The Deer King (Novel) Vol. 01 (Hardcover)

The Deer King (Novel) Vol. 01 (Hardcover)

Van, a former soldier made slave, toils away endlessly in a salt mine. An unexpected chance at liberation drops in his lap when a pack of infected dogs passes through, killing everyone but him and a young girl he names Yuna. Van hopes to make a peaceful life for them both now that they’ve escaped. However, the disease that cleared out the mine begins to spread, endangering the nation and placing Van and his ward at the center of a conflict greater than any the world has ever seen. Thus begins a tale of ecosystems, viruses, and cultural relations.

Biographical Notes:

Nahoko Uehashi is most famous for her Guardian series, which has sold over 1.5 million copies in Japan and has won many awards. Her novel Guardian of the Sacred Spirit has been adapted into anime, manga, and radio drama. Its English version has been published under the title Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit.

Uehashi is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Kawamura Gakuen Women’s University. She earned a PhD focusing on Australian Aborigines. Her Guardian series draw heavily on her Cultural Anthropology studies. Her stories, replete with detail about imaginary countries, people, culture and food.

Title Notes:

The Deer King is a sweeping fantasy epic that takes place in a war-torn world troubled by a rampaging disease which the two protagonists – an enslaved ex-soldier and a young girl – must navigate as survivors of a deadly attack.

An animated film adaptation of The Deer King premiered in Japan in 2022, and was the directorial debut of Masashi Ando, whose credits include work on influential anime films such as Spirited Away, Paprika, and your name.

More details on Nahoko Uehashi:

Nahoko Uehashi’s Personal Web

Publisher’s Twitter account