Sasra 1 written by Unit Vanilla and illustrated by Enjin Yamimaru
Sasra (link to book 1 amazon japan listing here) is a four-novel "epic romance" written by Unit Vanilla (made up of Izumi Katsura, Iwamoto Kaoru, Konohara Narise, and Hichiwa Yuka) and illustrated by Enjin Yamimaru. According to the afterward in book 1 it was written in round-robin style...I'd love to know who wrote what, because some parts just bored me to tears while others tickled me to death. Overall I enjoyed the series, thanks mainly to the lovely art and the fact that the current lifetime turned out to be very fun to read.
The premise is that long ago two lovers committed a great sin and were cursed by the gods to reincarnate, meet, fall in love, and then come to not so fabulous ends. It starts with a prologue in modern-day Japan, but that storyline is interrupted and we are thrown back to ancient Egypt where everything began. The story then moves onto ancient China, then to ancient Rome and Europe in the Middle Ages in book 2. Book 3 is set in the Inca Empire and Tokugawa Japan. Book 4 is set in pre-WWII Japan, and then the very end loops back to the modern-day lifetime. Several elements consistently turn up in each life-time: birthmarks on each lover, a beautiful lapis lazuli stone, and a mute boy. These all have roots from that first life-time.
My biggest gripe with the series is that each lifetime doesn't build on the earlier ones. The stories are discrete and have very little in common with each other. And the conclusion of the series totally continues the trend, providing no effective build-up to the climax or much of a sense of epic scale. Like I said earlier, I enjoyed the current lifetime story so I'm not too miffed, but I guess I expected something a bit more...grand? Also, each lifetime didn't really feel tragic to me. Some of them definitely were, but others...weren't fairy tale fluff stories, but didn't make me think they were particularly tragic. They lived in tumultuous times and/or led singular lives. It'd be odd if things worked out beautifully and peacefully for those people.
The original lovers, Prince Hohemahket (black-haired stud) and the priest Seshan (blond white thing). I have no idea how to romanize these people's names. ^^;
The current Japanese version of the lovers, Naraoka Ren and Sumida Goushou. Ren is a college student who lives with his overly protective older brother (their parents are abroad). He's a normal 20-year-old with two oddities: he has a water-lily-shaped birthmark that's so vivid he gets harrassed/teased over it and he has a horrible phobia against large bodies of water. He works several part-time jobs to finance his trips to desert locations. For some reason he's always been drawn to sand and dry heat, even dreaming about such places. He's given a lucky chance to escort his advisor's grandson to Egypt, all major expenses paid, when the advisor's assistant who was supposed to take the grandson is injured. Ren immediately agrees. He has some problems with his older brother who doesn't want him to go to such a dangerous country. The older brother even confiscates his passport. Ren, though, grabs his passport from his older brother's hiding place (it's been the same place for years) and goes on the trip anyway. He's leaving the very next day.
At the airport he has problems interacting with the grandson, who won't speak or eat. He tries to remember the grandson who he supposedly haa met before. He'd actually thought his advisor had no children...At one point the grandson walks off. Ren chases after him, finding him standing in front of a disheveled roughly dressed guy, sitting on a bench and looking unwell. Ren suddenly hears the sound of bird wings. He ducks instinctively, but doesn't see any birds around. He tries to help the sick guy (noticing a tattoo of a bird on his chest, visible thanks to the guy's open collar-as well as a ring with a large blue stone on his finger that doesn't really match the guy at all). Unfortunately, the guy throws up on him. Ren tries to get the gunk off his pants in the bathroom while the guy declares how much better he feels after throwing up. He'd gorged on Japanese food the night before and made himself sick. Ren had been trying not to get upset at the guy, feeling sorry that he'd had food poisoning, but is simply exasperated to find out that the guy had simply overeaten. The guy offers to buy Ren a new pair of pants and calls someone on the phone to bring a pair over. It is at that time that Ren hears the bird wings again and flinches. When the guy notices his reaction, Ren explains that he heard bird wings.
Upon hearing Ren's explanation, the guy grabs Ren and tells him not to get on the flight they were scheduled to board under any circumstances. Ren thinks the guy is nuts, so he kicks him and runs away with the grandson. He buys a pair of pants from a duty-free store and rushes onto the flight. He is already tired and becomes more tired by the horrible condition of economy class. The seats have problems, the service is awful, the food isn't very good. But they are upgraded to first-class...Thanks to the vomit guy. He had upgraded them as apology for throwing up on Ren and freaking him out earlier. His name is Sumida Goushou and he's an art dealer. He's going to Egypt on business.
Ren is shocked when he goes to the restroom and accidentally finds out that Goushou had sex with the very nice, very attractive male purser who'd brought them from economy class in one of the restrooms. He tries not to think about the whole business, asking Goushou to not say anything more about it (Goushou comments how first class is nice because two guys can fit fairly comfortably in the restroom). As he gets to his seat he hears the bird wings again, this time louder. Goushou had also heard it and he tells Ren to strap himself in and prepare himself for a problem. Ren doesn't believe Goushou, but Goushou assures him that the bird wings signal danger. He's heard them all his life and they've saved his life at least once. Ren doesn't quite believe him, but can't help but admit that there is something going on....Soon after, the lights go out in the cabin, the alarms go off, and the plane shakes violently...
Ancient Egypt
Hohemahket is the second son of the king of Lower Egypt. He's 17-years-old, gorgeous, a great warrior, with a birthmark shaped like a hawk, a hawk he's named "Wadjet" (eye of Horus) that always hangs out with him, and the people's adoration. Seems like his life is good, right? Unfortunately, he has some big problems. First, he and his father the king don't get along. The king had cherished Ahket's older brother and had made him co-ruler. Unfortunately, older brother was bitten by a cobra on a hunt with Ahket and had died. The king suspected Ahket had killed his brother so that he could become king. Ahket isn't interested in power at all; he just wants peace for his people. His father keeps sending him out to battle, apparently in the hopes that he'll get killed. But true to the supersition that Horus protects Ahket (or that Ahket is Horus's incarnation), Ahket wins and comes back safely over and over again. Which...makes his father even more unhappy. It doesn't help that Ahket's father has been devoting himself more and more to the god Amun instead of Horus, the god their family (and their part of Egypt) had primarily worshipped until now, partly as a way to smooth things over with the other powerful families of Egypt (primarily those of Thebes).
Ahket's other problem is that the person he's in love with seems determined to keep a distance between the two. Seshan is a priest in Horus's temple. As a little boy Seshan had been injured in a battle near his home and had wandered around starving and without his memory. He'd come to the Nile to try to get some water but collapsed. He was saved when baby Ahket had crawled to him and touched his face. He was taken in by the king and lived with Ahket for a number of years, until he realized he needed to find a suitable position for himself. He was of lowly birth and had no potential as a fighter, so he decided to become a priest to pray for the well-being of Ahket and the country. Seshan makes sure that he didn't interact with Ahket too familiarly. This pisses Ahket off, because he wants Seshan to be his and his alone. Seshan, for his part, is all angsty because he too loves Ahket but thinks he can't have what he wants...
Ahket returns from another victory to find Seshan praying for his safe return. The kid in the background is Titi, a young acolyte with the power of prophecy who is very attached to both Seshan and Ahket.
Seshan, unable to sleep at night, wanders along the banks of the river to remember that fateful meeting with Ahket so long ago that had given him new life. He runs into Ahket. They talk a bit until Ahket suddenly kisses Seshan. Seshan excuses himself and runs off.
Ahket is then sent on a mission to obtain a large lapis lazuli to give to the nobility of Thebes as part of a diplomatic effort to join Upper and Lower Egypt. He's gone for three months, returning alone and in rags. His small party had been harassed by assassins throughout the trip, even being attacked by their own bodyguards on the way back. Ahket loses his best friend in the fight but manages to escape and get back to Memphis. He can't believe just how much his father must hate him to go through that much trouble.
Ahket goes to see Seshan, who is overjoyed to see that he's alive. Seshan had been praying really hard for Ahket's safe return, even branding himself (with a water-lily shape) as part of one particular prayer. Ahket comes clean and explains that he wants peace for Egypt not only for pure reasons. He wants peace so that Seshan can stop all his praying for safety and just be his. He realizes from Seshan's reactions to his words that Seshan must be in love with him as well...
And of course eager young Ahket pushes the protesting Seshan into sex. After that they have lots of sex, until Ahket gets into trouble by criticizing his father's decision to marry his younger sister to the worthless son of the head dude of Thebes. He's put under house arrest.
In the meantime, Titi has another prophecy. Ahket's father had offered the lapis lazuli to Amun. Titi tells Seshan that that stone must be taken from Amun and offered to Horus so that Ahket can become king.
Unfortunately, things turn out badly. Seshan does steal the stone from the temple at night but is caught by the king. Ahket happened to be in the temple in an attempt to reconcile with his father, but instead kills his father to save Seshan. They flee.
