Rating: 
Summary: Not Worth the Price
Review: I was taken in by the marketing hype as well. The novel is not that good; and I read a lot of fiction with oriental themes. The characters are ill-defined; there is a surfeit of unnecessary and morally troubling violence (i.e., violence for violence's sake); and the plot is very strange. Some reviewers are trying to chat up this novel, but the cold, hard facts are in the sales numbers. It ranks in the forty thousand range on Amazon; and is not even in the top 100 on the New York Times list. That tells volumes about how good this novel really is.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as violent as some say ...
Review: There seems to be a slight trend in the reviews here: they paint this as Japan-centric and overtly violent. At least one can't see how such a novel could do well in the United States. Well, apart from the fact that that person obviously has no idea of the interest many have in daftly violent Asian flicks like John Woo's 'Hard Boiled' (and, indeed, in the whole Yakuza, Samurai film genre that has its comic U.S. counterpart in 'Kill Bill'), it is also fair to say that anyone thinking 'Cloud of Sparrows' is violent has probably not read widely enough in either historical fiction (try Jack Whyte or even the current crop of writers like Pressfield), or historical non-fiction (just try John Julius Norwich's books on Byzantium - there's more death in two or three pages there than there is in most of this novel). Come to think of it, anyone with any kind of exposure to any of the 'Heroic Fantasy' writers, such as David Gemmell or the battle scenes of recent Hollywood blockbusters like 'Braveheart' or 'Saving Private Ryan' would probably not find this too gut-wrenching. To suggest that the violence presented here is an anathema to U.S. readers and something peculiarly Japanese is just ... well, a little xenophobic.
The trick is to not to provide violence for violence's sake. 'Cloud of Sparrows' does not: this was after all a violent time. There is no need to draw a discreet curtain over the uglier aspects of frontier life or feudal Japan: violence here is contrasted with the inner speculation and contemplation of the characters, and the conflicts and similarities between the East and West's perception of death. As such it works as a necessary device that illuminates one of the central themes of the book: of how love, honour, betrayal, revenge, death etc are marked by their contexts, whether those contexts are rooted in character or in a historic period.
This in turn complements the contrasting of exactly what makes 'progress' and 'civilisation', what made the East and what made the West then with some allusions to the cross-pollination of those cultures today.
Sure these aren't original ideas, nor are the blurring of the lines between the two cultures (not the least in the visions of Shigeru).
What works is the way the book works through several grand fictional stereotypes of East and West, such as the anti-hero cowboy Stark, and throws them together. It's a nice redemptive tale, one that owes much to derring-do and romantic tales of Western yore as it does to Japanese fiction, and one which also a wistful yet critical reflection on the closing of an era.
Rating:
Summary: Seriously Overrated
Review: This novel does not live up to its marketing hype. The story is not that good, and it is a very hard read. Also, the amount of unnecessary gore in this book is enough to make a Marine puke. I found this novel to be testimony to the continuing inability of the publishing industry to get it right. Why do these addle-brained New York editors think an American would enjoy this story, told mainly and violently from a Japanese perspective? Maybe it's selling in Japan, but given its low sales rank on Amazon.com, it's obviously not selling in the good ole U.S.A. And for good reason.
Rating:
Summary: Great characters, great storyline.
Review: This book was very enjoyable. I'm not into the whole samurai and ninja scene, so I was unsure how this would turn out. The book seems much longer than its page count, which is a good thing in this case. I felt I had a great feel for the characters and it was always interesting to see the drama unfold as the book went on. I've read some other reviews here on Amazon. I wish people would stop comparing it to Shogun. Just stop. This book should stand on its own and not be compared to others. It is that good. I'm looking forward to the author's next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Decent book, horribly gruesome!
