or a fantasy Westernised world, this made the setting new and exciting for me but the huge change in culture could have become very confusing if it wasn't for the Mariko, she was an essential bridge between me and Japan. Mariko herself was a good lead character, she had the tough female bit going on, not that much different from other heroines I have read about, but likeable none the less.
What I found most enjoyable about this book was the way it switched from the past to the future, mapping the history of the swords and showing the havoc the have wreaked through out time to the unwary. It really added something epic and most definitely magical to the book.
An interesting and absorbing read, I really recommend it and can't wait to see what happens next in this series.
July 11, 2014
**edited 11/28/13
Daughter of the Sword is not your standard urban fantasy. It is free from snarky, trenchcoat-wearing protagonists, twisted fairy tales, and supernaturally steamy love triangles. There are no vampires. There are no werewolves. In fact, supernatural creatures of all varieties are entirely absent. There's not even all that much magic. Instead, Daughter of the Sword is the story of a modern-day Tokyo policewoman dealing with modern-day crime in the modern-day world when suddenly confronted with ancient swords that have the mysterious ability to slice through fate itself. The story is steeped in legend and weaves its way between past and present, interspersing policewoman Mariko's story with that of individuals throughout Japan's history who have borne one of the fated blades.
Due to my disapproval of GR's new and rather subjective review deletion policy, The rest of my (rather verbose) review is posted over here at Booklikes.
Daughter of the Sword is not your standard urban fantasy. It is free from snarky, trenchcoat-wearing protagonists, twisted fairy tales, and supernaturally steamy love triangles. There are no vampires. There are no werewolves. In fact, supernatural creatures of all varieties are entirely absent. There's not even all that much magic. Instead, Daughter of the Sword is the story of a modern-day Tokyo policewoman dealing with modern-day crime in the modern-day world when suddenly confronted with ancient swords that have the mysterious ability to slice through fate itself. The story is steeped in legend and weaves its way between past and present, interspersing policewoman Mariko's story with that of individuals throughout Japan's history who have borne one of the fated blades.
Due to my disapproval of GR's new and rather subjective review deletion policy, The rest of my (rather verbose) review is posted over here at Booklikes.
November 12, 2012
OMG this was drop dead dynamite awesomely GOOD and I sincerely hope this is a series (oh wait, it is) because it just can't end this way. Best of all, no stupid romance in which the heroine is kick-ass until the first whiff of testosterone. In fact, there's no romance at all (yay). Myth, history, gritty police procedural all wrapped up in the culture and mores of modern Japan. It was like being there. I love books that feel like armchair travel. And cursed magical SWORDS!
Mariko Oshiro is the Japanese Jane Tennison (of Prime Suspect fame). Both are strong yet flawed women who are at the top of their profession and being the first women in positions of power and both have to put up with crap from male collegues. The crap Mariko had to put up with from Lieutenant Ko made me want to kick his nuts in! Worse, Mariko is dealing a drug-addicted sister and an enabling mother and all are struggling to deal with the untimely death of Mariko's father.
And yes, the cover is all kinds of awesome! Note to publishers: Yes, we like to see other ethnicities represented in and ON books so stop white-washing! After all, look at this last election. We're your new demographic and you'd better start paying attention!
Come on Mr. Bein, get to it! I want more of this!
Mariko Oshiro is the Japanese Jane Tennison (of Prime Suspect fame). Both are strong yet flawed women who are at the top of their profession and being the first women in positions of power and both have to put up with crap from male collegues. The crap Mariko had to put up with from Lieutenant Ko made me want to kick his nuts in! Worse, Mariko is dealing a drug-addicted sister and an enabling mother and all are struggling to deal with the untimely death of Mariko's father.
And yes, the cover is all kinds of awesome! Note to publishers: Yes, we like to see other ethnicities represented in and ON books so stop white-washing! After all, look at this last election. We're your new demographic and you'd better start paying attention!
Come on Mr. Bein, get to it! I want more of this!
December 6, 2012
Originally reviewed on Kirkus' SF/F Blog: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/blog/sc...
The sword in Fuchida Shuzo's bed was the oldest known of her kind, and he loved listening to her song.
Mariko Oshiro is the only female detective in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD), and also the only woman working the highly competitive narcotics division. Being the only woman in the job – and a senior Sergeant Detective, at that – comes with its healthy dose of crap, as Mariko finds herself embroiled in a two-bit sting on a minor pusher. The operation proves unexpectedly fruitful, however, when Mariko is able to strongarm the dealer into becoming a Confidential Informant – and he reveals that a yakuza player is planning a major move to start distributing cocaine in Tokyo.[1] Unfortunately for Mariko, her misogynistic new boss will stop at nothing to get Mariko removed from narcotics, and takes her off the cocaine bust. Instead, her new assignment leads Mariko to the blind, elderly Professor Yasuo Yamada, and a string of failed burglary attempts on the ancient samurai sword in his possession.
Yamada’s sword is no ordinary blade – it is one of the last remaining swords crafted by Master Inazuma, each possessing a deep history and legendary powers – and Mariko’s involvement in the case is no random coincidence. It is fate that brings Mariko to Yamada’s side, and pits her against a truly formidable foe – one who already wields a cursed Inazuma blade, and who will stop at nothing to possess Yamada’s sword.
A police procedural with a twist of richly detailed historical fantasy, Daughter of the Sword is the engaging – if slightly overlong – debut novel from Steve Bein. Easily the most impressive thing about this book – the first in a planned series – is its meticulous and respectful treatment of both contemporary and historical Japan. Bein, a professor of Asian philosophy and history, has clearly done his research – everything from the very different policies of Tokyo police (e.g., the prevalence of stun guns used in lieu of firearms) to the samurai of feudal Japan and their social hierarchies are carefully detailed throughout Daughter of the Sword.[2]
My only personal quibble with Bein’s representation of Japan is that it still feels very much like an outsider looking in (which is to be expected as Bein is not Japanese). That said, this inherent outsider feel to the narrative is a potential problem that Bein neatly sidesteps via his protagonist, as Mariko is a Japanese born woman, but one that has also spent part of her childhood growing up in the United States. Mariko is an outsider in so many ways - with her own family, as her mother so often chooses Mariko’s drug addicted younger sister’s side in so many situations; in her job, where she is the only female detective in the TMPD; with other people who perceive of Mariko as abrasive and not “womanly” enough. This, plus the fact that Mariko is naturally curmudgeonly, makes her an intensely interesting and layered character, and is almost convincing with Bein’s frequent asides that compare American and Japanese culture.[3]
The only significant drawbacks to Daughter of the Sword concern the nature of its structure and its surprising lack of emotional resonance. While the overall story is fantastic and well-plotted, it’s frustrating to have the main storyline involving Mariko and her investigation interrupted with lengthy historical backstory involving less fortunate other characters and the fated blades of Inazuma. While these interstitials are actually fascinating and well-written, the distraction (for chapters at a time) from the heart of the novel is jarring and exacerbates the larger issue with the book – the lack of emotional connection or investment in the characters. Even though Daughter of the Sword is a very interesting book and a competently written book, there’s something ... missing. That extra oomph, that secret sauce, which would bring Mariko and her cohorts to life; that emotional bond that makes you want to root wholeheartedly for a protagonist against the odds stacked against her.
In all, I highly enjoyed this book and will certainly stick around for more of Bein’s work, especially in the Fated Blades universe, in hopes that this extra special emotional connection will be forged in future installments.
