Nahoko Uehashi

The Beast Player is a recently translated older Japanese series by Nahoko Uehashi. There is also apparently an anime based on this story called Erin but I sadly can’t find any way to get a hold of it at the moment (I hope this changes and it will become available again).

Elin looses her father, then her mother at a young age, and the latter of which in a very traumatic way by wild Toda, giant dragon like creatures. Her mother had loved and cared for the “tamed” war Toda of her village, and yet when something happens to some of them, she is accused and led to this awful fate. But looking back on these final moments with her mother combined with what she has learned in the past and continues to learn in the present, Elin begins to uncover secrets about her mother’s people, the giant beasts called Toda and the Royal Beasts, and how the kingdom is manipulating beasts for political agendas. Elin is able to interact with the beasts in ways that no one has seen before and therefore unwittingly gains the interest of the rulers of the kingdom. While she doesn’t want to get tangled up in politics and just wants to be able to learn more about the beasts and grow her bond with them, she may not have much of a choice.

I saw someone make a comparison of this storyline to Studio Ghibli movies and I could agree with that, it is very focused on humans’ interaction with our land and the other living creatures who inhabit it and how we are similar to and differ from these creatures. Of course, when looking at such a connection, we see both the dark and light sides and there is a lot about the selfishness and blind ambition of humanity but also about those humans that stand against that darkness no matter what. I could see Elin being a main character in a Ghibli movie.… (mehr)

Series Info/Source: This is the second (and final) book in The Beast Player series. I borrowed this on ebook from my library.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this but it was very different from The Beast Player and completely not what I was expecting. It is well done but a lot more time is spent on politics and war and those aren't my favorite types of stories.

This book takes place ten years after the last book ended. Elin is married with a son and lives a mostly peaceful life. Then she is called to investigate a mysterious illness that's stricken the Toda and accidentally uncovers a very serious plot. With war on the horizon will the Royal Beasts finally be called on to fight the Toda, the very thing that was prohibited by ancient law?

As mentioned above, I wasn't keen on how much time was spent on the politics here or on the long discussions about war strategy. I ended up skimming a lot of these just because I didn't find them all that interesting. This book is long and it feels long.

However, I did like the parts where Elin is trying to figure what is happening to the Toda and the parts where she is training the Royal Beasts. I also really enjoyed the parts where Elin was together with her family trying to work through these issues Elin's son, Jesse, is a wonderful addition to the series and I really loved him a lot.

While the previous book, The Beast Player, was very clearly a middle grade read...this book is more confusing. Jesse is a middle grade aged character, but the story focuses more on political strategy and war and complex politics and magic and this makes the book feel more like an adult read. I don't remember anything in here that would make this explicitly adult; relations between adults are implied but not described and the war scenes are not overly gory. However, the plot just feels more adult in theme.

The ending was well done but very sad. This did not leave me feeling uplifted, although there is a sort of "many years later" part that helps the reader to find a bit of peace after the tumultuous ending. The whole thing is very well done. I like the world building, the characters, and the overall story.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I ended up really liking this. The world building continues to be well done and the characters (and Royal Beasts) are engaging and fun to read about. There was a bit too much time spent on politics and war planning for my liking, but that is a personal preference. This is very well written but very different in tone from the first book. I would recommend it to those who enjoy historical fantasies about war and forbidden magic.… (mehr)

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in The Beast Player duology. I borrowed this on audiobook from the library.

Thoughts: I really loved this and thought it was incredibly well written. I enjoyed the characters, the world, and, of course, the Royal Beasts. I am eager to start the second book in this duology.

The book mainly follows Elin. Initially, Elin lives with her mother in a small town where her mother is responsible for caring for the serpent-like beasts (Toda) that they raise there. When disaster strikes, and Elin's mom is sentenced to death, Elin's mother saves Elin by sending her off on the back of a serpent. Suddenly Elin is all alone and left to fend for herself. Luckily, she finds a kind old teacher who helps raise her and helps her realize her talent, with not only the serpents, but also the Royal Beasts. As the world discovers Elin's talent for communicating with all of these "beasts" she quickly gets drawn into dangerous politics.

I really loved this book a lot. I especially loved the beginning where Elin is living with the teacher and learning all about nature and wildlife. I didn't enjoy the end as much, as Elin gets drawn into the politics of the world. The Royal Beasts are definitely front and center and are one of the things I adored most about this book. My only complaint is I had trouble picturing what both them (the Royal Beasts) and the Toda look like. The Toda are serpent-like creatures. I pictured the Royal Beasts more like griffins or dragons but looking at the cover of the book now it seems like maybe they are something else completely.

I loved the characters in this book. Elin is a quiet but stubborn and patient girl who looks at the world through very different eyes than most people do. This allows her to do things and communicate with the Royal Beasts in ways that other people can't imagine. I loved watching her learn and loved that she found people who were willing to take a chance on her and work to understand her points of view.

The writing is beautifully done and has a very peaceful, tranquil quality to it (at least for the beginning of the book). The settings are well described and the characters are very engaging. I loved all we learnt about beekeeping in the beginning and really enjoyed watching Elin apply those lessons to the Royal Beasts.

I listened to this on audiobook and really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend reading this on audiobook if you enjoy audiobooks. The narration was very well done.

Just a caution that this does end at a low point and pretty much right in the middle of the story. So make sure you have "The Beast Warrior" on hand if you don't like cliffhangers.

My Summary (4.5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this book. It's an intriguing world, with wonderful characters, some adventure and of course amazing beasts. If you enjoy reading about things like dragons or other animals you will probably enjoy this. It is beautifully written and very thoughtful and I really enjoyed it. I am definitely planning on picking up the final book in this duology "The Beast Warrior" soon.… (mehr)

The first few pages, I thought something was familiar about this book--but the more I read, the more it solidified. I had watched the anime based on this book, Kemono no Sōja Elin, or "Erin," first in the 2000s and remember walking away from that anime heartbroken, mended, joyful, saddened, touched, and a little older. I am glad to see that the anime captured the emotions in the book effortlessly for one of the rare times.

I am so glad to have discovered this in English. Lovely, lovely book and series.… (mehr)