- Tomoe Gozen (novel)
infobox Book |
name = Tomoe Gozen
author =Jessica Amanda Salmonson
illustrator =Wendy Adrian Shultz
country =United States
language = English
series =Tomoe Gozen Trilogy
genre = Fantasy,Historical novel
publisher =Ace Books
release_date = 1981
media_type = PrintPaperback )
isbn = ISBN 0441816533 (US)
preceded_by = first book of series
followed_by = The Golden Naginata"Tomoe Gozen" is a novel by
Jessica Amanda Salmonson , published in 1981. Set in an alternate universe resemblingfeudal Japan , the book combines the tale of historicalfemale samurai Tomoe Gozen with the legends and creatures ofJapanese mythology to create an action-adventure fantasy. It is the first part of the "Tomoe Gozen Trilogy" which met with some success in the 1980s fantasy novel market. The series is notable for its unusual, highly researchedsamurai background andfeminist story slant.A revised version of the novel re-titled "The Disfavored Hero" was published in 1999.
Plot summary
Tomoe Gozen, a warrior of incredible skill, is the vassal of warlord Shojiro Shigeno. In the process of defeating Shigeno's enemy, the Chinese monk Huan, Tomoe is nearly killed. Huan resurrects her on the condition that she turn against her former master, and after a committing a series of evil deeds under Huan's power, Tomoe manages to free herself and goes
ronin . The story mostly traces Tomoe's attempts to regain her honour, leading her into conflict with enemies, friends and the samurai culture that created her.Characters
*Tomoe Gozen is the main character. A young woman of fabled martial skills and beauty.
*Huan is an evil Chinese monk who exerts magical control over Tomoe.
*Ushii is Tomoe's friend and comrade, who makes a devilish deal with Huan to save Tomoe's life.
*Ugo Mohri is the Shogun's champion, a famous warrior who serves as Tomoe's greatest adversary.External links
* [http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:kBHmg24y-pcJ:www.spookybug.com/violet/index.html Interview with Jessica Amanda Salmonson regarding the Tomoe Gozen series (Google cache, as page is defunct)]
ee also
*
Female samurai
*Jessica Amanda Salmonson
*Historical fantasy
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.