In Book Smugglerish, a solid 7 out of 10.
----------------
[1] Unlike in the United States, harder drugs like cocaine are rare and not readily available. Instead, methamphetamines are far more commonplace, according to Bein.
[2] Bein also includes an extensive Author’s Note following the text, detailing his research and caveats, where he also differentiates fact from fiction.
[3] Almost. Not quite. It still feels kinda like Bein, as an American who has lived in Japan, is interjecting the narrative with his own observations, which never quite feel wholly authentic to Mariko’s character.
The sword in Fuchida Shuzo's bed was the oldest known of her kind, and he loved listening to her song.
Mariko Oshiro is the only female detective in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD), and also the only woman working the highly competitive narcotics division. Being the only woman in the job – and a senior Sergeant Detective, at that – comes with its healthy dose of crap, as Mariko finds herself embroiled in a two-bit sting on a minor pusher. The operation proves unexpectedly fruitful, however, when Mariko is able to strongarm the dealer into becoming a Confidential Informant – and he reveals that a yakuza player is planning a major move to start distributing cocaine in Tokyo.[1] Unfortunately for Mariko, her misogynistic new boss will stop at nothing to get Mariko removed from narcotics, and takes her off the cocaine bust. Instead, her new assignment leads Mariko to the blind, elderly Professor Yasuo Yamada, and a string of failed burglary attempts on the ancient samurai sword in his possession.
Yamada’s sword is no ordinary blade – it is one of the last remaining swords crafted by Master Inazuma, each possessing a deep history and legendary powers – and Mariko’s involvement in the case is no random coincidence. It is fate that brings Mariko to Yamada’s side, and pits her against a truly formidable foe – one who already wields a cursed Inazuma blade, and who will stop at nothing to possess Yamada’s sword.
A police procedural with a twist of richly detailed historical fantasy, Daughter of the Sword is the engaging – if slightly overlong – debut novel from Steve Bein. Easily the most impressive thing about this book – the first in a planned series – is its meticulous and respectful treatment of both contemporary and historical Japan. Bein, a professor of Asian philosophy and history, has clearly done his research – everything from the very different policies of Tokyo police (e.g., the prevalence of stun guns used in lieu of firearms) to the samurai of feudal Japan and their social hierarchies are carefully detailed throughout Daughter of the Sword.[2]
My only personal quibble with Bein’s representation of Japan is that it still feels very much like an outsider looking in (which is to be expected as Bein is not Japanese). That said, this inherent outsider feel to the narrative is a potential problem that Bein neatly sidesteps via his protagonist, as Mariko is a Japanese born woman, but one that has also spent part of her childhood growing up in the United States. Mariko is an outsider in so many ways - with her own family, as her mother so often chooses Mariko’s drug addicted younger sister’s side in so many situations; in her job, where she is the only female detective in the TMPD; with other people who perceive of Mariko as abrasive and not “womanly” enough. This, plus the fact that Mariko is naturally curmudgeonly, makes her an intensely interesting and layered character, and is almost convincing with Bein’s frequent asides that compare American and Japanese culture.[3]
The only significant drawbacks to Daughter of the Sword concern the nature of its structure and its surprising lack of emotional resonance. While the overall story is fantastic and well-plotted, it’s frustrating to have the main storyline involving Mariko and her investigation interrupted with lengthy historical backstory involving less fortunate other characters and the fated blades of Inazuma. While these interstitials are actually fascinating and well-written, the distraction (for chapters at a time) from the heart of the novel is jarring and exacerbates the larger issue with the book – the lack of emotional connection or investment in the characters. Even though Daughter of the Sword is a very interesting book and a competently written book, there’s something ... missing. That extra oomph, that secret sauce, which would bring Mariko and her cohorts to life; that emotional bond that makes you want to root wholeheartedly for a protagonist against the odds stacked against her.
In all, I highly enjoyed this book and will certainly stick around for more of Bein’s work, especially in the Fated Blades universe, in hopes that this extra special emotional connection will be forged in future installments.
In Book Smugglerish, a solid 7 out of 10.
----------------
[1] Unlike in the United States, harder drugs like cocaine are rare and not readily available. Instead, methamphetamines are far more commonplace, according to Bein.
[2] Bein also includes an extensive Author’s Note following the text, detailing his research and caveats, where he also differentiates fact from fiction.
[3] Almost. Not quite. It still feels kinda like Bein, as an American who has lived in Japan, is interjecting the narrative with his own observations, which never quite feel wholly authentic to Mariko’s character.
October 27, 2022
3 stelline e mezzo.
Premetto subito che il mio giudizio (discreto) corrisponde solo al primo volume, perché poi ho letto di seguito il secondo e, forte dell'ambientazione in cui mi ero nel frattempo calata, l'ho apprezzato molto di più, rivalutando la serie nel complesso (ovviamente, soltanto quando ho cercato nell'usato, mi sono accorta che si tratta dell'ennesima serie interrotta, per cui in Italia sono arrivati 2 su 3 volumi totali).
L'idea di Steve Bein è notevole, complessa ma audace. Partendo dal presente (Periodo Heisei, anno 22, corrispondente al nostro 2010) e dalle indagini condotte da una detective di Tokyo, fresca di nomina, su omicidi legati al furto di alcune spade antiche, la narrazione ci riporta indietro, con vari flashback, agli accadimenti provocati da questi manufatti nel passato.
Dopo essere state create da un maestro armaiolo leggendario, di cui non vi sono documenti se non voci, tramandate da parte di ordini segreti e pochi studiosi, le spade di Inazuma sono passate attraverso generazioni di clan di samurai e famiglie potenti, portandosi dietro un'eredità oscura, fatta, al contempo, di poteri incredibili e pesanti maledizioni per i loro possessori. Così, a partire dal medioevo (periodo Muromachi), assistiamo a faide familiari, episodi di pazzia, tradimenti e uccisioni, con tanto sangue sparso in nome e attraverso le lame. Sino ad arrivare alla seconda guerra mondiale e di nuovo al presente, con la giovane Mariko che è costretta, suo malgrado, ad addestrarsi nell'uso della spada e a misurarsi in un singolare duello per la propria stessa vita.
Per quanto questo mix (storia + magia + arte della spada) possa essere affascinante, in concreto la lettura si è rivelata meno vivace di quanto mi aspettassi.
Bein è un professore universitario di storia e filosofia dell’Asia, per cui era logico che riversasse nel libro la sua profonda cultura nipponica, chiamando ogni cosa con il giusto termine e dandone una visione ampia e completa, inclusi vari aspetti storico-sociali. Tuttavia, soprattutto nella prima parte, gli infodump affossano la scorrevolezza. Poi si riprende, ma resta un tomo corposo.
Diciamo che, se voleva essere un omaggio e una promozione del paese del Sol Levante, tra personalità maniacali borderline, caste sociali, pregiudizi per tutto ciò che è straniero e non conforme, droga e mafia, stende sopra una patina lievemente sinistra.
Premetto subito che il mio giudizio (discreto) corrisponde solo al primo volume, perché poi ho letto di seguito il secondo e, forte dell'ambientazione in cui mi ero nel frattempo calata, l'ho apprezzato molto di più, rivalutando la serie nel complesso (ovviamente, soltanto quando ho cercato nell'usato, mi sono accorta che si tratta dell'ennesima serie interrotta, per cui in Italia sono arrivati 2 su 3 volumi totali).
