The Sword of Kaigen Blog Tour // A Review, A Guest Post, and A Giveaway. Oh My!

Cooking Directions

[scroll-box] A mother struggling to repress her violent past,

A son struggling to grasp his violent future,

A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.

When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their
empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?

High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the
world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the
fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of
land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’

Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his
purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider
arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not
have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend
may stand on a foundation of lies.

Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda
house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything
from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the
outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband
grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.

[toggle title=”CLICK HERE FOR CONTENT+TRIGGER WARNINGS”] Rape, suicide, abuse, physical violence, death of a loved one, depression, grief, extreme war scenes, and blood. [/toggle][/scroll-box]

Purchase Your Ingredients

Add to Goodreads Buy on U.S. Amazon Buy on Amazon Japan

Let’s Make Some Waffles

An expansive and deeply immersive Japan-inspired fantasy with A++ worldbuilding. 

Japan-inspired fantasy novels are like the syrup to my waffles, the jam to my toast, the heck to my yes (you thought I was going to use another breakfast analogy there, didn’t you?). Basically, if I see those three words anywhere on a book’s blurb, you better believe I’m going to fly at it like Cookie Monster to a, well, to a cookie. But this amazingly-crafted novel is more than just a mishmash of some of my favorite things; it The Mishmash™ (with a capital T and a capital M). It is my new golden standard for Japanese-inspired fantasies. 

The Sword of Kaigen beautifully draws inspiration from a culture that I both love and experience everyday, while simultaneously managing to create a whole new world (cue the Disney music) for its readers to dive into. It is rich, it is multilayered, and it is entirely and unequivocally one of the most riveting fictional worlds I have had the pleasure of experiencing. I shall now crown M.L. Wang the Queen of Worldbuilding and hereafter and forever bow to her supreme abilities.

A powerful and empowering representation of motherhood.

 As a mother of a young and rambunctious toddler myself, Misaki’s emotional and bittersweet journey through motherhood is what made my eyes decide to recreate Niagara Falls and marked this story as truly unforgettable. Reading about a strong, butt-kicking powerhouse mother who’s learning to juggle her personal identity, as well her identity as a mother and a wife, really resonated with me. She was the character I connected to the most, no doubt about it. 

Not only that, but it was empowering to see that yes, mothers can be the heroines of the story too; don’t count them out of the action just yet. As somebody who reads almost exclusively YA books, it was extremely refreshing to read about somebody in the same stage of life as me, who’s still GOT IT. Who isn’t just backstory fodder (because let’s face it, mothers kind of get the short end of the stick when it comes to the fantasy genre. YES, I’M LOOKING AT YOU DISNEY.) And although I loved reading about all the elemental magic and the heart-pounding battles that The Sword of Kaigen has to offer, it was Misaki’s character and her love for her children that transformed this gem into a true diamond in the rough.

It took me awhile to get into.

The Sword of Kaigen is a standalone companion novel for M. L. Wang’s ongoing Theonite series. As such, the book opens on a vast world with a complicated political history and an elemental magic system that the reader has, supposedly, already become familiar with to some degree. Having not previously had the pleasure of reading any of Wang’s other books (an error I will soon be rectifying), I felt somewhat overwhelmed with the sudden bombardment of unfamiliar terms and sometimes was even left feeling as if I was trying to decipher Atlantian. 

My constant need to flip back to the glossary in order to make sense of certain words succeeded in pulling me out of the action and left me feeling distanced from the story for the first few chapters. But my initial confusion is probably due to the fact that I have a total of three brain cells at my disposal at any given time, and not a reflection of the writing itself.

That being said, after I got a general handle on the definitions and started to pick up on some of the more commonly recurring terms, I was completely hooked.

Despite its somewhat slow and confusing start, M.L. Wang’s Japanese-inspired fantasy, The Sword of Kaigen, is nothing short of an intricately woven masterpiece! It expertly showcases the author’s unique talent for expansive worldbuilding, heart-racing action, and her ability to craft emotionally-resonating characters that will stay with reades long after the final page. If you like stories dealing with war themes, high fantasy novels, or The Poppy War, then this is the book for you!

