The Beast Warrior (The Beast Player, Books 3-4)

by Nahoko Uehashi

[alindstadtcorbeax]

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars

First of all, this is a translated work, originally written in Japanese, and seriously everyone needs to read it! There's great world building, but ultimately it is a VERY, VERY Character based story; I love these characters with all of my heart! Also interesting fact— They made an anime based upon this story! When I remember what its called I will update this lol.

My heart is BROKEN! I am trying to keep the tears in, but it totally isn’t working. The ending was not what I expected, and it may be sad, but in ways, so happy as well. The sadness is the one dominating my heart, at the moment. Can you cry both sad & happy tears at the same time?

My God. What a masterpiece ! Following the events of The Beast Player (link at very bottom), this picks up 20 years after a fateful battle that changed everything. I believe it takes place about 10 (give or take) years after the ending of the first book. It is a beautiful, fantastical tale... filled also with the darkness of war (in so many different ways) & what comes with that.

This novel is very much about a struggle with morality vs reality that arises in Elin as she realizes that as the only one who can tame & ride a royal beast (beautiful Leelan!), she MUST do things she hates herself for—using the Royal Beasts & Toda (I explain these creatures below, but they are both massive beasts reminiscent of something out of a Miyazaki film, or Japanese folklore/mythology) as good as all too willing pawns in the human war if the need should arise (and boy... just you wait!)—because these regal Beasts deserve to thrive on their own, not involved with humans in this way and pitted against one another. Elin knows how very wrong it is to use these creatures in this way & torments her to her core. She knows how very wrong things could end, for a long list of reasons, for everyone if things were to go awry (which is most probable as these beasts are natural enemies in the wild).

Elin is haunted both by thoughts of both action AND inaction... both etched in mass destruction, bloodshed, & death. Even she, herself, could be in danger... because just how much can you trust a wild beast, "tamed," or not, in a bloody battle?
But... these are risks that one must take when action is forced upon you by your Kingdom's ruler, with war looming ever closer.
It is in this sense, that this is quite a cautionary tale as well.

But it is not all dark, despite the underlying plot, and the writing always makes this story feel so very bright and full of light, and so very full of heart. I laughed, I smiled, I cried, I hung on to every word. The bond between Elin & Leelan is absolutely extraordinary. Scenes with the two of them together warmed my heart & left me so very happy.

This is a YA fantasy worthy of so much attention !