Detective Sergeant Mariko Oshiro is still adjusting to the
injuries, both physical and mental, that she suffered while
fighting for her life in DAUGHTER OF THE SWORD.
Unfortunately, the events left her with a Yakuza-ordered hit
out on her as the Yakuza boss needs to save face.
Meanwhile, an ancient mask has resurfaced and the Yakuza are
the ones holding it- until it is stolen. What are the
ancient ties between Mariko's treasured sword and the mask?
YEAR OF THE DEMON is a tale that weaves back and forth from
modern day to the past. We see the history of the mask and
the sword through the eyes of Daigoro, the lord of the House
Okuma, in the year 1588, and Kaida, a young pearl diver, in
the year 1488. Steve Bein does a great job at alternating
the viewpoints while keeping the reader engaged. Initially I
was a bit worried that the various time periods and points
of view of the tale would become distracting but instead
they blend together to create a beautiful tapestry of the
history of the mask and the sword. I didn't want the story
to end, as I wanted to read even more about Daigoro and
Kaida to see how their stories end.
YEAR OF THE DEMON is the second in The Fated Blade
series
but it can easily be read as a standalone. It is my
understanding that we see the earlier history of both Mariko
and Daigoro. However, this back history isn't necessary to
grasp the richness and complexity of YEAR OF THE DEMON.
YEAR OF THE DEMON is a masterful work, tracing the history
of two objects through the eyes of a handful of people
through time. Steve Bein crafts a dark fantasy tale that is
both spellbinding and intense. I look forward to reading
more by this very talented author.
Detective Sergeant
Mariko Oshiro has been promoted to Japan’s elite Narcotics
unit—and with this promotion comes a new partner, a new
case, and new danger. The underboss of a powerful yakuza
crime syndicate has put a price on her head, and he’ll lift
the bounty only if she retrieves an ancient iron demon mask
that was stolen from him in a daring raid. However, Mariko
has no idea of the tumultuous past carried within the
mask—or of its deadly link with the famed Inazuma blade she
wields.
The secret of this mask originated
hundreds of years before Mariko was born, and over time the
mask’s power has evolved to bend its owner toward
destruction, stopping at nothing to obtain Inazuma steel.
Mariko’s fallen sensei knew much of the mask’s hypnotic
power and of its mysterious link to a murderous cult. Now
Mariko must use his notes to find the mask before the cult
can bring Tokyo to its knees—and before the underboss
decides her time is up....
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