Cloud of Sparrows

Zusatztext “Exotic! entertaining . . . [an] exceptional first novel.” — San Francisco Chronicle “The book seizes you from start to finish.” — The Washington Post   “Adventure-filled.” — Entertainment Weekly   “Rich . . . with an ambitious! unexpected ending that cuts deeper than a samurai sword.” — San Francisco Chronicle Informationen zum Autor Takashi Matsuoka was born in Japan and raised in the United States. He lives in Honolulu, where he was employed at a Zen Buddhist temple before becoming a full-time writer. Cloud of Sparrows is his first novel. Klappentext "Exotic! entertaining . . . [an] exceptional first novel."-San Francisco Chronicle The year is 1861. After two centuries of isolation! Japan has opened its doors to the West. And as foreign ships threaten to rain destruction on the Shogun's castle in Edo! a small group of American missionaries has arrived to spread the word of their God. They have yet to realize that their future in Japan has already been foreseen. For a young nobleman has dreamt that his life will be saved by an outsider in the New Year. . . and it is said that Lord Genji has the gift of prophecy. What happens next-when the handsome lord meets an appa rently reformed gunslinger and a woman in flight from her own destructive beauty-sets the stage for a remarkable adventure. For as this unlikely band embarks on a journey through a landscape bristling with danger! East and West! flesh and spirit! past and future! collide in ways no one-least of all Genji-could have imagined. Praise for Cloud of Sparrows "The book seizes you from start to finish."-The Washington Post "Adventure-filled."-Entertainment Weekly "Rich . . . with an ambitious! unexpected ending that cuts deeper than a samurai sword."-San Francisco Chronicle The Star of Bethlehem Crossing an unknown river far from your domain, observe the surface turbulence, and note the clarity of the water. Heed the demeanor of the horses. Beware of massed ambush. At a familiar ford near home, look deep into the shadows on the far bank, and watch the movement of the tall grass. Listen to the breathing of your nearest companions. Beware of the lone assassin. --SUZUME-NO-KUMO (1491) Heiko, feigning sleep, kept her breathing deep and slow, her muscles relaxed but not slack, her lips closed, at the very edge of parting, her eyes soft beneath unfluttering eyelids, her hooded gaze turned within, to the calm place at the center of her being. She sensed rather than felt him awaken beside her. When he turned to look at her, she hoped he would see: Her hair: the utter dark of starless night spilling across the blue silk undersheet. Her face: pale as spring snow, glowing, with light stolen from the moon. Her body: suggestive curvatures beneath the coverlet, also of silk, emblazoned with a finely embroidered pair of white cranes, their throats crimson with mating frenzy, dancing and dueling in midair, against a field of gold. She was confident of starless night. Her hair--dark, lustrous, fine--was one of her best attributes. Spring snow might be too far a stretch, even with generous metaphorical license. She had spent her early childhood in a fishing village in Tosa Domain. Those happy hours in the sun so long ago could never be completely erased. Her cheeks were ever so slightly freckled. Spring snow was not freckled. Still there was that moonlight glow to make up for it. He insisted she had it. Who was she to disagree with him? She hoped he was looking at her. She was an elegant sleeper, even when she was actually asleep. When she was performing, as she was now, the effect on men was usually devastating. What will he do? Will he remove the concealment, lightly, discreetly, and look upon he...

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: Takashi Matsuoka
• Editore: Dell Publishing Inc.
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Tascabile
• Pubblicazione: 26.08.2003
• EAN: 9780440240853
• ISBN: 978-0-440-24085-3
• Pagine: 592
• Dimensioni: 110 mm x 180 mm x 25 mm
• Serie: Samurai; Samurai
• Categoria: Narrativa > Romanzi