9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book!, October 2, 2003
This review is from: The Road to Kotaishi, Part 1 (Tales of Tonogato) (Paperback)
I read this book some time ago and just took it down from the shelf to look at something on the cover that caught my attention. Now I find myself reading it again!
There are two story lines and they are interwoven beautifully. As you move between the stories you are left dying to know what is happening in the other thread. It turns you into a compulsive page turner (even the second time around). I recommend this book highly!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic fantasy in a Far East setting, September 24, 2007
This review is from: The Road to Kotaishi, Part 1 (Tales of Tonogato) (Paperback)
Review by Seth Kerin
The Road to Kotaishi by Kevin Radthorne is a fantasy story with a Far East flair. The setting adds a great deal of depth to the classic quest mythos, while the main characters, a student-ascetic of sorts and a princess, nicely fill the roles of archetypal protagonist. The reluctant heroes face dubious odds against the "Darkness" - a rather Tolkien-eque evil that is threatening all of Tonogato.
As The Road to Kotaishi is the first novel in a series, there is necessarily a good deal of back story to deal with, and this could turn off the more impatient readers. For myself, an added difficulty was the name of both people and places in the novel. Being of Far East origin, the names were particularly difficult for me to keep straight - even to the point of sometimes not knowing if a character was male or female - though once I had pressed on through the first few chapters it did grow considerably easier. Couple with that, the saving grace for me, a handy glossary of names and places in the back of the book - something I found myself utilizing often in the early going.
The Road to Kotaishi truly shines as the story picks up and the individual plots and subplots begin to entwine. Radthorne is a true storyteller, intricately weaving the individual characters into a single complex tapestry. Like a small brook at the beginning, the novel quickly turns into a raging river that will carry the reader along to the end. All throughout Radthorne keeps his religions and mythos straight and true, deepening the world with each page. There are so many layers, each artfully described, that I anticipate reading the novel a second time in the not so distant future. This is just the sort of book that gets better with each reading.
As the novel is the first of two in one story arc, with second two part arc also available from Windstorm Creative, there is necessarily a number of major plot points yet to be resolved, but like with any great `episode one' the novel will leave readers in anticipation of the next.
Despite the trouble I had getting through the novel's initial few chapters, I would highly recommend this novel. Chalk it up to my own inability to keep the Asian style names straight in my head. The novel is, overall, very well written with strong characters and beliefs, with familiar themes woven in an unfamiliar and original way.
Read The Road to Kotaishi - it will be worth the effort.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better Than Sushi, June 21, 2006
This review is from: The Road to Kotaishi, Part 1 (Tales of Tonogato) (Paperback)
The Road to Kotaishi, Part 1 is more than just another epic quest novel dressed up in Asian clothing. It is a stylized fable about discovering new truths about one's own self. The different kingdoms of the land of Tonagoto stand in symbolically for different choices people make, while also being entertaining locales. The supporting characters are richly drawn and often steal the show from the leads, instead of being just filler. Radthorne has taken old themes - the loss of innocence and the burdens of duty - and given them a fresh, gritty twist, with plenty of political intrigue and splashes of humor. Part 1 ends with a cliffhanger, and you will want to know what happens next.
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