Book: The Sword of Kaigen
Author: M L Wang
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Magic, Asian Literature

The Sword of Kaigen is legitimately one of the greatest books I have ever read. The hype is real, please read this story.

It is going to be difficult to put this one into words, but I’ll try – so consider this an apology in advance if it’s wordy or falls flat based on my experience.

Sword of Kaigen is a tale of emotions and contrasts. Hatred and love, sorrow and joy, ice and fire, young and old, duty and desire. There is such a vast and immersive range of stories and themes all meshing between the first and last page.

Set amongst a small and secluded village in the icy mountains, the story replicates that setting. In the first third of the story, each page is a snowflake, building the foundations for the colossal impact that each of the words on those pages will have. As we move into the latter two-thirds, we see the impact of those pages and begin to see the rumbling and falling of the snow becoming an avalanche. It consumes and destroys everything around it – burying everyone underneath what may have seemed so small and insignificant at first glance.

I felt so many emotive states while I read Sword of Kaigen. Chapter 27 specifically had me wide-eyed, mouth open, and heart racing. Some pages and words hurt my heart, and some pages and words healed those same wounds. It is traumatic, but it is also cathartic.

Read this book. You are doing yourself a disservice if you think this is just me writing a ‘hype’ review. I cannot emphasise enough that this is a fundamental piece of story-telling.

5.0/5.0 – I cannot fault it in any way.