Review: I Enjoy reading Samurai era books and watching movies about this period. Being part Japanese myself, and having studied Kendo and Zen in Hawaii as this author did, I bought this book without thinking twice. I was expecting a beautiful Shogunlike book after looking at the reviews on the first few pages. I must say I was very surprised at the overly descriptive details in the violent scenes in this book. This book is not for the timid, nor a casual read for most bookreaders. While life in this culture was in fact very cruel and harsh, and the author does a commendable job in showing us this, I think he went a little to far in the descriptions of the characters dying, and having their heads cut off, and the emotions and thoughts of those who were dying. It really does get disturbing at some points. Even the chapters that take place in the United States, are about rape and murder. It cannot be denied that things such as those that happened in this book actually took place, (example, villages being burned to the ground and women and babies murdered for reasons that a westerner would not deem valid), I feel this author attempted to go out of his way to show in great detail all the horrible customs of the Shogun era society and the disgust a Westerner would feel at seeing it, and downplayed alot of the more beautifull artistic customs. We never get to read about Heiko the great geisha performing, or a cha cermony, or deeper descriptions of the Japanese religious ceremonies. The only ceremonies we read about are the ones that have to do with death or dying. The book seemed a bit heavy on the sensationalism and it's very unfortunate, as Matsuoka is definitely a good writer.
I bought this book while on vacation and after my mom finished all her books I lent her this book thinking it was similair to Shogun and she would really like it. A few days later she gave me it back unread, and I'm glad she didnt have to suffer through reading all the gruesome accounts within. I'm now embarrased for having lent her the book in the first place.
I do comment the author for his historical research, and the story itself is very well written and developed, though the flashbacks to his American characters former lives, really took away from the actual Samurai story itself. Instead of a Samurai epic, the reader is stuck reading page after page of violent accounts of these characters lives in America before coming to Japan. Cloud of Sparrows takes well over 300 just to develop for a great finish. Disappointing to say the least.
Overall I did like this book, mostly because of the subject matter, and the authors well researched descriptions of, though I would definitely hesitate to reccomend it to someone without telling them of the gruesome nature of it.
Rating:
Summary: Great novel - Would not think it is the first for this authr
Review: I have not read any fictional books in over 10 years, to think of it, last time was in High School, but after reading this novel, I will definitely read the next Novel and other Japanese fictional novels. The story is a well though out story of characters from eastern and western cultures. The author did a great job in exposing each character as the story progresses, not giving too much away when not necessary.
The author shows a lot of knowledge and insight in eastern and western culture with small subtleties showing up al over the book to expose this. I am fortunate to have studies martial arts for a greater part of my live, so I found a lot of the references and nuances very accurate.
It is a love story, a war novel and perhaps even a period piece all in one.
If you loved Shogun, The Ninja or other Japanese epic sagas, you will love this book.
I also recently watched the movie, 'The last Samurai" and will love to see this book done as a movie like "The last Samurai". Why not a 5 STAR... Well, one little part of the story was not concluded, but this might be because it will be picked up in the next novel. I do not want to give away the story, but it is about the bombing taking place in the first part of the story and who is responsible for it. For a first novel, this was GREAT. Can not wait for more!
Rating: 
Summary: A very good debut
Review: This was a thoroughly enjoyable book and an excellent inaugural effort by author Takashi Matsuoka. Though the frequent flashbacks and scene cuts were a bit distracting, the overall story captivated me and I was eager to keep reading further and further. Lord Genji, Great Lord of Akaoka, as his ancestors before him, has the gift of prophecy. Among other things, he has seen that an outsider will save his life. Coincidentally (or perhaps not?), three Americans have arrived in Japan to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Japan. But are their true intentions to spread the word of God or do they have ulterior motives? At the same time, the Shogun's secret police chief has been plotting Genji's death because of an ancestral feud started centuries ago. Moreover, civil war seems all but inevitable as clans begin to question the Shogun's power and judgment with the impending outsider invasion. Samurai, geisha, ninja, revenge, love, honor, deceit abound. What's not to like? I look forward to future works from Takashi Matsuoka and I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: A thrilling historical epic
Review: "A Cloud of Sparrows" is an elegant historical novel, no wait it's a adventure thriller cloaked as an historical novel. Presuming the latter is true it is only suitable that its ambigious genre matches a plot where alliances/loyalties shift faster than the sands of time.
The year is 1861 Japan, and the great lord Genji has opened Japan's doors to American missionaries. This causes a rift in Japanese culture and results in plots and counterplots throughout the story. Virtually every chapter is laced with attempts made on the life of Genji or Stark and Emily the American missionaries.
This novel quite adequately sets explosively exciting scenes of intrique and suspense, as loyalties are forever in doubt, and reader's wonder the meaning of Genji's prophetic visions.
It is a very solid debut novel lush in description, deep in its characterization and remarkably paced.
My only critique is that the shocking resolution of the plot is not as unexpected as some would have the gullible reader believe, the portants were scattered from the start, so the conclusion while possibly surprising to some was a little anticlimatical and disappointing to this jaded reader.
Otherwise this story works on both novels very admirably as a historical tome in Japan, or an intriquing thriller and should draw readers of both genres as a satisfying first effort by the author.
Rating:
Summary: Cloud of Sparrows
Review: I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka. The story of a great samurai lord, a lovely Japanese Geisha, a beautiful female missionary, and a gun-slinging Texan and the fate that drew them all together in 19th century Japan was very enjoyable. I found the characters to be likeable and their individual histories to be interesting, lending to the character development. The book is packed from start to finish with action and I had a hard time putting it down, the book sucks you in and doesn't let go until you're done. My major complaints with Cloud of Sparrows are; first, Takashi Matsuoka tends to foreshadow what will happen in the book a bit too much. It really doesn't take a genius to figure out what will happen at certain points due to the author's tendency to reveal too much too quickly, but this is a forgivable error. The second, far less tolerable, complaint is with Cloud of Sparrows' ending. The ending felt very... incomplete, it is almost as if the author ran out of time and simply tacked on the book's unfulfilling and all-too-obvious ending. Overall the book is a solid first novel for Takashi Matsuoka and I am eagerly awaiting the release of his next book Autumn Bridge.
Rating:
Summary: East meets West
Review: It used to be the mysterious East... but we're all a bit more sophisticated these post-_Shogun_, sushi-eating days; and know all about Kurosawa and Five Rings and Bushido. Yet that point where sword-toting Samurai are forced to confront the West through doors which are forced open--and make the transition from the feudal to a modern era can still fascinate. I found the book well-written. True there are some odd quirks. Lots of flashbacks, and flash-forwards, in a way, but they make sense given that the story centers around seeing the future as well as the past. Genji is the lord of one of the old samurai clans--one that has been relegated to the edges of power due to having backed the losing side at a decisive battle hundreds of years before--but which is distinquished by having the legendary power of prophecy given to one person per generation. But is it just legend, insanity, or keen perception? Some believe, some don't. Secondly, there do seem to be cliches. The missionary, keen to convert the heathen, lusting in his heart for his young fiancee. And yet... he has tried to to understand those he hopes to convert, and he has refrained from putting his lust into practice. There is the fiancee, running from a world that finds her beauty just an invitation to abuse her. She is alone in the world, and young. It's not so hard to believe it would be a problem. And yet, she, too, has depths to her personality which slowly develope. There is a gun-slinger, out for revenge. And yet, the revenge doesn't stem from his gun-slinging rep, which he is also out-running. Genji is a young Japanese lord, but feels too bound by tradition--which he sees as self-destructive for Japan. And yet he's a product of that society and cannot entirely leave it behind. His love is a geisha--and a ninja spy, answering to one of Genji's foremost enemies. And yet, the reason for that enmity between the spy-master and Genji is rooted in that distant battle, and bound up with the legendary gift for prophecy... There is even a character likened to Mushashi. So there are cliches. And yet they are thrown into this mix--on the cusp of a time of great change, between history and the present, between East and West, between tradition and new ideas. I found the book well worth the read. I thought it held together--all these greatly disparate elements and disparate themes. And it is told with lots of drama and action--blood and battles, some romance, some intrigue, and some wonderful historical and cultural details. I will definitely pick up any sequels when they appear.
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