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Paper Gods #2.5
Rise
Amanda Sun weaves together two tales of love, ink and magic in this companion novella to the Paper Gods series!
A long, long time ago, before the world was as we know it, Izanami and Izanagi came into being. Two of the first of the ancient gods of Japan, they crafted the world from ink and their own imaginations. Izanagi wants, more than anything, to be with Izanami—but one moment of pride could tear them apart forever.
Yuki and Tanaka have been friends for as long as they can remember, but lately deeper feelings have been bubbling beneath the surface. How do they navigate the transition from friendship to true love without destroying the powerful bond between them?
Set a millennia apart, can these two couples, living parallel love stories, find their happily-ever-afters?
And don't miss the epic conclusion to Katie and Tomo's story in Storm, from Harlequin TEEN.
A long, long time ago, before the world was as we know it, Izanami and Izanagi came into being. Two of the first of the ancient gods of Japan, they crafted the world from ink and their own imaginations. Izanagi wants, more than anything, to be with Izanami—but one moment of pride could tear them apart forever.
Yuki and Tanaka have been friends for as long as they can remember, but lately deeper feelings have been bubbling beneath the surface. How do they navigate the transition from friendship to true love without destroying the powerful bond between them?
Set a millennia apart, can these two couples, living parallel love stories, find their happily-ever-afters?
And don't miss the epic conclusion to Katie and Tomo's story in Storm, from Harlequin TEEN.
51 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2015
18 people are currently reading
986 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
July 10, 2015
http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/j...
I absolutely got this book the day it became available without reading the synopsis first. But, I have loved the last three of Amanda Sun's books so I already knew I'd like this one as well.
And I was absolutely correct. It's been about a year since I've read one of her books, but I fell back into the characters rather quickly. There were two entirely different stories going on in this, one folklore and one more contemporary romance, and I enjoyed both of them.
Unlike the other novella, Shadow, this was a spin off of the series featuring the friends of Katie Greene as well as the beginning to the paranormal aspect of the series.
Yuki and Tanaka's story was freaking adorable and Izanami and Izanagi's was beautiful and heartbreaking.
Highly recommend this series to everyone ever in the world. Because I adore it. It's the only series I but in paperback. I'd get Rise and Shadow as paperback if it were available.
I absolutely got this book the day it became available without reading the synopsis first. But, I have loved the last three of Amanda Sun's books so I already knew I'd like this one as well.
And I was absolutely correct. It's been about a year since I've read one of her books, but I fell back into the characters rather quickly. There were two entirely different stories going on in this, one folklore and one more contemporary romance, and I enjoyed both of them.
Unlike the other novella, Shadow, this was a spin off of the series featuring the friends of Katie Greene as well as the beginning to the paranormal aspect of the series.
Yuki and Tanaka's story was freaking adorable and Izanami and Izanagi's was beautiful and heartbreaking.
Highly recommend this series to everyone ever in the world. Because I adore it. It's the only series I but in paperback. I'd get Rise and Shadow as paperback if it were available.
March 17, 2019
This wasn’t great, but I did enjoy it; I didn’t think their backstory would interest me, but I kinda wished we had a full length novel about them instead of the original book?
Want to read
May 13, 2016Free preorder for Kindle!
April 11, 2019
Rise Review on K-Books
It's been quite a while since I have read the first two books in the Paper Gods series and honestly I don't remember a whole lot other than I really enjoyed them. As part of my challenge to catch up on my unfinished series I decided to pick up Rise, the novella that takes place between Rain and Storm. I am so glad that I decided to pick this novella up as it did a really good job of reintroducing me to this series and joggin my memory of what had happened.
Rise tells the love story between two of the Kami from centuries ago and also the love story of two friends, present day, of Kate's. I really enjoyed reading both of the love stories and it kept me interested all the way through. I am a totally hopeless romantic and I absolutely love a good love story so I was bound to enjoy this one as there was two.
Rise is a cute little read that sets the scene for the third book in the Paper Gods series. I cannot wait to get started and finish this series. I know it's going to be awesome.
It's been quite a while since I have read the first two books in the Paper Gods series and honestly I don't remember a whole lot other than I really enjoyed them. As part of my challenge to catch up on my unfinished series I decided to pick up Rise, the novella that takes place between Rain and Storm. I am so glad that I decided to pick this novella up as it did a really good job of reintroducing me to this series and joggin my memory of what had happened.
Rise tells the love story between two of the Kami from centuries ago and also the love story of two friends, present day, of Kate's. I really enjoyed reading both of the love stories and it kept me interested all the way through. I am a totally hopeless romantic and I absolutely love a good love story so I was bound to enjoy this one as there was two.
Rise is a cute little read that sets the scene for the third book in the Paper Gods series. I cannot wait to get started and finish this series. I know it's going to be awesome.
July 28, 2017
Booktubeathon challenge #5: Read a book completely outside ✔️
Actual rating: 3.5
Is it weird to almost like this novella more than the actual trilogy - because I think I do. I still find it weird how the dialogue is built up like a reverse J-Pop song tho. Like instead of adding a few words in English, you have here a few words in Japanese.
For example: "Did you really do that!?" *Nods* "Sugoi!"
Or: "Nani? Are you crazy?"
What even is the purpose of those Japanese words being there?
Actual rating: 3.5
Is it weird to almost like this novella more than the actual trilogy - because I think I do. I still find it weird how the dialogue is built up like a reverse J-Pop song tho. Like instead of adding a few words in English, you have here a few words in Japanese.
For example: "Did you really do that!?" *Nods* "Sugoi!"
Or: "Nani? Are you crazy?"
What even is the purpose of those Japanese words being there?
July 21, 2020
It's been 4 years since I last read anything from this series. I probably would have enjoyed this more had I read it back than. It's fine but I I barely remember who these people are
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May 8, 2015Essential Reading for Paper Gods Fans
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the Paper Gods series, a dark paranormal trilogy set in modern Japan. I devoured the first two novels, and the prequel novella, Shadow. When I found out about Rise, I may or may not have squealed in undignified delight.
What’s better than a novella about two of my favorite characters to tide me over until the release of the final book? A free novella about two of my favorite characters!
Rise is actually two stories in one, woven together, alternating between chapters. Half the novella tells of the tragic romance of Izanagi and Izanami, as well as the origin of the ink. The other half is the modern story of Yuki and Tanaka. That’s the part I was really excited to read.
One of my favorite elements of the Paper Gods is the well-developed cast of secondary characters. Too often, secondary characters seem more like props than real people, placed strategically in the narrative to help or hinder the heroes at the appropriate moment. Best-friend characters, especially, seem to have nothing to do but lie around and wait for the protagonist to call.
In the Paper Gods series, however, I really get the sense that the secondary characters have rich inner lives. If you just turned the camera on them, you’d find that they have their own stories to tell and their own problems to navigate, even if those problems aren’t supernatural (at least, not yet). Amanda Sun takes care to include the little details that go a long way toward building a well-rounded character—like how Tanaka practices calligraphy and plays baseball, and how his favorite American TV series is Lost.
The secondary characters’ lives don’t revolve around the protagonists, Katie and Tomo; rather, their lives run parallel, connected but independent. Each character—Yuki, Tanaka, Myu, Shiori, my love and my darling Satoshi, who I desperately want to have his own short story or novella—is the protagonist of his or her own story. We just don’t see it all “on-screen.”
Except in Rise, we do! In this novella, the camera focuses on Yuki and Tanaka, and their awkward, adorable budding romance. The tension between them has been building steadily for two books now, and it was great to see all those shy glances and blushes finally come to fruition.
Their story is more than just romance, however: The modern-day chapters of Rise take place just after the end of Rain, and bridges some of the gap between Rain and the upcoming final book, Storm. For the first time, Yuki and Tanaka have a brush with the Kami. What’s more, the Kami are getting bolder, leaving menacing graffiti in public places… and adding to their body count. Something big is about to happen, I just know it—but I won’t find out just what until Storm comes out this summer.
I actually had to read Rise twice. The first time, I was so impatient to get to the parts about Yuki and Tanaka that I cheated a bit and skimmed the Izanami and Izanagi parts. (I know, I know, I’m bad! I just really love Tanaka, okay?) As soon as I was finished, though, I went back to the beginning and read the whole novella again, this time savoring the Kami chapters as much as the chapters about Yuki and Tanaka.
I don’t want to reveal too much about the Kami chapters, but I will say this: They’re dark, they’re fascinating, and they enrich the world of the Paper Gods. We finally learn about the origin of the Kami and the ink—and we even get glimpses of a few Kami who will be very, very important to Katie and Tomo’s story.
If you’re already a fan of the Paper Gods, then Rise is essential reading. On top of that, it’s free, so you’ve really got nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain.
If you haven’t started reading the Paper Gods series yet—what are you waiting for? This is one of my favorite paranormal series of the last few years; I really can’t recommend it enough. You’ve got two months to catch up before Storm comes out on June 30, so get cracking!
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the Paper Gods series, a dark paranormal trilogy set in modern Japan. I devoured the first two novels, and the prequel novella, Shadow. When I found out about Rise, I may or may not have squealed in undignified delight.
What’s better than a novella about two of my favorite characters to tide me over until the release of the final book? A free novella about two of my favorite characters!
Rise is actually two stories in one, woven together, alternating between chapters. Half the novella tells of the tragic romance of Izanagi and Izanami, as well as the origin of the ink. The other half is the modern story of Yuki and Tanaka. That’s the part I was really excited to read.
One of my favorite elements of the Paper Gods is the well-developed cast of secondary characters. Too often, secondary characters seem more like props than real people, placed strategically in the narrative to help or hinder the heroes at the appropriate moment. Best-friend characters, especially, seem to have nothing to do but lie around and wait for the protagonist to call.
In the Paper Gods series, however, I really get the sense that the secondary characters have rich inner lives. If you just turned the camera on them, you’d find that they have their own stories to tell and their own problems to navigate, even if those problems aren’t supernatural (at least, not yet). Amanda Sun takes care to include the little details that go a long way toward building a well-rounded character—like how Tanaka practices calligraphy and plays baseball, and how his favorite American TV series is Lost.
The secondary characters’ lives don’t revolve around the protagonists, Katie and Tomo; rather, their lives run parallel, connected but independent. Each character—Yuki, Tanaka, Myu, Shiori, my love and my darling Satoshi, who I desperately want to have his own short story or novella—is the protagonist of his or her own story. We just don’t see it all “on-screen.”
Except in Rise, we do! In this novella, the camera focuses on Yuki and Tanaka, and their awkward, adorable budding romance. The tension between them has been building steadily for two books now, and it was great to see all those shy glances and blushes finally come to fruition.
Their story is more than just romance, however: The modern-day chapters of Rise take place just after the end of Rain, and bridges some of the gap between Rain and the upcoming final book, Storm. For the first time, Yuki and Tanaka have a brush with the Kami. What’s more, the Kami are getting bolder, leaving menacing graffiti in public places… and adding to their body count. Something big is about to happen, I just know it—but I won’t find out just what until Storm comes out this summer.
I actually had to read Rise twice. The first time, I was so impatient to get to the parts about Yuki and Tanaka that I cheated a bit and skimmed the Izanami and Izanagi parts. (I know, I know, I’m bad! I just really love Tanaka, okay?) As soon as I was finished, though, I went back to the beginning and read the whole novella again, this time savoring the Kami chapters as much as the chapters about Yuki and Tanaka.
I don’t want to reveal too much about the Kami chapters, but I will say this: They’re dark, they’re fascinating, and they enrich the world of the Paper Gods. We finally learn about the origin of the Kami and the ink—and we even get glimpses of a few Kami who will be very, very important to Katie and Tomo’s story.
If you’re already a fan of the Paper Gods, then Rise is essential reading. On top of that, it’s free, so you’ve really got nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain.
If you haven’t started reading the Paper Gods series yet—what are you waiting for? This is one of my favorite paranormal series of the last few years; I really can’t recommend it enough. You’ve got two months to catch up before Storm comes out on June 30, so get cracking!
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December 26, 2015RISE by Amanda Sun is a great companion read to THE PAPER GODS series & an insiders look on secondary and minor characters. The chapters alternate between the Izanami/Izanagi story and the Yuki/Tanaka story and the transition is very smooth. Both stories are connected so alternating them was the only logical choice, in my opinion. Sun does it well enough that you still want to know what happens next, but not on such a huge cliffhanger so as to feel like you’re being thrown into this entirely, different story.
The author explores strong emotions like jealousy, envy and self-doubt & shows how keeping these emotions deep inside can cause destruction and chaos. This was one of the things that connected the two stories and had you wondering if Yuki and Tanaka’s story would have the same ending as Izanami and Izanagi. I went into this slightly familiar with Japanese mythology so I did predict one of the endings, but Sun was still able to surprise me with her own interpretation.
I especially loved the Izanami/Izanagi story. I like when an author shows us the mythology of their book world, and the writing is so beautifully done. The reader saw something like this in RAIN, but Sun is able to focus entirely on the lore by making Izanami and Izanagi the main characters. I’ve heard briefly about these two deities before, but Sun provides a new perspective on them. I’m very excited to read STORM, the last book in the series!
The author explores strong emotions like jealousy, envy and self-doubt & shows how keeping these emotions deep inside can cause destruction and chaos. This was one of the things that connected the two stories and had you wondering if Yuki and Tanaka’s story would have the same ending as Izanami and Izanagi. I went into this slightly familiar with Japanese mythology so I did predict one of the endings, but Sun was still able to surprise me with her own interpretation.
I especially loved the Izanami/Izanagi story. I like when an author shows us the mythology of their book world, and the writing is so beautifully done. The reader saw something like this in RAIN, but Sun is able to focus entirely on the lore by making Izanami and Izanagi the main characters. I’ve heard briefly about these two deities before, but Sun provides a new perspective on them. I’m very excited to read STORM, the last book in the series!
May 4, 2015
I love the Paper Gods trilogy, so when I found out about this novella I knew I had to read it. Here we got to see how it all began between one couple. We go back and forth between the two couples. One couple in the past and one couple in the present. In the past, it was where everything began. They loved each other, but their relationship wasn’t perfect and it created something neither of them could imagine. In Ink and Rain I loved the relationship between Yuki and Tanaka, but I imagined more for them. They got along so well and you could see they cared deeply for one another and we got to see something being built between that they both wanted it to happen. It was beautiful to watch it grow. Overall, this was a nice novella. We learned what happened in the past, while experiencing what was happening in the present.
May 2, 2015
3.5 ~ La primera historia de amor alrededor del mundo Kami, aunque me encantó la vibra japonesa que se siente y es interesante, me enredé un poco al leerla y no sentí ese dejo de amor entre los personajes.
En cambio la segunda es tan contrastante...muy tierna y romántica, incluso hay un par de momentos de peligro. Fue mi favorita. Tanaka y Yuki son tan ASDFGHJKL. Terminé shipeandolos demasiado <3
~ Read 01 mayo 2015.
En cambio la segunda es tan contrastante...muy tierna y romántica, incluso hay un par de momentos de peligro. Fue mi favorita. Tanaka y Yuki son tan ASDFGHJKL. Terminé shipeandolos demasiado <3
~ Read 01 mayo 2015.
January 3, 2020
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this novella, to be honest. Much like Shadow, it’s interesting without really having much point, because we see that Yuki and Tanaka get together in the main trilogy, and we don’t really need to see their thought processes and actions behind said hooking up because they’re side characters, and not even side-characters involved in the main story. They’re the more mundane connections in Katie’s life, and so constantly get sidelined, leaving them as flavour text, for the most part.
That said, it is kind of interesting that the author developed the characters beyond what you get to see in the main trilogy, and that they have stories of their own that don’t simply revolve around Katie because she’s the protagonist. So, credit where credit is due.
My main problem with this novella, though, is the parallels it draws between than and Izanami and Izanagi, gods involved in Japan’s creation myth. Mostly because if you want, you can draw parallels between those deities and absolutely any couple that doesn’t communicate perfectly and their relationship suffers for it. I wondered if Sun was trying to imply that Yuki and Tanaka were Izanami and Izanagi incarnate, which would have been fascinating (although admittedly baffling, because holy crap, why then wouldn’t they have larger roles in the main story, and thus would there be other books about them in the future), but that wasn’t where Sun decided to go. It seemed more like a way to introduce Japan’s creation myth to a Western audience than anything else.
Which is fine. But utterly unnecessary to tell a “how these two got together” story.
On the other hand, this novella does have a fair bit of content that’s worthy of praise. First of all, it presents the story of Izanagi and Izanami as a struggling pair that go beyond their roles as creative deities. According to myth, demons get created because Izanami essentially couldn’t keep to her role as subordinate to the male Izanagi. And Rise expands on that a bit by showing how she’s troubled not only by that, but also by her struggles to suppress her own wants and creative urges in order to please her partner, which is unhealthy and ultimately leads to her downfall and corruption. But it presents Izanagi as troubled also, recognizing the problems that his leadership urges have created and yet seeing no way around them, because he couldn’t suppress his own self either. So there’s that aspect, and it addressed a few things that have always bothered me about that myth.
Also, it presents teenage sexuality as not-a-bad-thing. And I don’t mean that in the sense of just admitting that teens can have sexy feelings for each other. Most YA novels address that nowadays, I think. But most also have a, “We feel this way but we know we’re not ready to have sex,” message going alongside it. Which is also fine. It’s good for teens to hear that having those feelings doesn’t always mean you have to act on them if you have reservations. But it’s also nice to see an example of a couple who may have only recently gotten romantic but who have had feelings for each other for years, and so decide, “You know what? We both want to do it. So let’s.” And for that to not really be a big deal, because it was a mutual decision. Their encounter was only implied, but implied strongly, and I kind of liked how it was established but not made into more than it was for either of the characters. So I’ve got to give the author some points for handling that pretty well.
That said, it is kind of interesting that the author developed the characters beyond what you get to see in the main trilogy, and that they have stories of their own that don’t simply revolve around Katie because she’s the protagonist. So, credit where credit is due.
My main problem with this novella, though, is the parallels it draws between than and Izanami and Izanagi, gods involved in Japan’s creation myth. Mostly because if you want, you can draw parallels between those deities and absolutely any couple that doesn’t communicate perfectly and their relationship suffers for it. I wondered if Sun was trying to imply that Yuki and Tanaka were Izanami and Izanagi incarnate, which would have been fascinating (although admittedly baffling, because holy crap, why then wouldn’t they have larger roles in the main story, and thus would there be other books about them in the future), but that wasn’t where Sun decided to go. It seemed more like a way to introduce Japan’s creation myth to a Western audience than anything else.
Which is fine. But utterly unnecessary to tell a “how these two got together” story.
On the other hand, this novella does have a fair bit of content that’s worthy of praise. First of all, it presents the story of Izanagi and Izanami as a struggling pair that go beyond their roles as creative deities. According to myth, demons get created because Izanami essentially couldn’t keep to her role as subordinate to the male Izanagi. And Rise expands on that a bit by showing how she’s troubled not only by that, but also by her struggles to suppress her own wants and creative urges in order to please her partner, which is unhealthy and ultimately leads to her downfall and corruption. But it presents Izanagi as troubled also, recognizing the problems that his leadership urges have created and yet seeing no way around them, because he couldn’t suppress his own self either. So there’s that aspect, and it addressed a few things that have always bothered me about that myth.
Also, it presents teenage sexuality as not-a-bad-thing. And I don’t mean that in the sense of just admitting that teens can have sexy feelings for each other. Most YA novels address that nowadays, I think. But most also have a, “We feel this way but we know we’re not ready to have sex,” message going alongside it. Which is also fine. It’s good for teens to hear that having those feelings doesn’t always mean you have to act on them if you have reservations. But it’s also nice to see an example of a couple who may have only recently gotten romantic but who have had feelings for each other for years, and so decide, “You know what? We both want to do it. So let’s.” And for that to not really be a big deal, because it was a mutual decision. Their encounter was only implied, but implied strongly, and I kind of liked how it was established but not made into more than it was for either of the characters. So I’ve got to give the author some points for handling that pretty well.
April 21, 2021
Rise is an intermediate novella written by Amanda Sun in the Paper Gods series. It provides a wonderful insight into the secondary character of Yuki Watabe and Tanaka Ichirou and the parallel relationship between Izanagi, the creation deity and Izanami, his sister wife. This novella takes place in-between Rain and Storm and could be read after the second installment.
This novella expands on the relationship between the secondary characters of Yuki Watabe and Tanaka Ichirou and the parallels their relationship have with Izanagi and Izanami. It extends the backstory and relationship between Yuki Watabe and Tanaka Ichirou that was left off page in the core books of the series.
Rise is written rather well. Sun explores strong emotions like jealousy, envy and self-doubt and shows how keeping these emotions deep inside can cause destruction and chaos. Alternating between the Izanami/Izanagi and the Yuki/Tanaka stories were done rather well as the transition is very smooth as both stories are connected and spoilers were not made, but lead towards rather well.
All in all, Rise is an interesting addition to the Paper Gods series and enhances the wonderful world that Sun has created.
This novella expands on the relationship between the secondary characters of Yuki Watabe and Tanaka Ichirou and the parallels their relationship have with Izanagi and Izanami. It extends the backstory and relationship between Yuki Watabe and Tanaka Ichirou that was left off page in the core books of the series.
Rise is written rather well. Sun explores strong emotions like jealousy, envy and self-doubt and shows how keeping these emotions deep inside can cause destruction and chaos. Alternating between the Izanami/Izanagi and the Yuki/Tanaka stories were done rather well as the transition is very smooth as both stories are connected and spoilers were not made, but lead towards rather well.
All in all, Rise is an interesting addition to the Paper Gods series and enhances the wonderful world that Sun has created.
May 21, 2021
I really enjoyed this novella, and I'm glad that I decided to read it! I honestly don't have a ton to say because this novella was so short. I liked getting to see more of Yuki and Tanaka. I especially liked getting to see more of their feelings and thoughts on things. I also liked getting to know the origin story of some of the Kami and why they are the way that they are. I definitely enjoyed the Yuki and Tanaka parts way more than the historical parts. I was just more connected to those characters and therefore cared about their story more. The novella as a whole was a little flat, but that was my only issue with it. There was some cursing. There was some sexual content, but nothing explicit or descriptive. There was also some violence, but nothing that was too extreme or difficult to read. I do think that this novella is better suited for YA readers, mostly because the whole series is better suited for YA readers. You cannot read this novella without reading the other books. There are spoilers for the first and second books in the series, and you will just be very confused if you try to read this novella with no background. I do recommend this novella, especially if you are looking for more content from the Paper Gods series, but need a quick read. I will be finishing up this series, and I might even try looking for the prequel novella.
November 5, 2022
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
This novella tells two intertwined stories, one of Yuki and Tanaka, Katie’s friends, and the other of the gods Izanagi and Izanami.
Yuki and Tanaka are so freaking cute together! I love them! In this story they actually run into some trouble... Kami related trouble surprisingly. It was a nice touch though, as I do love my action. But the story was definitely more centered around them and their relationship.
The other story was very heartbreaking. It was about the creation of the world, the being living in it, and about betrayal and love. It was very interesting! I enjoyed learning about it even though most of the time it was just incredibly sad.
I really enjoyed the novella! I’m glad these side characters got some more “screen” time. I definitely recommend it if you're a fan of this series and these side characters that don't appear as much as they should in the series, in my opinion 😅
This novella tells two intertwined stories, one of Yuki and Tanaka, Katie’s friends, and the other of the gods Izanagi and Izanami.
Yuki and Tanaka are so freaking cute together! I love them! In this story they actually run into some trouble... Kami related trouble surprisingly. It was a nice touch though, as I do love my action. But the story was definitely more centered around them and their relationship.
“And I promise, Yuki-chan, as long as you want me here, I’ll be here”
The other story was very heartbreaking. It was about the creation of the world, the being living in it, and about betrayal and love. It was very interesting! I enjoyed learning about it even though most of the time it was just incredibly sad.
I really enjoyed the novella! I’m glad these side characters got some more “screen” time. I definitely recommend it if you're a fan of this series and these side characters that don't appear as much as they should in the series, in my opinion 😅
May 22, 2019
4.5 Stars!
Rise was an interesting novella in the Paper Gods series. It alternates between the story of Izanagi and Izanami, the first of the ancient gods of Japan and Yuki and Tanaka's story.
I liked reading about Yuki and Tanaka's first date and how they finally decided to date. It was also enlightening to read how the first gods of Japan came to be.
It was great and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the series and fans of Japanese mythology.
Rise was an interesting novella in the Paper Gods series. It alternates between the story of Izanagi and Izanami, the first of the ancient gods of Japan and Yuki and Tanaka's story.
I liked reading about Yuki and Tanaka's first date and how they finally decided to date. It was also enlightening to read how the first gods of Japan came to be.
It was great and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the series and fans of Japanese mythology.
November 24, 2019
A beautiful read!
Set a millennia apart, can these two couples, living parallel love stories, find their happily-ever-afters?
Sadness and happiness all rolled into one powerful and beautiful novella. I think this little novella may be my favourite in this series. Amazing.
I may have shed a tear or two. Such a short but wonderful and powerful read.
Full of Kami, ink, darkness, betrayal, truth and love.
Perfect for readers of fantasy romances/Japanese mythology.
Set a millennia apart, can these two couples, living parallel love stories, find their happily-ever-afters?
Sadness and happiness all rolled into one powerful and beautiful novella. I think this little novella may be my favourite in this series. Amazing.
I may have shed a tear or two. Such a short but wonderful and powerful read.
Full of Kami, ink, darkness, betrayal, truth and love.
Perfect for readers of fantasy romances/Japanese mythology.
January 5, 2017
2.5 stars Better than I expected. Liked the parallell love stories and how they kind of was knitted together.
May 11, 2017
I feel like I'd understand this more if I'd read the other books, but I still enjoyed it!
May 12, 2020
Rise follows two different storylines: one at the beginning of the world, retelling the birth of the kami; the other following two supporting characters from the Paper Gods novels. I really didn't care for the historical storyline, and though I wasn't too invested in the modern day one, it was sweet and I liked it. I also feel like it will be a good bridge between the events of Rain and Storm.
November 9, 2023
This was an okay book it maybe because i started with this one let alone the others so maybe i will get into and know what this is about when i read the .5, 1 or 2 book. we shall see.
January 21, 2018
I will confess I wasn't really invested in the story of Izanami and Izanagi. Both didn't feel very real, probably because they're legendary Gods and the part of the story that's about them is written in a way that created distance for me.
The awkward love story of Yuki and Tanaka however was everything I wanted. I loved Yuki and Tanaka in the Paper Gods trilogy and have mentioned in my reviews how I wanted them to have a bigger role in the story. So you can understand I loved reading a story that's just about them and their feelings for each other. My one complaint: It's much too short!
All in all a lovely addition to the series, even if you are not interested in the antics of the ancient Gods.
The awkward love story of Yuki and Tanaka however was everything I wanted. I loved Yuki and Tanaka in the Paper Gods trilogy and have mentioned in my reviews how I wanted them to have a bigger role in the story. So you can understand I loved reading a story that's just about them and their feelings for each other. My one complaint: It's much too short!
All in all a lovely addition to the series, even if you are not interested in the antics of the ancient Gods.
December 1, 2015
Set in the Paper Gods universe, Rise is a novella taking place more or less in the background in the latter part of Rain, book two in the trilogy, if I read things correctly. Like Shadow, it tells two stories in alternating chapters. Unlike Shadow, the two stories aren’t intertwined viewpoints of related events coming together. At first glance, you might wonder how the two stories are related at all.
One of the stories is about the first kami, specifically the love and tragedy of Izanami and Izanagi. These were the first lovers, born in the same moment and bound by love at first sight, but torn apart and ultimately destroyed by selfishness and jealousy.
The other is a little bit of character and relationship development for a pair of supporting characters, taking place in parallel with on screen events late in Rain. Update – no, I was matching up the completely wrong scene in my head. A passage in Storm basically tells me it’s about to happen)
Yuki and Tanaka have seemed like they should have been a couple since we first met them in Ink. They weren’t, but are by the end of this story and it’s satisfying to see them come together.
The two stories are related, but not intertwined. More like a demonstration of parallels and a hint that maybe humans can be better than the gods if they let themselves be. Actually, the stories do brush up against each other at one point, but I won’t say how—you’ll have to read the story to find out.
Overall rating: 4 stars. I enjoyed Rise, though not in the same way as any of the other stories set in this world before. It’s not hard to split the two tales apart, and there are different reasons for me to enjoy each thread, but the important one for me was Yuki-Tanaka.
Don’t get me wrong, the brief glimpses into the legends surrounding Izanami and Izanagi help build the background of the world Amanda is weaving, but the ending to their tale was both tragic and bitter. It was cool, but the overall emotional tone was a series of down ticks, which isn’t really the way I like my fiction. I think there’s a bit of foreshadowing regarding Storm (which, as of this writing, I haven’t read yet) at the end, though.
Yuki and Tanaka’s tale worked better for me. I like happy endings. For some reason, it’s important to me that, when a relationship is the focus of a story, boy gets together with girl/boy/deity/amorphous alien life form/whatever. And it’s a happy ending, at least a happy-for-now ending. It will be neat to see if the relationship has an impact in the coming story.
One of the stories is about the first kami, specifically the love and tragedy of Izanami and Izanagi. These were the first lovers, born in the same moment and bound by love at first sight, but torn apart and ultimately destroyed by selfishness and jealousy.
The other is a little bit of character and relationship development for a pair of supporting characters, taking place in parallel with on screen events late in Rain. Update – no, I was matching up the completely wrong scene in my head. A passage in Storm basically tells me it’s about to happen)
Yuki and Tanaka have seemed like they should have been a couple since we first met them in Ink. They weren’t, but are by the end of this story and it’s satisfying to see them come together.
The two stories are related, but not intertwined. More like a demonstration of parallels and a hint that maybe humans can be better than the gods if they let themselves be. Actually, the stories do brush up against each other at one point, but I won’t say how—you’ll have to read the story to find out.
Overall rating: 4 stars. I enjoyed Rise, though not in the same way as any of the other stories set in this world before. It’s not hard to split the two tales apart, and there are different reasons for me to enjoy each thread, but the important one for me was Yuki-Tanaka.
Don’t get me wrong, the brief glimpses into the legends surrounding Izanami and Izanagi help build the background of the world Amanda is weaving, but the ending to their tale was both tragic and bitter. It was cool, but the overall emotional tone was a series of down ticks, which isn’t really the way I like my fiction. I think there’s a bit of foreshadowing regarding Storm (which, as of this writing, I haven’t read yet) at the end, though.
