In a land of falling blossoms and rising steel, one woman's fate is rewritten by the edge of a sword-and the quiet heart of a warrior.
Helena Montclair never imagined her father's final diplomatic journey would end in blood. Or that she, a stranger to sword and soil, would be the only one left alive.
Rescued by samurai and taken to a mountain village untouched by time, Helena is placed under the watchful care of Mariko-wise elder, healer, and widow to a great warrior. But not everyone welcomes her. Least of all Ujio Takahashi, the Daimyo's hatamoto, whose loyalty to tradition runs deeper than any blade.
Ordered to train the foreign girl in the ways of defense, Ujio is prepared for disobedience. What he finds instead is a flame that refuses to go out-a spirit unbowed by grief, and a woman who speaks his language with startling fluency and grace.
As cherry blossoms bloom and enemies gather beyond the mountains, Helena and Ujio find themselves caught between honor and longing, duty and desire. What begins in silence grows into something neither of them can name.
In a world on the brink of change, love may be the most dangerous rebellion of all.
Autorentext
Award-winning author Beth A. Freely has been writing all her life, a passion shaped by her upbringing in upstate New York and an influential time living in Great Britain-an experience that continues to inspire her work. Now calling the small village of Hope, New Mexico, home ("Population: 113, if you count our cats."), she has penned more than 10 full-length novels and six novellas, with more in the works. She is currently juggling multiple novels that include a second sci-fi series.Beth's writing career took off in 2003 when she published fanfiction online and won multiple awards. In 2005, she earned 1st Place in the Arche Books Publishing Novel Writing Contest for Women's Fiction with Behind the Eyes of Dorian Gray, and in 2022, her novel Beyond The Steps of Stone won 1st Place in Romance/Science-Fiction and 2nd Place in Science-Fiction/Aliens & Alien Invasion at the Spring BookFest Awards.Armed with a master's in English and Creative Writing, Beth is not only passionate about storytelling but also about mentoring fellow authors. Quick-witted and full of energy, she thrives on engaging interviews and lively discussions. She is a BookFest Bellwether and can be found trading witty banter with her fellow bellwethers during the bi-annual BookFest Awards as well as conducting engaging author interviews. She is also the co-host of the podcast The Book CrewWhen she's not writing, she enjoys horseback riding, swimming, reading, and, of course, cuddling her cats.