The Twelve Kingdoms, Volume 3: The Vast Spread of the Seas

~written by Fuyumi Ono
~translated by Alexander O. Smith and Elye J. Alexander

The Vast Spread of the Seas is the third book in Fuyumi Ono's series of fantasy light novels The Twelve Kingdoms. In Japan the first two novels of the series were each released in two parts, technically making The Vast Spread of the Seas, published in 1994, the fifth volume of The Twelve Kingdoms. However, in the English-language edition of the series The Vast Spread of the Seas is the third volume. Tokyopop first released Alexander O. Smith and Elye J. Alexander's English translation of the novel early on in 2009 as a hardcover. Later that year it was released again in a paperback edition. Tokyopop's release of The Vast Spread of the Seas retains the illustrations by Akihiro Yamada. I quite enjoyed the first two books in The Twelve Kingdoms, so I was looking forward to reading The Vast Spread of the Seas.

The kingdom of En has fallen upon difficult times. The previous king drove the country to ruin and many of its people either died or fled during his vicious reign. Much of En became a wasteland and demons prowled the wilds. At first Shoryu, En's new king divinely appointed by the kingdom's kirin Rokuta, gives En's people hope for a better life. But much to the dismay of his ministers, it soon becomes clear that Shoryu would rather galavant about the country than focus on the kingdom's administration. Many of those in the provincial governments are also frustrated by Shoryu's seeming lack of motivation and the slow restoration of En. Atsuyu, the acting regent of the province of Gen, plans to take matters into his own hands if the king continues to refuse to address En's problems. With civil war brewing, Shoryu will be forced to abandon his inscrutable style of rule if he is to put an end to the rebellion and maintain the peace. But even then his decisions continue to confound those that serve him.

Although The Vast Spread of the Seas is the third novel in The Twelve Kingdoms, chronologically it takes place before the first two and isn't directly related plot-wise. However, the volume does focus on Shoryu and Rokuta who have played small but incredibly important roles in both Sea of Shadow and Sea of Wind. Reading the first two books does provide a little more insight into Shoryu and Rokuta's characters and what people think of them, but for the most part The Vast Spread of the Seas stands on its own. It explores their pasts, both before and after their association with En, as well as a critical period early in Shoryu's reign as the king. Because I have read the previous volumes in The Twelve Kingdoms I knew how some of the events in The Vast Spread of the Seas would ultimately end, but it was still very interesting to see how they played out and how Shoryu dealt with them.

A large part of The Vast Spread of the Seas delves into court politics and intrigue. Atsuyu's viewpoints are considered to be heretical and even dangerous, but his challenging of a system of authority that has failed its people is understandable and he raises some very legitimate concerns. Unfortunately, his criticisms are never fully addressed in The Vast Spread of the Seas. What is established is that Shoryu is a much keener ruler than he lets on and that he cares about his people immensely. Actions that seem to make no sense actually have significant purpose. He doesn't allow himself to be limited or constrained by what is expected of him as a king; Shoryu is incredibly creative and shrewed in his administration of the kingdom and very few people actually realize it. It's no wonder that he later becomes so admired and respected as a ruler despite his quirks and unorthodoxy.

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The Twelve Kingdoms, Volume 2: Sea of Wind

~written by Fuyumi Ono
~translated by Alexander O. Smith and Elye J. Alexander

Sea of Wind is the second novel in Tokyopop's English-language release of Fuyumi Ono's fantasy light novel series The Twelve Kingdoms illustrated by Akihiro Yamada. The novel was originally published in Japan as two separate volumes, both of which were released in 1993 under the title Sea of Wind, Shore of Labyrinth. Alexander O. Smith and Elye J. Alexander's English translation of Sea of Wind was originally published in hardcover by Tokyopop's Pop Fiction imprint in 2008 before being released in a paperback edition in 2009. I very much enjoyed Sea of Shadow, the first novel in The Twelve Kingdoms, and so was looking forward to reading the second volume a great deal. Technically, Sea of Wind is a prequel of sorts. Although they are not directly related, the events in Sea of Wind take place before those explored in Sea of Shadow.

Before his birth, the kirin of the kingdom of Tai was swept away by a great shoku, a terrifying storm that rips between worlds. Although the search for him began immediately, it is an unprecedented ten years before the kirin is able to be found. Having been lost in the world Over There, Taiki's return to the world into which he should have been born is celebrated. Taiki never really fit in Over There but because he has been gone for so long he doesn't quite fit in in the world that is welcoming him home, either. He has much to learn about the world he now inhabits and, more importantly, about himself. The kirin play a critical role and Taiki is desperately needed by Tai. But without the knowledge and powers that should have come naturally to him, Taiki must first conquer his own inadequacies before he can fulfill his role.

