This uses the Japan setting perfectly, it had a great overall feel to it and enjoyed that it was from a period that I never really thought of. The characters were everything that I wanted and enjoyed getting to read this. C. A. Parker has a great writing style and can’t wait to read more.

Kinko Kurosawa is a master of the shakuhachi flute and his performances are legendary. The problem is, in 1745 Japan, being a samurai, monk, and musician can be a dicey proposition, especially if you have feelings for a woman who is part of a powerful dynastic clan. When Kurosawa is expelled from his Zen temple in Nagasaki, he begins a pilgrimage across a country tightly controlled by the Shogun and his agents. He meets ronin, courtesans, spies, lives with a hermit for a few months, befriends merchants (who at the time were considered the lowest of classes) and comes face-to-face with his own weaknesses and limitations as he realizes that his shakuhachi isn't for performances at all, but a tool of profound meditation and self-reflection.

I really enjoyed this wonderful adventure story quite a bit and was a bit saddened when it ended. Kurosawa is an everyman, even in this historical era, and even with a protagonist who is a samurai and monk, and his journey of self-discovery is intriguing and engaging. Highly recommended, and a fascinating adjunct to the FX series "Shogun" too, which is (more or less) set in the same era.

This was a well written book. Parker is particularly good on the worldbuilding front and I think the characters were well realised.

I really liked this book, and I think the world-building and character creation worked great together. I found them to be dynamic and very entertaining to read