L'idea di Steve Bein è notevole, complessa ma audace. Partendo dal presente (Periodo Heisei, anno 22, corrispondente al nostro 2010) e dalle indagini condotte da una detective di Tokyo, fresca di nomina, su omicidi legati al furto di alcune spade antiche, la narrazione ci riporta indietro, con vari flashback, agli accadimenti provocati da questi manufatti nel passato.
Dopo essere state create da un maestro armaiolo leggendario, di cui non vi sono documenti se non voci, tramandate da parte di ordini segreti e pochi studiosi, le spade di Inazuma sono passate attraverso generazioni di clan di samurai e famiglie potenti, portandosi dietro un'eredità oscura, fatta, al contempo, di poteri incredibili e pesanti maledizioni per i loro possessori. Così, a partire dal medioevo (periodo Muromachi), assistiamo a faide familiari, episodi di pazzia, tradimenti e uccisioni, con tanto sangue sparso in nome e attraverso le lame. Sino ad arrivare alla seconda guerra mondiale e di nuovo al presente, con la giovane Mariko che è costretta, suo malgrado, ad addestrarsi nell'uso della spada e a misurarsi in un singolare duello per la propria stessa vita.
Per quanto questo mix (storia + magia + arte della spada) possa essere affascinante, in concreto la lettura si è rivelata meno vivace di quanto mi aspettassi.
Bein è un professore universitario di storia e filosofia dell’Asia, per cui era logico che riversasse nel libro la sua profonda cultura nipponica, chiamando ogni cosa con il giusto termine e dandone una visione ampia e completa, inclusi vari aspetti storico-sociali. Tuttavia, soprattutto nella prima parte, gli infodump affossano la scorrevolezza. Poi si riprende, ma resta un tomo corposo.
Diciamo che, se voleva essere un omaggio e una promozione del paese del Sol Levante, tra personalità maniacali borderline, caste sociali, pregiudizi per tutto ciò che è straniero e non conforme, droga e mafia, stende sopra una patina lievemente sinistra.
August 8, 2014
Steve Bein's "Daughter of the Sword" is an excellent read. A book that defies easy description because it combines a present day cop story with various historical vignettes that revolve around the ill fortunes of the bearers of a legendary magical sword nicknamed the “Beautiful Singer” made by the renowned samurai swordsmith Inazuma. The sword hungers for death and is said to be cursed. Not all who wield it end up dead, but most end up appeasing the sword's hunger in foul ways.
Mariko Oshiro is a female detective in Japan. Her new boss wants her out. So instead of investigating real crimes, she is sent to investigate the attempted theft of Yasuo Yamada’s samurai sword. Professor Yamada is no ordinary scholar but a very accomplished swordsman. Soon he is teaching Oshiro how to fight with his samuarai sword, which was also made by Inazuma. His sword, however, is not evil.
It seems that Fuchida Shuzo, a diabolical criminal has not been content with his position in the Yakusa serving the Kamaguchi. He now wields Beautiful Singer and is hunting for the Inazuma sword owned by Yamada. He wants to sell it to a collector in return for a shipment of drugs.
But before we can even get further into Oshiro’s meeting with Yamada, Bein’s novel travels back in time to tell the story of a honorable samurai, who happens to capture the Beautiful Singer, and shortly thereafter in a bloodthirsty rage kills a loved one with nary a thought.
The novel then skips back and forth between the present era, Oshiro’s lessons with Yamuda and Shuzo’s pursuit of the sword and the past, most of which detail stories of the previous bearers of Beautiful Singer and the ills that befall them when they fall under its spell. But there are also stories about Yamada’s honorable past.
The historical vignettes of an earlier Japan are as well conceived, plotted and told as the present day murder mystery and the fateful collision between Oshiro and Shuzo.
Bein‘s novel is a great read mixing a smattering of magic (the sword's power) and mystery, a cop story, murder, samurai and world war historical fiction – all set in Japan – that seems to be very real.
Although not easy to describe, it is easy to catagorize. It is a winner.
Mariko Oshiro is a female detective in Japan. Her new boss wants her out. So instead of investigating real crimes, she is sent to investigate the attempted theft of Yasuo Yamada’s samurai sword. Professor Yamada is no ordinary scholar but a very accomplished swordsman. Soon he is teaching Oshiro how to fight with his samuarai sword, which was also made by Inazuma. His sword, however, is not evil.
It seems that Fuchida Shuzo, a diabolical criminal has not been content with his position in the Yakusa serving the Kamaguchi. He now wields Beautiful Singer and is hunting for the Inazuma sword owned by Yamada. He wants to sell it to a collector in return for a shipment of drugs.
But before we can even get further into Oshiro’s meeting with Yamada, Bein’s novel travels back in time to tell the story of a honorable samurai, who happens to capture the Beautiful Singer, and shortly thereafter in a bloodthirsty rage kills a loved one with nary a thought.
The novel then skips back and forth between the present era, Oshiro’s lessons with Yamuda and Shuzo’s pursuit of the sword and the past, most of which detail stories of the previous bearers of Beautiful Singer and the ills that befall them when they fall under its spell. But there are also stories about Yamada’s honorable past.
The historical vignettes of an earlier Japan are as well conceived, plotted and told as the present day murder mystery and the fateful collision between Oshiro and Shuzo.
Bein‘s novel is a great read mixing a smattering of magic (the sword's power) and mystery, a cop story, murder, samurai and world war historical fiction – all set in Japan – that seems to be very real.
Although not easy to describe, it is easy to catagorize. It is a winner.
October 2, 2014
An undiscovered gem, blending a crime mystery with historical fiction, with some fantasy elements. Mariko is a female detective on the elite Tokyo Metro Police Department, has spent her formative years in the U.S., and has a meth addict sister. Her boss wants her out of Narcotics, and assigns her to look into an attempted robbery of a blind man, instead of pursuing a hot lead regarding a rogue yakuza trying to import cocaine in contravention of their bushido code. Mariko is a modern woman, but becomes a student of the blind but wise sensei, scholar, swordmaster. Of course, the two stories come together along with the murder of a policewoman, all centering on some mystical swords forged by a master craftsman some nine hundred years in the past. Some of the historical segues are distracting, but the last one explains much.
October 7, 2012
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy See site review for similar titles
Pitch me an urban fantasy with a killer cover by Chris McGrath, set in both modern and Feudal Japan, involving magical swords and drug trafficking, and that’s a book that’s going to grab my attention big time. The problem with DAUGHTER OF THE SWORD by Steve Bein, is that that’s not exactly what you get. The writing is lush and evocative, and the characters are broken and heroic in turn, but despite the publisher categorization, this is not urban fantasy.
So what is it? Well, it’s primarily a police procedural–and a very good one–with lengthy historical passages that flash back centuries ago to recount the origins of three legendary swords that resurface in the main story. The description says these swords are ‘magical’…that’s not quite the word I would use. They supposedly can influence those who wield them and/or protect them. Really though, the swords are more like good or bad luck charms. Certain things happen that characters attribute to the swords, but are indistinguishable from coincidence. If DAUGHTER OF THE SWORD hadn’t been labeled as Urban Fantasy, I would never have guessed it was supposed to be.
But!
