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Rating: 
Summary: And the tradition continues
Review: Although the new characters introduced in this new saga continues the series' trend to be interesting and multidimensional, I find myself keep looking for references or a snippet about the characters from the previous saga (The Clan War saga).I guess I like a complete ending similar to Tolkien's complete family tree style ending to the Lord of the Rings. But I also understand the need to detach the characters to benefit those who hasn't read the previous saga (what are you guys waiting for? :) One of the most interesting aspect of the series is the style of telling several stories that focuss on a single event but told from different perspectives. That's one of the thing that kept me reading. I'm glad to report that in this new saga, the style continues with numerous perspectives that starts to emerge with this first book (starts from the preamble by Mr. Bolme). Ms. Soesbee is one of my favorite writers in the Five Rings universe. Her subtle sense of defiance, flowing narration featuring a show of contrast perspectives continues to delight readers. I just hate to wait until next year for the next book...
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I really liked this book. I was totally engaged throughout the book. And towards the end I was blown away. It takes on an almost dreamlike quality. Great read, pick it up!
Rating:
Summary: I enjoyed this book!
Review: I will admit that I may be biased. I'm familiar with the world of Rokugan from the card game and I've read the previous Clan War series. But like anyone else, I still don't enjoy reading a boring or poorly written story (which often is the case with novels based on games or films). This book continues the strong story-telling and quality writing of Ed Bolme's _The Steel Throne_, which was the first book in this series. It's not necessary to have read any of the earlier books, this story stands alone (although I highly recommend Mr. Bolme's book, anyway). Nor do you have to be familiar with "The Legend of the Five Rings" card game. This series is about four siblings who are vying for the Throne of Rokugan, a country not too dissimilar to Feudal Japan with its Samurai warriors and codes of Honor. The protagonist here, is Tsudao, the first-born daughter of the Emperor. She is a prodigy at a young age, training hard and becoming one of the best swordsmen in the land. But the road to leadership is a hard one. Even the daughter of the Emperor has to negotiate the earning of trust of those she commands in battle, and battle is the one thing Tsudao knows she excells at. More treacherous is the human heart, the will of the Gods, the loyalty and deceit of those closest too her, the elaborate intrigues of the Court, and the fearsome plans of evil sorcerous powers hoping to conquor the Empire-- all things Tsudao hopes to avoid dealing with. Of course, we know that all these things will be unavoidable! There is a lot of action, epic battles, heart-stopping events, loyal sacrifice, twisted and tempting evil, nasty monsters, hidden courage and much more which help form the rites of passage suitable for a woman of which much is asked and much will be asked in the future. This book should appeal to anyone who likes fantasy adventure, strong female characters and/or has an interest in Asian settings.
Rating:
Summary: I enjoyed this book!
Review: I will admit that I may be biased. I'm familiar with the world of Rokugan from the card game and I've read the previous Clan War series. But like anyone else, I still don't enjoy reading a boring or poorly written story (which often is the case with novels based on games or films). This book continues the strong story-telling and quality writing of Ed Bolme's _The Steel Throne_, which was the first book in this series. It's not necessary to have read any of the earlier books, this story stands alone (although I highly recommend Mr. Bolme's book, anyway). Nor do you have to be familiar with "The Legend of the Five Rings" card game. This series is about four siblings who are vying for the Throne of Rokugan, a country not too dissimilar to Feudal Japan with its Samurai warriors and codes of Honor. The protagonist here, is Tsudao, the first-born daughter of the Emperor. She is a prodigy at a young age, training hard and becoming one of the best swordsmen in the land. But the road to leadership is a hard one. Even the daughter of the Emperor has to negotiate the earning of trust of those she commands in battle, and battle is the one thing Tsudao knows she excells at. More treacherous is the human heart, the will of the Gods, the loyalty and deceit of those closest too her, the elaborate intrigues of the Court, and the fearsome plans of evil sorcerous powers hoping to conquor the Empire-- all things Tsudao hopes to avoid dealing with. Of course, we know that all these things will be unavoidable! There is a lot of action, epic battles, heart-stopping events, loyal sacrifice, twisted and tempting evil, nasty monsters, hidden courage and much more which help form the rites of passage suitable for a woman of which much is asked and much will be asked in the future. This book should appeal to anyone who likes fantasy adventure, strong female characters and/or has an interest in Asian settings.
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