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    The Shogun's Daughter: A Novel of Feudal Japan
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    The Shogun's Daughter: A Novel of Feudal Japan
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    The Shogun's Daughter: A Novel of Feudal Japan
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Shogun's Daughter: A Novel of Feudal Japan

    Written by Laura Joh Rowland

    Narrated by Bernadette Dunne

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Japan, 1704. In an elegant mansion a young woman named Tsuruhime lies on her deathbed. The death of the Shogun's daughter has immediate consequences on his regime. Faced with his own mortality and beset by troubles, he names as his heir Yoshisato, the seventeen-year-old son he only recently discovered was his. Until five months ago, Yoshisato was raised as the illegitimate son of Yanagisawa, the shogun's favorite advisor. Yanagisawa is also the longtime enemy of Sano Ichiro. When Sano learns that Tsuruhime's death may have been a murder, he sets off on a dangerous investigation as he struggles to keep his pregnant wife and his son safe. Instead, he and his family become the accused. And this time, they may not survive the day.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateSep 17, 2013
    ISBN9781624068362
    Unavailable
    The Shogun's Daughter: A Novel of Feudal Japan
    Author

    Laura Joh Rowland

    LAURA JOH ROWLAND is the author of the Sano Ichiro mysteries (Shinju, Bundori, and The Way of the Traitor), which have twice been named Best Mysteries of the Year by Publishers Weekly. She lived through a natural disaster when Hurricane Katrina nearly destroyed her house in New Orleans, and now lives in New York City.

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    Reviews for The Shogun's Daughter

