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Mists of Iga
1581, In the midst of Japan’s warring states, a group of four shinobi have just become some of the few survivors of a scattered tribe. The legendary warlord, Nobunaga Oda, a man obsessed with the unification of Japan, is responsible for the devastation upon the shinobi’s home village. In order to avenge their clan, two young brothers make a pact with the former comrades of their father. Unaware, the shinobi are dragged into a mysterious journey in search of a legacy left by their departed mentor that will change the destiny of a nation.
Real people and events that delves deep into the culture of an epic era, packaged into an entertaining story of adventure and mystery.
Real people and events that delves deep into the culture of an epic era, packaged into an entertaining story of adventure and mystery.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
354 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2020
171 people are currently reading
538 people want to read
About the author
Kyle Mortensen
1 book22 followersKyle Mortensen is the author of the Sons of Yokai series with his debut novel in the age of warring states of feudal Japan.
The intent of his first novel, Mists of Iga, was to be able to bring a realistic, informative, and enjoyable story on a culture that is typically overlooked by western audiences.
The intent of his first novel, Mists of Iga, was to be able to bring a realistic, informative, and enjoyable story on a culture that is typically overlooked by western audiences.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 19, 2023
“𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙗𝙞; 𝙬𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙉𝙤𝙗𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙖. 𝙒𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙.”
⚔️The book - 1st in the Sons of Yokai series - set in the Sengoku period of Japan, tells the story of four Shinobis, who went out on a quest for a mysterious item in order to avenge the massacre of their tribe.
1581 AD Japan. The famous warlord, Nobunaga Oda wiped out the entire Shinobi tribe of Iga in order to obtain a mysterious legendary object that could unify Japan, but he failed. In order to avenge their tribe, the Yukimura brothers, Tsubasa and Kaito along with their father's former comrades, Itsuki and Noboru went out on a mysterious journey to claim the Nobunaga's object of obsession that will change the destiny of the nation.
“𝙄𝙛 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙣. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙨 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙚.”
⚔️After reading the book, it's hard to believe it was Kyle's debut novel. He had waved the plot dipped in the rich historical and cultural heritage of Japan, with real people and events in delivering a gripping tale of adventure and mystery. The inclusion of stealth, disguises, espionage, and assassination makes it so entertaining that I was hooked from the very first page, and why shouldn't I when it contains Ninja assassins and their secret battle techniques?
⚔️Kyle had made the characters whether historical/ fictional alive through his words. Tsubasa, Kaito, Itsuki, and Noboru are meticulously crafted and their diverse personality is well established which makes you relate to them and invest in their character's arc. Other supporting characters, however small they may be - Nobunaga, Rin, Hideyoshi, Nene, Ieyasu, and Masanari - equally contributes to moving the plot that ultimately leaves a mark in your mind.
⚔️The climax of the book is satisfactory; it ends with the famous Honno-ji temple incident, with its own twist, and also set the stage for another adventure of the Shinobi brothers. This raises my expectation level high and hooked me for the next book.
Overall, Mists of Iga was an amazing read, leaving me wanting more. If you are into historical fiction, Japanese history & Shinobi adventure tales, then this book is for you. Highly recommended.
𝙈𝙮 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.5/5)
⚔️The book - 1st in the Sons of Yokai series - set in the Sengoku period of Japan, tells the story of four Shinobis, who went out on a quest for a mysterious item in order to avenge the massacre of their tribe.
1581 AD Japan. The famous warlord, Nobunaga Oda wiped out the entire Shinobi tribe of Iga in order to obtain a mysterious legendary object that could unify Japan, but he failed. In order to avenge their tribe, the Yukimura brothers, Tsubasa and Kaito along with their father's former comrades, Itsuki and Noboru went out on a mysterious journey to claim the Nobunaga's object of obsession that will change the destiny of the nation.
“𝙄𝙛 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙣. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙨 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙚.”
⚔️After reading the book, it's hard to believe it was Kyle's debut novel. He had waved the plot dipped in the rich historical and cultural heritage of Japan, with real people and events in delivering a gripping tale of adventure and mystery. The inclusion of stealth, disguises, espionage, and assassination makes it so entertaining that I was hooked from the very first page, and why shouldn't I when it contains Ninja assassins and their secret battle techniques?
