Blades and Feathers: A Sengoku Fantasy Romance

Yokai Treasures #3

by Kate Grove

A stolen treasure. A desire to be recognized. And a dangerous time to live in. Whoever returns the stolen Jewel to the Tengu clan, will be recognized as the next leader. This is the perfect chance for Yoriko to gain her family's affection, and she throws herself into the mission immediately, disguising herself as a man. She didn't plan on working as an aide to a greenhorn lord in the process but she's certain the Jewel is somewhere in his castle and Yoriko is determined to find it. As she watches Takeru deal with the aftermath of the war that left his new territory in shambles, she admires his tenacity and dedication to his people. Unexpectedly drawn to him, Yoriko soon realizes that there may be a place that accepts her as she is, without pretense and bribes - and it isn't the Tengu compound. While secrets threaten to keep them apart, she forgets one thing. The Jewel has attracted others, far more dangerous and ruthless than Yoriko. In order to protect him, Yoriko must betray the trust of the only good man in her life. Will they find their way back to each other? Can their love survive her betrayal? Blades and Feather s is the third book in the Yokai Treasures series , a fantasy romance set in sengoku jidai (16th century Japan).

448 pages, Paperback

Published October 13, 2020

About the author

Kate Grove is a daydreamer with wanderlust. She has a degree in Japanese language and culture, and lives in Europe with her bilingual cat. Is very interested in Japanese, Korean, and Celtic folklore and enjoys reading (and writing!) stories with magic, love, and fantastical characters.

Her current series is a time-travel fantasy romance, set in medieval Japan, rich with beings from folklore.

Official website: https://kategrove.net

Reviews

[Katheyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Blades and Feathers” is the third installment in the “Youkai Treasures” by Kate Grove, a romance fantasy series set in a stylized – even westernized - version of 16th Century Sengoku Japan, which if even on occasion might not be exactly historically accurate (that wasn’t the purpose of the author in the very first place), is nevertheless thrilling and very well crafted, and captivates the reader from the start to a very satisfying finish.

Yoriko (MC) is a young woman fighting for her family’s recognition, who jumps at the opportunity to find and restore the stolen Jewel of the Tengu to its lawful owner and thus become the next leader of the clan. There is, however, a slight complication 😉 as in Sengoku Japan the leader is expected to be male. But that should not prevent Yoriko in any way. Disguised as a man, Yoriko she enters into Takeru’s service, which gives her access to the castle to begin her search for the Jewel. As the quest continues, Yoriko slowly begins to question her place and future, thorn between her desire to prove herself to her family and her new awakened feelings for Takeru. Unfortunately, the race to find the Jewel, also attracts other contestants, and Yoriko will find herself having to choose between duty and affection.

This is (to date 😊) the best book in this series, a very well-constructed adventure romance, that successfully interweaves historical settings with Japanese elements. The ‘woman disguising as a man’ in order to successfully gain recognition appears fresh and interesting, and the romance portion of the story flows nicely into the adventure portion of the tale. A great addition to this series that keeps on improving with each new installment.