The Crane: Clan War, Third Scroll

by Ree Soesbee

A Spring of War. Doji Hoturi, the young Champion of the Crane, is everything a samurai could wish to be: swift of sword and pure of heart . . . but his eyes hide a terrible secret. Bloody magic... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786916591
• ISBN13: 9780786916597
• Release Date: November 2000
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

An Elegant Return to Form

After reading The Scorpion I was elated. I was so impressed with that book that I believed The Clan War series might become something more than your typical game-related fantasy series. I believed that it might be the beginning of a legacy (not unlike Dragonlance). Then came The Unicorn and stuck it's broken little horn in my heart. I feared the worst... So Ree Soesbee arrived on the scene with her white-haired artistocratic swordsmen and saved the day (not to mention the series)! This book helped me appreciate the Crane clan and their place in Rokugan more than anything that came before. The characters are engaging while the twists and turns that occur here help to develop the plot of the entire series (as opposed to The Unicorn which seemed to simply remain stuck in the mud). All of the Crane families have a role to play and all of them are seen here doing exactly what they're supposed to be doing. The Doji deal with politics and leadership, the Kakita master the arts (in this case mastering swordsmanship), the Daidoji protecting the clan by any means necessary...and so on. Through it all is Doji Hoturi, the cocky young nobleman who finds out that getting into trouble is a lot more fun than being stuck in it. As for the complaints about the ending, just look to mythology and you'll see many far more unbelievable defeats and rescues. Of course, some things make far more sense at the end of the series than they do in the middle!

Top 3 in L5R

I loved each character in this book. Though it ends in a hurry manner.BEST CLAN BOOK FOR SURE !

Razor sharp blade!

I've read the first two books of the series, and i have greatly enjoyed them, regardless that they were based on the card game that i've never even heard of. The third book continues intact with the first two, introducing a few more charcters, one which is Hoturi- a smooth Crane samurai, who is also the Lord of the Crane, and just happens to be the main hero of the book.There's plenty of adventure in the book, enough gore, battles and blood. It is excellently written, in simple language which flows nicely. The story never let's go, author is keeping the story very well together, not letting it fall apart, or get boring. Pace never slows down. The plot is full of surprises, and twists.Anyway, if you have enjoyed the first two books as i have, then you'll love The Crane. It's written in the smooth style, depicting the spirit of the samurai and at the same time time creating an invisible magical atmosphere, without which the book wouldn't be so interesting. I loved it, i read it in about four days while in the subway, and believe me, it really made the time fly.

Hoturi's Revenge!

I must say that after reading the previous two books I was waiting impatiently for Hoturi's side of the story. Ms. Soesbee managed to provide that exceptionally. You were about to understand why he loved Kachiko without any explicit details yet recognise as soon as he himself did that the operative word should be "loved". I especially liked what happened to the Dark Champion. Now this book (and any of the others) is for anyone who has either played this game or Dungeons & Dragons, or read any of the Forgotten Realms books and liked either. It would also be a good read for anyone who was interested in Martial Arts or Asian cultures because even though it is mainly fictional the references are pretty accurate.

An Extraordinary Tale

The Crane, the third book in the Legend of the Five Rings series, came out in early November. I picked it up on Thanksgiving weekend, and I began reading it by the end of November.I waited too long.Those of you who are familiar with the world of Rokugan will find that, among the familiar characters, there is a whole new depth to this story that hadn't been there before. The relationships between the characters are told with such emotion that you feel deeply for characters you've probably not though much about before. The portrayal of Rokugani society seems just right, and the whole book makes you look at the two bywords of the Crane - Honor and Perfection - in a new light.For people who aren't already familiar with the world of Rokugan, this can still be an excellent book. While some of the subtleties of the story may be lost, on the whole it would still rank five stars. I would, however, recommend reading the two books previous in the series (The Scorpion and The Unicorn) first. Without at least that much background, you may become a little lost (Those books, however, are worth reading on their own merits as well.). Passing that barrier, I would still say this book is a wonderful way to introduce yourself to the world of Legend of the Five Rings.All in all, I would say that this is the best game related novel I've ever read, and ranks among the best books of any type I've ever read. This whole series is good, and this book is truly something special. I highly recommend it.