Dig Two Graves—A Japanese Historical Fantasy

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

In 12th century Japan, Yoshi, a down-at-the-heels bushi, agrees to do a "small favor" for Surei, his estranged lover. This embroils Yoshi and Surei into a deadly conspiracy for control of the Chrysanthemum Throne. Can Surei and Yoshi put aside their differences and come together to survive traitorous retired emperors, powerful yin-yang sorcerers, deadly shape changers, and vengeful spirits?

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2022
Author: DCHaru

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 107
Views: 47,189

Reviews

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Community Reviews(5)

CorpStaticRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is probably the best story I've come across on this site.
The author has the rare gift of masterful storytelling and his words paint a beautiful tapestry that perfectly encapsulates everything a reader would want from a Japanese historical fantasy. The fantasy portion of the story fits in so perfectly with a world that is otherwise very normal and mundane that it reminds me of Coelho.
The plot itself is very riveting and you keep wanting to read more of it. One can tell that the author has done their research on Japanese mythology as well as Shinto and Buddhist mythology.
If one were to nitpick, I would say that the inclusion of phrases in Japanese (ones which are easily substitutable with English like "shimatta") kinda threw me off but the author seems to have veered away from that stylistic choice as the story moves on.
All in all, this is a story worth reading and I would recommend the author goes pro because I've read published books which are less polished than this.
SteveMortarRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
One of the finest stories I've had the pleasure of reading on this site. As a historical fantasy, it manages to perfectly flit the line between Japanese mythology and a historical accounting of the Hōgen Rebellion, while also maintaining a character-focused narrative that keeps the reader ensorcelled. Pacing is also excellent, and I had found myself thinking "just one more chapter" far too late at night on multiple occasions.
Grammar-wise, Dig Two Graves excels. The authors' maintains an outstanding ability to keep the writing fresh and unique throughout, never letting a scene become stale by overusing certain words or phrases. Romaji Japanese terms are thrown in at precise intervals, used by the authors to help the reader understand specific parts of 12th century Japanese culture, without going overboard on vocabulary that the reader wouldn't be able to understand. There are a few spelling mistakes here and there, especially on later chapters, but they aren't egregious; nor do they happen often enough to really irk the reader more than making them worth a mention.
As for the characters, all of them have a part to play in the book, making the world feel alive in a way many authors can't quite replicate. They all feel "real" in a visceral way, each having a clear story that influences their actions and beliefs, while also reflecting the sociocultural system of the era. They characters continuously act as one would expect them to in a given scenario, without author fiat or contrivances getting in the way.
The protagonist, Yoshi, exemplifies this with his way of viewing and moving through the world–he is not some artifical vessel for pushing the authors' viewpoint or narrative; he is a living, breathing protagonist with his own wants and desires. These are not so out of line with the modern reader that the story becomes hard to follow or aggravating to read, but neither is he a modern concept shoved into a historical setting. Readers will enjoy experiencing the world o
lil_literalistRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The story blurb is a very accurate description of the basic setting, characters, and plot.
STYLE
Although the story takes place in Japan and occasionally uses Japanese terms, it is quite accessible for readers who are unfamiliar with Japanese culture. The writing quality is also superb. I have never read another story on Royal Road which uses flashbacks as well as this one, for instance. The way that the supernatural feels from a human perspective is also well done.
STORY
The story is wonderful and clever, with each chapter moving the plot forward. And unlike some serialized novels, Dig Two Graves brings resolution and a conclusion to its plot in a very satisfying manner.
GRAMMAR
Clean grammar. Very few mistakes through the entire work.
CHARACTER
Yoshi as a character feels real. He may not have the most exciting personality of any protagonist on Royal Road, but he fits into the setting well while simultaneously being distinctly special in his abilities, personality, and station. I don't think that Yoshi ever turns his brain off or becomes dumb for the sake of the story. He will sometimes overindulge in his vices, but these are written as the weaknesses of a real person, not the contrivances of a flat character who needs a gimmick. And he grows as well. So does Surei.
Again, the story is wonderful. If you're on the fence, go read it! The first two chapters should be enough for you to form an opinion.
negatronicRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This review is current as of Jan 7, 2023.
This is my first RR review. Considering that, please realize that I do not yet have a well-defined scoring system, and this is off the cuff.
As a long-time fan and student of 日本語と日本文化 (Japanese language and culture), I've been looking for a RR story like this one for a long time. One that is firmly rooted in the Japanese tradition rather than the Chinese, or worse, a thoughtless melange of generic East Asian tropes and terminology.
"Dig Two Graves" is the story of a wandering bushi (warrior) who is seeking to discover the perpetartors of a betrayal that led to the death of his entire family. He was a young man/boy then, on his first military action, and he was the lone survivor. In such an honor/face culture, he expected to be accused of cowardice and desertion (rather then believed that he, a young boy, was the sole survivor.
Now, some 11 years later, he has returned to the capitol to hunt down those who betrayed and dishonored his family. However, his time spent as a hard-living warrior-for-hire has left him with a taste for drink, gambling, and women that throws his plans and goals into disarray. Fighting against and despite these tendencies, he finds himself drawn into Imperial Court intrigue as he begins to unravel the plot that doomed his family.
STYLE
If you like anime and the ancient historical Japanese setting, you'll love this! It's fantasy because apparently, oni and kitsune and magic are real, though still rare. Very slick and awesomely stylish!
STORY
I've been captivated since I started reading and caught up to the pont that I have no more chapters to read. I really want to find out more of the mysteries that aurround Yoshi, and see what happens with the looming Imperial succession!
GRAMMAR
This story is solidly above the RR average (of the many fics I've read here) for grammar. Nothing to make you pull your hair out whilst reading (looking at YOU, farther/further confusion!). Wuite polished overall,
TheredsheepRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Let me just get this out of the way: it's on Royal Road and it doesn't involve a boring guy teleporting into an MMO and describing in detail how he's grinding for owlbear livers. That by itself makes three stars the absolute floor for a review. That said:
Style: It's a historical fantasy set in Japan before a lot of the norms that we typically associate with feudal Japan had really gelled--the long swords are still tachis, not katanas; a warrior-aristocrat is just a bushi and not a samurai; there are women performing a lot of the functions of geishas and possessing similar status, but they aren't called geishas yet. It all feels very accurate to me, though I'm no expert. The pacing is leisurely but not agonizingly slow; the authors take their time to cover a lot of period details so you get a clear picture. I do wish they would trust readers to intuit more--less of the "I picked up my [Japanese thing], a [familiar Western analog]"--but this is minor and I understand why they did it. The fantastic aspects of the world slip in and out of the realistic and grounded aspects of city life in a way that feels right. Gritty physical dangers in the sake houses, otherworldly spiritual dangers stalking the countryside.
Story: I didn't get super-far, but the story seems good. A decent balance of interpersonal drama and action, with characters fighting for their own personal stakes but already hinting at larger political issues in play beyond those. There's a lot going on, but it doesn't feel needlessly busy and they handle the various threads with enviable skill.
Grammar: Some typos here and there, but as noted these are some beefy chapters and the goofs are not anywhere near frequent enough to annoy. The authors plainly have a solid command of the English language.
Character:This, I think, is why I didn't continue. The characters aren't bad, per se, but this kind of story, which centers on the long-term relationship of two people each coming to terms with why and ho