Josh Reynolds kicks off his ‘Daidoji Shin Mysteries’ series of Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) stories with Poison River, his second novel for Aconyte Books. Sent by his family to the City of the Rich Frog to oversee the Crane Clan’s trade activities, Daidoji Shin relieves his boredom by spending his days drinking and gambling, much to the dismay of his bodyguard Kasami. All that changes, however, when the Imperial governor sets him the task of uncovering the culprit behind a plot that risks upsetting the balance of power in the city. Invigorated by the investigation, Shin throws himself (and Kasami) into his work, in spite of the danger posed by rival clans, court politics and hired assassins.
While L5R’s Rokugan is very much a fantasy world, mixing feudal Japan with magic, demons and spirits, Poison River focuses much less on the fantastic elements of the setting and more on the everyday realities of life in the City of the Rich Frog. It’s essentially a Golden Age detective story, complete with a central mystery full of twists and turns, a main character who uses his sharp deductive skills to seek out the truth, and a supporting cast of kabuki actors, corrupt merchants, mercenary shinobi and grouchy samurai. Set to the backdrop of a vibrant riverside city parcelled out in an uneasy alliance between a trio of rival clans, it’s full of pointed conversations over cups of tea, devious nobles lying through their teeth, and the occasional breathless chase across rooftops and through crowded streets.
The mystery itself revolves around poisoned rice, the underground black market and the currents of political power in the city, but Daidoji Shin is the main draw of the novel, proving to be a tremendously entertaining character and an unconventional, but effective detective. Capable of holding his own with a blade if he really has to (although why fight when he has the much put upon Kasami to do it for him?), he prefers to duel with sharp words, with which he’s positively lethal. On the surface he’s a typical spoiled aristocrat, but behind his mask of indolence and sarcastic wit he has a mind for details and a degree of cunning that make him ideally suited as an investigator, despite initial appearances and his relative lack of experience in the role. His nonchalant immodesty and blatant disregard for propriety drive poor Kasami spare, but are a lot of fun to read about.
This is perfect Reynolds fare really, with the mystery lending the story drive and momentum while giving the characters opportunities to do plenty of talking and explore the setting in interesting ways. Shin understandably steals the show, but it’s absolutely packed full of snarky, sharp-talking characters all hiding behind their own masks (occasionally literal, mostly figurative), and between them they explore both the surface detail and the deeper workings of the city (and by proxy the compelling world of Rokugan) – its locations, its structures of commerce and agriculture, the clan politics that bind and divide it, and the dynamic between the samurai and the common folk of the city. Come for the mystery, stay for the fantastic characters, snappy dialogue and sense of fun. As the first book in a series, it’s a very promising start indeed.
Review copy provided by the publisher – many thanks to Aconyte Books and Josh Reynolds for providing me with a review copy of Poison River, in exchange for my honest review.
See also: my Rapid Fire interview with Josh Reynolds talking about Poison River
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