Yuki and Tanaka’s tale worked better for me. I like happy endings. For some reason, it’s important to me that, when a relationship is the focus of a story, boy gets together with girl/boy/deity/amorphous alien life form/whatever. And it’s a happy ending, at least a happy-for-now ending. It will be neat to see if the relationship has an impact in the coming story.
June 21, 2015
Oh my god (or better, oh my kami). When I first found out about Rise I was so excited I almost fell off my bed. I kept thinking about how far Storm’s release date was, so this new novella made me really really reeeeeally happy.
Rise splits into two different stories, which incredibly intertwine: the first is dedicated to Izanami and Izanagi and set “a long, long time ago, before the world was as we know it”, and deals with the creation of the world itself and the origins of the ink; while the latter sees Tanaka and Yuki watching their old-aged friendship morph into something else, something better, something the two of the have been longing to see happening for a long time.
I loved both characters and settings, they were perfectly described and made me actually want to be part of the story and see them with my own eyes. If I had to choose one literary universe to be sent it, then I’d probably pick this one. There’s probably a war coming up but you know what? I don’t care. I need to see that.
I guess it is getting a little bit out of my hands so, let’s go straight to the point. The Paper Gods series is one of my all time favorites and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in romance, action and Japanese culture (which is probably the same thing I said after my Ink review, but mythology has such a huge part in the story that it’s impossible not to mention it).
Rise is a chain between Rain and Storm, which comes out in the summer and puts an end to Katie and Tomo’s story. The fact that *spoiler alert* “they may not make it out alive” is freaking me out. I’ll keep you updated.
In conclusion, do a favor to yourself and read this series. Bye.
Rise splits into two different stories, which incredibly intertwine: the first is dedicated to Izanami and Izanagi and set “a long, long time ago, before the world was as we know it”, and deals with the creation of the world itself and the origins of the ink; while the latter sees Tanaka and Yuki watching their old-aged friendship morph into something else, something better, something the two of the have been longing to see happening for a long time.
I loved both characters and settings, they were perfectly described and made me actually want to be part of the story and see them with my own eyes. If I had to choose one literary universe to be sent it, then I’d probably pick this one. There’s probably a war coming up but you know what? I don’t care. I need to see that.
I guess it is getting a little bit out of my hands so, let’s go straight to the point. The Paper Gods series is one of my all time favorites and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in romance, action and Japanese culture (which is probably the same thing I said after my Ink review, but mythology has such a huge part in the story that it’s impossible not to mention it).
Rise is a chain between Rain and Storm, which comes out in the summer and puts an end to Katie and Tomo’s story. The fact that *spoiler alert* “they may not make it out alive” is freaking me out. I’ll keep you updated.
In conclusion, do a favor to yourself and read this series. Bye.
May 18, 2016
So maybe 4.5 ☆
I like this little novella because it gives us the tale that began everything -- Izanagi & Izanami. Rather lovely as it started out when they were created; a kami in black another in white, they already loved each other. It was just created that way.
The tale then flips to present time bringing us the now familiar faces of Tanaka Ichirou and Yuki Watabe. Best friends since they were litlings who ended up in love but having a hard time telling each other because they're afraid to ruin their friendship. Etc.
Then it flips again & again, to continue telling the tales from two perspectives. One of the first love story known to the present day coupling.
Basically what's happening here is we get to see how Izanagi and Izanami's relationship went down in flames, quite literally all the while Tanaka and Yuki are reincarnations of the two kami, at least they should be, finally given another chance at each other. ฅ(´ω｀)ฅ
I won't give away the other details cause there's the whole creation of the world going on and then gang stuff and love hotels and... and so forth, for a little novella, it covered a lot. (ง ˙ω˙)ว Lol.
I liked that this was given to us right before the conclusion of the trilogy next month. Gives us our much waited for back story and then she'll close the tale for us all. Smart thinking, Sun, smart thinking. Awaiting Storm~ only about a month to go! ╰(‘ω’ )╯三
I like this little novella because it gives us the tale that began everything -- Izanagi & Izanami. Rather lovely as it started out when they were created; a kami in black another in white, they already loved each other. It was just created that way.
The tale then flips to present time bringing us the now familiar faces of Tanaka Ichirou and Yuki Watabe. Best friends since they were litlings who ended up in love but having a hard time telling each other because they're afraid to ruin their friendship. Etc.
Then it flips again & again, to continue telling the tales from two perspectives. One of the first love story known to the present day coupling.
Basically what's happening here is we get to see how Izanagi and Izanami's relationship went down in flames, quite literally all the while Tanaka and Yuki are reincarnations of the two kami, at least they should be, finally given another chance at each other. ฅ(´ω｀)ฅ
I won't give away the other details cause there's the whole creation of the world going on and then gang stuff and love hotels and... and so forth, for a little novella, it covered a lot. (ง ˙ω˙)ว Lol.
I liked that this was given to us right before the conclusion of the trilogy next month. Gives us our much waited for back story and then she'll close the tale for us all. Smart thinking, Sun, smart thinking. Awaiting Storm~ only about a month to go! ╰(‘ω’ )╯三
June 3, 2015
The historical/mythological part of this novella is about the very first kamis of the world, and seeing as kamis are really important in the series itself, it's a nice backdrop. You get to see from that from the beginning of time, love existed, as did pride and envy. It goes to say that pride and envy is ultimately the downfall of the story, and the ending is a little sad. But it probably does foreshadow the events to come in the next book...
With the modern story, the one about Yuki and Tanaka, we get to see exactly how Katie's choices in the last book are beginning to have an influence on the world. Bad things are happening, and to the ignorant person (such as Yuki and Tanaka), it's a simple matter of a new gang leaving its mark. But for the readers that actually know what's going on, it's actually a whole lot more complex and intriguing. Needless to say, I am in suspense as to what exactly is going on from Katie's side!
Full review
With the modern story, the one about Yuki and Tanaka, we get to see exactly how Katie's choices in the last book are beginning to have an influence on the world. Bad things are happening, and to the ignorant person (such as Yuki and Tanaka), it's a simple matter of a new gang leaving its mark. But for the readers that actually know what's going on, it's actually a whole lot more complex and intriguing. Needless to say, I am in suspense as to what exactly is going on from Katie's side!
Full review
June 17, 2016
This is a trimmed down version of my review, to view the full review visit The Book Ramble.
Rise follows 2 love stories. The original love story of Izanami and Izanagi, the original kami, and the love story of Yuki and Tanaka, two teenagers tangled up in an ongoing kami war. The chapters in this novella alternate between the kami story and the modern story, which creates a kind of contrast between them, which I think worked to Sun’s advantage because it also created a lot of intrigue for me. I think if the book had been strictly about Yuki and Tanaka I would not have been so interested in the book. It's kind of an interesting bridge between novels too, and I’m looking forward to seeing the main story continue.
Rise follows 2 love stories. The original love story of Izanami and Izanagi, the original kami, and the love story of Yuki and Tanaka, two teenagers tangled up in an ongoing kami war. The chapters in this novella alternate between the kami story and the modern story, which creates a kind of contrast between them, which I think worked to Sun’s advantage because it also created a lot of intrigue for me. I think if the book had been strictly about Yuki and Tanaka I would not have been so interested in the book. It's kind of an interesting bridge between novels too, and I’m looking forward to seeing the main story continue.
May 12, 2015
Rise raconte à la fois l'histoire de Yuki et Tanaka, les deux premiers amis japonais que Katie se fait, et de deux kami, Izanami et Izanagi, au moment de ce qu'on peut voir comme la création du monde. Ce qui les relie, c'est l'orgueil, et ça reflète apparemment un des problèmes que rencontrent les jeunes filles comme Yuki qui ne savent pas comment faire comprendre à un garçon qu'elles veulent sortir avec eux sans les blesser parce que c'est à eux de faire le premier pas...
Chacun des couples suit sa propre voie à ce sujet, et les résultats varient... C'est difficile de s'attacher aux kamis de l'histoire, je n'ai pas vraiment apprécié cette partie de l'histoire même si c'était intéressant du point de vue mythologique, mais Yuki et Tanaka, si, ils sont mignons !
Chacun des couples suit sa propre voie à ce sujet, et les résultats varient... C'est difficile de s'attacher aux kamis de l'histoire, je n'ai pas vraiment apprécié cette partie de l'histoire même si c'était intéressant du point de vue mythologique, mais Yuki et Tanaka, si, ils sont mignons !
January 14, 2016
I found Rise to be the superior novella to Shadow. The sad and mournful tale of the two Kami in a love gone wrong was very well balanced with the new and blossoming love of Yuki and Tanaka.
Rise is similar to Shadow as it also tells two alternating stories. One is the modern love blooming between Yuki and Tanaka and the other is way back from when the Earth was first formed between the two kami; Izanami and Izangi.
The imagery used to create the Kami world is awe-inspiring even when things go wrong. I don't really have too much to say about this one. It is a great addition to the Paper Gods series and is a light read. But beware that there are joyous moments mixed with sad ones.
Rise is similar to Shadow as it also tells two alternating stories. One is the modern love blooming between Yuki and Tanaka and the other is way back from when the Earth was first formed between the two kami; Izanami and Izangi.
The imagery used to create the Kami world is awe-inspiring even when things go wrong. I don't really have too much to say about this one. It is a great addition to the Paper Gods series and is a light read. But beware that there are joyous moments mixed with sad ones.
June 1, 2015
ultima short story antes de la novela final storm! a ver que tal termina esta trilogia :3, en esta novela corta nos habla desde dos lineas de tiempo, la actual en la que vemos las situaciones que le ocurren a tanaka y yuki-chan amigos de tomohiro y katie green (protagonistas de la saga) y de como se va levantando la revolucion del os kami, en la otra linea vemos como "se creo el mundo" y como los primeros kami fueron creados, en si seguimos las vidas de izanagi e izanami su historia de amor y como fue creado amateszu, en si estuvo interesante, pero aun no tiene mucho sentido, supongo que como la anterior fue mas introductorio al tercer libro :3
August 26, 2015
This Novella was definitely not as good as the 1st Novella. The parts with Tanaka and Yuki and seeing how their relationship develops, I really did enjoy. But the whole Kami subplots part of the Novella really confused me. I had to re read certain parts multiple times because of how much I didn't understand it. And I know that subplot was supposed to give background information on why the Kami grew to hate each other, but I find that it was done in a very confusing way. I only recommend reading this if you're a huge fan of the series like me, and you want that sense of "I read all the books/novellas in this series" Cuz other than that, it's something that you can definitely skip
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