Chronicles of Gensokai
3 primary works
Blade's Edge and Traitor's Hope are related books that follow a cast of teens. They're fairly dark with dystopian vibes.
Sairō's Claw kicks off a new subseries with new characters and a new storyline. It's not necessary to have read Blade's Edge or Traitor's Hope. Sairō's Claw follows a main cast that is all adults in their late 20s. The story is lighter and more fun than the other books.
Book 1
Two friends. Two forbidden powers. One chance to change everything.
When Mishi is taken from her orphanage home, she fears she'll never see her best friend Taka again. And when Taka is taken to the infamous Josankō that same day, it seems as if more than distance will keep them apart.
Suddenly alone in their fight to survive, each girl must come to terms with her true nature-Mishi as warrior, Taka as healer. Years after their separation, the girls' journeys lead them each to uncover the horrifying secret that the Rōjū council has spent centuries killing to keep.
Now the Rōjū council wants Taka and Mishi dead and they'll have only one chance to save their people.
How much will Mishi and Taka sacrifice in order to protect all they hold dear?
Book 2
Betrayal of mind. Betrayal of power. Betrayal of heart.
For centuries the Rōjū council silenced all who opposed them, spreading lies and killing innocents, ensuring female Kisōshi were little more than a myth. Now, with the corrupt council deposed, the land of Gensokai reels, taking its first steps towards recovery. The New Council attempts to corral renegade allies, and Taka takes charge of a frontline infirmary, placing her in the heart of the battle. But to survive, she will have to rely on a person she cannot possibly trust.
Meanwhile, Mishi sets out to lure a vicious band of mountain raiders into the open. Many have tried to subdue them, and so far all have failed. Yet she battles more than bandits. Her mind betrays her, and she fears it is only a matter of time before her kisō and katana turn against her too.
Surrounded by enemies and thwarted at every turn, can Mishi and Taka survive long enough to bring peace to their fractured homeland?
Torako has done many things to protect the valley that she calls home, but she’s never looted a corpse before. So when the katana she steals off the still-cooling body of a bandit turns out to be possessed by a grumpy wolf kami, she can only assume it’s because she’s somehow angered the spirits. An impression that’s only reinforced when she returns home to find her wife abducted and her daughter in hiding. But angry spirits or no, Torako isn't about to let bandits run off with the love of her life, even if it means taking their 3 year old on a rescue mission.
In all Kaiyo's years as Captain of the Wind Serpent she has never once questioned her admiral’s orders. So when she receives the command to abduct a civilian scribe with the help of fifteen felons, she registers her objections, but does as she is bid. Yet, as the mission unfolds, Kaiyo finds herself questioning everything from her loyalties to her convictions.
As Torako and Kaiyo’s fates cross like dueling blades, their persistence is matched only by their fury, until they uncover a series of truths they may never be ready to accept.