Reads L to R (Western Style), for audiences. The forces of the God of Light and the Goddess of Darkness have waged a ruthless war across the land of Toyoashihara for generations. But for 15-year-old Saya, the war is far away and unimportant--until the day she discovers that she is the reincarnation of the Water Maiden and a princess of the Children of the Dark. Raised to love the Light and detest the Dark, Saya must come to terms with her heritage even as she tumbles into the very heart of the conflict that is destroying her country. The armies of the Light and Dark both seek to claim her, for she is the only mortal who can awaken the legendary Dragon Sword, the fearsome weapon destined to bring an end to the war. Can Saya make the dreadful choice between the Light and Dark, or is she doomed--like all the Water Maidens who came before her…? The magatama are stones of destiny, magical amulets passed down to a chosen few. But all knowledge of the stones' true nature has been lost, and each bearer must discover the power of the magatama to calm the Dragon's destructive spirit before it destroys the world.

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I came across this book in our local library, and I loved it from the start. The style is ornate and has an air of being old-fashioned, but that is my favorite kind of writing. Japanese must be an intensely sensual language, because the imagery was incredible. Simple things, like the description of Princess Teruhi's clothes and the field of gypsy roses, made this book magical. Saya and Chihaya are wonderful protagonists, and even Prince Tsukishiro has his moments of sympathy.

I love how the book plays with the connotations of Light and Dark. We see Light as benevolent and pure, but is that always the case? Can one side ever be wholly right, and another wholly wrong? These are deep questions that I've found myself pondering in the middle of the night. Yet the theme is not thrown at the reader; it is presented as part of Saya's struggle.

Although it lacks the wry humor of the Harry Potter series, I must say that this book surpasses all four of those books on my list of favorites. Anyone looking for a marvelous high fantasy novel would do well to read this book.

9 of 9 found the following review helpful:

One of My Favorite BooksSep 04, 2003

Dragon Sword and Wind Child is one of my favorite books of all time! I love fantasy and this book is absolutely beautiful! I guess some people would say it is kind of boring at first, but I really enjoyed Noriko Ogiwara's writing and the character developement. The characters are wonderfully alive, each with their own unique qualities. The book also explores a lot of themes, such as: innocence, naivity, compassion, being different, etc. I know many people think that fantasy isn't "real" but I know that the people in this book are very real and that you grow to understand and sympahize with them. The book also explores immortality, reincarnation, perfection, and the human emotion. However, the book is mainly about a 15-year-old Saya who has to find out in all this mess. Saya is a very real character, and I found myself relating to her.

I know many people are not interested in reading this book because it is a translation, but i have to say you have to give it a chance!

Some people may think this book is not humorous, but it is in many ways. The humor is very subtle though, so you have to picture the people talking in your mind to get the humor sometimes.

In conclusion, any person who wants to read a good book, absolutely HAS to read this book!

9 of 9 found the following review helpful:

An Enriching Tale of Conflict and MysteryJan 08, 2001

WOW! This book is remarkable. Its uplifting conclusion stunningly completes this exquisite Japanese fantasy book. Dragon Sword and Wind Child, by Noriko Ogiwari, is a story about a girl who has the power to end the war that has plagued her world for centuries. The girl, Saya, must decide whether to end the war in favor of the Light, the side she was raised to believe in, or in support of Darkness, the side she was raised to detest. Which side will Saya choose to be on? Dragon Sword and Wind Child's conflict resolution and its mysterious style make it an enthralling book to read. One very admirable thing about this book is the way characters work problems out. All characters, especially Saya (the main character), have many internal struggles which are positively resolved. I also love this book's mysterious element. The identity of many of the characters is clouded and even downright concealed for some period of the book. These are just a few of the many reasons to read this accomplished book. Although this book is charming, it is not flawless. Some people reading this book might tell you that its plot is very slow and hard to follow. However, this is just in the beginning. The book picks up and is incredibly fast moving later in the book. No book is perfect, but this book comes pretty close. Definitely read it.

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:

Heart TouchingJan 20, 2002

Nothing I have ever read has so plainly made such a great impression upon my heart as this book. It definitely tops my list. Your feelings grow as you read this phenomeonal story about a young woman growing to except the world and the truths her loves hold, when staring her in the face is her true love. This book represents everything: good versus evil; love; hate; happiness; distruction; and most importantly the love that carries the hearts of its readers through to the end. This book is suspenseful and my pages are stained with tears every time I read it. If anyone needs an escape from the harsh reality we live today, they definitely should read this book. I believe it would to everyone good and enrich their lives, hearts, and minds if this book went to print again.

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:

A Favorite Finally Goes Back Into Print (fewer spoilers)Jan 11, 2008
By LutePlay
Dragon Sword and Wind Child is one of my favorite novels. What's to like? Saya is a village girl in Toyoashihara (sort of a mystical/magical Japan), a land split by the war between the Gods that created the land: The God of Light and the Goddess of Darkness (and Death). Saya has been raised to love the Light and is shocked when strange people start proclaiming that she is one of the Goddess of Darkness's people, reborn again and again to wage her battle against the children of the Light. This revelation is complicated when Prince Tsukishiro, one half of the children of the Light, comes to Saya's village, trying to woo her to the side of the Light by enlisting her as a handmaiden in his palace.

You've heard this story before, right? Honestly, I normally hate this sort of plot set up and the reluctant heroine type. However, Saya is unique to me because her reactions are understandable and even relatable; you see how she subtlely changes and how she makes her decisions and her mental conflicts. As for the plot? Not all is as it seems. Once Saya comes to the palace, she doesn't particularly fit in the whole court atmosphere and furthermore warrior Princess Teruhi is determined to catch Saya collaborating with the Darkness. Prince Tsukishiro isn't much of a help, as it seems this situation has all been played out before in Saya's previous lives (that she has no memory of), and he's still in love with Saya's last incarnation, who killed herself in the palace pond. And the Palace of Light has many sinister secrets... (The novel continues for much longer, not only through Saya's revelations, her final choice in alliances, but also to the final conclusion to the war that has engulfed the land for as long as it as existed.)

Another interesting part of this book is that it's not your usual elves, fairies, etc. Noriko Ogiwara, influenced by Western writers, used Japanese mythology to create this world. The implications of this are just obvious by the summary of the book above. This isn't Good vs. Evil, Dark v. Light of your normal fantasy epic. The issues the characters have to deal with in this book are immortality, mortality, reincarnation along with loyalty and empathy. Are we cursed to repeat the same mistakes over and over through our lifetimes? Does immortality create an lack of empathy? What is sacrificed during war, what is gained, and is it worth it?

I had worn out checking out the library copy all the time, so I was thrilled this classic finally has gone back into print. The deft translation by Cathy Hirano is still intact, except that mentions to Saya's stone has been changed to "magatama". I somewhat miss the old cover, but some interesting drawings have been added to the chapter title pages. I have heard that there are two more books in the series (about what I don't know, as the book pretty much covers all the bases and closes all plotlines), and I'm hoping the other two will finally be translated for English audiences. And I lied earlier. This is pretty much my favorite book (Tied with Dark Lord of Derkhom by Diana Wynne Jones). And I cry and laugh every time I read it.

SPOILERS
The insertion of Chihaya completely changes the landscape of the book. And amazingly, it doesn't feel random and unwarranted. Like Chihaya's the other main character, he's just been missing. The romance parts of the book are perhaps its weakest point, but understandable, and really do drive the plot.

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