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  • The Sword of Kaigen: A Theonite War Story

  • Written by: M. L. Wang
  • Narrated by: Andrew Tell
  • Length: 24 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (140 ratings)

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The Sword of Kaigen: A Theonite War Story

Written by: M. L. Wang
Narrated by: Andrew Tell
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Publisher's Summary

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, f14-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.

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?

©2019 Miracle Wang (P)2020 Miracle Wang
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What the critics say

"The Poppy War's darkness meets The Last Airbender's Elemental Magic...I haven't been so emotionally moved by a book in a long while." (JC Kang, USA Today best-selling author of The Dragon Songs Saga)

What listeners say about The Sword of Kaigen: A Theonite War Story

Average Customer Ratings
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    4 out of 5 stars

Solid story, could have done without the ending

The final hour or so of the audio book seems more like a self-help book on grief than a proper story. Aside from that, well worth the listen.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Highly Recommend

Took me a little while to get really invested in the story, but once I did I couldn't stop listening.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great!

Loved it! Worth the hype. Everybody talks about how great it is. They are right.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful

I loved this book. I mean really, really, really loved this book. It has really stuck with me after finishing it a few months ago. Do yourself a favour and check it out.

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1 person found this helpful

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fantastic can't wait for more!!!!!

emotionally engaging script, intensely captivating action scenes. the pictures your words painted were awesome. I can't imagine what it takes to wright like this. huge fan!!!!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great fantasy war story

Although the book did not go in the direction I thought it would, I loved it nevertheless. The plot-twist had me STUNNED.

The magic system was very unique and the character growth was well-developed. I really hope the author continues with this series, there is so much to build off of at the end!

Fair warning that this novel is very intense and has some darker elements. Trigger warnings include abuse, graphic violence, death, sexual assault (on page but very brief, is talked about later), and suicide.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Took some time to get used to the terminology, but amazing journey

Highly recommend for any fantasy Japanese inspired fiction. A great read through to the end, emotional and powerful and sad.

Wish there was more.

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Everyone Should Listen to This!

The Sword of Kaigen is a stunning novel that absolutely exceeded my expectations. I’d heard so many good things about this book over the years and, though I worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype, it surpassed everything I’d hoped for. This is a deeply character-focused story, which may not be for everyone—unlike many epic high fantasies, it doesn’t rely on grand plot arcs or world-saving stakes. Instead the heart of the story is the people of this town and their complex relationships with each other and their empire. Though there are some brilliantly crafted fight scenes.

I was sobbing multiple times while reading, because the emotions of characters felt so raw and relatable. It was so good to read a fantasy novel that centers on a mother in her late thirties to forties; Misaki is one of the best characters I’ve ever read. I also loved the way M.L. Wang crafted the magic in this world—it felt incredibly immersive and real.

This book absolutely deserves all the hype, and I can’t wait to read more from M.L. Wang.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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voice actor needs help

Great fight and battle scenes, emotionally rich, fascinating story and good character developments. The worst part was having to listen to the narrator utterly butcher Japanese (and Japanese-based words), which could have been avoided if the actor had cared enough about his job to do a little bit of research and practice into Japanese pronunciation. Move past the cringeworthy affectations of female voices and awful pronounciation and enjoy the rest of this rich tale.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Unexpected Find

Just a fantastic story full of emotion and action. Narrator was smooth and consistent too. Hope to see more works from the author on here soon.

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