A review by what_is_daphne_reading
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

adventurous emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book felt very full. There was so much going on and the world seemed very developed. I later found out it is a stand alone prequel so that makes sense. I really enjoyed it. It took a left hand turn at chapter 18, but honestly the blinker had been on for a minute. 

I cried so so much. 

Since this is a “high fantasy” book there were a lot of made up words and at the end of the book I found a glossary but honestly I didn’t feel it was necessary. I didn’t need the glossary to tell me how long a “dimma” exactly. I understood that it meant a very short time. I guess some people might be confused by it but it didn’t bother me. 

My only issue with the book would be that the end seemed like it was setting up something else. Which is when I decided to look up if it was actually part of a series since I had heard it was a standalone. Now that I know it’s a prequel I tried to go looking for the other books but they cannot be purchased anymore. Which is a bummer. 

All in all, I am going to continue thinking about these characters for a waati (see what I did there?). That is the mark of a great book for me.