Even though the fantasy elements are negligible, DAUGHTER OF THE SWORD is a gritty and compelling police procedural. I was halfway through the book before it even occurred to me that it wasn’t the promised urban fantasy. It was so good that I didn’t even mind. The Japanese culture rang very authentic with subtle details that gradually built a world that felt as real as possible (no surprise since the author is a professor of Asian philosophy and Asian history at the State University of New York). The characters also came to life here, especially the villain who grew more and more psychotic throughout the book. The whole story was written in beautiful and exotic detail which contrasted nicely with the very real, and harsh reality of the Japanese criminal underworld.
It’s a rare book that can win me over after a somewhat misleading description, one almost entirely devoid of the urban fantasy elements I was expecting, but DAUGHTER OF THE SWORD did just that. Beautiful writing, a smart and resilient protagonist who meets her match in a coldly demented villain. The procedural elements are tight and fascinatingly different from those common to the US police. It may not be exactly magical, but I was bewitched nonetheless.
Sexual Content: References to sex and rape.
Pitch me an urban fantasy with a killer cover by Chris McGrath, set in both modern and Feudal Japan, involving magical swords and drug trafficking, and that’s a book that’s going to grab my attention big time. The problem with DAUGHTER OF THE SWORD by Steve Bein, is that that’s not exactly what you get. The writing is lush and evocative, and the characters are broken and heroic in turn, but despite the publisher categorization, this is not urban fantasy.
So what is it? Well, it’s primarily a police procedural–and a very good one–with lengthy historical passages that flash back centuries ago to recount the origins of three legendary swords that resurface in the main story. The description says these swords are ‘magical’…that’s not quite the word I would use. They supposedly can influence those who wield them and/or protect them. Really though, the swords are more like good or bad luck charms. Certain things happen that characters attribute to the swords, but are indistinguishable from coincidence. If DAUGHTER OF THE SWORD hadn’t been labeled as Urban Fantasy, I would never have guessed it was supposed to be.
But!
Even though the fantasy elements are negligible, DAUGHTER OF THE SWORD is a gritty and compelling police procedural. I was halfway through the book before it even occurred to me that it wasn’t the promised urban fantasy. It was so good that I didn’t even mind. The Japanese culture rang very authentic with subtle details that gradually built a world that felt as real as possible (no surprise since the author is a professor of Asian philosophy and Asian history at the State University of New York). The characters also came to life here, especially the villain who grew more and more psychotic throughout the book. The whole story was written in beautiful and exotic detail which contrasted nicely with the very real, and harsh reality of the Japanese criminal underworld.
It’s a rare book that can win me over after a somewhat misleading description, one almost entirely devoid of the urban fantasy elements I was expecting, but DAUGHTER OF THE SWORD did just that. Beautiful writing, a smart and resilient protagonist who meets her match in a coldly demented villain. The procedural elements are tight and fascinatingly different from those common to the US police. It may not be exactly magical, but I was bewitched nonetheless.
Sexual Content: References to sex and rape.
Read
June 10, 2017...I'm disappointed. I'm still trying to figure out WHY, exactly. The writing is decent. The first chapter is about a psycho a sword fetish (pretty sure I'm using that term correctly, as that he is sleeping with the sword and comparing it to a beautiful woman -- albeit a deadly one with possibly murderous intent) (yes he thinks the sword has Intents right off the bat), which weirded me out, BUT it contributes to the plot, because it introduces the sword, which does have Intents. Maybe it's because I only read two chapters, and each chapter was written from a different person's perspective, so that I haven't had the time to be invested in anything. At this point the main female protagonist is portrayed mostly as a bitter cop on the verge of burn out with Family Issues, which seems a bit too much like a trope. 86 pages in and nothing particular has caught my attention so I'm not really invested enough to keep going.
If it gets really awesome later on past page 200 someone let me know?
If it gets really awesome later on past page 200 someone let me know?
September 13, 2017
Изключително доволна съм от тази среща, нищо че бях настроена много нападателно.
По принцип съм нападателна спрямо книги, съдържащи думата Япония, дори когато не съм специалист... то феновете са истински страшните!
http://knigoqdec.blogspot.bg/2017/09/...
По принцип съм нападателна спрямо книги, съдържащи думата Япония, дори когато не съм специалист... то феновете са истински страшните!
http://knigoqdec.blogspot.bg/2017/09/...
May 5, 2013
A friend, who knew I'd just returned from a trip to Japan, recommended this book to me. I wasn't sure it would be 'my cup of tea' but figured I'd give it a go. I couldn't put it down! I loved how the history entwined with the modern day, making a well rounded, exciting read even more interesting. Can't wait to read more in this series.
January 22, 2014
First, there's a glossary in the back, you don't have to look everything up on the Internet! If you're just glancing down reviews, that's the most useful thing I can tell you. It really should be in the front, I didn't discover it was there until I was peeking at the end to see if one of the characters survived when I was two-thirds of the way through the book or more and had already looked up at least a dozen words.
And on to more traditional review-like stuff.This book was really terrific. The author used the setting and history of Tokyo and Japan to create wonderful characters and tell a rich and interesting story. It isn't that often that a story is both totally fun and really interesting at the same time. There were so many details to absorb and wonder at, but it never felt like any effort at all, it all flowed easily and effortlessly. At least for me to read, I'm sure it was hard work for the author to write, but he made it seem easy, as the best authors do.
I guess it's technically an urban fantasy, but there really isn't much, if any, fantasy element. There's folklore and history, and swords that may or may not have personalities or souls, so I guess it depends on how you feel about that being fantastical. There aren't any werelions, witches or wardrobes though. There is a very strong police procedural aspect that people who like that type of story should enjoy, though it's not a mystery at all. People who like traditional fantasy should really like the sections that take place in the past, exploring samurai culture and the Bushido way.
I really enjoyed the parts of the book about Mariko's job, though it was shocking to see the kind of discrimination she faced as the only female police inspector in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in 2010. It seems that Bein knew what he was doing though when he put her in that job at that time, from the little I could find in a pretty quick google search. The numbers I found showed female police at 1.9% nationwide in 2010, 6.8% in 2012. Tokyo had 7.9% women as of an article from September 2013. Both Tokyo and nationwide have goals of reaching to 10% by 2020, with intentions of actually actually having more detectives or women being consulted on cases about stalking or domestic violence and not just traffic cops and low level positions. Stalking is mentioned a lot, apparently that's a big issue there? Tokyo MPD is hiring 200 women a year. But 50 to 70 are quitting, it's so bad that the police department issued a memo to urge male police officers to stop discriminating against female officers. http://japandailypress.com/male-tokyo... So Bein really was right on trend when he wrote the book, with a publication date in 2010. It seems like many of the things that Mariko faced that made me flinch and that seemed so shocking were actually very accurate. But as Bein points out in the book, there are a lot of things that go on here that are just as shocking to them. Like gun violence.
This is a really smart, entertaining book. I'm always interested in books that have stories about Japanese culture or history because I have family from Japan and living in Japan, so I'm eager to learn more about that nation and it's history and culture. Not that this is a history lesson, it's fiction! But I've learned plenty of history from reading historical fiction and romances and it's more fun that history classes. Anyway, it was a really well-balanced, enjoyable book with great characters and a vividly setting. The only shortcoming was that the bad guy wasn't really that compelling to me. He was OK. But the rest of the book was great. I can't wait to start book two.
And on to more traditional review-like stuff.This book was really terrific. The author used the setting and history of Tokyo and Japan to create wonderful characters and tell a rich and interesting story. It isn't that often that a story is both totally fun and really interesting at the same time. There were so many details to absorb and wonder at, but it never felt like any effort at all, it all flowed easily and effortlessly. At least for me to read, I'm sure it was hard work for the author to write, but he made it seem easy, as the best authors do.
I guess it's technically an urban fantasy, but there really isn't much, if any, fantasy element. There's folklore and history, and swords that may or may not have personalities or souls, so I guess it depends on how you feel about that being fantastical. There aren't any werelions, witches or wardrobes though. There is a very strong police procedural aspect that people who like that type of story should enjoy, though it's not a mystery at all. People who like traditional fantasy should really like the sections that take place in the past, exploring samurai culture and the Bushido way.
I really enjoyed the parts of the book about Mariko's job, though it was shocking to see the kind of discrimination she faced as the only female police inspector in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in 2010. It seems that Bein knew what he was doing though when he put her in that job at that time, from the little I could find in a pretty quick google search. The numbers I found showed female police at 1.9% nationwide in 2010, 6.8% in 2012. Tokyo had 7.9% women as of an article from September 2013. Both Tokyo and nationwide have goals of reaching to 10% by 2020, with intentions of actually actually having more detectives or women being consulted on cases about stalking or domestic violence and not just traffic cops and low level positions. Stalking is mentioned a lot, apparently that's a big issue there? Tokyo MPD is hiring 200 women a year. But 50 to 70 are quitting, it's so bad that the police department issued a memo to urge male police officers to stop discriminating against female officers. http://japandailypress.com/male-tokyo... So Bein really was right on trend when he wrote the book, with a publication date in 2010. It seems like many of the things that Mariko faced that made me flinch and that seemed so shocking were actually very accurate. But as Bein points out in the book, there are a lot of things that go on here that are just as shocking to them. Like gun violence.
This is a really smart, entertaining book. I'm always interested in books that have stories about Japanese culture or history because I have family from Japan and living in Japan, so I'm eager to learn more about that nation and it's history and culture. Not that this is a history lesson, it's fiction! But I've learned plenty of history from reading historical fiction and romances and it's more fun that history classes. Anyway, it was a really well-balanced, enjoyable book with great characters and a vividly setting. The only shortcoming was that the bad guy wasn't really that compelling to me. He was OK. But the rest of the book was great. I can't wait to start book two.
September 24, 2012
*Genre* Fantasy, Historical, Magical Swords
*Rating* 3.5 stars
*Review*
Daughter of the Sword is the story about Sergeant Detective Mariko Oshiro as the only female cop in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. It’s a story about her daily struggles for respect among a department filled with men who believe that women have no place in the work place. It’s also a story steeped in history and destiny.
Mariko is an interesting character who I believe readers will respect and come to appreciate; especially women. She’s brave, courageous, and driven to get the most out of her job and her opportunities. She has other things to worry about as well, including the safety of her drug addled sister who continually ends up in harm’s way.
Daughter of the Sword is also the story about (3) legendary swords created by Master Inazuma that have played important roles over the course Japanese History and whether or not they are magical or cursed.
Although I found the back story about the swords interesting, I would have preferred to stay focused on Oshiro and Professor Yasuo Yamada who becomes her sensei and friend.
Steve Bein is a new author to me which always gives me pause. You never know what to expect from newer authors. Bein gives readers a really detailed novel that thankfully, has a glossary of terms at the back of the book. I believe that history buffs that will enjoy the correlation between swords and events that happen throughout the book.
I think there were some good things, and some not necessary things in this, the first book of the series. The world building itself was absolutely brilliant. I understood the need for flashbacks to various times throughout Japanese History in order to tell a more detailed story about the legendary swords. I liked that the 3 swords appeared to be magically created and created either mayhem or protected the owners from harm.
Like Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff, this book starts slow, and ends with a bang. Once again you have a male writer telling the story from a female character’s prospective and doing a moderately decent job of putting readers into the characters shoes. It shall be interesting to read the next book in the series to see where Bein takes Oshiro and her new blade.
Daughter of the Sword was sent to me by NAL/ROC trade in lieu of an honest assessment and opinion of the book. Expected publication: October 2nd 2012 by Roc Trade.
*Rating* 3.5 stars
*Review*
Daughter of the Sword is the story about Sergeant Detective Mariko Oshiro as the only female cop in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. It’s a story about her daily struggles for respect among a department filled with men who believe that women have no place in the work place. It’s also a story steeped in history and destiny.
Mariko is an interesting character who I believe readers will respect and come to appreciate; especially women. She’s brave, courageous, and driven to get the most out of her job and her opportunities. She has other things to worry about as well, including the safety of her drug addled sister who continually ends up in harm’s way.
Daughter of the Sword is also the story about (3) legendary swords created by Master Inazuma that have played important roles over the course Japanese History and whether or not they are magical or cursed.
Although I found the back story about the swords interesting, I would have preferred to stay focused on Oshiro and Professor Yasuo Yamada who becomes her sensei and friend.
Steve Bein is a new author to me which always gives me pause. You never know what to expect from newer authors. Bein gives readers a really detailed novel that thankfully, has a glossary of terms at the back of the book. I believe that history buffs that will enjoy the correlation between swords and events that happen throughout the book.
I think there were some good things, and some not necessary things in this, the first book of the series. The world building itself was absolutely brilliant. I understood the need for flashbacks to various times throughout Japanese History in order to tell a more detailed story about the legendary swords. I liked that the 3 swords appeared to be magically created and created either mayhem or protected the owners from harm.
Like Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff, this book starts slow, and ends with a bang. Once again you have a male writer telling the story from a female character’s prospective and doing a moderately decent job of putting readers into the characters shoes. It shall be interesting to read the next book in the series to see where Bein takes Oshiro and her new blade.
Daughter of the Sword was sent to me by NAL/ROC trade in lieu of an honest assessment and opinion of the book. Expected publication: October 2nd 2012 by Roc Trade.
October 28, 2018
Why haven’t I heard about this book before? It’s a gripping, meticulously researched blend of urban and historical fantasy set in modern Tokyo.
Mariko Oshiro, the only female detective in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, deals not only with complex cases but also with sexism in her workplace. Her new boss is determined to demote her. He assigns her to a seemingly mundane case involving the attempted theft of a sword. It turns out the case involves a ruthless killer and ancient magical swords.
The author does his best to connect four timelines - segmented storyline switches between Mariko’s present-day adventures and historical accounts showing other owners of the swords. An ambitious approach for sure. Does it work? Yes, mostly.
I loved the Japanese setting and well-researched details. The author shows surprising policies of Tokyo police (stun guns used instead of firearms), social hierarchies and dynamics, and historical accounts on the samurais of feudal Japan.
The swords crafted by Master Inazuma have a deep history and legendary powers. These powers are never displayed directly. The reader starts to see more than a coincidence in the way swords owners' lives develop but don’t expect to witness Mariko cutting hordes of demons to pieces with her sword. It’s more subtle.
Mariko’s foe wields a cursed Inazuma blade and he’ll do anything to put his hands on two other swords. Both Mariko and her antagonist are complex and interesting individuals. Mariko is an outsider in private and professional life. Her colleagues at work disregard women and make her feel it on every step. Her mother usually takes side of Mariko’s drug-addicted younger sister. And yet Mariko clenches her teeth and does her job. I like her and her determination.
There’s no romance, guys. Awesome and almost unheard of in UF. Bravo Mr Bein.
Mariko’s story is engaging and well-plotted. Unfortunately, Bein’s decided to interrupt it few times with lengthy historical backstories involving other Inazuma Blades’ wielders. I understand the idea, but I dislike the execution. Inserting these short stories/novelettes distracts the reader from the main plot and make it harder to connect with Mariko.
I enjoyed Daughter of Sword a lot. Were it shorter and focused on Mariko’s investigation, I would call it brilliant.
Mariko Oshiro, the only female detective in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, deals not only with complex cases but also with sexism in her workplace. Her new boss is determined to demote her. He assigns her to a seemingly mundane case involving the attempted theft of a sword. It turns out the case involves a ruthless killer and ancient magical swords.
The author does his best to connect four timelines - segmented storyline switches between Mariko’s present-day adventures and historical accounts showing other owners of the swords. An ambitious approach for sure. Does it work? Yes, mostly.
I loved the Japanese setting and well-researched details. The author shows surprising policies of Tokyo police (stun guns used instead of firearms), social hierarchies and dynamics, and historical accounts on the samurais of feudal Japan.
The swords crafted by Master Inazuma have a deep history and legendary powers. These powers are never displayed directly. The reader starts to see more than a coincidence in the way swords owners' lives develop but don’t expect to witness Mariko cutting hordes of demons to pieces with her sword. It’s more subtle.
Mariko’s foe wields a cursed Inazuma blade and he’ll do anything to put his hands on two other swords. Both Mariko and her antagonist are complex and interesting individuals. Mariko is an outsider in private and professional life. Her colleagues at work disregard women and make her feel it on every step. Her mother usually takes side of Mariko’s drug-addicted younger sister. And yet Mariko clenches her teeth and does her job. I like her and her determination.
There’s no romance, guys. Awesome and almost unheard of in UF. Bravo Mr Bein.
Mariko’s story is engaging and well-plotted. Unfortunately, Bein’s decided to interrupt it few times with lengthy historical backstories involving other Inazuma Blades’ wielders. I understand the idea, but I dislike the execution. Inserting these short stories/novelettes distracts the reader from the main plot and make it harder to connect with Mariko.
I enjoyed Daughter of Sword a lot. Were it shorter and focused on Mariko’s investigation, I would call it brilliant.
October 17, 2012
Daughter of the Sword is this conglomeration of historical Japanese lore, true Japanese history and urban fantasy. I received a copy with a really great cover from Literal Addiction which received the copy from the publisher for review purposes. I have to admit this was already on my to-be-read list already so when I had the opportunity to review it for L.A. I jumped at it and though there were times I was lost in the Japanese terminology, I enjoyed learning them. Steve Bein did such a good job with character development that there were times I had to put the book down or scream at the bigotry and misogynistic treatment that Mariko received from her co-workers, especially her new lieutenant.
Mariko is a worldly, intelligent, butt-kicker. She is a great cop, much to the dismay of both her family and her fellow police officers. She has the great honor of being the first female detective and the only one of her rank. She has a family that she is at odds with because of some problems her sister has that has put a wedge between them. They were so close that most in their community can tell the difference in their relationship and are watching and gossiping like the Oshiros are a soap opera to be monitored by all. Their mom is caught in the middle and it is quite interesting to see the dichotomy between the three of them as they juggle the past with the present.
Daughter of the Sword tells the history of several of the swords created by a great master named Inazuma. One of the swords has a terrible history and is the focus of a lot of the backdrop told in the book. There are multiple periods covered that tell the story of the sword and all who have owned it along with a lot of information about samurai. We also learn the history of a Professor Yamada who is very renowned for his knowledge of swords and martial arts. He also has a very deep history and some of his actions possibly reverberate throughout the history of his homeland. There are some aspects of World War II discussed and it allows the reader to see things from Yamada's and his friend's points-of-view.
Another interesting aspect of this story is the relationship between the police and Yakuza. I was a little lost with some of the Japanese terms for the different legs of the organized crime in Japan but, it made for another aspect of this story which is that it is also a Japanese police procedural with tons of action and a fair bit of gore which is to be expected when swords are involved. The sword play was described beautifully and it was interesting to see Mariko’s initiation into her version of a samurai’s way of life. If you love reading about far-away places, historical fiction and fantasy this book should definitely be on your list.
This review can also be seen at LadyTechies Book Musings http://LadyTechiesBookMusings.blogspo....
Mariko is a worldly, intelligent, butt-kicker. She is a great cop, much to the dismay of both her family and her fellow police officers. She has the great honor of being the first female detective and the only one of her rank. She has a family that she is at odds with because of some problems her sister has that has put a wedge between them. They were so close that most in their community can tell the difference in their relationship and are watching and gossiping like the Oshiros are a soap opera to be monitored by all. Their mom is caught in the middle and it is quite interesting to see the dichotomy between the three of them as they juggle the past with the present.
Daughter of the Sword tells the history of several of the swords created by a great master named Inazuma. One of the swords has a terrible history and is the focus of a lot of the backdrop told in the book. There are multiple periods covered that tell the story of the sword and all who have owned it along with a lot of information about samurai. We also learn the history of a Professor Yamada who is very renowned for his knowledge of swords and martial arts. He also has a very deep history and some of his actions possibly reverberate throughout the history of his homeland. There are some aspects of World War II discussed and it allows the reader to see things from Yamada's and his friend's points-of-view.
Another interesting aspect of this story is the relationship between the police and Yakuza. I was a little lost with some of the Japanese terms for the different legs of the organized crime in Japan but, it made for another aspect of this story which is that it is also a Japanese police procedural with tons of action and a fair bit of gore which is to be expected when swords are involved. The sword play was described beautifully and it was interesting to see Mariko’s initiation into her version of a samurai’s way of life. If you love reading about far-away places, historical fiction and fantasy this book should definitely be on your list.
This review can also be seen at LadyTechies Book Musings http://LadyTechiesBookMusings.blogspo....
February 11, 2014
It's not often I have such mixed feelings about a book, peeps. It's also very rare that I would give such book high rating, but I had to with this one.
Daughter of The Sword is a mixed genre book - partly urban fantasy, partly historical fiction and a mystery all the way. It takes time to get into it because it's pretty damn slow, but if you persevere it's full of rich cultural details on different historical eras of Japan down to modern time.
It's no secret I collect and treasure paranormal fiction based in Asia, and in that regard this book absolutely does not disappoint. Mariko Oshira is a first woman detective on a prestigious police force in Tokyo. Her drive and her stubborn streak forcing her fight through sexist culture which looks at her as a freak of nature are what endear her to the reader straight away. In some regard she reminded me of Eve Dallas from Nora Roberts' famous futuristic detective saga.
Mariko is demoted by her new boss to an insignificant case of an almost stolen sword in the beginning of the book, but when she starts to connect the dots between recent murders of drug dealers in town and a certain bloodthirsty ex-student of the man whose sword was almost stolen, she puts herself into a path of powerful swords capable to change history.
The book goes from present time investigation into different historical eras to tell us the story of each sword several times. It takes time to get used to, and I have to say that the prose is not for everyone, but it sucked me right in.
You can't help but immerse yourself into the atmosphere completely, and as the pace picks up towards the end, your tension mounts along with the main heroine's. Would she find the killer in time? Will she save the swords? Will she prevail over her sexist superiors?
