[The Sword] of [Kaigen]: A Legacy in Frost

From Amazon Description (link will below)

When I first conceived The Sword of Kaigen, I wanted to write a story that wasn’t just about swordsmanship, battles, and magic but also about the complex emotions that come with love, loss, and the weight of responsibility. At its core, this novel is about characters bound by tradition and duty, struggling to reconcile their personal desires with the expectations placed on them by society, family, and history.

Moruzi’s journey represents the struggle of youth, the desire to honor one’s heritage while also seeking to break free from its constraints. His growth as a warrior is not just about mastering techniques but also about understanding the sacrifices that come with leadership, love, and the burden of truth. In contrast, Araki’s story is about reclaiming one’s identity. After years of burying her past as a warrior, she faces the internal conflict of being both a mother and a fighter, a conflict many of us can relate to when we find ourselves torn between the different roles we play in life.

This novel is also an exploration of the fragility of belief—how the systems and structures we rely on for stability can be revealed as flawed, and how we must find strength within ourselves to navigate the truths we uncover. The Sangin Peninsula, with its frozen landscape and harsh climate, serves as a metaphor for the rigid traditions that can sometimes hold us back, while the fluidity of water manipulation reflects the potential for change and adaptation.

While The Sword of Kaigen is a fantasy and martial arts story, it is also deeply personal. The themes of love, loss, and the enduring human spirit are universal, and I hope readers will find in Moruzi and Araki’s struggles a reflection of their own experiences with family, duty, and the pursuit of self-discovery.


https://www.amazon.com/Sword-Kaigen-Legacy-Frost/dp/B0DT7G3HGG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=OK169F2G69U9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.C3SrMzakETd7X8zU6G2BYDDKsEuwV0U0Z5o96T4oX9N41twj0h7FfUNt1j0hXaIVa4zrIjE75KqzOFts_vXvD7QEK3667yldV8pdbP8qjzE.pdZw8wYOUvS9qxMQLJm-cCmRuRrL-FOKy9axEPtUZOU&dib_tag=se&keywords=M.R.+Dalen&qid=1737207539&sprefix=m.r.+dalen%2Caps%2C309&sr=8-1