⚔️Kyle had made the characters whether historical/ fictional alive through his words. Tsubasa, Kaito, Itsuki, and Noboru are meticulously crafted and their diverse personality is well established which makes you relate to them and invest in their character's arc. Other supporting characters, however small they may be - Nobunaga, Rin, Hideyoshi, Nene, Ieyasu, and Masanari - equally contributes to moving the plot that ultimately leaves a mark in your mind.
⚔️The climax of the book is satisfactory; it ends with the famous Honno-ji temple incident, with its own twist, and also set the stage for another adventure of the Shinobi brothers. This raises my expectation level high and hooked me for the next book.
Overall, Mists of Iga was an amazing read, leaving me wanting more. If you are into historical fiction, Japanese history & Shinobi adventure tales, then this book is for you. Highly recommended.
𝙈𝙮 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.5/5)
March 31, 2021
DNF out of sheer rage.
Everyone who said this was well-researched is lying, or are themselves not well-informed enough of the history to tell.
The maps were real. That automatically sets up a high expectation for me. No matter how much you say "I used real life only as inspiration for fiction", I will hold every error against you.
The TL;DR is I feel like I could've made the same story 10 years ago, armed with barely functional Wikipedia knowledge of Sengoku Japan and Google Translate. Everything is so clichéd, and brings absolutely nothing new to the ninja and samurai trope. It's only pseudo-unique if you compare it to vampires, werewolves, dragons, and every other generic Tolkien knockoff on the market. And if these wonky depiction is purposeful rather than genuine errors, then it's even more asinine. What's the point of researching, if you then end up chickening out and running with the dead-tired overused tropes?
I cringed at the Glossary right off the bat. No, there is no such thing as Bushidō in 1500s Japan. Warriors may follow some personal set of honour code, but it will be just a generic virtue or some such. The word Bushidō, as a term, does not exist. The blubber about jōnin and chūnin ninjas, and all the smoke bombs and such are utter garbage. Ancient garbage written in the 1600s or 1700s it may be, but still garbage all the same.
And then, the clincher: Will people just bloody STOP saying Nobunaga wants to destroy Iga? I don't care if you ascribe semi-noble reasoning for his quest. Perhaps had things been left alone, the conquest of Iga is an eventual inevitability. However, the fact remains that in reality Nobukatsu initially set off to attack Iga without consulting his father.
So putting Nobukatsu there on-scene, but then still insisting on saying "Nobunaga ordered it though" is such a tell just how little research on the matter the author did. Just based on even the most cursory of Wikipedia research, 8 years ago I already knew Nobukatsu was the instigator of the Iga war, and finding out why was the whole point of me learning Japanese history. And they had LESS info out online back then than they do now.
Nobunaga himself fighting— hah! Nobunaga wasn't even there to supervise. Both times. He just came in at the end of the second invasion — well after everyone cleaned up the place and no more fighting is to be done, mind you — to inspect the land.
And then if you dig down further, you actually have claims that Iga insiders was the one who came knocking at Oda's door asking them to please invade Iga. Was it a trap to wreak havoc among the Oda ranks? Maybe, but on surface reading all it looks like is a whistle-blower despised their own province so much they wanted it gone.
Also, how lazy do you have to be that you don't even know the names of Nobunaga's vassals during the Iga invasion? The Nobunaga scene involved some NPC Bob sort of character called Ito. Wikipedia has a list of people's names. Can't you even namedrop the ever-famous Mitsuhide? Hideyoshi? Not Yasuke? I'm willing to forgive the naming of wrong vassals since even Japanese people themselves do it (again, WIKIPEDIA tells you which persons are actually there, why are you naming bullshit names???). Like, I know Mr Mortensen knows about Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide since the book goes all the way up to Honnouji.
So yeah... boring ninja tropes. It's only good and unique and interesting if you know jack doodle squat about real Japanese history, and only consume Western-based medieval stories.
Everyone who said this was well-researched is lying, or are themselves not well-informed enough of the history to tell.
The maps were real. That automatically sets up a high expectation for me. No matter how much you say "I used real life only as inspiration for fiction", I will hold every error against you.
The TL;DR is I feel like I could've made the same story 10 years ago, armed with barely functional Wikipedia knowledge of Sengoku Japan and Google Translate. Everything is so clichéd, and brings absolutely nothing new to the ninja and samurai trope. It's only pseudo-unique if you compare it to vampires, werewolves, dragons, and every other generic Tolkien knockoff on the market. And if these wonky depiction is purposeful rather than genuine errors, then it's even more asinine. What's the point of researching, if you then end up chickening out and running with the dead-tired overused tropes?