I think this book is beautiful, atmospheric, and you need to take your time to enjoy it. Recommended, although it's not for everyone.
Daughter of The Sword is a mixed genre book - partly urban fantasy, partly historical fiction and a mystery all the way. It takes time to get into it because it's pretty damn slow, but if you persevere it's full of rich cultural details on different historical eras of Japan down to modern time.
It's no secret I collect and treasure paranormal fiction based in Asia, and in that regard this book absolutely does not disappoint. Mariko Oshira is a first woman detective on a prestigious police force in Tokyo. Her drive and her stubborn streak forcing her fight through sexist culture which looks at her as a freak of nature are what endear her to the reader straight away. In some regard she reminded me of Eve Dallas from Nora Roberts' famous futuristic detective saga.
Mariko is demoted by her new boss to an insignificant case of an almost stolen sword in the beginning of the book, but when she starts to connect the dots between recent murders of drug dealers in town and a certain bloodthirsty ex-student of the man whose sword was almost stolen, she puts herself into a path of powerful swords capable to change history.
The book goes from present time investigation into different historical eras to tell us the story of each sword several times. It takes time to get used to, and I have to say that the prose is not for everyone, but it sucked me right in.
You can't help but immerse yourself into the atmosphere completely, and as the pace picks up towards the end, your tension mounts along with the main heroine's. Would she find the killer in time? Will she save the swords? Will she prevail over her sexist superiors?
I think this book is beautiful, atmospheric, and you need to take your time to enjoy it. Recommended, although it's not for everyone.
November 6, 2012
I was surprised by how much I liked this one. It was a slower read for me than normal, I think because I had to keep going back to the glossary in back to read what the Japanese words meant and to understand what all was going on.
At first glance there are parts of the story that don't really make sense. We have the story in the present, police detective, people dying, drugs, and the yakuza. This part of the story seems pretty straight forward, about what you expect when those combo of things are in a story. I hated how Markio had to fight to do her job because her boss was an ass! I wanted to slap him. I did love how things ended for him.
Where it seems the story goes off the rails is when it goes into the past and the story centers around swords. I didn't care for this part at the start, part of it was because it seemed to come out of no where, but the other part could be the sword itself. Beautiful Singer is not the good sword, it seems to suck the soul out of the person. But in order to get the other swords you have to understand this one. When we moved on to the story of the other swords, Glorious Victory and Tiger in the Mountain, I was enthralled. Learning the history of these swords was fascinating for me and odd because the swords are characters of their own. Once Tiger's history was explained you realize how these 3 swords could work together.
As much as this story was about the police action and the swords, it was also was heavy into the Samurai life and the relationship between Mariko and Dr. Yamada. I loved these 2 together. Dr. Yamada was a wily one and played Mariko perfectly. I make it sound bad, but it wasn't, he needed help with the swords and knew Mariko would be perfect. I only wish that things didn't end the way they did for them.
This is supposed to be the first in the series, I am intrigued where the author could take this series and can't wait to read the next one.
At first glance there are parts of the story that don't really make sense. We have the story in the present, police detective, people dying, drugs, and the yakuza. This part of the story seems pretty straight forward, about what you expect when those combo of things are in a story. I hated how Markio had to fight to do her job because her boss was an ass! I wanted to slap him. I did love how things ended for him.
Where it seems the story goes off the rails is when it goes into the past and the story centers around swords. I didn't care for this part at the start, part of it was because it seemed to come out of no where, but the other part could be the sword itself. Beautiful Singer is not the good sword, it seems to suck the soul out of the person. But in order to get the other swords you have to understand this one. When we moved on to the story of the other swords, Glorious Victory and Tiger in the Mountain, I was enthralled. Learning the history of these swords was fascinating for me and odd because the swords are characters of their own. Once Tiger's history was explained you realize how these 3 swords could work together.
As much as this story was about the police action and the swords, it was also was heavy into the Samurai life and the relationship between Mariko and Dr. Yamada. I loved these 2 together. Dr. Yamada was a wily one and played Mariko perfectly. I make it sound bad, but it wasn't, he needed help with the swords and knew Mariko would be perfect. I only wish that things didn't end the way they did for them.
This is supposed to be the first in the series, I am intrigued where the author could take this series and can't wait to read the next one.
February 3, 2013
This is a hard book to review. The synopsis above doesn’t really do justice to how epic in scope this novel is. Daughter of the Sword weaves past and present together, following the story of the swords through time. The vignettes into the past were especially well-researched and fascinating.
Mariko is trying to prove herself worthy of her spot on one of Tokyo’s most elite police forces. She is as good, if not better, than most of her coworkers. However, this doesn’t stop her boss from removing her from a promising cocaine case and sticking her with a dead end sword theft case. However, when drug dealers start turning up – murdered by a sword – the case gets more interesting than Mariko ever would have imagined.
This is a tough book to classify – it’s genre defying if you will. It is not quite urban fantasy, but close. It’s more like urban fantasy with prominent strains of historical, mythological, and contemporary fiction mixed in. It is a totally unique novel. It is also nice to read a book that is not set in the US; it was outside my usual geographic reading area.
Mariko is a fascinating lead character. She is tough, intelligent, and easy to like. There is no romance in the novel, which is
almost a nice change (it wouldn’t fit in this novel, so it is fittingly missing). Daughter of the Sword is filled with intelligent writing, intricate plots, and fascinating lore. You might learn a few Japanese words as well.
While this is the start of a series, it can be read as a standalone novel. In fact, the plot lines all wrap up rather nicely, so I’ll be curious to see when and where book #2 picks up. Steve Bein is certainly an author to watch.
Mariko is trying to prove herself worthy of her spot on one of Tokyo’s most elite police forces. She is as good, if not better, than most of her coworkers. However, this doesn’t stop her boss from removing her from a promising cocaine case and sticking her with a dead end sword theft case. However, when drug dealers start turning up – murdered by a sword – the case gets more interesting than Mariko ever would have imagined.
This is a tough book to classify – it’s genre defying if you will. It is not quite urban fantasy, but close. It’s more like urban fantasy with prominent strains of historical, mythological, and contemporary fiction mixed in. It is a totally unique novel. It is also nice to read a book that is not set in the US; it was outside my usual geographic reading area.
Mariko is a fascinating lead character. She is tough, intelligent, and easy to like. There is no romance in the novel, which is
almost a nice change (it wouldn’t fit in this novel, so it is fittingly missing). Daughter of the Sword is filled with intelligent writing, intricate plots, and fascinating lore. You might learn a few Japanese words as well.
While this is the start of a series, it can be read as a standalone novel. In fact, the plot lines all wrap up rather nicely, so I’ll be curious to see when and where book #2 picks up. Steve Bein is certainly an author to watch.
April 10, 2017
This was a book that I really wanted to like. Billed as fantasy, taking place in Japan, with swords? Sign me up.
I'll give credit where it is due - the actual sword scenes in this are well-done, and were some of my favorite parts of the book. I also really enjoyed the historical scenes, even though I thought several of the historical characters fell a little flat.
I think that my main disappointment with this book was mismatched expectations. I was expecting an urban fantasy, but I'm not sure that's accurate. The swords which form the basis for most of the book supposedly have magical powers, but outside of their owners slowly descending into madness, there isn't too much fantastic about them. Everything else could easily be ascribed to coincidence instead of fate or magic.
