CloudofSparrows

Onceinagreatwhileanewnovelistcomesalongwhodazzlesuswithrareeloquenceandhumanity，withflawlessstorytellingandauniqueunderstandingofanotherplaceandtime.TakashiMatsuokaisjustsuchawriter.Hismagnificentnewnovel，setamidtheviolenceandbeautyofnineteenth-centuryJapan，takesusbeyondtheepictraditionofJamesClavell’sShogunandintoamajesticrealmofsamuraiandgeishas，ninjasandZenmasters.Brilliantlyimagined，gloriouslywritten，CloudofSparrowsisatonceasweepinghistoricaladventureandalovestoryofalmostunbearablepoignancy.Itisstorytellingonthegrandscalefromanovelistofastoundingdepthandgrace.CloudofSparrowsItisthedawnoftheNewYear，1861.Aftertwocenturiesofisolation，JapanhasbeenforcedtoopenitsdoorstotheWest，ignitingaclashofculturesandgenerations.AndasforeignshipsthreatentoraindestructionontheShogun’scastleinEdo，asmallgroupofAmericanmissionarieshaschosenthistimetospreadthewordoftheirGod.Amongthem，EmilyGibson，awomanseekingredemptionfromatormentedpast，andMatthewStark，acold-eyedkillerwithonemoredeathonhismind.NeitherrealizesthattheirfutureinJapanhasalreadybeenforeseen.Forayoungnobleman，LordGenji，hasdreamtthathislifewillbesavedbyanoutsiderintheNewYear.Widelyreviledasadilettante，LordGenjihasoneweaponwithwhichtoinspireawe.Inhisfamily，oneineverygenerationissaidtohavethegiftofprophecy.AndwhatLordGenjiseeshasstruckfearinmanyaroundhim.AstheShogun’ssecretpolicechiefplotsGenji’sdeath--andtheutterdestructionofhisentireclan--theyounganduntriedlordmustprovethatheismorethanthehandsomewomanizeroflegend，famedloverofEdo’smostcelebratedgeisha，LadyHeiko，andthathispropheticpowersarenomerefairytale.ForcedtoescapefromEdoandfleetohisancestralstronghold，thespectacularCloudofSparrowsCastle，GenjijoinshisfatewithEmilyandStark，unawareofthedarkforcesthatdrivethem.TogetherwithGenji’suncle，LordShigeru，alegendaryswordsmanknee-deepinthebloodofhisownkin，andtheenigmaticLadyHeiko，theunlikelybandembarksonaharrowingjourneythroughalandscapebristlingwithdanger--toprepareforafinalbattle.Here，onasnowscapestainedwithblood，horrorwillmixwithwonder，secretswillunravel，andlovewillduelwithvengeance--asEastandWest，fleshandspirit，pastandfuture，collideinwaysnoone--leastofallGenji--couldhaveimagined.FromtheHardcoveredition.