![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reviews_and_ramblings
1) A love story, a gang war. Written from the third person point of view, this is a very well crafted tale of love, gang warfare, and traditions. The characters are alive and multidimensional. The story flows like the water in the canals of the Philosopher's Path. You are transported to Kyoto and its tea shops, where honor and tradition still reign absolute. The prose is poetic and addictive. A wonderful tale of lust, love, and the Japanese culture. Amy Tasukada's writing style is crisp and lyrical, like snowflakes dancing in the night. She describes with the same ease and elegance steeping of tea and spilling of blood. Without getting into unnecessary detail, she transports us to historical Kyoto as the background of the war between the Japanese and Korean mafia and the impossible love of Nao and Saehyun. If you are looking for a bittersweet romance, you'll find it here. If you're looking for blood and guts, you'll find it here. And if you are looking for a glimpse into a Japan which very few of us will have the chance to know, you'll find it here. Highly recommended!
2) Blood Stained Tea impressed me from the very first chapter, immediately captivating me and transporting me directly into Nao's world. Amy Tasukada's writing style really allowed me to immerse myself in every aspect of the book, most notably the setting. The novel was also wonderfully paced, always pushing forward while explaining everything, but never getting lost in exposition. There was a perfect balance of action, romance and history built throughout each chapter and I often found myself reading further than intended because I got wrapped up in the plot. I especially enjoyed how Nao's relationship and desire to be with a man was acknowledged but not really a huge issue or something he felt ashamed about.
Blood Stained Tea (The Yakuza Path #1) Amy TasukadaGay - Mystery / Thriller
Series: The Yakuza Path
Paperback: 362 pages
Publisher: Macarons & Tea Publishing (December 8, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 099786530X
ISBN-13: 978-0997865301
Amazon: Blood Stained Tea (The Yakuza Path #1) Amy Tasukada
If you buy the paperback, you'll get the ebook for FREE!
A bloody past haunts him. A devastating present lures him back...
Nao hides from his violent past in the Japanese mob by opening a teahouse in Japan's cultural center, Kyoto. His past comes flooding back when he discovers a gravely injured man with a tattooed chest, a bloody knife, and a Korean business card.
Saehyun would've died if not for Nao's help. He knows nothing of his savior's connection with the local mafia, but Saehyun has his own secrets. He commands the Korean mafia, the mortal enemy of Nao’s former syndicate.
As Nao and Saehyun grow closer, so does the strength of the Korean mob. A shocking murder pulls Nao back into a past he'd all but abandoned. War is looming, and Nao must choose between protecting Saehyun or avenging the honor of his old mafia family.
The Yakuza Path: Blood Stained Tea is the first book in a series of Japanese mafia thrillers. If you like complex characters, blood-soaked violence, and twists you won't see coming, then you'll love Amy Tasukada's gritty crime masterpiece.
Buy The Yakuza Path to dive deep into the Asian mafia tale today!
