Welcome to the first installment of The Otaku Bookshelf, an occasional feature reviewing books of interest to the avid anime and manga fan. Our inaugural column looks at three very different titles; Dragon Sword and Wind Child (Viz), a Japanese fantasy novel steeped in Shinto mythology; J-Horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge, and Beyond (Vertical, Inc.), an overview of Japanese horror films; and Parasite Eve (Vertical, inc.), a medical thriller that out-icks Michael Crichton in its Grand Guignol finale.

Dragon Sword and Wind Child

By Noriko Ogiwara; Translated by Cathy Hirano
Viz, 286 pp.

Noriko Ogiwara’s Dragon Sword and Wind Child is an old-fashioned fantasy novel whose pages teem with wood spirits, handsome princes, magic swords, and talking animals. The story begins in a remote village in the kingdom of Toyoashihara, where an elderly couple have been raising Saya, a headstrong orphan. From childhood, they have taught Saya to worship the Children of Light, an immortal race of deities who preside over the heavens. At the village’s annual courtship dance, Prince Tsukihiro, the moon god himself, appears before the village to claim Saya as his bride. Before Tsukihiro whisks her away, Saya encounters a strange group of spirits who warn her not to follow him. They tell her that she is the reincarnation of the Water Maiden, a warrior destined to lead the Children of Darkness—the ancient spirits of the forests, mountains, and oceans—against the Children of Light with the aid of the powerful Dragon Sword….

Click here to read the rest of Kate’s review.

J-Horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge, and Beyond

By David Kalat
Vertical, Inc., 320 pp.

I’m not a horror buff. Maybe it’s because I don’t scare too easily at the movies, or maybe it’s because the idea of undying mythological creatures and ridiculously competent psychopaths don’t mesh well with my hyper-logical world view. I get far more tense with carefully crafted plot developments that have huge ramifications for the characters involved, like when Lex Luthor took control of the Watchtower’s laser cannon in Justice League Unlimited and fired at a city, or when Sousuke Sagara seemingly leaves Kaname Chidori in Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid. That stuff makes my skin tingle and gets my blood flowing. So-called “horror” does not…

Click here to read Carlos’ review.

Parasite Eve

Written by Hideaki Sena, Translated by Tyran Grillo
Vertical Inc., 319 pp.

Originally published in 1995, Parasite Eve is a cross between a medical thriller and a horror novel, a combination that brought it widespread attention and acclaim in Japan. In fact, it was so highly regarded that it was the first novel to win the Japanese Horror Novel award. Despite the strong sales and awards, however, the two Playstation games based upon made it to the US sooner than the source material. Still, better late then never, right? Well…

Click here to read Ken’s review.