A Timeslip Novel Full of Mythology, Secrets, and Enduring Friendships - an Editorial Review of "The Iron Palace"

Book Blurb:

“The Iron Palace (A Tangled Spirits Novel)” by Kate Shanahan is a time-slip novel with an incredible backdrop of mythology, ancient secrets and enduring friendship." -The Historical Fiction Company

FIVE WARRIORS. FOUR SHAMANS. ONE SAKÉ-LOVING DEMON.

Heian Capital, 1002: As Shrine Miko, Masako loves her job and her new home at Kamo, but her powers have vanished and rumors fly that she’ll be forced to leave. When the Crown Prince’s consort dies in front of her and a lady-in-waiting disappears without a trace, Masako volunteers for the perilous mission to battle a demon and save the innocent young woman from a gruesome end. But without her powers, she may be destined for the same fate.

Kyoto, 2019: Mina longs to return to the life of a normal college student, but unsettling visions and dreams won’t leave her alone. Her mysterious friend Kenji offers to help her search for Masako’s journal to find closure, but instead, they find desperate letters Masako wrote a thousand years ago.

Now Mina faces a choice: return to the past to save Masako, or move on with her life and leave the ancient world - and her best friend - behind forever.

In this exciting sequel to Tangled Spirits, Kate Shanahan weaves Japanese history and folklore into a captivating tale of courage, strength, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship.

"I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in tales of the Japanese supernatural, romance, and fascinating speculative fiction." –Dr. Noriko Tsunoda Reider, author of Japanese Demon Lore and Mountain Witches: Yamauba

Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/NdA1g9N

Author Bio:

After graduating from University of Michigan with a BA in Political Science (East Asia Concentration), Kate taught English in Sapporo, Japan for two years. She enjoyed the experience so much that she returned to U of M for an MA in Asian Studies (Japan Specialization), and while there, worked part-time for the Center for Japanese Studies. Fortunately for Kate, Honda was expanding operations in Ohio around the time she finished, and she spent an entire career at Honda in project, business, and people management, thrilled to be able to travel to Japan and speak Japanese for work, all the while dreaming of writing a book about tenth century writer Sei Shonagon.

After all those years in northern latitudes, Kate and her husband moved to Florida's Gulf Coast where the sunshine makes it difficult to focus on writing. But she’s determined to do it anyway.

Editorial Review:

“The Iron Palace (A Tangled Spirits Novel)” by Kate Shanahan is a time-slip novel with an incredible backdrop of mythology, ancient secrets and enduring friendship. Modern-day college students Mina and Kenji travel to Japan on a quest to find a mysterious journal but instead Mina is faced with an impossible choice, as she is torn between two worlds. It’s an amazing read – mysterious documents and quest-type plots have obsessed this reviewer for decades – set in the Japanese Heian Era (circa the year 1000), and also in modern times (2019). It is a sequel, but can easily be read as a standalone, as this reviewer has done. There is also a short summary of information about the first book (“Tangled Spirits”) at the start of “The Iron Palace”.

“The first torii gate of the Kamigamo Shrine towered above us to mark our entrance onto sacred ground. White banners lined the path ahead, fluttering prayers with each gust. “So, where do we start?” I asked. “This place is huge.”

“Well,” Kenji replied as we walked to the water basin to rinse our hands and mouths. “Masako probably wouldn’t have hidden it in the main building. Too many people, even then. I thought we’d start with a small shrine in the forest. It’s thought to be haunted, which means fewer people go there.” We walked to the large building where the deity of thunder was enshrined. We prayed to him for success before threading our way through the trees scattered along the path.”

At its heart, “The Iron Palace” is speculative fiction, and readers will see and enjoy elements of several different genres. The storyline is thrilling, and nothing is quite as it seems. As with so many books written in the first person (from Mina’s point of view) the immediacy of the narrative draws the reader in, making the impossible seem possible, and even normal. Mina’s character and her internal thoughts are multi-layered, and this makes her transition between times believable as she observes the customs and etiquette of a lost world. The mention of ancient religion and culture adds an extra dimension to the complex but rewarding plot.

“But we had no time to celebrate or rest. “It’s time to close the Gate.” Bikki directed his thoughts through our connected cable. Masako reached for my left hand while Kenji took my right. Bikki took Masako’s left hand and we closed our eyes. A jolt of energy hit me. Every nerve came alive. My skin hurt and my eyes burned as I gripped my companions’ hands, throwing every fiber of my being into our song. With our heads tipped up, we watched as the Gate became brighter, then hot-white like a lightning flash.

“Kashikomi, kashikomi, mo maosu,” we chanted. We reverently speak this prayer. The Gate shrank into a tiny blinding star before pulsing once and blinking out. Panting from exhaustion, my throat sore from chanting, I let go of Kenji and Masako’s hands, and our connecting threads snapped.”

The structure of “The Iron Palace” ensures that the reader moves seamlessly between the eras in the novel, and the author has taken care to ensure that the worldbuilding in both the ancient and modern eras is equally convincing. This approach ensures that the pacing is appropriate throughout, and fans addicted to books with ancient quests (this reviewer among them!) may find themselves glued to the final pages.

“That evening I sipped saké with Akimitsu. His receding hairline revealed a large forehead with a permanent frown. He seemed happy to see me, though. He didn’t act like someone capable of terrible revenge. He kept my cup full, chatted amiably about this and that person at court, and admired my—Suetake’s—role in defeating the oni at Mount Ōe.

“I’m sorry I haven’t stopped by to express my condolences…” I trailed off deliberately, hoping he’d fill in the last time he saw me.

He dismissed my apology with a wave. “I am grateful for the poem you sent when my son joined the priesthood. It gave my poor wife some consolation. I have my work, but she only has her poetry and incense-blending to distract her from her grief.”

The setting of “The Iron Palace (A Tangled Spirits Novel)” by Kate Shanahan makes for a unique read and a complete immersion in ancient Japan, as college student Mina battles to find the truth (and a few other things!) in the ultimate quest plot. The inclusion of ancient Japanese history is spellbinding and Mina’s friend Kenji has secrets of his own. The relationship between them, and the parallel importance of friendship, is yet another aspect of the complex narrative. An unexpected read that is far from predictable, with a well-researched and fascinating historical backdrop.

*****

“The Iron Palace (A Tangled Spirits Novel)” by Kate Shanahan receives 4½ stars from The Historical Fiction Company

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