CompleteMartialArts.com - Island of Exiles (Sugawara Akitada)
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List Price: $14.00
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Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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Average Customer Rating: 
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
Format: Bargain Price
Label: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 416
Publication Date: 2007-09-25
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Studio: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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Editorial Reviews:
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In I.J. Parker’s newest mystery set in eleventh-century Japan, Akitada disguises himself as a prisoner to solve the, murder of a prince
As her audience grows with each evocative historical thriller featuring Sugawara Akitada, I. J. Parker returns with a gripping tale of political intrigue and cold-blooded murder in ancient Japan. When the exiled Prince Okisada, the most illustrious prisoner of the penal colony on Sado Island, is poisoned, Akitada is called upon by the emperor’s envoys to investigate incognito. Posing as a prisoner, he discovers a deadly conspiracy, only to fall into the hands of brutal guards and disappear. It falls to Tora, Akitada’s devoted assistant, to begin his own dangerous search of the island for his lost friend and the truth.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: intricate and absorbing
Comment: An excellent, enjoyable, and engaging read, this book draws you into the world of 11th century Japan. Sugawara Akitada, a minor government official, is recruited to solve the murder of an exiled prince. The rich characterizations and descriptions are like a window into the past, opening up a new world for western readers. The plot twists and turns and drives the story to the last page. After finishing this last night, I'm looking for the others.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Parker, Mystery and Feudal Japan. Outstanding!
Comment: In Island of Exiles, our hero, "Akitada, must undergo a dangerous mission for the Emperor. He does so without the aid of Genbo and Seimei, whose wonderful wise sayings I missed. There is plenty of suspense and danger -- I don't want to reveal the plot, but the ending has some surprises that I had not expected.
Parker's insight into feudal Japan is on a par with Van Gulik's Chinese "Judge Dee" series. I'm delighted that she has kept her characters much the same and stayed true to the era by keeping them believable (unlike L. Rowland, who stepped into the 20th century when she made the hero's wife a female Japanese detective -- I don't think so...)
Customer Rating:
Summary: Parker Just Keeps Getting Better
Comment: I've developed a voracious appetite for Parker's Sugawara novels that's unlike anything I've experienced for a long time, and if it didn't carry with it an unwarranted diminution of her previous titles, I'd call "Island of Exiles" her best work yet. There are scenes in this novel reminiscent of Tolkien, as raw and gritty a dramatization of a man's reduction to an animalistic state as I can remember.
This one vaults Sugawara entirely out of his familial and official milieus to do some undercover work - *seriously* undercover - and the departure is both harrowing and exhilarating. Akitada's extramarital fling in this one detracts somewhat from his character's sense of integrity, but in Sugawara's cultural/historical context it's certainly not an implausible nor even unusual occurrence. Presumably his lapse will feed into later character evolution? At any rate, the plot, which begins with a horrific, dreamlike ordeal, builds gradually into an absolute rip-snorter that is thoroughly engrossing. I lost countless hours zooming in on Sadoshima Island via Google Earth while reading this novel, and have added it to my list of must-visit Japanese locales for future vacations. The novel feels so real that I half expect to find the temples and horrific mines Parker describes when I get there. Actually, I was floored when I saw the posted images of the real-world Choukoku Temple at Hase - the image of Shunsai's monastery that Parker had painted in my head previously was virtually identical to them.
Once again, the wait for her next is going to be as excruciating as it was for this one. Amazon is indicating the hardcover version of "Island" is set for release in a couple of weeks - very odd that the paperbacks were published beforehand.
I highly recommend Parker's novels for historical fiction fanatics, Japanophiles in particular. Reading the Sugawara novels in order is not essential but on the whole probably more enjoyable, as there are numerous references within them to prior cases. Enjoy!
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Mystery involving Princes, Danger and Treason
Comment: This is another in a series set in 11th C. Japan (Heian era), featuring Sugawara Akitada.
Sugawara, descendant of a once illustrious family that suffered after the exile of an ancestor, is currently acting governor of a distant province, Echigo (for an official, tantamount to being exiled himself), struggling to do his duty with little funds and support and hoping to some day return to the capital, despite political enemies working against him. He is becoming known for his ability to solve sensitive crimes, however, and two mysterious officials visit, ordering him to investigate the murder of the exiled Second Prince (brother of the Emperor--found guilty of plotting treason) on the island of Sado.
Akitada undertakes a dangerous mission disguised as a prisoner exiled to the island. He has to deal with cruel, corrupt police officials, the weak governor whose son is accused of poisoning the Second Prince, a powerful local lord who is the descendant of an Exile and possible treasonous plots against the Emperor. The historical detail is strong, the aspects of life and culture in the period interesting, the adventure and action exciting, the mystery suitably involved and intriguing. A good over-all read. It is not necessary to have read the previous books to enjoy this tale.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Almost perfect
Comment: I have read all of the "Sugawara Akita" mysteries/thrillers. They always strike me as a tiny bit excessive in some respects (the thriller respect, mostly) but still irresistible. This volume is no different; or, if it is different it is even better. The historical authenticity is very strong, perhaps more so than usual, and the characters are appealing. If you love feudal Japan, don't miss this one.
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