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    • 3/5
      The Shogun's Daughter is the seventeenth volume in Laura Joh Rowland's mystery series set in Tokugawa-era Japan and featuring Sano Ichirō as a main protagonist. Despite my interest in Japanese history and my enjoyment of mystery and crime fiction, somehow it wasn't until I received The Shogun's Daughter through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program that I became aware of Rowland's Sano Ichirō novels. The series made its debut in 1994 with the novel Shinjū. Over the years, a few of the individual volumes in the series have been nominated for major genre awards for mystery and crime fiction. The Shogun's Daughter was released in 2013 by the mystery and suspense imprint of St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books. (Minotaur also happens to be the publisher for Keigo Higashino's Detective Galileo series in English, which I enjoy.) Even though I hadn't previously read any of Rowland's Sano Ichirō mysteries, I was still looking forward to reading The Shogun's Daughter and giving the series a try.In late 1703, a massive earthquake and accompanying tsunami devastated Edo, killing thousands of people. A few months later another death would also have a tremendous impact on the city. Tsuruhime, Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi's only child, dies of smallpox. However, some members of the government are convinced that her death wasn't entirely natural. With Tsuruhime's passing, the shogunate's chain of succession has become even more precarious. The Shogun finally feels compelled to name his heir--Yoshisato, a young man claiming to be his long-lost son although many suspect that he's actually the son of the official Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu. Yanagisawa is now in a position to control the shogunate through Yoshisato and it doesn't take long for him to purge the government of those who would stand against him. Among them is Sano Ichirō, who once served as the Shogun's right-hand man. But if Sano can prove that Yanagisawa is somehow connected to Tsuruhime's death, he stands a chance of regaining his status and revealing Yanagisawa's plot for power.As Rowland has sixteen novels worth of material to cover, the beginning of The Shogun's Daughter is understandably a little slow going. Those who have never read a Sano Ichirō mystery will be at a slight disadvantage, but the most critical points of the characters and their backstories are quickly established. It's obvious that they all have quite a history with one another, though, particularly Yanagisawa and Sano with their ongoing rivalry. Occasionally an unclear reference is made to something that occurred earlier in the series, but generally The Shogun's Daughter stands reasonably well on its own. The only major exception to this is the side-plot dealing with Hirata, one of Sano's chief retainers, which feels terribly out-of-place with the rest of the novel. It contains the only supernatural elements to be found in The Shogun's Daughter--Hirata is practitioner of the "mystical martial arts"--and has no direct impact on the main story. It seems to be a plot line carried over from the previous novels, and it leads into the next, but in The Shogun's Daughter it mostly serves as an unwanted distraction.It may take The Shogun's Daughter some time to find its flow, but once it does the novel and mystery move along at a fairly rapid pace. Sano isn't the only one who is involved with the investigation into Tsuruhime's death--his wife, son, and even Hirata's young daughter all help, making it something of a family affair. Their logic is a little shaky in places, but this can usually be explained by the younger characters' inexperience, the stress of the situation as a whole, and government intrigue and political maneuverings. What I appreciated the most about The Shogun's Daughter is how Rowland has used historical figures and events as a framework to craft her story. Sano and his family may be fictional, but many of the people they deal with, including Yanagisawa, are not. The natural disasters and recovery efforts as well as the trouble with the Tokugawa succession are all based on actual events. Unfortunately, the dialogue and some of the terminology used feels too modern and would throw me out of the setting. Otherwise, the time period is nicely established and Rowland quite cleverly weaves her characters and mystery into Japan's history.Experiments in Manga
    • 5/5
      I love stories set in Japan and The Shogun's Daughter does not disappoint. I had not know of the writings of Ms. Rowland prior to this and I'm so happy to have been introduced. I now have 16 books to look forward to in my spare time. (Pause for laughing fit.) The book opens with the heartbreaking death of the Shogun's daughter which sets the intrigue in motion. And intrigue there is! The Shogun is well, not too bright and the factions within his cabinet for lack of a better word have been at war for a long time. At this juncture the enemy of our hero Sano Ichiro seems to gain the upper hand by convincing the Shogun that he has fathered a son. Most believe that the son really belongs to Yanigisawa himself but with the Shogun's backing nothing can be done to bring him down - or can it?What follows is the intricate weaving together of several plots and yet I never felt confused. Nor did I realize that this was the 17th in a series; I never felt lost or confused about anything going on. The characters were amazing from the littlest children to the most evil of mystics. Yes, there is a mystical element to this novel that was executed perfectly. I am generally not one for the alternative realities in life (except for a love of time travel novels - go figure) but in this book it was well done and well suited. Sano Ichiro is a hero/detective for the ages and I will look forward to his further adventures.
    • 2/5
      This book was remarkably well written and showed much into the life of feudal Japan.
    • 4/5
      This is the 17th book in the Sano Ichiro mystery series, although it is the first one that I have read. I received this book as part of LibraryThing's early review program and didn't realize that there were so many books preceding it. Happily, that didn't really matter as the book did a fine job of setting up the main characters. Aside from a few references that I suspect were from previous books, I didn't feel like I was missing anything. Sano Ichiro is a samurai in the employ of the shogun of 17th century feudal Japan. He is also something of a detective and each story in this series seems to be a particular mystery that Sano is charged with solving. As this book opens, Tsuruhime - the Shogun 's daughter - dies from small pox. While this looks normal at first, it is soon appearant that there is more to her death than it seems and Sano sets out to find the killer. In the meantime, there is political upheaval as Sano's deadly enemy sets up his own son to be the next Shogun. Overall, this was an engaging mystery. The characters were well conceived and interesting and the setting in feudal Japan was a nice change of pace from a "normal" mystery. And while I guessed at the true perpetrator of the crime midway through the book, it did not diminish my reading pleasure. The one jarring note in all this was the mystical subplot with Sano's friend Hirata. I wasn't sure if this was a continuation from a previous book, or brand new for this one, but either way it distracted from the main plot. But overall, a quick, fun read.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book. I have always had a deep appreciation of the Japanese and their remarkable culture and History. Ms Rowland brings it to life and her characters are so very believable. This is a series of books worth reading...especially if one is interested in Japan. I heartily recommend it
    • 5/5
      I love stories set in Japan and The Shogun's Daughter does not disappoint. I had not know of the writings of Ms. Rowland prior to this and I'm so happy to have been introduced. I now have 16 books to look forward to in my spare time. (Pause for laughing fit.) The book opens with the heartbreaking death of the Shogun's daughter which sets the intrigue in motion. And intrigue there is! The Shogun is well, not too bright and the factions within his cabinet for lack of a better word have been at war for a long time. At this juncture the enemy of our hero Sano Ichiro seems to gain the upper hand by convincing the Shogun that he has fathered a son. Most believe that the son really belongs to Yanigisawa himself but with the Shogun's backing nothing can be done to bring him down - or can it?What follows is the intricate weaving together of several plots and yet I never felt confused. Nor did I realize that this was the 17th in a series; I never felt lost or confused about anything going on. The characters were amazing from the littlest children to the most evil of mystics. Yes, there is a mystical element to this novel that was executed perfectly. I am generally not one for the alternative realities in life (except for a love of time travel novels - go figure) but in this book it was well done and well suited. Sano Ichiro is a hero/detective for the ages and I will look forward to his further adventures.
    • 2/5
      Having read a majority of the books in this series I was very excited to receive a copy of this book from the Library Thing Early Reviewers program. In most cases when I read a Laura Joh Rowland novel, I generally will finish reading it in less than a week. In this case it took several months. I had a very hard time getting into the story. To me the action was too drawn out and I found the Hirata mystical story line distracting. In past books I enjoyed the characters' actions and interactions with one another. Granted there have been times when words that were not accurate to the time period were used but this usually did not distract me as much as it did this time. The ending of the book leads me to believe that if another book is written it will include even more of the mystical aspect of the story line between Hirata and Genral Otani. Since this is the part of the story that I enjoyed the least I am very hesitant if another book is in my future. I am sad to say this because I have really enjoyed this series up to this point.
    • 4/5
      ...treachery in Ancient Japan!I have long enjoyed this series though lately have not kept up as I would've wished to.Townsend's brilliant descriptive writing immediately transported me to Edo in Ancient Japan. The opening scenes plunged me into the horrific aspect of Edo (Tokyo) post an earthquake. All too fresh a reminder of the disastrous Tsunami of recent times.The aftermath of the earthquake has not only weakened the buildings but has left people exhausted and dispirited. Graft and corruption is threatening the reconstruction of the city. The Shogun as usual is apathetic to his people's needs and leaves all to his favoured few--whom come and go as regularly as the wind changes.Sano once again is an unenviable position. Fortune smiles upon his arch enemy Yanagisawa whilst Sano's star plummets dangerously.The Shogun has a new heir. Doubts have been raised over the heir's legitimacy. At the same time the Shogun's daughter had died from smallpox, or is it murder?Sano and his wife Reiko are investigating both these matters against the odds. Times are tense and all concerned stand on a hair trigger. Hirata, Sano's chief retainer, and follower of the mystical martial arts, has returned after a mysterious absence of four months. During his absence his wife Midori and daughter Taeko have moved in with Sano. Hirata's story continues alongside Sano's search for the truth surrounding the Shogun's daughter's death and revealing the Shogun's heir's as an imposter put in a place by Yangagisawa. Fortune deserts and Sano in turn is accused of murder. A guilty verdict means that Sano's family, servants and retainers will join him in death. His wife Reiko and son fight against time to solve the crime. Bravely,Hirato's young daughter, Taeko fights to find clues to Sano's innocence.The story ends with Hirata's plight as prisoner of his mystical martial companions and us wondering about what is to come.Because I know the backstory of Sano, his family and friends and enemies, I found little difficulty with reentering the story with this episode. I feel that newcomers to Sano's world need to enter with an earlier novel. Fans like myself however will enjoy seeing more of the battles between Sano and his arch enemy, Hirata's continuing struggle to become free of his mystical martial companions , Sano's struggle with Bushido discipline, and the hard task master that walking the Way of the Warrior is.A NetGalley ARC
    • 4/5
      I found the book a little slow for me to get into but then after about 100 pages,I was hooked. I really enjoyed the story,the characters and the history. I was dismayed to find out that it was the 17th book in a series! I have so many books waiting for me in my ever growing piles that I can't possibly start this series from the beginning.Oh!What a dilemma! Laura Joh Rowland tells a captivating story of murder and politics in feudal Japan. Thanks to Library Thing for introducing the author to me.
    • 4/5
      My thoughts:•Enjoyed the story and I am enjoying the series – while I have not read all of the books I have read the last couple of books so am up to date•I like the character development and the characters of Sano and his family•Good pacing, political intrigue, Japanese history keeps me reading•I will say that there were a couple of actions at the end of the story that were a little off the believable radar but I let it go as it advanced the storyline and showed the bond of the family
    • 2/5
      Listen, I appreciate an ARC as much as any person; a beautifully-appointed hardcover ARC is relatively unseen, so I eagerly cracked open Rowland’s The Shogun’s Daughter. Some background: I have a B.A. in English literature and I also began my Masters in English Literature with an emphasis on the Japanese short story; I was and still am fascinated with the mystic realism inherent in Japanese literature.Rowland writes well, in the sense that her syntax flows naturally, her imagery is rich, and she wraps up all of her plots points. However, this novel of feudal Japan left much to be desired. It is, essentially, a murder mystery, but given Japan’s loose definition of the word “justice,” many will be frustrated by the so-called “plot twists.” Also, there really is no “mystery”—it’s quite easy to discover who is responsible for what in this story.Probably the most frustrating plot line is that of Hirata; everything about the mystic warrior is just so ridiculous and contrived, I found myself eventually skipping over anything having to do with him and his “ghost.”