Amazon Kevin Radthorne Kevin Radthorne Orchard House Press Category:  Fantasy Publisher: Orchard House Press ISBN-10:  1883573998 Type: Fiction Pages: 300 Copyright: Sep 1 2002 An Epic Journey of Truth, Deceit... and Destiny. The Darkness is gathering, preparing to unleash itself like a black tide of death, extinguishing all light, and thus all life, from the lands of Tonogato. Hope rests upon a pilgrimage to find the Kotaishi, for he alone can unite the feuding kingdoms. A young apprentice unexpectedly finds himself a member of the pilgrimage, marching beneath a sacred Hikari lantern. He soon finds himself thrust into play as the pawn of unseen forces, both good and evil, whose struggle will dictate the fate of every living being across the land. Amidst this clash of colossal powers, a Princess finds her heart leading her on a dangerous journey in pursuit of the pilgrimage, until she finds instead a destiny unlike any she had ever imagined. And neither apprentice nor Princess can be prepared for what awaits them on the far side of Tonogato, where lay the magical kingdom of Tejinashi...    Excerpt "The rain pelted down so hard that it bounced, each drop performing a final pirouette before merging again with its comrades along the wooden planks of the bridge."

The Road to Kotaishi
What do a humble apprentice monk and a headstrong princess have in common? Not a lot - until they embark on parallel quests that test them unmercifully and take them deep into strange, magical lands. Shiko, the apprentice, is chosen to lead a pilgrimage to find the Kotaishi - a man who can unite the kingdoms of Tonogato against an evil force that grows stronger by the day. Mikasama, the princess, pursues the pilgrims and a forbidden love, but the call of a magical city on the other side of Tonogato drags her inexorably on as initial desire wanes. Dominating the pilgrimage is the ultimate bad guy - a tyrannical, cruel Lord already in the grip of darker forces. He is the roaming wild card, capable of heinous atrocities at any moment. The desires, trials and unfolding secrets of these characters draw the reader in and drive the story on as the main plot, the quest to find the Kotaishi, builds around and through them.

Despite a resemblance to historical Japanese culture, Tonogato is unlike any earthly world. Each kingdom is increasingly exotic, and all roads lead to Tejinashi - a city of spectacular towers precisely controlled by magic and those who possess it. The mental images of these kingdoms and characters will linger in the mind of the reader long after he puts this book down.

This novel is Kevin Radthorne’s impressive debut. It starts quietly, and the unusual cast names require a little concentration on the part of the reader. The intensity and complexity build, especially in the latter half of the tale, proving that Radthorne is a writer to be trusted. He has taken the traditional fantasy quest, with all the loyalty, betrayal, transformation and destiny that that implies, and woven it into an intricate, complex, Japanese scroll with just enough silken threads left to lead readers back to the lands of Tonogato. - Bren MacDibble, www.scifidimensions.com