This thrilling and surprising follow-up to the adventures of Takeo and Kaede shows how we are shaped by forces outside our control, yet we must forge our own destinies all the same. War, politics, and power intrude in a tale that is beautiful and haunting, an evocation of a time and a place just beyond the reach of an outside world. "Stunning visual poetry... martial arts meet romance in a resolution that is sure to leave young adult listeners wishing for more."—AudioFile