5 Sheep Book Review: The Legend of Sosen no Tani: Through the Well by Allison Conroe

The Legend of Sosen no Tani: Through the Well
by Allison Conroe
Nov 19, 2023
Pages: 257
Kairi Raynott is a girl of the modern world.

Nearly a decade after her mother’s passing, all Kairi wants is to return to Japan to reconnect with her maternal culture.

Mato Asahi is an ancestor of the old world.
After nearly a decade as a Fire Keeper, all Mato wants is to murder the demons who stole his family from him.

When Kairi is told an old legend of a valley of ancestors hidden deep within the mountains of her mother’s hometown, the appearance of a mysterious crow leads to the collision of two worlds for the first time in centuries. Mato and Kairi must join forces and draw upon the wisdom of those who came before them to face the dangers that lie ahead.

Set in a mystical world inspired by the stories of ancient Japan, The Legend of Sosen no Tani is a captivating introductory tale of reverence for the wisdom of our ancestors and finding the courage to embrace trust and empathy for the sake of our community..

I decided to give this book a try because I like Allison’s dad’s series and I figured if her writing was anywhere near as good as his I would like her book and she did not disappoint. At first it took me a little bit to get into the book because Japan is not an area I usually read but I really thought she did a great job.

Kairi has returned to Japan after a decade in the United States to spend some time with her aunt and to reconnect with her mom and the culture she was raised in. At first it was really hard work, and Kairi wasn’t sure she was cut out for the farmer’s life but then something happened. When a disaster hits, Kairi flees the area following a mysterious crow who leads her to an old legend that she couldn’t believe might be true. If it wasn’t for Mato, one of the Fire Keepers, Kairi might not have survived the disaster. Here she encounters a whole other world, one that is in the past as far as how they live their everyday lives and there’s no technology which is new for her.

Kairi slowly begins to learn their ways and finds herself enjoying this slower pace of life. She still is in shock that her world is infested with demons that is slowly destroying her world as well as theirs.

Getting 5 sheep

 

 

 

 Denise B

About the Author:
Goodreads
Allison Conroe is a community development and disaster philanthropy professional living somewhere between the mountains of Northeast United States and the Japanese Alps. Hailing from a long lineage of scribes, Allison is always learning, and enjoys writing on the importance of ancestral knowledge, systems change, and human relation. As a self proclaimed student of all, master of none, Allison is an amateur potter, farmer, fermentation scientist, and aerial dancer. She is proud to add ‘author’ to her list, with The Legend of Sosen no Tani: Through the Well being the first book of her debut series.

Thorn of the Night Blossoms (Scions of the Black Lotus Book 1) by JC Kang + giveaway

Thorn of the Night Blossoms (Scions of the Black Lotus Book 1)

by JC Kang

March 20, 2019
Genre: Epic Fantasy
161 pages

Thorn of the Night Blossoms is the start of a complete, 6-book series.

For an imperial assassin, assignment as a courtesan in the Floating World seems like a waste of her talents... until killers target her clan sisters.

In the legendary Floating World, wars are waged with wit, the strongest soldier can be bound with threads of silk, and flesh is the currency by which life, death, and freedom can all be purchased.

Half-elf Jie doesn’t mind her temporary assignment as a Night Blossom in the most sought-after house. It’s perfect cover for her real work as an assassin in the emperor’s service, and keeps her close to one who matters most. Her life belongs to her clan, but her heart lies with clan junior, Lilian.

Lilian’s talents trade stealth for sensuality, poison for poetry. With looks as sharp as any blade, she can coax information from any man, and still leave him paying for the pleasure. She’s enthralled many a noble, none more important than the warlord who can calm a brewing insurrection. Only her sweet whispers can secure his obedience to the throne.

But now, his increasing abuse has Jie seeking a new assignment for Lilian—even if it means their separation. When killers target clan sisters, and the seeds of rebellion find fertile soil in the Floating World, Jie must choose between loyalty and love.

**Get it FREE 1/22-1/26!! Only .99 cents after that!**

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Lunar New Year Sale! 

In celebration of Chinese New Year, JC Kang is offering all of his single books for 99c/p in the US/UK from 1/22-28. In addition, Thorn of the Night Blossoms is FREE 1/22-26! 

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About the Author:

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JC Kang's unhealthy obsession with Fantasy and Sci-Fi began at an early age when his brother introduced him to The Chronicles of Narnia, Star Trek, and Star Wars. As an adult, he combines his geek roots with his professional experiences as a Chinese Medicine doctor, martial arts instructor, and technical writer to pen epic fantasy stories.

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Alpha Male Diner: guest cook TASTING FIRE author Shelly Holt

Author Shelly Holt is your guest cook here today with an exotic Asian dish that will keep you satisfied all night long. Sit down, grab a bib and dig in!

Kai Tenzin (Asian Snow Leopard)

recipe created by Shelly Holt

Tasting Fire

-1 set of the dark brown eyes of a predator use to taking what he wants.

-A conservative short hair cut to better blend in and hide among unsuspecting humans.

-1 firm square jawline and high cheekbones, a predator in his prime.

-6 feet of male with pectorals as defined as an alabaster sculpture.

Prepare twenty thousand years prior to serving with the DNA of one Asian Snow Leopard and bake at high altitude in the mountains of Tibet.

Serve hot with a side of borsch which is a powerful aphrodisiac for those with the shape-shifter gene.

Makes one serving of sizzling hot alpha male with an distinctly Asian flavor. 

Taste Test

Rae took an admiring look at the vista below as she dropped her heavy pack on the ground. The mountains in the distance looked purple and the desert brush spread out below them like a master oil painting. It was awe inspiring to human eyes. Rae wondered what would it look like to a snow leopard. She suddenly realized many a biologist would sell their very soul for the opportunity she had at that moment. Rae turned to Kai who had been sitting on the ground with his pack and fishing around for lunch and asked him “what is it like when you're in your Shan form out in country like this?” Kai rewarded Rae with the most brilliant smile she had yet seen to grace the handsome shape-shifter's face. He seemed truly delighted to discuss the subject with her. Kai stood up to answer Rae's question. He addressed the human scientist. “It's like nothing you can imagine Rae. Every sense is in tune with the planet. See that tree over there” he pointed a few yards away at an ancient gnarled pinyon. “Yes” Rae replied. Kai walked up behind Rae and put his hands on her shoulders and directed her to look even closer at the tree. He whispered intimately in her ear as if they were in a church or another sacred space “when you look at that tree with your limited human vision, the average person can certainly appreciate its form and color. A biologist like yourself would ask what type of tree is it and how old it is. A philosopher might ask who may have sat underneath it in the past or who might sit underneath it in the future. All of you might even wonder when will it die. That's the limit of your human perception. When you're in Shan form every single leaf will bid you a glorious greeting as you walk up to the tree for the first time. Every drop of sap tells you the history of the tree's life like an intimate biography written in the utterly sensual language of scent. The tree itself will tell you if it's healthy or sick. You can smell if the water that nourishes it is bitter or sweet. If you deeply pay attention you can smell every animal that has ever been there.” Kai looked to Rae like he was experiencing a spiritual moment and Rae suddenly realized he was. The enthralled shape-shifter continued to explain to Rae the nuances of the animal world “when you are ready to move on to another place you reach up with your powerful claws and dig deep into the bark to mark the tree with your scent. It's added harmoniously to the scent of hundreds of other animals. You do this not just to mark your hunting territory, but to tell every animal after you have left this world that you lived and breathed here at one time in the great mystery that is life. That is your only immortality in the animal world. There are no monuments to mark a man's ego, or family albums for a mother to remember her children by, but neither is there hate, nor fear of the future or regret of the past. You are fully alive in each and every moment. It's a wonderfully free existence. I wish I could truly share it with you... words, words pale in comparison.” Kai looked so happy at that moment. Rae was so moved by what he had just shared with her that all she could do was reach out and touch his wrist. “Thank you!” she whispered. Kai nodded at her in acknowledgment, but he was too emotional to even speak. 

Shape-shifters have always walked the earth. Shrouded in myth and folklore, hiding in the shadows, watching and waiting. Advances in modern science are now about to reveal them to the world. Kai Tenzin is the self appointed leader of the Pari people. He and his kind evolved from the most reclusive predators on earth, the Asian Snow Leopard. They live and hunt in the most fearsome and rugged terrain known to man, the Himalayas. As a young man, Kai left his small village where the mountain touches the heavens, determined to do anything to protect his people. When he is forced to enlist the aid of the beautiful American scientist Dr. Rae Hales, the last thing he expects to find is a woman who will ensnare his heart and endanger them all. Their action-packed adventure will take them around the world to discover the truth behind the legends and reveal the future of humanity.

only $.99 for the kindle

About the Author:

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My name is Shelly Holt and I live in the middle of the harsh and unforgiving Mojave desert. I write my stories looking out of a window that shows sweeping desert views. Outside is a barren and severe landscape, yet inside my head lives a world filled with exotic shape-shifters come to life, pulled from the pages of myth and legend, ready to entice and seduce any reader brave enough to take them on.