A prisoner seeking his freedom. A woman chosen by the gods. To break himself of his centuries long bondage he must capture her.Shin gave everything up for love. Uncaring whether he lives or dies, when he catches a spy in his master’s land, he lets her escape. What he hadn’t been counting on was just how cruel his master can be. Now he must catch the spy or be locked away for eternity in darkness. away for eternity in darkness.
Pretending to be a woman, he infiltrates a woman’s only temple. Akane, the spy is head strong and determined to not trust him. But when fate sets them on a quest to save a kidnapped girl, they’re drawn together. As he falls for her, Shin finds a new reason to live. But fail to bring her back to his master and he’ll never see the light of day again.
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I enjoyed reading this book. I expected a retelling of the little red riding hood story that I was told as a child, but what I got was way better. Thanks Nicolette for a new perspective on fairy tales.
I received an ARC copy of the book and I am leaving a voluntary review. The above statements are my opinion.
With Priestess’s disappearing, Akane enters the domain of Akio to find out why.
Shin, a slave to Akio and former general to the Dragon, comes across Akane and instead of turning her in to Akio, helps her to escape.
Akio tasks shin with returning Akane to him or being locked up for 100 years.
Shin takes the form of a woman to enter the woman’s temple and so begins a journey of self discovery and more for both Shin and Akane.
Nicolette writes a wonderful retelling of a classic fairy tale with a Japanese twist.
Okami by Nicolette Andrews is a Japanese twist on the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. In this book, we are introduced to a variety of characters. Akane is a wolf yokai who is the guardian for her temple. She crosses over into another’s territory and garners the attention of Shin…a fellow yokai. Instead of turning her over to Akio, he lets her go. But he’ll pay a price for this kindness to her. Now Shino is tasked with bringing her back or forfeiting his own freedom to be sealed away in darkness for a hundred years. Akane is trying to protect a girl she loves from becoming tainted, so that she will not lose her to death, but there is a dark secret that pervades everything all around her. A quest for power, those determined to succeed, and a darkness that swirls all around.
Okami is an engaging story and perfect for those who enjoy Japanese mythology and folklore swirled into a familiar story. I enjoyed the variety of characters that the author gives us in this book. Akane is an engaging character. She’s a tormented soul because of what happened to her years before behind the loss of another girl. I’m pained behind how much she despises the wolf side of herself. She holds herself utterly responsible for what happened and fears losing control. Shin is another unique character. He is quirky and fun. I like how dogged he is to be free and how hard he fights for what it is that he wants. When I read that this book was going to be a Little Red Ridinghood retelling, I was expecting the story to follow more closely than it does, but I have to say that I enjoyed this story immensely.
My only real critic concerning this book would be that I would have liked a small index of some sort that tells the reader the different Japanese terms that the author uses in the story. I also honestly wish that there had been a way to identify the different yokai when not using their specific species coupled with yokai.
All in all, this is a book that I truly enjoyed. The author weaves an engaging storyline with a slow blooming romance. This book is beautifully written with characters battling their pasts as they seek a brighter future not just for themselves, but for those that they care about. If you’re looking for a good book that mixes, Japanese folklore with a fairytale retelling then this is the book to pick up. I’m rating this book 5 out of 5 stars.
This is book number three in this wonderful series I loved it. I love when folk lore comes to life in stories that I read. I can not wait to see what this author will write about next.
Akane, a Guardian to the temple who denies her true heritage. She protects with a fierce loyalty but has her trust been misplaced?
Shin, a former General and current slave to Akio for the last 500 years. Given orders he cannot disobey, he struggles to find a way out even if in death.
Okami is a tale of heartbreak and sacrifice. Steeped in Japanese folklore and written so that you can not tell friend from foe, or enemy from lover through twists in the plot. It is engaging and full of action.
Heartfelt and at times deeply moving is this unique retelling of Little Red Ridinghood. I enjoy the lore and cultural aspects of the tale and the dynamics between characters.
I greatly enjoyed reading this newest tale in the Akatsuki.
I love these stories. Japanese lore comes to life in this story world. Unlike the previous two, which are set about 500 years before the Dragon Saga, this book takes place at the same time as that connected series. I would recommend all of these stories.
Shin and Akane begin as enemies and soon become more. As they each work for their own purposes, they soon realize not everything is as it seems. I enjoyed seeing other favorite characters like The Dragon, Suzume, Rin, and Hikaru. A story full of mystery, intrigue, passion, connection, honor, loyalty, and Love. Can’t wait for more from this world!