Death’s Kiss

Legend of the Five Rings Series, A Daidoji Shin Mystery

By: Josh Reynolds

Narrated by: Kaipo Schwab

Nobleman sleuth Daidoji Shin returns for a brilliant new investigation deep in the Emerald Empire, in this exciting novel set in the fantastical world of Legend of the Five Rings

Daidoji Shin, former louche layabout turned amateur investigator, and his long-suffering bodyguard, Kasami, are called away from the comforts of the City of the Rich Frog and into Unicorn lands to investigate a seemingly open-and-shut case of murder. But it's never that straightforward.... A condemned woman's life is at stake, and the outcome may prevent a war between noble families. But that's only the beginning of this mystery: Shin will come face to face with a sinister seditionist organization that could have much deeper consequences than he could imagine.

©2021 Fantasy Flight Games (P)2022 Tantor

Excellent Narration And Intrigue

While mystery isn't usually my preferred genre I highly enjoy world building and intrigue, which this story gives plenty of. Shin and Kasami are very entertaining as they play off of one another.

If you're looking into this story specifically for the Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) setting this is a good book to see the Crane Clan (the main character) interacting with the Unicorn Clan.

The only thing removing a star from this story is more of a problem with myself than the story but it still feels relevant especially when discussing L5R as a setting. This story has a lot of named characters, many sharing family names. And while I can generally tell them apart via context clues (oh yeah, that's the person who did x) it didn't stop me from having to rewind a few times to try and remember who was who. Especially in cases where one can go multiple chapters without seeing or hearing from a given character.

Good

good good good good good good good good good a a a a a a a b c d e f

Very good detective novel

A Lion ronin, bodyguard to a Unicorn noble, has been arrested for killing another Unicorn. The killing was in defense of her protectee, but social class being what it is in Rokugan, she is likely to be executed. Daidoji Shin is asked to investigate.

While the world of Rokugan is a very magical place, there is no magic in evidence in this story. (There is passing mention of non-humans harassing people outside of towns, but that's entirely offscreen.) The story is a straight detective story set in the blended East-Asian setting of the Legend of the Five Rings, and it does an excellent job of presenting that face-dominant society through the lens of the investigation.

The character work is excellent. Shin, his retainers, and a certain blind musician are the stars of the piece, and all are very memorable. The various subjects of the investigation are done well, but don't reach the depth of characterization of those characters.

The plot is crafted well, with believable motives and actions for all participants. The mystery has multiple layers that are gradually peeled back until we get the final reveal. Because of the way the story is written, the reveal is never a shock, but the resolution is satisfying.

The narrator does an excellent job with the reading, never stumbling over the uncommon names and giving a memorable voice to Daidoji Shin. Oddly, he uses idiosyncratic pronunciations for several standard English words, indicating, perhaps, a reading pronunciation. While I did stumble a few times, the stumbling was only momentary.

I'm not generally a fan of stories set in franchise universes, but this series is done very well. Recommended.