Year of the Demon

(Paperback)

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A compelling blend of contemporary crime noir with ancient Samurai legend, YEAR OF THE DEMON is the second explosive Novel of the Fated Blades, from the author of DAUGHTER OF THE SWORD.
Detective Sergeant Mariko Oshiro has been promoted to Japan's elite Narcotics unit-and with this promotion comes a new partner, a new case, and new danger. the underboss of a powerful yakuza crime syndicate has put a price on her head, and he'll lift the bounty only if she retrieves an ancient iron demon mask that was stolen from him in a daring raid. However, Mariko has no idea of the tumultuous past carried within the mask-or of its deadly link with the famed Inazuma blade she wields. the secret of this mask originated hundreds of years before Mariko was born, and over time the mask's power has evolved to bend its owner toward destruction, stopping at nothing to obtain Inazuma steel. Mariko's fallen sensei knew much of the mask's hypnotic power and of its mysterious link to a murderous cult. Now Mariko must use his notes to find the mask before the cult can bring tokyo to its knees-and before the underboss decides her time is up ... Praise for DAUGHtER OF tHE SWORD: "An authentic and riveting thrill ride through both ancient and modern Japan. Definitely a winner."-Kylie Chan, author of Hell to Heaven "Bein's gripping debut is a meticulously researched, highly detailed blend of urban and historical fantasy set in modern tokyo."-Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A noir modern tokyo overwhelmed by the shadows of Japanese history...a compelling multifaceted vision of a remarkable culture, and a great page-turner."-Stephen Baxter, author of Iron Winter

Author Bio

Steve Bein teaches Asian philosophy and Asian history at the State University of New York - Geneseo. He holds a PhD in philosophy, and his graduate work took him to Nanzan University and Obirin University in Japan, where he translated a seminal work in the study of Japanese Buddhism. His short fiction has been published in Asimov's, Interzone, Writers of the Future, and has been anthologized for use in college courses alongside the works of such figures as Orson Scott Card, Larry Niven, Isaac Asimov, and H.G. Wells. DAUGHTER OF THE SWORD is his first novel. Visit him on the Web at www.philosofiction.com.