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TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan
A B.R.A.G. MEDALLION HONOREE. Grand Prize Winner, Dante Rossetti Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction, Chanticleer International Book Awards 2021. IAN Outstanding Action Adventure Fiction Book of the Year 2021. 1st Place Fantasy Fiction CIPA Book Award 2021. Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner 2021. IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards 2021 Silver Medal Winner for Audiobook Fiction
To save an empire from the ruthless warlord who killed his parents, a young samurai must summon the courage to face his past and seize his destiny.
Award-winning author Blue Spruell reimagines classic Japanese folklore in an historical fantasy adventure of warlords, swords & mythical beasts from old Japan - an engaging tale for adults young and old - Banzai!
Lost in the mists of Mount Fuji . . . but no one can escape destiny . . . .
Orphaned by a rival warlord and bewitched by a ghost, young Taro must reclaim his birthright and find his destiny as the legendary boy samurai and hero of Japan.
Accompanied by Tanuki, his shape-shifting badger sidekick, Tarō embarks on a quest of self-discovery and revenge, falls for Kamehime, the teenage samurai daughter of a powerful warlord, and ultimately becomes embroiled in the political struggle for the imperial throne. Along the way, Tarō and his allies face fearsome yōkai, the ghosts, goblins, and ghouls of Japanese folklore.
1st Place, Fantasy - 2021 CIPA EVVY BOOK AWARDS
Gold Medal Winner - 2021 READERS' FAVORITE BOOK AWARDS
"A riveting tale of betrayal, honor, and revenge that instantly hooks you in and just refuses to let go." - READERS' FAVORITE, Five Stars Review
"Engaging and fun samurai adventures with a captivating cast." - KIRKUS REVIEWS
"An exciting, magical coming-of-age adventure book that draws from Japanese folklore and history." - BOOK LIFE BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Taro is an extraordinary coming-of-age saga and highly recommended especially for connoisseurs of ancient legends retold. Highly recommended!" - MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
To save an empire from the ruthless warlord who killed his parents, a young samurai must summon the courage to face his past and seize his destiny.
Award-winning author Blue Spruell reimagines classic Japanese folklore in an historical fantasy adventure of warlords, swords & mythical beasts from old Japan - an engaging tale for adults young and old - Banzai!
Lost in the mists of Mount Fuji . . . but no one can escape destiny . . . .
Orphaned by a rival warlord and bewitched by a ghost, young Taro must reclaim his birthright and find his destiny as the legendary boy samurai and hero of Japan.
Accompanied by Tanuki, his shape-shifting badger sidekick, Tarō embarks on a quest of self-discovery and revenge, falls for Kamehime, the teenage samurai daughter of a powerful warlord, and ultimately becomes embroiled in the political struggle for the imperial throne. Along the way, Tarō and his allies face fearsome yōkai, the ghosts, goblins, and ghouls of Japanese folklore.
1st Place, Fantasy - 2021 CIPA EVVY BOOK AWARDS
Gold Medal Winner - 2021 READERS' FAVORITE BOOK AWARDS
"A riveting tale of betrayal, honor, and revenge that instantly hooks you in and just refuses to let go." - READERS' FAVORITE, Five Stars Review
"Engaging and fun samurai adventures with a captivating cast." - KIRKUS REVIEWS
"An exciting, magical coming-of-age adventure book that draws from Japanese folklore and history." - BOOK LIFE BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Taro is an extraordinary coming-of-age saga and highly recommended especially for connoisseurs of ancient legends retold. Highly recommended!" - MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
272 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2020
91 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Blue Spruell
2 books8 followersComing of age is not for the faint of heart.
Award-winning author Blue Spruell lived and worked in Japan before returning to Atlanta. A trial lawyer and certified mediator, he also teaches Japanese martial arts.
Award-winning author Blue Spruell lived and worked in Japan before returning to Atlanta. A trial lawyer and certified mediator, he also teaches Japanese martial arts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
February 19, 2021
Splendid well written mythical story
A Well-researched and richly described mythical tale of ancient Japan. Characters were well-developed, conflicts clearly described and landscape, temples, Interiors and costumes we're all well described and presented in detail. The tale itself what was very enjoyable and well-written.
A Well-researched and richly described mythical tale of ancient Japan. Characters were well-developed, conflicts clearly described and landscape, temples, Interiors and costumes we're all well described and presented in detail. The tale itself what was very enjoyable and well-written.
March 22, 2021
I don’t really know much about Japanese folklore as I haven’t read many books from there except for the most contemporary ones recently. But you say the word samurai and I am there; I have a weird thing for swords!
This is a re-telling of Taro, and I didn’t know anything about it until I read it. It is a mix between fantasy, folklore and history that is clearly well researched.
The description of ancient Japan is really good. As I have visited Japan, I tried to picture all the temples I saw as a part of this story. It is an entertaining one!
This is a re-telling of Taro, and I didn’t know anything about it until I read it. It is a mix between fantasy, folklore and history that is clearly well researched.
The description of ancient Japan is really good. As I have visited Japan, I tried to picture all the temples I saw as a part of this story. It is an entertaining one!
January 4, 2021
This is a fun re-imagining of Taro, the legendary hero of Japan. Spruell takes three stories of Taro, and weaves them into one engrossing tale. Some of the people are real, some are not, the magic is delightful. If you know nothing of Japanese history, or legends, this book will be a fun introduction (just don’t take it as gospel).
I was surprised at how well the marvelous illustrations showed up on my phone! (Yes, I tend to read books on my phone.) They added a great deal to an otherwise totally engaging story. (Can something be more than total?)
A martial arts book, a delightful story, a one-sit read. Well done!!
I was surprised at how well the marvelous illustrations showed up on my phone! (Yes, I tend to read books on my phone.) They added a great deal to an otherwise totally engaging story. (Can something be more than total?)
A martial arts book, a delightful story, a one-sit read. Well done!!
July 3, 2021
Sigh. Okay. Let's talk about Tarō. I want to start off by saying that I mean absolutely no disrespect to anybody involved with the creation and production of this book when talking about it - this is all just my personal opinion.
Tarō promises an exciting, fantastical retelling of the folklore legend of Japan's boy-samurai hero, the titular Tarō, who united the country amidst a fierce battle between warlords for the throne. I was so excited to read it as the book is so highly rated thus far, and the idea of a mythical Japanese fantasy about samurai was enchanting. But I must admit that it fell short of all of my expectations. I would rate it 2 stars - 2.5 on a good day.
It's not that I didn't like any of the book, so first, here are some things that I enjoyed:
Kamehime's character.
Kamehime is a girl samurai who is endearing, courageous, and talented, and I wish we'd experienced more of the tale from her perspective and had greater character development on her part.
The depth of Spruell's Japanese knowledge and research.
I enjoyed the setting of the story an awful lot, and the references to/use of Japanese gods throughout the story. It was fun to read about a fantasy set in a totally different realm to your average English-language fantasy, and Spruell obviously put time, effort, and care into researching early modern Japanese culture and integrating this into the story.
And... now let's talk about why I only rated this book 2 stars.
The writing.
- I found that the writing itself left an awful lot to be desired in Tarō. It doesn't stick to one perspective; sometimes we change perspectives between characters even within the same paragraph. This is possibly quite a small gripe, but it made it more jarring to read and hindered me from forming any real attachment to the main characters.
- There are an AWFUL lot of adjectives and adverbs (the word 'quickly', especially, is used excessively) that are just unnecessary and make the writing clunkier. Most of the story is 'told' rather than 'shown', and this results in the writing feeling quite... childish at times? However, the actual themes throughout the book are fairly adult, and these two things combined just didn't mesh well for me.
- And some of the writing, I just... really didn't like. Here are some examples of sentences I raised an eyebrow at:
The telling of the actual story.
- There is extremely overt foreshadowing and the story is predictable. This is somewhat understandable as it is a retelling, but I struggle to believe that the book couldn't have been made less cliché - perhaps I wouldn't have minded if I didn't have issues with any other aspects of the book.
- There are some inconsistent moments within the story (for example, Tarō is terrified of the humans in the temple near where he was raised, but has absolutely no qualms when it comes to revealing himself to a gaggle of strangers not long after we discover this fear).
- There was lots of convenience in order to continue the plot (see the first quote above).
- I didn't really feel any particular thrill at the book's climax. Perhaps this was just because I already knew what was going to happen, but I think it was also because I didn't feel attached to Tarō particularly and was kind of just slugging through at this point.
