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Shin
"SHIN is a potent cocktail of poison and nectar."
Shin is a powerful shapeshifter, but he is yet vulnerable, and too many creatures, both mythic and mortal, have a stake in his death. Caught between his samurai uncle’s ambitions for a bloodless war and his shapeshifter mother’s immortal fight for celestial territory, Shin’s uncle gives him up as a tribute warrior for the shogunate military.
In time, Shin wins the army’s loyalty away from the shogun to a cause he can’t be sure of himself, then strikes off on a new mission to recruit an assassin for the revolution. But this assassin is unlike any he has known before. She may kill him in the bargain, but only if all goes well.
SHIN is a second- generation spin on the Japanese Spider Spirits mashed with Tanabata folklore traditions. It joins the ranks of Japanese light novels such as Goblin Slayer, Overlord, and The Saga of Tanya the Evil.
Shin is a powerful shapeshifter, but he is yet vulnerable, and too many creatures, both mythic and mortal, have a stake in his death. Caught between his samurai uncle’s ambitions for a bloodless war and his shapeshifter mother’s immortal fight for celestial territory, Shin’s uncle gives him up as a tribute warrior for the shogunate military.
In time, Shin wins the army’s loyalty away from the shogun to a cause he can’t be sure of himself, then strikes off on a new mission to recruit an assassin for the revolution. But this assassin is unlike any he has known before. She may kill him in the bargain, but only if all goes well.
SHIN is a second- generation spin on the Japanese Spider Spirits mashed with Tanabata folklore traditions. It joins the ranks of Japanese light novels such as Goblin Slayer, Overlord, and The Saga of Tanya the Evil.
- GenresFantasy
486 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 12, 2018
6 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 16, 2019
UPDATE: you can now read a buddy read review here: http://avalinahsbooks.space/shin-t-cook/
I LOVED it! This is a wonderful book to read after you've read Spinning Silk - although I wouldn't recommend it as a standalone, because you might miss some important details.
I really loved how Shin complements Furi's story from Spinning Silk - it opens up extra dimensions, and you feel like you're rereading the book, without having to reread it. Another thing I loved was how Spinning Silk focused on the women's side, and Shin - on the man's side of the narrative even symbolically. Spinning Silk accentuates Furi's creativity, as well as her ability to create life, and Shin's story is more about preserving that life, defending it. The love story still remains poignant, but I feel like it was much better explained in this book. If you had questions unanswered after Spinning Silk (like I did), you'll love how Shin fills these blanks it. Especially the ending! The ending builds up what the first book was missing - and it's also exciting for a whole 'nother reason I won't spoil for you.
Bottom line: Shin is definitely worth a read. But if you're thinking of picking it up as a standalone, I still advise to read Spinning Silk first. They are both wonderful novels! You can find my review of Spinning Silk here.
I thank the author for giving me a free copy for review, this does not affect my opinion.
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I LOVED it! This is a wonderful book to read after you've read Spinning Silk - although I wouldn't recommend it as a standalone, because you might miss some important details.
I really loved how Shin complements Furi's story from Spinning Silk - it opens up extra dimensions, and you feel like you're rereading the book, without having to reread it. Another thing I loved was how Spinning Silk focused on the women's side, and Shin - on the man's side of the narrative even symbolically. Spinning Silk accentuates Furi's creativity, as well as her ability to create life, and Shin's story is more about preserving that life, defending it. The love story still remains poignant, but I feel like it was much better explained in this book. If you had questions unanswered after Spinning Silk (like I did), you'll love how Shin fills these blanks it. Especially the ending! The ending builds up what the first book was missing - and it's also exciting for a whole 'nother reason I won't spoil for you.
Bottom line: Shin is definitely worth a read. But if you're thinking of picking it up as a standalone, I still advise to read Spinning Silk first. They are both wonderful novels! You can find my review of Spinning Silk here.
I thank the author for giving me a free copy for review, this does not affect my opinion.
Read Post On My Blog | Themed Bookstagram | Quick Update Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
February 11, 2019
Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
Shin is a powerful shapeshifter, but he is yet vulnerable, and too many creatures, both mythic and mortal, have a stake in his death. Caught between his samurai uncle’s ambitions for a bloodless war and his shapeshifter mother’s immortal fight for celestial territory. He chooses an alternate route, recruiting an assassin. But this assassin is unlike any he has known before. She may kill him in the bargain, but only if all goes well.
The short review...
I was really excited to learn there was a companion novel to Spinning Silk, an indie book that totally wowed me with its retelling of a Japanese folklore, Orihime and Hikoboshi as well as a re-imagining of Japanese Spider Spirits. This time we get the same events but through the eyes of Shin, the male in this romance! I really loved delving into his hard life... in Spinning Silk he is such a mysterious character and we learn that he has been fighting for his life from day one. I think Shin really takes us from magical realism to fantasy and that evolution is really fun for totally different reasons that Spinning Silk.
For a companion novel that follows the same events as the previous book this adjusted POV really gives us a new adventure with such an expanded view of all that Furi and Shin were up against with their romance! Part of what is so good is that T. Cook really brings such great writing to the table. I have admired the way her words flow and build up this picture in your mind with such clarity! It really is a treat to reach such a great narrative. I also find her ideas about spider spirits super intriguing and love how we got such an inside view of them with Shin. It really is a must read for those who enjoy Japanese culture, yokai, retellings and romance.
Cover & Title grade -> B+
I don't love this cover as much as the Spinning Silk cover but you know what it does concentrate on what is important and that is Shin. It is all about this guy maneuvering his way through all the competing desires of his powerful mother and his trialsome uncle. I think I would have preferred his spider form on the web by the pool. Pretty difficult for an indie author to supply so I'm happy to accept this cover too!
Why does Shin do so much as a companion novel to Spinning Silk?
-We learn of Shin's back story.
I think this was pretty essential for a book from Shin's POV and I love seeing all of his trials that were hinted at in Spinning Silk being brought to life for us. This is why he did what he did at the end of Spinning Silk. This was his motivation and just what we want to learn about in a companion novel.
-We understand Shin's predictions from Spinning Silk.
Spinning Silk due to its focus on Furi's POV is quite mysterious and we learn about her nature and world as she learns about them. So it feels almost like a mystery thriller in nature and we don't see all the political maneuvering behind Shin's actions. With Shin we come at the story knowing how it ends and feeling the tension that comes from now knowing what Shin was dealing with.
-We meet other supernatural characters.
This part was truly exciting for me! We meet a doctor who teaches Shin about medicine, Madame Sato who also has a connection with Shin and Shin's mother and relatives (who is where his spider abilities come from)... I LOVED these characters and felt learning their true nature was a fun part of Shin.
-The expanded end!
In Spinning Silk there is a neat and simple end to the story. I felt it was perfect for the folklore and mystery that was Furi and Shin. With the companion novel we get SO. MUCH. MORE. And it is glorious! Seriously it is so expanded because we get all that Shin was doing behind the scenes. Really Shin felt like it was totally a behind the scenes look at Spinning Silk its such a unique experience and this end totally makes it worth the read!
As a Writer...
While Shin wasn't quite as perfect for me as Spinning Silk its quite a fabulous take on the same events. I felt like it totally did its duty as a companion novel to the magical realism that was found in the first book. BUT I also felt like it totally made a genre change with the change in POV... That's why I took off one star for world building. For a fantasy book I wanted a touch more about the supernatural.
I really wanted the part with the two soldiers to be dramatized as well. I was disappointed it was left as it was in Spinning Silk. We could have skipped the later explanation to Furi and had the scene as it happened with Shin, a missed opportunity.
There were fabulous details hinted at but when the world opened up we needed a touch more showing of those details. I feel like T. Cook is such a great writer and storyteller she could have pushed to share a touch more. This isn't calling into question her talent though... she is super talented but would be fulfilling the nature of what evolved from Spinning Silk into Shin. This would make Shin able to stand apart from Spinning Silk and be its own book for its own sake and not just a really good companion novel.
Shin is THE best companion novel I've ever read to one of my ABSOLUTELY favorite Asian novels, Spinning Silk! We take the mythology found in the first book and get a behind the scenes pass to everything mysterious... as well as a political understanding that gives a lot of depth to this star crossed lovers romance! I said it with Spinning Silk, but it bears repeating... I totally recommend anyone with even a slight interest in Asian history and culture to give Shin and T. Cook a chance to wow them. This is why I love reading indie books, you never know what you might be missing.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing Style
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ World Building
Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...
Please like this review if you enjoyed it! *bow* *bow* It helps me out a ton!!
December 6, 2018
Not nearly as strong for me as the first novel. This one had quite a few more typos and editing errors that stood out. I also generally don't enjoy copy-paste repeated scenes either, so that was a taste issue.
June 1, 2019
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Shin is not really a sequel to Spinning Silk but a companion tale: another view of the same events; the baseline to Spinning Silk‘s melody; the weft to its warp.
Here we see Furi’s story from Shin’s viewpoint and find out all of the details that were omitted previously. Here are answers to many of the questions that Furi was unable to answer from her experiences and viewpoint. I therefore think that reading Spinning Silk first is essential, because without it Shin’s story might seem strangely incomplete!
Many of the same crisis points are touched upon here, as the book timelines are contemporaneous, but between those familiar events seen anew we follow Shin as he prepares for war and is constantly pulled between his conflicting obligations to uncle, mother, his country and his love.
The epilogue added some startling new information to the lovers’ saga and paved the way for the next instalment in the series, following a new generation with even greater responsibilities heaped upon them.
Fans of Spinning Silk will enjoy this as a complimentary addition to that story, which offers the reader a behind-the-scenes peek at what they missed previously. Newcomers would be better starting with the first book first!
With my gaze, I followed the path of her immortal finger over miles of space to a simple cottage with a thatched roof. Outside a young girl bore two heavy water buckets, and heaved them with a strength belying her size.
“Who is she?”
“She is Furi. I know she appears slight, and humble, but believe me when I say she is mighty. I chose her for you on the day she was born.”
“One of yours?”
“No. Her mother gave her to me to bless with certain of my gifts. She was born to the Goddess Orihime.”
Highborn indeed. I cocked my head. “Which of your gifts?”
A self-satisfied smile lit my mother’s eyes.
“Principally, my poison.”
– T. Cook, Shin
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
Shin is not really a sequel to Spinning Silk but a companion tale: another view of the same events; the baseline to Spinning Silk‘s melody; the weft to its warp.
Here we see Furi’s story from Shin’s viewpoint and find out all of the details that were omitted previously. Here are answers to many of the questions that Furi was unable to answer from her experiences and viewpoint. I therefore think that reading Spinning Silk first is essential, because without it Shin’s story might seem strangely incomplete!
Many of the same crisis points are touched upon here, as the book timelines are contemporaneous, but between those familiar events seen anew we follow Shin as he prepares for war and is constantly pulled between his conflicting obligations to uncle, mother, his country and his love.
The epilogue added some startling new information to the lovers’ saga and paved the way for the next instalment in the series, following a new generation with even greater responsibilities heaped upon them.
Fans of Spinning Silk will enjoy this as a complimentary addition to that story, which offers the reader a behind-the-scenes peek at what they missed previously. Newcomers would be better starting with the first book first!
With my gaze, I followed the path of her immortal finger over miles of space to a simple cottage with a thatched roof. Outside a young girl bore two heavy water buckets, and heaved them with a strength belying her size.
“Who is she?”
“She is Furi. I know she appears slight, and humble, but believe me when I say she is mighty. I chose her for you on the day she was born.”
“One of yours?”
“No. Her mother gave her to me to bless with certain of my gifts. She was born to the Goddess Orihime.”
Highborn indeed. I cocked my head. “Which of your gifts?”
A self-satisfied smile lit my mother’s eyes.
“Principally, my poison.”
– T. Cook, Shin
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
October 27, 2018
This is my first Japanese novel except for Shogun years ago.
It might be just not my genre but I was lost in the beginning not only with the myths and adjusted lanuage but also with the fantasy aspect. I love young adult and fantasy but here it just didn't come together for me. Most of the time, I didn't understand who was who and what was the agenda.
The narrative is very unemotional making it hard for me to empathize with the main character. Although this creates the typical traditional japanese feeling (obey-don't-ask-coldness) I just felt not engaged enough to care for the development of the character or the outcome of the story.
The writing is good and fluent and at about 60% I finally understood the different camps/agendas in this conflict more although some things still puzzled me.
I think if you are into Japanese folklore and know something about it already then this book is for you. It's just not for me.
I received an ARC and this is my honest review.
It might be just not my genre but I was lost in the beginning not only with the myths and adjusted lanuage but also with the fantasy aspect. I love young adult and fantasy but here it just didn't come together for me. Most of the time, I didn't understand who was who and what was the agenda.
The narrative is very unemotional making it hard for me to empathize with the main character. Although this creates the typical traditional japanese feeling (obey-don't-ask-coldness) I just felt not engaged enough to care for the development of the character or the outcome of the story.
The writing is good and fluent and at about 60% I finally understood the different camps/agendas in this conflict more although some things still puzzled me.
I think if you are into Japanese folklore and know something about it already then this book is for you. It's just not for me.
I received an ARC and this is my honest review.
May 18, 2019
Shin is a follow up to T. Cook’s novel, Spinning Silk. Shin tells the same story, but instead of Furi’s pov, we follow Shin this time around. I think, if you liked Spinning Silk, you’re going to want to pick this one up, because even though it’s the same story, we do get some additional information with this new POV. (And I do highly recommend checking out Spinning Silk if you haven’t already.)
I really enjoyed seeing the events of the story from another perspective, especially since Shin was probably my favorite character from Spinning Silk (I like a mysterious guy, what can I say?). I loved getting to know this character. I can see why Shin’s pov wasn’t an option with the first book–it wouldn’t have worked with the tone of the story and keeping Shin shrouded in mystery if some of the parts had been from his perspective. But, I appreciate that we get to see his life here. In the first book when we learn about his background it’s amidst a bunch of other exposition. Here we get to experience his life and possibly form different opinions about his character. We get to see the way he was raised and the relationships he has with various members of his family.
As with Spinning Silk, one of my favorite things about this book was the prose and the style of writing. T. Cook has a fantastic way of utilizing the language to form a certain cadence within the prose. It contributes a lot to the atmospheric feel of the story. One of the other things I loved about this is that is plays with the idea of fate and inevitability in the way that fairy tales and myths do sometimes. The idea that Shin is trying to avoid his ultimate fate while also being inexorably drawn to it keeps the momentum of the story going. I’m really glad we got to see certain events play out through Shin because some of the events at the end of Spinning Silk felt rather abrupt and this helps with our understanding about how these events had been set in motion for a long time.
Overall, I really enjoyed Shin! If you’re interested in books that explore Japanese mythology in a fantasy setting, I’d say definitely pick up Spinning Silk first and then check out Shin–I think it works best as a companion to the first novel. 4/5 stars.
Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author for review purposes, this did not affect the content of my review in any way.
I really enjoyed seeing the events of the story from another perspective, especially since Shin was probably my favorite character from Spinning Silk (I like a mysterious guy, what can I say?). I loved getting to know this character. I can see why Shin’s pov wasn’t an option with the first book–it wouldn’t have worked with the tone of the story and keeping Shin shrouded in mystery if some of the parts had been from his perspective. But, I appreciate that we get to see his life here. In the first book when we learn about his background it’s amidst a bunch of other exposition. Here we get to experience his life and possibly form different opinions about his character. We get to see the way he was raised and the relationships he has with various members of his family.
As with Spinning Silk, one of my favorite things about this book was the prose and the style of writing. T. Cook has a fantastic way of utilizing the language to form a certain cadence within the prose. It contributes a lot to the atmospheric feel of the story. One of the other things I loved about this is that is plays with the idea of fate and inevitability in the way that fairy tales and myths do sometimes. The idea that Shin is trying to avoid his ultimate fate while also being inexorably drawn to it keeps the momentum of the story going. I’m really glad we got to see certain events play out through Shin because some of the events at the end of Spinning Silk felt rather abrupt and this helps with our understanding about how these events had been set in motion for a long time.
Overall, I really enjoyed Shin! If you’re interested in books that explore Japanese mythology in a fantasy setting, I’d say definitely pick up Spinning Silk first and then check out Shin–I think it works best as a companion to the first novel. 4/5 stars.
Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author for review purposes, this did not affect the content of my review in any way.
April 28, 2021
DNF I got about halfway through and then realized the second half of the book was just repeating the story through a different perspective. The pacing was much too slow for me, and I might’ve been able to finish it if the perspectives were written every other chapter instead of having to reread the entire story from a new perspective.
Otherwise, it was a great idea, and I would’ve been much more interested with better pacing.
Otherwise, it was a great idea, and I would’ve been much more interested with better pacing.
November 13, 2018
Magical Story
Shin is one of those fantasy stories that bring Shin, a shapeshifter on a grand journey. It's a great story that brings loyalty and adventure into the plot line. I enjoyed this story, and it's majestical characters. Cook pens a good story, and has a great writing style. The characters leap off the pages, floating with action. Indeed a good story and interesting read.
Shin is one of those fantasy stories that bring Shin, a shapeshifter on a grand journey. It's a great story that brings loyalty and adventure into the plot line. I enjoyed this story, and it's majestical characters. Cook pens a good story, and has a great writing style. The characters leap off the pages, floating with action. Indeed a good story and interesting read.
January 23, 2019
Is he a soldier or a healer, and is she a weaver or a royal?
Very interesting book. Not my typical kind to read but I still enjoyed it. If you enjoy various myths and legends then this is a worthwhile read. I chose to read it for having shaftshifters in it, and enjoy the power play between mortals. There is also a hidden play for power with immortals of the land and the skies.
Very interesting book. Not my typical kind to read but I still enjoyed it. If you enjoy various myths and legends then this is a worthwhile read. I chose to read it for having shaftshifters in it, and enjoy the power play between mortals. There is also a hidden play for power with immortals of the land and the skies.
August 11, 2020
Wonderful and creative story
Really loved this. There were a quite a few editing issues but not enough to take away from the refreshing creativity of the story. Truly truly loved the telling from two different perspectives. My only criticism is that i wish it had been a bit longer all around.
Really loved this. There were a quite a few editing issues but not enough to take away from the refreshing creativity of the story. Truly truly loved the telling from two different perspectives. My only criticism is that i wish it had been a bit longer all around.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews