David Kudler's Blog, page 4
March 11, 2024
Shogun Returns
Have you been watching the new miniseries Shogun? I’d love to discuss it with you!
Based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell, Shogun follows John Blackthorne, an English ship’s pilot (anjin) who finds himself shipwrecked in Japan in 1600 — some 30 years after my Seasons of the Sword books. The empire is in the endgame of the century-and-a-half-long series of civil wars. Blackthorne finds himself both a pawn and a player in a deadly game that will lead to the birth of a new Japan.
Clavell’s novel was also adapted in 1980 into a hit miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain and Toshiro Mifune.
Like my books, the series and the novel are drawn directly directly from Japanese history. All of the characters are based on real people — though Clavell changed their names to make it clear that he was writing historical fiction, not a reference. In fact, one of the major characters in Shogun appears in my books under a different name. Can you recognize who it might be?
Also like my books, Shogun features European visitors to Japanese shores. Clavell chose to tell much of the story from the Englishman’s point of view, but it is very much presented as a clash of very different cultures with very different social assumptions. I chose to focus tightly on the Japanese perspective. If you’re curious about that choice, and how the two narratives differ because of it, please let me know, either in the comments below or by emailing me at david@risuko.net
Unlike the Seasons of the Sword, Shogun was always written for an adult rather than a teen audience — and the current series very much leans into that. However, I don’t think it’s quite at Game of Thrones levels of sex and violence. Not quite. 
If you’ve been watching, I’d love to know your thoughts! Please share them in the comments below, or, as always, feel free to email me.
— David KudlerThe post Shogun Returns appeared first on Seasons of the Sword.
Meeting the Queen Bee (Kano sneak preview)
Meeting the Queen BeeHere���s another peak at Kano, book 3 in Seasons of the Sword (coming April 30, 2024).
Risuko and her friends have finally reached the capital. In this scene, they���re headed to an evening at the theater with Masugu���s older sister Yamamoto Yaeko. They���re there to meet an important new character: Lord Oda���s young half-sister, Lady Hachihime.
David Kudler
The theater was in a building that looked as if it had been a temple at some point. Over the wide doors, in gold leaf so faded and flaking that it was barely legible, a legend read, The blessed hear about the Buddha of Infinite Light and call him to mind again and again in the Pure Land.
Richly dressed men and women flowed through the entrance, but just to the side a tiny lady in a bright furisode [a long-sleeved kimono traditionally worn by unmarried women] was berating the leader of a small group of armed men. ���No, Kuroi, I won���t have you coming into the theater with me like a bunch of sharks and scaring everyone away.��� When the man just grunted, she looked over to us. ���Look! There���s Lady Yamamoto and some friends. They don���t need guards. Who���s going to attack me in the theater, silly man?���
The soldier tried to object, but the young woman turned her back on him and strode away toward us, daffodil-bedecked fan sweeping negligently before her. ���Yaeko!��� she called. ���How lovely to see you! Who are these lovely ladies?���
���Good evening, Hachihime-sama,��� answered Yaeko with what was, for her, a respectful bow. ���May I present Lady Monogami Kuniko, late of Wingtip Province? And these are her ladies Emi, Toumi, and Risuko.���
We each bowed as she introduced us.
The small noblewoman gave a slight bow to Mieko and Yaeko, arched an eyebrow as she took the rest of us in, and then snorted when she looked at me. ���Risuko? Oh, I like you. You���re shorter than I am.���
That was only true because of the elevated wooden sandals she wore, but I wasn���t going to point that out. ���Yes, my lady.��� I thought to tell her my real name, but didn���t trust myself not to blurt out, Hello, my name is Kano Murasaki, and my friends and I are in the capital to avenge our families on your brother.
���Now, Yaeko, Kuniki-san,��� she buzzed, ���I hope that you will attend the plays with me. My brother sent these dirt clods to reserve seats for me, but I would much rather attend in your company than theirs.���
Mieko bowed decorously. ���It would be our pleasure, Oda-sama.���
���Kuroi,��� Hachihime called out to her guard commander, ���you can wait for me here. I am certain that these ladies will make sure that no harm comes to me in that wild, lawless place.��� She nodded toward the theater.
Yes, I thought, fidgeting with the caltrops in my sleeves. Though if we wanted to do you harm, you are making it very easy for us.
The guard gritted his teeth. ���Yes, my lady. We will wait for you here.��� He bowed stiffly and went back to his men, who took up stations on either side of the theater entrance.
Hachihime linked her arms through Mieko and Yaeko���s and led them toward the doors. My friends and I followed.
It was funny to see a grown woman who was no taller than I. In her elegant, long-sleeved robes, honey bees swarming over the hydrangea-blue silk, she seemed an imposing figure, but listening to her gossip with the two older women, I realized that in fact she was almost certainly younger than either Mieko or Yaeko ��� perhaps only a few years older than Emi, Toumi, and I were.
And yet her brother had been our fathers��� lord.
Thinking about it made my stomach clench.
���No wonder Yaeko-san calls her a brat,��� muttered Toumi.
I expected Emi to shush her, but instead my tall friend hummed thoughtfully.
Before I could say anything, however, we entered the theater.
Where the outside of the building had been drab and a bit scruffy, like an abandoned hawk���s nest, the interior shone ��� not unlike the Gold Room back at the Takeda mansion.
That was only partly because of the lanterns strategically lifted into the rafters. The open space where the audience sat was filled with rows of cushions in rich colors. And opposite the entrance rose the stage: a platform of polished pine covered by a slanted roof, like a small tea house without walls. Or, rather, with only one wall at the back, painted with a twisted old pine like some of the ones I had climbed back in Serenity. A raised walkway, itself partly shielded by a row of living dwarf pines in pots, led from the platform to a curtain and what looked like another small house, this one fully enclosed.
On a small porch-platform to the right, a line of men in dark kimonos knelt, unmoving, facing the stage. Each had a folded fan on the floor in front of him.
Toumi bounced on her toes, and Emi and I shared a grin at her delight.
Hachihime led us to a group of cushions right at the edge of the front of the stage; they were marked with the Oda melon-blossom mon. ���I love these seats,��� Hachihime whispered loudly to Mieko. ���I can see everything, and ��� of course ��� everyone can see me.���
Mieko agreed politely and we all sat.
I was about to ask my friends what to expect when three men ��� two with drums and one with a small flute ��� came out of the curtained house and made their way down the walkway toward the stage.
A hush enveloped the crowd.
Pre-Order Kano Today! Coming April 30, 2024 Order Today
Kano (Seasons of the Sword #3)
Can one girl save a nation?
With Japan’s future in the balance, Risuko may recover the Kano clan’s honor ��� or she may destroy it foreverLord Takeda has sent Risuko, Emi, and Toumi on a mission to the capital. The road is dangerous. The destination is treacherous.�� Risuko ��� the girl who just likes to climb ��� must make a choice that will have repercussions not only for Risuko’s life and those of her friends, but possibly for all of Japan.
In this thrilling third book in the Seasons of the Sword, she encounters old friends, new enemies, and a strange boy from a far-off land called Portugal. Through raging battles and deadly court intrigue, Risuko must follow a path narrower and less stable than any pine branch. And the consequences should she fail are sharp and hard as rocks below.
The red-and-white disguise of the kunoichi awaits.
Is Risuko ready?Seasons of the Sword:Risuko (Winter) Bright Eyes (Spring)Kano (Summer ��� coming April 30, 2024!)Autumn ��� coming soon!(Young adult historical adventure; Japanese Civil War)New Release Date, April 30, 2024Pre-order Directly$3.99 – $22.95Shop nowThe post Meeting the Queen Bee (Kano sneak preview) appeared first on Seasons of the Sword.
January 16, 2024
New Year, New Historical Fiction Giveaway!
Adventure, romance, espionage, fantasy, and more ��� set in periods from ancient Rome to the English Regency to the American West to the Japan of samurai and battling warlords. Two dozen bestselling authors have teamed up to offer a delightful selection of new books. Available for a limited time only!
This exciting giveaway features a Seasons of the Sword prequel story ��� but of course, you can get that as our newsletter subscriber!
The post New Year, New Historical Fiction Giveaway! appeared first on Seasons of the Sword.
January 11, 2024
Kano Cover Poll
We’re still looking for input in our Kano Cover Poll. We’d love your feedback on the best cover for the third title in the award-winning Seasons of the Sword series.
The wonderful James F. Egan of BookFly Design, who created the award-winning covers for Risuko and Bright Eyes, has shared three possible designs for Kano.
Answer a short survey on our website, and you’ll help us decide which design to use (and maybe answer a couple of questions about why), and you can qualify to enter a drawing good for any item in the store on our website! A cool zippie? A signed copy? A phone case? Your choice!
And whether or not you win, you’ll have the pleasure of knowing that you had a hand in deciding the final cover we choose.
SHARE FEEDBACK AND ENTER!Kano (Seasons Of The Sword #3)Can One Girl Save A Nation?
With Japan���s future in the balance, Risuko may recover the Kano clan���s honor ��� or she may destroy it foreverLord Takeda has sent Risuko, Emi, and Toumi on a mission to the capital. The road is dangerous. The destination is treacherous. Risuko ��� the girl who just likes to climb ��� must make a choice that will have repercussions not only for Risuko���s life and those of her friends, but possibly for all of Japan.
In this thrilling third book in the Seasons of the Sword, she encounters old friends, new enemies, and a strange boy from a far-off land called Portugal. Through raging battles and deadly court intrigue, Risuko must follow a path narrower and less stable than any pine branch. And the consequences should she fail are sharp and hard as rocks below.
The red-and-white disguise of the kunoichi awaits.
Is Risuko ready?Seasons of the Sword:Risuko (Winter) Bright Eyes (Spring)Kano (Summer ��� coming March 1, 2024!)Autumn ��� coming soon!(Young adult historical adventure; Japanese Civil War)PRE-ORDER NOW!The post Kano Cover Poll appeared first on Seasons of the Sword.
January 10, 2024
New Kano Release Date
Please note the new��Kano��release date!
I hope that you are enjoying a wonderful beginning to 2024. Last year was a challenging one for so many of us in so many ways; here’s to a better, brighter new year ��� preferably one with lots of great books!
Speaking of challenges, 2023 served some doozies up for me and my family. One of the least important consequences was that, for over three months, I was not able to write at all. While I am overjoyed to be back at the keyboard, and enjoying finishing the manuscript of Kano, the third volume in the Seasons of the Sword series, I have had to recognize that I will not have the time to get the book into anything like the kind of shape that you deserve by the expected release date.
And so I am humbled to have to announce a new release date for��Kano:
��April 30, 2024
To those of you who have already ordered your copy, my apologies. I am trying to think of ways of making it up to you that won’t just slow things down. Let me know if you have any ideas. ����
If you haven’t pre-ordered yet… well, now you have more time. What are you waiting for!
In either case, I can’t wait to get the book into your hands ��� I’m having a blast, now that I’m back writing, and can’t wait to hear what you think of some of the surprises Risuko and I have in store for you.
PRE-ORDER��KANO��TODAY!The post New Kano Release Date appeared first on Seasons of the Sword.
August 16, 2023
Historical Fiction Giveaway!
Searching for your next favorite story?
Check out this Historical Fiction Giveaway!These bestselling authors have teamed up to offer a delightful selection of new books.
Available August, 2023 only!
