In Kill the Shogun, Dale Furutani returns to the journey of Matsuyama Kaze, the masterless warrior destined to travel the seventeenth-century Japanese countryside until he fulfills the dying wish of his murdered lord's wife. Until now, Kaze's quick wit and samurai skills have enabled him to solve crimes, untangle himself from deadly schemes, and protect the innocent, all the while keeping his sense of justice and honor. But the danger now facing Kaze, from enemies known and unknown, is greater than ever. Kaze is the closest he's ever come to fulfilling his quest to rescue his lord's kidnapped daughter. Following a trail of clues, he is led to Edo, the bustling new capital of Japan. Treading in unfamiliar territory, Kaze is the object of a deadly manhunt when an attempt on the Shogun's life fails. He must dodge his lord's rivals, even as he learns that the young girl has been sold into prostitution. In his quest to save her, Kaze teams up with an eccentric cast of local characters who bring feudal Japan to life. The samurai must clear his name and rescue the child as the odds against him grow.
Dale Furutani's first novel, Death in Little Tokyo, was nominated for an Agatha Award, and won Anthony and Macavity Awards for best first mystery. He lives in Los Angeles.
Questo libro mi ha davvero fatta viaggiare nel tempo e nello spazio, consentendomi di vivere un'avventura nel Giappone del 1603. Per quanto possano essere presenti errori storici, l'atmosfera e le ambientazioni mi hanno trasportata in un mondo lontano, estraneo, che mi ha affascinata e rapita per tutto il corso della lettura. In ogni pagina ho trovato elementi nuovi, personaggi caratteristici, modi di fare e pensare che mi hanno incuriosita, mentre sullo sfondo si dipana un giallo che riguarda le alte sfere del potere.
Lettura veloce e scorrevole che mi ha davvero catturata!
Kaze faces off against the authorities, snipers, ninja, and thugs as he tries to complete his quest and find his master's daughter.
It's too bad Dale Furutani only wrote three of these historical Japanese mystery novels. They are the perfect combination of hard boiled detective story and bloody samurai action.
Having finally received a solid clue as to the whereabouts of the little girl he's been searching for over the past several years, Kaze heads to Edo in this third book in the series. His quest is made more complicated by the fact that after a failed assassination attempt on Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, he has been declared the prime suspect and is the subject of a massive manhunt throughout the city. Unexpected help comes in form of a theatre troop including two previous acquaintances of Kaze's.
Hands down the best book in the series so far, this one easily had me hooked all the way through. Furutani is clearly improving with each new installment and has now very much hit his stride. While this was originally a trilogy with this book closing out the series, a fourth book was released last year picking up after this one - much to my delight, as I now definitely want more of this.
A perfect conclusion for a perfect trilogy, it's a shame that it's only a trilogy, i wish it had like 30 books or something. Similar to the previous two books in terms of pace, action and Dale Furutani's beautiful writing style. The only problem i have with this one is the ending, It is satisfying in a way but it felt abrupt. I would've like for it to have at least one or two more pages.
I love Kaze, i loved him sin the first book. By this point i already knew that he is kinda invincible, he've always seem so perfect. But then in this book he goes and makes mistakes and learns from them, always staying in the path of honor like a true samurai, that was nice.
Un style très descriptif, pas toujours fluide, mais qui fait ressentir l'effervescence d'une ville en pleine reconstruction avec le manque de logement, la gentrification et le besoin de tout détruire pour laisser place à ce nouveau monde où les guerriers sont remplacés par des bureaucrates. Une autre forme de lutte pour le pouvoir débute. Chacun cherche à conserver son fief, ses privilèges. C'est assez palpitant.
Another Great Tale Of ‘Samurai’ And His Good Fight!
With so many of the baddies knocking around, Samurai has his work cut out, once again.
This is great content and so easy to read. It’s comparable with the taste of a favourite food, sweet or drink being savoured, as such, to say: it’s a wonderfully told tale, full of interesting history and bold adventures.
I really don't like cliffhangers!!! Did Kaze and Kikuchan went home to their province? Did they succeeded in leading a peaceful life for themselves? Did they live in another place other than their home province?
Overall, I do like reading the series, BUT I hate cliffhangers.
Last book in the series. Furutani writes to attract those interested in samurai; nor necessarily people interested in historical fiction. Moves to it’s no surprise ending.
Conclusione della trilogia in bellezza, con un Kaze brillante e astuto e una vicenda avvincente. Prosa fluida e gradevole come sempre. Il quarto volume me lo terrò 'da parte' per un po' prima di leggerlo.
Una bella conclusione della trilogia, ho molto apprezzato le ambientazioni storiche e la ricostruzione dell'epoca. Il giallo è marginale, la parte importante è la conclusione della missione affidata a Kaze dalla sua signora.
“Akan kuajarkan padamu hal yang paling utama yang bisa kau pelajari dalam pertarungan,”kata sensei. “Jika kau tak bisa menundukkan dirimu sendiri, kau takkan bisa menundukkan orang lain.. Kalau kau bertarung dengan amarah, frustasi, atau kesombongan, kau tidak akan bisa menang. Kau harus bertarung dari ketiadaan, membiarkan pedangmu mencari jalannya sendiri. Kalau kau biarkan emosi menguasaimu dalam pertarungan, meski kau bisa menaklukkan musuhmu, kau belumlah menang. Paham itu?”
Pertama kali saya membaca buku pertama Kaze (Dale Furutani), saya sangat menyukai Karakter Matsuyama Kaze. Dan kalau memang kemudian Los Angeles Times memberikan pujian kepada Dale Furutani atas kepiawaiannya dalam membuat karakter, menurut saya “tuduhan” itu memang berdasar.
Kisahnya sendiri dilatari setting Perang Sekigahara, yang dimenangkan oleh klan Tokugawa, yang dipimpin oleh Ieyasu. Sebenarnya Ieyasu tidak memiliki kemampuan perang yang mengagumkan, bahkan cenderung kacau balau. Ieyasu bisa memenangkan peperangan karena ia memberikan suap kepada para komandan pasukan yang seharusnya bersikap netral.
Kaze kehilangan seluruh orang di klan majikannya, kecuali putri tuannya. Bagi seorang samurai yang kehilangan tuannya pada saat peperangan, ia akan menjadi seorang Ronin dan terkatung-katung. Setelah itu biasanya mereka bekerja menjadi pengawal barang, pengawal rumah judi atau seniman jalanan. Dan Edo menjadi pusat kota, setelah Klan Tokugawa berkuasa.
Nilai-nilai individu yang dimiliki Kaze, akan sangat sulit kita temukan di dunia sekarang. Apalagi suap sudah menjadi kebiasaan para “birokrat” kita yang duduk di pemerintahan. Suap bahkan cenderung menjadi karakter bangsa, karena sudah menggurita di kalangan pegawai pemerintahan.
Bagi Kaze kehormatan itu lebih dari segalanya. Ia rela Mati demi kehormatan klan yang membesarkan dirinya dan keluarganya. Oleh karena itu Kaze terus berusaha melaksanakan pesan terakhir dari majikannya.
Kaze bukan Ronin, meski dalam pandangan masyarakat Jepang saat itu ia adalah ronin. Ia adalah Seorang ksatria yang mencari putri dan “Tuan-nya”, yang menghilang karena diculik oleh musuh besarnya, karena alasan balas dendam. Seorang Ksatria yang memiliki tujuan yang jelas, tidak seperti ronin-ronin lainnya yang bertebaran di Jepang. Bahkan, boleh dianggap Ksatria yang punya banyak keahlian dan tidak pernah putus asa.
Melalui buku ini, pesan-pesan Dale Furuutani jelas terbaca, baik melalui budaya ataupun kepribadian setiap individu. Membaca Pembunuhan sang Shogun karya Dale Furutani, kita diajak kembali merenungkan falsafah hidup kita. Menggali potensi tersembunyi yang ada dalam diri kita. Dan melesatkannya ke depan seperti anak panah Arjuna.
Walaupun tampaknya setiap seri bisa dibaca secara terpisah, tetap saja buku ketiga ini menjadi "pelengkap puzzle" kisah Matsuyama Kaze. Dengan akhir cerita yang mengejutkan walau bisa ditebak sebelumnya, aku menikmati betul membaca tentang sepak terjang ronin yang satu ini.
Menurutku, sangat luar biasa ketika seorang penulis dapat menyampaikan kisah sejarah secara akurat, baik dari segi tempat, waktu, maupun suasana. Inilah yang dilakukan Dale Furutani. Lebih jauh lagi, dia bahkan menghadirkan sosok Shogun di zaman itu, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Kehadirannya bukan hanya menjadi penjelas keakuratan, tetapi juga menjadi bumbu menarik di mana Kaze pada akhirnya bukan hanya mencari putri Tuannya, tetapi juga harus berurusan dengan penguasa Jepang ini, yang kemudian mempertemukannya kembali dengan musuh lamanya.
Strategi yang meliputi keseluruhan cerita adalah hal lain yang menjadi penarik perhatian pembaca buku ini. Dale Furutani dengan cermat mampu menggambarkan setiap adegan perkelahian dan pertarungan, bahkan pola pikir yang digunakan dalam setiap serangan. Pembaca tidak hanya diajak untuk membayangkan adegan perkelahian, tetapi juga membuat mereka seolah terjun langsung dalam adegan tersebut.
Sejujurnya, sebagai pembaca aku tidak mengharapkan keadaan semacam itu ketika Kaze pada akhirnya bertemu dengan gadis kecil yang dicarinya. Ada yang mengganjal, seperti rasa kasihan, walau Kaze berhasil memenuhi janjinya. Akan tetapi, aku tahu setiap perjuangan punya harga yang harus dibayar. Akhir kisah ini, walau tidak mengenakkan hati, harus diterima, karena dengannya kita bisa melihat fenomena yang terjadi bertahun-tahun yang lalu, yang sayangnya, mulai muncul di sekitar kita sekarang ini.
Selamat kepada Dale Furutani terima kasih untuk kisah yang mampu membawaku kembali ke zaman Edo dan berpetualang bersama Matsuyama Kaze, seorang samurai sejati.
Overall I enjoyed the series, though it was wearing a bit thin by this book.
All the books are what I would call light. The strengths are the characters, the setting and the history, culture and lore of the world of the Japanese Samurai.
The problem is the story is rather weak. Because it is the last book in the series the story arc has to finish. Everything that didn't work in the previous books has been pushed into this book.
The basic story is that of a masterless Samurai, Kaze, called a Ronin who is the main character. He was on the losing side in the recent war to determine the ruler of Japan. He is unable to kill himself and join his dead lord, lady and his family, because the lady commanded him to find her young daughter first. The daughter was sold off by one of the vengeful winning samurai, and Kaze is tasked to find her and rescue her.
The problem is that Kaze has come to Edo and the new Shogun is involved. It is very obvious how the story will play out, so it is like reading something that you already have read.
Also the idea of the masterless Ronin tramping the roads of Japan with a 9 year old noble-born, now damaged girl, just doesn't work.
Throughout it all Kaze is like a superhero, killing other samurai, thugs, and even ninjas. He is kind, good-hearted, and true to the code of Samurai honor. He falls into mysteries, and solves them easily. By the third book it became a little too pat, a little too contrived.
Still I enjoyed it, but am happy the series has come to an end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Buku pertama yang saya lahap (kelaparan?) sampai habis yaitu novel terjemahan Jepang yang berjudul "Pembunuhan sang Shogun" karangan Dale Furutani. Buku setebal 380 halaman berkisah tentang Matsuyama Kaze, seorang ronin yang berkeliling Edo untuk mencari putri tuannya yang menghilang. Namun siapa sangka kehebatannya menjadi kambing hitam atas percobaan pembunuhan Tokugawa Leyasu, shogun yang berkuasa saat itu.
Kaze pun melakukan penyamaran dari satu tempat ke tempat lain sekitar Edo untuk menghindari para pengejar yang menginginkan kepalanya. Belum lepas dari kejaran para pemburunya Kaze harus berhadapan dengan musuh bebuyutannya ditambah Kaze juga harus menemukan sang putri.
Berhasilkan Kaze membersihkan nama baiknya dan menemukan putri yang dicarinya? jangan lewatkan novel ini ya? Bagi yang suka genre petulangan dan action wajib mengoleksi ini. Walau ini buku serial ketiga Kaze, buku ini tidak berhubungan dengan serial2 sebelumnya karena setiap serial kisahnya berdiri sendiri.
Fidèle à la promesse faite à ses anciens maîtres, le samouraï Matsuyama Kaze poursuit inlassablement sa quête pour retrouver leur fille. Toutes les pistes semblent converger vers la ville d'Edo, où le nouveau shogun Ieyasu a choisi d'établir son pouvoir. Entouré d'ennemis, Tokugawa Ieyasu échappe de peu à un attentat et Matsuyama Kaze, à peine arrivé en ville, est injustement accusé d'en être l'auteur. Pour espérer retrouver enfin celle qu'il cherche, le rônin devra d'abord se disculper et confondre ceux qui ont à la fois intérêt à sa perte et à celle du shogun. Dans ce troisième et dernier tome de l'épopée du samouraï errant, Dale Furutani mêle diaboliquement les intrigues et dépeint avec vigueur une des périodes les plus troubles du Japon féodal.
This one was really fun. I'm not big on mysteries, but I enjoyed it anyway. It reminded me of Akira Kurosawa's movie Yojimbo; the main characters seemed to have a lot in common. There are lots of details about life in Edo in the early 1600's. I don't know if they were all exactly accurate, but they lend the book a feel of authenticity, which makes it more enjoyable.
I very much like this series; I so wish there had been more than three volumes. The main character is engrossing and believable, and his story deeply engaging. I am by no means an expert on the period, but the story certainly felt realistic. I did not get the feeling I was following a modern guy around 17th century Japan. Beautifully crafted work.
Sukaaa dengan seri ini! Beruntung menemukan ketiga-tiganya di bazaar buku saat itu. Dulu masih sangat getol dengan historical fiction berlatar Jepang, jadi masih sangat mudah memahami ceritanya. Dan Kaze ini benar-benar sosok samurai yang setia pada tuannya. Jadi ending-nya pun agak menohok sebenarnya.
I didn't enjoy this one as much as "Death at the Crossroads" - the somewhat more complex plot didn't seem to fit the hero and setting quite as well as the other. But I still recommend it highly, esp. to those who've read the others in the series.
One of the best samurai series I've read. It's like Akira Kurosawa on print; with a great balance of an interesting character and Japanese culture. I'm hoping that there might be more in the future.
I enjoyed this short little trilogy; Death at the Crossroads, Jade Palace Vendetta and Kill the Shogun. Mutsuyama Kaze is the Jason Bourne of 1700 century feudal Japan. I give Kill the Shogun a 3+ as a fit conclusion.