Red Winter

Спочатку ти хочеш вічно читати про те, як Емі молиться і миє ручки в фонтані (ох уж ці японські храми). Потім тобі набридає сюжет (бо ми перестаємо мити ручки в фонтані), а потім ти не розумієш що відбувається і як воно все взагалі працює.

Про героїв (деякі зі спойлером)
Емі... Ну непогано, бували і тупіші героїні. В цієї хоча б є якась історія чого так вийшло.
Шіро.Ну лис же ж, що з нього взяти.Юмей чувак з клепкою. Тримає всю цю банду на стрьомє. Шарить за все. Може пограбувати заради їжі. Видно чий я фанат?Кацуо швидко прибрали якось. Він не був поганим, але і не вау. Шанси повернення є, але ми не сумуємо

Світобудова
Ну... До кінця нічого не зрозуміло... В них там щось за тьорки мутки, хтось предав когось, хтось хоче стати Богом серед богів.Well... Сподіваюсь нам розкажуть адекватно в наступній частині(а не під час епічного файту), бо те що нам показали зацікавело мене достатньо на продовження цієї серії.

Окрема увага описам території/природи, дуже гарно і яскраво написано, при цьому читається дуже легко. Гарно збалансований текст.
Арти... Ну просто шик!

Коротше... Для свого жанру (YA fantasy) це добренько.

The Red Winter trilogy left me utterly spellbound. For anyone with even a passing interest in Japanese culture, this book is a must-read. It follows the journey of a shrine maiden preparing to become the vessel for the goddess Amaterasu on Earth, leading to a whirlwind adventure involving Youkai, Kami, hidden magic, heavenly secrets, and significant character growth for the gods, demons, and mortals alike.

Despite its modern setting, the story didn't feel overly urban. I felt spirited away the entire time.

The book is also incredibly accessible even for those unfamiliar with Japanese, the author does a great job so integrating new words naturally and explaining them quickly.

While the beginning may feel slow, once the story gains momentum, it's an exhilarating ride. And for fans of ‘Inuyasha' or ‘Kamisama Kiss,' this trilogy is an absolute treat.

4.7*

The beginning was slow but necessary to really ram home how bland, controlled, sterile, and routine Emi's life was before all the magical powers started flying around everywhere. Once I reached a certain point, I kept reading and reading until I'd, surprisingly, finished it.
Highly recommend. Look forward to the next book.

It is a shock this book isn't more popular. For once, a retelling of Japanese mythology done right. You can tell the author did her research well, all the terminologies are used correctly and the writing never come off as being weeb-ish. The story takes place in fictional Japan, and since naturally all the characters speak Japanese, there's no random Japanese words being thrown around inappropriately in conversations for no apparent reason. After my not-so-good encounter with Flame in the Mist, Red Winter turns out to be a pleasant surprise for me when it comes to Asian-inspired stories.

As the protagonist, Emi is exactly what you'd expect from a shrine miko who was raised to fill the role she was supposed to fulfill. She's meek, obedient, pure... almost without any real “personality”, some would say. She does, however, evolve along the way and shows a very human reaction towards the truth she discovered. She's not exactly the best when it comes to battle and needs to be saved many, many times, but that's what makes it good because if she turns out to be a pro youkai slayer it wouldn't make any sense considering her upbringing. People may have diverging opinions regarding her personality and goals, but you can't deny that her characterization is consistent throughout the whole book.

There's a really nice situation reversal too for Emi. At the beginning, she's described as a very special figure with a very special role to play—just like the “chosen one” trope we all dread. After she finds out the truth though, everyone around her starts telling her to deal with it because her existence as a person is so small and insignificant compared to what she needs to accomplish by playing this very special role. It adds a nice twist without destroying or changing the “chosen one” trope entirely, I find that really clever.

I also like how we learn nearly nothing about Emi's new youkai friends. Both Shiro and Yumei reveal nothing but mysteries and unanswered questions, and for the most part I think it's fair trade since Emi didn't tell them anything about her identity either. It keeps the story intriguing since we get bits and pieces of information at a time, and it's fun trying to piece them together instead of getting a massive info dump. The other youkai that have appeared so far are given details that stay true to how they really are in the mythology too, such as Ameonna and Sunekosuri. Again, it's well-researched and doesn't make you cringe from inappropriate usage.

The overall vibes of the book is similar to the game Okami. There's barely any modern civilization mentioned (except for the one time Emi ventured into a city), and to be honest, I prefer it that way since this kind of story works better when the setting is closer to nature or is a rural location. It just adds to the mysterious / traditional feel, so I hope it stays like this for the remaining two books.

Also! The illustrations are GORGEOUS and really helps with the visualization!

I picked up the first book on a whim – the entire trilogy is free on Kindle Unlimited – and I am so, SO GLAD I DID. This trilogy is amazing. It's a little anime-like – the illustrations are definitely drawn in anime style and there's about ten per book – but it's simply beautiful writing, blending elements of Japanese mythology with a beautifully sweet romance and an epic fantasy task. (Release trapped gods and goddesses and stop a goddess.) The main character was likeable, sweet, and a little naive, but she realizes why she is naive and consciously works to overcome that.

The first book starts with a revelation – Emi has been training for ten years to receive her goddess into her body, with the expectation that their personalities will meld – only to discover that the goddess's divine energy will instead destroy Emi's mind and personality. She will be dead while the goddess inhabits her body. Which will be happening two months from the book's beginning, so she doesn't have much time to change her fate. The goddess herself is not unsympathetic, and wishes it could be different. I loved the interaction between Emi and her goddess. The compassion, love, and regret shown by Amaterasu means it's impossible to dislike her, even though we know she'll be the agent of our protagonist's death.

But all is not as it seems among the gods, and Emi is attacked by someone who should be an ally, and defended by those who should want her dead. Conspiracies unravel in the second book, as Emi and her friends race to finish the task set them by Amaterasu – a task that must be finished before the winter solstice, when Amaterasu will descend into Emi's body and destroy her mind. Dark Tempest ends with the task still uncompleted, and Immortal Fire picks up immediately. (I read almost the entire trilogy in one sitting – I finally set the third book aside and got some sleep before the final confrontation.)

I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to spoil anything. I liked Emi, I absolutely loved Yumei, the dark, standoffish Crow Lord, and Shiro the kitsune was an amazing character. Reveals and pacing and dialogue and action and exposition were all excellently done. This is a gorgeous, absorbing trilogy and I highly recommend it.

Find all my reviews at Goddess in the Stacks