I cringed at the Glossary right off the bat. No, there is no such thing as Bushidō in 1500s Japan. Warriors may follow some personal set of honour code, but it will be just a generic virtue or some such. The word Bushidō, as a term, does not exist. The blubber about jōnin and chūnin ninjas, and all the smoke bombs and such are utter garbage. Ancient garbage written in the 1600s or 1700s it may be, but still garbage all the same.
And then, the clincher: Will people just bloody STOP saying Nobunaga wants to destroy Iga? I don't care if you ascribe semi-noble reasoning for his quest. Perhaps had things been left alone, the conquest of Iga is an eventual inevitability. However, the fact remains that in reality Nobukatsu initially set off to attack Iga without consulting his father.
So putting Nobukatsu there on-scene, but then still insisting on saying "Nobunaga ordered it though" is such a tell just how little research on the matter the author did. Just based on even the most cursory of Wikipedia research, 8 years ago I already knew Nobukatsu was the instigator of the Iga war, and finding out why was the whole point of me learning Japanese history. And they had LESS info out online back then than they do now.
Nobunaga himself fighting— hah! Nobunaga wasn't even there to supervise. Both times. He just came in at the end of the second invasion — well after everyone cleaned up the place and no more fighting is to be done, mind you — to inspect the land.
And then if you dig down further, you actually have claims that Iga insiders was the one who came knocking at Oda's door asking them to please invade Iga. Was it a trap to wreak havoc among the Oda ranks? Maybe, but on surface reading all it looks like is a whistle-blower despised their own province so much they wanted it gone.
Also, how lazy do you have to be that you don't even know the names of Nobunaga's vassals during the Iga invasion? The Nobunaga scene involved some NPC Bob sort of character called Ito. Wikipedia has a list of people's names. Can't you even namedrop the ever-famous Mitsuhide? Hideyoshi? Not Yasuke? I'm willing to forgive the naming of wrong vassals since even Japanese people themselves do it (again, WIKIPEDIA tells you which persons are actually there, why are you naming bullshit names???). Like, I know Mr Mortensen knows about Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide since the book goes all the way up to Honnouji.
So yeah... boring ninja tropes. It's only good and unique and interesting if you know jack doodle squat about real Japanese history, and only consume Western-based medieval stories.
August 29, 2021
In Mists of Iga, I was absolutely taken away to Japan in the middle of a civil war. The descriptions are vivid and alluring, the story is fast paced and intense. If you weren’t interested in shinobi (ninja) culture before, you will be with this book.
Noboro and Itsuki have a score to settle with Lord Nobunaga Oda. But it’s not as simple as revenge; it’s uncovering legendary swords, escaping the samurai that want to kill them, and ensuring the survival of their mentor’s sons. You won’t expect the twist at the end when Itsuki and Nobunaga meet. And what’s going to happen with Rin?
The research undertaken to make Japan in the 1580’s accessible and understandable has been handled masterfully. Many of the characters in the book were real people. Events described in the book actually happened. This historical fiction had me fascinated with ancient Japanese culture and history. I was educated and entertained at the same time and I can’t wait for book two.
Noboro and Itsuki have a score to settle with Lord Nobunaga Oda. But it’s not as simple as revenge; it’s uncovering legendary swords, escaping the samurai that want to kill them, and ensuring the survival of their mentor’s sons. You won’t expect the twist at the end when Itsuki and Nobunaga meet. And what’s going to happen with Rin?
The research undertaken to make Japan in the 1580’s accessible and understandable has been handled masterfully. Many of the characters in the book were real people. Events described in the book actually happened. This historical fiction had me fascinated with ancient Japanese culture and history. I was educated and entertained at the same time and I can’t wait for book two.
November 8, 2022
I enjoyed this book. I believe that it is the author's first historical novel. It is a great first book. I think it needed to be longer in that the characters were somewhat hard to follow. There a a lot of characters with similar, Japanese, names and that made some of the narrative confusing. I think further character development would have helped the story. That time period in Japanese history is complicated, with a number of factions set against each other. I am hoping that further additions to the series will flesh out the remaining characters.
Overall, I recommend this book for anyone interested in the History of Japan. Both of my sons live in Japan, have married Japanese women and are raising families in that country. I have been to Japan a number of times and enjoy reading anything that helps me learn a little more about the Japanese culture.
Overall, I recommend this book for anyone interested in the History of Japan. Both of my sons live in Japan, have married Japanese women and are raising families in that country. I have been to Japan a number of times and enjoy reading anything that helps me learn a little more about the Japanese culture.
February 11, 2021
In this outstanding debut novel, four warriors embark on a quest to avenge the destruction of their ancestral village and to unlock the legendary Shinobi mystery that will help them wield power over the cruel and ambitious Warlords. With exceptional storytelling, authentic and well researched history, the author takes you on an epic, unpredictable and thrilling journey. Each character and scene are so well described and easy to imagine that it makes you hopeful this book will be turned into a movie someday. If you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings series, you will LOVE this book! I can’t wait for the next one to come out!
February 8, 2021
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. It would not be my typical first choice of books, but now I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel! I had a bit of a learning curve with the culture and vocabulary of ancient Japan, but the story quickly sucked me in. There were some grammatical and editing errors throughout, but not so bad as to detract from the story. Fair warning: this is a story of the brutal slaughter of the shinobi (ninjas) by the samari, and the graphic nature of the writing matches the content.
February 9, 2021
An interesting look back to early Japanese history. Story, intriguing. Characters, believable. Grammar, lacking. A good copy editor would work wonders to clean this up. That said, I did enjoy the read and would absolutely be interested in picking up future sequels.
November 23, 2020
It took me a chapter or two to become acquainted with the characters so I could figure out who was who. I enjoyed the story, so it was a pretty quick read. The author keeps the story interesting. The book definitely leaves you waiting for the next book, so I hope we don’t have to wait too long.
That being said, one thing that did detract was the many grammatical errors. It seemed like perhaps the author was in such a hurry to bring the book to market that it didn’t get a thorough proofreading. Sometimes it was just poor sentence construction. Sometimes the use of the wrong word, e.g., using “weary” when it should have been “wary.” Eventually I even started marking the errors, occasionally making notes. As can be seen by my writing here, I’m not an expert on grammar and punctuation, so I’m quite sure that if these issues detracted me from the story they might very well do the same for other readers. I hope the next book in the series will as good a story without the grammatical errors to detract.
Looking forward to it.
That being said, one thing that did detract was the many grammatical errors. It seemed like perhaps the author was in such a hurry to bring the book to market that it didn’t get a thorough proofreading. Sometimes it was just poor sentence construction. Sometimes the use of the wrong word, e.g., using “weary” when it should have been “wary.” Eventually I even started marking the errors, occasionally making notes. As can be seen by my writing here, I’m not an expert on grammar and punctuation, so I’m quite sure that if these issues detracted me from the story they might very well do the same for other readers. I hope the next book in the series will as good a story without the grammatical errors to detract.
Looking forward to it.
August 16, 2021
Awful…
Cliché, poorly written, riddled with typos, historically inaccurate, not very well researched…the most goes on.
Further proof that cool action stories with barely any plot or artistic enterprise are better left to action movies and kept out of book.
Skip it. Trust me.
Cliché, poorly written, riddled with typos, historically inaccurate, not very well researched…the most goes on.
Further proof that cool action stories with barely any plot or artistic enterprise are better left to action movies and kept out of book.
Skip it. Trust me.
April 5, 2024
At the time of writing this it had 4.32 stars which is super high and is generally a really good indicator of a great book! I have no idea why it’s rated so high. NO IDEA HOW ITS RATED SO HIGH!
I wanted to like this book, I really did. There just aren’t many fictional Shinobi books set in feudal/ancient Japan.
The book is poorly written. Very basic in terms of writing style and story. So much so, it belongs in the YA section and even then, I’d be disappointed with it. I feel this style would be the result if I was to try write a novel in my teenage years and, I can’t write!
Character interactions seemed so… juvenile? I cringe for the way characters acted and talked to one another. It was NOT Japanese. Western teenager is more like it. It was painfully bad in parts.
This book is also rife with spelling and grammatical errors. How these got through the editing process blows my mind! With that said, it was published by Amazon so, I think I found my answer.
For historical fiction… there’s just no research. Perhaps the author did a quick Wikipedia search on Japanese history but, even then, Wikipedia is leagues ahead of him.
It wasn’t the worst book I’ve read and I did manage to enjoy parts of it but, it is no way in any world a 4.32 star rated book. 2.5 at best. It does get a bit better half way through.
