The Sword of Kaigen - M. L. Wang (Blog Tour & Giveaway)

Date of Reading: 06/10/2019

Author: M. L. Wang

Publication Date: February 19, 2019

Rating: 5/5

About the book:

A mother struggling to repress her violent past,

A son struggling to grasp his violent future,

A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.

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

Review:

       I knew this book would be good, but I didn't expect it to feel this great. M. L. Wang has produced an epic tale which even though it happens in another universe, felt utterly and impeccably real. Through a tale of war and family glory, she has managed to address some of the hot topics that haunt our lives today: women empowerment, government censorship and most of all the plus and minuses of our education system.

      Written as a prequel to her 'Theonite' series, this fantasy traces the ancestry of some of its main characters and can be read as a standalone. Each page is emotionally packed and thrilling and this massive book of  651 pages gets finished in no time. Trust me when I say this is nothing that you expect.

        For one, I didn't foresee some of the deaths and it gutted me thoroughly. And some of the characters that I wanted to die didn't. Obviously, I felt that to be a gross injustice. But the author's impulses were right. Those that are gone have completed their lives' mission and once that remain has a lot to do; for themselves and also to the community. If they have died, they would have never got an opportunity to change. Well, that brings me to the second element that completely endeared me to this book.

        None of the characters is flat. They change. Sometimes a tragedy is required to shook the system and us from our unpleasant, routined life. For Mamoru, this change came in the form of a new student; a war for Misaka and her husband to know each other. I was happy to see that Robin shares some Indian lineage or the counterpart of Indian in this fictional universe. His Hindi is hilarious. Finally, I found someone who is worse than me!!!

        I cannot end this review without any mention of the battle scenes. Brilliantly written, with minute details they are an absolute masterpiece. Nerve-wracking though it may be, we feel the ice piercing through our skin and the land being one with us when a Whispering Blade is made. 

     This book is a salute for those who strive for change especially the women. It will hurt you, console you and will make you smile as you change along with the tale. Without a doubt five sparkling five stars!

Meet the author:

M. L. Wang was born in Wisconsin in 1992, decided she wanted to be an author at the age of nine, and never grew up. She got her Bachelor of Arts in history in 2015 and currently works at a martial arts school in her home city of Madison.

When she isn’t building worlds on the page, she builds them in her aquarium full of small, smart fish that love to explore castles and don’t make noise during writing time.

Find her on: 

Website: https://mlwangbooks.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/M_L_Wang

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mlwangauthor/

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway