The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi (review)

After Elin’s mother is executed for mistreatment of a group of Toda (giant water serpents used in war), Elin is brought to a Royal Beast sanctuary to learn to become a beast doctor. Royal Beasts are giant, wolf-like, winged, untamable creatures that can naturally subdue the Toda and symbolically represent the Yojeh, a divine title passed from queen to queen; the Yojeh stands in competition with the Aluhan, the Grand Duke who controls the Toda army. As Elin grows older, she develops a unique ability to communicate with one of the injured Royal Beasts, which draws attention from the Yojeh’s people, who want to use her to establish dominance over the Aluhan; Elin quickly becomes embroiled in their plots with the fate of the world in her hands. Uehashi’s vivid storytelling, beautiful prose, and shifting perspectives that cover a broad scope of events will have readers relishing every detail of her lush world building. Elin makes many observations about humanity’s place in relation to nature, both fantastical and real, and she struggles with the guilt of becoming part of the problematic power dynamic of humanity over creatures. Readers interested in Japan or tired of European settings will find a refreshing, richly told story in this Japanese fantasy.