So close to a DNF (I always like to finish what I start).
Really disappointed as to I had high hopes for this book. Would’ve liked to have seen how the story and author developed going forward so yes, I would’ve at least tried book 2. Sadly this won’t be possible as the author has passed away. Rest in peace Kyle Mortensen. Thoughts for your family and friends.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. There just aren’t many fictional Shinobi books set in feudal/ancient Japan.
The book is poorly written. Very basic in terms of writing style and story. So much so, it belongs in the YA section and even then, I’d be disappointed with it. I feel this style would be the result if I was to try write a novel in my teenage years and, I can’t write!
Character interactions seemed so… juvenile? I cringe for the way characters acted and talked to one another. It was NOT Japanese. Western teenager is more like it. It was painfully bad in parts.
This book is also rife with spelling and grammatical errors. How these got through the editing process blows my mind! With that said, it was published by Amazon so, I think I found my answer.
For historical fiction… there’s just no research. Perhaps the author did a quick Wikipedia search on Japanese history but, even then, Wikipedia is leagues ahead of him.
It wasn’t the worst book I’ve read and I did manage to enjoy parts of it but, it is no way in any world a 4.32 star rated book. 2.5 at best. It does get a bit better half way through.
So close to a DNF (I always like to finish what I start).
Really disappointed as to I had high hopes for this book. Would’ve liked to have seen how the story and author developed going forward so yes, I would’ve at least tried book 2. Sadly this won’t be possible as the author has passed away. Rest in peace Kyle Mortensen. Thoughts for your family and friends.
April 29, 2021
Good Start (w/ a couple points)
I have an extensive history and experience living and working in Japan. It is refreshing to read a historical novel that covers some of the transition periods of this intriguing and complex culture. And by and large Kyle did a very good rendering.
A few points are more stylistic and story flow items.
First, I would award more satisfaction points to the next book if he doesn’t fall into the modern author trap of describing events and thoughts using words and phrases that are more in line with today’s vocabulary instead of keeping it more as you’d expect from a person actually living i the time-frame of the story; 16th century is this case. Please no ridiculous dialogue with modern warfighter cliche’s...get rid of that juvenile BS!!!
Develop the main characters more thoroughly. Take what you’ve done so far and add snippets of thought or dialogue that gives just a shade more of an indication to the reader, what the character is like. Psychology and motivation at the inner level of the character is important. Be subtle.
I have an extensive history and experience living and working in Japan. It is refreshing to read a historical novel that covers some of the transition periods of this intriguing and complex culture. And by and large Kyle did a very good rendering.
A few points are more stylistic and story flow items.
First, I would award more satisfaction points to the next book if he doesn’t fall into the modern author trap of describing events and thoughts using words and phrases that are more in line with today’s vocabulary instead of keeping it more as you’d expect from a person actually living i the time-frame of the story; 16th century is this case. Please no ridiculous dialogue with modern warfighter cliche’s...get rid of that juvenile BS!!!
Develop the main characters more thoroughly. Take what you’ve done so far and add snippets of thought or dialogue that gives just a shade more of an indication to the reader, what the character is like. Psychology and motivation at the inner level of the character is important. Be subtle.
April 12, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. I have been trying to get back into reading for a long time and this was the perfect book to do it. I will admit, I read through it faster than I thought, but that is because I wouldn't put it down. If you like the lore of shinobi and yokai mixed in with historical events and people, then I would recommend giving it a try.
My only complaint is that the characters aren't very complex, but it's also just the first book in a series, so there hasn't been a lot of time to fully show their potential, so I am not counting that as an actual criticism right now. I just wanted to mention it since it was the only thing that stuck out to me. So far, Itsuki and Noboru are the homies I always wanted.
Shout-out to the author, though. It looks like he's doing a lot of this on his own. I'm doing something similar with a story set in a similar setting. So, yeah, thanks for inspiring me to get back to work on my story and thanks for sharing yours. It's really good so far.
My only complaint is that the characters aren't very complex, but it's also just the first book in a series, so there hasn't been a lot of time to fully show their potential, so I am not counting that as an actual criticism right now. I just wanted to mention it since it was the only thing that stuck out to me. So far, Itsuki and Noboru are the homies I always wanted.
Shout-out to the author, though. It looks like he's doing a lot of this on his own. I'm doing something similar with a story set in a similar setting. So, yeah, thanks for inspiring me to get back to work on my story and thanks for sharing yours. It's really good so far.
