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review 2017-11-08 20:07
A Kunoichi adventure.
Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale - David Kudler
I started this book with enthusiasm, expecting it to be an historical fiction novel about Japan, but although it was based on historical fact, I hadn't anticipated that it would be quite so much a YA adventure story. I'm afraid I really struggled to connect with the book. Admittedly the Japanese names didn't help, but many of the characters blurred into one another for me and it was only in the second half that I managed to distinguish between them.

I was listening to the audio version, available on Audible, but unfortunately I found the voice of the narrator piercing and irritating. She tended to raise her voice at the ends of sentences, inferring questions that were not there, and although she was perfectly clear with her narration, this intonation jarred with me. And why did the Korean chef have a Scottish accent, did I miss an explanation along the way?

Kano Murasaki, or Risuko, also known as Squirrel (no wonder I'm confused!), was bought from her parents early in the book. I think it may have had something to do with her father's loss of honour, but I wasn't quite sure. She finds herself under Kee Sun's care, training to become, not only a Miko (a shrine maiden) but also a fighter and a spy, to defend her country, her honour and her owner.
There are several other novices studying with her at The Full Moon, learning varied skills from cooking to dancing and music to sword-play. It's a grueling training regime, but they are kept well fed and comfortable and it is therefore an improvement over their home lives.
Intrigue between the residents of the Full Moon provides most of the excitement, until a series of suspicious events allow Risuko to prove her skills.

This book did prompt me to look into Miko and their history in Japan, and for that I am grateful. Personally, I shan't be following the series, but I'm sure those that do will learn quite a bit about the lives of these women and their roles in Japanese society.
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text 2016-06-30 23:37
My June 2016
Das Jahr, das zwei Sekunden brauchte - Argon Verlag,Wanja Mues,Rachel Joyce
Crazy Dead - Suzanne F. Kingsmill
Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale (Teen Historical Adventure) (Seasons of the Sword Book 1) (English Edition) - David Kudler
Ines' Words - Haidji
Das Jahr, in dem ich dich traf - Christine Strüh,Cecelia Ahern,Stefanie Stappenbeck
Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet - Peter H. Wood
Das Jahr, das zwei Sekunden brauchte - 4 stars
Crazy Dead - 4 stars
Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale - 4 stars
Ines' Words - 4 stars
Das Jahr, in dem ich dich traf - 3 stars
Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet - 5 stars

 

Favorite book(s) of the month: Das Jahr, das zwei Sekunden brauche, Risuko, Ines' Words, Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet

 

Books started this month but haven't finished yet: Stopping the Noise in Your Head, Shopaholic, Because I love you

 

I didn't think I would actually get to 6 book this month, cause it's been one hell of a weird reading month. I listened to two audio books this month and that makes me kinda proud. Cause I actually really suck at listening to books.

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review 2016-06-29 00:00
Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale
Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale - David Kudler **I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review from the NetGalley**

Cover: Beautiful and fitting
Rating 5 Stars
Overall: Beautifully written
Characters: Flawed as humans, but perfection as characters!
Plot: It starts out slow as it introduces characters, but things start to snow-ball once they get going, and it helps that you already know the characters before the action really kicks in!
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes!
Recommend Yes!
Favorite Character(s)?: Risuko, Aimaru, and Lt. Masugu. (Also Meiko, but not quite as much)

I seen a few others talking about this book, and fell in love with the cover as soon as I saw it! I knew I had to get my hands on a copy, and I was right! I'm so glad I found it soon enough to catch it on NetGalley, I loved this book, and am excited to see what happen in the next book! It's beautifully written, and the Japanese culture shows clearly in the characters and setting. This is a fun read, and well worth the slow start. Even with it being slow, I found myself loving the characters, even the less than friendly ones, early on, and as the story unfolds, you are introduced to more sides, making the characters both real, and more human despite some of the masks they wear. Many have stories that intertwine to weave an intriguing and beautiful tapestry that this book only starts to unveil. I'm highly anticipating the next time I can join Risuko and her friends!

Full reviews, giveaways, and other book news can be found on my blog:
http://adventuresthruwonderland.blogspot.com/
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review 2016-06-17 15:49
Risuko!!!
Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale (Teen Historical Adventure) (Seasons of the Sword Book 1) (English Edition) - David Kudler

First things first: I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

The book came out june 15th and I really recommend this book.

 

Look at that another review. I'm on a roll today. Wohohoooo!!!!

 

Book summary:

Kano Murasaki, called Risuko (Squirrel) is a young, fatherless girl, more comfortable climbing trees than down on the ground. Yet she finds herself enmeshed in a game where the board is the whole nation of Japan, where the pieces are armies, moved by scheming lords, and a single girl couldn't possible have the power to change the outcome.

Or could she?

 

 

I just finished the book and aaaaah!!!!

 

I haven't read that many books yet that are set in Japan, so this was totally new to me but wonderful. I really liked the setting and the world building. Really beautiful.

 

The book has a lot of characters, so it took a while for me to get really into them and figure out who was who. There's a list of all the characters in the back of the book, though.

I found myself caring for Risuko very quickly. From one moment to the next she got torn out of her normal live, away from her family to be put into a world that she didn't seem to understand. I mean, that alone made me wanna wrap her in a blanket and protect her from the world. There are also lots of great side characters that I really enjoyed reading.

 

The story is progressing really slow but I actually liked that. I'm so happy that the girls training is going slow and that by chapter 10 there wasn't already a sword in their hands and they had to save the world. Cause even though it was a slow progress their were still a lot of things happening.

 

A really great first book. I can't wait to read more of this story and see were things are going.

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text 2016-06-08 19:07
Reading progress update: I've read 15%.
Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale (Teen Historical Adventure) (Seasons of the Sword Book 1) (English Edition) - David Kudler

I'm not that far into the story just yet but I really like the writing and the main character. Can't wait to see where things are going.

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