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The Way of the Yakuza #1
Yakuza Pride
When yakuza underboss Shigure Matsunaga meets Kenneth Harris at a boring social event, he’s surprised to find himself attracted to the blond gaijin with the mismatched eyes. Shigure is even more pleased when he discovers Ken not only speaks Japanese fluently, but is fluent in Japan's ways, even the more violent of the martial arts. Ken’s expertise at kendo is not his most striking quality—it’s the passion beneath his quiet, almost fragile exterior that ignites Shigure's lust, and the two come together as explosively as they spar.
Shigure is a dangerous man in a dangerous position. He’s been trying to keep the peace with the Daito-kai—his hated rivals—but the danger on the streets is escalating, threatening those Shigure most wants to protect. He may claim to love his gaijin, but before he can keep Ken safe, Shigure will have to overcome hostility from his people, a hidden enemy, and, the most insidious opponent of all, his own hard-won pride.
Shigure is a dangerous man in a dangerous position. He’s been trying to keep the peace with the Daito-kai—his hated rivals—but the danger on the streets is escalating, threatening those Shigure most wants to protect. He may claim to love his gaijin, but before he can keep Ken safe, Shigure will have to overcome hostility from his people, a hidden enemy, and, the most insidious opponent of all, his own hard-won pride.
350 pages, Paperback
First published June 13, 2011
93 people are currently reading
2651 people want to read
About the author
H.J. Brues
7 books94 followersH.J. Brues lives in Spain, enjoying the hot weather, the brisk language, the warm-hearted people, and the thousands of books of the library she works in. She has a degree in medieval history and loves castles, knights in shining armor, and barbarian warriors with no armor at all. She practiced fencing till her knees started complaining, took archery till her elbow almost fell off, and then, wisely, switched to the less martial of the martial arts, tai chi.
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February 12, 2018
^^ LOVE ME SOME JAPANESE LOVE!^^
More of my reviews and thoughts on my blog PANTS OFF REVIEWS
My checklist of why this book was awesome.
1. Japan
2. Japanese Men
3. Yakuza
4. Interracial Love
5. Hot Man Love
I was somewhat iffy about this book in the beginning; it was a bit stereotypical of Japanese culture. With the cell phone, and the cos play and all that. Then internally I mulled it over and realized that almost everything in this book has some actual truth. This culture is all about family and honour, though conservative they are just rich in history and culture.
This book had me at Shigure Matsunaga. Shigure is a Yakuza, the English equivalent being a Japanese mob boss. He is from the lowest of the lowest when it comes to his family background, but he worked his way to the top of the food chain. Now he is a respected Yakuza, at a big fancy party mixing with the richest in bloodlines. His appearance tells you what he is, and though the upper class Japanese people hate to rub elbows with him, they need him and his men. At this party is where Shigure meets his Gaijin (non- Japanese).
Kenneth Harris is a gaijin in Japan, even though he speaks fluent Japanese and knows the customs. He still is treated like an outsider. To add more fire to the flame he has two different coloured eyes. Not only an outsider but also a freak. He feels very much the alien at a ritzy party of the Japanese upper crust, so he gets lost in his own world. Until the man with the dangerous aura captures his attention. All his instincts are saying Shigure will be bad for him, but… his cock and his heart are really into Shigure.
The attraction is instantaneous, and the bathroom stall knows it (hot getting off scene). The men begin a tentative fire cracking relationship. Though Ken is willing to give Shigure everything, Shigure is reluctant to move forward cus he is hooking up with an outsider. It becomes a battle of the feelings, and some serious rough housing between Ken and his Yakuza. All that rough housing led to some seriously Hawt scenes. Ask the back of a car and the people on the sidewalks, cus they got a show.
The plot thickens when Ken is kidnapped and tortured, which leads to some serious bro-mance between him and someone who once hated him. I really liked Ken, he is far from a normal uke (bottom), he is one feisty little ass kicking thing. Shigure had me at “Moshi moshi”. Together they are dynamite, sexy, and crazy. Just had one hell of a time reading it.
SideNote- Interracial love is the shit. I am all for it, and I think everyone should do it (lol). The world is filled with so many different races and cultures, so why not dabble. Its a sad shame that being of different races keep people apart. Think of how less ignorant we would be, if we took the time to learn more about another culture/race/person. Thats just my two sense.
My checklist continued…
6. Hot men in a bathhouse
7. The hottest description of some serious ink
8. Bro-mance
9. Japanese Men (think I wrote that already, but it’s very important)
10. Criminal/Upstanding Citizen
More of my reviews and thoughts on my blog PANTS OFF REVIEWS
My checklist of why this book was awesome.
1. Japan
2. Japanese Men
3. Yakuza
4. Interracial Love
5. Hot Man Love
I was somewhat iffy about this book in the beginning; it was a bit stereotypical of Japanese culture. With the cell phone, and the cos play and all that. Then internally I mulled it over and realized that almost everything in this book has some actual truth. This culture is all about family and honour, though conservative they are just rich in history and culture.
This book had me at Shigure Matsunaga. Shigure is a Yakuza, the English equivalent being a Japanese mob boss. He is from the lowest of the lowest when it comes to his family background, but he worked his way to the top of the food chain. Now he is a respected Yakuza, at a big fancy party mixing with the richest in bloodlines. His appearance tells you what he is, and though the upper class Japanese people hate to rub elbows with him, they need him and his men. At this party is where Shigure meets his Gaijin (non- Japanese).
Kenneth Harris is a gaijin in Japan, even though he speaks fluent Japanese and knows the customs. He still is treated like an outsider. To add more fire to the flame he has two different coloured eyes. Not only an outsider but also a freak. He feels very much the alien at a ritzy party of the Japanese upper crust, so he gets lost in his own world. Until the man with the dangerous aura captures his attention. All his instincts are saying Shigure will be bad for him, but… his cock and his heart are really into Shigure.
The attraction is instantaneous, and the bathroom stall knows it (hot getting off scene). The men begin a tentative fire cracking relationship. Though Ken is willing to give Shigure everything, Shigure is reluctant to move forward cus he is hooking up with an outsider. It becomes a battle of the feelings, and some serious rough housing between Ken and his Yakuza. All that rough housing led to some seriously Hawt scenes. Ask the back of a car and the people on the sidewalks, cus they got a show.
The plot thickens when Ken is kidnapped and tortured, which leads to some serious bro-mance between him and someone who once hated him. I really liked Ken, he is far from a normal uke (bottom), he is one feisty little ass kicking thing. Shigure had me at “Moshi moshi”. Together they are dynamite, sexy, and crazy. Just had one hell of a time reading it.
SideNote- Interracial love is the shit. I am all for it, and I think everyone should do it (lol). The world is filled with so many different races and cultures, so why not dabble. Its a sad shame that being of different races keep people apart. Think of how less ignorant we would be, if we took the time to learn more about another culture/race/person. Thats just my two sense.
My checklist continued…
6. Hot men in a bathhouse
7. The hottest description of some serious ink
8. Bro-mance
9. Japanese Men (think I wrote that already, but it’s very important)
10. Criminal/Upstanding Citizen
February 14, 2018
Wow. Okay. I don't even know what to say in this review. For now my shelves are talking for me. I need a few days.
October 22, 2022
Stunning tattooed yakuza 😋😋😋 A bit of very nicely portrayed Japanese culture and Ken the gaijin worming his way into the hearts of dangerous hot men.
Yakuza Pride belongs to my favorite books.
But, please be aware: This book is very brutal and does not sugar coat it! For those who can't handle violence/torture this book is not for you!
I love how Shigure is fascinated by Ken from the beginning and takes possession of him.
The yakuza knew he wasn’t going to stop until that beauty belonged to him, no matter what it took. And as always, the decision made all his previous anxiety slip away. He knew exactly what he wanted, and he would fight for it. It was that simple.
And absolutely extraordinary how Ken doesn't let himself be intimidated.
The creature in his arms was starting to show teeth, big bright eyes of impossible shades drinking him in, swollen lips moving closer to recapture Shigure’s, strong fingers pulling him down to get to him and eat him alive.
Yakuza Pride belongs to my favorite books.
But, please be aware: This book is very brutal and does not sugar coat it! For those who can't handle violence/torture this book is not for you!
I love how Shigure is fascinated by Ken from the beginning and takes possession of him.
The yakuza knew he wasn’t going to stop until that beauty belonged to him, no matter what it took. And as always, the decision made all his previous anxiety slip away. He knew exactly what he wanted, and he would fight for it. It was that simple.
And absolutely extraordinary how Ken doesn't let himself be intimidated.
The creature in his arms was starting to show teeth, big bright eyes of impossible shades drinking him in, swollen lips moving closer to recapture Shigure’s, strong fingers pulling him down to get to him and eat him alive.
July 8, 2011
There comes a time in all reviewers, whether experienced ones or amateurs, when they just cannot find the right words to express how they feel no matter how much they try. For me, this is one of those books.
I've been trying for days to conjure up the right words for what I want to say about this book but I just.... can't. In all honesty, I'm speechless. I've been speechless about a few books before but this one definitely takes the cake so far.
I was drawn immediately into the story from the start. The Japanese and yakuza setting is not one I've read a lot of books on so I was fascinated with the world of it. How yakuzas, no matter what others say, really are proud and have honor and how even though they are considered the lowest of the low, they are still prejudice against foreigners, or gaijin, until they prove themselves. So it was quite interesting seeing Shigure struggling with his pride to be with Kenshin and not be ashamed by it. And when he realized he was the only one who had that problem, everything changed for him.
I honestly fell in love with these characters. They buried themselves deep into my heart and have settled there for the long run. I felt what they felt. I cried for them and smiled for them. I laughed when they did. I was deeply invested in this story. It was just captivating. *sigh* And I want more of it. I didn't, and never could, get my fill of this world and these characters. I want more. And I want more now.
There are some elements in the story people will not like. For one, Shigure gets aggressive a time or two with Kenshin. It's all consensual so no worries there but there is a scene or two of rough sex. Kenshin gets kidnapped and tortured but it's not shown in great detail. In fact, we only know about it from Kinosuke who is one of Shigure's men because he was there when it happened but again it's not in great detail so any of you who are squeamish, no worries on having to skip this one because of that because there's no gory details. There is also the matter of a different culture. You learn all about the yakuzas and the Japanese culture and how they have a different way of acting than the Americans or the Spanish or the French or Italians, etc. It was fascinating to me but others might not think it is so I urge you to remember that if you decide to read this one.
With that said, whether you think you will like the book or not, I think it's definitely one everyone should try. Give it a go even if you think you may not like it because it might surprise you.
It was a fantastic book and I definitely recommend it.
I've been trying for days to conjure up the right words for what I want to say about this book but I just.... can't. In all honesty, I'm speechless. I've been speechless about a few books before but this one definitely takes the cake so far.
I was drawn immediately into the story from the start. The Japanese and yakuza setting is not one I've read a lot of books on so I was fascinated with the world of it. How yakuzas, no matter what others say, really are proud and have honor and how even though they are considered the lowest of the low, they are still prejudice against foreigners, or gaijin, until they prove themselves. So it was quite interesting seeing Shigure struggling with his pride to be with Kenshin and not be ashamed by it. And when he realized he was the only one who had that problem, everything changed for him.
I honestly fell in love with these characters. They buried themselves deep into my heart and have settled there for the long run. I felt what they felt. I cried for them and smiled for them. I laughed when they did. I was deeply invested in this story. It was just captivating. *sigh* And I want more of it. I didn't, and never could, get my fill of this world and these characters. I want more. And I want more now.
There are some elements in the story people will not like. For one, Shigure gets aggressive a time or two with Kenshin. It's all consensual so no worries there but there is a scene or two of rough sex. Kenshin gets kidnapped and tortured but it's not shown in great detail. In fact, we only know about it from Kinosuke who is one of Shigure's men because he was there when it happened but again it's not in great detail so any of you who are squeamish, no worries on having to skip this one because of that because there's no gory details. There is also the matter of a different culture. You learn all about the yakuzas and the Japanese culture and how they have a different way of acting than the Americans or the Spanish or the French or Italians, etc. It was fascinating to me but others might not think it is so I urge you to remember that if you decide to read this one.
With that said, whether you think you will like the book or not, I think it's definitely one everyone should try. Give it a go even if you think you may not like it because it might surprise you.
It was a fantastic book and I definitely recommend it.
October 7, 2014
Quick show of hands. Who thought Japanese + kink = shibari?
I had my heart set on shibari, maybe a little CBT, a little orgasm denial, perhaps some sensory deprivation, a smattering of pain… *sigh* Alas, it twas not to be. Well, there was shibari and oodles of pain, but the pesky kidnapping/torture thing took all the pizazz out of it.
Dissatisfied Cupcake is dissatisfied.
I do find Japanese culture fascinating with all their protocols and formalities, so that was most enjoyable. I even learned a couple things. That's never a bad thing.
Shigure and Kenshin straddled the razor's edge of annoying me with their dramatics and whininess. I liked the pairing of gaijin/yakuza. I liked them. I didn't love them. I do like tattoos and bath houses, so bonus points for that. Plus, I liked the secondary characters. Especially Kotaro who reminded me of this lil guy:
Eager, exuberant, loud, hyperactive… bull in a china shop + adorbs.
I'm tempted to read Yakuza Courage just to check up on him.
The plot sort of meandered for me up until I got to the 50ish% mark when all hell broke loose and I couldn't put it down even though it made me ache in places I don't even have!
Speaking of all hell breaking loose, mafia/yakuza/espionage 101 lesson:
Who the fuck doesn't have GPS tracking devices on ALL their employees/agency vehicles?
Seriously stuck in my craw. I'm not sure it would've made much of an impact on the endgame, but I considered a plot hole.
All told, I'd give this a solid 3.5 Stars rounded up for GR purposes.
December 28, 2013
You're strolling along a country road. It's all butterflies and rainbows and joy joy joy.
And then.
You're in the middle of a fucking TORTURE CHAMBER having your limbs torn off.
And you're all, what the fuck just happened here? I'm in the wrong story!
Yeah.
There were things in this book I loved: Japanese culture/terminology (one of my BFFs is Japanese, and I've been to Japan with him), the gang turf wars, the passion between Shigure (a yakuza, aka mafioso, lord) and Kenshin (American "gaijin" who was raised in and is visiting Japan).
But there were things I hated: the uneven plotting (I would read two chapters, stop, read a whole other book, go back, read some more, get distracted...), the torture (which was really brutal and way over the top; really, no one needed to suffer that much for the point to be made), the convoluted political intrigue with Ken's father (no mention of him, and then BAM!), and the ending.
This is a really hard book to rate. It moved between 1.5 and 4.5 stars depending on the scene, and left me reeling emotionally.
June 14, 2017
3.5 Stars
So this is a tale of two very disparate individuals. In one corner you have Ken. He's an American artist, estranged from his wealthy powerful family, but basically raised in the midst of Japanese culture. A chance meeting with the rough yakuza Shigure sparks of course, an instant combustible attraction. He's undeniably drawn to the reticent man and though he knows it can only end in disaster and heartache, he can't walk away.
In the other corner you have Shigure who joined one of the oldest, most powerful yakuza gangs as a child in order to survive his harsh reality. Though he may seem to be all uncouth brute force, he has an eye for beauty and Ken is definitely a work of art he wants to acquire.
One can imagine the potential conflict here. Ken knows he's playing with fire. He knows Shigure is bound to his sense of duty and pride. Yakuza members' whole life philosophy rely on the ancient system of honor and rules. This standard does not mix with the changing times very well, and it certainly does not easily accept or easily condone having an affair with a foreigner. And Shigure realizes, having never made many decisions for himself, he must find the strength to actually step forward and choose the man he so desperately wants in his life.
I'm not typically for brutal reality. The consequences of Ken and Shigure's relationship were horrific and that wasn't easy to read. However it made me feel and because of that I give it points. My heart pounded, I had to take breaks, I resisted reading further but couldn't help but turn the page. There were some plot niggles and threads left hanging; perhaps there was a too simplistic ending. However I was affected mainly because of the characters' own stark circumstances and background that made their journey so very difficult. No one was really in their corner, neither really thought it could be a possibility, their different backgrounds made the barriers to their happiness that much more impossible to surmount. So when the natural tendency for these two men was to hide or their only means for understanding was through inference, it hit hard when those walls came down and thus added more weight and gravitas to their intense love - all of which I felt and was affected by. So despite having some uneven storytelling, I totally embraced that they earned the right to be together and I was satisfied with that without any doubt.
Thanks Sofia and Therese for holding my hand - I definitely needed it!
So this is a tale of two very disparate individuals. In one corner you have Ken. He's an American artist, estranged from his wealthy powerful family, but basically raised in the midst of Japanese culture. A chance meeting with the rough yakuza Shigure sparks of course, an instant combustible attraction. He's undeniably drawn to the reticent man and though he knows it can only end in disaster and heartache, he can't walk away.
In the other corner you have Shigure who joined one of the oldest, most powerful yakuza gangs as a child in order to survive his harsh reality. Though he may seem to be all uncouth brute force, he has an eye for beauty and Ken is definitely a work of art he wants to acquire.
One can imagine the potential conflict here. Ken knows he's playing with fire. He knows Shigure is bound to his sense of duty and pride. Yakuza members' whole life philosophy rely on the ancient system of honor and rules. This standard does not mix with the changing times very well, and it certainly does not easily accept or easily condone having an affair with a foreigner. And Shigure realizes, having never made many decisions for himself, he must find the strength to actually step forward and choose the man he so desperately wants in his life.
I'm not typically for brutal reality. The consequences of Ken and Shigure's relationship were horrific and that wasn't easy to read. However it made me feel and because of that I give it points. My heart pounded, I had to take breaks, I resisted reading further but couldn't help but turn the page. There were some plot niggles and threads left hanging; perhaps there was a too simplistic ending. However I was affected mainly because of the characters' own stark circumstances and background that made their journey so very difficult. No one was really in their corner, neither really thought it could be a possibility, their different backgrounds made the barriers to their happiness that much more impossible to surmount. So when the natural tendency for these two men was to hide or their only means for understanding was through inference, it hit hard when those walls came down and thus added more weight and gravitas to their intense love - all of which I felt and was affected by. So despite having some uneven storytelling, I totally embraced that they earned the right to be together and I was satisfied with that without any doubt.
Thanks Sofia and Therese for holding my hand - I definitely needed it!
June 25, 2011
I must admit defeat - I have no idea what to say about this book.
I`m dazed,stunned,fascinated and...utterly speechless!
5 brightly shining stars and a special place on my favorite list for the Yakuza.
WOW! - What a book!
I`m dazed,stunned,fascinated and...utterly speechless!
5 brightly shining stars and a special place on my favorite list for the Yakuza.
WOW! - What a book!
August 23, 2011
I'll start by saying that everyone has different limits on what's acceptable for a romance story & I hit a wall in the middle of this story when there was a significant portion of time spent in the torture of one of the main characters. The scenes were protracted & overly long & got to the point of being ludicrous. I don't need to have the hero of the story brutally mutilated & tortured for my entertainment. It also starts getting impossible to believe that you can put someone back together after you've broken them, in the short space of time allotted in the book. I'm all for expanding my comfort zone but I see no value in me coming to a point to find torture acceptable & to me becoming so desensitized to it that this is OK in romance.
In terms of this story, the torture scenes also served to highlight other issues I had with this book which is it is very inconsistent in tone. At the beginning it's almost a meet cute story between Shigure & kenneth. The two characters from their description on to how they behave have a cartoonish quality to them. They had very stereotypical characteristics as well, the pretty head in the clouds boy with odd eyes & the big tattooed tough guy. I kept picturing manga comic book drawings or a Yaoi style to them. Shigure is in the Yakuza, but we never see them doing any 'bad things.' It's presented almost like an all boys club rather than a criminal organization. It's a very romanticized version of Yakuza.
Just when you're settling for this cutesy style Yakuza story, the story abruptly switches to this brutal torture story during which Shigure comes across not as the leader of a criminal organization, but someone operating like a chicken with his head cut off. He misses the obvious clues to the identity of the criminal rogue. It's as if the writer cuts to him, only to take a mini break from the torture scenes, then goes back to it with this criminal mastermind that's apparently harder to kill than the Terminator.
Then when we're finished with the torture, the tone switches again & just like that, after a couple of nightmares, they're having sex again because we're now back to the romance portion of the book where sex & love can cure anything. PTSD is dismissed as something you can just get over. Within a month it's all fine & the book ends as in a scene from some comedy script.
Throughout the book, there's a lot more sex scenes than I was expecting. A lot of it had an odd element to it of Kenneth having to prove himself & being tested by Shigure. I have no idea why. After almost every one of them , Shigure is regretful about being harsh--then he does the same thing over again. It was very exasperating.
In the end I found the weird mix of tones from cutesy, cuddly, to brutal violence to everything is fine now to comedy just made for a very annoying book. Lots of people loved this story. It just wasn't for me.
In terms of this story, the torture scenes also served to highlight other issues I had with this book which is it is very inconsistent in tone. At the beginning it's almost a meet cute story between Shigure & kenneth. The two characters from their description on to how they behave have a cartoonish quality to them. They had very stereotypical characteristics as well, the pretty head in the clouds boy with odd eyes & the big tattooed tough guy. I kept picturing manga comic book drawings or a Yaoi style to them. Shigure is in the Yakuza, but we never see them doing any 'bad things.' It's presented almost like an all boys club rather than a criminal organization. It's a very romanticized version of Yakuza.
Just when you're settling for this cutesy style Yakuza story, the story abruptly switches to this brutal torture story during which Shigure comes across not as the leader of a criminal organization, but someone operating like a chicken with his head cut off. He misses the obvious clues to the identity of the criminal rogue. It's as if the writer cuts to him, only to take a mini break from the torture scenes, then goes back to it with this criminal mastermind that's apparently harder to kill than the Terminator.
Then when we're finished with the torture, the tone switches again & just like that, after a couple of nightmares, they're having sex again because we're now back to the romance portion of the book where sex & love can cure anything. PTSD is dismissed as something you can just get over. Within a month it's all fine & the book ends as in a scene from some comedy script.
Throughout the book, there's a lot more sex scenes than I was expecting. A lot of it had an odd element to it of Kenneth having to prove himself & being tested by Shigure. I have no idea why. After almost every one of them , Shigure is regretful about being harsh--then he does the same thing over again. It was very exasperating.
In the end I found the weird mix of tones from cutesy, cuddly, to brutal violence to everything is fine now to comedy just made for a very annoying book. Lots of people loved this story. It just wasn't for me.
August 1, 2014
This was an incredibly intense story. I just finished it and I feel completely drained. It felt much like a Barry Eisler, John Rain novel or one of the early works of Eric Van Lustbader where I would be immersed into the Japanese culture but still remain an outsider to it. Much like the MCs of the book, yakusa underboss, Shijure and the American artist Ken.
Shijure and Ken or Kenshin as he's called, meet and sparks fly. This begins a rather off balance love affair where Shijure is reluctant to acknowledge Kenshin as more than just a gaijin boy toy. It's this reluctance to commit that leads to the unsettling and horrific events in the latter half of the book that really ramped up the thriller quotient for me here.
I loved, loved, loved the yakuza underpinning here as well as the insights to the Japanese culture. Completely fascinating. This is a romance of two men who seem very different but are actually very similar at their core, both very strong and honorable but where Kenshin is very open emotionally, Shijure is locked down and unwilling to sacrifice his pride and position to take a firm stand on the relationship.
There are some pretty fantastic secondary characters here and I think at its core this was all about family, the one you're born with and the one you make for yourself. There were quite a few fun moments when these rough, scary yakuza men became unruly boys, teasing both the youngest member of the group as well as Kenshin. It really helped to balance out those characters and make them more than just one note background filler and thugs.
This is a brutal book. No lies here, at times it is pretty gruesome but it has a tight, fascinating story about a brewing gangland war between two opposing yakuza groups that kept me guessing in some parts. It's a romance about two outsiders finding each other and fighting to kept it together. Intense and more than a few times unsettling but I LOVED it!
I'm curious what happened to these guys. I doubt we'll see any kind of follow up, the story doesn't need it. There's satisfying closure here but I just want to know what happens next and to me that's how the best kind of stories end. Recommended for lovers of thrillers but not for the faint of heart!
Shijure and Ken or Kenshin as he's called, meet and sparks fly. This begins a rather off balance love affair where Shijure is reluctant to acknowledge Kenshin as more than just a gaijin boy toy. It's this reluctance to commit that leads to the unsettling and horrific events in the latter half of the book that really ramped up the thriller quotient for me here.
I loved, loved, loved the yakuza underpinning here as well as the insights to the Japanese culture. Completely fascinating. This is a romance of two men who seem very different but are actually very similar at their core, both very strong and honorable but where Kenshin is very open emotionally, Shijure is locked down and unwilling to sacrifice his pride and position to take a firm stand on the relationship.
There are some pretty fantastic secondary characters here and I think at its core this was all about family, the one you're born with and the one you make for yourself. There were quite a few fun moments when these rough, scary yakuza men became unruly boys, teasing both the youngest member of the group as well as Kenshin. It really helped to balance out those characters and make them more than just one note background filler and thugs.
This is a brutal book. No lies here, at times it is pretty gruesome but it has a tight, fascinating story about a brewing gangland war between two opposing yakuza groups that kept me guessing in some parts. It's a romance about two outsiders finding each other and fighting to kept it together. Intense and more than a few times unsettling but I LOVED it!
I'm curious what happened to these guys. I doubt we'll see any kind of follow up, the story doesn't need it. There's satisfying closure here but I just want to know what happens next and to me that's how the best kind of stories end. Recommended for lovers of thrillers but not for the faint of heart!
November 15, 2011
Boy this is a tough one. All through the book my rating kept fluctuating between 2 3 and 4 stars. But I think I'm gonna go with a steady 3.
Unfortunately for me the constant uses of certain Japanese words and terms was annoying and confusing. I would of enjoyed this more as a typical mobster style fic, and in fact that's pretty much how i read it, I'm afraid most of the Japanese detail was lost on me.
The big violence scenes I was warned of weren't as bad as I was imagining, (maybe due to my reading of HP fanfic? now those guys can write torture lol), But I did find parts of it over kill. Personally I don't think some things should of been used as they took away from the story, for me anyway.
But I did love the characters both the main ones and the side ones, with one exception (sorry but I hate little/old females that can scare the big bad guys with a look). I certainly felt the chemistry and in Ken's case the emotions.
The beginning I found a little slow but once you get to the mystery part then it took off running. lol.
Overall a good story with some pretty suspenseful parts.
Thanks Simsala and Lilli for pushing me to read outside my comfort zone lol. While I wont go looking for similier books, I did end up enjoying most of this one lol.
Unfortunately for me the constant uses of certain Japanese words and terms was annoying and confusing. I would of enjoyed this more as a typical mobster style fic, and in fact that's pretty much how i read it, I'm afraid most of the Japanese detail was lost on me.
The big violence scenes I was warned of weren't as bad as I was imagining, (maybe due to my reading of HP fanfic? now those guys can write torture lol), But I did find parts of it over kill. Personally I don't think some things should of been used as they took away from the story, for me anyway.
But I did love the characters both the main ones and the side ones, with one exception (sorry but I hate little/old females that can scare the big bad guys with a look). I certainly felt the chemistry and in Ken's case the emotions.
The beginning I found a little slow but once you get to the mystery part then it took off running. lol.
Overall a good story with some pretty suspenseful parts.
Thanks Simsala and Lilli for pushing me to read outside my comfort zone lol. While I wont go looking for similier books, I did end up enjoying most of this one lol.
February 10, 2013
Loved it.
This is another instance of where my reaction to a book has totally fried the wires in my brain that make for a useful review. So short and sweet, here it goes. This books plays so many cards at the same time that it a total immersion. The characterizations are awesome--even secondary and tertiary characters are brilliant little gems. The suspense is well written and fair warning, for those that can't handle or prefer not to read violence/torture, this book may not be for you. That said, it is intrinsic to the story, the characters and their resolutions--it is not gratuitous.
I loved all the references, lingual and cultural, to Japan and present society. The hierarchy and explanations for expectations of behavior as required by status and origin are fascinating. The expected behavior from Ken (Kenshin) as a foreigner is completely different than that required of a native. I ended up loving the guys in the Shinayawa clan. Brutal and at times unvarnished, but honest and loyal--well...except for the viper in their midst that manages to stir up a lot of trouble and pain.
This is another instance of where my reaction to a book has totally fried the wires in my brain that make for a useful review. So short and sweet, here it goes. This books plays so many cards at the same time that it a total immersion. The characterizations are awesome--even secondary and tertiary characters are brilliant little gems. The suspense is well written and fair warning, for those that can't handle or prefer not to read violence/torture, this book may not be for you. That said, it is intrinsic to the story, the characters and their resolutions--it is not gratuitous.
I loved all the references, lingual and cultural, to Japan and present society. The hierarchy and explanations for expectations of behavior as required by status and origin are fascinating. The expected behavior from Ken (Kenshin) as a foreigner is completely different than that required of a native. I ended up loving the guys in the Shinayawa clan. Brutal and at times unvarnished, but honest and loyal--well...except for the viper in their midst that manages to stir up a lot of trouble and pain.
![Profile Image for Michelle [Helen Geek].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1448463806i%2F5557851._CR0%2C13%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 6, 2012
5 Stars
I debated on this one 4.5 or 5 stars, but in the end, going with 5 Stars!
What an absolutely lovely story. My eyes are still wet and my chest still feels tight…
I don’t typically read m/m romances although not sure exactly why. The few I’ve read have been very good. This one was just a beautiful read. I would lower my rating slightly because the story drags a bit in places. A more patient individual may not even mind. In the end, the absolute beauty of the story made my mind up for me.
This was a story about two very different men. One a Yakuza Captain [Shigure Matsunaga], and the other a visiting American artist. Our American, Ken Harris was raised in Japan and is fluent in the culture, the language with all its’ many nuances. They meet at a party and begin a dialogue. We start here.
It appears the Japanese culture is very accepting of homosexual relationships, so this isn’t a barrier for these two, so is, in a sense different than we typically read about in other m/m books. Sure, Ken has the issues with his family accepting, but he seems to be wise and has personally moved beyond this. What appears to be the barrier is the simple fact that Ken is Gaijin; a rather reverse prejudice. Even being Yakuza and with his very low beginnings, Shigure feels Ken not completely worthy but is willing to play with the Gaijin for a while.
This story is about finding love and overcoming many obstacles, the most important being yourself, next being a societal mores and deeply rooted prejudice.
What did I like about this story? Wow, a tough one because I really liked the whole thing, but to outline it a bit for you:
1 – It portrays, very richly, the Japanese culture. I’m definitely no expert, but the author appeared to know what she was talking about. Her use of the language and terms was throughout the book, but if never put me off. She had a way of explaining her meaning without blatantly “explaining her meaning”. Almost like she was educating me very subtlety. Such beauty in the language and nuances of this culture. How they use words to do more than communicate in the single dimension.
2 – I thoroughly enjoyed Shigure Matsunaga. He is a 37 year old man and has risen to the role of Yakuza Captain. This is no easy fete, but he appears to be tough, but caring about his crew who all live on a compound inside Tokyo. He is very comfortable with who he is and his relationship with “his Gaijin”. He is truly a lesson in contrasts. He is tough, but tender. He is romantic, but blunt and direct. He eventually loves Ken to distraction, and then loves him with his whole being. He tests this at every turn learning to trust himself, learning to trust Ken.
3 – The relationship between Ken and Shigure. These two have the problems everyone has in relationships the world over. They seem to operate as a team almost from the very beginning. As if they are the other half of each other. It takes them a while to realize this about the other and the journey they take us on is a wonderful one. The intimacies they share are so raw and emotional, it left me speechless. I would read it and have tears running down my face at the artistic visualization this author painted just for me. Truly rare when you find an author that can make you feel this way.
This book may not be for everyone, but I am very glad I had this experience. I know it has left a mark on me that I’ll share and recommend over and over again. I feel like I’ve found a TREASURE to share.
Just food for thought … I know many people say they don’t read m/m books. I would ask you to truly reconsider. For me, this book is about so much more.
Happy Reading!
I debated on this one 4.5 or 5 stars, but in the end, going with 5 Stars!
What an absolutely lovely story. My eyes are still wet and my chest still feels tight…
I don’t typically read m/m romances although not sure exactly why. The few I’ve read have been very good. This one was just a beautiful read. I would lower my rating slightly because the story drags a bit in places. A more patient individual may not even mind. In the end, the absolute beauty of the story made my mind up for me.
This was a story about two very different men. One a Yakuza Captain [Shigure Matsunaga], and the other a visiting American artist. Our American, Ken Harris was raised in Japan and is fluent in the culture, the language with all its’ many nuances. They meet at a party and begin a dialogue. We start here.