April 15, 2021
Our book club just met and we could not say enough good about this book!
The plot captures you quickly, then expands as the intrigue deepens. This is not linear writing but vibrant with unexpected twists and unpredictable outcomes.
The characters are unique with genuine motivations but it is their complexities that give them life and connect you to them.
Combine this plot and these characters with the history and fantasy that Mortensen weaves together through fast-paced scenes full of grand descriptions and you start to believe that Mortensen is more cinematographer than author!
An epic story reminiscent of Lord of the Rings; with a tighter plot, more intrigue, more betrayal, and just as much fascination to leave us wanting more.
The plot captures you quickly, then expands as the intrigue deepens. This is not linear writing but vibrant with unexpected twists and unpredictable outcomes.
The characters are unique with genuine motivations but it is their complexities that give them life and connect you to them.
Combine this plot and these characters with the history and fantasy that Mortensen weaves together through fast-paced scenes full of grand descriptions and you start to believe that Mortensen is more cinematographer than author!
An epic story reminiscent of Lord of the Rings; with a tighter plot, more intrigue, more betrayal, and just as much fascination to leave us wanting more.
April 28, 2021
1581-1582 Japan is the setting for this entertaining and enjoyable novel centred on Nobunaga’s violent conquest of Iga and the efforts of four surviving Iga shinobi (ninjas) to exact revenge. A quest which takes them to isolated monasteries and shrines combined with a dose of Shinto mysticism adds a spiritual dimension to a vivid read. The history is pretty good although the use of 21st century terms like" intel" does detract at times. The landscape was a prominent feature of the narrative and the characters well-realised if sometimes feeling just a little comic-book. Genuine historical figures, such as Hideyoshi and Ieyasu, fit naturally into the narrative.
I'll certainly look out for the sequel.
I'll certainly look out for the sequel.
October 27, 2021
I received this book in a Goodreads give away.
First, this was a unique read. I would read stop and read, "Mists of Iga" took a while to read.
Kyle Mortensen has written a historical fiction about the unification of Japan. The book is well written, educational and reads well. The Japanese names and words make for some difficulty.
Personally, I enjoy the history of how countries come to be as an example Italy and Japan or the reverse how they break apart. Mr. Mortensen has contributed to my education.
First, this was a unique read. I would read stop and read, "Mists of Iga" took a while to read.
Kyle Mortensen has written a historical fiction about the unification of Japan. The book is well written, educational and reads well. The Japanese names and words make for some difficulty.
Personally, I enjoy the history of how countries come to be as an example Italy and Japan or the reverse how they break apart. Mr. Mortensen has contributed to my education.
July 7, 2024
Read it
Engaging story. Character development was a little slow at times. I found some of the events were not historically accurate like the Geishas that would nit have existed yet, and that the handling of the sacred swords not culturally accurate. Small quirks for me. I would still recommend this book.
Engaging story. Character development was a little slow at times. I found some of the events were not historically accurate like the Geishas that would nit have existed yet, and that the handling of the sacred swords not culturally accurate. Small quirks for me. I would still recommend this book.
April 4, 2022
A Slice of Feudal Japanese History
A smooth, well balanced tale of trust, truth, treachery and destiny. A complete story that leaves you thirsty for more and has an open door at the end. Great interlacing of history as well.
A smooth, well balanced tale of trust, truth, treachery and destiny. A complete story that leaves you thirsty for more and has an open door at the end. Great interlacing of history as well.
July 12, 2021
Engaging
I liked this book mainly for its mixture of Japanese history and folkore but, boy, does it need an editor!
I liked this book mainly for its mixture of Japanese history and folkore but, boy, does it need an editor!
August 16, 2021
Good historical book on the Iga.
June 10, 2022
great read
This was a page turner, well paced, well written. It will not disappoint. The core characters are well defined and the story is epic.
This was a page turner, well paced, well written. It will not disappoint. The core characters are well defined and the story is epic.
January 8, 2023
Despised the writing style, if you can even call constant grammar errors and cliche, undeveloped characters a “writing style.” Almost didn’t finish.
April 4, 2024
A great read, setting up the series. Sadly the Author has passed and it looks like the series will not be continued. www.cannonmortuary.com/obituaries/kyl...
July 10, 2024
Great adventure book. Not life changing by any means. Though i was very much interested in the outcome of our characters. Would certainly read the sequel when it comes out.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews