Wow! This book was absolutely incredible. Truthfully, I haven’t been this invested in a fantasy world in a couple years (and I read a lot of fantasy), and I haven’t been this moved by any book, period, in quite some time.
ML Wang powerfully shows how one village, and even one family, can contain the world. The characters are so well-realized that by the time the war sets in, it is impossible to put down. Wang does not hold back in showing the brutal impact of war. And the aftermath shapes the characters in surprising and powerful ways.
Sword of Kaigen deserves every bit of hype it has received and then some. I can’t recommend it enough. It is THAT good!