Year of the Demon
Authors: Steve Bein
Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy, #General, #Contemporary, #Historical, #Urban
PRAISE FOR
DAUGHTER OF THE SWORD
“A noir modern Tokyo overwhelmed by the shadows of Japanese history . . . a compelling multifaceted vision of a remarkable culture, and a great page-turner.”
—Stephen Baxter, author of
Bronze Summer
“
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.”
—Jay Lake, author of
Endurance
“Effortlessly combines history and legend with a modern procedural . . . will have you staying up late to finish it.”
—Diana Rowland, author of
Touch of the Demon
“An authentic and riveting thrill ride through both ancient and modern Japan. Definitely a winner.”
—Kylie Chan, author of
Hell to Heaven
“Bein’s gripping debut is a meticulously researched, highly detailed blend of urban and historical fantasy set in modern Tokyo. . . . Bein’s scrupulous attention to verisimilitude helps bring all the settings to life, respectfully showcasing Japan’s distinctive cultures and attitudes.”
—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)
“One of the best debuts I have ever read . . . an epic tale that heralds the emergence of a major talent.”
—Fantasy Book Critic
“A great police procedural urban fantasy that deftly rotates between Mariko in present-day Japan and other warriors in past eras.”
—Genre Go Round Reviews
“
Daughter of the Sword
reads like James Clavell’s
Shogun
would have if it had been crossed with high fantasy by way of a police procedural.”
—Otherwhere Gazette
“Magic swords and samurai set alongside drugs and modern Tokyo and all blending in together to produce an engrossing and original story.”
—Under the Covers
“I loved the plot of this book. . . . I would recommend it to those who like fantasy and those who take an interest in Japanese culture.”
—Book Chick City
“
Daughter of the Sword
is a gritty and compelling police procedural . . . written in beautiful and exotic detail.”
—All Things Urban Fantasy
“If you love reading about faraway places, historical fiction, and fantasy, this book should definitely be on your list.”
—Literal Addiction
ALSO BY STEVE BEIN
THE FATED BLADES SERIES
Daughter of the Sword
Year of the Demon
PENGUIN SPECIALS
Only a Shadow
YEAR
OF THE
DEMON
A NOVEL OF THE FATED BLADES
STEVE BEIN
A ROC BOOK
ROC
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014
USA | Canada | UK | Ireland | Australia | New Zealand | India | South Africa | China
penguin.com
A Penguin Random House Company
First published by Roc, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Copyright © Steve Bein, 2013
Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.
REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA:
Bein, Steve.
Year of the demon: a novel of the fated blades/Steve Bein.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-101-62645-0
1. Women detectives—Japan—Tokyo—Fiction. 2. Detective and mystery stories.
I. Title.
PS3602.E385Y43 2013
813'.6—dc23 2013018673
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental..
Contents
PRAISE FORDAUGHTER OF THE SWORD
JAPANESE PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
R
eaders have been telling me they’d like a little guidance how to pronounce all the Japanese names they find in my work. Ask, dear reader, and ye shall receive. Three general rules tell you most of what you need to know:
1. The first syllable usually gets the emphasis (so it’s MA-ri-ko, not Ma-RI-ko).
2. Consonants are almost always pronounced just like English consonants.
3. Vowels are almost always pronounced just like Hawaiian vowels.
Yes, I know, you probably know about as much Hawaiian as you do Japanese, but the words you do know cover most of the bases: if you can pronounce
aloha
,
hula
,
Waikiki
, and
King
Kamehameha
, you’ve got your vowels. Barring that, if you took a Romance language in high school, you’re good to go. Or, if you prefer lists and tables:
a
as in
father
ae
as in
taekwondo
ai
as in
aisle
ao
as in
cacao
e
as in
ballet
ei
as in
neighbor
i
as in
machine
o
as in
open
u
as in
super
There are two vowel sounds we don’t have in English:
ō
and
ū
. Just ignore them. My Japanese teachers would slap me on the wrist for saying that, but unless you’re studying Japanese yourself, the difference between the short vowels (
o
and
u
) and the long vowels (
ō
and
ū
) is so subtle that you might not even hear it (and if you can’t see a difference between them, it’s probably because the e-reader you’re using doesn’t support the long vowel characters). The reason I include the long vowels in my books is that spelling errors make me squirm. What can I say? I’ve spent my entire adult life in higher education.