AUTHOR: Nigel Sellars
PUBLISHER: Hydra Publications
APPROXIMATE LENGTH: 459 pages
Recommended for fans of Asian lore (especially Japanophiles) and epic high fantasies.
GENRE
Fantasy—Epic
Although Ukishima is not a Western-style epic, it contains many of the same
elements: an honorable hero, a land in peril, a powerful villain aligned with
dark forces. Ukishima draws much of
its inspiration from Japanese lore, and with its descriptions of the culture,
has a touch of historical fiction.
PACE
This book takes the time to set up its
rich and detailed world. It alternates between fast-paced battles and slower
scenes depicting the world it takes place in. When the action does pick up,
Sellars in relentless, throwing the hero into fight after fight against all
kinds of adversaries, scarcely allowing him to take a breath before pitting him
against another evil.
PERSPECTIVE
Third person limited. Ukishima is told from the point of view
of Minamoto Ichiro and depicts his internal thoughts and ruminations as we
follow him on his journey.
CONTENT REVIEW
Plagued by cancer, Japanese pilot
Minamoto Ichiro chooses to give his life for his country in a World War II kamikaze mission. Right before he goes down, the
Japanese god of war, Hachiman, transports him to another dimension and tells
him that he is needed. In a parallel world, one man’s demonic dealings
threatens to spread evil through all realities and tear apart the fabric of the
universe. Hachiman wants Ichiro to be the hero who will stop this evil and save
not only that world, but all the others as well.
Ichiro accepts the mission and is
transported to this parallel Japan—Nihon—in
which magic roams free and Westerners have not yet arrived. Here, he is a
samurai, a general of the young Emperor, and wielder of the legendary sword
Kusinagi. With the help of a female ninja and a naïve young monk, Ichiro sets
out to destroy the wicked Lord Taira, the man in league with the dark forces.
As a character, Ichiro is the epitome
of honor, a man who gives up all sense of self to do his duty and right the
world’s wrongs. Intelligent and contemplative, he’s the type of hero we all
respect. He is both a deadly force of battle and a kindly mentor, a wise leader
and a student of ancient teachings. He’s not perfect, of course, but the
moments in which he seems to falter make his victories all the more triumphant.
The other characters, unfortunately, are not as developed and often seem like
the orchestral backing to Ichiro’s solo performance. He is an interesting protagonist to read
about, and so it’s easy to forget about the others.
Ukishima
is written in a rather old-fashioned style, bringing to mind the tone of
ancient epic poems. Metaphors abound and Japanese terms are used freely,
accompanied by brief definitions. At times these devices feel a little
heavy-handed, but generally they add to the book’s atmosphere. Since the story
is told from Ichiro’s point of view, the exoticism of this world is treated as
the familiar, creating a wholly immersive reading experience. Through his rich
writing, Sellars transports his readers to Nihon
and takes them through palaces, towns, and monasteries, opening up every aspect
of the world and inviting them to explore. He intertwines real elements from
Japanese culture and monsters from their lore with his own vivid imagination,
creating a world that is to Japan what Middle Earth is to Northwestern Europe.
One aspect of Ukishima that stands out is the exploration of the male and the
female, or rather, the blend of the two. Hachiman tells Ichiro, “Male and
female minds are within you, and you understand both their natures. You
love both men and women with all your heart, yet you can hate them as
passionately.” Ichiro admits in one scene that he was in love with his mentor
and married the mentor’s daughter to be closer to him. The young monk
accompanying Ichiro is clearly in love with him and resents the female ninja
for her relationship with him. Toward the end, we are introduced to a spirit
that is both male and female united, both mentally and physically. Ichiro’s
acceptance of this dichotomy translates to a willingness to embrace both sides
of other things as well. As Hachiman says, he is the perfect choice for this
quest because he willingly accepted death, but still fights for life.
It’s elements like these that make Ukishima transcend its genre. In
addition to being an epic adventure with lots of evil monsters to fight, it’s
also a meditation on what it means to be a hero and an exploration of a faraway
culture. Between the thrill of seeing Ichiro take down demonic beasts and
undead warriors, we are shown a fascinating mythological world and different
ways of thinking. All in all, it’s a unique and exciting read.
THE NITPICKY STUFF
This book would have benefited from a
proofreader, but in spite of the errors, the meaning is always clear.
There are a handful of sex scenes in
this book. The language is clean (no swear words). This book contains many
violent battle scenes, some of which can be a bit gruesome.
After the author biography at the end,
there is a glossary of Japanese terms, which may prove useful as several
objects in the book are referred to by their Japanese names.
AUTHOR INFO
Nigel Sellars lives in Newport News, Virginia, where he is
an associate professor of history at Christopher Newport University. He
holds a doctorate in American history from the University of Oklahoma as well
as degrees in psychology and journalism. In addition to Ukishima, he is also the author of a young adult novel, Chris and the Vampire (2010) and several
short stories.
RELATED: An Interview with Nigel Sellars
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