Paperback, 305 pages
English language
Published Aug. 26, 2002 by Riverhead Books.
Already a sensation around the world, this first book of the Otori Trilogy is a brilliantly imagined, wholly seductive tale of war, passion, and intrigue, evoking the spirit of medieval Japan. It is the story of a boy who is suddenly plucked from his life in a remote and peaceful village to find himself a pawn in a political scheme filled with treacherous warlords, rivalry and the intensity of first love.
A perfectly crystallized setting that manages to convey intense feelings of grief and yearning without becoming mired or miserable. CN misogyny and sexual assault, though they are treated with such a feminist hand that the result is more energizing than defeating.
It's a pity that the first review of this book on this page is so ill-tempered. Hearn takes no particularly untoward liberties with Japanese culture, taking institutions for what they are : flexible guide-lines the application of which varies with time, situation and social standing.
The story is a fairly standard one of a young man discovering his hidden gifts and using them to confound his enemies. It is well-written, well-paced, the characters move about without overtly creaking, unlike the floorboards. There is sex and violence, but both are dispatched without overly laying on the detail - a relief when compared with much of modern fantasy, in which a street fight can be recounted blow by blow and a kiss can take up five pages of lingering description.
I will certainly read the second volume.
I come to this after reading the first volume of the author's new series: The Tale of Shikanoko. While I wait for the next volume in that series I figured I'd try out her previous works.
I wasn't disappointed. The style is a bit different, but still good. The setting is a mix of historical elements with the names changed and some magic tossed in. The story tends towards the dark side, but not to Game of Thrones levels.
An okay YA fiction with magic ninjas.
This was an amazing beginning to a wonderful saga. If you liked the Japanese culture found in the [b:Shogun|402093|Shogun|James Clavell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278332605s/402093.jpg|1755568] series, by [a:James Clavell|6417|James Clavell|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1226201855p2/6417.jpg], you would enjoy this book. This book differs from Clavell's books by having a narrower focus and being set in Japanese myth.
Mindless but enjoyable. I don't plan on reading the rest of the books in this series.
