The Game of 100 Candles is a tie-in novel written by fantasy author Marie Brennan (The Memoirs of Lady Trent, The Rook and Rose Trilogy with Alyc Helms) which takes place in the Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) roleplaying/card game universe. It's actually the second book in a trilogy which began with The Night Parade of 100 Demons (Reviewed Here) a few years ago. The book really requires no prior knowledge of the L5R world and can even possibly be read without reading the prior novel, but I would highly recommend that you read the Night Parade first, as much of this book is built on the foundation of that one, and that book was really good.
The Night Parade dealt with two (male) samurai - Dragon clan Samurai/Priest Ryōtora and Phoenix clan Samurai/Scholar Sekken - who, carrying secrets of their own, were investigating supernatural Yokai attacks in a small village...and who in the process fell in love with one another. The Game of 100 Candles follows up on the aftermath of those events as a year has passed since Ryōtora and Sekken have seen each other and the two of them now have to deal with inter-clan politics, issues of bloodline inheritance, and family complications that stand in the way of any potential official match between them...and that's before people start falling into a supernatural sleep in a way that makes it seem like Ryōtora's Dragon clan is at fault.
The result is a story that is in the end incredibly charming as its two protagonist struggle with both their new supernatural problem and the complications involved in their love for one another, which features a number of delightful new characters (Sekken's family in particular) and manages to make an awful lot of frustrating pining and secret-keeping worth it in the end. A very recommended second novel and I can't wait for the third.
Spoilers for Book 1 are below:
Plot Summary:
That said, all of this actually WORKS really well. Both characters try to hide the fact that Sekken's sacrifice of half of himself for Ryōtora has left them each with moments of physical weakness, and while that secret is incredibly frustrating it also makes sense; for example, Sekken knows how much Ryōtora feels inadequate and unworthy due to his own birth and doesn't want him to feel even less worthy and obligated because of what the cost was to Sekken of his own actions. Similarly, Sekken hides the true nature of what he sacrificed to save Ryōtora from the rest of the world so as to not allow the Phoenix Clan to be able to use his good faith sacrifice for political ends (as it would allow them to claim an obligation from the dragon). And well, Sekken obviously does feel that he owes it to his family to ensure that they have an heir who might inherit Tanshu, the inugami (spirit dog), who he has grown to love and care for. And then there's the fact that Sekken knows that if he tried to marry Ryōtora, Ryōtora would not be able to marry INTO the Phoenix Clan, as the Dragon Clan (secretly) cannot afford to lose any actual members. Meanwhile, Ryōtora struggles with the fact that he's not a political person at heart and is now dealing with politics that require him - as a hero of Seibu Mora - to represent his own clan in a conflict over Seibu Mora with Sekken's own clan....a weakness of his that once again plucks at his own feelings of inferiority.
The result, along with the supernatural mystery elements, is a story that continues the two characters' slow-burn romance, and it is delightful. Helping matters are a few new characters, most notably Sekken's mother and two of his sisters who are absolutely the best: Sekken's mother is a pure political creature on the surface, willing to use tactics and whatnot for her clan's own gain...but when she sees how in love Sekken is with Ryōtora and how he asks her to not harm him, she puts her son and his love first. Two of Sekken's sisters get less development but are also adorable, from the artsy one to the martial one, as they all team up to try to help Sekken and Ryōtora solve the mystery in a way that doesn't result in disaster.
Plot Summary:
A year has passed since the events in Seibo Mura, when Agashii no Isao Ryōtora tried to give his life to stop the Night Parade, only for Asako Sekken to give up half his own life's elements to save him. Neither Sekken nor Ryōtora has seen the other man since, even though both pine for the other, so much so that they're each afraid to share their own weaknesses with the other: the fact that they're each now suffering from bouts of tremendous weakness and fragility at random moments that make them unable to function...bouts that their physicians have been unable to make heads or tails of.
But now, Ryōtora has been summoned to the Winter Court to make a case for why the Dragon clan should be allowed to keep watch over Seibo Mura, a cause and people he cares quite deeply about. There he and Sekken will encounter each other once again amidst confusing clan politics, Sekken's family duties and duty to produce an heir that will inherit his inugami Tanshu, and a governor who invites them all to play a game known as 100 Candles where everyone tells haunting stories. And as Sekken and Ryōtora struggle to deal with where they left off in their relationship, they'll be forced together once more when the participants in that Game of 100 Candles start to fall into an everlasting and unshakable sleep and the Dragon clan and Ryōtora starts to get the bulk of the blame.....In the last novel, Sekken and Ryōtora pined for each other for a frustrating amount of time, as the two struggled with their own secrets and personality issues - both have major issues of self-worth - until in the end the two had to admit their feelings for one another as they dealt with the supernatural mystery behind Seibu Mora. You'd think that would make this next book easier for the two of them in terms of their relationship - well you'd be wrong. The two are willing to admit to themselves and each other about their feelings for one another but are so frustratingly difficult in how they let the bounds of politics, social niceties and other obligations to clan and family get in the way of their relationship. So if the pining in the earlier book was unbearable for you then, it won't be much better now.
That said, all of this actually WORKS really well. Both characters try to hide the fact that Sekken's sacrifice of half of himself for Ryōtora has left them each with moments of physical weakness, and while that secret is incredibly frustrating it also makes sense; for example, Sekken knows how much Ryōtora feels inadequate and unworthy due to his own birth and doesn't want him to feel even less worthy and obligated because of what the cost was to Sekken of his own actions. Similarly, Sekken hides the true nature of what he sacrificed to save Ryōtora from the rest of the world so as to not allow the Phoenix Clan to be able to use his good faith sacrifice for political ends (as it would allow them to claim an obligation from the dragon). And well, Sekken obviously does feel that he owes it to his family to ensure that they have an heir who might inherit Tanshu, the inugami (spirit dog), who he has grown to love and care for. And then there's the fact that Sekken knows that if he tried to marry Ryōtora, Ryōtora would not be able to marry INTO the Phoenix Clan, as the Dragon Clan (secretly) cannot afford to lose any actual members. Meanwhile, Ryōtora struggles with the fact that he's not a political person at heart and is now dealing with politics that require him - as a hero of Seibu Mora - to represent his own clan in a conflict over Seibu Mora with Sekken's own clan....a weakness of his that once again plucks at his own feelings of inferiority.
The result, along with the supernatural mystery elements, is a story that continues the two characters' slow-burn romance, and it is delightful. Helping matters are a few new characters, most notably Sekken's mother and two of his sisters who are absolutely the best: Sekken's mother is a pure political creature on the surface, willing to use tactics and whatnot for her clan's own gain...but when she sees how in love Sekken is with Ryōtora and how he asks her to not harm him, she puts her son and his love first. Two of Sekken's sisters get less development but are also adorable, from the artsy one to the martial one, as they all team up to try to help Sekken and Ryōtora solve the mystery in a way that doesn't result in disaster.
The end result is a continuation of these characters' stories and romance in a way that is just pure joy and I love it so much. I can't wait to come back for book 3 and highly recommend this book if you want to read a queer samurai romance in a Japanese-inspired world.
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