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The Ronin's Mistress (2011)

by Laura Joh Rowland(Favorite Author)

3.89 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0312658524 (ISBN13: 9780312658526)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Minotaur Books

series

Sano Ichiro

review 1: Laura Joh Rowland delivers yet another excellent book in the Sano Ichiro series. This time she uses the story of the 47 Ronin as the basis for this book - adding her own little twists and turns - and the results are wonderful. She has grown tremendously as a writer from her earlier work, and both Sano, and in particular, Reiko, have both become solid characters. Of course, Yanagisawa and his son Yoritomo, are still around wreaking havoc in Sano's life. But, the character who is starting to become very interesting, is Sano's assistant, Hirata. I'm looking forward to seeing what develops with Hirata, as his storyline may become more interesting than the main one! Fans of feudal Japan fiction will not be disappointed.
review 2: Such a fun series, this is a... more Japanese take on the medieval mystery genre. If you like Cadfael or Sister Frevisse, you may like Sano Ichiro. Rowland captures Japanese landscapes beautifully and mixes in bits of Japanese history and culture that are entertaining. I especially enjoyed the way she tried to explain the mystery of the 47 ronin. She includes the sorts of martial arts duels that recall Miyamoto Musashi, and her ladies are more reminiscent of Onna bugeisha, than they are of typical court ladies, which is refreshing. The mysticism that seeps through this series is a bit farfetched (a bit too karate flick for me). Those who like fantasy lit will enjoy it, though. If you have read The Tale of Genji (set far earlier), you might be interested in this take on the Tokugawa period. It is nice to read in company with Basho's haikus - it aids you in picturing what his pilgrimage around Japan might have been like. The book has a satisfying cliffhanger involving Sano Ichiro's rivalry with Yanagisawa. Rowland's depiction of Yanagisawa reminded me a bit of of Mishima's "Decay of the Angel." It is enjoyable to see the variety of influences in Rowland's work. less

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