Border tensions between rival samurai clans escalate into war over a hidden valley, in this fantasy epic from the breathtaking world of Legend of the Five Rings
When diligent yet unappreciated clerk, Miya Isami, develops a new triangulation technique for map- making, her traditionalist superiors at the Imperial Cartographic Bureau heap scorn upon her. But when her novel approach exposes a swathe of missing land on the border between Scorpion and Lion Clan territories, Isami stumbles onto something far more significant than a mere mapping error. Her discovery offers the prospect of resolution to the seemingly endless territorial squabbling between the proud, warlike Lion and the secretive Scorpion. In a bid to contain the conflict, an Imperial Treasurer dispatches Isami with her fresh insights to the Spine of the World. Yet she is far from welcome in the mountains. She must negotiate between the clans, uncover the truth, and discover the location of a hidden valley before the fragile peace is shattered by war.
By day, EVAN DICKEN studies old Japanese maps and crunches data for research at The Ohio State University. By night, he does neither of these things. His fiction has most recently appeared in: Analog, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and Strange Horizons, and he has stories forthcoming from Black Library and Rampant Loon Press.
Title: To Chart the Clouds: A Legend of the Five Rings Novel
Author: Dicken, Evan
ISBN: 9781839081224
Binding:
Publisher: Aconyte Books
Publication Date: 2022-04-28
Number of Pages: 352
Weight: 0.2721 kg
I liked the character development Dicken gave us, as I came to like them...even the villains. He used ancient Japanese societal norms to twist the plot and simultaneously educate the reader. I feel a little more intelligent after having read this book. -- Kindles All the Way Down
The story is fast paced, and very smart, with Miya using her brain far more than brawn which is refreshing. There is plenty of action, but also lots of discussions of archives and the key to the story is cartography which can be pretty suspenseful when done right, and Dicken does so. -- Goodreads
Despite being set in an established world, Dicken builds on this and makes it his own. From the description to the people and landscape everything vividly comes to life while you are reading, and it is a joy to read. Particularly the description and information on the cartography itself - the detail is mind-blowing. -- What You Tolkien About