Yatagarasu Series
Volume 3:
The Golden Raven
Author: Chisato Abe
Commentary
The first book in the series, Ravens Shouldn’t Wear Kimono, was published in 2012 and won the 19th Matsumoto Seichō Prize. It was also Ms. Abe’s debut work.
The first book centers on the selection of the Crown Prince’s bride. The story depicts the drama of four noble girls, each of whom compete to be the wife of the next Golden Raven… with unpredictable results. Not only is it an excellent novel for young women, but it is also a well-crafted mystery. Those who wondered if a fantasy novel could win the Matsumoto Seichō Prize were convinced by its quality after reading it.
The second book, The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master, is concurrent with the first, in which the Crown Prince himself did not appear prominently despite the selection of his bride being the central theme. The novel explores what the Crown Prince was doing during the events of the first book. The second book serves as a kind of prequel, introducing the relationships and personalities of the characters to readers.
Now, the stage is set. Where will the Yatagarasu series go from here? I began reading this book with genuine excitement. The very first thought that came to my mind upon finishing was the opening sentence. At the same time, I felt that the plot was finally moving in earnest.
The prologue depicts a sorrowful episode of a girl from the commoner class. While the previous two works portray the world of the Imperial Court—the aristocratic class—this girl must work in a tavern. This glimpse into a more impoverished and desperate way of life broadens the scope of life in Yamauchi.
From there, the story shifts to Yukiya, who served the Crown Prince (somewhat reluctantly) in the second book. Yukiya is now home in Taruhi, having resigned from service. Yukiya has half-brothers—an older and a younger one. His late mother was the daughter of the Lord of Hokke, a position of high status. This lineage complicates the matter of succession within his own family. Yukiya does his best to avoid aggravating this complication by pretending to be stupid. He claims that he returned home because he was unsuited for service in the Imperial Palace, but his mother sees through this story and his older brother also suspects the truth.
The real reason Yukiya wanted to return to Taruhi Village at the end of the second book was his growing dislike for the Imperial Court, which is filled with intrigue and schemes. His desire to protect his hometown and family above all else never shifted, either. He returns home so that he won’t be caught up in more scheming and danger.
Yukiya’s peaceful existence is shattered by the arrival of an out-of-control raven that flies over Taruhi Village. The Crown Prince appears, traveling incognito as Lord Sumimaru, to defend the village against this threat. He asks for help investigating an illegal drug circulating in Souke Territory and Hokke Territory. This drug is called sagecap, and its use brings feelings of euphoria and omnipotence—for a price. Even a few uses of the drug can deprive a Yatagarasu of the ability to transform into their human shapes. Addicts lose their sanity, become weakened, and some die or take their own lives.
The crazed Yatagarasu that attacks Taruhi Village is a sagecap addict. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Yukiya accepts the Crown Prince’s request. They begin tracing the path that sagecap has taken through Hokke Territory and stumble upon a gruesome settlement full of the dead—and a few monsters.
How did the monstrous, man-eating monkeys—Kuisaru—arrive in Yamauchi? And what is sagecap?
The key to solving these two mysteries is the sole survivor of the attack on the settlement, Koume. She sleeps through the attack thanks to some drugged wine and was hidden in a chest before the attack began. She is transported to Taruhi Village, Yukiya’s home, and questioned when she awakens. She claims to know nothing. She says she came to Hokke Territory with her father to buy sweetfish, trading it for jars of rice wine. She remembers a grand feast and feeling a bit tipsy, and then she fell asleep. She recalls nothing else.
Yukiya’s older brother Yukima and the village officials are satisfied with Koume’s explanation, but Yukiya is not. He’s seen desperation and deception in the Imperial Court and he suspects that Koume knows more than she’s letting on.
The main focus of this book is the mystery of the Kuisaru and sagecap, but the underpinnings of the story are all about class differences within Yamauchi. The girl working in the tavern during the prologue and Koume are both poor women. The men and women of the Underground are likewise poor and live in an area with even fewer laws and protections than the Valley. It is a land of outlaws, shadowed and dangerous.
The human drama of this book matches the first two, but the setting is wildly different. We spend little time in the Imperial Court itself. Most of the action takes place in Hokke Territory, the poorest parts of the capital, and the Underground.
The presence of Yatagarasu who are poor or have complicated backgrounds broadens the world of the series.
The difference in mindset between palace ravens and the mountain ravens—nobles and commoners—is clearly illustrated in the scene where it is revealed that Koume’s father betrayed his fellow Yatagarasu for money:
Natsuka rubbed the dark circles under his eyes. “I can’t believe we were betrayed for money,” he said. “Everyone knows that material wealth is pointless. Especially if you spend it as irresponsibly as Koume’s father does. What a fool.”
Yukiya had never seen Prince Natsuka so exhausted before. His judgment of Koume’s father lacked all energy. He wasn’t disgusted by the man, but confused.
Yukiya agreed with Natsuka wholeheartedly; money was a stupid reason to betray your entire species.
Hamayū shook her head. “You’ve never wanted for money. You’ve never struggled for it. A man like that has. Try living for just one day without knowing where your next meal is coming from. You’d never dismiss the value of money ever again.” She smiled sadly.
These words carry weight because Hamayū herself once lost her noble status and lived as a commoner. She knows from her own experience how deeply poverty can eat away at the heart.
Hamayū’s character adds a wonderful richness to the story. Her presence at the Crown Prince’s side further develops the series’ penchant for twinned or mirroring elements. I am reminded of the double protagonists in Saho Kayata’s Scarlet Wizard series—a pirate and a queen. Hamayū stands as an equal to her husband in the Imperial Court, where power struggles are constant.
As the series progresses, the true nature of Golden Ravens is slowly revealed. Yukiya doesn’t believe that there is any such thing as a Golden Raven at the start of the second book. He thinks that the Golden Raven title is a made-up pretext so that emperors can select successors aside from their eldest sons. As he learns more about the Crown Prince’s solitude and isolation, he simultaneously learns that Golden Ravens are real. This knowledge is what prompts him to finally enroll in the Keisōin so that he can become an Imperial Guard—a fate he soundly rejected in the second book. His struggles in the Keisōin are detailed in the fourth book, The Raven of the Empty Coffin.
The story’s stakes get higher with every book as the world expands. Chisato Abe mentioned in an interview before her first novel was published that she wanted to write about an epic war between raven-people and monkey-people. In this book, we see the start of that conflict. The nature of the Kuisaru—the monkey-people—is not well understood yet. Why can they also take human shapes? When will they attack Yamauchi again, and how? How will the Crown Prince and his allies confront them?
The characters introduced in the first two books reappear here, but we also meet a few new characters, like the Underground’s denizens. Saku, the King of the Underground, and Tobi are the two main faces of the Underground’s people. It is likely that they will take on critical roles in the war against the Kuisaru. Perhaps even Koume will take on a significant role in the future. These books are not pulp fantasy novels, but are highly character-driven. That is one of their great strengths.
What fate awaits Yamauchi and the Crown Prince? I eagerly await the publication of the latest installment in the series.
Translator's Notes
In Japanese mythology, Yatagarasu are three-legged ravens that serve as messengers of the sun goddess Amaterasu.
The Naoki Prize, named for novelist Naoki Sanjugo, seeks to recognize the best works of popular fiction by rising authors.
Yoshida Nobuko is a book reviewer and blogger.
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