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Kojiki #2
Kokoro
Masterfully combining fantasy, science fiction and Japanese mythology, the sequel to Kojiki takes us into the heart of a war that spreads across the worlds.
On the planet of Higo, without the guidance of the Great Spirits, its people are descending into religious civil war. Baiyren Tallaenaq, Prince of Higo, is exiled after causing the death of his mother.
Freed from his responsibilities and the looming war, he steals their greatest weapon a giant, sentient, armoured suit and uses it to open a Portal to a world he never knew existed. A world called 'Earth '...home of a magical young woman called Keiko.
File Under: Fantasy"
On the planet of Higo, without the guidance of the Great Spirits, its people are descending into religious civil war. Baiyren Tallaenaq, Prince of Higo, is exiled after causing the death of his mother.
Freed from his responsibilities and the looming war, he steals their greatest weapon a giant, sentient, armoured suit and uses it to open a Portal to a world he never knew existed. A world called 'Earth '...home of a magical young woman called Keiko.
File Under: Fantasy"
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 4, 2017
16 people are currently reading
516 people want to read
About the author
Keith Yatsuhashi
5 books69 followersKeith Yatsuhashi was born in 1965 in Boston, MA. He graduated from Northeastern University in 1989. Repped by Laura Zatz, Headwater Literary Management
Keith was a competitive figure skater for ten years, winning the U.S. National Junior Dance Championships in 1984, a bronze medal in the 1983 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, and a silver medal in 1984.
In addition to his love of writing, Keith enjoys many hobbies such as golf, reading, and playing football and hockey with his sons. Keith currently lives in Norfolk, MA with his wife, Kathleen and three children—Caitlin, Jeffrey, and Justin.
Keith was a competitive figure skater for ten years, winning the U.S. National Junior Dance Championships in 1984, a bronze medal in the 1983 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, and a silver medal in 1984.
In addition to his love of writing, Keith enjoys many hobbies such as golf, reading, and playing football and hockey with his sons. Keith currently lives in Norfolk, MA with his wife, Kathleen and three children—Caitlin, Jeffrey, and Justin.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 29, 2017
This was much better than the first book in the series, but it still had some problems.
The story takes place on another world similar to Earth, called Higo and centres around two almighty weapons called mah-zhins (think huge iron-man type thing). One member of the royal family has been able to wake up one of the mah-zhins and has used it for a while to dominate the world. Another is doing his best to wake the other mah-zhin up to even the score, so there’s a bit of an arms race going on.
In my review for the first book, Kojiri, I mentioned that it felt a bit like power rangers, this one felt more like transformers for me with all the flying robot type things. It takes a lot of inspiration from Manga and as such, it’s a bit mad in places.
These books are loosely based on Japanese mythology, which I thought was really cool, although I’d have liked to see an explanation of this in an author’s note.
The books main theme, I thought, was about belonging and family. The story behind the royal family who take centre stage in this book is very intriguing and nicely done.
Notable issues
To me, this book had a one star beginning and a four star ending. There is a good section at the start of this book that I would have simply chopped out and just started on the world of Higo. The beginning doesn’t really add a lot to the story and the necessary elements could have been dropped in throughout the book.
As in the previous book, the author doesn’t spend much time explaining the world, how it works and what its rules are. As a result, it feels like the writer moves the rules around to suit the story at parts.
It has a very bad case of Dean Koontz character syndrome. This is where the world is created, then the plot is thought out and drafted and then the characters are created so that they are convenient to the plot. This creates very unrealistic reactions from characters at points.
Final thought
If clearer exposition was added and more in-depth characters included it could have been something truly epic. It’s got all the ‘cool stuff’ you could ever want, it just needed more to back up the ‘cool stuff’.
Still, it was much better than first book and if you like Japanese myths and / or Manga, then this series might be for you.
The story takes place on another world similar to Earth, called Higo and centres around two almighty weapons called mah-zhins (think huge iron-man type thing). One member of the royal family has been able to wake up one of the mah-zhins and has used it for a while to dominate the world. Another is doing his best to wake the other mah-zhin up to even the score, so there’s a bit of an arms race going on.
In my review for the first book, Kojiri, I mentioned that it felt a bit like power rangers, this one felt more like transformers for me with all the flying robot type things. It takes a lot of inspiration from Manga and as such, it’s a bit mad in places.
These books are loosely based on Japanese mythology, which I thought was really cool, although I’d have liked to see an explanation of this in an author’s note.
The books main theme, I thought, was about belonging and family. The story behind the royal family who take centre stage in this book is very intriguing and nicely done.
Notable issues
To me, this book had a one star beginning and a four star ending. There is a good section at the start of this book that I would have simply chopped out and just started on the world of Higo. The beginning doesn’t really add a lot to the story and the necessary elements could have been dropped in throughout the book.
As in the previous book, the author doesn’t spend much time explaining the world, how it works and what its rules are. As a result, it feels like the writer moves the rules around to suit the story at parts.
It has a very bad case of Dean Koontz character syndrome. This is where the world is created, then the plot is thought out and drafted and then the characters are created so that they are convenient to the plot. This creates very unrealistic reactions from characters at points.
Final thought
If clearer exposition was added and more in-depth characters included it could have been something truly epic. It’s got all the ‘cool stuff’ you could ever want, it just needed more to back up the ‘cool stuff’.
Still, it was much better than first book and if you like Japanese myths and / or Manga, then this series might be for you.
July 26, 2017
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
For the biggest part of Kokoro I felt like I was missing a lot of it. It is of course my own fault for not realizing it was a sequel before getting the book, but still this is one of these books I would certainly not recommend reading as a stand-alone as you will probably feel as lost as I did.
It's presented as a combination of Japanese folklore and science-fiction, and at times it felt like I was reading a manga (without the pictures), but the story moved incredibly fast and was at times a bit overwhelming. Due to this, I never really got invested with the characters, either on Higo or on Earth. If I had liked Kokoro better, I would have certainly checked out Kojiki too, as I would have like to see how it all started, but as it stands, I'm rather hesitant and think I'm going to pass.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
For the biggest part of Kokoro I felt like I was missing a lot of it. It is of course my own fault for not realizing it was a sequel before getting the book, but still this is one of these books I would certainly not recommend reading as a stand-alone as you will probably feel as lost as I did.
It's presented as a combination of Japanese folklore and science-fiction, and at times it felt like I was reading a manga (without the pictures), but the story moved incredibly fast and was at times a bit overwhelming. Due to this, I never really got invested with the characters, either on Higo or on Earth. If I had liked Kokoro better, I would have certainly checked out Kojiki too, as I would have like to see how it all started, but as it stands, I'm rather hesitant and think I'm going to pass.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
February 27, 2017
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2017/02/2...
Publisher: Angry Robot
Publishing Date: April 2017
ISBN: 9780857666192
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 1.5/5
Publishers Description: On the planet of Higo, without the guidance of the Great Spirits, its people are descending into religious civil war. Baiyren Tallaenaq, Prince of Higo, is exiled after causing the death of his mother.
Freed from his responsibilities and the looming war, he steals their greatest weapon – a giant, sentient, armoured suit – and uses it to open a Portal to a world he never knew existed. A world called ‘Earth͟’…home of a magical young woman called Keiko.
Review: I am not sure what happened here. Where Kojiki was streamlined, Kokoro was laden with too much of, well everything. Characters, names and places and back history, all inter-leaved with constant over the top action. This process rendered the story line indiscernible and vague and subsequently lacked the detail required to visualize.
The cliché’ presented the form of Juno, really put me off this novel. Selfish, myopic (to the point of blindness), demanding but oh so hot and uber smart, Juno. Running from her bad CONSERVATIVE daddy who happens to be a US Senator and armed services committee chairman and into the mountains of China on a dig. Political bias. A big buzz kill no matter what side of the fence you’re on. Well, while Juno flounces around demanding everything from everybody because she is an entitled little brat you get the sneaking suspicion early on that because the Heartstone is connected to her, that she is…SPESHUL!!!! YAY! Fug. Yup, speshulness rears it’s ugly head in this sequel in the form of spit and vinegar, hottie archeologist, Juno! See, she wuvs a pwince and he wuvs her so dang, hold on to your hotpockets cause here come the shjts.
Although this did not meet my expectations, I kinda knew that a great follow up to Kojiki was wishful thinking.
*UPDATE* I just received a complaint from the author filed to his publisher. The publisher (author) requests that my review be removed as I did not grasp the main theme of the novel. The author could have made a lot of headway contacting me directly to explain my review. This has happened in the past and I am no stranger to re-reading novels with additional information and HAVE changed my reviews to reflect this.
Publisher: Angry Robot
Publishing Date: April 2017
ISBN: 9780857666192
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 1.5/5
Publishers Description: On the planet of Higo, without the guidance of the Great Spirits, its people are descending into religious civil war. Baiyren Tallaenaq, Prince of Higo, is exiled after causing the death of his mother.
Freed from his responsibilities and the looming war, he steals their greatest weapon – a giant, sentient, armoured suit – and uses it to open a Portal to a world he never knew existed. A world called ‘Earth͟’…home of a magical young woman called Keiko.
Review: I am not sure what happened here. Where Kojiki was streamlined, Kokoro was laden with too much of, well everything. Characters, names and places and back history, all inter-leaved with constant over the top action. This process rendered the story line indiscernible and vague and subsequently lacked the detail required to visualize.
The cliché’ presented the form of Juno, really put me off this novel. Selfish, myopic (to the point of blindness), demanding but oh so hot and uber smart, Juno. Running from her bad CONSERVATIVE daddy who happens to be a US Senator and armed services committee chairman and into the mountains of China on a dig. Political bias. A big buzz kill no matter what side of the fence you’re on. Well, while Juno flounces around demanding everything from everybody because she is an entitled little brat you get the sneaking suspicion early on that because the Heartstone is connected to her, that she is…SPESHUL!!!! YAY! Fug. Yup, speshulness rears it’s ugly head in this sequel in the form of spit and vinegar, hottie archeologist, Juno! See, she wuvs a pwince and he wuvs her so dang, hold on to your hotpockets cause here come the shjts.
Although this did not meet my expectations, I kinda knew that a great follow up to Kojiki was wishful thinking.
*UPDATE* I just received a complaint from the author filed to his publisher. The publisher (author) requests that my review be removed as I did not grasp the main theme of the novel. The author could have made a lot of headway contacting me directly to explain my review. This has happened in the past and I am no stranger to re-reading novels with additional information and HAVE changed my reviews to reflect this.
June 1, 2019
Really enjoyed this story!
April 2, 2017
*Received book from NetGalley for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. Yes, some of the scenes between Baiyren and Juno were a bit cheesy, but it was just such a good read. A lot of the book was kinda predictable, but the characters were completely worth reading. I really appreciated Keiko's commentary on the goings-on of the books.
At the same time, there were some important plot points that I actually didn't see coming! The best part was, while they were surprising, they didn't feel completely out of left field. Yatsuhashi did a really great job of laying down the groundwork for the twists without making them obvious. As stated before, the final ending, Bayiren and Juno's fates, is predictable, but I still loved it. It was just the right kind of cheesy and sentimental.
While I don't think you NEED to have read Kojiki to get into this book, it would be really helpful. At the same time, if you're expecting Kokoro to read exactly like Kojiki, you're in for a surprise. The books are so very different in just about every single way. Yes, Kokoro has some elements from Kojiki, namely the Kami, but so little of this book even takes place on Earth.
I really had a lot of fun reading Kokoro and learning about this new world. I was completely invested in the characters. I'll admit, being a fan of giant robots kinda helped my enjoyment of this book, but the focus was more on the characters and their trials than on the giant robot battles. If you're interested in fantasy, giant mechs, or even love stories with strong characters, I highly recommend Kokoro.
I really enjoyed this book. Yes, some of the scenes between Baiyren and Juno were a bit cheesy, but it was just such a good read. A lot of the book was kinda predictable, but the characters were completely worth reading. I really appreciated Keiko's commentary on the goings-on of the books.
At the same time, there were some important plot points that I actually didn't see coming! The best part was, while they were surprising, they didn't feel completely out of left field. Yatsuhashi did a really great job of laying down the groundwork for the twists without making them obvious. As stated before, the final ending, Bayiren and Juno's fates, is predictable, but I still loved it. It was just the right kind of cheesy and sentimental.
While I don't think you NEED to have read Kojiki to get into this book, it would be really helpful. At the same time, if you're expecting Kokoro to read exactly like Kojiki, you're in for a surprise. The books are so very different in just about every single way. Yes, Kokoro has some elements from Kojiki, namely the Kami, but so little of this book even takes place on Earth.
I really had a lot of fun reading Kokoro and learning about this new world. I was completely invested in the characters. I'll admit, being a fan of giant robots kinda helped my enjoyment of this book, but the focus was more on the characters and their trials than on the giant robot battles. If you're interested in fantasy, giant mechs, or even love stories with strong characters, I highly recommend Kokoro.
December 13, 2017
Full review: A Bohemian Mind at Work
This book is good for readers who like a mix of fantasy and science fiction.
3.5 Bohostars.
Please note that I haven't read the series starter, Kojiki. Kokoro can be read as a standalone.
I received the book Kokoro the second book from Keith Yatsuhashi's sci-fi/fantasy (portal fantasy) series Kojiki from the publisher Angry Robot Books via Netgalley.
This book has given me some mixed feelings.
The characters, while interesting, didn't leave much impact on my mind. Other than Keiko, who I think played the role of an anchor. She connected the characters, their life, sorted out their path, and influenced the protagonists Baiyren and Juno. Oh, I found Regan interesting. Pleasant surprise near the end.
There weren't enough details to visualize the world of Higo. So, yes, I was not satisfied there.
The plot is the winner in this story. A Prince from another planet poses as an archeology professor and falls in love with his student (ex, as she was done with that one subject when he acknowledged his feelings), a privileged kid estranged from her powerful parent. She gets involved in things beyond her imaginations while the Prince, her love interest, works on rescuing his damsel in distress. Only, here the damsel is smart and has help from Keiko, another enigma.
A heartstone that sends some thoughts into its bearer's mind, a God in mourning, family politics rising from some unfortunate events, a war involving giant armored robotic mah-kais, the plot is fun and mostly exciting. Speculative fiction lovers who prefer the 'hero finds his path with some assistance from pals' will like this book.
However, I could do without the romance between Baiyren and Juno. I couldn't feel their connection to each other or the plot. Maybe, it just me. I don't like the usual 'he likes me; he likes me not' kinda romance in my hardcore fantasy/sci-fi unless it drives the plot or is written in an extraordinary manner.
The language and writing style is simple and clear.
My favorite lines from this book appears a few times.
Sometimes, the sky is red...At dawn...And at dusk.
Merged review:
I received the book Kokoro the second book from Keith Yatsuhashi’s sci-fi/fantasy (portal fantasy) series Kojiki from the publisher Angry Robot Books via Netgalley.
This book has given me some mixed feelings.
The characters, while interesting, didn’t leave much impact on my mind. Other than Keiko, who I think played the role of an anchor. She connected the characters, their life, sorted out their path, and influenced the protagonists Baiyren and Juno. Oh, I found Regan interesting. Pleasant surprise near the end.
There weren’t enough details to visualize the world of Higo. So, yes, I wasn’t satisfied there.
The plot is the winner in this story. A Prince from another planet poses as an archeology professor and falls in love with his student (ex, as she was done with that one subject when he acknowledged his feelings), a privileged kid estranged from her powerful parent. She gets involved in things beyond her imaginations while the Prince, her love interest, works on rescuing his damsel in distress. Only, here the damsel is smart and has help from Keiko, another enigma.
A heartstone that sends some thoughts into its bearer’s mind, a God in mourning, family politics rising from some unfortunate events, a war involving giant armored robotic mah-kais, the plot is fun and mostly exciting. Speculative fiction lovers who prefer the ‘hero finds his path with some assistance from pals’ will like this book.
However, I could do without the romance between Baiyren and Juno. I couldn’t feel their connection to each other or the plot. Maybe, it just me. I don’t like the usual ‘he likes me; he likes me not’ kinda romance in my hardcore fantasy/sci-fi unless it drives the plot or is written in an extraordinary manner.
The language and writing style is simple and clear.
My favorite lines from this book appears a few times.
Sometimes, the sky is red…At dawn…And at dusk.
My recommendation
I recommend this book for readers who like a mix of fantasy and science fiction. It’s worth a try.
3.5 Bohostars.
This book is good for readers who like a mix of fantasy and science fiction.
3.5 Bohostars.
Please note that I haven't read the series starter, Kojiki. Kokoro can be read as a standalone.
I received the book Kokoro the second book from Keith Yatsuhashi's sci-fi/fantasy (portal fantasy) series Kojiki from the publisher Angry Robot Books via Netgalley.
This book has given me some mixed feelings.
The characters, while interesting, didn't leave much impact on my mind. Other than Keiko, who I think played the role of an anchor. She connected the characters, their life, sorted out their path, and influenced the protagonists Baiyren and Juno. Oh, I found Regan interesting. Pleasant surprise near the end.
There weren't enough details to visualize the world of Higo. So, yes, I was not satisfied there.
The plot is the winner in this story. A Prince from another planet poses as an archeology professor and falls in love with his student (ex, as she was done with that one subject when he acknowledged his feelings), a privileged kid estranged from her powerful parent. She gets involved in things beyond her imaginations while the Prince, her love interest, works on rescuing his damsel in distress. Only, here the damsel is smart and has help from Keiko, another enigma.
A heartstone that sends some thoughts into its bearer's mind, a God in mourning, family politics rising from some unfortunate events, a war involving giant armored robotic mah-kais, the plot is fun and mostly exciting. Speculative fiction lovers who prefer the 'hero finds his path with some assistance from pals' will like this book.
However, I could do without the romance between Baiyren and Juno. I couldn't feel their connection to each other or the plot. Maybe, it just me. I don't like the usual 'he likes me; he likes me not' kinda romance in my hardcore fantasy/sci-fi unless it drives the plot or is written in an extraordinary manner.
The language and writing style is simple and clear.
My favorite lines from this book appears a few times.
Sometimes, the sky is red...At dawn...And at dusk.
Merged review:
I received the book Kokoro the second book from Keith Yatsuhashi’s sci-fi/fantasy (portal fantasy) series Kojiki from the publisher Angry Robot Books via Netgalley.
This book has given me some mixed feelings.
The characters, while interesting, didn’t leave much impact on my mind. Other than Keiko, who I think played the role of an anchor. She connected the characters, their life, sorted out their path, and influenced the protagonists Baiyren and Juno. Oh, I found Regan interesting. Pleasant surprise near the end.
There weren’t enough details to visualize the world of Higo. So, yes, I wasn’t satisfied there.
The plot is the winner in this story. A Prince from another planet poses as an archeology professor and falls in love with his student (ex, as she was done with that one subject when he acknowledged his feelings), a privileged kid estranged from her powerful parent. She gets involved in things beyond her imaginations while the Prince, her love interest, works on rescuing his damsel in distress. Only, here the damsel is smart and has help from Keiko, another enigma.
A heartstone that sends some thoughts into its bearer’s mind, a God in mourning, family politics rising from some unfortunate events, a war involving giant armored robotic mah-kais, the plot is fun and mostly exciting. Speculative fiction lovers who prefer the ‘hero finds his path with some assistance from pals’ will like this book.
However, I could do without the romance between Baiyren and Juno. I couldn’t feel their connection to each other or the plot. Maybe, it just me. I don’t like the usual ‘he likes me; he likes me not’ kinda romance in my hardcore fantasy/sci-fi unless it drives the plot or is written in an extraordinary manner.
The language and writing style is simple and clear.
My favorite lines from this book appears a few times.
Sometimes, the sky is red…At dawn…And at dusk.
My recommendation
I recommend this book for readers who like a mix of fantasy and science fiction. It’s worth a try.
3.5 Bohostars.
March 29, 2017
Kokoro is an impressive follow-up to Kojiki. Yatsuhashi managed to scale his story to magnificent sizes and creates a cast of characters that are delightful, complex, and have compelling arts.
My favorite thing was that in spite of the size of the world building, there was still room for intensely personal stories. The entire conflict within the royal family of Higo really captured my attention. In the end, I appreciated the sense of villainy on a cosmic scale and how people ultimately brought the story forward.
In terms of gripes, I'm not sure most of the Earth intro needed to be there. It bogged down Juno's introduction, but in the end, mattered for the tale to come full circle.
If you want a well-crafted science fiction with solid character that goes beyond just world-building, definitely give this sequel a go.
My favorite thing was that in spite of the size of the world building, there was still room for intensely personal stories. The entire conflict within the royal family of Higo really captured my attention. In the end, I appreciated the sense of villainy on a cosmic scale and how people ultimately brought the story forward.
In terms of gripes, I'm not sure most of the Earth intro needed to be there. It bogged down Juno's introduction, but in the end, mattered for the tale to come full circle.
If you want a well-crafted science fiction with solid character that goes beyond just world-building, definitely give this sequel a go.
July 9, 2017
If you had told me I would like a book about mecha, I would have thought you were mistaken before reading Kokoro. I love anime and manga and sci-fi/fantasy novels, but not mecha. (Mecha, for those who don't know, is a genre that involves giant fighting robots.) I don't not like mecha stories, I am just kind of 'meh' about them; I have not had much exposure to them since I watched (and loved) Voltron as a kid. This book went a long way to changing my position on mecha and will be more open to them in the future.
Kokoro is a love story, but not a romance novel. It is also an adventure and sci-fi novel. It takes place on Earth and Higo, an Earth-like planet that exists in a parallel dimension. Higo is very similar to Earth, but also very different in some important ways. Gods are real on Higo and take a somewhat active role in the planet's affairs.
This would have been a good story even without the mecha, but they do add an interesting twist. The story is well-built enough that the combat (yes, if there are mecha, you can guess there will be at least some combat, so I don't count this as a spoiler) could have been fought with conventional weapons or spaceships and it still have been just as good.
One character, Juno, bugged the crap out of me with some of her behavior. She would cry or yell at strangers at the drop of a hat. She was way too emotional with, at times, very little sense of self-preservation and had me rolling my eyes at her actions at several points. There were other characters (Keiko, for example) that I enjoyed and would have loved to see more of. The main characters were sufficiently dynamic and had enough depth that they were believable and real enough that I came to care about what happens to them (including even occasionally annoying ones like Juno).
I'd recommend this book for advanced middle school age readers to adults. The language is clean and there is very little sexual content. There is violence (in a book about fighting robots, that is kind of expected) and at least one or two of the deaths are disturbing (but not any more so than those in anime or manga such as Full Metal Alchemist).
I received this book through the Goodreads Giveaways program. Thank you to the author and/or publisher.
Kokoro is a love story, but not a romance novel. It is also an adventure and sci-fi novel. It takes place on Earth and Higo, an Earth-like planet that exists in a parallel dimension. Higo is very similar to Earth, but also very different in some important ways. Gods are real on Higo and take a somewhat active role in the planet's affairs.
This would have been a good story even without the mecha, but they do add an interesting twist. The story is well-built enough that the combat (yes, if there are mecha, you can guess there will be at least some combat, so I don't count this as a spoiler) could have been fought with conventional weapons or spaceships and it still have been just as good.
One character, Juno, bugged the crap out of me with some of her behavior. She would cry or yell at strangers at the drop of a hat. She was way too emotional with, at times, very little sense of self-preservation and had me rolling my eyes at her actions at several points. There were other characters (Keiko, for example) that I enjoyed and would have loved to see more of. The main characters were sufficiently dynamic and had enough depth that they were believable and real enough that I came to care about what happens to them (including even occasionally annoying ones like Juno).
I'd recommend this book for advanced middle school age readers to adults. The language is clean and there is very little sexual content. There is violence (in a book about fighting robots, that is kind of expected) and at least one or two of the deaths are disturbing (but not any more so than those in anime or manga such as Full Metal Alchemist).
I received this book through the Goodreads Giveaways program. Thank you to the author and/or publisher.
May 15, 2017
I didn't like this book at all like I didn't like a mushroom in a ramen bowl.
Let's begin with the writing like farts begin with a slight twitch in the bowels. The text is corpulent with egregious and convoluted similes like a bloated beached whale on the frigid shores of Brighton beach as autumn wanes and winter dawns, the dialogue as believable as a flat-earth conspirator doing any real research, and the action as haphazardly strung together as a geriatric couple's shanty house. You get the idea.
The plot is like a bad Evangelion fan-fic removed from its grandiose philosophy, and the characters are monumentally stupid. SPOILERS AHEAD: It's one of the stupidest things I've ever read, and I read Twilight. It was a Christmas gift, don't judge me.
There's also some stupid plot point about a couple nearly breaking up because they didn't think to sit down and have a conversation. That was thrilling and absolutely one of my favourite things to read. That was sarcasm, it was lazy writing and kind of completely pointless. Speaking of which, there are a few characters and a mysterious object ooooh that serve no purpose whatsoever.
The book doesn't really have much to say and handles its themes poorly. Go read anything else.
Let's begin with the writing like farts begin with a slight twitch in the bowels. The text is corpulent with egregious and convoluted similes like a bloated beached whale on the frigid shores of Brighton beach as autumn wanes and winter dawns, the dialogue as believable as a flat-earth conspirator doing any real research, and the action as haphazardly strung together as a geriatric couple's shanty house. You get the idea.
The plot is like a bad Evangelion fan-fic removed from its grandiose philosophy, and the characters are monumentally stupid. SPOILERS AHEAD: It's one of the stupidest things I've ever read, and I read Twilight. It was a Christmas gift, don't judge me.
There's also some stupid plot point about a couple nearly breaking up because they didn't think to sit down and have a conversation. That was thrilling and absolutely one of my favourite things to read. That was sarcasm, it was lazy writing and kind of completely pointless. Speaking of which, there are a few characters and a mysterious object ooooh that serve no purpose whatsoever.
The book doesn't really have much to say and handles its themes poorly. Go read anything else.
June 9, 2018
This review originally published in Looking FOr a Good Book. Rated 2.5 of 5
This will be a briefer review than normal for a number of reasons which I will currently keep to myself.
As with the first book in this series, Kojiki, I struggled to enjoy this book.
I felt like I understood the characters a little better this time around, but I really never cared about them. This still felt like I was reading an episode of an anime cartoon (though one of more serious bent) mixed with a touch of soap opera. Characters typically drive a story for me, no matter how strong the plot, so if I'm not engaged by the characters it's an up-hill battle to keep me interested (though it's happened - and recently).
The action was a bit uneven, but when it worked, it worked really well. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to really hold me.
This was one of those books that, when I was done I thought to myself. Well, that's done. On to the next. No reflection on what I'd just read, no wishing it would go on. Nothing. It wasn't horrible - not like those books I just wish would be over with - but not worth recommending either.
Looking for a good book? Kokoro by Keith Yatsuhashi is a follow-up to Kojiki. Fans of Kojiki will likely enjoy this. The rest of us, probably not so much.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
This will be a briefer review than normal for a number of reasons which I will currently keep to myself.
As with the first book in this series, Kojiki, I struggled to enjoy this book.
