Rusiko is a beautiful story set in sixteenth century Japan. Females are warriors and Japan is tearing itself apart all in the belief they are helping put the country back together.Risuko is full of beautiful language, amazing settings and jam packed with cultural knowledge. The descriptions of the fighting dance was excellent, the smooth movements and grace, the prediction of moves and serenity. I felt I was there doing the moves with Risuko in the falling snow with the other woman.

Kano Murasaki has loved climbing her whole life. So much so that she has been nicknamed Risuko by her family - Squirrel. One moment she's simply climbing a tree with her sister, and the next she's going off with Lady Chiyome, who tells her that her mother has sold her to Lady Chiyome's services. Risuko doesn't know what this entails, but she has no choice but to go with Lady Chiyome. She is taken to a little villa of sorts where she is being trained to become a Kunoichi - but she doesn't know what that is. For now, the only thing she can do is to do her duties as well as she can, and hopefully train well in the process.

The story was very nice. It was light-read but still very interesting and surprising. It was very refreshing and beautiful story.
I received this ARC from Stillpoint Digital Press and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members Titles via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Risuko is a unique historical YA fiction book which brings light into Japan's historical darkness. Recommended to everyone.

Fabulous. :-) Of course, I wrote it, so I would think so, now wouldn't I!

Interesting story, Well written. Would recommend.

A very interesting novel set during the period in Japanese history known as Sengoku after a devastating civil war (the civil war era that lasted from 1467 to 1603). Risuko is a young fatherless girl who is purchased by a widow, Lady Chiyome, to become a student at her school. What Risuko soon learns is that, under the pretense of running a school for shrine maidens, Lady Chiyome is building a small army of “dangerous flowers” aka female ninjas of which Risuko is to become.

I enjoyed the historical environment and the strong female characters in the story. A few times I thought it took Risuko too long to figure something out--but she is young, and this is certainly an experience I had while reading other middle-grade novels.

Enjoyable novel, especially for girls of all ages. Recommended.

I received an e-book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the well-developed characters and learning a bit about historical Japanese culture. The story was interesting and kept me reading but don't know that I will read the subsequent novels in this series. As another reviewer pointed out, this novel may be categorized as a middle grade read as opposed to young adult.

Though I found the idea of RISUKO interesting, the execution left me a bit bored and unable to really connect with the story. I neither enjoyed the characters or plot, and therefore marked the book as DNF.

This story was as beautiful as the cover. The setting of Japan was fresh and new. The main character was relatable and strong willed.

Beautiful!
Set in feudal Japan, the book tells the story of a little girl who could climb to any height with bare hands and so called Risuko aka squirrel.
The plot is simple enough, the girl was sold by her mother bacause she couldn't keep her and her sister after the death of his father (former samurai) to Lady Chiyome, a trainer of miku (tea girls), that we later discover to be anything of the sort...
Our main character doesn't understand it from the beginning as we do, but eventually understands what's her place in the world.
It's nice to see how they actually lived in ancient Japan, and all the customs and beliefs of the people. The four stars instead of five is because I thought it was a stand alone, without sequels (mind you, I'm not sad because I have to read more, it's just that I thought I'd come to a conclusion at the end of the book!) and then because I knew from the beginning who was the fox and Risuko could have come to that conclusion too sooner!
Recommended? Yes. It's very nice, basic, no love stories involved but only centered on Risuko and her new life.