Book recommendation - of an odd sort
I have no actual qualms about recommending the series that I'm reading right now - none of content, at least. It's just that I feel weird about telling people to read it, because it was originally written in Japanese and AFAIK only translated into French. I wish it were available in English, but there you are.
Anyway, if you stumble across The Twelve Kingdoms (Les 12 Royaumes), by all means pick them up. They focus on a variety of characters who either live or find themselves in another world that faintly resembles ancient China. There are 12 kingdoms, each ruled by a king or queen chosen by the will of Heaven. The will of Heaven acts in this case through a sacred animal called a kirin, which appears either like a human or like a unicorn. Some of the kings and queens come from our world and must learn not only how to get by in a new world, but how to rule justly. It sounds a bit cheesy when I describe it, but the characters have some of the best, most realistic personal development that I've read - even though the books are young adult novels. I have difficulty putting them down once I pick them up. My French comprehension is by far not perfect, but especially since it's not written in a very formal style, with the occasional help of a dictionary I do just fine.
You might also be able to find the anime TV series of the same name, which is available with English subtitles (this is actually how I first learned about the series). It's also excellent, although I prefer the books thus far - partly because the anime stops in the middle of the series due to an unfortunate cancellation.
So, there we go. Like I said, I feel a little weird about telling people for many of whom the language means it's inaccessible, but I'd feel guilty not passing it on just in case some people could otherwise miss their chance.
Anyway, if you stumble across The Twelve Kingdoms (Les 12 Royaumes), by all means pick them up. They focus on a variety of characters who either live or find themselves in another world that faintly resembles ancient China. There are 12 kingdoms, each ruled by a king or queen chosen by the will of Heaven. The will of Heaven acts in this case through a sacred animal called a kirin, which appears either like a human or like a unicorn. Some of the kings and queens come from our world and must learn not only how to get by in a new world, but how to rule justly. It sounds a bit cheesy when I describe it, but the characters have some of the best, most realistic personal development that I've read - even though the books are young adult novels. I have difficulty putting them down once I pick them up. My French comprehension is by far not perfect, but especially since it's not written in a very formal style, with the occasional help of a dictionary I do just fine.
You might also be able to find the anime TV series of the same name, which is available with English subtitles (this is actually how I first learned about the series). It's also excellent, although I prefer the books thus far - partly because the anime stops in the middle of the series due to an unfortunate cancellation.
So, there we go. Like I said, I feel a little weird about telling people for many of whom the language means it's inaccessible, but I'd feel guilty not passing it on just in case some people could otherwise miss their chance.