My guess is that the intent was to create a world in which the magic of the blades was woven into reality in subtle ways, but I felt that because it was so subtle, it barely qualified as fantastic literature.
I also struggled with the jumps between historical fiction and urban fiction. I wasn't aware of them before I picked up the book, and my main complaint with them is that the time-jumping changes the main character from a detective to the swords, much to the detriment of the story.
Overall, I was a little frustrated. I very much wanted to love this, but I couldn't.
I'll give credit where it is due - the actual sword scenes in this are well-done, and were some of my favorite parts of the book. I also really enjoyed the historical scenes, even though I thought several of the historical characters fell a little flat.
I think that my main disappointment with this book was mismatched expectations. I was expecting an urban fantasy, but I'm not sure that's accurate. The swords which form the basis for most of the book supposedly have magical powers, but outside of their owners slowly descending into madness, there isn't too much fantastic about them. Everything else could easily be ascribed to coincidence instead of fate or magic.
My guess is that the intent was to create a world in which the magic of the blades was woven into reality in subtle ways, but I felt that because it was so subtle, it barely qualified as fantastic literature.
I also struggled with the jumps between historical fiction and urban fiction. I wasn't aware of them before I picked up the book, and my main complaint with them is that the time-jumping changes the main character from a detective to the swords, much to the detriment of the story.
Overall, I was a little frustrated. I very much wanted to love this, but I couldn't.
June 25, 2014
Три древни меча направляват съдбата: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/d...
Стив Байн добре си е изпипал нещата – движи действието почти поравно между събития в наши дни, в които полицайката Марико Оширо трябва да се бори със сексисткия си шеф и зависимата си от наркотици сестра, и серия епични истории, свързани с три древни вълшебни меча (в по-късни времена наричани катани), всеки от които влияе на ума и съдбата на притежателя си. Съвременната линия проследява сложните отношения между властта и японската мафия, традициите на последните, както и изобщо съвременния облик на Япония, който буквално за десетилетия се е променил повече, отколкото за куп предходни столетия. Историческите епизоди са чудесно изградени (в послеписа Байн посочва кое е достоверно и къде си е позволил художествена измислица), а фентъзи-нишката е много приятно маркирана само като фон, без да тежи излишно и да променя духа на творбата. Определено тези части от книгата ми напомниха на романизирания мит за 47-те ронини, а епизодът по време на Втората световна война е изграден безупречно върху ключови моменти от нея, с които японците определено не се гордеят.
CIELA Books
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/d...
Стив Байн добре си е изпипал нещата – движи действието почти поравно между събития в наши дни, в които полицайката Марико Оширо трябва да се бори със сексисткия си шеф и зависимата си от наркотици сестра, и серия епични истории, свързани с три древни вълшебни меча (в по-късни времена наричани катани), всеки от които влияе на ума и съдбата на притежателя си. Съвременната линия проследява сложните отношения между властта и японската мафия, традициите на последните, както и изобщо съвременния облик на Япония, който буквално за десетилетия се е променил повече, отколкото за куп предходни столетия. Историческите епизоди са чудесно изградени (в послеписа Байн посочва кое е достоверно и къде си е позволил художествена измислица), а фентъзи-нишката е много приятно маркирана само като фон, без да тежи излишно и да променя духа на творбата. Определено тези части от книгата ми напомниха на романизирания мит за 47-те ронини, а епизодът по време на Втората световна война е изграден безупречно върху ключови моменти от нея, с които японците определено не се гордеят.
CIELA Books
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/d...
August 5, 2016
Изненадващо добра книга.
Вървят две сюжетни линии. Първата е за еманципираната токийска полицайка Оширо, която се стреми да стане първата жена детектив в отдел наркотици. Незначителен случай я запознава с пенсиониран историк и майстор на меча, който решава да я обучава на кенджуцо и я въвлича по следите на три легендарни меча. Междувремено един психопат се опитва да вкара кокаин на японския пазар, зад гърба на Якудза.
Втората линия е за самите оръжия, прокълнати или благословени и тяхната поява през различни епохи от миналото на Япония: Ранното самурайство, сенгоку и втората световна война.
Историческото се преплита с настоящето по неочаквано добър начин, като сенгоку историята на клана Окума, почти успява да измъкне водещата роля в повествованието от ръцете на детективката.
Имах няколко дребни забележки към текста, както в древна, така и в съвременна Япония, но хуморът и искреността в послеслова от Автора ги тушираха всичките. Никога не съм бил фен на полицейските трилъри, за разлика от афинитета ми към историческото фентъзи и японската култура и въпреки това прочетох с кеф и частите за детектив Оширо.
Вече захапах втората книга и се надявам, че забавянето на излизането на третата на български е само временно.
Вървят две сюжетни линии. Първата е за еманципираната токийска полицайка Оширо, която се стреми да стане първата жена детектив в отдел наркотици. Незначителен случай я запознава с пенсиониран историк и майстор на меча, който решава да я обучава на кенджуцо и я въвлича по следите на три легендарни меча. Междувремено един психопат се опитва да вкара кокаин на японския пазар, зад гърба на Якудза.
Втората линия е за самите оръжия, прокълнати или благословени и тяхната поява през различни епохи от миналото на Япония: Ранното самурайство, сенгоку и втората световна война.
Историческото се преплита с настоящето по неочаквано добър начин, като сенгоку историята на клана Окума, почти успява да измъкне водещата роля в повествованието от ръцете на детективката.
Имах няколко дребни забележки към текста, както в древна, така и в съвременна Япония, но хуморът и искреността в послеслова от Автора ги тушираха всичките. Никога не съм бил фен на полицейските трилъри, за разлика от афинитета ми към историческото фентъзи и японската култура и въпреки това прочетох с кеф и частите за детектив Оширо.
Вече захапах втората книга и се надявам, че забавянето на излизането на третата на български е само временно.
June 14, 2016
Enjoyed this book. Loved the mix of urban police drama, Japanese history and fantasy. Good story and interesting characters. Writing very good overall. The historical passages are especially good. My only criticism of this book: When Mr. Bein writes in the first person as Mariko, he tends to get long winded at times. In several places he spends paragraphs relating Mariko's thoughts, which are either already obvious to the reader having already been foreshadowed in detail earlier in the story or thoughts that "foreshadow" something that takes place immediately after. These passages did not advance the story nor create the emotional pull I suspect Mr. Bein was searching for. They left me thinking Mr. Bein did not respect my intelligence as a reader. I expect Mr. Bein will grow as a writer. I have already ordered the next book in the series. Looking forward to it.
January 16, 2013
I finished reading Daughter of the Sword yesterday...thank you, Natasha Dawkins, for recommending it.
I've read a number of novels revolving around Japan written by non-Japanese, and many of them don't quite grasp the real Japan. This one is different, though. The author Steve Bein has obviously spent many years here and not only knows the country and the history, but the spirit. I admit there were a few discrepancies here and there, but very few!
If you have any interest in either the history of Japan or modern Japan, this book covers both. Give it a try...I think you will enjoy it.
I've read a number of novels revolving around Japan written by non-Japanese, and many of them don't quite grasp the real Japan. This one is different, though. The author Steve Bein has obviously spent many years here and not only knows the country and the history, but the spirit. I admit there were a few discrepancies here and there, but very few!
If you have any interest in either the history of Japan or modern Japan, this book covers both. Give it a try...I think you will enjoy it.
Want to read
November 5, 201511 February 2015: $1.99 on Kindle
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