Just as to provide balance for all my glowing reviews, I wanted to list Genpei by Kara Dalkey.

I started this book with very high hopes, but wasn't able to get into the book at all and stopped reading it partway through.

Now just to be fair, here is a SF reviewer who enjoyed this book. But not me.

From the cover, I thought I would love it. I mean, Japanese history when kami are real? Perfect for Kirsten!

But it did not keep my interest. The main problem for me, is that while I love Japanese history, I don't read novels to learn history, but to be entertained. I don't mind reading history books written in the dry and disconnected tone of the original source material (as Japanese history is mostly written), but I don't want my novels to read like that.

And I don't want my speculative novels to read like that.

So to be fair, let me emphasize this is my personal preference, but the book didn't do much for me.