Seven Deadly Shadows

Seven Deadly Shadows

Courtney Alameda, Valynne E. Maetani
$10.99
Publication Date: January 26th, 2021
Publisher:
Quill Tree Books
ISBN:
9780062570826
Pages:
384

Description

This thrilling YA retelling of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai features a girl tasked with saving the world from eternal darkness. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows and Marie Lu.

Seventeen-year-old Kira Fujikawa has never had it easy. She’s bullied by the popular girls in school. Her parents ignore her. And she’s also plagued with a secret: She can see yokai, the ghosts and demons that haunt the streets of Kyoto.

But things accelerate from bad to worse when she learns that Shuten-doji, the demon king, will rise at the next blood moon to hunt down an ancient relic and bring the world to a catastrophic end.

Not exactly skilled at fighting anything, much less the dead, Kira enlists the aid of seven powerful death gods to help her slay Shuten-doji. They include Shiro, a kitsune with boy-band looks who is more flirtatious than helpful, and O-bei, a regal demon courtier with reasons of her own for getting involved.

As the confrontation with Shuten-doji draws nearer, the fate of Japan hangs in the balance. Can Kira save humankind? Or will the demon king succeed in bringing eternal darkness upon the world?

About the Author

Courtney Alameda is a writer, veteran bookseller, and librarian. Her debut novel, Shutter, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award and hailed as a “standout in the genre” by School Library Journal. She also wrote the YA novel Pitch Dark—a Junior Library Guild selection—as well as Sisters of Sorrow, a comic book series she cowrote with Sons of Anarchy screenwriter Kurt Sutter. She holds a degree in English literature with an emphasis on creative writing. A Northern California native, she now resides in Idaho with her husband, legions of books, and a tiny five-pound cat with a giant personality. Learn more about her at courtneyalameda.com.

Valynne E. Maetani is a writer and member of We Need Diverse Books. Her debut novel, Ink and Ashes, was the winner of Tu Books’ New Visions Award and an Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor, was a Junior Library Guild selection and a Kirkus Reviews Best Book, and received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and now resides in Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit her online at www.valynne.com.

Praise for Seven Deadly Shadows

&#8220Kira is a satisfying heroine, and her personal struggles between familial expectations and loyalty to the family shrine add complexity to her journey. Fresh urban fantasy grounded in Japanese culture.&#8221 — Kirkus Reviews

"Kira is a distinctly Japanese character whose sensibilities are refreshingly un-Westernized. Fans of Julie Kagawa’s Shadow of the Fox and Kat Cho’s Wicked Fox will also appreciate the vivid, sometimes gruesome, writing reminiscent of punchy anime dialogue." — Publishers Weekly

“The arresting action and imagery are engrossing. Perfect for fans of Japanese folklore and manga similar to Death Note.” — Booklist

“Many cool monsters and some suspense keep the pages turning, with a bit of romance and banter.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books