Eighteenth-century Japan is not a setting I am very familiar with – but after reading this novella, with its glorious descriptions, detailed understanding of cultural traditions, and lifelike characters, I feel as if I have taken a trip into the past to see it for myself. Samurai and their belief in honor have been the subject of more than one book, but Daisuke is more than the “standard” warrior. Genji is also not just the “flying fish” – an actor and prostitute for his patron – he appears to be. When these two men meet and are tempted to break with the traditions of their positions in life, all kinds of new opportunities - and more than one threat - could quite possibly destroy their dreams.

Genji loves acting, but he hates having to move around wherever his patron tells him to go. He is also less than charmed by having to physically serve the men the troupe manager sends his way after performances. Despite all he has seen, he dreams of true love and leaving his traveling life behind.

Daisuke is a complicated man. He is an accomplished samurai, but chose the life of a ronin – one who is not associated with a specific lord. His heart is full of the need for revenge, and all he wants is to kill the lord who murdered his wife. His rage is controlled but it has blinded him to other opportunities life throws his way.

Both these men are in prisons of their own making – their emotions, feelings, and beliefs limit their ambitions and stop them from being happy. Once they meet and spend a passionate few hours at a hot spring, it changes both of them to the point where they can make a decision to change their lives – all it takes is a lot of courage and recognition of what is critical to them.

If you like stories about men who fight tradition as well as their own expectations, if historical Japan sounds like an unusual setting for an unexpected love story, and if you’re looking for a read that packs a lot of emotional punch into just a few pages, then you will probably like this novella as much as I do. It transported me into a different world and helped me live inside the heads of two fascinating men.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )