Daughter of the Sword: A Novel of the Fated Blades [Paperback]

Steve Bein (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 2, 2012 | Series: Fated Blades

Mariko Oshiro is not your average Tokyo cop. As the only female detective in the city’s most elite police unit, she has to fight for every ounce of respect, especially from her new boss. While she wants to track down a rumored cocaine shipment, he gives her the least promising case possible. But the case—the attempted theft of an old samurai sword—proves more dangerous than anyone on the force could have imagined.

The owner of the sword, Professor Yasuo Yamada, says it was crafted by the legendary Master Inazuma, a sword smith whose blades are rumored to have magical qualities. The man trying to steal it already owns another Inazuma—one whose deadly power eventually comes to control all who wield it. Or so says Yamada, and though he has studied swords and swordsmanship all his life, Mariko isn’t convinced.

But Mariko’s skepticism hardly matters. Her investigation has put her on a collision course with a curse centuries old and as bloodthirsty as ever. She is only the latest in a long line of warriors and soldiers to confront this power, and even the sword she learns to wield could turn against her.  

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Steve Bein's Daughter of the Sword is a strikingly original saga blending contemporary thriller and historical fantasy. Enthralling ... A noir modern Tokyo overwhelmed by the shadows of Japanese history. The research is convincing, the touch light. A compelling multifaceted vision of a remarkable culture, and a great page-turner."—Stephen Baxter, author of Stone Spring

"A sharp and superb urban fantasy, Daughter of the Sword is the perfect melding of skillful prose, fascinating characters, and compelling story. Steve Bein effortlessly combines history and legend with a modern procedural in a book that will have you staying up late to finish it."—Diana Rowland, author of Sins of the Demon

"Steve Bein's Daughter of the Sword really captured my imagination. The interweaving of historical Japanese adventure and modern police procedural, Tokyo-style, caught me from two unexpected directions. A tight read, lots of great tension, and epic stakes."—Jay Lake, author of Green and Mainspring

"Bein’s gripping debut is a meticulously researched, highly detailed blend of urban and historical fantasy set in modern Tokyo."—Publishers Weekly

"An epic tale that heralds the emergence of a major talent...one of the best debuts I have ever read. Grab it ASAP and see for yourself why Steve Bein deserves all the praise coming his way."—Fantasy Book Critic

"A beautiful...totally unique novel."—Between Dreams and Reality

"Ends with a bang...it shall be interesting to read the next book in the series."—Gizmo Reviews

"A superb effort from a new author, polished and stylish."—Otherwhere Gazette

"An interesting and absorbing read, I really recommend it and can't wait to see what happens next in this series."—Under the Covers

"Beautiful writing, a smart and resilient protagonist who meets her match in a coldly demented villain. The procedural elements are tight and fascinatingly different...I was bewitched."—All Things Urban Fantasy

"If you love reading about far-away places, historical fiction and fantasy, this book should definitely be on your list."—Literal Addiction

"A unique read, a combination of the paranormal and a police procedural...I was more than satisfied."—Goldilox and the Three Weres

"What a great first novel, I can't wait for the next one. It is rich in all aspects of Japanese history. I was totally enchanted from the beginning and couldn't put it down."—Night Owl Reviews

"If you have any interest in Japanese culture, samurais, bushido...ah hell, just read it...freaking epic."—Pure Textuality

About the Author

Steve Bein teaches Asian philosophy and Asian history at the State University of New York, Geneseo. He holds a PhD in philosophy and holds four degrees of black belt, having studied both philosophy and martial arts for about twenty years each. His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, Interzone, and Writers of the Future. Daughter of the Sword is his first novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Roc Trade; Original edition (October 2, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 045146477X
• ISBN-13: 978-0451464774
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #279,102 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic debut that mixes various genres October 2, 2012

By M. Wanchoo VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

ANALYSIS: There are some books that grab your attention because of their blurb or genre details, some books that hook your eyes with their cover art. Yet few books manage to do both and this debut by Steve Bein beckoned me with its blurb details and awesome cover. I was excited and began reading to see how this book would hold up against my curiosity. I couldn't have ever imagined what was to happen next.

Firstly a few details are necessary in regards to the book, the blurb above does not tell us about the full story that is contained in this book. This book is divided into nine sections that take place is various time eras; the first one is set in the 22nd year of the Heisei era or 2010 C.E. The first story thread is about Mariko Oshiro, the only female detective of the elite Tokyo Metropolitan Police department and her constant struggle in gain respect among the eyes of her peers. She is assigned to a simple probable robbery case wherein she meets professor Yasuo Yamada, who clues her in to the mystery regarding the Inazuma blades. The Second thread is set in 124th year of the Kamakura era or 1308 C.E. and focuses on Saito Toshiro a samurai in the service of lord Asikaga Owari-no-kami Jinzaemon. The story focuses on what happens when he comes across a special Inazuma blade and the carnage that follows.

The Third story jumps to the 20th year of the Azuchi-Momoyama era or 1587 C.E. and centers upon Okuma Daigoro who is bequeathed his father's sword upon his death and wonders at the reason behind it as familial tensions arise due to that single decision. Lastly the fourth story is set in the 17th year of the Showa era or 1942 C.E. and Kiyama Keiji is the narrative force. A young lieutenant in the Military intelligence wing of the Japanese army, he strives to do right by his country in the time of World War II. He comes across a young girl Hayano Shoji who clarifies the nature of things around him and his sword and sets him on his path to redemption.