Ahket knows that they are pretty much doomed, but decides to at least save Seshan. Ahket's sister had a boat ready for sail in case something happened (she had a feeling that Memphis was pretty much fucked), so Ahket tells Seshan they should split up and meet at the boat. Seshan doesn't want to part with Ahket, but is convinced it would be safer. Ahket knows he's probably not going to survive but wants to give enough time for Seshan to escape. He is killed by his pursuers.
Seshan, in the meantime, goes to the boat. Titi is there, having been led there by Wedjat. The fact that Wedjat is there and not with Ahket is taken as a bad omen. Titi confesses that he'd made the prophecy up because he wanted Ahket to become king (but also because Seshan and Ahket were so wrapped up with each other they'd neglected Titi and he'd felt lonely). The real prophecy was that the stone should never be moved. Seshan realizes just how fucked they all are. Titi had committed a sin against the gods by lying about the prophecy. Seshan had committed a sin by stealing something offered to one god to offer it to another. And Ahket had sinned by killing his father. He entrusts Titi to a soldier who'd come to warn them away from the banks because the river is going to flood and decides to try to atone for his sin by throwing himself and the stone into the river...But the river rises up to sweep him away instead...
Kouren works in a goldsmith's workshop, bullied by the older disciples and given the crap work to do. He wants to do a beautiful crown or hair piece for one of the ladies of the court and get the recognition he craves (and thinks he deserves). He is suddenly summoned by a high ranking official. He thinks (hopes) that he's been recognized for a piece he did recently for a lower ranking lady, but when he does meet the beautiful young official in silk robes who'd summoned him it turns out to be his childhood friend Oushun...
Kouren's father had died when he was young, but his attractive mother had supported her family by selling herself. While his siblings were all very fair and attractive, he was dark and had an ugly, vivid, large birthmark on his face. He was also rather sullen. He resented being the only ugly one, but he comforted himself with the fact that his attractive siblings had all been sold off or made into concubines while he was able to go to school. He dreamed of becoming an important official someday...Unfortunately, he wasn't particularly good at his studies.
One day Kouren helps out the son of a notorious drunken beggar on his way back from buying alcohol for a client. Some kids had taken a bottle of alcohol from the son that he was probably buying for his dad and taunted him, finally dumping the alcohol out on the ground. No one stopped the kids as they were the children of rich families. Kouren had been teased by them as well over his birthmark. He didn't help the kid out because he didn't want them to turn on him, but after they'd left he gives the kid half the alcohol in his bottle. He introduces himself, and learns the kid's name is Oushun (Actually, it's not. Both Oushun and Kouren had different names as children, but I don't want to throw in extraneous names so I'm just going to stick with their adult names throughout).
The next time they meet Oushun is waiting for Kouren outside of school. Kouren gets mad at Oushun when he's teased by his classmates and runs off, but when Oushun chases after him apologizing and crying he ends up comforting Oushun. He gives Oushun a dragonfly he made out of bamboo in class. Oushun is delighted and praises Kouren's skill. They become friends and play together nearly every day. Kouren shares his food with the obviously undernourished Oushun and even teaches him to write his name (though Oushun would rather learn how to write Kouren's name). At one point Kouren cuts his finger. When Oushun sticks Kouren's finger into his mouth, Kouren reacts badly. He doesn't want to spread his ugly birthmark to anyone accidentally. Oushun assures Kouren that a) he wouldn't mind having the same thing as Kouren and b) the birthmark isn't horrible. He shows Kouren his own birthmark, in the shape of a hawk, which is how he got his name (one of the characters in both Oushun's childhood and adults names is the hawk). He remarks that Kouren's birthmark looks like a water-lily. Kouren feels embarrassed and doesn't know how to react, so he runs away.
One day Oushun shows up at school. When the teacher notices him through the window, Kouren's classmates start making a fuss that Oushun is a beggar's son and doesn't belong there. Kouren defends Oushun, explaining that Oushun is his friend and is just curious about school. The teacher states that he won't turn anyone away who wants to learn and lets Oushun inside. The teacher is testing the students. When a student falters in his recitation, Oushun pipes up to finish the list. He'd heard it once before while waiting for Kouren. The teacher then tests Oushun. He recites another list and has Oushun repeat it back. Oushun does so perfectly. Everyone is shocked that the beggar's son is able to do so easily what they struggle with every day. The teacher, excited, forgoes testing the class and concentrates on Oushun. Kouren, irritated by the whole business, avoids Oushun after school and goes home. Kouren is questioned as to his chances to advance by his mother. She suggests that he become a craftsman as he is quite handy. When Kouren insists that he's going to be an official, his mother mocks him. You need money and backing to get ahead. Kouren resents her attitude and is determined to prove her wrong. He goes to school early the next day. There he is shocked to see a transformed Oushun. Oushun had been given a bath and clothing and had stayed the night with the teacher. The teacher announces that Oushun will be studying with them from now on, telling them that he'd memorized a whole crap load of stuff in just one night. Kouren's classmates crowd around Oushun, wanting to be friends with him. When Oushun tells them Kouren is his best friend, the classmates trash Kouren and his ugly birthmark. Kouren can't stand the mean words and runs out of the classroom. Oushun chases after him but trips, falling into a puddle of mud. Kouren keeps running and that's the last he sees of Oushun. He doesn't go back to school and was soon apprenticed to a distant goldsmith...
Back in the present, Kouren finds out that Oushun had been adopted by a high-ranking rich childless couple and had gone to university, which was why Oushun was now a high-ranking official himself. Oushun is delighted to see Kouren again, but Kouren treats Oushun coldly (though politely). He refuses to be familiar with Oushun, pointing out the difference in their positions. Kouren burns with resentment at Oushun's good fortune compared to his not very stellar life. Oushun is even blessed with beauty while Kouren has a hideous birthmark.
For several weeks Oushun sends Kouren gifts every day. Kouren stockpiles it all, in the end giving it away to the other craftsmen. He doesn't want to have anything to do with Oushun. But then a nice older craftsman tells Kouren that it takes connections and backing in high places to get noticed and to advance. The nice older disciple knows that Kouren is extremely gifted as a goldsmith and advises Kouren to use his connection with his childhood friend to get ahead. He consoles Kouren about having to endure his old friend lording his superior position over him, but Kouren tells the older disciple that Oushun isn't that kind of person...But that is exactly what Kouren can't stand about Oushun.
Despite his own feelings Kouren goes to thank Oushun for the gifts, but finds out that Oushun had gone home to see his ill mother. Kouren is taken to Oushun's home, which turns out to be a grand residence. Oushun is happy to see Kouren and guides him inside. He leads Kouren to a pond in the garden, but Kouren feels unwell at the sight of the water. They go inside instead and Oushun offers Kouren unusual fruits from far away. Oushun shows Kouren the bamboo dragon fly Kouren had given him long ago. Kouren lies to Oushun that he is doing well and gets along with the other craftsmen in the workshop, even though he had come planning to get Oushun's patronage. Kouren ends up staying the night. He feels absolutely miserable. He's seen just how good Oushun has it and how starkly it contrasts with his crappy situation. He cries himself to sleep. He wakes up in the middle of the night feeling something touch his face. At first he thinks it's a bug, but he quickly realizes it's a person. He's afraid that he's going to be killed, but the hand simply strokes him gently. As the person leaves he sees in the moonlight that it's Oushun. Kouren puts two and two together and realizes that Oushun is in love with him. With him. Kouren is filled with a sense of superiority that someone like Oushun is not only in love with him but is so considerate of him. He likes the feeling very much.
The good feeling doesn't last for long because Kouren finds out the next day that the top craftsman in the workshop had gotten credit for a piece that Kouren had made. In shock, he goes to Oushun. He throws himself at Oushun and tells him he loves him. He's decided to use whatever he can to get ahead because he doesn't want to be stepped on and used anymore. At first Oushun doesn't respond and Kouren thinks he's made a terrible mistake. He draws away, embarrassed. But Oushun grabs Kouren and holds him tightly. He repeats over and over that he loves Kouren as well.
They end up at Oushun's residence. Oushun awkwardly asks if he can sit close to Kouren, then asks if he can draw closer. They kiss, both trembling. But when Kouren looks away from the light to avoid it shining on his birthmark, the action sets Oushun off and he is all over Kouren. He licks Kouren's asshole and doesn't stop or slow down, even when Kouren protests that it hurts...But Oushun doesn't last long. After only a couple of thrusts and Kouren shifting to find a less uncomfortable position Oushun comes. As soon as it's over Oushun returns to being his timid self and apologizes to Kouren. Kouren lies that it wasn't awful for him, even though he actually thinks it was painful, sticky and the worst experience ever. He then whips out a hairpiece and tells Oushun about how someone else had gotten the credit for creating it. Naturally Oushun feels horrible for Kouren and immediately thinks of people who could use nice hairpieces. Kouren effusively thanks Oushun and thinks how he's got it made...And he does. With Oushun's backing he quickly receives recognition for his craftsmanship and artistry.
