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Title: Year of the Demon

Subtitle: The Fated Blades, Book 2

Author: Steve Bein

Narrator: Allison Hiroto

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-01-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 76 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Modern Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Detective Sergeant Mariko Oshiro has been promoted to Japan's elite Narcotics unit - and with this promotion comes a new partner, a new case, and new danger. The underboss of a powerful yakuza crime syndicate has put a price on her head, and he'll lift the bounty only if she retrieves an ancient iron demon mask that was stolen from him in a daring raid. However, Mariko has no idea of the tumultuous past carried within the mask - or of its deadly link with the famed Inazuma blade she wields. The secret of this mask originated hundreds of years before Mariko was born, and over time the mask's power has evolved to bend its owner toward destruction, stopping at nothing to obtain Inazuma steel. Mariko's fallen sensei knew much of the mask's hypnotic power and of its mysterious link to a murderous cult. Now Mariko must use his notes to find the mask before the cult can bring Tokyo to its knees - and before the underboss decides her time is up

Critic Reviews:

"Vibrant and unforgettable characters combine with Japanese history and fast-paced action to create an urban fantasy for fans of Asian culture." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

Another solid read.

What did you like best about Year of the Demon? What did you like least?

The flashbacks for Glorious Victory Unsought and the Okuma boy were great and held me more in thrall than the modern storyline. I found Mariko a strong character, but I feel that if she had toughed it out in such a horrible working environment to get to be a detective, she would have been a lot less hot headed and in control that she was written. That issue always threw me off while listening to the modern sequences.

Would you recommend Year of the Demon to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes. It is a solid read, that keeps your interest 20 hrs. Can't argue with that.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

At first the reader's performance threw me off as she tends to have an odd cadence/rhythm while reading. However, as I continued to listen this odd pattern grew on me.

Do you think Year of the Demon needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes. This book ends on a cliffhanger and finishes in the next book Disciple of the Wind.

great story, but.....

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, it got me through some very monotonous work in my studio, as well as cooking, washing up, etc etc

What did you like best about this story?

I think the back story on Glorious Victory Unsought and the mask should have been given chronologically instead of mixed up like it was, jumping back and forth between the abalone fishers and the samurai.

What three words best describe Allison Hirotos performance?

her performance is great, the recording is, well, I'm not sure why, but every now and then the recording of her voice changed which was irritatingly distracting and I would have to repeatedly rewind to get back into the thread.

Any additional comments?

I feel these stories are incorrectly categorised. I came across them because they are currently in sci-fi, if anything they should be in... ummm fantasy/ghost/magic that kind of thing as there is absolutely positively nothing sci-fi about these stories and I should know, I've read many hundreds of sci-fi.