The Fantasy Review’s Spoiler-Free Review of Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind is a fun, daring adventure into Japanese mythology for fans of Percy Jackson and those kinds of middle-grade fantasy books. I had a lot of fun with this book, but feel like I would have loved it even more when I was 12 instead of in my late twenties!
Having said that, I think you could pick up this book and enjoy it, no matter your age.
Momo’s character development is a highlight of this book, growing from a complaining teenager to courageous young adult in a great coming-of-age tale. The characters of Danny and Niko were great additions, both adding something unique to the story and having their own engaging character arcs.
The research it must have taken to include so much from Japanese mythology and folklore is outstanding! Much of it went over my head if I read too fast, as there is a lot in here. Maybe there was a little too much, slowing the pacing in places, but otherwise it was very interesting and enjoyable to read about all these different things.
Overall, this middle-grade fantasy book is perfect for any fans of Percy Jackson and other middle-grade books like those. It’s fun and has great characters – what else could you want?
