I Read Books: Brilliance Of The Moon
The final part of the trilogy of the Tales of the Otori. (Part One, Part Two). In fantasy-Japan Takeo and Kaede finally get together, getting married, combining armies and forming a political alliance that may – just – create something greater than the standard feuding between clans.
Of course all their enemies are ranged against them – Lord Fujiwara who covets Kaede’s beauty (though not in a physical way as he gives her a dildo as a wedding present), Lord Arai who wants to rule the three countries, and Takeo’s uncles who hold the impregnable sea-fortress of Hagi. Oh, and the Tribe, who want to kill Takeo for leaving them.
Fortunately none of their enemies can quite get together without turning on each other. Unfortunately Kaede falls into enemy hands. There’s more battles here, most of them surprisingly one-sided. Or not – actual medieval battles mostly occurred when someone misjudged and fought when they shouldn’t rather than retreat to a fortress.
There are sacrifices and hard choices on the way. And a mysterious prophecy!
Read This: To see how the end of this Japanese-flavoured fantasy comes out.
Don’t Read This: If murder and betrayal is not for you
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