This is likely going to be the hardest review I’ve ever tried to put into words…this book is that good and the depth of it is difficult to fathom. all of the rave reviews are no joke…I usually look at a few to get a sampling of a book but rarely put too much stock in them…afterall we all like different things. But the numerous reviews of praise really don’t do justice to this book.
if you were fortunate like I was, to get a copy of this in a 2 for 1 special or deal of the day for 5 bucks…consider it one of the best values you’re likely to ever get on audible. if not, a full credit is still an amazing deal. I know there may be some people who will disagree and think this book sucks…there’s always going to be a few. but ill try my best to capture elements of this masterpiece without giving away plot lines…bc I hate spoilers myself. so here goes…
in high school I read a book called “the good earth”, required reading. many required reading books I didnt care for all that much. and normally that book wouldn’t be of a lot of interest to me. but that book grew on me. it followed the life of a young Chinese boy all the way to his death. might seem boring to many…afterall it wasn’t a war story or hero story. but for some reason I wanted to always find out what would happen next to the MC and in time, his family members.
this book has some of that to it, but also adds in elements of feudal Japan (on another planet set in a not too distant future of sorts, mixing modern day life aspects with old feudal Japan), as well as fantasy elements of powers and abilities for various characters and story. It doesn’t cover an entire lifetime for the MC’s…but it does cover some decades of time as the story reveals itself.
And its a story of life and death, sorrows and joy, maturation & coming of age, secrets and unraveling secrets, war & glory, loss & pain, honor & duty & obligation & sacrifice & long-suffering that often accompanies these. The story embodies all of these emotions and more. its not only a story of emotion however. many reviews speak to it being an emotional book as if that was it. just like people, we are full of emotions and yet we are more than our emotions. some are driven solely by emotion and others strive to never let emotion control oneself. this book speaks to that battle as well…like many books about Asian culture, a sort of Yin and yang (though I never recall that phrase being used once in the book, which is good bc it is too cliche…yet that idea flows throughout the story).
if any of this seems of interest im 95% sure you’ll enjoy this book. there will always he a few who are the exception lol. I hope this helps someone else decide whether to get this book (and end up getting it…and enjoying it, if not shedding a tear or 2 along the way as perhaps it touches you due to some aspect or similarity you may have experienced in your life also). if I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. I will likely end up seeing what other books both the author ML Wang has written, as well as the narrator who was amazing! I wonder of there will be a part 2 also (or maybe there already is…going to go find out)…bc it definitely left the door open for part 2.
ps. I did increase the speed to 1.05x as the narrator does read slightly slow. but otherwise was flawless. kudos to both on an amazing 24+ hour book well worth its price!