This is the main gist of all the four stories occurring in this book, the first thread has five sections devoted to it while the third one gets two sections and the second and fourth has one each. The main reason why this book resonated with me so strongly was because of the excellent characterization that occurred with each new POV voice, they all succeed in making the reader completely engrossed in their specific portion of the story and oblivious to the previous parts you have read. Beginning with Mariko who's trying to fight chauvinism in her department and help professor Yasuo Yamada with his quest, then with Saito and Hiyama as they each try to get to bottom of a mystery. Then we come across Daigoro who has to manage family and his new status and yet try to remain true to his Father's wisdom and lastly Keiji upon whose youthful shoulders rests the future of a nation at war. All four story threads have been impacted by the various Inazuma blades and it was interesting to see which story focused on which blade. This multifocal character approach made this debut that much more exciting to read and not to mention special!

The story threads all focus on these various characters but behind them are the Inazuma blades that ascertain their characteristics from time to time. Thereby often swaying the characters and the trajectories of their lives. This mystical aspect of the blades is never overtly explained but things happen too much in concert for it to be labeled as simple coincidence. I liked this light-handed authorial touch in making this mystical aspect a natural occurrence of the story without over-emphasizing it and yet the reader will be convinced of their effect. This light paranormal approach to the storyline was very reminiscent of John Connolly's Charlie Parker books and I hope that Steve Bein will strive to achieve excellence in his craft a la John Connolly. The second aspect of the book that I cherished was how smoothly the story flowed from section to section. The author has presented each tale as a standalone piece and yet there are links tying each the stories intricately to each other. This aspect of separate stories that link together to form a wonderfully enigmatic mosaic was a great way to draw the reader into the world of the Inazuma blades and one which should gain the author many accolades.

Another point that I want to talk about is the world showcased within as well as the author's research undertaken. The places and times shown in this book are presented very precisely. The details of samurai ways and Japanese culture along with minutiae about swords and sword fighting are interspersed generously throughout the story. This not only enriches the story but also helped me imagine the world as detailed by the author's prose. I daresay none of it felt like info-dumping at any stage and I was completely absorbed by the author's focus in presenting several different worlds that are so lushly described within these pages.

Lastly the epic-ness of the story is very much understated but its there. In regards to this factor, I can vouch without worry that this is one of the best debuts I have ever read. Come to think to of it, Its hard to put a genre label on this book. It can be called a contemporary fantasy story or a historical thriller with a supernatural bent to it. In the end all that matters is that this book is simply FANTASTIC and the reader will be thoroughly enthralled by the storyline & characters presented within. On a side and personal note, for years I've been trying to get my wife to read SFF books to no avail as she prefers thriller & mysteries only. However with this book I think I can finally get her to come and read the fantas(y)tic side of fiction.

The only smidgen I can think about this book which didn't fit amidst all the awesomeness of this book, is its ending. It seemed all ends were tied up a bit too neatly (if that can be thought of as a drawback). Everything worked out a bit too perfectly but this is a personal quirk and I'm sure we'll discover further discrepancies associated with the blades in the sequel. This book is supposed to be book one of a series and so it's obvious that there will be more to follow however should the reader be interested in reading a standalone book. Its safe to say this book can be read as a standalone story and as you reach the last page you can be satisfied with all the plot resolutions offered.

CONCLUSION: Steve Bein's Daughter Of The Sword is one of those rare debuts that checked all my critical points that I look for in a book. Daughter Of The Sword is an epic story that cannot be precisely defined by genre settings or its blurb. Read it for what it is; an epic tale that heralds the emergence of a major talent. For me Daughter of The Sword is the 2nd best book I have read this year and most importantly one of the best debuts I have ever read. Grab it ASAP and see for yourself why Steve Bein deserves all the praise coming his way...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fully Fleshed World and Story October 4, 2012

By A Book Obsession.. TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

In 'Daughter of the Sword' by Steve Bein, Sergeant Detective Mariko Oshiro is both a woman in a department where men are the majority, as well as somebody on a course to confront the history of a special sword.

When a male author writes anything where the protagonist is a woman, there is always the question of whether he was able to get inside her head in a believable way. In Bein's case, the author does a good job, and one identifies with Mariko and invests in her story from the start of the story.

Mariko fights for even the smallest bit of respect in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, and this struggle ties in to a case she finds herself investigating.

In any story where there is a great deal of information for the reader to take in, there is the danger that readers will be overwhelmed, or lose focus of the main plot. I found the history of three swords forged by Master Inazuma, which are cursed or magical to be fascinating. Bein goes to great lengths to flesh out both the world Mariko inhabits as well as the origins of the swords. This enriches the story, tying fiction with actual events, and makes the swords themselves seem almost like living characters, either bringing their owners harm or protection.

As far as secondary characters go, the 'inscrutable sensei' role has been nicely filled by Professor Yasuo Yamada, the owner of a stolen samurai sword, who becomes Mariko's sensei, and true to form, is holding back much more than he's telling his new student.

It should be noted that the author has provided a glossary, which will be useful for anyone not familiar with many of the words used by the characters, and there are some interesting bits of historical backstory that will interest audiences.

'Daughter of the Sword' doesn't start out with a gripping action scene, instead making the wise decision to draw readers in more subtly, but it does immediately bring readers into a world that they may be very unfamiliar with. By giving them something new, Bein leaves them wanting to learn more about this world and its characters.

(Reviewed for A Book Obsession..)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great first novel! October 7, 2012

By Mike Mutschelknaus

Format:Paperback

Length: 1:11 Mins

I just finished reading Steve Bein's great first novel, and I highly recommend it for all of you samurai action junkies out there who also like plot and attention to historical accuracy. Read his book!