Toru: Wayfarer Returns offers the delights of historical fiction in its authentic portrayal of historical Japan and a momentous period in Japanese history, but then goes sailing wildly off the rails of history with an alternate version of that period peopled by revolutionary samurai flying around in steampunk dirigibles.
The Book has been published via Palantir Press and is available as eBook, Paperback, and Hardcover - 276 pages - released in February 2016.
About the Book
A Japan that might have been...Revolutionary young samurai with dirigibles take on the West in this alternate history steampunk technofantasy set in 1850s samurai-era Japan.
In Japan of 1852, the peace imposed by the Tokugawa Shoguns has lasted 250 years. Peace has turned to stagnation, however, as the commoners grow impoverished and their lords restless. Swords rust. Martial values decay. Foreign barbarians circle the island nation’s closed borders like vultures.
Tōru, a shipwrecked young fisherman rescued by traders and taken to America, defies the Shogun’s ban on returning to Japan, determined to save his homeland from foreign invasion. Can he rouse his countrymen in time? Or will the cruel Shogun carry out his vow to execute all who set foot in Japan after traveling abroad? Armed only with his will, a few books, dirigible plans and dangerous ideas, Tōru must transform the Emperor’s realm before the Black Ships come.
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| Click to Read an Excerpt |
Reviews (Excerpts)
- "I completely enjoyed author Stephanie R. Sorenson's creativity and ability to write a unique storyline overlying the actual time period of Japan in 1852...Any reader who enjoys steampunk, historical fiction, or just a great read in general should absolutely read Toru: Wayfarer Returns!" - Chris Fischer
- "It is the gift of a great writer to create a reading experience in which you are transported to the time, place and feeling apart from your reality and are immersed in the characters and story. Stephanie Sorenson accomplishes this in a totally convincing way. Her extensive knowledge of 19th century Japan, the culture and the language combines to create a world you believe in. I would strongly recommend this book." - hbb (Amazon)
- "A terrifically vivid historical novel set in an 1852 Japan re-imagined along Steampunk lines [...] Sorensen's characters are memorably shaped, and her dialog is sharp and lively, but the real highlight of this novel is its superb world-building - considerably helped by the stunning cover. Anyone reading it will eagerly look forward to the next volume." - Historical Novel Society
- "First-time author Sorensen launches her Sakura Steam series with a well-told what-if story that brings a steampunk aesthetic to real-life 1800s Japan[...]Sorenson cunningly blends far-out fiction with actual historical personages (many of whom may be unfamiliar to round-eyed barbarian readers) and a Meiji Restoration-era mindset.[...] Young adults as well as older readers can partake of the delicious genre-blending bento. Cool alternative-history yarn of yester-century Nippon, a promising steampunk-energized start." - Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
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| Author Stephanie R. Sorensen |
She published her debut novel Toru: Wayfarer Returns, the first installment in her Sakura Steam series, on February 16, 2016 through her own imprint, Palantir Press. She is working on her second novel, a historical novel set in 1519 Mexico, and putting finishing touches on the second book in the Sakura Steam series.
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Link to the Hardcover Toru: Wayfarer Returns on Amazon
Link to the Paperback Toru: Wayfarer Returns on Amazon
Link to the eBook Toru: Wayfarer Returns on Amazon
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