So, there you have it. I understand why people like Tarō and it definitely isn't the worst book I've ever read (hell, it isn't even the worst book I've read this year), but I found myself having so many issues with it that I just couldn't enjoy it. I would still recommend this to someone who's looking for a fun fantastical read - maybe I'm just overly picky when it comes to plot and writing, so just because I didn't enjoy it, doesn't mean you won't too!
Tarō promises an exciting, fantastical retelling of the folklore legend of Japan's boy-samurai hero, the titular Tarō, who united the country amidst a fierce battle between warlords for the throne. I was so excited to read it as the book is so highly rated thus far, and the idea of a mythical Japanese fantasy about samurai was enchanting. But I must admit that it fell short of all of my expectations. I would rate it 2 stars - 2.5 on a good day.
It's not that I didn't like any of the book, so first, here are some things that I enjoyed:
Kamehime's character.
Kamehime is a girl samurai who is endearing, courageous, and talented, and I wish we'd experienced more of the tale from her perspective and had greater character development on her part.
The depth of Spruell's Japanese knowledge and research.
I enjoyed the setting of the story an awful lot, and the references to/use of Japanese gods throughout the story. It was fun to read about a fantasy set in a totally different realm to your average English-language fantasy, and Spruell obviously put time, effort, and care into researching early modern Japanese culture and integrating this into the story.
And... now let's talk about why I only rated this book 2 stars.
The writing.
- I found that the writing itself left an awful lot to be desired in Tarō. It doesn't stick to one perspective; sometimes we change perspectives between characters even within the same paragraph. This is possibly quite a small gripe, but it made it more jarring to read and hindered me from forming any real attachment to the main characters.
- There are an AWFUL lot of adjectives and adverbs (the word 'quickly', especially, is used excessively) that are just unnecessary and make the writing clunkier. Most of the story is 'told' rather than 'shown', and this results in the writing feeling quite... childish at times? However, the actual themes throughout the book are fairly adult, and these two things combined just didn't mesh well for me.
- And some of the writing, I just... really didn't like. Here are some examples of sentences I raised an eyebrow at:
"...he arrived by some witchcraft intelligence in the corridor just outside Lord Tokugawa's chambers."
"...she pulled her sword free of the man's meat..."
"He turned to his daughter, his eyes moist, a thin wisp of bittersweet pride in the corner of his mouth."
The telling of the actual story.
- There is extremely overt foreshadowing and the story is predictable. This is somewhat understandable as it is a retelling, but I struggle to believe that the book couldn't have been made less cliché - perhaps I wouldn't have minded if I didn't have issues with any other aspects of the book.
- There are some inconsistent moments within the story (for example, Tarō is terrified of the humans in the temple near where he was raised, but has absolutely no qualms when it comes to revealing himself to a gaggle of strangers not long after we discover this fear).
- There was lots of convenience in order to continue the plot (see the first quote above).
- I didn't really feel any particular thrill at the book's climax. Perhaps this was just because I already knew what was going to happen, but I think it was also because I didn't feel attached to Tarō particularly and was kind of just slugging through at this point.
So, there you have it. I understand why people like Tarō and it definitely isn't the worst book I've ever read (hell, it isn't even the worst book I've read this year), but I found myself having so many issues with it that I just couldn't enjoy it. I would still recommend this to someone who's looking for a fun fantastical read - maybe I'm just overly picky when it comes to plot and writing, so just because I didn't enjoy it, doesn't mean you won't too!
September 1, 2021
Today is my stop on the blog tour for 𝐓𝐀𝐑Ō by Blue Spurell, illustrated by Miya Outlaw. Thank you to Kelly at Love Books Tours for having me along, and for sending me a copy of the book.
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"𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞-" 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧 ...
𝐓𝐚𝐫ō 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤. 𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝. 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬, 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 - 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 - 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧.
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Tarō is a reimagined tale about Japan's legendary boy samurai.
Set in 1596 when samurai warlords fight for control of the Imperial throne, Tarō does not want to be a samurai like his father, but fate takes a hand when a witch enchants the boy. Gaining supernatural powers, and befriending the magical forest animals of Mount Fuji, Tarō saves a powerful warlord’s life and discovers his destiny—as he hurtles headlong into the total war for ultimate control of Japan.
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"𝐓𝐚𝐫ō 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐘ō𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐲𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐚𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞," 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭. "𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬! 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞!"
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I don't know much about Japanese folklore or culture, but as I do like folklore and fairytales, Tarō was an enjoyable read for me. All fellow bookworms will recognise an element of themselves in Tarō as a child for he loves books too, much to his father's chagrin.
Although there are various Japenese words peppered throughout the book, these are well explained, and so do not alienate the reader. There is also an index at the back that helps.
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𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐫ō, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐮𝐣𝐢 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐮𝐣𝐢, 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞.
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There are some beautiful descriptions and scene setting throughout the story, and the illustrations by Miya Outlaw definitely help to bring the story to life.
Full of magical elements, samurai swords, martial arts, and mythical Japanese creatures from old Japan, fans of folklore and mythology will likely enjoy Tarō, and I would recommend it to these readers.
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"𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞-" 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧 ...
𝐓𝐚𝐫ō 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤. 𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝. 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬, 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 - 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 - 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧.
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Tarō is a reimagined tale about Japan's legendary boy samurai.
Set in 1596 when samurai warlords fight for control of the Imperial throne, Tarō does not want to be a samurai like his father, but fate takes a hand when a witch enchants the boy. Gaining supernatural powers, and befriending the magical forest animals of Mount Fuji, Tarō saves a powerful warlord’s life and discovers his destiny—as he hurtles headlong into the total war for ultimate control of Japan.
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"𝐓𝐚𝐫ō 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐘ō𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐲𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐚𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞," 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭. "𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬! 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞!"
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I don't know much about Japanese folklore or culture, but as I do like folklore and fairytales, Tarō was an enjoyable read for me. All fellow bookworms will recognise an element of themselves in Tarō as a child for he loves books too, much to his father's chagrin.
Although there are various Japenese words peppered throughout the book, these are well explained, and so do not alienate the reader. There is also an index at the back that helps.
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𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐫ō, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐮𝐣𝐢 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐮𝐣𝐢, 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞.
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There are some beautiful descriptions and scene setting throughout the story, and the illustrations by Miya Outlaw definitely help to bring the story to life.
Full of magical elements, samurai swords, martial arts, and mythical Japanese creatures from old Japan, fans of folklore and mythology will likely enjoy Tarō, and I would recommend it to these readers.
September 1, 2021
I’m a fanatic for history, but I have a special love for legends and myths and the like. So, obviously, when I realized that this book was based on Japanese history and Japanese legends?! Yeah, you can bet that I was extremely happy.
And, to be entirely truthful, Spruell did an excellent job weaving everything together into a single story. There were a lot of threads of inspiration that went into the book, but everything came together so nicely. Plus, I loved how he explained where he drew information from at the beginning of the book; it definitely helped to understand the connections and where certain elements in the story came from.
But aside from doing an amazing job at combining all these different tales and historical facts together, Spruell just has an amazing writing style. He really brought the story to life with wonderful, realistic writing. I wouldn’t say it’s lyrical or beautiful in the way that some books are, but I loved it. It had a certain balance between realistic and fantastical tones, I guess, that really made the story into something special.
Now, I should probably get into some specifics about the plot and the characters.
The plot had plenty of excitement, but also a lot of emotion. The action starts almost immediately, and from there it’s a tale of revenge and magic and war. And I think that the action scenes are where Spruell’s writing really shines; as I mentioned before, his writing made everything seem incredibly realistic.
As for the characters in this story, I definitely enjoyed reading about them. Obviously, the main character, the titular Tarō, is the star of the show. He was very well-written, and I liked his personality; he’s more interested in books than in fighting, but he steps up when he needs to. But I also loved the other characters in the story, too. (Most importantly, though, Kamehime is iconic, and she really added something special to the book. I promise you’ll love her if you read this.)
So, all things considered, I definitely recommend reading TARŌ! It has a lot going for it, between excellent writing, an action-packed plot, and wonderful characters. But I especially recommend it if you enjoy historical fantasy fiction because in that case, this is definitely the perfect book for you.
And, to be entirely truthful, Spruell did an excellent job weaving everything together into a single story. There were a lot of threads of inspiration that went into the book, but everything came together so nicely. Plus, I loved how he explained where he drew information from at the beginning of the book; it definitely helped to understand the connections and where certain elements in the story came from.
