REVIEW: The Blade of the Courtesans by Keiichiro Ryu

The Blade of the Courtesans by Keiichiro Ryu
Publishing Information: Hardcover; 304 pages
Publisher: Vertical; 28 December 2007 (1st Edition)
ISBN 10: 1934287016
ISBN 13: 978-1934287019
Standalone
Copy: Out of pocket

Inside the Book: "This Naoki Prize-nominated historical thriller marked the auspicious debut of late-blooming author Keichiro Ryu, who in five years made a name for himself as a master of period novels. In The Blade of the Courtesans, a young samurai by the name of Seichiro Matsunaga, trained in swordfighting by non other than the legendary samurai Musashi Miyamoto, finds himself in Yoshiwara (the pleasure quarters of old Tokyo), per Miyamoto's dying wishes. In Yoshiwara, Seichiro finds himself defending its denizens against what may be spies from the Yagyu Clan, including one young woman named Oshabu, whose story runs deeper than still water suggests.

The Blade of the Courtesans is at once a quiet ode to human liberties in the face of political warfare and edge-fo-your-seat swordfighitng, a Japanese counterpart to the romantic adventures of the medieval knights whose chivalry is rivaled only by their prowess at battle."

First off let me just say that this book is not a fantasy book, although there are elements of magic and the fantastical inside its pages. The Blade of the Courtesans is a historical story that takes liberties with some of Japan's history. It does an excellent job of blending the history of feudal Japan and its story of Seichiro. The book does a fair job of telling the story without bogging you down with massive infodumps. There are a few spots where it did bog down for this very reason but overall Ryu does a great job of keeping things going while continuing the story. However, with the magic and powers that some of the characters exhibit this could be read as a fantasy novel. In addition, many forums have individuals asking about Asian fantasy novels and this could qualify.

The history told in The Blade of the Courtesans is that of the history of the honorable profession of prostitution in Japan. During this time in Edo (Tokyo), the job of the job of the courtesan was to entertain the samurai and other customers. Ryu does a fine job of explaining where it came from and how the respectable profession came to be in Japan. While the job is not without risks the pay off at the end of their service contract could be very rewarding. Ryu has done his research regarding the famous people of the era as well as the history of the location where the story takes place in a small pleasure quarter outside of the capital.

Our hero Seichiro was trained by the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi and has spend his entire childhood up to the age of twenty six sequestered in a cave learning the skills of the samurai. Upon his birthday he is told to seek out a friend of Musashi's and so the adventure begins when he saves a young courtesan from thugs earning him the wrath of the Yagyu ninja clan.

The Blade of the Courtesans is not a fantasy novel but certain aspects of it could be. Seichiro's magical ability to use his sword and his enhanced senses have some serious magical feel. So it could easily be seen in this way. However, you also have to take in the mythical storytelling that the book is trying to convey. The Blade of the Courtesan is attempting to relive the stories of yore and in my opinion it succeeds in doing just that.

The supporting cast also have various abilities such as the ability to enter other's minds or see the future. The ninja, of course, are similar to what we have seen in the movies but had much more depth to them. In The Blade of the Courtesan we are allowed to follow many aspects and prospectives of the story from our hero to his nemesis and it added a great deal to the story. The story is based in reality but the magical elements gave it a fantasy feel to it.

The plot of The Blade of the Courtesan is as simple as it is complex. A young man out to protect the innocent but, like an onion there are many more layers to the story so you can take as much or little as you want from the book. It left me with a sense of awe and while it may not be possible a feeling of wanting to be a better person in all aspects of life.

There are many poems inside The Blade of the Courtesan and the book itself is beautifully written which is always nice to see when you consider that it is a translation. Since I had a first edition copy, there were a few typos but nothing that deterred me from the story and put me off. The book did have a slow start but by page 100 things started to turn around as you finally have a fair idea of the plot and its various sub-plots.

If you are in the mood for a modern classic regarding Japan's feudal times then The Blade of the Courtesan is a easy choice. It is a fine history lesson as well as a amazing story that has some interesting characters and a fairly subtle message about love, honor, and duty. Something the world could use more of. There are a lot of books on Asia and Japan and for all of this books minor flaws there is no reason that this one should not be added to anyone's library. One of my favorite books I have read this year. It is also a nice companion book to Miyamoto Musashi's The Five Rings if you want to read a story about his lasting legacy.

Plot  9
Characters  10
Style  10

Overall  9.5/10