After the events of the last book (The Golden Naginata), Tomoe Gozen has laid down her sword and become a wandering nun; however, an attack on a young woman causes her to pick up her sword again. Now somewhat back on the path of Bushido, Tomoe Gozen must once again wander Naippon, the fictional equivalent of Japan, only this time in a battle for her soul.
To be honest, this book reminded me of the title of a biography on the John Adams family: “Descent from Glory”. This book was still enjoyable, it’s just the first was the best in the series and it all went downhill from there. It was nice that some loose ends were tied up from previous books, but wow, was this book dour and hopeless. Tomoe was a serious-minded character in the first two books; in this one, she’s someone whose life has apparently become one without smiling, laughter, joy or hope. She spent the entire book basically firmly behind the eight ball and never got out from there.
This book also had 90% of the plot happen in one geographic area, which kind of hemmed everything in and made the locales a little repetitive. Like in “The Curse of Peladon/The Monster of Peladon” in classic Doctor Who where Jon Pertwee kept going down the same hallway for most of the action.
This was also the most supernatural-driven book in the series; which is saying a lot when in the previous two Tomoe Gozen went to Hell and at least 2 demon realms.
On the whole I got the feeling that the author planned on continuing the series and either realized she had written herself into a corner, or the publishing company told her they weren’t continuing, and she had to punt to end the book on a “things aren’t perfect, but they don’t completely suck” moment.
Points do go to the fact that Salmonson apparently decided to bring back some of Tomoe being a lesbian, even if the one character I had hoped she might have a romance with never reappeared after Book One.
I’m not sorry I read this series; I’m just not too sure I would read it again.