Imagine a world where all your favourite stuff about Japanese mythology, anime, and magic kung-fu movies come together with gritty urban fantasy in modern Japan. This is the world of the Liminal Chronicles. It's a book I didn't know I needed, but now I need more! This is Winters-Voss' debut novel, and independently published, so I admit, I started it with a bit of trepidation, even though I had agreed to review it. I hate giving negative reviews (even though you'll see I have given several,) but I believe that my integrity is at stake if I am not honest. Worse yet, the author is part of my personal community, and it's even worse when you have to tell someone you know and like that you might not like what they wrote. My fears, I am happy to say, were totally unfounded. This was an amazing book! Winters-Voss' prose is liquid and absorbing. She draws you into her world by engaging all the senses, and immediately makes you invested in the characters and their struggles. You are kept reading by a mystery to solve, and by the time it has unfolded, you are deeply emotionally invested. I found myself unable to put it down. I missed sleep, laughed, and cried. This is everything I want from a book. Umeji is an ex-yakuza gangster, trying to build a new life in a new town. You learn that he was driven into it by necessity and poverty, but he is no angel; he does have a violent past, and there is blood on his hands. His desire to start over, however, is sincere, but it is made difficult by the fact that there is a lot of stigma in having been yakuza. A lot of people don't want to give him a chance, especially when his former life becomes known in the small town he is trying to rebuild in. The aunt of the person who is overseeing his parole learns that he was yakuza, and she makes it very, very clear that he is not welcome in her little town. Then something happens, a mystery is discovered, and the two are drawn together - and I really can't be more specific without totally spoiling it for you, which I won't do. We start out with something very grounded in the reality we know, and then slowly, supernatural elements are unfolded, until we are completely immersed in an enchanted world where anything seems possible. I was deeply impressed by how beautifully human all the characters were, too --even the non-human ones. I cannot recommend this book enough, and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel! I was given a free review e-copy in return for an honest review.

~About Umeji, an ex-Yakuza member, hopes to forge a new life for himself and to forget his sordid past. However, when he encounters a mythical nail tailed fox known as a Kitsune, his new life gets turned upside down. Promising to keep the Kitsune’s secret, she in return promises to train Umeji in the practices of an ancient form of magic. However, danger is close by when a past enemy returns into the Kitsune’s life, threatening all she and Umeji hold dear. ~Characters The characters in Rise were a wonderful mix. Umeji, an ex-Yakuza member is just trying to start his life over, however, the world has other plans. Throughout the book, Umeji seemed smart, strategic, and loyal to a fault. Despite his past, which required him to commit unspeakable acts of violence, he fought against any internal violent urges as best he could, and over the course of the novel, really grew as a person. Nakamura Hisako, an elderly woman who is also a mythical Kitsune, was stern and feisty from the get go. Protective and dutiful, she kept watch over those in her care and never gave up even when things became difficult. She was a fine magic teacher to Umeji and throughout the story, I formed a deep affection for her character and loved how headstrong she was. Learning about her past through several diary passages was fascinating and really helped to give her character a lot of emotional depth. Ohno, one of Umeji’s co-workers made for a wonderful direct contrast to Umeji’s tough and somewhat reserved character. She was sweet and caring, a breath of fresh air in a world filled with chaos. She was equally as loyal to her friends as Umeji and Nakamura, and possessed a determination of spirit that is hard to rival. Because of this, she was instantly one of my favourite characters. Finally, we have Date, a relentless rival Kitsune, who was hell bent on the death of Nakamura Hisako and the destruction of all she held dear. I got a strong femme fatale vibe from Date, who used her feminine wiles to try and persuade Umeji to join in on her heinous plans. At every opportunity, Date revealed more of her true nature, conveying herself as a sneaky, deceptive creature, who would stop at nothing to destroy her enemy. ~Likes Rise: The Liminal Chronicles has a lot going for it, as far as I’m concerned. As usual, I have listed my core likes below via a bullet point format. -The first-person, present narration gave the story an immediate and intimate feel, which emphasized every deep-seated emotion that Umeji and Nakamura felt as their stories unfolded. -The Japanese mythology was really interesting and the culture in general was fascinating to me. The author mentioned to me that they did extensive research in this area after visiting Japan years before, so it was amazing to see how they included this in the story. -The author has a steady and intriguing writing style that flows well, revealing little pieces of crucial information to the reader at a time. -The scenes were wonderfully evocative. They were intense, emotional, and held a deep sense of meaning throughout the story. Furthermore, there was good use of imagery made throughout, which helped to create a clear picture of what was happening in my mind’s eye. ~Memorable Quotes As always, I kept my eye out for little snippets of wisdom as I read Rise. Eventually, I settled on five quotes that really spoke to me. 1) ‘We all make choices that lead to where we are.’ 2) ‘Words you allow your mind to focus on are what you end up saying about yourself.’ 3) ‘The power of the word truly was a double-edged sword.’ 4) ‘Everyone carries scars from the past- a reminder of how we healed.’ 5) ‘Having people willing to stand at my side- that’s what made the difference.’ As I read on, I identified several recurring themes such the power of friendship, our painful past memories, and the choices we make, all of which are reflected in the above quotes. ~Overview Overall, Rise: The Liminal Chronicles was a fascinating read that explored ancient magic, Japanese mythology and culture, and deep down, the ability of one man to start over anew. The story was well written and engaging, and had me constantly wondering what would come next. It was a story about change and redemption, one that touched both my heart and soul. My Rating: 5 stars. Recommended to: Lovers of urban fantasy and Japanese mythology in particular.