The Sword of Kaigen (Theonite series)[February 12, 2024]

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Persevere, Ann-Marie..."

I'm trying but not sure if I'm going to finish, through chapter 22 (view spoiler)[and I swear if the dead get raised as zombies or some dumb shit this will be a DNF regardless of how far I am into the book! Why do they need the dead bodies when it breaks tradition? Why? Also her husband needs to die the absolute most painful of deaths! And the second flashback where she married Takeru and rejected Robin because her dad told her to? UGH! So infuriating! (hide spoiler)]

[Christopher]

I’ve been sick all week and haven’t been able to read. Will try to see if I can pick this up tonight or tomorrow.

[Nirkatze]

Seems like Ann-Marie hit that Chapter 17 love-or-hate moment... I'm coming up on that and getting nervous... forewarned is forearmed, I suppose...

[Ann-Marie]

So okay, through chapter 24 (view spoiler)[and when is the kicking of asses going to start? I need some violent, maternal revenge to start ASAP because this mopey shit is kind of boring! Also I still hate her husband and I wish she had allowed her brother to murder his face and take her and the rest of her kids home.

What I want:



What I am getting:

(hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

You're close to the real climax of the story, I think, Ann-Marie, and the decision point of whether you like the book...

Re:other things: after you read a few more chapters... (view spoiler)[not zombies... just Empire/military doing a disinformation campaign, taking photos to convince the enemy to ceasefire, and then burn the evidence so Imperial citizens don't know how bad it really was... goes back to Mamoru's comments about re-used footage in the news... (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Nirkatze wrote: "Seems like Ann-Marie hit that Chapter 17 love-or-hate moment... I'm coming up on that and getting nervous... forewarned is forearmed, I suppose..."

Spoiler alert: I hated it lol

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "You're close to the real climax of the story, I think, Ann-Marie, and the decision point of whether you like the book...

Re:other things: after you read a few more chapters... [spoilers removed]"

I hope so!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I think the big climax is around chapter 24... it's one of the chapters Emily talked about in her Chapter 27 spoiler...

[Nirkatze]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "Mid chapter12..."

Okay, maybe not so close yet. But it'll go fast.

I'm in Chapter 12 now too, and I was really looking forward to (view spoiler)[Misaki GTFOing with the kids and leaving a stunned husband behind, but of course Takashi and the Ranganese had to F everything up. GRRRR. And now Misaki is back to "yes, Takeru-sama" and "yes, nii-sama"--thank the gods Mamoru actually has the sense to listen to her even though the stupid patriarchy are ignoring her advice like the blockheads they are.

But damn, I'm sad for Setsuko, watching her village--and probably her family--get destroyed by that tornado... And for the students in the village... but I'm also glad to see the pompous smirks wiped off the fanatic faces... so yeah, I'd be happy to see the battle go either way...

And I keep drawing parallels to Communist China for the censorship--but I should really be drawing parallels to WWII Japan--the citizens all thought, due to gov't propaganda, that they were winning the war... up until the emperor surrendered... and the suicide-honor fervor instilled in the soldiers was the same level of brainwashing we're seeing here... one thing I really loved about the new Godzilla Minus One movie, actually, was showing that--from a Japanese standpoint.... If y'all haven't seen it it was really fun. (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Chapter 27......(view spoiler)[She just forgave him? Just like that?

Gross (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Chapter 13--(view spoiler)[Oh hey, the Ranganese speak Chinese.

Jixu--continue, advance
ni qie le wo de toufa--you cut my hair
ni hao kuai--you're quite fast

I'm guessing Yammanka language is Korean based...

This whole fight... made me want to punch all the adults--except Yukino-sensei--he's the only one who has any sense of the trauma this kind of battle has for a child... even a child being raised to be a soldier should be given some thought of having kill for the first time in the midst of a slaughter...

I have to wonder, when Misaki told Mamoru she'd never killed... was she lying? Or will this be the first time she's made that step too? Unlike Mamoru though, she's mentally prepared for it... (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Nirkatze wrote: "Chapter 13--"

I remember when I was this blissfully ignorant of the turn this book was going to take! Careful, chapter 17 is coming.....

[Nirkatze]

Made it through the pain, through Chapter 19 now... (view spoiler)[Ah Mamoru, you were the best of them, and never had a chance... Really hoping his death will snap Misaki out of it, and she'll stand up for herself and her children. Yes, it is one thing to not stand in the way of a warrior wanting to fight, and yet an entirely other thing to raise your children to be cannon fodder--not cannons. If Takeru had let Mamoru go up the mountain to protect the family they might have made it... if it was only yellow soldiers in the village...

Agree with Ann-Marie on sexism--though I will forgive a book if the MCs fight against it... I like a little righteous anger in my reading as long as it comes with a comeuppance. I could really use some comeuppance now, Wang-sensei...

In a sense, Misaki's choice to stay and marry Takeru was very similar to Mamoru's not believing Kwang... they are so conditioned, it takes a prybar the size of an ocean to crack their beliefs... Coupled with Misaki's already twisted belief in her lack of honor--apparently Kaigen has no ninja, 'cuz she's a frickin' ninja... (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Through Chapter 21--(view spoiler)[I'd been thinking about this since the Raganese first started killing so indiscriminately, even to babies--I don't think that they are all just bloodthirsty evil people... more likely, they're on a ethnic purge--kill out the bloodlines, and there will be no more strong water-warriors to oppose them. Maybe also wiping out the social customs that are so backwards... trying "save" other countries by reducing their "elitists" to rubble?

I am not happy to see Misaki back in "yes sir" form... she'd better break out by the end of the book... I have faith... and art... (hide spoiler)]

If y'all haven't seen the art on Wang's website, seriously y'all should... it gives me hope, so maybe spolierific: https://mlwangbooks.com/artwork/

[Nirkatze]

Chapter 22--(view spoiler)[I was also thinking that the carnage at Takayubi was reminding me of the Rape of Nanking... and now, with the General commanding that bodies be handed over to Yammanka scientists... well, getting more reminders of that too.

I wonder if they are trying to technologize Theonite power, kind of like the Southerners in Mistborn Era 2? (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

I finished earlier and I am not sure how I feel about this.... (view spoiler)[The big battle was like 4 full chapters, right? And then after not a whole lot happened until Misaki challenged Takeru to a duel because let's face it, he absolutely needed to get his ass beat. That was a decent chunk of the book that nothing much happened except for feelings which is okay generally but not when I went into this expecting lots of ass-kicking which may have been on me and my expectations but come on! You go from an epic battle with the untimely death of a 14 year old child to Misaki reverting to her "yes sir" attitude and Takeru going to commune with the mountain. I understand why in retrospect especially when they finally decide to speak to each other and discuss more feelings but man, to go from Mamoru's death and Misaki's ass-kickery to mopey, boring chapters was not my favorite thing! That being said I did enjoy the book and that ending absolutely leaves the door wide open for a sequel/series. And I admit Takeru did ultimately redeem himself so I am maybe not sad he survived. (hide spoiler)]

So I am thinking about what star rating I will give this one, TBD for now :)

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "You're close to the real climax of the story, I think, Ann-Marie, and the decision point of whether you like the book...

Re:other things: after you read a few more chapters... [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I still don't understand why they insisted on burning the bodies and did not allow them to honor their dead. I guess it was because they wanted to discourage remembering the sacrifices so the emperor could continue to maintain that weather caused the deaths, not a battle/invasion? (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Hit Chapter 27, in Chapter 28 now--(view spoiler)[Makes me think of what Marla did with Death in Dead Reign... Misaki forging Takeru into the kind of person who could lead the village even against the empire if need be... and who would be worthy to stand at her side, now that she's properly standing.

I don't think I forgive either of them entirely, but baby steps... not everyone can be as good as Cordelia and Aral... and I think Takayubi is much worse than even Barrayar, honestly...

I do like that this book turned out to be a conversation on well... the power of conversation. For all the time that we spent inside Misaki's head, I was definitely wondering if her interpretations of Takeru's actions and orders weren't inaccurate... she was so quick to blame herself, seems like he was too. Both locked inside their own heads, and it took a death and a duel to knock them out... and knock Takeru's sexism around a bit too while at it.

And if he was that worried about her miscarriages and fragility then he really shouldn't have approached the marriage bed the way Misaki described it earlier on--moving her hands away and continuing on--that seems inconsistent.

The littigi showing up, the missing child... brings up the question of WTH is going on here... feels like the personal story has hit its climax, but there's still the world story.... (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Finished! Enjoyed it, but I do feel it was a little unfocused... (view spoiler)[Like, I could feel the ghost of the other "discontinued" Theonite stories haunting this one. Misaki's past could have been a book in itself. So could the story of what Robin had been up to in the interim. Not to mention what that big looming army gathering person is up to... In some ways, Misaki's story feels like a sidenote in a book we should have read first.

That said, I really liked the smaller focus, on her life and finding herself, the importance of communication. Wang just better darned well write more in this universe. (hide spoiler)]

And I had burning curiosity to find out about those discontinued books--(view spoiler)[and they follow a grown-up Daniel and a new character--maybe that's the whole upcoming army thing. (hide spoiler)]

@Ann-Marie, re: dead--(view spoiler)[I think it's what you said, the government wanted to erase the "battle" and didn't want to leave the villagers with a memorial to remember them... and if any of the dead had been left, they would have had a hundred separate memorials to remember the battle... idiots. (hide spoiler)]