My Rating: Me Likey

Guest Post from the Author

First off, thank you so much to Kat for being part of The Sword of Kaigen Blog Tour and having me on for a guest post! Sorry the muted grays don’t match your beautiful golden color scheme. (Kat’s Commentary: I actually love the muted grays so much! It’s good to see some other colors on this blog! Honestly, I sometimes fear that I’m going to gouge some eyes out with all this blinding yellow, haha).

The Swords of Kaigen

“A warrior’s sword isn’t made of ice or metal. It is his soul.”

– Matsuda Takeru, The Sword of Kaigen

In The Sword of Kaigen, every weapon reflects something about its wielder’s personality. The following is a visual guide and introduction to the seven named swords that feature in the story. I did do the visuals myself, so excuse the shoddy Photoshop work. (Kat’s Commentary: You did the visuals yourself???? THAT’S SO SO SO COOL! They look super-duper awesome, don’t you guys all agree? I, for one, am jealous of your mad skillz.)

Takenagi 竹薙 – The Bamboo Cutter

(Designed by ancient Kuruma smiths, wielded by the Yukino patriarch, Yukino Dai)

Slighter and lighter than most katanas, Takenagi is built for speed, with a guard of silver bamboo leaves. Its name is a callback to the legendary Japanese sword, Kusanagi (incidentally, the name of the titular peninsula in The Sword of Kaigen). Kusanagi translates to ‘Grass Cutter’ while Takenagi translates to ‘Bamboo Cutter.’ This pairs with wielder Yukino Dai’s nickname, the Lightning Swordsman, suggesting a tree split by a silver lightning strike.

A wielder of Takenagi should be precise, level-headed, and above all, fast.

Kurokouri 黒氷 – Black Ice

(Forged by ancient Kotetsu smiths, wielded by several Matsuda patriarchs, including Matsuda Susumu)

Kurokouri is over three hundred years old, so little is known about its creators. It was named during a time when the reigning emperor had claimed the color black as a symbol of divine right to rule, so it is possible that the name Black Ice is a sign of the Matsuda family’s right to rule over Takayubi. Heavier than other Kotetsu-forged swords, Kurokouri requires considerable strength to wield. While its last wielder in The Sword of Kaigen, Matsuda Susumu, is a cruel man of little talent, Black Ice has made its way into the hands of a younger and worthier swordsman by the Theonite Series.

A wielder of Kurokouri must be resolute and physically indomitable.

Anryuu 安流 – The Riptide

 (Forged by ancient Ishino smiths for Tsusano ‘The Giant’ Raiden, wielded by all subsequent Tsusano patriarchs, including Tsusano Koya and Tsusano Kazu)

Also called the Undertow or the Stormblade, Sinker of Ships, Anryuu is so large that it can only be carried across a grown man’s back. Legend justifies its size by claiming that it was forged for the mythical giant, Tsusano Raiden, who was said to stand two stories tall. Where a heavy sword of normal size, like Kurokouri, requires a wielder of surpassing human strength, Anryuu demands supernatural strength. The secret to wielding it lies in the Tsusano bloodline and the unique relationship between their willpower and the blood running through their veins.

A wielder of Anryuu must have not only great physical strength but great strength of will.

Nagimaru なぎ丸 & Namimaru なみ丸 – God Sword & Goddess Sword

(Forged by Kotetsu Katashi and Matsuda Takashi, wielded by Matsuda Takashi)

The ambidextrous and massively powerful Matsuda Takashi wields the katana, Nagimaru, in his right hand and the wakizashi, Namimaru, in his left. The fish that form the guards of both weapons are a notable design choice, considering the time in which Takashi commissioned and assisted in forging them. While it is not unusual for the local religion to depict God, Nagi, and Goddess, Nami, as fish, the Matsuda family typically favors serpent and dragon imagery. The fish, in this case, are a nod to the lowborn fisherwoman, Chiba Setsuko, who Takashi was secretly courting at the time.

To wield Nagimaru and Namimaru simultaneously, one must have Takashi’s power, aggression, and versatility.

