Review: The Sword of Kaigen

“Listen, son… when I was your age, I had to face truths that seemed to break the world. That’s what happens when you come into contact with people who aren’t quite like you. You learn over time that the world isn’t broken. It’s just… got more pieces to it than you thought. They all fit together, just maybe not the way you pictured when you were young.“

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content Warnings:
– Violence/Death (including children)
– Physical Abuse
– Rape
– Suicide
– War

The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang destroyed me. It obliterated me to the point where I did nothing but stare at the wall after I sobbed through the final page. This is a story that sticks in the most painful, beautiful ways. It leaves a mark, not unlike a scar, but one I’m so proud to carry.

When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?

High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’

Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.

Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.

This Eastern Asian (Japanese) inspired military high fantasy is a heartbreakingly beautiful read that isn’t mapped out like usual storylines. In fact, some may say that the climax of this book happens midway through the story, with the rest feeling a bit like an extended epilogue. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that this is an intense character study packed with a depth that will leave you breathless.

Tension comes from several aspects: The obvious war propaganda, characters finding who they are in the midst of violence and disaster, the deep terror of war and how it affects society, all of it is combined in a cocktail meant to be sipped and savored. No character remains the same by the end of this book.

The Matsudas—a father, a mother, and a son—are an integral piece of Kaigen’s culture, defined by power and perfection, but in reality, they are pawns of politics and victims of the propaganda controlled by the emperor. Only Misaki, who put away her sword in order to serve her family, is aware of how the world truly is, and when her son Mamoru begins to question the lies they have been fed, she knows she has to face a choice: Either reinforce the blinders or reveal the truth.

These characters discover themselves in the midst of a brutal, unforgiving landscape, one painted by war and death. Some people may criticize the pacing of this book, but it’s formula is delicious—slow and deep in worldbuilding, fast and sharp with action, character arcs refreshing and satisfying.

The one thing that may turn off some readers is the peppering of unfamiliar words. There is Japanese terminology and honorifics sprinkled with unique magical terms. If you’re an avid anime or manga fan, this shouldn’t break the immersion too much, but for others it can take a while to get used to. There is a glossary available at the end of the book for reference, if needed.

Overall, this book is a heavy masterpiece that I can’t recommend enough. If you love high fantasy and mature themes set in an atmospheric backdrop, The Sword of Kaigen needs to be your next read.