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The Twelve Kingdoms (9 books edition) #3
The Twelve Kingdoms: The Vast Spread of the Seas
When only an eggfruit, the kirin of the En Kingdom, Rokuta, was transported to Japan for his own protection. But he was abandoned soon after birth by his surrogate parents, left to fend for himself in the mountains. It just so happened that at the same time, a young boy in the En Kingdom named Koya was also abandoned by his own parents, after which he was raised by demon beasts. Their similar circumstances aren't the only thing to bind these two boys, though. Twenty years after their abandonment, their destinies intersect, with potentially disastrous consequences for the En Kingdom.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 1994
29 people are currently reading
1375 people want to read
About the author
Fuyumi Ono
168 books327 followersKanji Name: 小野 不由美.
Fuyumi Ono (小野 不由美, Ono Fuyumi) is a Japanese novelist who is best known for writing the Twelve Kingdoms (十二国記, Juuni Kokuki) series, on which a popular anime is based. Her name after marriage is Fuyumi Uchida (内田不由美, Uchida Fuyumi), but she writes under her maiden name.
Ono was born in Nakatsu, Ōita, Kyūshū in 1960. She graduated from Ōtani University in Kyōto with a degree in Buddhist Studies, and in 1988 was employed by the publisher Kōdansha. Her debut story is titled Sleepless on Birthday Eve.
Ono is married to Naoyuki Uchida (内田直行, Uchida Naoyuki), a mystery novelist who writes under the pseudonym Yukito Ayatsuji (綾辻行人 , Ayatsuji Yukito).
Before she started work on Twelve Kingdoms, Fuyumi Ono wrote The Demonic Child (魔性の子), a horror novel about a boy from another world. She later worked certain events from this novel into the Twelve Kingdoms series. Short stories set in the various kingdoms include: Kasho, Toei, Shokan, Kizan and Jogetsu. In February, 2008, the first new Twelve Kingdoms short story, Hisho no Tori (丕緒の鳥) was published in Shinchosha's Yomyom magazine.
According to an interview at the Anime News Network, she is "currently rewriting a girls' horror series (she) wrote long ago."
- Wikipedia
Fuyumi Ono (小野 不由美, Ono Fuyumi) is a Japanese novelist who is best known for writing the Twelve Kingdoms (十二国記, Juuni Kokuki) series, on which a popular anime is based. Her name after marriage is Fuyumi Uchida (内田不由美, Uchida Fuyumi), but she writes under her maiden name.
Ono was born in Nakatsu, Ōita, Kyūshū in 1960. She graduated from Ōtani University in Kyōto with a degree in Buddhist Studies, and in 1988 was employed by the publisher Kōdansha. Her debut story is titled Sleepless on Birthday Eve.
Ono is married to Naoyuki Uchida (内田直行, Uchida Naoyuki), a mystery novelist who writes under the pseudonym Yukito Ayatsuji (綾辻行人 , Ayatsuji Yukito).
Before she started work on Twelve Kingdoms, Fuyumi Ono wrote The Demonic Child (魔性の子), a horror novel about a boy from another world. She later worked certain events from this novel into the Twelve Kingdoms series. Short stories set in the various kingdoms include: Kasho, Toei, Shokan, Kizan and Jogetsu. In February, 2008, the first new Twelve Kingdoms short story, Hisho no Tori (丕緒の鳥) was published in Shinchosha's Yomyom magazine.
According to an interview at the Anime News Network, she is "currently rewriting a girls' horror series (she) wrote long ago."
- Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
December 21, 2009
Three dudes have bummers of childhoods. THEN WORLDS COLLIDE and by "WORLDS" I mean "DUDES." And by "COLLIDE" I mean "INTERACT EMOTIONALLY AND POLITICALLY ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN DISPARATE MOTIVATIONS."
Number Three has been the most political so far. We know the Ever-King of En and his kirin Enki from the first book and this is the story of how they got started. Also, there's a whacked-out kid with a demon who just wants some human acceptance. He's a pretty big plot point, and I'm sure if I think a little he will also be symbolic of something, but not having sat down to do that thinking, he's just kind of there and the reader goes "Growed-up by a demon who didn't eated him? Wut? Tells me more!" and then nothing happens to satisfy that craving.
STILL I cannot resist a story about stuffy officials who underestimate their free-spirited King. I mean, WE know he's the dang Ever-King of Book One, so don't we giggle when they complain about his gamblin' and womanizin'?
Four stars only because the flashbacks were hella hamfisted.
I liked it! Please to give me more, English translators! Wikipedia says I have to wait until, like, March, so I guess I'll go read something educational. Paaaah.
THE SCORE SO FAR:
Book 1: Trust YOURSELF
Book 2: Trust HEAVEN
Book 3: Trust THE DANG EVER-KING OF EN
Number Three has been the most political so far. We know the Ever-King of En and his kirin Enki from the first book and this is the story of how they got started. Also, there's a whacked-out kid with a demon who just wants some human acceptance. He's a pretty big plot point, and I'm sure if I think a little he will also be symbolic of something, but not having sat down to do that thinking, he's just kind of there and the reader goes "Growed-up by a demon who didn't eated him? Wut? Tells me more!" and then nothing happens to satisfy that craving.
STILL I cannot resist a story about stuffy officials who underestimate their free-spirited King. I mean, WE know he's the dang Ever-King of Book One, so don't we giggle when they complain about his gamblin' and womanizin'?
Four stars only because the flashbacks were hella hamfisted.
I liked it! Please to give me more, English translators! Wikipedia says I have to wait until, like, March, so I guess I'll go read something educational. Paaaah.
THE SCORE SO FAR:
Book 1: Trust YOURSELF
Book 2: Trust HEAVEN
Book 3: Trust THE DANG EVER-KING OF EN
March 27, 2016
The Vast Spread of Seas: Book Three of The Twelve Kingdom Series.
After the telling the story of the Kirin of the Kingdom of Tai, Ono covers in her third book the tale of Enki of the Kingdom of En. I had some worries before starting this book, despite being a book one of my favorite series, for The Vast Spread of Seas and its predecessor; Sea of Wind, both deal with two characters of the same nature who share, more or less, the same history. Both Kirin were born in a world they didn't belong to, only to realize they have a major role they need to fulfill in another world that is beyond their imagination. I was afraid of duplication of events and recurrence of ideas; how the Kirin adjusts to the rules of the new world, and to his divine task of finding the one true king. Nevertheless, the story here discards that part of Enki's past, rushing through the events of his acceptance of being a Kirin, and focusing on the chain of events which occurred AFTER the King ascended the throne, with hints from his journey which allowed his to choose him despite his doubts of the illegibility of kings themselves. The Vast Spread of Seas, with its flows, is rich with benevolence, deception and politics. More of the Twelve Kingdom universe is introduced, within which the story of the fallen Kingdom of En and its struggle towards flourishing is magically told.
After the telling the story of the Kirin of the Kingdom of Tai, Ono covers in her third book the tale of Enki of the Kingdom of En. I had some worries before starting this book, despite being a book one of my favorite series, for The Vast Spread of Seas and its predecessor; Sea of Wind, both deal with two characters of the same nature who share, more or less, the same history. Both Kirin were born in a world they didn't belong to, only to realize they have a major role they need to fulfill in another world that is beyond their imagination. I was afraid of duplication of events and recurrence of ideas; how the Kirin adjusts to the rules of the new world, and to his divine task of finding the one true king. Nevertheless, the story here discards that part of Enki's past, rushing through the events of his acceptance of being a Kirin, and focusing on the chain of events which occurred AFTER the King ascended the throne, with hints from his journey which allowed his to choose him despite his doubts of the illegibility of kings themselves. The Vast Spread of Seas, with its flows, is rich with benevolence, deception and politics. More of the Twelve Kingdom universe is introduced, within which the story of the fallen Kingdom of En and its struggle towards flourishing is magically told.
January 9, 2013
A great continuation to the series. Once again, the author gives us the story of another Kingdom. We get to return to En, which was introduced to us in the first book. We reunite with Enki and the King, Shoryu.
This book focuses on how the two met, and how the prosperous rule under them began. We also get some great personal backrounds on each. Once again the author has done a wonderful job creating characters personalities, story line, and history. This story has yet to disappoint and while its length may seem intimidating, the book is actually an easy read. Action, history, politics and personal relations blend well together once more. I am eager to read the next one.
This book focuses on how the two met, and how the prosperous rule under them began. We also get some great personal backrounds on each. Once again the author has done a wonderful job creating characters personalities, story line, and history. This story has yet to disappoint and while its length may seem intimidating, the book is actually an easy read. Action, history, politics and personal relations blend well together once more. I am eager to read the next one.
August 7, 2018
Amo a Enki y Shoryuu... ¡Pero el libro es súper aburrido!
Cronológicamente, este libro ocurre antes que el primero y el segundo, y nos cuenta el día a día del rey de En, mientras los flashbacks nos muestran como se conocieron Shoryuu y su Kirin. El libro se centra en la política y la burocracia de los países, los conflictos y la guerra desde un punto de vista administrativo.
Lo que más difrute del libro son las interacciones entre Enki y Shoryuu. ¡Los amo!
Y por supuesto las imágenes que vienen en la novela son tan preciosas como siempre. Con una calidad mucho más alta que el anime.
Espero que el siguiente libro me resulte más ameno.
Cronológicamente, este libro ocurre antes que el primero y el segundo, y nos cuenta el día a día del rey de En, mientras los flashbacks nos muestran como se conocieron Shoryuu y su Kirin. El libro se centra en la política y la burocracia de los países, los conflictos y la guerra desde un punto de vista administrativo.
Lo que más difrute del libro son las interacciones entre Enki y Shoryuu. ¡Los amo!
Y por supuesto las imágenes que vienen en la novela son tan preciosas como siempre. Con una calidad mucho más alta que el anime.
Espero que el siguiente libro me resulte más ameno.
September 25, 2021
回憶線（新朝廷成立之前）—現在線（叛亂）交織，兩對表面相似實則不然的主僕，統治手段的對比自是邪不勝正。如果在現實一無所有，是否到異世界獲得新機會就更賣力呢？愈刻意就愈得不到，還是隨意一些就好？
January 23, 2012
[shamelessly stealing the form of this review from Hannah]
In Short: I loved it. Mainly because of Enki, but there were many other things that made me truly enjoy this book!
[slight spoilers, nothing specific]
In Detail:
THE MAIN CHARACTERS which I roughly identify as Enki/Rokuta and Shoryu/Naotaka are depicted wonderfully. Especially Shoryu's characterization was stunningly done, slow and barely scratching at the surface of his character at times, but in the end it became an in-depth insight into his character. Since much of the story was written from Enki's point of view, there was a lot of insight into his character from the start and I dearly loved that. He is stubborn and set in his ways, sometimes even to the point of being blinded by it, but in the end he learned a lot about himself and his king. It was wonderful to experience his growth.
THE STORY at first a little bit confusing, but I think that only adds to the reading pleasure, since you have to think a little and it is a lot of fun to put together the pieces of the story and learn where the different characters come from. The past and the present of the characters are woven together wonderfully, and I was never tired of the changes in point of view, setting or time.
THE CHARACTERS made me laugh, cry, want to hit them, extremely angry and love them. While reading I was fooled like Enki and suspicious like Ribi, extremely annoyed like Seisho and Itan as well asrelaxed and confident as Shoryu. I loved how Enki made me doubt the king and his capability as a ruler only for Shoryu to prove us so very wrong (although I had my doubts about Enki's seemingly irrevocable opinion). Most of all I was surprised by how Ribi seemed to be a minor and not really important character and then became extremely important and helped to give insights into the ruling mechanisms of the king. I also liked that this was accomplished efficiently without great proclamations or dragging explanations.
I also liked the similarities in Enki's and Koya's histories as well as how the character of Atsuyu transformed from a benevolent regent to a self-absorbed tyrant, who is truly blind to the flaws of his own character. It was believable, albeit a bit fast.
The book did not introduce many new aspects about THE WORLD, but the world-building supplied a chapter of En's history that I was curious about. Ever since I saw the anime - which I do have to mention here, because I do not remember if this was the same in The Sea of Shadow - where Enki tells Youko about how he choose his king, I was interested in how he and Shoryu became as close as they were in Youko's story when Enki seemed to have hated kings so much at the beginning.
THE STORY TWISTS were nicely done. I was surprised when I should have been and while I doubted Enki's harsh judgement about Shoryu from the start, I did a lot of doubting Shoruyu myself and was pleasantly surprised with what was revealed throughout the story. The same is true for Atsuyu, just that it was the other way around ;)
I am sure there are some flaws I forget to mention here, because OVERALL I am so happy with The Vast Spread of the Seas that I seem to have forgotten all about them.
In Short: I loved it. Mainly because of Enki, but there were many other things that made me truly enjoy this book!
[slight spoilers, nothing specific]
In Detail:
THE MAIN CHARACTERS which I roughly identify as Enki/Rokuta and Shoryu/Naotaka are depicted wonderfully. Especially Shoryu's characterization was stunningly done, slow and barely scratching at the surface of his character at times, but in the end it became an in-depth insight into his character. Since much of the story was written from Enki's point of view, there was a lot of insight into his character from the start and I dearly loved that. He is stubborn and set in his ways, sometimes even to the point of being blinded by it, but in the end he learned a lot about himself and his king. It was wonderful to experience his growth.
THE STORY at first a little bit confusing, but I think that only adds to the reading pleasure, since you have to think a little and it is a lot of fun to put together the pieces of the story and learn where the different characters come from. The past and the present of the characters are woven together wonderfully, and I was never tired of the changes in point of view, setting or time.
THE CHARACTERS made me laugh, cry, want to hit them, extremely angry and love them. While reading I was fooled like Enki and suspicious like Ribi, extremely annoyed like Seisho and Itan as well asrelaxed and confident as Shoryu. I loved how Enki made me doubt the king and his capability as a ruler only for Shoryu to prove us so very wrong (although I had my doubts about Enki's seemingly irrevocable opinion). Most of all I was surprised by how Ribi seemed to be a minor and not really important character and then became extremely important and helped to give insights into the ruling mechanisms of the king. I also liked that this was accomplished efficiently without great proclamations or dragging explanations.
I also liked the similarities in Enki's and Koya's histories as well as how the character of Atsuyu transformed from a benevolent regent to a self-absorbed tyrant, who is truly blind to the flaws of his own character. It was believable, albeit a bit fast.
The book did not introduce many new aspects about THE WORLD, but the world-building supplied a chapter of En's history that I was curious about. Ever since I saw the anime - which I do have to mention here, because I do not remember if this was the same in The Sea of Shadow - where Enki tells Youko about how he choose his king, I was interested in how he and Shoryu became as close as they were in Youko's story when Enki seemed to have hated kings so much at the beginning.
THE STORY TWISTS were nicely done. I was surprised when I should have been and while I doubted Enki's harsh judgement about Shoryu from the start, I did a lot of doubting Shoruyu myself and was pleasantly surprised with what was revealed throughout the story. The same is true for Atsuyu, just that it was the other way around ;)
I am sure there are some flaws I forget to mention here, because OVERALL I am so happy with The Vast Spread of the Seas that I seem to have forgotten all about them.
May 8, 2012
The Vast Spread of the Seas is the third book in the Twelve Kingdoms series, but chronologically it takes place before the first and second novel and can also be read as a stand-alone.
This time the story concerns the kingdom of En. Where book 1 was structured mostly like a standard epic quest fantasy and book 2 focused on the mythology, The Vast Spread of the Seas is very much a political fantasy. We witness the first years of Shoryu's reign and the development of his relationship with Rokuta, while their government faces a rebellion. Despite this situation, there is actually very little fighting and a large part of the story is about which political schemes they employ in order to avoid a war. The flashbacks to Shoryu and Rokuta's meeting take place in Japan during the beginning of the Warring States and paint a very dark picture of the country.
The other half of the novel concerns the characters, mainly Shoryu and Rokuta, but there are also some impressive side characters, like Ribi. Among the cast of The Twelve Kingdoms, Shoryu and Rokuta are probably my favorites, because they have very individual (chaotic) characters and their interactions are always so much fun. Therefore it was really nice to read their, sometimes funny and sometimes tragic, story.
I've always loved how Fuyumi Ono explores the psychology of the kirins (basically were-unicorns, how cool is that anyway?) and in this volume, we learn about Rokuta's sad past and his profound doubts and even denial concerning his role. I wouldn't have minded more insight into Shoryu as well, but Rokuta's development was rather endearing.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Vast Spread of the Seas. It is a very short and fast read. The large amount of political measures and intrigues will probably not appeal to everybody, but the character development and world-building should be able to make up for that. A definite recommendation if you are a fan of political fantasies like Attolia, Lumatere or Fire. A must read for anybody looking for a good Asian Fantasy and if you enjoy world-building with detailed mythology ... and unicorns.
This time the story concerns the kingdom of En. Where book 1 was structured mostly like a standard epic quest fantasy and book 2 focused on the mythology, The Vast Spread of the Seas is very much a political fantasy. We witness the first years of Shoryu's reign and the development of his relationship with Rokuta, while their government faces a rebellion. Despite this situation, there is actually very little fighting and a large part of the story is about which political schemes they employ in order to avoid a war. The flashbacks to Shoryu and Rokuta's meeting take place in Japan during the beginning of the Warring States and paint a very dark picture of the country.
The other half of the novel concerns the characters, mainly Shoryu and Rokuta, but there are also some impressive side characters, like Ribi. Among the cast of The Twelve Kingdoms, Shoryu and Rokuta are probably my favorites, because they have very individual (chaotic) characters and their interactions are always so much fun. Therefore it was really nice to read their, sometimes funny and sometimes tragic, story.
I've always loved how Fuyumi Ono explores the psychology of the kirins (basically were-unicorns, how cool is that anyway?) and in this volume, we learn about Rokuta's sad past and his profound doubts and even denial concerning his role. I wouldn't have minded more insight into Shoryu as well, but Rokuta's development was rather endearing.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Vast Spread of the Seas. It is a very short and fast read. The large amount of political measures and intrigues will probably not appeal to everybody, but the character development and world-building should be able to make up for that. A definite recommendation if you are a fan of political fantasies like Attolia, Lumatere or Fire. A must read for anybody looking for a good Asian Fantasy and if you enjoy world-building with detailed mythology ... and unicorns.
May 6, 2014
Oh how I adore Shoryu! Probably my favorite type of character: carefree fool-cum-strategic mastermind! I just love how almost everyone was fooled by his seemingly nonchalant attitude to everything. Oh but not I! I knew Shoryu had this in the bag, of course! He's the freaking Ever-King of En, duh!
Haha jokes aside, not only is this novel a hefty bite of delicious political intrigue, (which I adore), it gives you some insight into just how Shoryu and Rokuta were able to build up the magnificent Kingdom of En you see in volume 1 from practically nothing. Suffice to say, I've enjoyed this volume the most so far out of the Twelve Kingdoms series!
Haha jokes aside, not only is this novel a hefty bite of delicious political intrigue, (which I adore), it gives you some insight into just how Shoryu and Rokuta were able to build up the magnificent Kingdom of En you see in volume 1 from practically nothing. Suffice to say, I've enjoyed this volume the most so far out of the Twelve Kingdoms series!
July 13, 2024
Love this book! Gave it a random try and enjoyed it a lot.
December 13, 2014
Two worlds, two wars, and two young boys abandoned to die. Rokuta takes his place as the kirin of En, but he can never forget the war that drove his parents to abandon him. Koya is saved by a demon after his mother abandons him, but that same demon alienates him from everyone else. When the kingdom of En teeters on the bring of war, these two young men hold the power to save the country or destroy it.
This novel was the source of two arcs in the anime, which split out the two stories intertwined here of En's present war with Rokuta's past. I like how the book has them together better, because they play off of each other so well. Rokuta's hatred of kings clashes with his very nature as a kirin to choose a king, and En's current unrest seems to validate his beliefs that kings exist solely to make people miserable. Rokuta's unusual attitude towards his captivity adds to the drama; nothing much about this crime is typical, from the motive to the result.
Koya, alternatively, cares little for the people who hate him, even as he longs for someone to reach out to him. When Atsuyu befriends him, he wins Koya's undying devotion. But not even Atsuyu wants to get too close to the demon that has been parent and friend to Koya. Only Rokuta has shown no fear of it. Helping Rokuta means going against Atsuyu's wishes, but obeying Atsuyu could mean Rokuta's death.
The book reads very well for a translation. Sometimes the language is a little stiff, but the majority of the time the simple style highlights the increasingly complex story. There were a few typographical errors, but nothing major. The scattered illustrations are a nice addition, and accent key scenes.
Overall, this will be a familiar story to people who have seen the anime, but it is still worth reading for the additional depth of character. Although this is the third book in the series, its story follows a different kingdom and stands alone. I rate this book Highly Recommended.
This novel was the source of two arcs in the anime, which split out the two stories intertwined here of En's present war with Rokuta's past. I like how the book has them together better, because they play off of each other so well. Rokuta's hatred of kings clashes with his very nature as a kirin to choose a king, and En's current unrest seems to validate his beliefs that kings exist solely to make people miserable. Rokuta's unusual attitude towards his captivity adds to the drama; nothing much about this crime is typical, from the motive to the result.
Koya, alternatively, cares little for the people who hate him, even as he longs for someone to reach out to him. When Atsuyu befriends him, he wins Koya's undying devotion. But not even Atsuyu wants to get too close to the demon that has been parent and friend to Koya. Only Rokuta has shown no fear of it. Helping Rokuta means going against Atsuyu's wishes, but obeying Atsuyu could mean Rokuta's death.
The book reads very well for a translation. Sometimes the language is a little stiff, but the majority of the time the simple style highlights the increasingly complex story. There were a few typographical errors, but nothing major. The scattered illustrations are a nice addition, and accent key scenes.
Overall, this will be a familiar story to people who have seen the anime, but it is still worth reading for the additional depth of character. Although this is the third book in the series, its story follows a different kingdom and stands alone. I rate this book Highly Recommended.
July 14, 2016
Nếu phải liệt kê nhân vật nữ chính yêu thích của mình trong những truyện đọc gần đây (tất nhiên nhân vật nữ trong đó phải là trung tâm nữa) thì phải kể đến Hoàng Tử Hà trong bộ Trâm do Nhã Nam xuất bản vừa ra đến tập 3 mà mình chưa có tiền mua ;D và thứ 2 là bạn nữ chính Nakajima Youko trong series Thập nhị quốc ký này. Truyện và anime của Thập nhị quốc thì đã nghe danh từ mấy năm trước nhưng chỉ vì mỗi lần search thử lại thấy ngay hình bạn chính Youko chình ình giữa một đám trai đẹp mà bỏ cuộc (thật có lỗi với bạn Youko vì ban đầu đã tưởng bạn cũng thuộc tuýp nữ chính shoujo bánh bèo yếu đuối thiện lương, người gặp người thích =))). Rất may là sự nhầm lẫn tai hại này đã chấm dứt vào cuối tuần trước khi trong 1 phút xuất thần mình đã quyết định luyện cả bộ anime 45 tập này và tiến bước tiếp trên con đường lùng đọc novel. Cả novel và anime của Thập nhị quốc hẳn là phải được liệt vào list rất đáng khuyến nghị tìm đọc của mình, và trên thực tế bộ này đã rất nổi tiếng ở nước ngoài, mỗi tội không hiểu sao ở Việt Nam mình thấy không mấy người đọc lắm thì phải (thực ra mình suýt nằm trong nhóm này ;D).
