I admit that I requested this novel because of the cover and the fact that it reminded me of Princess Mononoke, one of my favorite movies. The movie's artistic style stayed with me while I read the book and it made easy to come to life in my head. It's a gorgeous story, full of rich detail, a love of learning, and animals. Some of the transitions in time or POV was a little disconcerting, but still enjoyable. It drew me in so strongly and I hated putting it down! The ending was a little strange and left me sort of disappointed and conflicted, but it was a beautiful end on its own as well.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

I received an eARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

First some things: This is not YA. This reads like adult fantasy. The main character starts at age 10 and is 18 or 20 by the end. There are no prevalent themes of modern YA in this, so I really don't think it would appeal to a large majority of YA readers. This is a vast world with a lot of levels and names. You can see the groundwork of complex worldbuilding that will be continued in the next installment.

This book got recommended to fans of Ghibli stuff in a lot of reviews. Hard disagree. The first 100-150 pages, yes. Once the plot really gets rolling and Elin is at the school, no. At that point it becomes more political.

This is a thinking book. You spend a lot of time in characters' heads contemplating morality, war, animals vs humans and the mentality each carries, and what it means to be a steward of animals. The entire first quart or third of the book sets up the character Elin becomes by focusing heavily on her growing up as well as her insatiable need for knowledge, questions, and pondering. This is a key factor of this story and something pointed out often throughout the story as Elin thinking outside the box.

Now the review:

The characters in this are flat. This is most definitely not a character-centric book. Again, it's a thinking book. This story poses a lot of questions and concepts about how we humans interact with animals, especially those more dangerous than ourselves, and whether or not it's in our right to use them in specific ways. The ending of the book is super ambiguous, which can definitely be frustrating, but if you're a fan of manga/anime/toku, it's a common theme in a series for a story arc to end super vaguely. This is Japanese, which means it carries a lot of common themes seen in Japanese storytelling.

One that drives me up the wall but I know always has a pay off is the constant allusion to a story or character which everyone in the fictional world knows about, but we the reader doesn't. The Beast Player has this and, again, I can see this being very frustrating to readers. Elin is given knowledge about something that has been alluded to since the first chapter--a great horror that shook the world. Elin tells three characters this story and never once is the reader told until she tells the tale the fourth time, in the last 30 pages of the book. It ties everything together, but it makes you wonder why it was withheld from the reader.

For the Ghibli fans, the highlight of the story will be Elin's childhood/early teen years. You learn a lot about beekeeping, which I personally found fascinating. It has a very cosy feel and is a super slow portion of the book. This whole book, though, is a slow read until the end, so take that as you will. The relationship between Elin and Joeun are the most wholesome pair ever, and I loved how calm their lives were. It's a sharp contrast to how much of a mess the second half of the book (or volume 2) becomes.

The second half is the political portion, where Elin gets dragged into a huge mess because of the choices she made as a fourteen-year-old. This book really impacts the importance of decisions and the consequences (for good or ill) they will have in your life.

There are chapters where new characters are randomly introduced with no context, and it was confusing. This also happened multiple time in chapters where one paragraph you're hanging out with the Yojeh, and the next paragraph you're suddenly back with Elin. There was no paragraph break or indication that the story changed--not sure if this is a publishing thing that will get fixed or if the final copy will have this, but I really ope it doesn't because multiple times in the second half of the book, I had to go back and reread a page to figure out who the crap I was with.

There are mythical creatures in this story, which add the fantasy element. This isn't a dragon book. I've seen some people mention that if you like dragons, read this, and that's wrong. Water dragons/serpents exist but are a mere backdrop for the Royal Beasts, the focal mythical beast of the story.

My biggest complaints would be that, for whatever reason, there is an enormous lack of description regarding the Royal Beasts. I'm still not totally sure if they're more canine or feline-based, as all you're told is that they have wings, fur, claws, and teeth. And snouts.

The ending, or last 50 pages or so, was all over the place. The pacing was a mess, and it's really difficult to keep up with some of what's going on. It feels like there are pieces missing in the story because characters randomly show up in locations where before you thought they were somewhere else.

I did enjoy this book, especially the first half. I have more mixed feelings about the second half, but I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a raw, thought-provoking fantasy with heartfelt moments.

Elin is 10 years old when her mother, a powerful beast doctor is killed for treason. She is taken in by a beekeeper and ultimately raised to be a beast doctor on her own right. When she raises a Royal Beast cub on her own and that cub responds without the use of force always required in the past, some believe that she is the using powerful magic of the kingdom’s enemies, but Elin knows she is only trying to help the cub live the life she would’ve lived in the wild. If you love magical creatures and ache when they bend to the will of humans, you will enjoy this book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

THE BEAST PLAYER is an intriguing YA fantasy read that felt like a coming-of-age story. Elin was ten years old when her life inevitably and irrevocably changed. She had lived in a small village with her mother as an outsider, due to the color of her eyes, which marked her as an Ao-Loh, or "oath guardian/protector." The Ao-Loh wander the land without making ties to guard their oath- but the oath they are guarding is not revealed until near the end of the book.

After her mother, a toda doctor, is executed and leaves Elin with a mystery, Elin finds herself in the mountains with a kind man, Joeun, who is a beekeeper. Elin is intrigued by the animals she encounters and does her best to study them. When she is 14, she finds the opportunity to go to school to be a royal beast doctor, and she strongly desires the ability to study the royal beasts after having seen them in the wild.

She studies with Esalu, who provides her the opportunity to try to save a royal beast who is heading for death. In doing so, Elin crosses lines that she did not know existed. As time progresses, Elin learns more about the politics and ethics of the use of animals by the government and is entrenched by even bigger questions.

This was a really intriguing book that keeps you hooked with wanting to know more about the history of animal treatment and the Ao-Loh. It was not quite the YA fantasy I was expecting. This felt more like an adult read with subdued overtones and less action than anticipated. It was a book that I wanted to read until the end, but it took me a long time to work my way through it, because it felt like there was less urgency in the storytelling. This is a story that unfolds slowly and delicately.

The world-crafting is really beautiful and there is a lot of really important themes about connecting with animals and the ethics around their use. While it was not what I expected, it was still a great and unique read.

Please note that I received an ARC through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This book is sure to interest kids who like nature, both plants and animals. Some of the animals in the book belong to the world of a fantasy. They are the toda and the royal beasts, animals of war and symbols of royal sovereignty respectively. Our main character is Elin, who follows her curiosity and learns how to communicate with a royal beast. That is where things become problematic and Elin is forced to learn something about politics and to take a role in unfolding events, which is not her desire at all. This book should keep the attention of children, both young and older.

A fascinating read, with a unique world and characters. Uehashi's book shines, even in translation, with a fully realized fantasy world.

Blurb:
Nahoko Uehashi's The Beast Player is an epic YA fantasy about a girl with a special power to communicate with magical beasts and the warring kingdom only she can save.

Review:
The imagery is quite vivid and realistic. I enjoyed the story, and it maintained my attention the entire time. If you like fantasy novels then I suggest you take the time to read The Beast Player. The characters were well written. I do think that the MC got over a tragic event way too quickly.

The Beast Player compiles volumes 1-2 of the four-volume series by Nahoko Uehashi. I was drawn to this book because of the epic scale of this fantasy novel and because it’s a Japanese novel in translation.

The Beast Player reads like the telling of a legend. While it does dip in the minds of characters other than Elin, it doesn’t delve deeply into the characters’ thoughts or relationships. The side characters in particular are not well developed; they exist only to serve their purpose for specific times in Elin’s life. The focus is instead on events that push Elin forward as she seeks to understand why her mom makes the choices that she does given the knowledge that she has.

Elin’s most defining trait is her curiosity and subsequent pursuit of knowledge, knowledge that is questionable at best and dangerous in the wrong hands. That said, there are fun teaching moments in Elin’s life. I especially enjoyed learning about beekeeping and reading about the creative solutions she comes up with through her observations of the world around her. As an animal lover, I also loved reading about the bonds she forms with the beasts that come into her life.

What I appreciate most about this novel is how it explores themes of knowledge, environmentalism, and human greed and desire for power. Though Elin demonstrates herself to be staunchly pro-science, she is unable to fully understand or communicate with the beasts she loves, and there are others who would exploit her knowledge for their own purposes. Through Erin’s example, this novel serves as a warning on how far humans can take their curiosity, their desire to understand and control the forces of nature, and their greed for power and resources.

I am content with the way events conclude at the end of The Beast Player. In some ways, I think that it’s better to end it here and let readers imagine possible futures that the people take following the events of this novel. Nevertheless, I would be interested in reading a translation of volumes 3-4 to see how Nahoko Uehashi further expands upon the themes she introduces in The Beast Player.

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt publishing for providing a copy for review.
This book is rare in it’s ability to appeal to the span of age groups, being appropriate to young readers without depriving adult readers of an exquisite tale.
Most notably, the story delves into to protagonist’s desire for understanding and connection with the natural world. Most children’s/YA novels would just repeat-“she loved to learn, she had a connection with fantastic beasts” without ever exploring the how or why. This desire for connection with the animal world is so intrinsic in so many of us, especially as children, and it was delightfully refreshing to see a story not shy away from the science of the workings of the natural world and realities of animal husbandry. Might seem like a weighty topic, but the pacing and the storytelling intertwines the intellectual with the fantastical in a beautiful way.
Cathy Hirano has done an exquisite job translating Uehashi’s story and I hope the rest of the series will be available soon. This is a story you want to live in and continue to revisit as a peaceful, fascinating and engaging fantasy.

Absolutely fantastic coming-of-age fantasy that feels more New Adult than Young Adult in tone, if not technically in content.

This was an interesting read based on a Japanese epic fantasy. The world-building was fantastic, the relationship between Elin, the protagonist, and the animals was intimate and beautiful, and the building of the conflict made the story interesting. The only reason why I'm giving this book a 3/5 stars is because it dragged on at times and some parts were quite repetitive, even choppy. I know my students would love to read this since they've never been exposed to Japanese fantasy (even though it's a translation).

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this eARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is so intriguing and adventure packed! It was a great read that I'll enjoy recommending to my students.

*ARC received from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

Oh gosh, this book was so lovely that quite often I forgot this was a translated version. So many scenes were beautiful and came alive before my eyes. The story was one that kept me reading to find out just how everything might resolve. There were moments that clues could have been given out, but were kept back until later in the book. Often I don't like this way of telling a story but it worked beautifully in this one.

While I did love it there were some moments where I was a little confused. For example, I still have no clear image in my mind of what the Royal Birds might look like. Sometimes I would get an idea that would quickly be shot down by a new addition of information.

I am not sure if this is because of the kindle version I was reading but there were moments were the transitions between narrators was swift and confusing. It would happen in the middle of a paragraph leaving me lost about who we were following now. Though, that by no means makes me dislike how many narrators there are. Uehashi has brought all the characters to such life that I enjoyed jumping from one to the next seeing how the larger picture was coming together.

Everything came together to create a beautiful story that I didn't want to end. By the time I did get to the ending I felt a little letdown. There was such a build up of tension that was never resolved. I was left wanting more and I truly hope that there might be more in the future.

This book was a,wonderful gateway to another point of view of children developing strong relationships between magical beasts and the human touch. The strength, tenacity and pure intuition Elin displayed discovering her special gift which later become a her greatest problem. An engaging take of trust and adversity to overcome great obstacles and protect the family legacy and the gifts you discover that make you who you are.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This title is sure to do well in our YFantasy collection in the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars!