G518 Book Review of The Iris Fan by Laura Joh Rowland
Name of Book: The Iris Fan Author: Laura Joh Rowland ISBN: 978-1-250-04706-9 Publisher: Minotaur books Part of a Series: Sano Ichiro Type of book: Japan, 1705, 1709, mystery, shogun responsibility, rumor vs reality, samurai, Bushido, honor, truth and justice, forbidden love, long time marriage Year it was published: 2014 Summary: Japan, 1709. The shogun is old and ailing. Amid the ever-treacherous intrigue in the court, Sano IchirÅ has been demoted from chamberlain to a lowly patrol guard. His relationship with his wife Reiko is in tatters, and a bizarre new alliance between his two enemies Yanagisawa and Lord Ienobu has left him puzzled and wary. Sano’s onetime friend Hirata is a reluctant conspirator in a plot against the ruling regime. Yet, Sano's dedication to the Way of the Warrior—the samurai code of honor—is undiminished. Then a harrowing, almost inconceivable crime takes place. In his own palace, the shogun is stabbed with a fan made of painted silk w...