Cơ mà cái này cũng không phải để PR truyện, mà cốt yếu để nói là cuốn 3 này là đã trở thành tập yêu thích nhất của mình trong series tính đến thời điểm hiện tại và cặp đôi chuyên bỏ nhà đi bụi anh vua En quốc Shouryuu và bạn kỳ lân Rokuta đã soán ngôi bạn Youko để trở thành cặp nhân vật ưa thích nhất trong bộ truyện của mình (rất xin lỗi bạn Youko lần 2 =))).
Cơ mà cái này cũng không phải để PR truyện, mà cốt yếu để nói là cuốn 3 này là đã trở thành tập yêu thích nhất của mình trong series tính đến thời điểm hiện tại và cặp đôi chuyên bỏ nhà đi bụi anh vua En quốc Shouryuu và bạn kỳ lân Rokuta đã soán ngôi bạn Youko để trở thành cặp nhân vật ưa thích nhất trong bộ truyện của mình (rất xin lỗi bạn Youko lần 2 =))).
September 3, 2018
No encontré Hyouhaku más que en esta versión compartida con el libro completo.
Pero igual....
Terminé Hyouhaku.
Y pensé tendría problemas de volver a este universo por los complejos conceptos de gobierno chino, pero realmente el carisma de los personajes me la ha puesto tan fácil. Me he quedado un poco triste con algo que no ocurrió, pero la narración final entre los ministros me hizo olvidarlo fácilmente.
Fue la mejor decisión volver con este libro, porque el reino de En, su emperador, su taiho y sus ministros siguen siendo mis personajes favoritos de toda esta saga.
Ya no hay vuelta atrás.
Vamos con Tonan no Tsubasa.
Pero igual....
Terminé Hyouhaku.
Y pensé tendría problemas de volver a este universo por los complejos conceptos de gobierno chino, pero realmente el carisma de los personajes me la ha puesto tan fácil. Me he quedado un poco triste con algo que no ocurrió, pero la narración final entre los ministros me hizo olvidarlo fácilmente.
Fue la mejor decisión volver con este libro, porque el reino de En, su emperador, su taiho y sus ministros siguen siendo mis personajes favoritos de toda esta saga.
Ya no hay vuelta atrás.
Vamos con Tonan no Tsubasa.
Currently reading
September 10, 20151 page a day is all I'm allotting myself with this book, and the books that follow. They are that special to me. There are few books that have ever had the effect of bringing true tears to my eyes as the previous 2 did. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys anime and manga.
May 1, 2010
It was nice to read the story behind the Ever-King and Enki since in the previous books we've only seen them as rulers of the prosperous nation that En has become 400(?) years later.
November 14, 2017
20171111
#東の海神西の滄海 #十二国記 #小野不由美 さん #読了
延麒六太と延王尚隆のお話。まわりの官があぁ！もぅ！！というのが随所に出てきてクスリとしてしまう。毛旋の「済みません！おれ、大司馬を拝命してしまいました！」のところとか。延王みたいな上司の下で働いてみたい。色々大変だろうけど。
#東の海神西の滄海 #十二国記 #小野不由美 さん #読了
延麒六太と延王尚隆のお話。まわりの官があぁ！もぅ！！というのが随所に出てきてクスリとしてしまう。毛旋の「済みません！おれ、大司馬を拝命してしまいました！」のところとか。延王みたいな上司の下で働いてみたい。色々大変だろうけど。
April 13, 2023
《十二國記：東之海神 西之滄海》以延麒六太被昔日舊友更夜欺騙，外出相見後被綁架到元州為主線，穿插六太、尚隆、更夜等等角色在不同時間點的經歷與意念，來呈現雁國新王尚隆初期進行國政重整期間發生的混亂與不安。這部作品十幾年前有讀過舊版一次，但我完全不記得六太被綁架這段劇情，唯一殘留下來的記憶是尚隆問六太想要怎麼樣的國家？六太回答想要安穩又豐饒的國家。尚隆爽朗笑著承諾一定實現六太的心願。既然都忘得差不多了。我決定直接當作全新的故事來重新瞭解。
梟王（前任延王）的殘酷作為讓我想到在歷史課本上讀到的秦始皇，更夜童年和六太相遇的態度讓人心痛之餘，也間接體現出失去王的雁國景況是何等淒涼嚴酷，土地荒蕪、治安敗壞、國民無法安生。因為文案的設問句，更夜成年再登場後的作為，也讓我一度遲疑指使更夜綁架要脅的斡由是否真的有什麼苦衷，才罔顧良知與他人性命也要採取這般狠毒的策略，來逼迫宰輔六太和延王尚隆就範？
犧牲小我、完成大我的理論看似有幾分道理，但觀察斡由身邊的景況，會因為斡由計策而流血喪命的都是他身邊的人，且剛重逢還來不及感受到些許喜悅的六太就要面臨下屬亦信忠心護主而慘遭殺害的衝擊，會讓下屬更夜做出這種事的人，內在有可能是具備慈悲、賢明品格、值得追隨的主君嗎？牧伯驪媚在被軟禁後期對六太曉以大義後真正犧牲自己來守護他人，時窮節乃見，斡由和驪媚兩相對照，誰才是真正擁有高尚情操的人已經很清楚了。
《十二國記：東之海神 西之滄海》以六太的迷惘與成長為核心，牽繫著他選定的王尚隆、年輕時邂逅的孤兒更夜，尚隆線進一步引導出他的治國風格與官吏之間的信賴關係，以及雁國政局在檯面下的暗潮洶湧；更夜線則慢慢揭露出他仰賴信任的斡由表裏不一的人格特質，再進一步回溯當初那個堅守不讓妖魔食人原則的無名孤兒是怎麼一路走到今天殺人不眨眼的更夜，帶出更夜這名角色的內心掙扎、猶疑和省思。