Fast forward two years. Kouren has his own workshop (and a separate house!) and receives the finest gems to work with. He still hangs out with Oushun but rarely lets Oushun sleep with him. He likes the power he has over Oushun and being a total cocktease. In the meantime, Oushun is just happy to be with Kouren despite being unable to consummate his feelings for Kouren very often.
One day Kouren runs into Oushun while Oushun is hanging out with his best friend from university, a warrior from a noble family. Kouren can't stand how unfamiliar and distant Oushun seems in his friend's company and runs off. Oushun later comes over to apologize for his friend, thinking his friend's frank, joking manner had made Kouren mad. Kouren is mad because he hadn't been the center of Oushun's attention, but he doesn't tell Oushun that. Instead he lashes out, telling Oushun the truth that he'd kept hidden all these years--that he didn't care for Oushun at all (and in fact hated him) and had just used him to get ahead. But he's shocked to see in Oushun's face that Oushun had known all along and runs away. He is full of regret. He refuses to see Oushun, accept any gifts or respond to Oushun's invitations. After several weeks he stops hearing from Oushun. He buries himself in work to avoid thinking about Oushun...And fails. Even when he goes to a festival when the nice older craftsman from his old workshop urges him to take a break from work, he unconsciously wants to share the fun with Oushun. He knows that he's in the wrong, but when his mind thinks about Oushun he feels so pained he suppresses it all. He even thinks about visiting Oushun...But can't find the courage to just go see Oushun out of the blue. Only when he manages to finish a particularly fine piece (his masterpiece) does he decide to visit Oushun, to show it to him.
Unfortunately, Kouren learns some bad news from a servant of the household. Oushun had lost his eyesight from an illness...And then had disappeared. Kouren goes to see Oushun's university friend to find out Oushun's whereabouts. The friend has some harsh words for Kouren, asking why Kouren wants to bother with finding Oushun now that he's useless to him. Kouren can't respond to the pointed accusations, but the friend takes pity on Kouren's misery and tells him that Oushun probably relied on a certain subordinate to help him get out of the city. He points out that while Oushun had left letters to his parents and to him, he hadn't given Kouren one. He thinks it's because Oushun has too much regret to be able to say goodbye to Kouren. So Kouren bugs the hell out of the subordinate until he's told that Oushun is in a particular province.
Kouren sets out and walks for two months until he reaches the rather large province to find Oushun. He can't figure out why the hell he's bothering since Oushun can't help him out professionally anymore and he's on the verge of really making it big...But he keeps going. He asks around but can't find a lead. One night he shares a room at an inn with a drunkard. The drunkard turns out to be Oushun's father. The father has no idea where Oushun is (and claims that Oushun is a crappy son for abandoning his father with only a little money which he'd already spent) and demands Kouren give him some money. Kouren has to be careful with his money and can't spare him any. He tells Oushun's father to work if he needs money. Oushun's father gets mad and hits Kouren until he's thrown out. Kouren gets a high fever and sleeps for two days. The innkeeper, feeling guilty for sticking Kouren with such a bad character, doesn't charge him anything and feeds him well. He sets out again until he meets someone who claims to know him. Unfortunately he's beaten up and his money stolen. He's told to thank Oushun's father for his fate. Kouren loses consciousness.
When Kouren wakes up he's in a poor cottage. A nice couple had found him on the road, brought him home, and patched him up. Kouren is at a loss. Without money he can't search for Oushun. The wife asks him where he's from. When he answers, the son of the couple tells Kouren to talk to the sensei next door who happens to be from the same place. Kouren has a suspicion about the sensei and runs outside to see him...And it (of course) turns out to be Oushun.
Kouren realizes the moment he sees Oushun that the reason he'd come all this way to find Oushun was pretty simple. He'd just wanted to see Oushun. He starts to cry. Oushun apologizes that he can't help Kouren out anymore. He wishes he'd looked at Kouren more while he could still see. All he can remember now is Kouren's face when they were small...When Kouren had done all those little kindnesses for Oushun. Kouren cries harder, muffling his sobs.
Kouren moves in with Oushun, declaring that he's going to fix Oushun's blindness and won't go back until he does. He claims to be doing this for selfish reasons, because he needs Oushun's backing to get ahead even more. He does odd jobs for money and tries any and all potential treatments. Two years pass. Oushun worries about Kouren's workshop back in the city. Kouren assures him that he can go back at any time and have work because he's that good. When Oushun questions why Kouren would need Oushun's backing in that case, Kouren just tells Oushun to shut up. Oushun gets a slightly troubled look on his face, which makes Kouren wonder if Oushun actually doesn't want Kouren there at all but can't come out and say it. But Kouren is determined to stay and find a cure for Oushun whatever Oushun may feel.
One day the medicine seller shows Kouren a beautiful blue stone that is supposed to be able to heal all things. One simply drinks a sliver of the stone with goat's milk for seven days. Kouren wants to buy seven day's worth, but the seller will only sell the entire stone. It's a lot of money, but Kouren desperately wants to buy it. Luckily he is spotted by a jeweler who recognizes him and asks him to produce some pieces. Kouren agrees. He can now buy the stone and is very happy when he goes home that night. He goes to the workshop the very next day and works all day. Every night when he comes home Oushun is waiting for him outside, despite being urged by the neighbor's son (who watches out for Oushun while Kouren is gone) to wait inside to get out of the cold. Kouren scolds Oushun as well, but all it does is make Oushun smile even more. Eventually Kouren finds the whole business ridiculous and gives up.
One night Kouren suddenly wakes up in the middle of the night. He hears Oushun muttering softly. Oushun is apologizing to Kouren. He confesses (to a supposedly sleeping Kouren) that he doesn't want his eyes to heal because he's happy as he is now, living with Kouren. He feels guilty for keeping Kouren away from the capitol and to his rightful glory as a master goldsmith. Kouren realizes just why Oushun always urged him to go back--he wanted the assurance of Kouren insisting on staying. Oushun's troubled smile was from the conflicting feelings of joy and guilt over keeping Kouren in this backwater. Kouren is overwhelmed by the depths (and utter craziness) of Oushun's feelings for him. He wants to convey his feelings to Oushun....And goes with the non-verbal method. He initiates sex. Oushun is startled and hesitant at first, but soon enough they are at it enthusiastically. When Kouren kisses him afterwards, Oushun comments that it is the first time Kouren had kissed him.
Kouren finishes the pieces up and gets a good amount of money. He declines making any more pieces for the delighted jeweler, stating that he'll be going back to the capital soon. He buys the stone and is heading back home when he's attacked by a beggar who tries to rob him, but is saved by a city guard. As he hurries home, he is struck by ringing in his years and dizziness. He manages to drag his increasingly heavy body home and "shows" Oushun the stone. He wants to try it out immediately, but he feels horribly tired. His nose bleeds. He figures the hard work he'd put in must have caught up with him and he decides to rest first. The neighbor's boy comes back and is disappointed to see Kouren resting instead of trying out the treatment with the stone. Oushun tells the boy to be quiet so that Kouren can rest. He knows that Kouren had been goldsmithing from the burns and blisters on Kouren's hands, even though Kouren hadn't told Oushun. He strokes Kouren's hand. As Kouren slowly drifts towards unconsciousness, he thinks about how wonderful it will be to go back to the capitol with Oushun where everyone is waiting. He doesn't need fame or glory or riches anymore. He just wants to be with Oushun. He decides to tell Oushun when he wakes up as he finally loses consciousness...
That Egypt story-line bores the hell out of me. Hasn't the noble king/prince x loyal and pure priest thing been done to death already? The characters weren't original or interesting at all...I forced myself to summarize the damn story in detail because it's the foundation of the entire series.
I do like the China story-line. Kouren really irritated me initially, but he grew on me after a while. He's so flawed and so full of resentment, I felt refreshed after all that noble perfection in the Egypt story-line. All his actions are very consistent with his character. He's foolish and jealous and not very honest with himself. He doesn't realize his own feelings until it's almost too late. I loved how he determinedly works for two years to restore Oushun's eyesight while trying to pretend he's not doing it for Oushun. I assume Kouren dies at the end, which makes me sad because a) maybe the lapis lazuli would have actually healed Oushun and b) Kouren was finally going to put his feelings into words. I wonder what happened to Oushun afterwards?
I don't think it was clear in my summary, but the grandson in the modern Japan story-line is Titi. He's cursed with not being able to age, die, eat, or speak because of his sin against the gods, and lives continuously from ancient Egypt till modern times. He appears in almost every story in some minor (or not so minor) role. I don't think he appears in the China story-line.
I do plan on writing about the other three novels (because the art must be shared), but I have no idea if I'll have the energy or desire to write detailed summaries of every lifetime. Some of them are so extremely banal...