It appears the Japanese culture is very accepting of homosexual relationships, so this isn’t a barrier for these two, so is, in a sense different than we typically read about in other m/m books. Sure, Ken has the issues with his family accepting, but he seems to be wise and has personally moved beyond this. What appears to be the barrier is the simple fact that Ken is Gaijin; a rather reverse prejudice. Even being Yakuza and with his very low beginnings, Shigure feels Ken not completely worthy but is willing to play with the Gaijin for a while.
This story is about finding love and overcoming many obstacles, the most important being yourself, next being a societal mores and deeply rooted prejudice.
What did I like about this story? Wow, a tough one because I really liked the whole thing, but to outline it a bit for you:
1 – It portrays, very richly, the Japanese culture. I’m definitely no expert, but the author appeared to know what she was talking about. Her use of the language and terms was throughout the book, but if never put me off. She had a way of explaining her meaning without blatantly “explaining her meaning”. Almost like she was educating me very subtlety. Such beauty in the language and nuances of this culture. How they use words to do more than communicate in the single dimension.
2 – I thoroughly enjoyed Shigure Matsunaga. He is a 37 year old man and has risen to the role of Yakuza Captain. This is no easy fete, but he appears to be tough, but caring about his crew who all live on a compound inside Tokyo. He is very comfortable with who he is and his relationship with “his Gaijin”. He is truly a lesson in contrasts. He is tough, but tender. He is romantic, but blunt and direct. He eventually loves Ken to distraction, and then loves him with his whole being. He tests this at every turn learning to trust himself, learning to trust Ken.
3 – The relationship between Ken and Shigure. These two have the problems everyone has in relationships the world over. They seem to operate as a team almost from the very beginning. As if they are the other half of each other. It takes them a while to realize this about the other and the journey they take us on is a wonderful one. The intimacies they share are so raw and emotional, it left me speechless. I would read it and have tears running down my face at the artistic visualization this author painted just for me. Truly rare when you find an author that can make you feel this way.
This book may not be for everyone, but I am very glad I had this experience. I know it has left a mark on me that I’ll share and recommend over and over again. I feel like I’ve found a TREASURE to share.
Just food for thought … I know many people say they don’t read m/m books. I would ask you to truly reconsider. For me, this book is about so much more.
Happy Reading!
January 1, 2018
★★★★★ ~ 5 Stars
7/2014 - I reread for an upcoming book read to refamiliarize myself with the story. I had rated it 5 stars and upon reread - still 5 stars.
Ken and Shigure were instantly attracted to each other but the first part of the books moves slowly - please bear with it - the culture and attitudes are important to understand for the rest of the book. Ken proves his mettle among hardened yakuzas and shows that he's just as worthy of respect as Boss Man, Shigure.
++++++++++++++++++
5/2013 - I haven't read a Yakuza book so I don't know if all the Japanese references are true-to-life, I'll say the author sure seemed to know what she was talking about and made it believable.
What a lovely story although it was touch and go for me in the middle there, you all know what I'm talking about, yet Ken was able to make something artistic and beautiful arise like the phoenix (although he used a dragon) from his skin.
Both Ken and Shigure were such strong and different characters even though they both had damaged upbringings and had to let their guards down to let each other in. One of my few five-stars for 2013. Thanks to everybody who had recommended this. Stellar read and very likely reread. This book ensures that I plan to read more from this author and more about Japanese culture.
7/2014 - I reread for an upcoming book read to refamiliarize myself with the story. I had rated it 5 stars and upon reread - still 5 stars.
Ken and Shigure were instantly attracted to each other but the first part of the books moves slowly - please bear with it - the culture and attitudes are important to understand for the rest of the book. Ken proves his mettle among hardened yakuzas and shows that he's just as worthy of respect as Boss Man, Shigure.
++++++++++++++++++
5/2013 - I haven't read a Yakuza book so I don't know if all the Japanese references are true-to-life, I'll say the author sure seemed to know what she was talking about and made it believable.
What a lovely story although it was touch and go for me in the middle there, you all know what I'm talking about, yet Ken was able to make something artistic and beautiful arise like the phoenix (although he used a dragon) from his skin.
Both Ken and Shigure were such strong and different characters even though they both had damaged upbringings and had to let their guards down to let each other in. One of my few five-stars for 2013. Thanks to everybody who had recommended this. Stellar read and very likely reread. This book ensures that I plan to read more from this author and more about Japanese culture.
Read
November 15, 2011This was a challenging read, maybe I should have read the reviews with all the warnings but as this was a group read I didn't want that influencing my opinion in any way. So I was pleasantly surprised with the first half of the story, I had no difficulty with the Japanese language or their culture, the two central characters were interesting especially Kenshin. He was courageous, stubborn and determined to do everything possible to survive I admired him he was very brave. Then comes Kotaro what a joy so cute and naive a sweetheart I loved him he was my absolute favourite character. But now we get to the second half of the story which totally ruined my enjoyment and pulled me out of the story, I won't go into detail but the "basement scene" was a shock and it went on for an extended period of time which was unnecessary in my opinion. So as well written as this story was in the end it just wasn't for me and if we do get a sequel no torture please!
July 18, 2011
Powerful. That’s the one word that pops up every time I try to express my feelings about this amazing love story. It blew me away with its intensity.
Intriguing characters with explosive chemistry right from the start that pulled me in and never let go, combined with a fascinating setting, a great secondary cast and vivid descriptions that made me feel like I was watching a movie. The beautiful, metaphoric writing enhanced the emotional impact of the story so strongly I was stunned speechless more than once. It kept me on the edge of my seat – I was bouncing with excitement, laughing, crying, rejoicing, hurting with the characters, cheering for them in the most impossible moments, and sometimes I wanted to growl it was that good. So yeah, powerful.
January 26, 2013
Wow.
Whoa.
"Yakuza Pride"!
It was such an intense, quiet and strong love story. There's crime, some laughs (Kotaro, Shigure's apprentice), some sick shit, hot sex, passion, intensity, severed pinkies, sword fighting, wise cracking madams...this story packs some solid punches. The author did a brilliant job of introducing the Japanese culture and its intricacies to this Western reader. The setting was vivid and the characters felt very authentic.
Ken has mismatched eyes (one's brown, the other's green), a pretty cool illustrating job, wicked sword skills and has grown up in Japan. Oh and he's white. He's ever so fluent in Japanese. While attending a party with his only friend in the country he's just visiting, he locks eyes on yakuza underboss, Shigure.
Shigure has worked his way up in the yakuza mafia and wears his title with pride. He was an understanding gangster and pretty sexy, in my opinion. His torso is covered with intricate tattoos that I was a little jealous of Ken having access to but hey they made an awesome couple.
These two are like a powder keg and a lit match. From the moment they met...they just were hot! These two...*lick lips*. Yum. Yum. (Sometimes they were so hot for each other, lube was forgotten -bleh, my pet peeve but luckily it wasn't every time - I will try to overlook it)
So there I am enjoying this crazy, sexy consuming hot man/man thing Ken and Shigure has going on. (I mean exhibitionist scene hot. I mean rimming hot. I mean having to just touch each other because you're going to burn if you don't and blaze when you do.)
I am skipping along in Horny Park just tra-la-la-ing smelling the passion filled flowers...
See that was me for the beginning half just adoring these two together. And then it gets dark for the next 27%, like owwie dark. There was kidnapping, cruel torture and wicked punishment. And I've read darker stuff then this but it still was so unexpected. I was a little...
Not traumatized that I couldn't continue reading, it was so unexpected.
And to the villain/kidnapper? I wanted to pulverize the son of a bitch. Seriously.
For real.
The things the kidnapper did - take this as a warning, if you get easily squeamish, you have been warned. It was just plain ol' mean for lack of a better word. The reasoning behind the evil acts were explained but I still wanted more justice damn it!
And the aftermath after such brutal damage? I felt the author did give these two a well deserved happy ending but not without the necessary hurdles to overcome. It was beautiful. The best reassurance given that these two are going to be alright was how the story ended.
And then I'm back to Horny Park a little disenchanted but still holding onto hope these two will prove they have forever kind of love.
The sacrifices made were extreme but satisfying. This is one well written, detailed read. Ken and Shigure forever!! FOUR & A HALF STARS
Whoa.
"Yakuza Pride"!
It was such an intense, quiet and strong love story. There's crime, some laughs (Kotaro, Shigure's apprentice), some sick shit, hot sex, passion, intensity, severed pinkies, sword fighting, wise cracking madams...this story packs some solid punches. The author did a brilliant job of introducing the Japanese culture and its intricacies to this Western reader. The setting was vivid and the characters felt very authentic.
Ken has mismatched eyes (one's brown, the other's green), a pretty cool illustrating job, wicked sword skills and has grown up in Japan. Oh and he's white. He's ever so fluent in Japanese. While attending a party with his only friend in the country he's just visiting, he locks eyes on yakuza underboss, Shigure.
Shigure has worked his way up in the yakuza mafia and wears his title with pride. He was an understanding gangster and pretty sexy, in my opinion. His torso is covered with intricate tattoos that I was a little jealous of Ken having access to but hey they made an awesome couple.
These two are like a powder keg and a lit match. From the moment they met...they just were hot! These two...*lick lips*. Yum. Yum. (Sometimes they were so hot for each other, lube was forgotten -bleh, my pet peeve but luckily it wasn't every time - I will try to overlook it)
So there I am enjoying this crazy, sexy consuming hot man/man thing Ken and Shigure has going on. (I mean exhibitionist scene hot. I mean rimming hot. I mean having to just touch each other because you're going to burn if you don't and blaze when you do.)
I am skipping along in Horny Park just tra-la-la-ing smelling the passion filled flowers...
See that was me for the beginning half just adoring these two together. And then it gets dark for the next 27%, like owwie dark. There was kidnapping, cruel torture and wicked punishment. And I've read darker stuff then this but it still was so unexpected. I was a little...
Not traumatized that I couldn't continue reading, it was so unexpected.
And to the villain/kidnapper? I wanted to pulverize the son of a bitch. Seriously.
For real.
The things the kidnapper did - take this as a warning, if you get easily squeamish, you have been warned. It was just plain ol' mean for lack of a better word. The reasoning behind the evil acts were explained but I still wanted more justice damn it!
And the aftermath after such brutal damage? I felt the author did give these two a well deserved happy ending but not without the necessary hurdles to overcome. It was beautiful. The best reassurance given that these two are going to be alright was how the story ended.
And then I'm back to Horny Park a little disenchanted but still holding onto hope these two will prove they have forever kind of love.
The sacrifices made were extreme but satisfying. This is one well written, detailed read. Ken and Shigure forever!! FOUR & A HALF STARS
March 16, 2015
This was a very roller-coaster kind of book!
Up until 50% the story was quite uneventful, and even a bit slow. The whole romance getting together part was not for me.
After 50% it dramatically picked up speed, and it was hard to put down, since it suddenly felt like a totally different story. Whether you like the “new” story depends on personal taste I guess. For me, it was fine…
Towards the end, the story got me a bit confused.
Up until 50% the story was quite uneventful, and even a bit slow. The whole romance getting together part was not for me.
After 50% it dramatically picked up speed, and it was hard to put down, since it suddenly felt like a totally different story. Whether you like the “new” story depends on personal taste I guess. For me, it was fine…
Towards the end, the story got me a bit confused.
September 8, 2013
4.0 Stars
Wow. Intense. I really enjoyed this book. Fair warning, it is not for the faint of heart. There was a torture scene which was prolonged and graphic. That being said, I loved the characters H.J. Brues created. I enjoyed both Kenshin and Shigure and also fell in love with Shigure's rag-tag yakuza gang. At times they seemed like the Japanese equivalent of the Bad News Bears but that just endeared them all the more to me. I liked that they weren't perfect and made mistakes.
My GR buddy, Heller, drew similarities between this book and some of Eric Van Lustbader's earlier works. (I'm thinking The Ninja or The Miko, both of which I loved.) I couldn't agree more. This book had a very similar flavor to it and I was engaged right from the start. However, while the start and the middle were very Eric Van Lustbader'ish, I felt that the whodunnit part was Lifetime Movie'ish. Don't get me wrong, the mystery part was all well and good but the culprit was a little bit of a let down for me.
Bottom-line: a wonderful and wonderfully Japanese read. I would love to revisit with these characters in a sequel. Recommend!
Wow. Intense. I really enjoyed this book. Fair warning, it is not for the faint of heart. There was a torture scene which was prolonged and graphic. That being said, I loved the characters H.J. Brues created. I enjoyed both Kenshin and Shigure and also fell in love with Shigure's rag-tag yakuza gang. At times they seemed like the Japanese equivalent of the Bad News Bears but that just endeared them all the more to me. I liked that they weren't perfect and made mistakes.
My GR buddy, Heller, drew similarities between this book and some of Eric Van Lustbader's earlier works. (I'm thinking The Ninja or The Miko, both of which I loved.) I couldn't agree more. This book had a very similar flavor to it and I was engaged right from the start. However, while the start and the middle were very Eric Van Lustbader'ish, I felt that the whodunnit part was Lifetime Movie'ish. Don't get me wrong, the mystery part was all well and good but the culprit was a little bit of a let down for me.
Bottom-line: a wonderful and wonderfully Japanese read. I would love to revisit with these characters in a sequel. Recommend!
August 3, 2021
I love a good anti-hero, one who is badass and does bad things but loves his man. Shigure gave me my fix. He wasn't entirely bad..he was still honorable, but being part of the Yakuza, you know he's on the wrong side of the law.
I liked both characters, even if Shigure's communication skills lacked a bit and Ken could be bratty sometimes.
The writing was a bit "flowery," but at times, the prose was beautiful, and it captivated me from page one.
However, I lost interest after I didn't like the ending at all and wished they'd stayed in Japan. The setting and culture were some of the things I loved most about this book, so it disappointed me to have them leave even if I understood the reasoning behind it.
I liked both characters, even if Shigure's communication skills lacked a bit and Ken could be bratty sometimes.
The writing was a bit "flowery," but at times, the prose was beautiful, and it captivated me from page one.
However, I lost interest after I didn't like the ending at all and wished they'd stayed in Japan. The setting and culture were some of the things I loved most about this book, so it disappointed me to have them leave even if I understood the reasoning behind it.
July 19, 2011
Three and three-quarter stars.
Warning: the discussion of certain topics in this review may be upsetting - I apologise.
I have to admit to being at a complete loss as to how to rate this book... In fact, I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to think of this book. I feel the positives outweigh the negatives, but the negatives will be, for some, deal breakers. Where to start? I loved the setting. I very rarely read books set outside of North America, and to read a book set in Japan was refreshing to say the least as I know next to nothing about Japan and less that nothing about its culture and society. Luckily, the author avoided the pitfall of dumping information on both Japanese caste and manners, but instead embedded it seamlessly. The characters themselves are also interesting, and not just the primary characters - there were definitely secondary characters who had page space and who used it to present themselves in a three-dimensional way. I liked how...human they were, with all the foibles humanity brings. On the other hand, the two main characters kind of remind me of the characters in a yaoi manga. I'm not sure exactly why. Perhaps because they fall into some clearly defined roles (in some respects). What I found interesting is how the author portrayed Kenneth (or Kenshin-san as he is known for most of the book). It's like the author wrote him as a foreigner (and thus less 'acceptable' to the Japanese), but gave him many qualities that the Japanese would admire - his fluency with the language and his understanding of Japanese culture and customs, his mastery of kendo, and his strength and honour. Both Kenshin-san and Shigure-san (the other primary character) represent one of the themes of the book, that nationality and/or caste is a label, and that it is who the person is that reflects their honour and their worth.
Anyway, I digress... This book feels like a book of many parts. And not in a beginning and an end kind of way, but more in an intimacy and action kind of way. Unfortunately, I felt both the intimacy and the action were...stretched (as in too long and too detailed), often too far. Which meant the pacing was...uneven. Plus, at least initially, the author had a tendency to use very long (80-90 words long) sentences during the sex scenes. And this led me (invariably) to re-writing the sentences (in my head) to add in a full-stop (or two). Not good. Especially considering the scene. So, I began to look forward to the sex scenes (not that there were many, but they were...out in the open on occasion) finishing and..the plot moving forward. And then we hit the middle of the book and where the suspense plot kicked in. One of the characters is kidnapped. Yes, huge spoiler, but I wanted to mention it because of what happens during the kidnapping. Torture. And it is described. In detail. And it's not easy to read. And there are escape attempts, more than one, which fail, until you are about to give up hope entirely, and then...success! Did I mention that things felt stretched? And that fact that Shigure spent a lot of time not working out who the villian was, when I (of all people) did, meant I thought less of him. At one point I was hoping that I had got it wrong, but I didn't.
And then I got to the scene I STILL can't get my head around. I'm not sure about the exact time line (as in how soon post-rescue this sex scene occurred, but bandages were present so I'm guessing a day or two?) Remember me mentioning the torture? Well, the result of that torture (physically) was wounds, burns and tears.... And then this happened:
Shigure's mouth followed the same path down that his hands had taken on their way up, his tongue probing mercilessly into and around the open cuts, Ken squirming wildly under the torture, noises pouring out of him without control.
Yes, you read that right. INTO the open cuts! No. Just, no. The human mouth has millions of bacteria in it, bacteria that would probably love to make a home in a warm, nutrient-rich environment. But wait, it gets worse. There is a rimming scene.That in and of itself isn't the problem. The problem is that there are tears in that area, which led me straight back to the pain and risk-of-infection issues. All of this to someone who has just been tortured? And then to go from rimming straight to another area, which has burns. *heads desk* I mean, maybe it's me, but...the whole scene didn't work because I spent the whole time thinking about the pain and the risk of infection. I can understand why the author included a sex scene at this particular point in the story. My issue is with what the scene consisted of.
So, you're no doubt asking yourself why I rated this book three and three-quarter stars. I think the author has a lot of talent.I think the book is for the most part well written, with an interesting setting and premise. I think if the stretching of both scenes and sentences was...lessened, it would help immensely. And maybe my issues with that one particular sex scene is just a me thing as I haven't seen any one else mention it. But I do think that anyone that reads it should be warned that it is, in a number of places, very disturbing.
Oh, and the cover is gorgeous!
Warning: the discussion of certain topics in this review may be upsetting - I apologise.
I have to admit to being at a complete loss as to how to rate this book... In fact, I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to think of this book. I feel the positives outweigh the negatives, but the negatives will be, for some, deal breakers. Where to start? I loved the setting. I very rarely read books set outside of North America, and to read a book set in Japan was refreshing to say the least as I know next to nothing about Japan and less that nothing about its culture and society. Luckily, the author avoided the pitfall of dumping information on both Japanese caste and manners, but instead embedded it seamlessly. The characters themselves are also interesting, and not just the primary characters - there were definitely secondary characters who had page space and who used it to present themselves in a three-dimensional way. I liked how...human they were, with all the foibles humanity brings. On the other hand, the two main characters kind of remind me of the characters in a yaoi manga. I'm not sure exactly why. Perhaps because they fall into some clearly defined roles (in some respects). What I found interesting is how the author portrayed Kenneth (or Kenshin-san as he is known for most of the book). It's like the author wrote him as a foreigner (and thus less 'acceptable' to the Japanese), but gave him many qualities that the Japanese would admire - his fluency with the language and his understanding of Japanese culture and customs, his mastery of kendo, and his strength and honour. Both Kenshin-san and Shigure-san (the other primary character) represent one of the themes of the book, that nationality and/or caste is a label, and that it is who the person is that reflects their honour and their worth.
Anyway, I digress... This book feels like a book of many parts. And not in a beginning and an end kind of way, but more in an intimacy and action kind of way. Unfortunately, I felt both the intimacy and the action were...stretched (as in too long and too detailed), often too far. Which meant the pacing was...uneven. Plus, at least initially, the author had a tendency to use very long (80-90 words long) sentences during the sex scenes. And this led me (invariably) to re-writing the sentences (in my head) to add in a full-stop (or two). Not good. Especially considering the scene. So, I began to look forward to the sex scenes (not that there were many, but they were...out in the open on occasion) finishing and..the plot moving forward. And then we hit the middle of the book and where the suspense plot kicked in. One of the characters is kidnapped. Yes, huge spoiler, but I wanted to mention it because of what happens during the kidnapping. Torture. And it is described. In detail. And it's not easy to read. And there are escape attempts, more than one, which fail, until you are about to give up hope entirely, and then...success! Did I mention that things felt stretched? And that fact that Shigure spent a lot of time not working out who the villian was, when I (of all people) did, meant I thought less of him. At one point I was hoping that I had got it wrong, but I didn't.
And then I got to the scene I STILL can't get my head around. I'm not sure about the exact time line (as in how soon post-rescue this sex scene occurred, but bandages were present so I'm guessing a day or two?) Remember me mentioning the torture? Well, the result of that torture (physically) was wounds, burns and tears.... And then this happened:
Shigure's mouth followed the same path down that his hands had taken on their way up, his tongue probing mercilessly into and around the open cuts, Ken squirming wildly under the torture, noises pouring out of him without control.
Yes, you read that right. INTO the open cuts! No. Just, no. The human mouth has millions of bacteria in it, bacteria that would probably love to make a home in a warm, nutrient-rich environment. But wait, it gets worse. There is a rimming scene.That in and of itself isn't the problem. The problem is that there are tears in that area, which led me straight back to the pain and risk-of-infection issues. All of this to someone who has just been tortured? And then to go from rimming straight to another area, which has burns. *heads desk* I mean, maybe it's me, but...the whole scene didn't work because I spent the whole time thinking about the pain and the risk of infection. I can understand why the author included a sex scene at this particular point in the story. My issue is with what the scene consisted of.
So, you're no doubt asking yourself why I rated this book three and three-quarter stars. I think the author has a lot of talent.I think the book is for the most part well written, with an interesting setting and premise. I think if the stretching of both scenes and sentences was...lessened, it would help immensely. And maybe my issues with that one particular sex scene is just a me thing as I haven't seen any one else mention it. But I do think that anyone that reads it should be warned that it is, in a number of places, very disturbing.
Oh, and the cover is gorgeous!
September 9, 2011
3.5 stars i guess it wasn't boring or anything just little things with the writing bugged me and a couple scenes were just WTF
The characters speak/think in Japanese so all of the book is translated to English but random sentences or words would Still be in Japanese and then translated shortly after? what was the point of that? interrupted the flow for me
The Yakuza MC was dumb and not a good leader like people didn't do what he told them or acted out and every time he thought he'd deal with it later but never did and then is surprised when the big reveal for who the baddie was someone he knew. It was obvious pretty early on who the bad guy was so not much mystery there
The characters speak/think in Japanese so all of the book is translated to English but random sentences or words would Still be in Japanese and then translated shortly after? what was the point of that? interrupted the flow for me
The Yakuza MC was dumb and not a good leader like people didn't do what he told them or acted out and every time he thought he'd deal with it later but never did and then is surprised when the big reveal for who the baddie was someone he knew. It was obvious pretty early on who the bad guy was so not much mystery there
March 17, 2015
A good flowing
BR with Therese and Ra - thanks for the company girls!!
March 8, 2013
Really enjoyed this book, especially the Japanese setting. Honestly, I don’t know much about Japan or it’s social mores, so I must admit that I can’t account for the book’s accuracy – but what I can account for is the wonderful characterizations and unique intricacies throughout. I always love when a book makes me feel like a cultural anthropologist wading through new territory. The character’s societal justifications were so incredibly fascinating. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
I must put a warning out that this book does contain violence and torture. It was not gratuitous by my standards, but it might not be for all readers.
I must put a warning out that this book does contain violence and torture. It was not gratuitous by my standards, but it might not be for all readers.
August 2, 2011
I am at a loss how to describe this book.
Powerful is a good description. The story is forceful, strong, emotional and violent.
Recommended!
Powerful is a good description. The story is forceful, strong, emotional and violent.
Recommended!
started-yet-stalled-for-now
April 30, 2013Will I ever manage to finish this albatross? If only the actual book was as interesting as the cover. Doh.
*Stalled on page 100ish*
*Stalled on page 100ish*
July 27, 2024
0 Stars, I did not consent to be a part of the author's sexual torture fetish.
August 28, 2012
3.5 stars. A rich, character-driven m/m romance about a yakuza underboss and an American artist who fall for each other and struggle with some of the challenges that derive from the different worlds they live in.
I thought this was a strong book, and I enjoyed most of it, but there were two factors that made it difficult for me to recommend this book in the end.
The parts that I liked:
- Even though Shigure, the yakuza, and Ken (Kenshin) the artist "hook up" very early, their relationship develops slowly over the first half of the book. I really enjoyed watching this development as they learn more about each other and what makes the other tick. It was well-written and a very engaging story.
- The characters were interesting and multi-faceted, and the dialogue was very good, especially between the MCs. At first when I started, I wondered if this would simply be a "yaoi novel," due to the setting, and if it would be filled with the tropes better used in a manga, but no, this read like a much richer novel with strong characterization and development.
I especially liked the character of Kenshin. He's fiercely independent and driven while at the same time enjoys spacing out to watch the world from his artist viewpoint. I found him to be very sympathetic, and I appreciated the common struggle that both he and Shigure experienced growing up and living as outsiders in Japanese society.
- Having studied in Japan, I also liked the many details about the country the author used. Nothing stuck out as "false,' and she did a great job of painting the setting, mood, and overall mannerisms that you see a lot in Japan. If she used Japanese for character dialogue, she also made sure to stealthily insert the English meaning without spelling it out directly. (I understand thought that these parts might have been easier for me to decipher because I did have the background.)
What was hard for me was:
The section of extreme violence and torture that goes on for about a quarter of the book, interspersed between the 50%-75% mark. Before reading this, I had read some reviews about the violence, and had a) assumed that it wouldn't be that bad and b) assumed that it would be more similar to the "yakuza violence" you see in Japanese gangster films-—guns, punching, beating, someone loses a pinky finger, etc. And yes, some of that is there, but for me, the violence is way worse than I imagined, and it's more akin to the depraved, intense violence you see in a serial killer story, including sexual torture, and that was very hard to read, especially for such a long part of the book.
At times, the author tried to soften the perspective by having the scene come from an observer rather than from the victim, but I found that perspective just as hard to read, and it's very drawn out, and got worse and worse. We kept returning back to the this extended torture section, and I kept thinking, maybe this will end soon, but no, it continued for 25% of the book, and the book is over 300 pages.
In the end, I basically had to skim this whole quarter of the book, including the parts here where the other characters were looking for those that were being tortured. (Those scenes also felt overly drawn out, but that might also have been the stress of wanting the torture section to stop in general.)
I appreciate that this section really reveals the inner strength and determination of the characters that were tortured, but I do think it was too much, and tonally very different from the first half of the book. I wish the writer had softened or removed some of the violence and shortened this section. At times, this part reminded me of those fanfics that focus a lot on "character abuse" and I think that you probably could have eliminated some of the torture without losing the point-—the anger and depravity of the assailant, the resilience and coming together of the victims, etc.
Even though the last quarter of the book deals with the aftermath of this section, the healing, and the HEA, skimming a huge section like that made it harder for me to sink into the book again, and I didn't feel that deeper reading experience that I had for the first half of the story. I missed that deeper feeling, and I wished I hadn't been kicked out so violently in the middle.
The other factor that bothered me is that the author is a very good writer, but would repeatedly use descriptive nouns/titles to describe characters as they thought about each other. (e.g. The Yakuza, the Foreigner, the Japanese, the gaijin, the American, etc.) Some of it worked, like near the end, Shigure started thinking of Kenshin as "his gaijin" but I wished a lot of these had been replaced by either names or pronouns. It was sometimes harder to sink into a scene between two characters who already knew each other intimately, but still kept using the titles of "the American" or "the yakuza" in their thoughts or in the description of what the characters were doing. This habit rang of "early author" to me, which stood out in comparison to how well-written the rest of the book was.
So, overall, I really enjoyed the first half, and the last quarter was good, but it was harder to return to the book after the very violent middle.
I am thankful though because I now have a way better idea of what kind of violence I can take. Since this book crossed the line for me, when faced with another book that includes extreme violence, I can now ask, "How violent? Is it equal to or worse than Yakuza Pride? How equal? Is it 25% of the book-equal?" If it is equal or worse, I now know that I should pass on it.
I thought this was a strong book, and I enjoyed most of it, but there were two factors that made it difficult for me to recommend this book in the end.
The parts that I liked:
- Even though Shigure, the yakuza, and Ken (Kenshin) the artist "hook up" very early, their relationship develops slowly over the first half of the book. I really enjoyed watching this development as they learn more about each other and what makes the other tick. It was well-written and a very engaging story.
- The characters were interesting and multi-faceted, and the dialogue was very good, especially between the MCs. At first when I started, I wondered if this would simply be a "yaoi novel," due to the setting, and if it would be filled with the tropes better used in a manga, but no, this read like a much richer novel with strong characterization and development.
I especially liked the character of Kenshin. He's fiercely independent and driven while at the same time enjoys spacing out to watch the world from his artist viewpoint. I found him to be very sympathetic, and I appreciated the common struggle that both he and Shigure experienced growing up and living as outsiders in Japanese society.
- Having studied in Japan, I also liked the many details about the country the author used. Nothing stuck out as "false,' and she did a great job of painting the setting, mood, and overall mannerisms that you see a lot in Japan. If she used Japanese for character dialogue, she also made sure to stealthily insert the English meaning without spelling it out directly. (I understand thought that these parts might have been easier for me to decipher because I did have the background.)
What was hard for me was:
The section of extreme violence and torture that goes on for about a quarter of the book, interspersed between the 50%-75% mark. Before reading this, I had read some reviews about the violence, and had a) assumed that it wouldn't be that bad and b) assumed that it would be more similar to the "yakuza violence" you see in Japanese gangster films-—guns, punching, beating, someone loses a pinky finger, etc. And yes, some of that is there, but for me, the violence is way worse than I imagined, and it's more akin to the depraved, intense violence you see in a serial killer story, including sexual torture, and that was very hard to read, especially for such a long part of the book.
At times, the author tried to soften the perspective by having the scene come from an observer rather than from the victim, but I found that perspective just as hard to read, and it's very drawn out, and got worse and worse. We kept returning back to the this extended torture section, and I kept thinking, maybe this will end soon, but no, it continued for 25% of the book, and the book is over 300 pages.
In the end, I basically had to skim this whole quarter of the book, including the parts here where the other characters were looking for those that were being tortured. (Those scenes also felt overly drawn out, but that might also have been the stress of wanting the torture section to stop in general.)
I appreciate that this section really reveals the inner strength and determination of the characters that were tortured, but I do think it was too much, and tonally very different from the first half of the book. I wish the writer had softened or removed some of the violence and shortened this section. At times, this part reminded me of those fanfics that focus a lot on "character abuse" and I think that you probably could have eliminated some of the torture without losing the point-—the anger and depravity of the assailant, the resilience and coming together of the victims, etc.
Even though the last quarter of the book deals with the aftermath of this section, the healing, and the HEA, skimming a huge section like that made it harder for me to sink into the book again, and I didn't feel that deeper reading experience that I had for the first half of the story. I missed that deeper feeling, and I wished I hadn't been kicked out so violently in the middle.
The other factor that bothered me is that the author is a very good writer, but would repeatedly use descriptive nouns/titles to describe characters as they thought about each other. (e.g. The Yakuza, the Foreigner, the Japanese, the gaijin, the American, etc.) Some of it worked, like near the end, Shigure started thinking of Kenshin as "his gaijin" but I wished a lot of these had been replaced by either names or pronouns. It was sometimes harder to sink into a scene between two characters who already knew each other intimately, but still kept using the titles of "the American" or "the yakuza" in their thoughts or in the description of what the characters were doing. This habit rang of "early author" to me, which stood out in comparison to how well-written the rest of the book was.
So, overall, I really enjoyed the first half, and the last quarter was good, but it was harder to return to the book after the very violent middle.
I am thankful though because I now have a way better idea of what kind of violence I can take. Since this book crossed the line for me, when faced with another book that includes extreme violence, I can now ask, "How violent? Is it equal to or worse than Yakuza Pride? How equal? Is it 25% of the book-equal?" If it is equal or worse, I now know that I should pass on it.
June 16, 2019
It's not often you stumble upon a treasure like that, especially not in M-M genre. This book was a challenge for me, not because It was longer than average, but because It made me feel for the heroes, and struggle with them. It's not some fluffy romance for you, oh no. It was raw. And real, my god, was It real. The 1st half of the book was fine. There's a lot of good humor there, I admit I laughed quite often. But with the 2nd part came violence and torture, and I hated reading those chapters, but knew I couldn't stop. There were moments when I got so pissed of with the plot and some heroes dumb actions that I'd stop reading and go somewhere to calm the fuck down. And yeah, this book is hard to rate. But to hell with everything else, it's not easily forgettable. It leaves an imprint, an impression that lingers. And I'm 100% sure I'll reread it one day. Go gaijins!
April 15, 2018
It was a pretty good read. There is some violence but in a way should be expected when Yakuza is in the name of the book. Some of the violence might be more intense for some readers. But overall I would say just watch a few videos on youtube about the Yakuza in Japan and the book will be much more comprehensible and enjoyable to those that have never heard of them.
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