親信官吏們儘管老是痛罵尚隆，但感覺上君臣之間存在著這二十年一起重建國家的革命情感，嘴上抱怨連篇，可內心對尚隆的為人處事心裡有底，對他也抱持著一定程度的信任，只是信任主上不代表不能行使抱怨的權利。尚隆不按牌理出牌的行事作風令官吏們頭痛不已，但尚隆常常混跡民間來瞭解社會動態的作法也在關鍵時刻派上用場，成為足以改善情勢的有力王牌，對他們來說，尚隆最後能夠拿出足以改善政務的實績，他們即使不認同也只能接受。雁國君臣之間的磨合、協商，磨練出一個彼此都能接受的工作互動方式，這一段我覺得很好看。
寫到這裡忽然發現尚隆在接納下屬諫言的部分跟反派斡由又是一組鮮明對照。尚隆為人豪爽又不拘小節，對待冒著失去性命的決心責備他或勸諫他的臣子總是寬容相待，可見他身為君主的氣度寬廣，能夠真摯地聽取官吏與國民的心聲，心性堅強能夠承受來自四面八方的批判，且目光敏銳足以辨別哪些評價是公正可採信，哪些如勸諫所言必須進行改善。不會事事照著官吏的建議去處理，但無論是待人處世或治理國家，尚隆顯然有自己的原則，而那份原則讓他能夠跟官吏們建立起信任關係，並且在這樣的步調下循序漸進的將國家重整起來。
斡由則相反，有功勞或有益於名聲的事情盡往自己身上攬，過錯和髒活則推給下屬扛，當元州的醜事曝光時，他搖身一變成為不知下屬有做出惡劣非法作為的無辜受牽連長官，將自己塑造成是出淤泥而不染的蓮花化身或是舉世皆濁我獨清的孤獨智者一樣，但最後呈現的只是他無愛民之心，什麼責任都不願意承擔，又什麼好處都想拿，明明渴望王位卻故作清高，盼望延麒能夠主動找上認他為王。藉由被選擇這個結果來展現自己正是天選之人，可又不願主動昇山親自確認，因為無法正視他對自己的良好評價和自戀心態其實只是自我膨脹的虛榮心作祟，既無法負荷現實的考驗承擔起相對應的責任，也無法接受自己其實沒有自我評價中的美好優秀。
我讀《十二國記：東之海神 西之滄海》時，覺得作者把斡由這個角色刻畫得栩栩如生，只是搭配上更夜的心路歷程又覺得少了幾層，減弱那種層層揭露的緊張氛圍，斡由的陰暗面和人格缺陷之處也是透過元州侯的直言相告和替身慘況來評斷，感覺有點太直接了。不是慢慢將資訊滲透在情節裡，讓讀者細細體會斡由其人的真實姿態。更夜那方的回憶和掙扎也有一點斷層感，他背棄過往的原則讓天犬大個（陸太）吃人的內心痛苦糾結、被六太質疑後的心態動搖，我自己感覺描述稍嫌不足。
不過似乎也可以理解為更夜早已捨棄猶豫，因此故事中對受害者多半顯得殘忍無情；或者這部作品的主軸是六太，因此不能放太多戲份在次要角色的更夜上。更夜線我感受到最清晰的是他渴望有個能包容他和撫育他成長的天犬的家，那個家以人為主，但他的天犬和周圍的人類都能夠相安無事地生活。因為斡由是初次給他這種待遇的人，因此就像雛鳥認定母親一樣，對斡由忠心耿耿，哪怕後來逐漸感到不對勁，也害怕會失去得來不易的棲身之所，而一直避免深思感到不對勁的原因。更夜在元州叛亂事件落幕後，決定在黃海生活，我覺得這是滿合情合理的安排，綁架六太且直接或間接的害死六太身邊信重之人、無辜嬰孩，這份殺戮業債應該很長一段時間會橫亙在更夜和六太之間，不可能迅速和好如初；而更夜長年代替斡由當劊子手，他也需要時間和地點冷靜思考並檢討往昔的一切。
六太的心聲繚繞在不同時間點、不同處境，感覺得出來他仍有所遲疑，經歷過窮困到被父母拋棄的童年，六太也不太確定所謂的王是否能為國家帶來正面效益，還有尚隆是否能夠託付重任？萬一為雁國帶來另一場血雨腥風造成國民的苦難該怎麼辦？這些意念讓六太在某種程度凍結在少年時期，而元州叛亂事件在尚隆、朱衡、帷湍等等可靠的人互相合作下平安收場，不僅是收拾了雁國的一個禍端，於六太而言經歷這場綁架劫難的始末，亦是讓他重新思索當年無法釋懷的傷痛，淬鍊成一個全新的自我，能夠再次勇敢迎接挑戰的自己。當然，憑藉著六太一個人辦不到，因此驪媚、尚隆扮演的角色是六太無法自行從過往泥淖爬出來，感到孤寒至極時拉他一把、告訴六太「不要緊」的夥伴。
故事中，我也一直在等待尚隆將潛藏的王牌一一釋出來逆轉局勢，看到他出現在茫然無措的六太身邊，心裡好感動，在嚴峻的時刻，依然保持著怡然自得的笑容登場，在當下肯定大大地安撫六太的心，感覺尚隆的登場有了後山可靠；而作為一國領袖，尚隆那種泰山崩於前也面不改色的氣魄對於安定臣民的心應該很有幫助，如果連主上都擺出無計可施的表情，也會加劇引起臣民的焦慮與不信任感。因此我覺得尚隆能做到這一點是很不簡單的事情。印象中，他在陽子登基為慶王之時也給過她關於表情管理的建議，想來應該是尚隆的經驗談吧。
尚隆最後安慰六太的場景好暖，努力同理與包容六太的煩惱，用盡全力讓一時的大意不會演變成更嚴重的災情，讓長生不老死的他們在熬過這一關後，日後還能有機會應對下一次的挑戰。插圖的部分也很可愛，因為視覺年齡和尚隆撫摸六太的頭來給予慰藉的舉動，兩人站在一塊兒就像父子或是長兄幼弟的關係，六太在內心顯然也很仰賴尚隆，深信此刻將軟弱的一面坦露無遺也無須擔心會被對方傷害，���全然的信任與無可比擬的安全感。那畫面真的好可愛、好溫馨，好喜歡他們累積出來的深厚羈絆。
＊劃線筆記：
頁一六七
「即使假裝自己沒做過這種勾當，犯下的罪孽也不會消失，至少我還記得。我這輩子絕對不會忘記妹妹被丟下水井時的水聲——這種事還會再發生。如果陷入戰亂，王駕崩的話，國土會再度荒廢，又會有人把我的孩子丟進水景，到時候又會說，這是無可奈何的事。你們願意這種情況再度發生嗎？」
女人巡視了在場的所有人後，昂然地看著溫惠。
「你讓開，我要進去，我可不像這些人，跑來說一些窩囊話，讓你們頭痛。」
溫惠不知所措地看著女人，女人對他笑了笑。
「我是來參加戰鬥的，我要保護為我們帶來富裕的王，我不希望我的孩子送命，不希望再度看到大家認為殺死孩子是無可奈何的世道。為此，必須讓有天命的王坐在王位上，如果王能夠讓這個孩子以後過上好日子，我現在願意為王而死。」
梟王（前任延王）的殘酷作為讓我想到在歷史課本上讀到的秦始皇，更夜童年和六太相遇的態度讓人心痛之餘，也間接體現出失去王的雁國景況是何等淒涼嚴酷，土地荒蕪、治安敗壞、國民無法安生。因為文案的設問句，更夜成年再登場後的作為，也讓我一度遲疑指使更夜綁架要脅的斡由是否真的有什麼苦衷，才罔顧良知與他人性命也要採取這般狠毒的策略，來逼迫宰輔六太和延王尚隆就範？
犧牲小我、完成大我的理論看似有幾分道理，但觀察斡由身邊的景況，會因為斡由計策而流血喪命的都是他身邊的人，且剛重逢還來不及感受到些許喜悅的六太就要面臨下屬亦信忠心護主而慘遭殺害的衝擊，會讓下屬更夜做出這種事的人，內在有可能是具備慈悲、賢明品格、值得追隨的主君嗎？牧伯驪媚在被軟禁後期對六太曉以大義後真正犧牲自己來守護他人，時窮節乃見，斡由和驪媚兩相對照，誰才是真正擁有高尚情操的人已經很清楚了。
《十二國記：東之海神 西之滄海》以六太的迷惘與成長為核心，牽繫著他選定的王尚隆、年輕時邂逅的孤兒更夜，尚隆線進一步引導出他的治國風格與官吏之間的信賴關係，以及雁國政局在檯面下的暗潮洶湧；更夜線則慢慢揭露出他仰賴信任的斡由表裏不一的人格特質，再進一步回溯當初那個堅守不讓妖魔食人原則的無名孤兒是怎麼一路走到今天殺人不眨眼的更夜，帶出更夜這名角色的內心掙扎、猶疑和省思。
親信官吏們儘管老是痛罵尚隆，但感覺上君臣之間存在著這二十年一起重建國家的革命情感，嘴上抱怨連篇，可內心對尚隆的為人處事心裡有底，對他也抱持著一定程度的信任，只是信任主上不代表不能行使抱怨的權利。尚隆不按牌理出牌的行事作風令官吏們頭痛不已，但尚隆常常混跡民間來瞭解社會動態的作法也在關鍵時刻派上用場，成為足以改善情勢的有力王牌，對他們來說，尚隆最後能夠拿出足以改善政務的實績，他們即使不認同也只能接受。雁國君臣之間的磨合、協商，磨練出一個彼此都能接受的工作互動方式，這一段我覺得很好看。
寫到這裡忽然發現尚隆在接納下屬諫言的部分跟反派斡由又是一組鮮明對照。尚隆為人豪爽又不拘小節，對待冒著失去性命的決心責備他或勸諫他的臣子總是寬容相待，可見他身為君主的氣度寬廣，能夠真摯地聽取官吏與國民的心聲，心性堅強能夠承受來自四面八方的批判，且目光敏銳足以辨別哪些評價是公正可採信，哪些如勸諫所言必須進行改善。不會事事照著官吏的建議去處理，但無論是待人處世或治理國家，尚隆顯然有自己的原則，而那份原則讓他能夠跟官吏們建立起信任關係，並且在這樣的步調下循序漸進的將國家重整起來。
斡由則相反，有功勞或有益於名聲的事情盡往自己身上攬，過錯和髒活則推給下屬扛，當元州的醜事曝光時，他搖身一變成為不知下屬有做出惡劣非法作為的無辜受牽連長官，將自己塑造成是出淤泥而不染的蓮花化身或是舉世皆濁我獨清的孤獨智者一樣，但最後呈現的只是他無愛民之心，什麼責任都不願意承擔，又什麼好處都想拿，明明渴望王位卻故作清高，盼望延麒能夠主動找上認他為王。藉由被選擇這個結果來展現自己正是天選之人，可又不願主動昇山親自確認，因為無法正視他對自己的良好評價和自戀心態其實只是自我膨脹的虛榮心作祟，既無法負荷現實的考驗承擔起相對應的責任，也無法接受自己其實沒有自我評價中的美好優秀。
我讀《十二國記：東之海神 西之滄海》時，覺得作者把斡由這個角色刻畫得栩栩如生，只是搭配上更夜的心路歷程又覺得少了幾層，減弱那種層層揭露的緊張氛圍，斡由的陰暗面和人格缺陷之處也是透過元州侯的直言相告和替身慘況來評斷，感覺有點太直接了。不是慢慢將資訊滲透在情節裡，讓讀者細細體會斡由其人的真實姿態。更夜那方的回憶和掙扎也有一點斷層感，他背棄過往的原則讓天犬大個（陸太）吃人的內心痛苦糾結、被六太質疑後的心態動搖，我自己感覺描述稍嫌不足。
不過似乎也可以理解為更夜早已捨棄猶豫，因此故事中對受害者多半顯得殘忍無情；或者這部作品的主軸是六太，因此不能放太多戲份在次要角色的更夜上。更夜線我感受到最清晰的是他渴望有個能包容他和撫育他成長的天犬的家，那個家以人為主，但他的天犬和周圍的人類都能夠相安無事地生活。因為斡由是初次給他這種待遇的人，因此就像雛鳥認定母親一樣，對斡由忠心耿耿，哪怕後來逐漸感到不對勁，也害怕會失去得來不易的棲身之所，而一直避免深思感到不對勁的原因。更夜在元州叛亂事件落幕後，決定在黃海生活，我覺得這是滿合情合理的安排，綁架六太且直接或間接的害死六太身邊信重之人、無辜嬰孩，這份殺戮業債應該很長一段時間會橫亙在更夜和六太之間，不可能迅速和好如初；而更夜長年代替斡由當劊子手，他也需要時間和地點冷靜思考並檢討往昔的一切。
六太的心聲繚繞在不同時間點、不同處境，感覺得出來他仍有所遲疑，經歷過窮困到被父母拋棄的童年，六太也不太確定所謂的王是否能為國家帶來正面效益，還有尚隆是否能夠託付重任？萬一為雁國帶來另一場血雨腥風造成國民的苦難該怎麼辦？這些意念讓六太在某種程度凍結在少年時期，而元州叛亂事件在尚隆、朱衡、帷湍等等可靠的人互相合作下平安收場，不僅是收拾了雁國的一個禍端，於六太而言經歷這場綁架劫難的始末，亦是讓他重新思索當年無法釋懷的傷痛，淬鍊成一個全新的自我，能夠再次勇敢迎接挑戰的自己。當然，憑藉著六太一個人辦不到，因此驪媚、尚隆扮演的角色是六太無法自行從過往泥淖爬出來，感到孤寒至極時拉他一把、告訴六太「不要緊」的夥伴。
故事中，我也一直在等待尚隆將潛藏的王牌一一釋出來逆轉局勢，看到他出現在茫然無措的六太身邊，心裡好感動，在嚴峻的時刻，依然保持著怡然自得的笑容登場，在當下肯定大大地安撫六太的心，感覺尚隆的登場有了後山可靠；而作為一國領袖，尚隆那種泰山崩於前也面不改色的氣魄對於安定臣民的心應該很有幫助，如果連主上都擺出無計可施的表情，也會加劇引起臣民的焦慮與不信任感。因此我覺得尚隆能做到這一點是很不簡單的事情。印象中，他在陽子登基為慶王之時也給過她關於表情管理的建議，想來應該是尚隆的經驗談吧。
尚隆最後安慰六太的場景好暖，努力同理與包容六太的煩惱，用盡全力讓一時的大意不會演變成更嚴重的災情，讓長生不老死的他們在熬過這一關後，日後還能有機會應對下一次的挑戰。插圖的部分也很可愛，因為視覺年齡和尚隆撫摸六太的頭來給予慰藉的舉動，兩人站在一塊兒就像父子或是長兄幼弟的關係，六太在內心顯然也很仰賴尚隆，深信此刻將軟弱的一面坦露無遺也無須擔心會被對方傷害，���全然的信任與無可比擬的安全感。那畫面真的好可愛、好溫馨，好喜歡他們累積出來的深厚羈絆。
＊劃線筆記：
頁一六七
「即使假裝自己沒做過這種勾當，犯下的罪孽也不會消失，至少我還記得。我這輩子絕對不會忘記妹妹被丟下水井時的水聲——這種事還會再發生。如果陷入戰亂，王駕崩的話，國土會再度荒廢，又會有人把我的孩子丟進水景，到時候又會說，這是無可奈何的事。你們願意這種情況再度發生嗎？」
女人巡視了在場的所有人後，昂然地看著溫惠。
「你讓開，我要進去，我可不像這些人，跑來說一些窩囊話，讓你們頭痛。」
溫惠不知所措地看著女人，女人對他笑了笑。
「我是來參加戰鬥的，我要保護為我們帶來富裕的王，我不希望我的孩子送命，不希望再度看到大家認為殺死孩子是無可奈何的世道。為此，必須讓有天命的王坐在王位上，如果王能夠讓這個孩子以後過上好日子，我現在願意為王而死。」
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2025
Oh, how I regret giving the first book five stars, because now I can't put this one above it. Pretend I gave it 6/5 stars.
The story is a bit convoluted and I disliked the antagonist, his motives and actions seemed a tad messy, but that's not really important because he's just a plot device to allow us to see Enki and Shouryuu in the spotlight and what a pair they are.
This book shows the delicate balance a king and his Taiho must achieve to pull a kingdom into prosperity. The kirin's mercy is wonderful in concept, but it will lead to catastrophic ends if not contained. The king's actions can bend a kingdom to its breaking point, unless guided by a heart that put the people's well-being first.
This is how you show the logic behind a world you created. This is how you present the gentle push and pull of power. And the way the two stories this book tells are interwoven is masterful. You slowly unravel both past and present to get to understand the characters better, to readjust your view of them, and discard the prejudices the book gave you when you started reading.
What a masterclass in writing and worldbuilding, Ono-sensei! Hats off to you.
The story is a bit convoluted and I disliked the antagonist, his motives and actions seemed a tad messy, but that's not really important because he's just a plot device to allow us to see Enki and Shouryuu in the spotlight and what a pair they are.
This book shows the delicate balance a king and his Taiho must achieve to pull a kingdom into prosperity. The kirin's mercy is wonderful in concept, but it will lead to catastrophic ends if not contained. The king's actions can bend a kingdom to its breaking point, unless guided by a heart that put the people's well-being first.
This is how you show the logic behind a world you created. This is how you present the gentle push and pull of power. And the way the two stories this book tells are interwoven is masterful. You slowly unravel both past and present to get to understand the characters better, to readjust your view of them, and discard the prejudices the book gave you when you started reading.
What a masterclass in writing and worldbuilding, Ono-sensei! Hats off to you.
September 23, 2017
In The Twelve Kingdoms anime, Enki (Rokuta) was my favorite character, but we only see a small piece of his story. So I was delighted when I found a whole novel written about him the lively, insolent, kind-hearted Kirin.
The novel showed his and his King's development in his reign's early years, and how Rokuta grew to understand the King, who acted like an irresponsible idiot, but knew exactly what he was doing. After reading this, I understand the relationship of mutual respect and annoyance, almost like an older and younger brother, between the King of En and his Kirin.
The novel showed his and his King's development in his reign's early years, and how Rokuta grew to understand the King, who acted like an irresponsible idiot, but knew exactly what he was doing. After reading this, I understand the relationship of mutual respect and annoyance, almost like an older and younger brother, between the King of En and his Kirin.
April 9, 2019
My favorite so far of the three. I enjoyed the way Ono went about revealing the Ever King's background to us in pieces concurrently throughout the main story. It flips your impression of him on its head and gives meaning to his actions in a big way. Also, between Enki this volume and Taiki last volume, it's not easy being a kirin and I sympathize with them. They definitely get the short end of the stick in a lot of ways.
April 27, 2020
新版的封面意外的可愛, 延台輔娃娃臉也就罷了, 延王您的霸氣哪去了??隔壁的景女王都比你帥啊~是說山田章博重畫了整部的封面跟插圖, 仔細看了一下真的只有尚隆逆成長...為什麼啊🤣
即位20年的延主從面臨了第一個挑戰者...很好又來了一個不相信君權神授的🤣其實斡由做的事情也不奇怪, 只是很可惜的, 小野主上的世界就是信王者生, 就算是面對昏君, 只能等他慢慢自我毀滅, 起義討伐之流應該也沒用吧? 說起來百姓還真一點自主權都沒有, 超級悲哀.
老實說, 斡由最後黑掉是有點不得不黑的感覺, 不然連六太都快倒戈, 尚隆的面子往哪擺🤣小松家的滅亡看得讓人動容, 得到了曾經失去的國家後, 尚隆是不可能把百姓外包給別人的, 「我很貪心, 如果有一百萬人民和一百萬零一個人民, 我選擇後者。」看起來掉而啷噹的傢伙其實莫名的執著呢. (不過換作是陽子的前任-予王搞不好就欣然接受了? 虛位元首的概念)
不知道為何我對驪媚印象深刻, 整本書唯一沒有忘掉的就是她......被尚隆花言巧語(?!)騙去做吃力不討好的工作, 最後死在崗位上...怎麼這麼社畜啊(掩面)
即位20年的延主從面臨了第一個挑戰者...很好又來了一個不相信君權神授的🤣其實斡由做的事情也不奇怪, 只是很可惜的, 小野主上的世界就是信王者生, 就算是面對昏君, 只能等他慢慢自我毀滅, 起義討伐之流應該也沒用吧? 說起來百姓還真一點自主權都沒有, 超級悲哀.
老實說, 斡由最後黑掉是有點不得不黑的感覺, 不然連六太都快倒戈, 尚隆的面子往哪擺🤣小松家的滅亡看得讓人動容, 得到了曾經失去的國家後, 尚隆是不可能把百姓外包給別人的, 「我很貪心, 如果有一百萬人民和一百萬零一個人民, 我選擇後者。」看起來掉而啷噹的傢伙其實莫名的執著呢. (不過換作是陽子的前任-予王搞不好就欣然接受了? 虛位元首的概念)
不知道為何我對驪媚印象深刻, 整本書唯一沒有忘掉的就是她......被尚隆花言巧語(?!)騙去做吃力不討好的工作, 最後死在崗位上...怎麼這麼社畜啊(掩面)
November 21, 2018
What is there to say. No surprises for me since I watched the anime more than ten years ago. Very good story. It's hard to think of them as separate things since all of them are connected. Maybe for themselves they don't make a great book, but the whole collection is sure to give a wide view of the 12 kingdoms.
October 14, 2018
I can't seem to get interested in any characters other than youko
December 2, 2018
I love the relationship between the Ever-King and the Taiho. I would read a hole saga to know how they build the 500-year kingdom, but the taste of the beginning of it is so good.
October 14, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one deserve 6 star, it’s the best one of this series.
給六星，這是目前十二國記系列最棒的一本。
This one deserve 6 star, it’s the best one of this series.
給六星，這是目前十二國記系列最棒的一本。
August 3, 2020
NICE BOOK.
February 19, 2023
這個系列真的很好看。無論世界觀或劇情其實非常複雜，但讀起來卻十分流暢，很容易理解。小野不由美老師的作品真的很捧！
August 6, 2020
讀畢雜感流水帳：
1.記得以前全系列特別喜歡這本
2.這集的內容感覺比較多一點討論戰爭帶來的影響，也很迅速地透過故事展現尚隆的魅力，只是會蠻好奇斡由對於如果沒有走向崩壞之路的話，又會是怎樣的一場對決。
3.在十二國記裡面設定的國家好像時不時就都充滿動盪，一直在想由麒麟傳遞天意決定王的這種制度真的很神秘，在等待新的王與麒麟之間的出現之間，人民就只能不斷的面對天災，再怎麼趕進度勢必也要個5年10年吧？
4.重看尚隆在蓬萊時期與正宮的關係覺得有點震驚（未度新婚之夜正宮就懷孕），不知道這段描述想描繪的是什麼XD，NTR？
5.到目前為止回顧三篇，看了景麒被封印、泰麒在蓬山被人企圖捕捉以及六太在這集被威脅帶走的過程，覺得麒麟就算有使令，但感覺好項真的很難自保阿…
1.記得以前全系列特別喜歡這本
2.這集的內容感覺比較多一點討論戰爭帶來的影響，也很迅速地透過故事展現尚隆的魅力，只是會蠻好奇斡由對於如果沒有走向崩壞之路的話，又會是怎樣的一場對決。
3.在十二國記裡面設定的國家好像時不時就都充滿動盪，一直在想由麒麟傳遞天意決定王的這種制度真的很神秘，在等待新的王與麒麟之間的出現之間，人民就只能不斷的面對天災，再怎麼趕進度勢必也要個5年10年吧？
4.重看尚隆在蓬萊時期與正宮的關係覺得有點震驚（未度新婚之夜正宮就懷孕），不知道這段描述想描繪的是什麼XD，NTR？
5.到目前為止回顧三篇，看了景麒被封印、泰麒在蓬山被人企圖捕捉以及六太在這集被威脅帶走的過程，覺得麒麟就算有使令，但感覺好項真的很難自保阿…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2009
This is one of those books that I probably would have liked better if I hadn't gotten an idea about what I was reading halfway through, and then the narrative changed on me.
So, in the world of the Twelve Kingdoms, divine creatures, kirin, are able to mystically sense the best person for ruler-ship and that person then becomes immortal and Heaven's chosen ruler of the kingdom. If the king is good at his (or her) job, the kingdom prospers. If the king is actually callous and cruel, the kingdom suffers, demons start showing up, and eventually the kirin gets sick and the king loses his or her immortality and dies, as the Mandate of Heaven passes from him/her, and the kirin (or a new one, if the kirin dies) has to choose a new king.
