With her research stolen and years of dedication and effort turned to nothing in the face of a better-connected apprentice's betrayal, Isami finds herself shamed and denied the place as an imperial cartographer she has worked for her whole life. But her work might present a solution to a burgeoning territory conflict between two of the Great Clans. The Lion, proud and dangerous warriors, have discovered historical documentation showing they have historical claim to land long held by the Scorpion. Land that the ancient maps Isami had been studying suggest might have yet more usable land hidden by time and mapping errors. To prevent the coming conflict from becoming a full on war, an Imperial Treasurer sends Isami to the Spine of the World and the center of danger.

With To Chart the Clouds Evan Dicken gives us a protagonist well out of her depth but determined to see the job through to the end and, if she can manage it without being caught, find and chart the blank spot found on a set of ancient maps. Then sticks her with two other scholars and sends the lot of them off on a quest for the truth that will settle things without more bloodshed, despite betrayal dogging their steps all the way.

I really do enjoy the character work here. Isami is desperately trying to do her job despite it seeming more and more impossible. Trying to use the skills she has learned as an apprentice cartographer to chart various political machinations as well as a literal map. Ikoma Shinzō is a Lion's Lion, a proud and dedicated, ready to deal with being embarrassed if it serves his mission, but also ready to leap into a fight as soon as he feels justified. As a contrast, Bayushi Keisuke is a Scorpion through and through, taking joy in needling the other characters, readily lying to ensure his ambitions, but also ready to work with whomever it takes to see things through. Add in Isami's bodyguard, Gorobei, who is loyal and ready to protect his master regardless of circumstances, and the reader is left with a solid party of characters who each have their own skills and specialties.

To Chart the Clouds moves quite quickly once Isami is in place as Lord Otomo's retainer and on her way to Stone Willow Valley. The initial agreements regarding the land and the argued history of it moving surprisingly smoothly until disaster strikes and all characters involved get thrown into a mystery of betrayal and cover-ups. There is very much this feeling of it being a race to stop the Lion and Scorpion clans from breaking the Emperor's decree and full on going to war. Like personal ambitions and shames must be put aside to keep worse from happening, all while a mysterious saboteur sows distrust among the party.

It plays into that nice back and forth between Shinzō and Keisuke, they do not trust each other and do not want to trust each other, but have to if they want any chance of preventing an absolute bloodbath and restoring their personal honor. Likewise, there is a nice sort of back and forth between political acumen, charting the clouds, and determined scholarship as to what will bring the party that next step along. What serves the Empire and what serves personal ambition, and how far can a common goal take people who are so very different and already on edge? It all blends quite nicely together.

I have nothing bad to say about this book. Dicken does a fantastic job keeping things moving, keeping that sense of looming danger going. That sense that the odds are extremely stacked against these characters. Plus, the action scenes are well written too. I am left delighted by this book as a stand-alone work, while also wanting more of the characters and the greater conflict. To Chart the Clouds more than earns a five out of five.

I really wanted to enjoy this novel because it seemed to be based on Japanese culture. However, I found the world-building to be very confusing. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable fantasy series!

Some background: I'm a huge fan of the Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) universe, which can be described as a Japan and other East Asian countries-inspired Game of Thrones with a lot of conspiracy, politics and honorable battle, and where honor is stronger than steel itself. I can wholeheartedly recommend L5R to anyone who has an interest in Asian fantasy settings and/or liked Game of Thrones-style political maneuvering and mysticism. Even more fascinating to know that the L5R was established in the early 90s as a unique competitive card game where the players' decision could formulate the story of the world! I'm also an active player of the tabletop RPG version and the FFG published Living Card Game, and read all the fiction materials from the 5th edition reboot of the RPG timeline, and also read two other novels published by Aconyte. Compared to the old L5R novels in the AEG era, the stories created by the new author team are a huge step-up in quality, thus I had high expectations of To Chart The Clouds as well, and it did not disappoint.

The main character is an aspiring and ambitious cartographer student, Miya Isami, who is very well-versed in her own profession but somewhat naive about the the world around her. She is also not a typical L5R heroine, as she is not from one of the Seven Great Clans of Rokugan, but rather from one of the Imperial Family bloodlines who are supposed to be independent of the power struggles happening in the empire. Despite her hardworking attitude and her knowledge in her field, her naivity becomes a great obstacle in the way of achieving her dreams, but gets a second chance when she is asked to be an emissary to resolve a land related conflict between the Lion clan and the Scorpion clan, which seems an easy task to carry out, but after a disastrous turn of events, the stakes are increased.

The novel feels a coming of age story, and during the story we can see how Isami's personality develops over time. It was good to read that she is not a flawless typical heroine, she sometimes repeats the same mistakes, her idealistic approach backfires just as many times as it helps her in the mission. The main theme of L5R is usually the tension between one's giri (duty to the family, to the Empire, to his/her lord) and one's ninjo (personal desires), and it is present in the novel in a very subtle and elegant way in Isami's story, as her personal ambition of charting a hidden valley and demonstrating that her previous failure was not deserved causes her mission to go on a bad track, and this conflict serves as a key driver of the story. I also liked that not just her, but her Lion and Scorpion companions also struggles with their life: some of them would like to break out of the stereotypes concerning their respective clans, while some of them would like show their value to their lord and for this they are willing to put their honor on stake as well. These conflicts made character interactions interesting and I personally enjoyed these interactions the best in the whole book. Being a supporter of different clans in the L5R games, I had my concerns whether the Lion and Scorpion setting can keep my interest up, but to my own surprise I was really fascinated by the lore bits about them in the book.

And yes, lore bits: I just adore that all the new authors in the L5R reboot (Marie Brennan, Josh Reynolds, David Annandale, Evan Dicken) not just make their compulsory homework but also take the extra mile - the novel is so well-researched, not just with respect to the L5R lore, but also in terms of cartography as a field of profession with all the items described, methods applied and terms used over the novel. It helps a lot with the immersion. The old L5R lacked in this particular area and I believe this was one of the reasons why even the player based did not bother with the novelized fiction after the first book series.

The minor faults of the novel are certain "plot armors" moments, especially towards the end of the book, but I also understand that the story shall be concluded somehow. I liked, though, that the ending of the story is open and hints toward a sequel, and I really hope that it will be the case, and it can be developed to a Miya Isami series, similar to the Daidoji Shin series by Josh Reynolds.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel quite a lot and feel honored that I could read the advance reader copy. Hope it will be enjoyed by not just us L5R fans but also by a wider audience.

I have been provided with an advance copy of the new Legend of the Five Rings book To Chart the Clouds by Evan Dicken, published by Aconyte Books, so here is the honest review I promised in exchange for the book.

So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first. I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions. Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher.

I am going to try my best to not let that cloud my judgement in this review, but I accept that subconsciously it might.

So let’s crack on with a review then!

What is Legend of the Five Rings
L5R as it’s often known is a fantasy setting for a series of card games and RPGs originally published by AEG, but now taken care of by Fantasy Flight.

It’s set in the empire of Rokugan which is heavily feudal Japan influenced, with a bit of other East Asian influences, like China and Korea thrown in as well.

It’s a fantasy setting with the usual fantasy tropes of goblins and rat men, but also oni and kitsune too.

The Story
Miya Isami is a clerk in the Cartography Ministry in the capital city of Rokugan who has been developing techniques of triangulation to make more accurate maps, maps based on actual measurements, rather than the artistry of the current maps.

But this isn’t welcomed by her traditionalist superiors who deny her the right to become an Imperial Cartographer.

Following this setback she throws herself into her work and comes across some ancient maps of the border of the Lion and Scorpion Clan lands, and sees the glimmer of something not yet discovered. But when another clerk steals her work, she is crestfallen.

Alas her rival meets a sticky end and when an Imperial Treasurer needs someone to contain a brewing conflict in that same region, he turns to her, sending her on a mission to barter peace between the traditional rivals.

So off she sets with a bodyguard in tow, to try and hammer out a compromise between the two clans, and potential get a chance to prove her theories about an undiscovered valley.

Conclusion
I literally consumed this book in three hours, which is normally very difficult for me with my brain damage, I simply could not put this book down.

The concept sounds dull, but its packed full of action, intrigue and mystery, its a fantastically written story and the way Evan has written his characters gives them real meat and deep personalities.

There is also a trans character in the book and the way he is written about is perfect, an acknowledgement that hey this guy is trans, its rare, but perfectly normal, then the next time it comes up is when he is changing clothes and Miya notices his bindings.

That’s exactly what I want to see in these novels, real representation of LGBTQ characters that is genuinely not their entire personality, but instead a normal accepted part of society, its uplifting to read.

The last act does have a bit of deus ex machina about it, but it still works.

But the best part, its left open for a sequel, which is fantastic!

5 out of 5 stars from me!

When Miya Isami's hopes of becoming an Imperial cartographer are smashed by foul play, she takes a risky assignment negotiating a land dispute between the Scorpion and Lion clans deep in the mountains. Handling the prideful and cunning clans would be tricky enough, but sabotage plagues Isami's efforts, risking the stability of the region and the empire. A complex puzzlebox of a story, probably most enjoyable to those who are familiar with the lore of Legend of the Five Rings.

For fans of Japanese medieval fiction, this book is for you. It takes place in the empire of Dicken’s “Legend of the Five Rings” series. The story follows an unlikely heroine and her cobbled-together band of adventurers as she seeks to solve a mystery in a novel way.

I liked the character development Dicken gave us, as I came to like them…even the villains. He used ancient Japanese societal norms to twist the plot and simultaneously educate the reader. I feel a little more intelligent after having read this book.

Four stars for this one, and a desire to read the other tales in the series. My gratitude to #Aconyte via #Netgalley.

Well written and further flushes out aspects of Rokugan not usually shown in other fictions nor the tabletop/card game. Can be read with little knowledge of the series/world.

As always I want to thank Aconyte Books, Netgalley and Evan Dicken for granting me access to an ARC of this book to review.

Aconyte’s growing line is seeing a lot of wonderful prose books being created that are based on RPGs, LCGRPGs or TTRPGs. While Legends of the Five Rings LCG might be being cancelled, at lease by Fantasy Flight Games I am so happy to see that Aconyte continue to come out with wonderful stories within that world. Sometimes it is difficult to create a novel based on a game, particularly one with a rich lore and a plethora of characters not to mention that normally sees people taking on roles but to date Aconyte’s Authors are smashing it.

To Chart the Clouds focuses on the border tensions between rival samurai clans slowly escalating into possible war over a hidden valley. The diligent yet underappreciated clerk, Miya Isami, develops a new triangulation technique for map-making, her traditionalist superiors at the Imperial Cartographic Bureau Heap scorn upon her. Until her novel approach exposes a swathe of missing land on the border between Scorpion and Lion Clan territories and Isami discovers more than just a simple mapping error. This discovery could finally find the resolution to the endless territorial squabbling between the secretive Scorpions and proud, warlike Lions. An Imperial Treasure dispatches Isami with her fresh insights and relevant neutral standing in the families of the kingdom to the Spine of the World in a bid to contain the conflict. But Isami is far from welcome to the mountains. It now falls to a simple clerk to negotiate between the clans, uncover the truth and discover the location of the hidden valley before the fragile peace is finally shattered by war.

From the first few sentences I felt like I was transported to the world of the Five Rings. Like any good GM Dicken weaves the tale around you and while we are following Isami we still feel very much invested. The tension is present from the very first chapter! With very limited spoilers - I thought our heroine was going to be gone before we even got to know her! If that doesn’t make incredible world building and terrible roleplaying flashbacks I don’t know what does! A few chapters down and we have the first ‘backstab’ and honestly I knew this was going to be good. The intrigue and tension is always just below the surface and I loved it. You are always on the edge of your seat wondering just who Isami and you can trust, what is going to happen next. As a Shakespeare fan I also adored Isami’s initial meeting with the Lion and Scorpion clan representatives, Shinzõ and Keisuke certainly had the infamous ‘Do you bite your thumb at me’ scene from Romeo and Juliet feel to it. In fact they became favourites because of it. I am also slightly biased to the Scorpions in general but don’t judge me too much for that!

Despite being set in an established world, Dicken builds on this and makes it his own. From the description to the people and landscape everything vividly comes to life while you are reading, and it is a joy to read. Particularly the description and information on the cartography itself – the detail is mind-blowing. I won’t lie at first I was worried – would I get bored reading about maps? Well firstly this is not just about maps and secondly I might have never had more fun reading about cartography. It was actually refreshing, of course you have the Samurai and the ronin and superb action but to have a lead character who is ‘just’ a cartography clerk was is something I didn’t know I needed. The fact that Isami is often overlooked is the key to allowing her to solve, or at least try to solve the mystery of the missing land. It also gives her freer reign since no one expects any trouble from Miya Isami.

I honestly loved this one – the build up and the execution, the twists and turns, the characters and Keisuke! A wonderful and perfect representation of how to take a game setting and turn it into a gripping high fantasy novel that is extremely hard to put down and will definitely be re-read.

Having no knowledge of the game or prior books, and not reading much Fantasy, this was a risky title for me. But I liked it overall, and I'm confident it will find an audience of fans. Dicken is an experience author and writes well.

Thanks very much for the free review copy!!

Somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars.

Great thanks to NetGalley and Mr. Evan Dicken and his publishing team for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Adventure. A grueling journey. New found friends along the way.We follow Miya Isami through her journey to chart unknown lands.

I enjoyed this! The story had a few twists that threw me off. I loved the watching the dynamic shift between Isami and her new friends. I read this with no previous knowledge of the Legend of the Five Rings and at times had some difficulty keeping up with the lore. Over all this was a really solid read!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Aconyte Books for an advanced copy of this new fantasy and gaming book.

Writing a novelization about a game system can be difficult. How do you write a story that can speak to both those familiar with in the game, in this case Legend of the Far Rings gaming system, and those unfamiliar with the same game but want to know more or win a few ARC like I did. Evan Dicken in his book To Chart the Clouds: A Legend of the Five Rings Novel has a very simple solution to this problem. Write a great story, with interesting characters and a plot that never bogs down. And so he has.

The book's setting is familiar and yet different, a cliche I know, but it works. A medieval Japan, but controlled more by clans who combat each other on the battlefield, among the shadows and in the imperial court, scheming, warring and plotting to gain power wherever and whenever they can. There is no info dumping of life in this new land, it unfolds as the story is told, and a reader is never lost, or confused.

The characters are well developed and make the reader want to know more about them, the clans they are a part of and the world they inhabit. For this reason I hope there are more books planned for this series. Especially featuring the main character Miya Isami, a woman whose attempt to become a member of the Imperial Cartographic Bureau is blocked first by her offending those in power, and by a supposed friend whose theft of her work, leads to his promotion, and accidental death. Miya finds herself a piece in a game to stop two rival clans from fighting over a piece of valuable territory, by a benefactor who might have secrets of his own. High jinks ensue. I don't want to ruin anything for the reader.

The story is fast paced, and very smart, with Miya using her brain far more than brawn which is refreshing. There is plenty of action, but also lots of discussions of archives and the key to the story is cartography which can be pretty suspenseful when done right, and Mr Dicken does so. I enjoyed this book, and want to read more in this series, and maybe even play a game or two. And also track down more works by Mr. Dicken, as I can't wait to read more by him.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s set in the world of Legend of the Five Rings which is a gaming universe that I had never heard of. That didn’t detract at all from my enjoyment of the book. The main character is Miya Isami, a minor noble who desperately wants to be a cartographer. Her evaluation goes disastrously wrong and she is then betrayed by a fellow student who steals her work. Her desperation leads her to accept a mission from a high ranking noble. The mission might also prove her theories about a missing valley so she accepts it despite being advised not to by her mentor.
The story that follows is one of exploration both of the physical world but also of Miya’s character as she works out who she can trust and who is working against her. I loved the world building and the characters, all of whom were totally believable. The story is set in a fantasy Japanese based culture and I really enjoyed the political intrigue in the story as the clans each fight for their own interests. There is plenty of action but the story is quite gently paced which gives plenty of room for character development which I loved. Miya is a really likeable protagonist and I hope that we see more of her in future books.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Aconyte books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very enjoyable read. Well written and interesting, curious to see what happens next. Liked that the main characters were human and overcame failures. Female cartographer as a the lead was nice, instead of the usual tired tropes. Pseudo Japanese culture not usually my thing but wasn’t heavy handed and flowed well in the story.

ARC Copy...for someone who only has a slight knowledge of the Rive Rings world (but enough to know Lion is the proud-warrior clan and Scorpion are the "untrustworthy" + spy clan), I didn't feel lost in the narrative's world and following non-aligned map-maker (not a warrior) surveying the whole area and ensuing conflict seems like an appropriate approach to exploring the world.