The Iron Palace: A Tangled Spirits Novel (The Tangled Spirits Series)

The Iron Palace: A Tangled Spirits Novel (The Tangled Spirits Series)

Winner of the 2025 Florida Authors and Publishers Association Gold Award for Folklore/Mythology "The Iron Palace is a richly imaginative folkloric tale that moves fluidly across time." - Historical Novel Society “ The Iron Palace by Kate Shanahan is a time-slip novel with an incredible backdrop of mythology, ancient secrets and enduring friendship." -The Historical Fiction Company FIVE WARRIORS. FOUR SHAMANS. ONE SAKÉ-LOVING DEMON. Heian Capital, 1002: As Shrine Miko, Masako loves her job and her new home at Kamo, but her powers have vanished, and rumors fly that she’ll be forced to leave. When the Crown Prince’s consort dies in front of her and a lady-in-waiting disappears without a trace, Masako volunteers for the perilous mission to battle a demon and save the innocent young woman from a gruesome end. But without her powers, she may be destined for the same fate. Kyoto, 2019: Mina longs to return to the life of a normal college student, but unsettling visions and dreams won’t leave her alone. