REVIEW: Lord of the Darkwood by Lian Hearn
Publishing information: Paperback; 240pgs
Publisher: FSG Originals; 9 August 2016
ISBN: 9780374536336
Series: Tale of Shikanoko #3
Copy: Provided by publisher
Review: Tyson
Amazon
Synopsis:"Shikanoko, at what should be a warrior’s hour of greatest triumph, turns his back on those around him, in mourning for a secret love . . .
The Spider Tribe, spurned by their guardian, explore the extent of their powers and ruthless ambitions . . .
Hina, who alone knows the whereabouts of the true emperor, has to forge a new identity of her own. No one must ever know that she is Kiyoyori’s daughter . . .
As the traditional powers navigate weakness and disarray, old spirits and new figures enter the epic battle for the Lotus Throne . . .
In Lord of the Darkwood, the major players of The Tale of Shikanoko are forced to deal with the consequences―expected and unexpected alike―of their past reckless actions. Each of them strives to achieve their destiny, but so far the paths they have followed seem to have done nothing but provoke Heaven’s displeasure.
Profound betrayal, powerful magic, hidden identities, startling violence―these have made the weave of The Tale of Shikanoko so engrossing as it has played out across the sumptuously imagined, beautifully described world of Lian Hearn’s medieval Japan. But the story is now twisting towards its final resolution. Can peace ever come to the Eight Islands?"
I have enjoyed Lian Hearn's Japanese fantasy novels. Tales of the Otori still has an honored place on my bookshelf. With her ambitious new series The Tales of Shianoko she has invented a new magical world filled with interesting characters and intrigue. The first two books in the series Emperor of the Eight Islands (review here) and Autumn Princess, Dragon Child (review here) there was a lot of potential; however, in this third novel things begin to slow down and I grew tired of all of the filler. The characters are still learning their way as they continue to separate and learn their new skills and lot in life.
Not long after starting this book it began to lose its luster and by the end of the novel I had decided that I no longer wanted to complete the series. It is disappointing as I like the author but it just felt as if the third book was drawing things out when many of the story's threads could have been tied up and the series completed but instead there is very little urgency in the story and the writing has become stale. There is a great saga in there somewhere but the need to write four consecutive short novels instead of a single book or even a duology has hurt it. The world has become larger than life, taking on epic porportions (a good thing) but the fact that the characters meander around showing very little drive lead to its downfall. I don't plan on sticking with series but would love to hear from others that read the last book in the series.
Overall 6/10
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