Find your next favorite read! Over 75 historical fiction books to kindle your Kindle and ignite your iPad ��� FREE! (Includes “White Robes” by David Kudler)
The post Historical Fiction Giveaway! appeared first on Seasons of the Sword.
August 14, 2023
Kano Sneak Preview: Creatures of the Night
Squirrels are not creatures of the night. So sitting there on that stump in the dark trying to mend embroidery���trying not to stab myself with the sharp needle while keeping my ears pricked for any strange sounds���wasn���t easy on my nerves.
I fetched Masugu���s short sword from where my bedroll still lay, warm and inviting. The black lacquered sheath made a nice, hard surface for me to work against.
As I picked out the orange threads, cutting them with the tip of the needle, my mind worried at our destination. The capital.
Lord Oda.
Could I kill him?
Did I hate him?
I knew I hated the idea of him. I hated what he had done to my father, to Emi and Toumi���s.
But to kill him?
By the light of the waxing moon, I removed the threads of the H��j�� mon. One by one, I dropped them into the soot-covered embers of the fire. There they would briefly catch flame, writhing like snakes as they burned.
I was left, finally, with the blank white disk of the Mochizuki. The Full Moon.
A convenient emblem for a clan of spies and assassins.
I was just finishing the top blue stripe to the mon on my kimono when one of the horses snorted. I responded with my own snort��of amusement. Do horses dream? What do they dream of? Running? Long, green grass and clover? Stomping on snakes?
Another sound broke my reverie, however���whispers. The sound was barely audible above the smooth rush of the water and the gentle rustle of the night breeze in the leaves overhead. But I was sure it wasn���t my imagination. Low voices came from the direction of the horses, like stones rumbling down through a stream.
I found myself on my feet, the beautiful robe forgotten in the dust, and strode toward the riverside with my sword drawn.
So much for being a cautious coward.
���
Moonlight swirled across the surface of the river, which sang soothingly back. But the horses were under the trees by the bank, and so I couldn���t see them, nor whoever was whispering.
Mieko, Emi, Aimaru, and Toumi were all sleeping soundly. Unless I���d heard one of them talking in their sleep, someone we didn���t know was near the horses, and I couldn���t imagine a good reason for that.
Unless, of course, I���d imagined it.
Sword out, I tiptoed toward the bank, as shy from not wanting Inazuma and the other horses to see me imagining things as to sneak up on the intruders. I was most of the way to where we���d tied up our mounts, and was just about to turn around, sure I was embarrassing myself, when a voice whined, ���How come you get the big one?���
������Cause I���m older. And ���cause I saw it first.���
���Fine,��� mumbled a third man, ���but I get the mare.���
���So I get one of the geldings?��� asked the first voice in a whine that sounded familiar.
���Sounds about right,��� said the older man with a chuckle.
What I should have done at this point was to go back and get the others. I was clearly outnumbered, and my friends and teacher were only a few steps away. The horse thieves might have been able to sneak in along with water, but wouldn���t be able to get the horses away along the steep, narrow riverbank. They���d have to come back by our camp.
That would have been the smart thing to do. The cautious thing to do.
I tiptoed forward. Why? In the moment, I was worried for poor Inazuma.
A horse whinnied.
Four huge shapes blotted out the flow of silver moonlight to the left. To the right crouched three more or less human shadows, one of them leaning forward, as if to try to untie the reins of the closest, largest horse �����Inazuma.
The big stallion gave a warning nicker, pulling up as far as the reins would allow.
���Woah, there,��� said the second voice, and from the shape and the voice, I thought it might be Zashiki, the storeroom guard from the Tiptown garrison.
���Watch out!��� gasped the younger one ��� tall and skinny, he had to be Joshi, the armory guard.
The third voice grunted, ���Think I saw those other three with that bunch of pretty ladies came through just after the alarm. Didn���t see a big, black monster like this one though.���
Zashiki reached out again to try to grab the stallion���s harness.
Inazumi gave a horsey cry of outrage and lashed out with one of his front hooves.
When Zashiki retreated, stumbling against the others, I stepped forward, raising my sword. ���Stop!���
The three would-be horse thieves spun to face me, all drawing swords ��� though young Joshi dropped his. As he scrambled to pick it up, the third man, the one with the close-set vole eyes from the Tiptown gate, squinted at me. ���You? Weren���t you one of the maids of that lady rode out the gate?���
I didn���t answer. In all honesty, my mouth was too dry, and I was trying to think how to wake the others. I should have thought of that first.
���Yeah,��� Joshi said, sword gripped in two trembling hands. ���She���s one of Toumi-chan���s friends.���
Zashiki squinted. ���Right. What are you doing dressed as a miko?���
���I������ I gave something like a Lady Chiyome scowl. ���Get away from our horses.���
It didn���t have the affect I had hoped for. Zashiki and the vole both snorted. ���Right,��� said the vole. ���Make us.���
I was about to call for help, for rescue, when Zashiki���s eyes narrowed. ���I asked once. Not going to ask again. What you doing dressed up as a miko?���
���I… I������ The cover story we���d discussed that morning ��� a lifetime before ��� had been that Lady Mieko trained her maids as shrine maidens. It was close enough to the truth, substituting Mieko for Chiyome and leaving out the assassination and espionage. But I couldn���t squeeze the words from my traitorous, sawdust-filled mouth.
Joshi came to my defense. ���I���ve heard about those rich ladies training orphan girls to be miko.���
Zashiki spat. ���Naw. That���s a Takeda war widow down the other end of the province, not a H��j�� bride from up in Armory. And if they���re Takeda������ His grip on his sword tightened and he began to lean forward.
Not thinking, I shifted my left foot back, the heel slightly raised, my sword still held before me. The Small Taming, the ninth stance in the Sixty-four Changes �����a defensive variation on The Two Fields.
My whole body was getting ready for the three men to charge and run me through. And still I couldn���t speak.
Zashiki growled, shifting forward, and I could see the attack he planned: a slash across my blade to leave me defenseless to the others.
I prepared to drop my blade to avoid his so that I could raise it again to defend against the other two and���
���
And there I’ll leave poor Risuko.
Mean of me, I know!
What do you think? Did you enjoy this latest sneak peek at Kano, the third Seasons of the Sword book? How do you think it’s going to turn out?
Kano (Seasons Of The Sword #3)
Can One Girl Save A Nation?
With Japan���s future in the balance, Risuko may recover the Kano clan���s honor ��� or she may destroy it foreverLord Takeda has sent Risuko, Emi, and Toumi on a mission to the capital. The road is dangerous. The destination is treacherous.�� Risuko ��� the girl who just likes to climb ��� must make a choice that will have repercussions not only for Risuko���s life and those of her friends, but possibly for all of Japan.
In this thrilling third book in the Seasons of the Sword, she encounters old friends, new enemies, and a strange boy from a far-off land called��Portugal. Through raging battles and deadly court intrigue, Risuko must follow a path narrower and less stable than any pine branch. And the consequences should she fail are sharp and hard as rocks below.
The red-and-white disguise of the��kunoichi��awaits.
Is Risuko ready?Projected release, March 1, 2024The post Kano Sneak Preview: Creatures of the Night appeared first on Seasons of the Sword.
June 26, 2023
March 15, 2023
Comment on Kano is Coming, Author Talk + FREE Historical Fiction! by Risuko
In reply to Pam Arnold.
Good question!
There isn’t that option currently — the bundles are currently set up for the paperback edition. We’ll try to get those set up over the next month or two!
Comment on Kano is Coming, Author Talk + FREE Historical Fiction! by Pam Arnold
Which “print” is bundled with – print, eBook, audio combo? Hardback or paperback?If not hardback – is there an option for a hardback, eBook, audio combo?
