THE RAINSHADOW ORPHANS by Naomi Ishiguro (BOOK REVIEW)

Life is hard for the inhabitants of Rainshadow City, a place where poverty and corruption are rife and where they are terrorised by an underground criminal organisation known as the Lucky Crows.

Toshiko, Jun and Mei Kawakami are a family, bonded through loyalty if not blood, who live outside the law and who are seeking revenge for the murder of their beloved ‘aunt’ Reiko. Haru is the son of the Emperor, destined to one day rule over the Archipelago and uphold his mother’s ignoble legacy, but he is more interested in making friends with the magical Sun Spirits it seems only he can see. Theo, forced to leave his homeland, is a reluctant foot-soldier for the Lucky Crows. He doesn’t want to be a gangster, but as an illegal immigrant to the city, his choices are severely limited.

When Toshiko steals a dragon pearl from the leader of the Crows, it sets them all on a thrilling path which will determine the future of Rainshadow City. Set across two days and peopled with unforgettable characters, The Rainshadow Orphans blends fantasy and science fiction to explore what it means to stand up to corruption and take charge of destiny.

Imagine an oriental fantasy world with subtle magics, harsh social rules in a busy city and the need to fight to get through each day. Where the rich live high on their privilege and the poor bundle together to help each other.

You could be thinking of any number of manga or anime tales right now, yes? Fortunately The Rainshadow Orphans really does stand on its own as a unique novel in its own world.

Every character is drawn well, from our initial protagonist Toshiko and her family to young Crown Prince Haru and lowly gangster Theo. We know their paths will merge at some point, but the journey is more than enough to keep us going until we figure out how. It’s perhaps more true to say that the threads of life on this island combine through the eyes of these youngsters, so we are given a basic picture that slowly fills in its vivid colours as we read on.

The prose flows beautifully, and while it is a little hard to constantly jump between perspectives, that’s because each time I became so engrossed in whoever was holding the action that I didn’t want to leave them even for a moment!

There is some romance, but I was pleased to find it relatively minimal compared to the action of the plot, never taking over from the importance of the story. The magic system is carefully underplayed so we’re never quite sure what’s possible or not – which ties in perfectly with the characters finding out for themselves what they can do or see. This is a book where I truly felt carried along as if I were taking part in events as well, only ever as lost as Toshiko running through the streets or Haru trying to figure out just what his new squirrel friend is up to…

The politics is clever and thankfully never overwhelming, being more a case of ‘adults versus teens’ as we see the rich and powerful try to implement their corrupt plans for the ‘betterment of all’ – which of course means themselves. The new technology and associated discrimination that it will inevitably bring reminded me strongly of certain arguments against AI currently in the news, which made for all the more relevant a tale without being heavy-handed; it simply makes the story more grounded in the real.

This is a delightful adventure with a truly magical heart, reminding us of the potential we all hold to make positive change with our own unique powers.

The Rainshadow Orphans is due for publication on 26th May – you can order your copy on Bookshop.org

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THE RAINSHADOW ORPHANS by Naomi Ishiguro (BOOK REVIEW)

Cat Treadwell

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