"Noble Ghosts!"
Chizuson Toshiro, performing his ordinary but skilled
mapmaking skills in service to his master, senses the
presence of something frighteningly unnatural in Master
Shun's latest customer. Turning to greet the gruff-sounding
man, Toshi is overwhelmed by what he sees - a being with
greenish, demonic-looking eyes whose armor is dripping with
tufts of wet seaweed! So begins a journey with multiple
twists and turns that catapults Toshi into an unfathomable
world full of intrigue, mystery, death, and a service that
seems impossible. This charge, however, must be fulfilled
in order to free himself and his captors. The alternative
is to become like them, tormented but driven dead spirits! As Toshi is forced to use his navigational skills to guide
his eerie companions to their final mission, he is trained
in bushido fighting skills and learns to trust his
shipmates. Meet Asaka-sama, a slain daimyo whose sole focus
is to restore the tainted honor and destruction of his
clan; Miko-san, a gentle, humorous, but wise woman who
transforms Toshi's fear into trust and dedication; Mitsuo-
sama, his trainer in making the boken (wooden sword) an
extension of Toshi's entire being; a fearless ninja who
must destroy this boy expected to deliver a priceless
object that will free one clan and destroy another; a blind
Buddhist priest who will assist Toshi at an unimaginable
cost; and other fascinating characters of the Asano and
Tsuyu clans. While this book is characterized as fantasy, it contains a
fascinating world of samurai honor, skill, and culture that
reflects the author's well-researched and creative
presentation of feudal Japan. The characters become more
than credible and yet the fearful mystique of "lost
spirits" never escapes the reader's consciousness. Subtly
and slowly increasing, Toshi's acceptance of his new life
becomes the reader's enthusiastic support and tense
anticipation of every step forward to success or failure. This is a magical, unique novel which deserves wide
recognition. Gloria Oliver's obvious familiarity with
Japanese customs and history is splendidly presented in
this haunting but beautifully crafted novel.
Reviewed by Viviane Crystal
Courtesy Crystal Reviews
Posted July 13, 2003
Epic adventure set in a fictional medieval Japan, where a
peasant boy unwillingly becomes the key to completing the
mission the Asaka clan has come back from the dead to bring
to fruition. Facing untold dangers, Toshi must either help
them succeed, or chance becoming one of the undead.
|
