Rating: 
Summary: An Elegant Return to Form
Review: After reading The Scorpion I was elated. I was so impressed with that book that I believed The Clan War series might become something more than your typical game-related fantasy series. I believed that it might be the beginning of a legacy (not unlike Dragonlance). Then came The Unicorn and stuck it's broken little horn in my heart. I feared the worst...
So Ree Soesbee arrived on the scene with her white-haired artistocratic swordsmen and saved the day (not to mention the series)! This book helped me appreciate the Crane clan and their place in Rokugan more than anything that came before. The characters are engaging while the twists and turns that occur here help to develop the plot of the entire series (as opposed to The Unicorn which seemed to simply remain stuck in the mud).
All of the Crane families have a role to play and all of them are seen here doing exactly what they're supposed to be doing. The Doji deal with politics and leadership, the Kakita master the arts (in this case mastering swordsmanship), the Daidoji protecting the clan by any means necessary...and so on. Through it all is Doji Hoturi, the cocky young nobleman who finds out that getting into trouble is a lot more fun than being stuck in it.
As for the complaints about the ending, just look to mythology and you'll see many far more unbelievable defeats and rescues. Of course, some things make far more sense at the end of the series than they do in the middle!
Rating: 
Summary: Crane, the soul of the empire.
Review: Alright, I admit to being a bit biased, as I choose to play the Crane in Legend of the Five Rings RPG and Clan War.This book was well written, dealt admirably with the aspects of the Crane, but as many have said, the ending seemed a bit rushed. Were I not a bit biased, I would probably rate this at 3, though 3 1/2 would be a bit more accurate. The Crane are a microcosm of the Empire, The Doji, the Kakita, the Asahina, and the Daidoji. The Doji -- Honour and Political insight, the Kakita -- Honour and Artistic Grace in combat, The Asahina -- Students of the Arcane, Peaceful works, and the Daidoji -- talented warriors that do what is needed for the protection of the family. There are a few plots that run through this book, one dealing with the champion, Doji Hoturi, as he fails, possibly for the first time, and learns to be a better Samurai. Another plot deals with the Emerald Champion, champion to the emperor, who has to come to a decision about who to derve. Another plot deals with the out-numbered Daidoji, as the struggle to defend the Crane Lands against three seperate sets of invaders. There is a bit of palace intrigue and revenge also, but the key struggles are highlighted and each family is given a certain amount of time in the aspects that they deal with, though the Asahina get very little attention. I was pleasantly surprised by the attention given the Daidoji. I thouroghly enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to any fan of Fantasy. The biggest weakness of this book was the suddeness of the ending. I would have liked an additional 50 pages or so to flesh out the conclusion, and perhaps a bit more in the epilogue.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Anime was what really got me interested in Japanese history and mythology. I've studied Japanese culture for two years now, and In that time, haven't found many books about samurai. I enjoyed the LR5 card game and RPG, so I thought, why not! My Dad had brought it home from the library. I began reading, and BAM! Whoa, I'm really enjoying this! I couldn't put the book down, I was so immersed in the story line, wich would make and awesome movie! I could picture the brave battles fought with the Crab and the Lion, the honorable warriors risking their lives to keep their Empire alive. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in warfare or Japanses mythology. I was sad when I had to close this book, I wanted more! ^_^ \/
Rating:
Summary: Top 3 in L5R
Review: I loved each character in this book. Though it ends in a hurry manner.
BEST CLAN BOOK FOR SURE !
Rating: 
Summary: This could have been better.
Review: I loved the first book the Scorpion. very east to follow very well written. But from that point on there has been absolutly no consistency. An amazing plot possibility at the end of the Scorpion was utterly ignored for the Unicorn as it jumped ahead a couple of years. Now the Crane book is set at roughly the same period as the Unicorn. Instead of a well laid out plot that follows on from each other, they are starting to jump around and not seem very thought out. Good points: The authors writing style is good, and most of the characters are well described. the action is good and fast paced. A good insight into the Crane, especially the Daidoji family. Bad points: A saved by deity style ending and a little bit cliche. At times asks for a little too much suspension of disbelif. Even in a fantasy novel you can go too far with the lone hero saving the day. That has become almost patheticly cliche in all these books. As each one so far has ended by a lone hero against over-whelming odds. GIVE IT A REST ALREADY! There are far more creative ways to end each book. They are getting very close to becoming the same book just the characters have different names. These books are still fun to read. I just feel they could be so much better and if the writers would give us the readers some credit and put just that little bit extra effort in, then these books would really be something to talk about.
Rating:
Summary: Hoturi's Revenge!
Review: I must say that after reading the previous two books I was waiting impatiently for Hoturi's side of the story. Ms. Soesbee managed to provide that exceptionally. You were about to understand why he loved Kachiko without any explicit details yet recognise as soon as he himself did that the operative word should be "loved". I especially liked what happened to the Dark Champion. Now this book (and any of the others) is for anyone who has either played this game or Dungeons & Dragons, or read any of the Forgotten Realms books and liked either. It would also be a good read for anyone who was interested in Martial Arts or Asian cultures because even though it is mainly fictional the references are pretty accurate.
Rating:
Summary: Razor sharp blade!
Review: I've read the first two books of the series, and i have greatly enjoyed them, regardless that they were based on the card game that i've never even heard of. The third book continues intact with the first two, introducing a few more charcters, one which is Hoturi- a smooth Crane samurai, who is also the Lord of the Crane, and just happens to be the main hero of the book. There's plenty of adventure in the book, enough gore, battles and blood. It is excellently written, in simple language which flows nicely. The story never let's go, author is keeping the story very well together, not letting it fall apart, or get boring. Pace never slows down. The plot is full of surprises, and twists. Anyway, if you have enjoyed the first two books as i have, then you'll love The Crane. It's written in the smooth style, depicting the spirit of the samurai and at the same time time creating an invisible magical atmosphere, without which the book wouldn't be so interesting. I loved it, i read it in about four days while in the subway, and believe me, it really made the time fly.
Rating:
Summary: An Extraordinary Tale
Review: The Crane, the third book in the Legend of the Five Rings series, came out in early November. I picked it up on Thanksgiving weekend, and I began reading it by the end of November. I waited too long. Those of you who are familiar with the world of Rokugan will find that, among the familiar characters, there is a whole new depth to this story that hadn't been there before. The relationships between the characters are told with such emotion that you feel deeply for characters you've probably not though much about before. The portrayal of Rokugani society seems just right, and the whole book makes you look at the two bywords of the Crane - Honor and Perfection - in a new light. For people who aren't already familiar with the world of Rokugan, this can still be an excellent book. While some of the subtleties of the story may be lost, on the whole it would still rank five stars. I would, however, recommend reading the two books previous in the series (The Scorpion and The Unicorn) first. Without at least that much background, you may become a little lost (Those books, however, are worth reading on their own merits as well.). Passing that barrier, I would still say this book is a wonderful way to introduce yourself to the world of Legend of the Five Rings. All in all, I would say that this is the best game related novel I've ever read, and ranks among the best books of any type I've ever read. This whole series is good, and this book is truly something special. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: final part written in a big hurry
Review: the good: In the beginning of the book the author does a good job describing the customs and ways of thinking in a 'medieval fantasy Japan' setting. the bad: I've read quite a few books in my life. This is the first one that succeded in confusing me about who is who. There is a large cast with very similar names. the ugly: The final part of the book was slapped together in a big hurry. The hero ends up in a hopeless situation at about 3/4 of the book. (He gets inprisoned in a dungeon without anybody knowing that he's there. In addition there is a double of him running around.) After the double causing all kinds of troubles the hero suddenly, completely unexplained he gets rescued. How did the rescuers find out that he is there? Who are these rescuers who didn't even show up in the earlier part of the book? Then after his rescue in about 15-20 pages he solves all problems and complications by winning a single battle on open ground against overwhelming oposition (10x plus necromancers and monsters). Riiiiight. Talk about suspension of disbelief.
Rating:
Summary: Return of the Fallen Lord
Review: The third in the series, the Crane runs largely parallel to the events in the Unicorn book (ending slightly later), but manages to hold its pace better. While not as full of shocks as the Scorpion novel, the Crane novel largely succeeds where the Unicorn failed: it provides suspense in a tale where the outcome is already widely known. Ms. Soesbee's style is not for everyone, as it mimics the fighting style of the Crane by moving so quickly that it's not uncommon to have to reread paragraphs. The revelation of Hoturi, the protagonist, is also somewhat derivative of a similar sequence of events in Alan Moore's "The Watchmen" series. On the whole, however, the book succeeds at displaying the many facets of the Crane, and is better-written than the Scorpion novel.
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