王都炎上 (アルスラーン戦記, #1) [The Heroic Legend of Arslan, book 1]

アルスラーン戦記 [Arslan Senki] (Novel) #1

by Yoshiki Tanaka, 天野 喜孝 (Illustrator)

Victime d’une trahison, l'armée du prestigieux royaume de Parse est défaite par son ennemi traditionnel, le Lusitania. Sa capitale, Ecbatâna, est la proie des flammes. Seuls Arslân, le jeune héritier du trône, Darîun, un général demeuré fidèle et Narsus, un ex-stratège militaire retiré sur ses terres avec son disciple Elam, parviennent à s'enfuir. Ils seront bientôt rejoints par Ghîb, un musicien errant, Alfrîd, l'héritière du pays des voleurs qui s'est entichée de Narsus, et la magnifique Faranghîs, prêtresse dévouée dès sa naissance à la protection d'Arslân. Décidé à reconquérir le trône, Arslân va devoir affronter l’envahisseur lusitanien et celui qui s'est proclamé seul héritier légitime : Hilmes, le Chevalier au Masque d'Argent. Ainsi débute une longue et pénible lutte pour Arslân, ce jeune homme de quatorze ans n'aimant pas la guerre mais qui va chercher à libérer son pays de l’esclavage et à briser le carcan de l'aristocratie… Une des grandes épopées de la fantasy japonaise, pleine de rebondissements et de complots, inspirée des légendes moyen-orientales.

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novel, Japanese Literature, Historical Fiction

247 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1986

About the author

Yoshiki Tanaka (田中 芳樹 Tanaka Yoshiki) is a Japanese novelist. He was born in Kumamoto Prefecture and took his doctorate degree in Japanese Language and Literature in the Graduate School of Gakushūin University in Tokyo.

His major works include the fantasy novel series Arslan Senki, also known as The Heroic Legend of Arslan, and the sci-fi space opera novel series entitled Ginga Eiyū Densetsu, also known as Legend of the Galactic Heroes, both of which were adapted as anime and manga. His fantasy works also include the novel series Sohryuden: Legend of the Dragon Kings that was also adapted as anime.

Tanaka is an avid fan of Chinese history and wrote some novels set in China. He also published two arranged-translations of Chinese literature: "Sui Tang Yanyi" ("Stories of Sui and Tang Dynasties") and "Shuo Yue Quan Zhuan" ("Telling the Complete Biography of Yue Fei") as "Gakuhi-den" ("The Story of Yue Fei"). He is also familiar with Persian history, which Arslan Senki is based on.

Reviews

[Andrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suppose most people who end up reading Arslan Senki had their first contact with the story through this year's anime adaptation. Perhaps their interest was piqued and they read Arakawa Hiromu's manga or watched the 1991 OVAs. I too, am one of those people, and I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the story. Since my first contact with the plot was not with the book, my review is inevitably tainted by my impressions of its adaptations. Nevertheless, as I said before, the novel is really good and watching the anime or reading the manga is completely unnecessary is you dislike the media.

Arslan Senki is set in a parallel world loosely based in pre-Islamic Persia so it falls into the realm of historical fantasy. Actually, the author himself states that he was heavily influenced both by classic novels and epics and historical events. It tells the story of Arslan, crown prince of Pars, a country that was taken over by the neighbouring Lusitania after his father was betrayed by one of his retainers, and his quest to recover his country and the throne. For that, he has the help of Dariun, a warrior among warriors, Narses, a most brilliant tactician, Farangis, a priestess with both beauty and martial skill, and Giv, a wandering musician with both wit and strength. I honestly think this is a very classic RPG-like group with cliche characters but I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt. Although Arslan's subordinates suffer from a case of Mary Sue syndrome (though this doesn't mean they're not interesting in their own right), Arslan himself is a very interesting character. He is just an insecure fourteen-year-old mild-mannered boy who is forced to assume command of excellent subordinates, which forces him to ask himself Am I fit to rule? and come to the conclusion that he is still very inexperienced and undeserving of his very capable companions, thus deciding to become a good monarch. Even though there is not much growth in this volume, I look forward to seeing Arslan changing before my very eyes, both as a ruler and as a person.
I'm also particularly fond of Narses and Giv. Giv because he has a deep-rooted animosity and disrespect for royalty and power-abusing figures, and doesn't hesitate in making it known (even though his words are often coated in honey) and is a self-serving man who is, in his own words "short on loyalty", which makes his relationship with Arslan an interesting one, especially as the young liege proves again and again to be nothing like the royals he so despises. Narses because he's brilliant to the point of considering things we now take for granted but that in the setting the story takes place in are completely innovative, which leads me to an underlying theme in Arslan Senki: social revolution. In a world with a strict caste system and enforced slavery, Narses has the foresight to criticize those practices and the corruption ingrained in the court of Pars, and in a way that makes you chuckle at his gall.

The plot is, as I said before, your classic quest to retrieve the throne so it is, at least to me, automatically interesting. There are also a few great plot twists that have enough foreshadowing behind them not to take the reader by complete surprise.

One last thing I wish to add, there are no official translations of this novel, but you can read it in English if you go here. The translation by goodreads author T.E. Waters is absolutely excellent, with stunning prose and fluid dialogue, and there are plenty of notes on the characters, setting, and translation, making it clear he or she did their research splendidly.

[Haru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I watched the anime, I knew Arslan Senki is one of the best story. And then I read the manga, before finally bring myself to read the novel. There are many foreign terms in this novel. Just like how I first read MDZS, I just need to familiarize myself with these terms. The world building is great. And I really like Arslan's character. He's so young, full of doubts and fears. But he's also full of empathy and kind. Tho I'm quite shocked that the novel isn't really focused on Arslan like the anime. Maybe because it's only the first volume, hence he was more focused on the world building.

[s · Rating 4 out of 5]

‪20171208

#再読

読みやすい。今の私にはちょうどいい長さ。十二国記とはやはり違うなぁ。

20171108

#アルスラーン戦記 #王都炎上 #田中芳樹 さん #読了‬
‪同僚からお勧めされてぜーったい好きなやつ、と思ってた。おもしろい。こういうのってファンタジーっていうのかぁ。ダーク？ギーヴの日和見とナルサスのきれてぶっ飛んでる感じが好き。いよいよ始まりますよーの第1巻。‬

[Maverynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably a better "Game of Thrones". It's grimdark, it's gritty and has "grey morality" however it doesn't have the rape. The only rape I've seen is a short description of what the Lusitainians are doing to emphasize that they are monsters. (They fulfilled their 3 lusts as it was called.) That was it. No long detailed descriptions that the targeted male audience can fap to as ASOFAI has.
As for the story it's about a King who we think is the good king, but killed his brother to take the throne what that means for Arslan who doesn't know. All the characters who are trying to figure out what is going on. Enemies that are the cross between the crusaders and the conquistadors and this is all set in fantasy ancient Persia. So everyone has Persian names. (Kodansha actually screws a LOT of them up, not having done the research.)
The female representation is pretty lacking, only having Farangis. However in the book and the picture she chooses to dress in "male attire" and wears armor. (Unlike the manga that has her sexualized for the NEW male audience.)
So what DO have to work with is good. This isn't a modern book however so I don't know if Tanaka got better, though from what I've seen of the Ryouko anime, it's pretty good.

[107rinoNeko · Rating 4 out of 5]

田中芳樹氏の作品は、物語の展開のおもしろさだけでなく登場人物の台詞のおもしろさも楽しみの一つですね。
アルスラーン王子の周囲にいるのがクセのある人物ばかりで、それぞれ優秀なだけでなく欠点も持ち合わせているのが非常に魅力的。
王子はまだ14才ですが、素直な性質なので臣下に揉まれて良い王様になりそうで期待できます。
同氏の銀河英雄伝説のように敗北して絶望的な状況から物語がスタートしますが、それほど重い感じはせず読みやすいと思いました。