This story follows Rokuta the kirin of En and Shoryu, the king of En. Both lived in Japan for periods of their lives -- Rokuta was abandoned as a child when wars meant that his foster parents couldn't feed him, and Shoryu used to be a warlord's son whose people were slaughtered by a rival. The story stars out with Shoryu attempting to patch up the kingdom after the previous king went crazy and started killing people (and insisting that his underlings impose his draconian polices or he'd kill them). The regent son-of-the-governor of one of the provinces, Atsuyu, is trying to get the king to delegate power to him to fix the levees before the fall floods, but Shoryu is still trying to clear house of all the previous administration's corruption. So Atsuyu kidnaps Rokuta and tries to use him to blackmail Shoryu into giving him power.
Now, here was when I think that this is the possibility of having a protagonist and antagonist who are both right and decent people but stuck on opposite sides and cannot easily reconcile. Sadly, as Rokuta investigates, Atsuyu loses most of his virtuous appeal as a governor, which shows why he didn't attempt to seek out an actual appointed position. Turns out, he just wanted power, while Shoryu wanted a kingdom to make peoples' lives better, so it ended up being a more straightforward story, with a bit of cleverness in Shoryu's use of his limited resources.
One thing I liked was Shoryu mentioning how powerful the idea of a Divinely-Appointed King was -- that the people wanted to believe in that he was a good king because the Owl King left them next to nothing, and that could be used as a weapon as much as his army to keep everyone from gathering their own armies and marching on the capital. On the other hand, as Rokuta is quick to remember, even a good ruler can go bad -- the Owl King was divinely appointed.
Don't get me wrong, it was a good book and I enjoyed it. I just got stuck on an idea of something else, which cast a shadow over the rest of the book.
So, in the world of the Twelve Kingdoms, divine creatures, kirin, are able to mystically sense the best person for ruler-ship and that person then becomes immortal and Heaven's chosen ruler of the kingdom. If the king is good at his (or her) job, the kingdom prospers. If the king is actually callous and cruel, the kingdom suffers, demons start showing up, and eventually the kirin gets sick and the king loses his or her immortality and dies, as the Mandate of Heaven passes from him/her, and the kirin (or a new one, if the kirin dies) has to choose a new king.
This story follows Rokuta the kirin of En and Shoryu, the king of En. Both lived in Japan for periods of their lives -- Rokuta was abandoned as a child when wars meant that his foster parents couldn't feed him, and Shoryu used to be a warlord's son whose people were slaughtered by a rival. The story stars out with Shoryu attempting to patch up the kingdom after the previous king went crazy and started killing people (and insisting that his underlings impose his draconian polices or he'd kill them). The regent son-of-the-governor of one of the provinces, Atsuyu, is trying to get the king to delegate power to him to fix the levees before the fall floods, but Shoryu is still trying to clear house of all the previous administration's corruption. So Atsuyu kidnaps Rokuta and tries to use him to blackmail Shoryu into giving him power.
Now, here was when I think that this is the possibility of having a protagonist and antagonist who are both right and decent people but stuck on opposite sides and cannot easily reconcile. Sadly, as Rokuta investigates, Atsuyu loses most of his virtuous appeal as a governor, which shows why he didn't attempt to seek out an actual appointed position. Turns out, he just wanted power, while Shoryu wanted a kingdom to make peoples' lives better, so it ended up being a more straightforward story, with a bit of cleverness in Shoryu's use of his limited resources.
One thing I liked was Shoryu mentioning how powerful the idea of a Divinely-Appointed King was -- that the people wanted to believe in that he was a good king because the Owl King left them next to nothing, and that could be used as a weapon as much as his army to keep everyone from gathering their own armies and marching on the capital. On the other hand, as Rokuta is quick to remember, even a good ruler can go bad -- the Owl King was divinely appointed.
Don't get me wrong, it was a good book and I enjoyed it. I just got stuck on an idea of something else, which cast a shadow over the rest of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2025
“All rulers did was go to war. And the people were like firewood to be thrown on the flames.”
This review is referring to the Tokyopop edition and will be updated upon reread.
I'm just putting this out there to show the faith I had in this being a good novel: at over $80 USD, this was by far the most I've ever spent on a novel. It's a huge shame that The Twelve Kingdoms was never fully translated to English and that the few volumes available are out of print and insanely expensive. One can only hope that the rising popularity of light novels might result in a new release of this one too.
One thing I really appreciate about The Twelve Kingdoms is that each volume functions as a stand-alone set within the same world. They can probably be read in any order as the books themselves don't follow a chronological order. The Vast Spread of the Seas is set long before the events of the first book and it gives us the origin story of the Ever-King and his kirin Rokuta.
Much like the series as a whole, this instalment doesn't follow a chronological order. We jump back and forth between how Rokuta found his king and two decades after ascending the throne. I found this form of narration a little hard to follow at first but it actually made for a very nice story as one could draw parallels between the two different timelines. Two decades after becoming the Ever-King, the land of En is recovering but a rebellion is on the horizon. I truly enjoyed the Ever-King as a character and how he has everyone believing he is a good for nothing ruler despite being both perceptive and very caring of his people. The rebellion may at first seem like a result of his slack rule, but of course, there's more to it than just that.
This instalment is so far the most political and full of court intrigue. A few things are quite obvious to the reader whereas others come as quite a surprise. It is also nice to get to know more about Rokuta - he's always come across as a bit of a rascal but this book shows that deep down he does have the gentle nature of a kirin. We are also introduced to a new character - Koya, a boy raised by a demon. He makes for a very interesting character and I wouldn't mind reading a book from his point of view.
One must keep in mind that this is a translated work - there are a few parts that feel a little off in terms of writing and I found a couple of typos. But other than that, this is another lovely instalment to this intricate world of The Twelve Kingdoms. If you're lucky enough to find a reasonably priced copy, grab it while you can!
June 10, 2011
This novel is number three in the Twelve Kingdoms series and it looks like we’re going to get one novel per kingdom. So we have all the same universe rules but not much in the way of repeated characters which, as far as a series goes, isn’t my favorite thing.
In this one the main players are Rokuta, a young kirin, his king, Shoryu, Koya, a human boy who tamed a demon and Atsuyu. Long story short, the Kirin pick the ever-kings in this verse. The kings and the divine advisors are all immortals. If the king screws up, the kirin slowly dies and the king follows as they’re supposedly picked by divine means.
Rokuta is the total pacifist. Shoryu seems to be more interested in gambling and whoring than being king. Atsuyu, the leader of the Gen providence decides he wants to be the over king and at first seems to be a good and kind leader. He is the only person who ever accepted Koya as he is (i.e. a demon tamer) and has the young man’s unquestioning loyalty.
The story begins with Rokuta accidently being swept away across the sea to Japan where the young kirin is raised for a while before being abandoned and brought back to the twelve kingdoms world. Koya’s family is so poor that he, too, is abandoned in the woods to have one less mouth to feed. He is found and raised by demons. He and Rokuta meet once as children then later as young men.
Rokuta and Shoryu are seen as poor leaders especially by Shoryu’s advisors and Atsuyu’s rebellion has quite a bit of support. However, neither leader are what they really seem to be. Rokuta is taken prisoner by Koya and Atsuyu and is in danger of being killed, ending Shoryu’s reign (though probably not improving Atsuyu’s standing given the divine nature of the kirin). The Machiavellian aspects to the plot were very good.
I have to admit that I like each book a little less than the one before it. Don’t get me wrong, they’re good but they do have issues. The issue in this one for me was two-fold. It’s told very non-linearly with multiple flashbacks so you have to be paying close attention. That was just minorly annoying. What bothered me more was that none of the characters were that likeable. I’m not sure they were meant to be. Koya is too narrow in his thinking. Rokuta is too laid back and creates his own troubles. Shoryu is the same. I’m still interested in the series but this one was the weakest (and I think the shortest) so far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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