I felt like I understood the characters a little better this time around, but I really never cared about them. This still felt like I was reading an episode of an anime cartoon (though one of more serious bent) mixed with a touch of soap opera. Characters typically drive a story for me, no matter how strong the plot, so if I'm not engaged by the characters it's an up-hill battle to keep me interested (though it's happened - and recently).
The action was a bit uneven, but when it worked, it worked really well. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to really hold me.
This was one of those books that, when I was done I thought to myself. Well, that's done. On to the next. No reflection on what I'd just read, no wishing it would go on. Nothing. It wasn't horrible - not like those books I just wish would be over with - but not worth recommending either.
Looking for a good book? Kokoro by Keith Yatsuhashi is a follow-up to Kojiki. Fans of Kojiki will likely enjoy this. The rest of us, probably not so much.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2022
It took 90 pages to find out what a Mah-zhin was, even though it was mentioned almost immediately in the book multiple times
The book keeps switching from the present to the past.
This book introduces you to a lot of names, groups, and things very quickly and it's hard to keep it all straight.
I found myself dreading to read the rest of the book when I was about a quarter way through because I still didn't care for any of the characters, which also happened for me with the first book, "Kojiki".
Keiko said she used her guardian power to calm Juno. This term seems kinda vague. Also, apparently the kami and their guardians can use "spirit" on people. This isn't explained either. Both of these things just seem like a way to vaguely explain away everything the kami and their guardians do, without actually telling you anything specific about their powers or how they work.
The last one hundred pages were better, especially the action. I also really enjoyed the conclusion to this story
Like the prequel, "Kojiki", I think this book was a lot of cool ideas, but had poor execution. At times it was worse and better than the prequel
The book keeps switching from the present to the past.
This book introduces you to a lot of names, groups, and things very quickly and it's hard to keep it all straight.
I found myself dreading to read the rest of the book when I was about a quarter way through because I still didn't care for any of the characters, which also happened for me with the first book, "Kojiki".
Keiko said she used her guardian power to calm Juno. This term seems kinda vague. Also, apparently the kami and their guardians can use "spirit" on people. This isn't explained either. Both of these things just seem like a way to vaguely explain away everything the kami and their guardians do, without actually telling you anything specific about their powers or how they work.
The last one hundred pages were better, especially the action. I also really enjoyed the conclusion to this story
Like the prequel, "Kojiki", I think this book was a lot of cool ideas, but had poor execution. At times it was worse and better than the prequel
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2025
Slightly weaker than it’s predecessor, Kokoro is nevertheless a delightful addition to Keith Yatsuhashi’s fantasy series. I was personally hoping for a more direct sequel to the first story’s events, but instead the reader is sent much farther into the future and makes a lot of the story’s mythical elements take a backseat in favor of embellishing the novel world of Higo, which centered on more political and technological themes. It was still interesting, but not exactly what I had hoped for. The main cast of characters, including the new protagonist Bairyen, were all endearing, but sadly Keiko returned as a much more annoying version of Yui for much of the narrative’s events. Plus, the c-plot in the final 20 pages were among the dumbest I've ever read. However, that’s just about everything negative I have to say. I liked this book! It was a good, casual fantasy read, set in a world I’ve grown invested in - and therefore a worthy investment for any who enjoyed Yatsuhashi's first entry.
January 10, 2026
Really loved the book! It's a great one to let your imagination wander around, trying to contemplate the world of Higo and the variety of stuff and relationships that comes with that world.
I felt that main idea was finding yourself, your own path; the importance of family and close people; shows in kind of a "funny" way how you should't treat your partner... Overall it sends a nice message while keeping the story full of actions.
I have to agree with other reviewers that following the story without introduction to certain terms and rules was... complicated but again I did make a mistake of jumping straight to the second book. I did manage to catch up and understand the stuff in a while so that was alright.
Overall it's a great story; the author mentioned in his note that he was inspired by few anime (which I never watched and heard), and it does make sense as the book really has that full-action anime mode at times.
I felt that main idea was finding yourself, your own path; the importance of family and close people; shows in kind of a "funny" way how you should't treat your partner... Overall it sends a nice message while keeping the story full of actions.
I have to agree with other reviewers that following the story without introduction to certain terms and rules was... complicated but again I did make a mistake of jumping straight to the second book. I did manage to catch up and understand the stuff in a while so that was alright.
Overall it's a great story; the author mentioned in his note that he was inspired by few anime (which I never watched and heard), and it does make sense as the book really has that full-action anime mode at times.
Read
July 27, 2020Read a chapter or so and couldn't follow anything that was happening - there were gaps in the narration (he pulls up next to someone then drives off, it never says she got in the car but there she is, shit like that), all the dialogue was SO stilted and expositional. The mythology side of things seems interesting, but the terrible writing ruined it. Won't be checking out this author again.
September 6, 2017
A very visual book, I found the best way to keep up is to imagine all the actions in my mind as I would watch a film, rather than ponder the philosophical implications of what was happening. Overall, a satisfying read, with an engaging setting and blurred borders of good and evil.
September 27, 2017
Very strong first half. A weak second half.
January 8, 2017
Maybe like a 2.5
April 14, 2017
I liked this a lot better than the first for a variety of reasons: better character development, better balance of characters, and more time spent on each perspective. I still felt it lacked a tad in atmosphere world building, and it was very much pick up and hold on, but overall I really enjoyed it!
disclaimer: I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review from netgalley
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
disclaimer: I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review from netgalley
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
April 27, 2017
Kokoro is the sequel to Keith Yatsuhashi's book Kojiki and continues where it ended with its masterful blend of Japanese folklore and science fiction. In many ways it is a manga or anime in purely written form and those familiar with that form of storytelling and the tropes that guide that very genre will enjoy it immensely. The difference between the sequel and its predecessor is that Kojiki more felt like an adventure novel, related to tales like Spirited Away, while Kokoro is more reminiscent of Robotech or Knights of Sidonia.
In this fashion Kokoro becomes a high octane story that moves quite fast, sometimes even a bit too fast for its own good. There is a lot going on and at times it can be difficult for the reader to keep up wit everything. The main story line takes place on a planet called Higo where a civil war is raging while Baiyren Tallaenaq, the prince of the planet is exiled away. He gets his hands on one of two giant mechs, here called mah-zin and travels to a different world. THere is naturally other parallel narratives, some involving the female cast, but they all move around the war and political intrigue at court.
As previously mentioned, this story has a lot going on. The reader is quickly thrown into the conflict, with the occasional flashback, and the exposition is quickly executed. As the story progresses it moves to a more leisurely pace, but the damage is already done. This does not mean that Kokoro isn't an interesting story with the appropriate amount of twists and turns or inferior storytelling, the issue is that it for most readers may become too much, too confusing and too twisty and turny. This book is more geared to those who have a greater understanding of the world of manga or anime and all that comes with it.
At heart there is really just the basic story of a land ravaged by conflict and a family torn apart due to conflicts hidden in more modern tropes that some might just be too unfamiliar with. The language is still good and well adapted to the narrative and the world and relationship development is interesting as well as well executed.
In the end it is the amount of new things that is what would cause a reader to shy away, while those who are familiar with mechs, Asian mysticism and Japanese storytelling might gravitate towards it. There might even be the adventurous type who picks up this book and is introduced to a world well beyond the populist and westernized form of Pokémon, Digimon and Yo-kai Watch and then again the children who are intimately acquainted to those shows would most likely graduate to Kokoro. Whatever the case might be, there is enough proof among the pages to hint that the status of Yatsuhashi's will grow in esteem as culture and taste catches up to it.
In this fashion Kokoro becomes a high octane story that moves quite fast, sometimes even a bit too fast for its own good. There is a lot going on and at times it can be difficult for the reader to keep up wit everything. The main story line takes place on a planet called Higo where a civil war is raging while Baiyren Tallaenaq, the prince of the planet is exiled away. He gets his hands on one of two giant mechs, here called mah-zin and travels to a different world. THere is naturally other parallel narratives, some involving the female cast, but they all move around the war and political intrigue at court.
As previously mentioned, this story has a lot going on. The reader is quickly thrown into the conflict, with the occasional flashback, and the exposition is quickly executed. As the story progresses it moves to a more leisurely pace, but the damage is already done. This does not mean that Kokoro isn't an interesting story with the appropriate amount of twists and turns or inferior storytelling, the issue is that it for most readers may become too much, too confusing and too twisty and turny. This book is more geared to those who have a greater understanding of the world of manga or anime and all that comes with it.
At heart there is really just the basic story of a land ravaged by conflict and a family torn apart due to conflicts hidden in more modern tropes that some might just be too unfamiliar with. The language is still good and well adapted to the narrative and the world and relationship development is interesting as well as well executed.
In the end it is the amount of new things that is what would cause a reader to shy away, while those who are familiar with mechs, Asian mysticism and Japanese storytelling might gravitate towards it. There might even be the adventurous type who picks up this book and is introduced to a world well beyond the populist and westernized form of Pokémon, Digimon and Yo-kai Watch and then again the children who are intimately acquainted to those shows would most likely graduate to Kokoro. Whatever the case might be, there is enough proof among the pages to hint that the status of Yatsuhashi's will grow in esteem as culture and taste catches up to it.
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