Wow. I loved this book. I've heard about Yasuke multiple times, but I've never dived deeply into his story (I'm not counting the Yasuke anime on Netflix, sorry not sorry). I'm so glad I ended up stumbling upon this book by Craig Shreve, because this was masterful!
It's hard to pick what I loved the most about this book, but I think I'm able to narrow it down to three things; Yasuke's characterization and development, his friendship with Nobunaga, and all the rich details.

I loved Yasuke and rooted for him right away. What a gentle giant. Shreve did an excellent job portraying the complexities of Yasuke's emotions because I felt them. When he was hurt, so was I. Seeing what he went through made me want to yell! His good sense of humour made me smile (I loved his banter with Ranmaru, Ogoru and Jingorou), and I worried for him.

Nobunaga, was another excellent character. I was wary of him immediately, but the bond that he and Yasuke forged?! It really touched me. There was a scene in the book that brought tears to my eyes. When Nobunaga bowed after Yasuke performed for him in the rhino mask, I was amazed. Yasuke took such a risk by showing Nobunaga a precious part of his culture. I was so afraid Nobunaga might have derided him but he bowed out of respect! Seeing the respect between the representatives of two cultures really moved me.

The details peppered throughout this novel were excellent. I felt like I had been transported back in time. Little details like what a tea ceremony is like, the mythology and stories of Mozambique and Japan, what samurai armour feels like, etc. The novel really came to life!The political machinations went over my head but I wasn't entirely lost because of an otome game I played that depicted events from the Heian and Sengoku period (thank you, Birushana and Nightshade LMAO).

Also Craig Shreve is Canadian of black descent. I can't help but feel pride for a fellow Black Canadian. This book was excellent! Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada, for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.