But aside from doing an amazing job at combining all these different tales and historical facts together, Spruell just has an amazing writing style. He really brought the story to life with wonderful, realistic writing. I wouldn’t say it’s lyrical or beautiful in the way that some books are, but I loved it. It had a certain balance between realistic and fantastical tones, I guess, that really made the story into something special.
Now, I should probably get into some specifics about the plot and the characters.
The plot had plenty of excitement, but also a lot of emotion. The action starts almost immediately, and from there it’s a tale of revenge and magic and war. And I think that the action scenes are where Spruell’s writing really shines; as I mentioned before, his writing made everything seem incredibly realistic.
As for the characters in this story, I definitely enjoyed reading about them. Obviously, the main character, the titular Tarō, is the star of the show. He was very well-written, and I liked his personality; he’s more interested in books than in fighting, but he steps up when he needs to. But I also loved the other characters in the story, too. (Most importantly, though, Kamehime is iconic, and she really added something special to the book. I promise you’ll love her if you read this.)
So, all things considered, I definitely recommend reading TARŌ! It has a lot going for it, between excellent writing, an action-packed plot, and wonderful characters. But I especially recommend it if you enjoy historical fantasy fiction because in that case, this is definitely the perfect book for you.
September 22, 2021
What a beautifully written book! The detailed description! 😍 The author easily immersed me in the world and culture of Taro with their beautiful use of language, there are a snall handful of footnotes included too which were helpful in understanding certain turns of phrase and for providing further context. This book also has a really useful glossary for the Japanese terms used throughout. The story takes you on a journey from Taro's quite traumatic youth through his childhood and into adolescence. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Japanese myth, legend and folklore as well as the culture through this story. I don't want to say too much about the various challenges Taro faces so as not to spoil it, but I will just mention that Tanuki may be my favourite ☺️
I would highly recommend this book.
I would highly recommend this book.
August 9, 2022
I love books full with folklore and history and this book did not disappointed. Japanese culture is so amazing and full of character, and I truly felt like I was there experiencing all of Taro's struggles and achievements.
The story is set in 16th century Japan, just before she is killed, Taro's mother is able to save his life by putting him in a boat. Luckily he is found by a witch that teaches him the way of the samurai and will pursuit his family's killer and save the emperor. Absolutely loved the atmosphere and the characters, full of history and detail. The author did an outstanding job at researching and making the story so rich with charm and magic.
The story is set in 16th century Japan, just before she is killed, Taro's mother is able to save his life by putting him in a boat. Luckily he is found by a witch that teaches him the way of the samurai and will pursuit his family's killer and save the emperor. Absolutely loved the atmosphere and the characters, full of history and detail. The author did an outstanding job at researching and making the story so rich with charm and magic.
March 24, 2021
I had some difficulty in getting into it especially the first couple of pages but it does pick up the pace and it was great. Each story is a different story on its own so you can read it how you prefer. The way the author writes makes you question the idea behind the story. And I just enjoy some retelling of Japanese folklores and the author was able to bring that out. It was written well and I might need to reread it to be able to grasp some different themes that I picked up here and there.
September 6, 2021
This is a very charming reimagining of Japanese folklore. The author takes three separate folk tales, all linked by the name Taro, and weaves them together with history and myth to make one coherent mystical story.
It’s probably not my normal cup of tea but I’m so glad I gave it a chance and read something a little bit different. It is quite heavy on description of the Japanese landscape and traditions, which does bring the story world to life, but also meant it took me a little while to get into. Once I’d gotten used to some of the Japanese words (there’s a handy glossary in the back) and customs, I was soon engrossed in Taro’s magical adventure.
Taro is the son of a great warlord, but his parents are murdered by a rival, when he is just a boy. With the help of his mother he escapes and is raised in the wild by a witch who gives him strength and special powers. When one day he comes into contact with the world of men, he must decide whether or not to meet his destiny and unite Japan.
I am certainly not an expert on Feudal Japan but it’s clear that the author is very knowledgable about not only the folk tales and myth, but also the history and culture of this time. There are several ‘real life’ characters in the novel and their stories are made to fit neatly into this tale. I enjoyed the way the historical and mythical elements were combined.
While I found Taro himself to be a little dull, there were some characters that I loved, particularly, Kamehime (Turtle Princess) the teenage Samurai daughter of a warlord and Tanuki, Taro’s shapeshifting and hedonistic, raccoon-dog, companion.
Overall, this is a fun and timeless adventure, that would be a great read for anyone interested in Japanese culture, history and the way of the Samurai.
Thanks to the author and lovesbooktours for the #gifted copy in return for an honest review.
It’s probably not my normal cup of tea but I’m so glad I gave it a chance and read something a little bit different. It is quite heavy on description of the Japanese landscape and traditions, which does bring the story world to life, but also meant it took me a little while to get into. Once I’d gotten used to some of the Japanese words (there’s a handy glossary in the back) and customs, I was soon engrossed in Taro’s magical adventure.
Taro is the son of a great warlord, but his parents are murdered by a rival, when he is just a boy. With the help of his mother he escapes and is raised in the wild by a witch who gives him strength and special powers. When one day he comes into contact with the world of men, he must decide whether or not to meet his destiny and unite Japan.
I am certainly not an expert on Feudal Japan but it’s clear that the author is very knowledgable about not only the folk tales and myth, but also the history and culture of this time. There are several ‘real life’ characters in the novel and their stories are made to fit neatly into this tale. I enjoyed the way the historical and mythical elements were combined.
While I found Taro himself to be a little dull, there were some characters that I loved, particularly, Kamehime (Turtle Princess) the teenage Samurai daughter of a warlord and Tanuki, Taro’s shapeshifting and hedonistic, raccoon-dog, companion.
Overall, this is a fun and timeless adventure, that would be a great read for anyone interested in Japanese culture, history and the way of the Samurai.
Thanks to the author and lovesbooktours for the #gifted copy in return for an honest review.
January 10, 2021
Mystical
Tale of war in Japan with powers and traditions leading. Very interesting royal family experience related to hierarchy. Animal type shifts.
Tale of war in Japan with powers and traditions leading. Very interesting royal family experience related to hierarchy. Animal type shifts.
September 26, 2021
Firstly I have to say that Tarō is a beautiful book to look at, from the colour combination on the cover to the layout and of course the wonderful, enchanting illustrations by Miyu Outlaw that are found throughout the book. The art captured the story and spirit of the setting perfectly, and more than once I found myself flicking back through to just appreciate the art. To the surprise of no one, I’m sure, I also loved that this book had a map and that it was done very much in a folktale style – it really is a very well put together book, that stayed true to that whimsical feel of a folktale.
This same attention to detail and cohesiveness is found throughout the entire book. The author has clearly done a lot of research, and there is a wonderfully detailed glossary at the back to make this book and tale accessible to people not familiar with Japanese or Japan, as well as a small number of footnotes. Just that level of commitment is fantastic, and you have to appreciate it. I did find myself a little distracted by the use of italics for words that are then referenced in the glossary, but I think that is more personal preference than anything and it was a good way of highlighting those aspects.
Spruell also does an excellent job of taking that research and dedication to detail, and paring it down, so that it bleeds through in the setting, character and story itself without overwhelming the tale that was being woven. The descriptions especially when it came to capturing the world and making it more than words on a page were beautiful, and it was so easy to imagine that you were there in the tale. Another element that really shone through was the fantastical elements, and really this was such a magical story – or that should be three stories, as Tarō weaves together three separate tales into a cohesive whole, and it works so well because of the approach that Spruell has taken and those fantastical elements.
The characters are well imagined, and Tarō makes for an interesting main character, although my heart was stolen by his companion Tanuki. Aside from our main characters, it would have been nice to spend more time with them and to witness their growth – personal and in terms of relationship, but at the same time, it could be said that Tarō was holding true to the essence of folktales because such things are often fleeting in those kinds of tales. Still, they felt as vivid as the world around them, and Spruell does an excellent job of investing you in Tarō’s tale.
There really is a lot to love about this book, and really the only thing that gives me pause was some of the writing. Not the pacing, because although it’s a little slow towards the start, it soon picked up and found its own rhythm, which as with so many things in Tarō fed into that folktale feel. But, there were a few places where it felt a little clunky, and there were some phrases that just pulled me out of the story completely. However, this was for the most part balanced by the evocation of the setting, era and feel of everything else that the author poured into this story, and it really was a delight to read. Tarō is really a love story to Japanese folklore, and I am glad that I picked it up and I think that anyone with an interest in Japan or folklore will enjoy this book.
This same attention to detail and cohesiveness is found throughout the entire book. The author has clearly done a lot of research, and there is a wonderfully detailed glossary at the back to make this book and tale accessible to people not familiar with Japanese or Japan, as well as a small number of footnotes. Just that level of commitment is fantastic, and you have to appreciate it. I did find myself a little distracted by the use of italics for words that are then referenced in the glossary, but I think that is more personal preference than anything and it was a good way of highlighting those aspects.
Spruell also does an excellent job of taking that research and dedication to detail, and paring it down, so that it bleeds through in the setting, character and story itself without overwhelming the tale that was being woven. The descriptions especially when it came to capturing the world and making it more than words on a page were beautiful, and it was so easy to imagine that you were there in the tale. Another element that really shone through was the fantastical elements, and really this was such a magical story – or that should be three stories, as Tarō weaves together three separate tales into a cohesive whole, and it works so well because of the approach that Spruell has taken and those fantastical elements.
The characters are well imagined, and Tarō makes for an interesting main character, although my heart was stolen by his companion Tanuki. Aside from our main characters, it would have been nice to spend more time with them and to witness their growth – personal and in terms of relationship, but at the same time, it could be said that Tarō was holding true to the essence of folktales because such things are often fleeting in those kinds of tales. Still, they felt as vivid as the world around them, and Spruell does an excellent job of investing you in Tarō’s tale.
There really is a lot to love about this book, and really the only thing that gives me pause was some of the writing. Not the pacing, because although it’s a little slow towards the start, it soon picked up and found its own rhythm, which as with so many things in Tarō fed into that folktale feel. But, there were a few places where it felt a little clunky, and there were some phrases that just pulled me out of the story completely. However, this was for the most part balanced by the evocation of the setting, era and feel of everything else that the author poured into this story, and it really was a delight to read. Tarō is really a love story to Japanese folklore, and I am glad that I picked it up and I think that anyone with an interest in Japan or folklore will enjoy this book.
March 3, 2021
I bought this on Amazon after taking a ‘look inside’ and was immediately drawn to the story which begins with a seven-year-old Takeda Taro.
I must confess that whilst I have not read many books set in feudal Japan I have an unsated interest in this genre of historical fiction that began when I read Shogun by James Clavell, one of the best books I have ever had the privilege of reading.
This story is the tale of TARO and the author explains before it is started that it is the amalgam of three different folk tales of our eponymous hero. In simple terms, it is a story of how one young boy grew to unite all of Japan.
I found the book was well written and very engaging to read if not quite what I was expecting (which was entirely my fault since I skimmed the introductory references). It is a folk story and I was so engrossed at the beginning I was not prepared for the magical elements of the story to unfold. It made it more fairy-tale and was not quite what I was looking for in my said desire of reading about Feudal Japan. However, that would be a disservice to the book because the fantastical elements are crucial to the narrative. TARO’s story unfolds in a beautifully concise yet descriptive way that moves at a great pace that kept me engaged.
I would have liked it to have been longer, with more time taken over the adventure to turn it into a proper tome but that is not suited to a folk tale I guess. The fight and battle sequences imparted enough but brusquely, almost like a summarised account which worked, but again I would have preferred more time and detail. I could say the same about the various characters. There are so many interesting and intriguing ones, I just wanted to spend more time with them and see the interactions and relationships build and grow. But again, it is a folk tale told as a story so it is admirable that I should feel so invested in each character after such a short introduction.
Overall, I think this is a great read and I am so pleased I picked it up.
I must confess that whilst I have not read many books set in feudal Japan I have an unsated interest in this genre of historical fiction that began when I read Shogun by James Clavell, one of the best books I have ever had the privilege of reading.
This story is the tale of TARO and the author explains before it is started that it is the amalgam of three different folk tales of our eponymous hero. In simple terms, it is a story of how one young boy grew to unite all of Japan.
I found the book was well written and very engaging to read if not quite what I was expecting (which was entirely my fault since I skimmed the introductory references). It is a folk story and I was so engrossed at the beginning I was not prepared for the magical elements of the story to unfold. It made it more fairy-tale and was not quite what I was looking for in my said desire of reading about Feudal Japan. However, that would be a disservice to the book because the fantastical elements are crucial to the narrative. TARO’s story unfolds in a beautifully concise yet descriptive way that moves at a great pace that kept me engaged.
I would have liked it to have been longer, with more time taken over the adventure to turn it into a proper tome but that is not suited to a folk tale I guess. The fight and battle sequences imparted enough but brusquely, almost like a summarised account which worked, but again I would have preferred more time and detail. I could say the same about the various characters. There are so many interesting and intriguing ones, I just wanted to spend more time with them and see the interactions and relationships build and grow. But again, it is a folk tale told as a story so it is admirable that I should feel so invested in each character after such a short introduction.
Overall, I think this is a great read and I am so pleased I picked it up.
August 12, 2022
I was sent a copy of this audiobook for review.
Tarō is a child fascinated by books but as the son of a Samurai warrior, Lord Takeda, he is told that value lies in fighting skills instead. His father gifts him a wakizashi blade, a short Samurai sword and prepares him for a life as a future Samurai. However, before Tarō can show his father his potential, their family are attacked by brutal warlords led by Lord Monkey that kill his father and his General. Tarō's mother tries to escape with him but is killed in the process of getting him to safety in a basket on the river. Tarō goes over a waterfall, loses his sword and is found by a witch. She plans to eat him but takes him home and raises him as her son instead.
Four years pass in the misty forests at the base of Mount Fuji. Tarō has grown large and strong feeding on the witch's magical milk and is friends with shapeshifting animals. One day he saves an important Lord from drowning and is offered a place in his Court. Tarō and his shape-shifting badger friend Tanuki set out to find glory. When they arrive at Court they are immediately entangled in age-old feuds and surrounded by dangers from the empire's political infighting. Having lost most of his childhood memories, Tarō starts to remember what happened to him and his parents and seeks revenge on the vicious warlords that murdered his family. To complicate matters, he falls in love with Kamehime, the daughter of a powerful warlord, whose samurai skills rival his battle expertise and makes him question his actions.
🌟🌟🌟🌟. I listened to the audiobook and was immersed in the magical world from the start. The story was wonderfully creative incorporating folklore and myths from Japanese culture. The narrative infused complex and intriguing characters who fought internal battles as well as physical ones against human foes, ghosts and other unique adversaries. I loved seeing Tarō's character development throughout the book and felt his friendship with Tanuki was heartfelt and based on loyalty and respect. Overall an entertaining and interesting story.
Tarō is a child fascinated by books but as the son of a Samurai warrior, Lord Takeda, he is told that value lies in fighting skills instead. His father gifts him a wakizashi blade, a short Samurai sword and prepares him for a life as a future Samurai. However, before Tarō can show his father his potential, their family are attacked by brutal warlords led by Lord Monkey that kill his father and his General. Tarō's mother tries to escape with him but is killed in the process of getting him to safety in a basket on the river. Tarō goes over a waterfall, loses his sword and is found by a witch. She plans to eat him but takes him home and raises him as her son instead.
Four years pass in the misty forests at the base of Mount Fuji. Tarō has grown large and strong feeding on the witch's magical milk and is friends with shapeshifting animals. One day he saves an important Lord from drowning and is offered a place in his Court. Tarō and his shape-shifting badger friend Tanuki set out to find glory. When they arrive at Court they are immediately entangled in age-old feuds and surrounded by dangers from the empire's political infighting. Having lost most of his childhood memories, Tarō starts to remember what happened to him and his parents and seeks revenge on the vicious warlords that murdered his family. To complicate matters, he falls in love with Kamehime, the daughter of a powerful warlord, whose samurai skills rival his battle expertise and makes him question his actions.
🌟🌟🌟🌟. I listened to the audiobook and was immersed in the magical world from the start. The story was wonderfully creative incorporating folklore and myths from Japanese culture. The narrative infused complex and intriguing characters who fought internal battles as well as physical ones against human foes, ghosts and other unique adversaries. I loved seeing Tarō's character development throughout the book and felt his friendship with Tanuki was heartfelt and based on loyalty and respect. Overall an entertaining and interesting story.
May 6, 2021
Feudal Japan, 1596. When his parents are attacked and killed by a rival lord, Tarō narrowly escapes with his life. He’s found by a witch whose magic helps Tarō grow uncommonly strong and muscular. However, Tarō can’t remember his life before he was found. With his strength, Tarō rescues a man from a supernatural being. The man, Lord Tokugawa, invites Tarō to his castle, but after being raised in a forest surrounded by magical animals, a world ruled by discipline, honor, and power is foreign to him. Accompanied by his raccoon/dog shapeshifting companion, Tanuki, Tarō is quickly thrust into a political struggle that will bring him face to face with his parents’ killer. Even Lord Tokugawa has a secret about the day Tarō’s parents were killed that could shatter their new-found alliance.
Tarō is a magical adventure told in the third person of a boy trying to find his place in the world. Spruell makes good use of the five senses while exploring the varied settings, especially sound and scent. Tarō’s journey from temples to cities and through the wilderness are all enchanting. Equally enhancing are Miya Outlaw’s illustrations. The artwork appears as if it’s in motion. The designs fit within the novel’s folklore style, and I was particularly captivated by the landscapes. Additionally, the characters are enjoyable, my favorites being Tanuki and Kamehime. The only thing I didn’t like were the footnotes, unusual for this genre. As the author includes a glossary, footnotes felt redundant. That said, this is a very enjoyable tale that will appeal to a wide range of readers with its fantasy elements and charming setting. Entwining the natural and human worlds, this story vividly recounts the life of a hero from Japanese legends named Tarō.
Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...
Tarō is a magical adventure told in the third person of a boy trying to find his place in the world. Spruell makes good use of the five senses while exploring the varied settings, especially sound and scent. Tarō’s journey from temples to cities and through the wilderness are all enchanting. Equally enhancing are Miya Outlaw’s illustrations. The artwork appears as if it’s in motion. The designs fit within the novel’s folklore style, and I was particularly captivated by the landscapes. Additionally, the characters are enjoyable, my favorites being Tanuki and Kamehime. The only thing I didn’t like were the footnotes, unusual for this genre. As the author includes a glossary, footnotes felt redundant. That said, this is a very enjoyable tale that will appeal to a wide range of readers with its fantasy elements and charming setting. Entwining the natural and human worlds, this story vividly recounts the life of a hero from Japanese legends named Tarō.
Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...
September 20, 2021
A huge thank you to @taro.novel and @lovebookstours for my #gifted copy of this book.
Taro is a very interesting, unique and wonderful book. It's definitely a book I'd not normally go for, however I've started to get really fascinated with Japanese culture that I wanted to try this. I was certainly not disappointed as there was so much culture it was fascinating. My only issue is theres a lot of world building and Japanese language which took me a while to understand. There's a glossary in the back which is very helpful, but I did have to go back and forth which made my reading a lot slower. The story also for me is more slow placed, where for my I prefer it to be faster.
Taro is about a young boy (Taro) whose orphaned by a rival warlord and bewitched by a ghost and must reclaim his birthright and find his destiny as both the legendary samurai and hero of Japan..
Taro is a very likeable character and I liked his journey through out this story. I also liked his awesome sidekick, which is a shape-shifting badger- Tanuki. These two go in a soul seaeching adventure facing Yōkai, ghosts, goblins and ghouls of Japanese folklore.
The scenery and setting is so well descriptive, you feel like you're transported there, and the added illustrations that Miya Outlaw did in this book helped as well.
This is set in 16th century Feudal Japan, with a mix of Japanese culture and traditional Japanese folklore. This was absolutely wonderful to read and it being something I don't know much about, I felt like I was learning it all, like I was studying it in education. Blue has clearly either done alot of history of Japanese or done a lot of background checks, but however she did it, it payed off.
This story is written beautifully and fans of history will really enjoy Taro. It's unique and magical, thrown in with fights, samurai swords, adventures and politics.
Very fascinating story.
Taro is a very interesting, unique and wonderful book. It's definitely a book I'd not normally go for, however I've started to get really fascinated with Japanese culture that I wanted to try this. I was certainly not disappointed as there was so much culture it was fascinating. My only issue is theres a lot of world building and Japanese language which took me a while to understand. There's a glossary in the back which is very helpful, but I did have to go back and forth which made my reading a lot slower. The story also for me is more slow placed, where for my I prefer it to be faster.
Taro is about a young boy (Taro) whose orphaned by a rival warlord and bewitched by a ghost and must reclaim his birthright and find his destiny as both the legendary samurai and hero of Japan..
Taro is a very likeable character and I liked his journey through out this story. I also liked his awesome sidekick, which is a shape-shifting badger- Tanuki. These two go in a soul seaeching adventure facing Yōkai, ghosts, goblins and ghouls of Japanese folklore.
The scenery and setting is so well descriptive, you feel like you're transported there, and the added illustrations that Miya Outlaw did in this book helped as well.
This is set in 16th century Feudal Japan, with a mix of Japanese culture and traditional Japanese folklore. This was absolutely wonderful to read and it being something I don't know much about, I felt like I was learning it all, like I was studying it in education. Blue has clearly either done alot of history of Japanese or done a lot of background checks, but however she did it, it payed off.
This story is written beautifully and fans of history will really enjoy Taro. It's unique and magical, thrown in with fights, samurai swords, adventures and politics.
Very fascinating story.
September 20, 2021
Award-winning and extremely talented author Blue Spruell invites adults young and older to this historical fantasy adventure of warlords, swords, and mythical beasts from old Japan. Taro is a lovingly written coming-of-age story featuring a lively cast of characters and fantastic adventures.
The author expertly combines and reimagines three old Japanese folk tales into this captivating story about Samurai, life, betrayal, war, bravery, friendship and love.
I am absolutely fascinated by adventures set in Japan, no matter the format. From books like Shogun, Musashi or the more recently released Detective Hiroshi series of mysteries by award-winning author Michael Pronko, or his essays about Tokyo titled Beauty and Chaos, to video games such as the Yakuza series or the PlayStation exclusive Ghost of Tsushima, I’m thrilled by the exotic culture, by the people and by their stories.
4-time Voice Arts Award Finalist, Audible Narration Contest Winner, classically-trained stage actor, fully-equipped producer, and waffle chef Steve Marvel does an absolute fantastic job of bringing to life all the characters and the events in Taro.
He delivers a perfectly balanced performance, reading swiftly, switching seamlessly between the characters and assigning each of them unmistakable voices or accents. The narrative experience is elevated thanks to the great way in which Steve Marvel handles specific Japanese words.
So, I can tell you that I absolutely loved Taro and I hope to see more such novels released by Blue Spruell! Well written, imaginative, easy to follow and immediately immersive, I highly recommend this award winning adventure of epic proportions to anyone and everyone who loves Japan or wants to fall in love with it!
The author expertly combines and reimagines three old Japanese folk tales into this captivating story about Samurai, life, betrayal, war, bravery, friendship and love.
I am absolutely fascinated by adventures set in Japan, no matter the format. From books like Shogun, Musashi or the more recently released Detective Hiroshi series of mysteries by award-winning author Michael Pronko, or his essays about Tokyo titled Beauty and Chaos, to video games such as the Yakuza series or the PlayStation exclusive Ghost of Tsushima, I’m thrilled by the exotic culture, by the people and by their stories.
4-time Voice Arts Award Finalist, Audible Narration Contest Winner, classically-trained stage actor, fully-equipped producer, and waffle chef Steve Marvel does an absolute fantastic job of bringing to life all the characters and the events in Taro.
He delivers a perfectly balanced performance, reading swiftly, switching seamlessly between the characters and assigning each of them unmistakable voices or accents. The narrative experience is elevated thanks to the great way in which Steve Marvel handles specific Japanese words.
So, I can tell you that I absolutely loved Taro and I hope to see more such novels released by Blue Spruell! Well written, imaginative, easy to follow and immediately immersive, I highly recommend this award winning adventure of epic proportions to anyone and everyone who loves Japan or wants to fall in love with it!
October 16, 2021
3.5/5 ⭐️
#Taro
#BlueSpruell
Blurb
Tarō is the heroic tale of Japan’s legendary boy samurai. Author Blue Spruell reimagines traditional Japanese folklore in a historical fantasy adventure filled with samurai swords, martial arts, and mythical Japanese creatures from old Japan.
Lost in the mists of Mount Fuji. But no one can escape destiny.
The year is 1596 when samurai warlords fight for control of the Imperial throne. Tarō does not want to be a samurai-like his father, but fate takes a hand when a witch enchants the boy. Gaining supernatural powers, and befriending the magical forest animals of Mount Fuji, Tarō saves a powerful warlord’s life and discovers his destiny—as he hurtles headlong into the total war for ultimate control of Japan.
🎎My thoughts
Anything to do with Japan catches my interest. I had never read a samurai tale earlier. This was a good opportunity to acquaint myself with one and I read this along with my daughter. While it gave me some backdrop of feudal times my daughter loved the fantastical and the magical elements. Folklore, mythology, samurai, all rolled into one, Taro is an amalgamation of three folk tales. The author has woven historical fiction and magical fantasy. The descriptions of the landscape and clothing create good imagery. The illustrations seem beautiful as much as I could make out on a digital version. I’m sure in print they would be stunning.
A fun read for young readers, it has all the elements to make for a screen adaptation or a tv series.
Thank you @lovebookstours and @taro.novel for a #gifted digital version of the book and a spot on the book tour.
#Taro
#BlueSpruell
Blurb
Tarō is the heroic tale of Japan’s legendary boy samurai. Author Blue Spruell reimagines traditional Japanese folklore in a historical fantasy adventure filled with samurai swords, martial arts, and mythical Japanese creatures from old Japan.
Lost in the mists of Mount Fuji. But no one can escape destiny.
The year is 1596 when samurai warlords fight for control of the Imperial throne. Tarō does not want to be a samurai-like his father, but fate takes a hand when a witch enchants the boy. Gaining supernatural powers, and befriending the magical forest animals of Mount Fuji, Tarō saves a powerful warlord’s life and discovers his destiny—as he hurtles headlong into the total war for ultimate control of Japan.
🎎My thoughts
Anything to do with Japan catches my interest. I had never read a samurai tale earlier. This was a good opportunity to acquaint myself with one and I read this along with my daughter. While it gave me some backdrop of feudal times my daughter loved the fantastical and the magical elements. Folklore, mythology, samurai, all rolled into one, Taro is an amalgamation of three folk tales. The author has woven historical fiction and magical fantasy. The descriptions of the landscape and clothing create good imagery. The illustrations seem beautiful as much as I could make out on a digital version. I’m sure in print they would be stunning.
A fun read for young readers, it has all the elements to make for a screen adaptation or a tv series.
Thank you @lovebookstours and @taro.novel for a #gifted digital version of the book and a spot on the book tour.
August 6, 2022
🇬🇧📚 Book Tour Review 📚🇬🇧
#️⃣ 2022 Tour Number: 35
#️⃣ 2022 Books Read: 66/30
🌟 Rating: 📓📙📘📗 (4/5⭐)
🔲 Book Title: TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan @taro.novel
🖋️ Author: Blue Spruell
🎭 Genre: Narrative, Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical fantasy, Paranormal fiction
📖 Format: 🎧 Audiobook
📄 Pages: 274
📢 Tour: @lovebookstours
#LBTCrew #taro #LegendaryBoyHeroofJapan
.
#bookstagram #bookblog #bookreview #ukbookblog #ukbookstagram #bookworm #readersofinstagram #booktour #lovebooks #lovereading #2022books #bookstoread #bookstoread #BookTourReview
🎨 Artwork
The artwork on the cover is very much in the style of this historical fantasy book. I love the contrast in the gold and green and the artwork is excellent.
✒️ Style
👪 Characters
Taro is the lead character, a young boy who loves literature and reading but his father, a warlord and samurai wishes good son to follow in his footsteps. Taro is a charismatic young boy, who once enchanted has supernatural powers. Taro has very few friends but Tanuki and Kamehime become two of his closest.
📈 Plot
Taro is ophaned by a neighbouring powerful warlord. After his escape he is found floating downriver and is bewitched by a ghost. Taro spends a lot of his youth playing with Tanuki when he finds himself in a position to help fight for the imperial throne.
🤓 Read more
I really enjoyed this book, it has everything from warlords, to sword fights and mythical beasts, ghouls all wrapped up around Japanese folklaw. The first time I tried listening to the book I couldn't get in to it, then another day I blitz it in one sitting finding myself immersed in the story and picturing all the characters.
#️⃣ 2022 Tour Number: 35
#️⃣ 2022 Books Read: 66/30
🌟 Rating: 📓📙📘📗 (4/5⭐)
🔲 Book Title: TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan @taro.novel
🖋️ Author: Blue Spruell
🎭 Genre: Narrative, Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical fantasy, Paranormal fiction
📖 Format: 🎧 Audiobook
📄 Pages: 274
📢 Tour: @lovebookstours
#LBTCrew #taro #LegendaryBoyHeroofJapan
.
#bookstagram #bookblog #bookreview #ukbookblog #ukbookstagram #bookworm #readersofinstagram #booktour #lovebooks #lovereading #2022books #bookstoread #bookstoread #BookTourReview
🎨 Artwork
The artwork on the cover is very much in the style of this historical fantasy book. I love the contrast in the gold and green and the artwork is excellent.
✒️ Style
👪 Characters
Taro is the lead character, a young boy who loves literature and reading but his father, a warlord and samurai wishes good son to follow in his footsteps. Taro is a charismatic young boy, who once enchanted has supernatural powers. Taro has very few friends but Tanuki and Kamehime become two of his closest.
📈 Plot
Taro is ophaned by a neighbouring powerful warlord. After his escape he is found floating downriver and is bewitched by a ghost. Taro spends a lot of his youth playing with Tanuki when he finds himself in a position to help fight for the imperial throne.
🤓 Read more
I really enjoyed this book, it has everything from warlords, to sword fights and mythical beasts, ghouls all wrapped up around Japanese folklaw. The first time I tried listening to the book I couldn't get in to it, then another day I blitz it in one sitting finding myself immersed in the story and picturing all the characters.
December 19, 2025
TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan is a vivid historical fantasy that blends classic Japanese folklore with an emotionally grounded coming-of-age story. Blue Spruell reimagines ancient myths and traditions into a sweeping adventure filled with warlords, swords, spirits, and destiny.
Orphaned when a ruthless rival warlord kills his parents, young Tarō is haunted by loss and shaped by fate. Bewitched by a ghost and guided by forces beyond his control, he must reclaim his birth right and grow into the legendary boy samurai he is meant to become. His journey is not just one of revenge, but of self-discovery, courage, and honour.
Accompanied by Tanuki, a clever shape-shifting badger, Tarō’s quest takes him through political intrigue and dangerous encounters with yōkai — the ghosts, goblins, and ghouls of Japanese folklore. Along the way, he forms meaningful alliances, falls for Kamehime, the strong-willed daughter of a powerful warlord, and becomes entangled in the struggle for the imperial throne.
What makes this novel stand out is how it balances action with emotional depth. Tarō’s growth feels earned, and the themes of destiny, loyalty, and resilience resonate throughout the story. The folklore elements are woven naturally into the narrative, making the world feel immersive and authentic without overwhelming the reader.
This is an engaging, imaginative fantasy adventure that will appeal to young adults and adults alike, especially readers who enjoy myth-inspired stories, historical settings, and heroic journeys. TARO is a compelling retelling of ancient legends with heart, danger, and honour at its core.
Orphaned when a ruthless rival warlord kills his parents, young Tarō is haunted by loss and shaped by fate. Bewitched by a ghost and guided by forces beyond his control, he must reclaim his birth right and grow into the legendary boy samurai he is meant to become. His journey is not just one of revenge, but of self-discovery, courage, and honour.
Accompanied by Tanuki, a clever shape-shifting badger, Tarō’s quest takes him through political intrigue and dangerous encounters with yōkai — the ghosts, goblins, and ghouls of Japanese folklore. Along the way, he forms meaningful alliances, falls for Kamehime, the strong-willed daughter of a powerful warlord, and becomes entangled in the struggle for the imperial throne.
What makes this novel stand out is how it balances action with emotional depth. Tarō’s growth feels earned, and the themes of destiny, loyalty, and resilience resonate throughout the story. The folklore elements are woven naturally into the narrative, making the world feel immersive and authentic without overwhelming the reader.
This is an engaging, imaginative fantasy adventure that will appeal to young adults and adults alike, especially readers who enjoy myth-inspired stories, historical settings, and heroic journeys. TARO is a compelling retelling of ancient legends with heart, danger, and honour at its core.
March 1, 2021
This book is a combination of history, Japanese folklore and fantasy. It takes place in fifteenth century feudal Japan. Think Samurai. This came across my path on Goodreads somehow and caught my attention as I have an affinity for Japanese history and culture. Add in the fantastical elements and I knew I had to see what it was about! Taro is the story of a boy finding himself during the time of the unification of feudal Japan. There is much battle and bloodshed amongst the warlords and their opposing Samurai forces, there are talking animals, menacing gods, a cave dwelling witch, creatures and demons from Japanese folklore, as well as actual real historical figures. I personally loved the inclusion of Japanese words throughout the text with the accompanying glossary in the back (although a few words were missing???). The amount of knowledge and research and obvious passion that went into this is truly admirable. I did feel, at times, that the story was a little rushed. I could’ve used more. More of what exactly? I don’t know, but more. The writing, for me, was ok—not mind-blowing but certainly not bad. I really enjoyed Miya Outlaw’s illustrations throughout the book. Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read! It’s not going to be for everyone, but if you’re considering it, go for it.
**I wanted to rate it 3.5 (that feels accurate for my experience) but there are no half stars so when swaying back and forth between 3 and 4... 3 didn’t feel right.
**I wanted to rate it 3.5 (that feels accurate for my experience) but there are no half stars so when swaying back and forth between 3 and 4... 3 didn’t feel right.
September 16, 2021
Taro Blue Spruell is a mythical retelling of Japanese folklore. It's fantasy fiction that involves a lot of the actual history of Japan. It was impressive to see the level of research the author did. Before reading the book, I didn't know much about taro, and the folklore in Japanese culture, but this book made me dig into the culture.
I loved the illustrations of some scenes after every few pages. It definitely helped visualize the story better. The author also had written tiny footnotes to help understand some terms, which was really informative to read.
What I really enjoyed about Spruell's writing is his detailed world-building style. The way he describes a scene and the surrounding teleports you to historic Japan.
The book had its highs and lows. The fighting scenes and adventurous parts were high-paced, and then there were a few scenes that didn't really pique my interest. The fascination waved from high to low after every few pages.
The story contains magical elements and adventure which was of course is a *chef kiss* blend. And even though I do have mixed feelings for the book, it is definitely a good read for folklore lovers.
If historical fantasy folklore is your genre, I would recommend you to read this well-researched adventurous folklore retelling by Blue Spruell.
Full review: https://divyakaushik1010.wixsite.com/...
I loved the illustrations of some scenes after every few pages. It definitely helped visualize the story better. The author also had written tiny footnotes to help understand some terms, which was really informative to read.
What I really enjoyed about Spruell's writing is his detailed world-building style. The way he describes a scene and the surrounding teleports you to historic Japan.
The book had its highs and lows. The fighting scenes and adventurous parts were high-paced, and then there were a few scenes that didn't really pique my interest. The fascination waved from high to low after every few pages.
The story contains magical elements and adventure which was of course is a *chef kiss* blend. And even though I do have mixed feelings for the book, it is definitely a good read for folklore lovers.
If historical fantasy folklore is your genre, I would recommend you to read this well-researched adventurous folklore retelling by Blue Spruell.
Full review: https://divyakaushik1010.wixsite.com/...
October 10, 2021
Its the 16th Century in Kai Providence, Japan and Lord and Lady Takeda, Taro’s parents are killed by Lord Monkey but before this happens his mother manages to put him on a boat where he is then found by a witch who helps him on his way to become a samurai, sealing his fate and birth right to be the one to reunite the lands. He finds himself caught up in a battle to take down Lord Monkey, rescue the Emperor and save Japan.
Featuring all sorts of mythical beasts who he meets on his journey through Mount Fuji including a badger sidekick who can shape shift.
The character of Taro is well-written, we see his journey as he goes from a young child to a fully fledged samurai. It was quite emotional at times when reading about his time as a boy. Taro is well paced with some sword fights throughout.
Soaked in culture and Japanese history, it’s based off the tale of Taro, a historical folklore. The author has pulled actual people and places which he mentions in the introduction and if you’re interested in knowing more about Japanese terms and some of the language, there’s a glossary at the back.
An immersive and beautifully described book accompanied by some wonderful illustrations. You could tell the author had done his research on Japan, it’s culture and on the tale of Taro. I didn’t know much about the tale but I’ve always found Japan folklore interesting so was intrigued by this book and I very much enjoyed this one.
Featuring all sorts of mythical beasts who he meets on his journey through Mount Fuji including a badger sidekick who can shape shift.
The character of Taro is well-written, we see his journey as he goes from a young child to a fully fledged samurai. It was quite emotional at times when reading about his time as a boy. Taro is well paced with some sword fights throughout.
Soaked in culture and Japanese history, it’s based off the tale of Taro, a historical folklore. The author has pulled actual people and places which he mentions in the introduction and if you’re interested in knowing more about Japanese terms and some of the language, there’s a glossary at the back.
An immersive and beautifully described book accompanied by some wonderful illustrations. You could tell the author had done his research on Japan, it’s culture and on the tale of Taro. I didn’t know much about the tale but I’ve always found Japan folklore interesting so was intrigued by this book and I very much enjoyed this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2021
When I saw the blurb for this I was instantly excited. Japanese folklore, historical fiction, samurai and mythical Japanese creatures? Yes please!
In TARŌ we have three standalone folklore tales and I greatly appreciated the introduction at the beginning of the read.
“Lost in the mists of Mount Fuji. But no one can escape destiny.”
In 1596 when Samurai warlords fight for the Imperial throne, Tarō doesn’t want to be a samurai like his father. We are introduced to Tarō’s home life, until his parents are killed and he is enchanted by a witch. From a slight and small boy, he becomes chubby cheeked and far stronger than others his age.
From gaining supernatural powers to befriending magical forest animals, Tarō not only goes hand to hand with a bear, but saves a warlord from a kappa determined to drown the man in a river.
The descriptions are luscious and you are not only able to imagine the beauty in the natural surroundings but also the buildings, food and clothing. Oh and the brutal killings/beheadings from fighters that do not waver.
At times TARŌ is slightly word heavy but this doesn’t detract from what is a great retelling. I only wish there could have been more creatures to introduce and awe after.
A great introduction to what I hope will be the first of many Japanese retellings in my library, if the blurb interests you at all I would definitely recommend picking this up!
Read to review with thanks to Love Books Tours.
In TARŌ we have three standalone folklore tales and I greatly appreciated the introduction at the beginning of the read.
“Lost in the mists of Mount Fuji. But no one can escape destiny.”
In 1596 when Samurai warlords fight for the Imperial throne, Tarō doesn’t want to be a samurai like his father. We are introduced to Tarō’s home life, until his parents are killed and he is enchanted by a witch. From a slight and small boy, he becomes chubby cheeked and far stronger than others his age.
From gaining supernatural powers to befriending magical forest animals, Tarō not only goes hand to hand with a bear, but saves a warlord from a kappa determined to drown the man in a river.
The descriptions are luscious and you are not only able to imagine the beauty in the natural surroundings but also the buildings, food and clothing. Oh and the brutal killings/beheadings from fighters that do not waver.
At times TARŌ is slightly word heavy but this doesn’t detract from what is a great retelling. I only wish there could have been more creatures to introduce and awe after.
A great introduction to what I hope will be the first of many Japanese retellings in my library, if the blurb interests you at all I would definitely recommend picking this up!
Read to review with thanks to Love Books Tours.
August 16, 2021
𝑻𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆: Taro
𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓: Blue Spruell
𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘:
Taro: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan is an interesting fantasy fiction penned by the author Blue Spruell. This book is inspired by Japanese folklore. Story features Lord Takeda and his son Taro. Lord Takeda is an imposing figure even without his armor and sword. At the age of seven, Taro became an orphan and he was then adopted by a witch named Yama Uba. Read this interesting story to find out for yourself what challenges will come in Taro's life. Will he be able to face different situations and take decisions whenever the situation demands?
Language used in the book is lucid. Cover photo is nice. The plot of the story is wonderful and I enjoyed every bit of it. Taro is an intelligent boy who has so many adventures for him. Story is captivating throughout and I didn't feel bored anytime while reading it.
This is the first time that I have heard the name of three timeless Japanese folktales: Kintarō (Golden Boy), Urashima Tarō (Island Boy), and Momotarō (Peach Boy). Now, I am more and more curious to dig deep into Japanese literature. This is a book worth reading. If you love fantasy stories then you can't miss to get your hands on this amazing one.
𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 5/5
𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓: Blue Spruell
𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘:
Taro: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan is an interesting fantasy fiction penned by the author Blue Spruell. This book is inspired by Japanese folklore. Story features Lord Takeda and his son Taro. Lord Takeda is an imposing figure even without his armor and sword. At the age of seven, Taro became an orphan and he was then adopted by a witch named Yama Uba. Read this interesting story to find out for yourself what challenges will come in Taro's life. Will he be able to face different situations and take decisions whenever the situation demands?
Language used in the book is lucid. Cover photo is nice. The plot of the story is wonderful and I enjoyed every bit of it. Taro is an intelligent boy who has so many adventures for him. Story is captivating throughout and I didn't feel bored anytime while reading it.
This is the first time that I have heard the name of three timeless Japanese folktales: Kintarō (Golden Boy), Urashima Tarō (Island Boy), and Momotarō (Peach Boy). Now, I am more and more curious to dig deep into Japanese literature. This is a book worth reading. If you love fantasy stories then you can't miss to get your hands on this amazing one.
𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 5/5
September 22, 2021
A beautiful book filled with beautiful illustrations throughout by Miya Outlaw. This book has everything I love from a map to the glossary at the back and the fact it was split up into 3 parts to.
For me this book was incredibly unique not only because it was set in 1596 but also because it was located in Japan which instantly got me excited to read.
Taro is a wonderful character, the author has made him extremely likeable with his mindset. For me although this was a little bit like a fantasy it wasn’t too far fetched and I enjoyed the magical journey it took Taro on.
There was a lot of adventure, excitement and battling which grips you every page you turn. The level of detail was remarkable. For me I loved everything this book contained to make you understand the Japanese culture more from mythical creatures and samurai swords.
For a coming of age book this was a book adults can definitely enjoy. If your not a fan of fantasy then that’s cool, this isn’t a fantasy that complicates your path this is a fantasy to make you appreciate fantasy if that makes sense.
I adored that the back of the book with the glossy had the translation and meaning but not only that it had the Japanese’s symbols for the words too. 250 pages of pure magic.
August 16, 2021
"TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan" written by the author Blue Spruell and illustrated by Miya Outlaw is a fantasy fiction. Main character of the story is Taro, a young boy living in feudal Japan. It's Taro's seventh birth day and Lord Takeda tells that Taro is the heir to Yōgaiyama Castle and the whole dominion of Kai Province. Taro keeps himself immersed in the books all the time. He even escapes from his home to have a place where he can peacefully read but his father wants him to get the training. Story becomes more exciting when Taro is taken in by a witch and he gets to know the animals of Mount Fuji.
This is a well written story. I love reading folklore and I am glad to get my hands on this one. Taro is a great character and I enjoyed reading about the titular character. This is a great coming-of-age fantasy novel and more and more readers should get their hands on this. Illustrations by Miya Outlaw are amazing and helped me to understand the story better. Cover photo of the book looks like. Title is short and suitable. If you are a fan of folklore then don't miss to grab a copy of this book.
This is a well written story. I love reading folklore and I am glad to get my hands on this one. Taro is a great character and I enjoyed reading about the titular character. This is a great coming-of-age fantasy novel and more and more readers should get their hands on this. Illustrations by Miya Outlaw are amazing and helped me to understand the story better. Cover photo of the book looks like. Title is short and suitable. If you are a fan of folklore then don't miss to grab a copy of this book.
August 25, 2021
YA Mythology, Coming of Age and Hero's Journey
Disclaimer: By law I’m required to state I received a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.
Taro takes inspiration from three japanese myths as well as historical characters and blends them together into a cohesive and enjoyable story. The author includes enough information so that those not familiar with japanese folklore do not feel lost and those that have some familiarity with the characters will see where the inspiration came from while being able to enjoy these interpretations as distinct characters.
Speaking of characters, often and fables the main and side characters cane sometimes feel more like role fillers than actual characters and that was not the case here. The author weaves a powerful heroes journey combined with a magical coming of age story for the ages. I will definitely be re-listening to it in years to come.
Speaking of listening, the narrator Steve Marvel had an engaging voice and never stumbled over pronunciation of japanese words. He was easy to listen to and I could not wait to see how the tale would unfold next.
I would recommend this to YA audiences.
Disclaimer: By law I’m required to state I received a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.
Taro takes inspiration from three japanese myths as well as historical characters and blends them together into a cohesive and enjoyable story. The author includes enough information so that those not familiar with japanese folklore do not feel lost and those that have some familiarity with the characters will see where the inspiration came from while being able to enjoy these interpretations as distinct characters.
Speaking of characters, often and fables the main and side characters cane sometimes feel more like role fillers than actual characters and that was not the case here. The author weaves a powerful heroes journey combined with a magical coming of age story for the ages. I will definitely be re-listening to it in years to come.
Speaking of listening, the narrator Steve Marvel had an engaging voice and never stumbled over pronunciation of japanese words. He was easy to listen to and I could not wait to see how the tale would unfold next.
I would recommend this to YA audiences.
September 24, 2021
‘Taro’ is a whimsical, beautiful retelling of Japanese folklore. I read this in one day as I was so engrossed in the story and the fight to save the Emperor. Now I know nothing about Japanese folklore or history so I can't say whether this was a faithful comparison but it was one that I loved. Taro goes on a journey, physically and personal and I loved how those ran parallel to each other.
It was also the small details in the story that made it feel authentic to me - the feeling of the cold in the opening chapters was especially well done. I also felt as if I could picture the temples and palaces vividly in my imagination and that has to do with the quality of the illustrations. They may only be in black and white but they have such an air of beauty to them.
Of course, my favourite character wasn't Taro it was Tanuki. You can't top a shape-shifting animal to a human narrative with the ability to do magic as well. It's a winner for me. I liked Taro don't get me wrong but Tanuki 💜.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and encourage you all to read it. It would even make cough a great Christmas present! Yeah, I did just mention that word!
It was also the small details in the story that made it feel authentic to me - the feeling of the cold in the opening chapters was especially well done. I also felt as if I could picture the temples and palaces vividly in my imagination and that has to do with the quality of the illustrations. They may only be in black and white but they have such an air of beauty to them.
Of course, my favourite character wasn't Taro it was Tanuki. You can't top a shape-shifting animal to a human narrative with the ability to do magic as well. It's a winner for me. I liked Taro don't get me wrong but Tanuki 💜.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and encourage you all to read it. It would even make cough a great Christmas present! Yeah, I did just mention that word!
August 8, 2022
Spectacular! I cannot even begin to say how much I loved this book. Wait! Yes, I can!
I love this so much that, not even 20% in, I bought this for my kindle. I wanted the joy of reading along as well as seeing the stunning illustrations that accompanied it.
The narration is fantastic. The characters and their personalities shone through.
He captures your attention and has you hooked. I know audio gives you the freedom to do daily tasks, but I love immersing myself in the story, listening to every word. The descriptions are exquisite. The world, the landscape and the people, in a mesmerising and vibrant way, come to life.
I feel blessed that Taro was my first venture into Japanese Folklore. It has ignited my desire to read and learn more about the beautiful culture and tales from such a rich Country.
I also have to mention the scene in which the Bamboo Water Hammer first appears. I instantly thought of Kill Bill when Black Mamba confronts Cottonmouth. Truly epic! That’s the level of stunning imagery you get with this book!
The audio was a blessing in helping with the pronunciation of Japanese names.
Thank you so much, Blue and Love Books Tours. A pure pleasure.
I love this so much that, not even 20% in, I bought this for my kindle. I wanted the joy of reading along as well as seeing the stunning illustrations that accompanied it.
The narration is fantastic. The characters and their personalities shone through.
He captures your attention and has you hooked. I know audio gives you the freedom to do daily tasks, but I love immersing myself in the story, listening to every word. The descriptions are exquisite. The world, the landscape and the people, in a mesmerising and vibrant way, come to life.
I feel blessed that Taro was my first venture into Japanese Folklore. It has ignited my desire to read and learn more about the beautiful culture and tales from such a rich Country.
I also have to mention the scene in which the Bamboo Water Hammer first appears. I instantly thought of Kill Bill when Black Mamba confronts Cottonmouth. Truly epic! That’s the level of stunning imagery you get with this book!
The audio was a blessing in helping with the pronunciation of Japanese names.
Thank you so much, Blue and Love Books Tours. A pure pleasure.
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