Daughter of the Sword by Steve Bein


Fated Blades, Book 1

Synopsis: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.

Review:  I was very intrigued by the synopsis as soon as I had the possibility to read it. I must say that I haven’t had yet the opportunity to read a book such as this one, taking place in Tokyo and featuringsamurais and legends about mythical swords.

Well at first it was very difficult for me to get into the story. The writing style of the author is very special, much more complex than I usually had theopportunity to read and it took me a little time to really get into the story, to understand what happened. Another point to note, I also had a little trouble to really know the characters in the story at the beginning, it was difficult to remember who was who with Japanese names such as those that we have here. But all this, is resolvedas soon as we truly advance in the novel.

Mariko is a young woman who tries to prove herself in the Tokyo police, but as she is the single woman, its always difficult for her tobe accepted. However, she does her best, and when she discovers a cocaine’s problem, she feels something suspicious and tries to investigate about it. But her boss will do anything to stop and force her totake care of a saber’s robbery instead. However, the investigation takes her far beyond than what she would have thought at first. She will meet Yamada, a swords specialist who narrates storiesand who will teach her how to wield a sword, something he believes to be her destiny.
I enjoyed this novel, it is far from what I thought. We discover many complex characters and it will take a little time to really get to identify them. Yamada is very interesting,we try to understand what he wants,what he’s trying to do. We have the impression that he has all the answers for Mariko but never gives her them. Our heroine, meanwhile, is a brave and courageous woman who will do anything to achieve her goals. A rather extraordinary character.
I was surprised initially by the book with clippings of past events, telling the story of three legendary swords. And even though I was eager to know the further adventures of Mariko,I let myself get into the game and I loved to learnmore about what had happened. The events are well recountedand I was curious about the end of the book.
Steve Bein presents us a beautiful novel that makes us really think throughout the story. This is a totally unique novel, and I could not evenfind something that comes close to it.A good surprise.

11 thoughts on “Daughter of the Sword by Steve Bein

  1. This sounds like an interesting start to a new UF series. I like books set in such different places! I also don’t mind that sort of beginning as long as it resolves itself and you get absorbed into the story. Sounds like it happens here. Hm… will definitely add this one to the wishlist.

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