After the initial chaos surrounding Taiki's disappearance, Sea of Wind begins fairly benignly. Taiki's welcome home is a warm one and he is treated very kindly. But as the novel progresses danger and darkness are introduced to the story. The portrayal of Taiki's growth as a character is particularly well done. His fear, confusion, and distress is almost palpable as he struggles with his newly discovered obligations and responsibilities. Taiki is plagued by doubt and guilt. He wants to please those around him and is terrified of making a mistake. He can hardly be blamed--the fate of an entire kingdom rests on his tiny, inexperienced shoulders. Most of the other characters aren't nearly as well developed as Taiki, but Sea of Wind really is his story more than anything else.

Although Sea of Wind is the second book in The Twelve Kingdoms, it stands quite well on its own. However, there are some scenes that will be more meaningful to someone who has read Sea of Shadow as well. In particular is the appearance of Keiki, another kirin who was introduced in Sea of Shadow. He plays an important role in Sea of Wind, too, and his interactions with Taiki are wonderful. A few of the other characters from Sea of Shadow also make their return in Sea of Wind, which I was very happy to see. As for the story itself, Ono still has the tendency to infodump from time to time. However, I find the world of The Twelve Kingdoms to be so fascinating that I usually didn't mind too much. I am still thoroughly enjoying the series and am looking forward to reading the next volume, The Vast Spread of Seas.

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Twelve Kingdoms, Volume 1: Sea of Shadow

~written by Fuyumi Ono
~translated by Alexander O. Smith and Elye J. Alexander


I don't remember exactly where I first heard about Fuyumi Ono's fantasy light novel series The Twelve Kingdoms, illustrated by Akihiro Yamada, but over time I've gained the impression that the books are quite good. And so when I came across the first volume Sea of Shadow, which is long out of print and somewhat hard to find, at a used book store I nabbed it. The English translation was executed by Alexander O. Smith and Elye J. Alexander. Tokyopop first published Sea of Shadow in hardcover in 2007 before releasing a paperback edition in 2008. The first volume of the English edition of The Twelve Kingdoms actually collects the first two volumes of the series as released in Japan, published in June and July of 1992. The full title of the two part novel translates into English as Shadow of the Moon, Sea of Shadow. The Twelve Kingdoms ran for eleven volumes in Japan. The first seven books were released by Tokyopop collected as four volumes in the English edition.

Yoko Nakajima is a fairly normal high school student who wants to be liked and accepted by her peers. She tries to appease everyone and acts as the perfect good girl, good student, and good daughter. But when a strange man comes looking for her at school and she is whisked away to another world she can lo longer be any of those things. Soon separated from the man who swore his protection and allegiance to her, Yoko finds herself alone with no idea where she is or what is going on. Pursued nightly by demons, she is painfully aware that her very life is in danger if she doesn't figure out something soon. All she wants to do is go home, but with no one to help her she must learn to depend on herself.

While I enjoyed the first part of Sea of Shadow, it wasn't until I was about halfway through the book that I knew for certain that I wanted to read the rest of The Twelve Kingdoms. It is at that point that Yoko has sunk to her lowest as a person. She is aware of the changes in herself, but she can no longer bring herself to care after being repeatedly betrayed. Yoko's character development in Sea of Shadow is by far the most complete. She significantly matures over the course of the book and for very good reasons. It is chilling and almost scary to see how she adapts to her circumstances even if it is understandable considering how she must struggle to survive on her own. Her experiences are harsh and emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically draining. It is no surprise that Yoko is a very different person at the end of Sea of Shadow than she is at the beginning. Ono captures her development magnificently.

Ono's world building in Sea of Shadow, heavily influenced by Chinese mythology, is solid. Occasionally the narrative falls prey to infodumping, mostly because the reader is limited to what Yoko knows about her environment. If she hasn't learned something yet, the reader is also left in the dark. But as the novel progresses and Yoko finds people she believes she can trust, more and more about the world in which she is now living is revealed and explained. And it is absolutely fascinating. The political structure is particularly interesting and the system of checks and balances establishes very real and often dire consequences for rulers and for their kingdoms. Even with divine aid, people will continue to be people with all of their faults and thirst for power intact; nothing is perfect. I definitely want to learn more about the world Ono has created in The Twelve Kingdoms and look forward to continuing the series with Sea of Wind.

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