Heather’s Bookshelf: Shadow Shinjuku
Author: Ryu Takeshi
Released: 08/05/21
Genre: Historical/Fantasy Fiction
“Every time I look at Tokyo’s lights from above, loneliness engulfs me. I see life resisting darkness down there, but I can’t feel it. It’s too far away. Even the sounds are muffled, and an endless sea rumbles between me and the ground below. Sometimes, I can see it, its shallow waves steadily rising and falling, and no reflections escaping the murky surface.
“Shadow Shinjuku” follows Sato, an orphan rescued from the streets of Japan by a Yakuzu boss and then groomed by an assassin to eventually become the personal body guard of the boss’s daughter.
When Sato first meets the boss’ daughter, he is confused by her actions but honored to have such an important role in the family that saved him all those years ago. He has a complicated relationship with pretty much everyone in his life including his surrogate mother turned lover and niece who’s not truly related. He also has a few quirks, like having to spend time going through a process when moving between spaces.
He’s content enough with his life until those around him are dragged into the ugly underbelly of the family and their actions. He decides he must act, but will he be able to save himself and those around him while also discovering the truth?
Trigger Warning: violence, sexual situations, adult language, murder, rape
Overall, I was a little torn about this tale. The story takes place in Tokyo and is 100% immersed in the environment and culture. Everything from the regions of the city to the food…it puts you right there in the city and reminded me of my time there (where I took the background photo for the blog art). The protagonist is well developed as are many of the ancillary characters. However, I found them to be cold and difficult to relate to. The fantasy aspects of the book (probably more like magical realism) are also interesting and utilized smartly throughout the story. However, I found the pacing of the first half of the story to be rather slow and repetitive at times. The second half moved along much more quickly and felt more pertinent to the arch of the story and the main characters. I’m not one to shy away from sexual situations, but found the way the author wrote about certain scenes to be clumsy- often interrupting emotional or profound moments with anatomical descriptions that seemed out of place. There is a twist at the end of the story which I guessed ahead of time, but thought the author did a good job in having it make sense to the story and the characters. The ending ties everything up nicely while also leaving open an opportunity for a sequel.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A clear setting and well developed protagonist set the scene for a plot with pacing that doesn’t hold up.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Ryu Takeshi
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
