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Sword & Sorcery
Flashing Swords
Pitch Black Books
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Vertical Publishers, began 2003
Reviewed by Dave Hardy
While Japan is recognized as a powerhouse of science fiction and fantasy when it comes to comics, animation, and games, recognition of Japanese literature has lagged. In the early 21st century Vertical, an American publisher, has set out to change that with translations of Japan’s longest running sword & sorcery series, the Guin Saga, which currently stands at 108 books in the Japanese version.
Sure it’s big in Japan, but will it play at World Con? I think so. The Leopard Mask is a good mix of action and characterization with some distinctive touches. Remus and Rinda are twins and the royal heirs of Parros. But the Gohrans have overrun their kingdom and the kids have ended up in a particularly nasty haunted wood. They are pursued by the riders of Count Vanon--a loony sadist with a highly communicable disease. The kids get help from Guin, a mighty warrior suffering from amnesia and a leopard mask that is permanently affixed to his head. Slam-bang action follows, some secrets are revealed (just enough for the plot to make sense), and it winds up in a straight-up cliffhanger.
Ms. Kurimoto (a penname) follows in the tradition of Robert E. Howard without being a clone. That crazy leopard mask and those kids give what might be a tired retread a quirky freshness. Particularly charming is princess Rinda, the girl who’s just a bit too smart and marvelously assertive about it. Can the next scores of tales live up to the first one? We’ll find out.
If I had to make a comparison, I’d say the Guin Saga is the Toyota Corolla of sword & sorcery: efficient, reliable, but in some aspects cheaply constructed.
The second volume of the Guin Saga keeps the momentum going. Action abounds as Guin, the amnesiac warrior in the leopard mask, and Rinda and Remus, the exiled prince and princess of Parros, head off into the wilds one step ahead of the Mongauli knights. They are joined by Istavan Spellsword, a mercenary who has his own reasons to avoid the Mongaulis. The Mongaulis are led by Amnelis, the female general who must capture the twins to seal the conquest of Parros.
The bad news first: smeerps (exotic fantasy names for otherwise common earthly objects) abound, sometimes a mug of beer is just beer and a minute is a minute, ya know? The nomenclature is nothing to brag on, maybe it sounded better in Japanese, but honestly, the names are a bit on the corny side. The relentless attacks of the many and varied forms of ghouls, predators and other monsters coupled with the absence of other life forms makes me wonder what the critters eat, besides minor characters.
But I’m quibbling, because I really do like this stuff. Kurimoto has a low-key sense of humor that infuses her characters. Strong-willed Rinda is all grrrrl-power, while her brother (and heir to the throne), Remus, is cautious to the point of timidity. Kuriomoto balances Guin’s strong-and-silent act with Istavan’s garrulous egotism. Amnelis and her Mongaulis aren’t just orcs in drag, they are well-realized feudal aristocrats, touchy of honor, loyal to their comrades and leaders, and recklessly brave. Kurimoto has marvelous fun playing Rinda off both Istavan and Amnelis.
The Battle of Nospherus follows tightly on Warrior in the Wilderness. First of all Kurimoto has to get her hero down from that cliff he was hanging on. Then she takes a little time to develop the Mongauli bad-guys. Make no mistake, while Kurimoto has a hard-boiled view of sword and sorcery, her villains aren’t raving psychopaths - they are ambitious aristocrats who want to advance their realm and themselves. They’d be quite likeable is they weren’t spreading death and chaos in pursuit of their “duty”. It’s a refreshing attitude - while the way to Hell isn’t exactly paved with good intentions, it is paved by ordinary people who chose to ignore the road signs.
Kurimoto also introduces a twist in the plot with an evil sorcerer who reveals the secret of what the Mongauli archduke really wants in Nospherus. Meanwhile Guin is pulling together an army of monkey-men for an all out slam-bang war.
The Battle of Nospherus is exciting, fast paced sword and sorcery. While it sometimes clunks, Kurimoto keeps things moving for a darn good thrill-ride.
The Guin Saga is enjoyable, fast-paced sword & sorcery. So far only a few have been translated into English, we may be seeing lots more of this import soon.
Go here to see all 108 Japanese book covers.
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| Friday, May 16, 2008 Copyright 2008, SWORDandSORCERY.org |