Mamoriken 守剣 – The Protector

(Forged by Kotetsu Katashi and Matsuda Mamoru, wielded by Matsuda Mamoru)

Mamoriken is named after its co-forger and first wielder, Matsuda Mamoru. Though Mamoru is only fourteen at the time of The Sword of Kaigen, the Mamoriken is heavier than the katanas wielded by most adults, with a guard made of two metals that form the God, Nagi, and the Goddess, Nami, in their serpent forms. The two snakes, one bronze and one steel, are perpetually twisted together somewhere between conflict and balance.

A wielder of Mamoriken must have Mamoru’s raw power, passion for learning, and desire to grow.

Siradenyaa  – Shadow’s Daughter

(Designed by Koli Kuruma, wielded by Tsusano Misaki)

Siradenyaa, wielded by Matsuda Misaki, is made entirely from a type of virtually indestructible obsidian called Zilazen glass. The sheath is disguised to look like lacquered wood, though the inside is made of the same obsidian in order to safely house the blade. The name Siradenyaa comes from Yammaninke, the West African-based native language of its designer, Koli Kuruma. Sirawu, which means Shadow, was Misaki’s crime-fighting alias during her time as a vigilante and denyaa is Yammaninke for ‘girl child.’ I chose the name Shadow’s Daughter because, much like Misaki’s dream of a fighter’s life, her dream of daughters is something she has had to leave behind for adulthood. But it remains a dark sliver under her delicate exterior, like black glass in a flowery sheath.

A wielder of Siradenyaa should have Misaki’s speed, duplicity, and ruthlessness.

Kyougetsu 鏡月 – The Moon Spire

(Forged by Kotetsu Katashi, wielded by Matsuda Takeru)

The Moon Spire is an unusually long and straight katana, with a handle of pearl-white lacquer, and a circular white guard. The proudest work of master swordsmith Kotetsu Katashi, the entire weapon has an immaculate white glow, like ice under moonlight. It was made to reflect Takeru’s cool exterior and flawless swordsmanship.

A wielder of Kyougetsu must be a creature of perfect technique and untouchable calm.

Kyougetsu’s name comes from the East Asian proverb: 鏡花水月, in Japanese: ‘Kyouka suigetsu,’ in English: ‘Mirror flower, water moon.’ The idiom is used to describe something beautiful but intangible or unattainable, like a flower reflected in a mirror or the moon reflected in the water. The proto-Shinto Japanese religion of the Kokinshu and Nihon Shoki has a fascination with mirrors and their ability to create a perfect version of someone. A mirror captures a person’s beauty without any of the blood, sweat, character flaws, and unsavory human attributes inherent to the tangible world. I took the ka (flower) and sui (water) out of Kyouka Suigetsu, leaving just Kyougetsu, the moon in the mirror.

In translating the name Kyougetsu to English, I chose the word ‘spire’ instead of the direct translation ‘mirror’ for a few reasons. First, a spire implies both a literal sharp thing and a highest point, like the summit of a mountain. Since Takeru represents the pinnacle of swordsmanship, this seemed appropriate. Second, like the perfection of a moon reflected in a mirror, a spire is seemingly untouchable. Last, the word ‘spire’ bears an association (at least to the Western ear) with churches, which gives the name a religious connotation similar to that of mirrors in ancient Japanese tradition.

I meant all the symbolism to fall into place around Misaki, whose name (海咲) means ‘Ocean Blossom’– water and flower to finish the proverb, straining for the untouchable as the ocean strains toward the moon.

(Side Note from the Author: I’ve clearly been working on these guest posts too long because it took every ounce of willpower in my being not to insert the subheading ‘I’m Starting with the Moon in the Mirror’ with little musical notes)

Author Information

M. L. Wang was born in Wisconsin in 1992, decided she wanted to be an author at the age of nine, and never grew up. She got her Bachelor of Arts in history in 2015 and currently works at a martial arts school in her home city of Madison.

When she isn’t building worlds on the page, she builds them in her aquarium full of small, smart fish that love to explore castles and don’t make noise during writing time.

Her Website Her Twitter Her Instagram

Giveaway

Enter below to win a copy of The Sword of Kaigen! This giveaway is open internationally and sponsored by M.L. Wang. It will end on December 11, 2019.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule

Have you read The Sword of Kaigen? What did you think?

What katana would you wield in The Sword of Kaigen?

Do you know of any other Japanese-inspired fantasy novels? Share your recommendations in the comments!