Customer Reviews

The Snow Empress: A Thriller (Sano Ichiro Novels)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The jacket design of Laura Joh Rowland's "The Snow Empress" features a stunning illustration of a bleeding, kimono-clad woman standing in front of a ghostly temple. This haunting image attracts the eye with its beauty and mystery. It is 1699 and in Edo, Japan, Chamberlain Sano Ichiro (the samurai detective) and his wife Reiko are sick with worry when their eight-year-old son Masahiro suddenly disappears. Several months pass. Sano learns that his political rival, Lord Matsudaira, has abducted Masahiro, who is being held prisoner in Ezogashima, a freezing and forbidding island in the north. Reiko leaves her baby girl in the care of a trusted friend and accompanies her husband on a voyage to rescue their beloved Masahiro. When they reach their destination, their ship runs aground in a blizzard. Soon they are confronted by a primitive tribe of barbarians, the Ezo, who warn them, "For your own good, go back where you came from."

Ezogashima is a strange and unsettling place where the normal rules of life do not apply. Lord Matsumae, who is sworn to obey the Tokugawa regime and its shogun, has been governing the southwest corner of this region for the past twenty years. However, ever since his beloved mistress, the bewitching Tekare, was murdered, her spirit has possessed him and he has gradually lapsed into insanity. He will not eat, bathe, or attend to affairs of state until the murderer is found and brought to justice. Although Sano has come to this forsaken outpost solely to find his son, out of necessity he strikes a deal with Matsumae. Sano promises to find out who killed Tekare if Matsumae will guarantee him and his entourage safe passage and will also agree to stop exploiting and oppressing the Ezo. Although Sano and Reiko care only about fate of their son, they make a sincere effort to find Tekare's killer. The pair repeatedly find themselves in danger as they interview anyone who might have knowledge of Masahiro's whereabouts or the circumstances surrounding Tekare's slaying. As in most thillers, the truth is an elusive commodity, since almost everyone lies or bends the truth for his or her own purposes.

I have long been a fan of Laura Joh Rowland because her books have been an entertaining and informative blend of history, romance, intrigue, martial arts adventure, and mystery. However, "The Snow Empress" is a rare misstep for this talented author. The book's plot is far-fetched and disjointed; the characters are one-dimensional; the dialogue is wooden and the characters speak in a vernacular that sounds as if they hail from Brooklyn rather than Japan. The writing is overheated and melodramatic ("She was a human arrow, burning flames at both ends, fired toward a single purpose" is one of many strained metaphors). In addition, Rowland has an annoying habit of overusing exclamation points. "You stay out of this!" "Then prove it!" and "Kill him!" are three examples of many intense and irritating exchanges. As the story progresses, the events become more and more outlandish until, mercifully, Rowland reaches her improbable conclusion. The whole enterprise feels rushed as if the author had been writing on a tight deadline. It is possible that removing the principal characters from Edo, which is Rowland's comfort zone, was a mistake. Even a character as appealing as Hirata, Sano's faithful retainer who is trying to master the mystical martial arts, has little to do here and plays only a bit part in the proceedings. All in all, "The Snow Empress" fails to deliver the excitement, suspense, and atmosphere that Rowland's loyal followers have come to expect.

In my review of Rowland's last effort, last year's "Red Chrysanthemum", I wondered if this series hadn't jumped the shark, and hoped that the author could rectify her mistakes in the next book. "The Snow Empress" goes a small way toward redeeming her last installment, but I still feel like the shark has a grip on a limb or two. Rowland consistently gets starred reviews, but it seems to me, like Patricia Cornwell, that she is sliding along on her well-deserved earlier reputation and not on current efforts. Later Sano books have suffered from an overambitous scope, and the author indulges that tendency wildly here, dispatching Sano, Reiko, and an entourage to Hokkaido (called Ezogashima in the Edo period), where they are promptly shipwrecked in the briefest, most prefunctory shipwreck in literary history. Rowland writes masterful scenes of court intrigue, but since that's what she's really interested in, she has tendency to rush through her big action sequences. I submit that a fatal shipwreck in icy waters off Hokkaido requires more than half a page to adequately describe, but that's all she gives us, as if any reasonable reader would be satisfied. Her protaganists live, so the great loss of life suffered by all the crew members seems immaterial to her. Also, the author seems to have completely forgotten that she set the evil former Chamberlain Yanigisawa on the loose, having him escape from his island of exile in the last book in a likewise breathless chapter, because I'm nearly done and there's been no mention of him so far.

As Sano has risen from humble police detective to Sosokan-sama and now, Chamberlain, the scope of each book has gotten more and more outrageous, to the point where the author is no longer able to control, or develop all the strands of plot she's got going. I miss the simpler days back when Sano was investigating murders in Edo with his faithful retainer, Hirata. By far the relationship that has suffered the most by Sano's rise through the ranks is that between him and Hirata. Hirata is no more than another appendage of the plot these days, only called upon when his 'dim-mak' training is useful for getting his old friend out of a scrape. Pitiful. This book does succeed in being a bit more interesting than its predecessor due to its focus on the native culture of the Ainu of remote Hokkaido, who were the indigenous people displaced and subjugated by the Japanese. Though Rowland isn't nearly as confident in this milieu as she is navigating Edo society, she deserves kudos for looking for a fresh take on a series that has gotten stale. Now that Sano is Chamberlain, the forward momentum is pretty well stalled out, and I have to still ask: where can she take him from here? As much as I would hate to say goodbye to Sano and his family, perhaps the noblest thing to do would be to wrap this series up with a definitive end. I'm still waiting for any indication that she's got enough ideas to continue this series far into the future. The covers are still fantastic, but the last two installments have not been up to the quality of the earlier novels. If you are are first-time reader of this series, start at the beginning with "Shinju" and "Bushido"--you will see why the earlier books are superior.

Let me start out this review by emphasizing that I have been a longtime fan of Laura Joh Rowland's Sano Ichiro series. I picked up the "The Concubine's Tattoo" several years ago and I have never looked back. Granted, I read the books a little out of order, but I was consistently pleased by Rowland's ability to not only craft a great historical mystery series, but also a host of characters I loved (even the villains).

Now the question is (and it does pain me to write this)... WHAT HAPPENED?

I am going to start out with a list of what I liked about this book.

1.) Ezogashima (Hokkaido)--I admit I don't know a lot about Hokkaido and the Ainu, and nothing about what Hokkaido was like in 1699. It was great to learn about the culture and customs of the Ainu, the Japanese/Ainu conflicts, and even the strange mystical/supernatural goings-on that seemed to populate Ezogashima. Also, the way Rowland describes Ezogashima--as a cold, desolate, eerie place--was very good and it sucked me into the setting.

2.) Set-up for Sano's future exploits--the stuff with Lord Matsudaira and his nefarious plans to oust Sano ensures that I will pick up the next book (however skeptical I am about the state of the series).

3.) Historical tidbits--There's a lot of information in this book (and in all Rowland's other books) about Japanese social life 300+ years ago. These bits are very interesting and make a sub-par plot tolerable.

Now, here's where I get into the things that annoyed me about this book (and the turn the series has taken in general). If you don't want to hear my ranting, feel free to skip to the next review.

1.) SHIPWRECK? There was literally a little over one page dedicated to the wreck of a ship on the shores of Hokkaido, a wreck that killed everyone on board except Sano and the gang (how convenient!). And then it's pretty much summed up with Sano looking out over the sea and thinking something basically along the lines of: "There was no way anyone could survive that. Oh well!" I just. I can't. There are no words for the depth of ridiculousness.

2.) Mystical Elements--I know this series has had many encounters with the supernatural, but it's getting a little much. What was the point of the whole possession thing? Couldn't a person go mad without being possessed by the spirit of that loved one? It hardly furthered the plot (Sano and the gang still had to go out and gather information about the possessor's personality, traits, etc.), so really, what was the use of that? It seemed forced. Also, Hirata. I am going to be cautiously optimistic about his mystical martial arts training. But why couldn't he just be some regular martial arts master? Why does he have to sense people's souls and feel natural energy and all that stuff? Oh. Could it be because Laura Joh Rowland needs improbable deus ex machina to further the plot? No, seriously. I think that the way the mystery is solved--in addition to the way Hirata finds out that Sano needs help in the first place--is pretty freaking lame. I loved Hirata; he was one of my favorite characters. And now? I'll keep reading, but I am getting worried...

3.) CHARACTERIZATION. Okay. We have two characters--Marume and Fukida--and they are major characters. What do we know about them? Well. One is big and broad, and the other is small and skinny (there may have been some mention of one being jolly and the other being serious, but that was definitely a "I'm going to tell you this, reader, and then provide virtually no evidence in the actual plot. Enjoy"). Would it really be that hard to provide a little bit of characterization for these guys? PLEASE?

By the way, the characterization issue bleeds over into the dialogue, too. Everyone sounds the same.

And that includes Sano. He's become bland and boring. I really liked him at the beginning of the series. He was interesting--a guy who has all the good qualities of a samurai without being entrenched in the pompous customs, and therefore able to make objective observations about the social goings-on around him. What happened to that man? Now he talks about justice and duty, and... that's pretty much it. Oh, occasionally he reminds us that he loves Reiko. Bringing me to the next point...

4.) REIKO. Now, don't get me wrong. I can tolerate Reiko. When she was first introduced, I liked her. But here's the thing: I read a lot of historical fiction. And 95% of historical fiction books have this ONE character who is usually a bold, beautiful woman. This woman scandalizes her "backwards"-thinking contemporaries by stubbornly refusing to agree with/condone/participate in/submit to all the stupid or cruel things that they do. AKA, she is a modern person put into the past. Why do authors do this? Do they think that I sympathize with this person because they're modern? AUTHORS OF HISTORICAL FICTION: if you find a time period interesting and you want to write about it, please include characters who actually fit in that time period. I don't want to read about characters who wander through the plot thinking everyone else is so backwards and "OMG how can my peers think that way?!" It's an old, tired, beaten trope and I'm sick of it. And yes, Laura Joh Rowland, I'm talking to you.

5.) Yanagisawa! WHERE IS HE? Bring him back; I miss him. He was my favorite and the series was infinitely better when he was around.

This concludes my rant. I gave the book three stars because I still hold out hope for this series.

I was actually angry when I finished this--angry that this lazy and ridiculous book wasted my time and wasted my faith in this author. After 11 novels, I'd thought Rowland's series reliably entertaining, a nice diversion into historical Japan with a (usually) engaging mystery. Even with the weaker books in this series, I've always found something to redeem it, if for nothing but the fact that I was indeed entertained.

But this one...this one was just awful. It was a noticeably strained effort, and worse yet, did a great disservice to her characters and the series. The story progressed in a contrived, clichéd, and predictable manner; the characters were cartoonish and single-mindedly one-dimensional; the dialogue was wooden and hackneyed; the supernatural aspect was absolutely ludicrous. When an author goes to such efforts to evoke a believable and grounded historical reality and to give her mysteries sensibly plausible solutions, why relinquish your dénouement to some hysterical supernatural force? It was certainly a betrayal of the reality she's worked so hard and long to create. Frustrating and horribly disappointing. I'm hoping this was an aberration.

The only reason I finished this book was because I've been a faithful reader of the series up to this one, but I'd honestly recommend skipping it and going on to the next in line. It adds nothing to the over-all arc of the series.

In 1699 in Edo, Masahiro, the son of chamberlain Sano Ichiro and his wife Reiko, vanishes without a trace. At about the same time that his parents are aware of his abduction, Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi summons Sano to the palace. There Sano's enemy Lord Matsudaira accuses him of bombing his villa. Sano believes the bombing is a distraction ploy as his odious foe probably kidnapped his child.

Tokugawa sends Sano to the faraway island of Ezogashima, where he is to help Lord Matsumae battle barbarians. Meanwhile Matsudaira confesses that Sano's son has been taken to Ezogashima also. Sano and Reiko accompanied by a small retinue rush to Ezogashima, but meet no cooperation from anyone and almost lose their heads as grieving Lord Matsumae trusts no one since his mistress was murdered; meanwhile his wife mourns the homicide of their daughter. Reiko investigates the murders allegedly committed by the SNOW EMPRESS and the whereabouts of her son while Sano struggles to get through to the apparently insane Matsumae.

Ichiro's twelfth historical mystery is an exciting thriller that once again brings to life late seventeenth century Japan. The story line is fast-paced as Sano tries to stay clam in light of his son's kidnapping and the insanity of the Lord he is supposed to help; he would like to harm Matsudaira for the abduction and remove Matsumae from office. However, his volatile wife does not care one iota about political correctness especially when Masahiro is involved. Although placing the lad on the same island that the Shogun sends the hero to makes it easier on the lead couple to work together, fans of the series will enjoy their latest escapades as the Chamberlain and his wife try to rescue their offspring and struggle with obeying their order to help the insane Lord.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Shawn Remfrey

This book took me completely by surprise. After reading a few other reviews on this book, I really wasn't looking forward to it. They made it sound like the book was entirely about politics and the plot summaries were always confusing. I found it to be a great story that left me wanting more. I plan to search for the rest of the this series, both before and after this book.

Set in feudal Japan, it all begins when a young boy, Masahiro, is kidnapped. His parents of course are crazy with worry. Sano, Masahiro's father, works for the shogun. When he is told to go to a distant land to take care of a political problem, he also finds that his son is being held captive there. Both he and his wife, Reiko, journey toward their son.

Meanwhile the place they are heading towards is having severe problems of its own. The ruler of the land has gone completely mad

over the murder of his mistress. He is holding both his own people and the natives of the land captive in hopes of finding her true killer. Through torture and threats, everyone is frightened.

Once Sano and Reiko land, they find things chaotic and are quickly taken captive of the mad ruler, Lord Matsumae. They strike a deal that Sano will find the true killer of Lord Matsumae's mistress in return for their lives and freedom. Thus begins their long journey to find their son and solve a mystery no one else can solve.

The author Laura Joh Rowland is the granddaughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants. She grew up in Michigan where she graduated with a B.S. in microbiology and a Master of Public Health at Michigan State. She resides in New Orleans. She has worked as a chemist, microbiologist, sanitary inspector and quality engineer.

Armchair Interviews says: The Snow Empress is the 12th book Rowland has written in the San Ichiro series.

One in a long line of crime thrillers set in samurai-era Japan. The hero, Sano Ichiro, combats crime as well as political intrigue within the local shogun's administration. In The Snow Empress, Sano's son is kidnapped and taken to a wild region of the country. Sano and his wife Reiko, a detective in her own right, trail the criminals and learn that the daimyo of the area has gone mad after the death of his concubine. They must deal not only with their son's kidnapping but with the concubine's murder. The plot is fresh and the Joh Rowland's writing is consistently descriptive and interesting. Some of her material can be repetitive in plot and theme.

This book could have been another great update for Sano Ichiro but the author has gone a bit far into the "spirit world" for my tastes. Ms. Rowland is an excellent author and had a great opportunity to explore unusual history of the lost world of Northern Japan. A very interesting read, however. Looking forward to the next in the series.

An interesting historic novel set in Hokaido dealing with the Ainu in the Tokugawa period of japanese history. Sano Ichiro at his best.

Make sure you have no other plans when you get this book-totally great and you won't want it to end. One of the best!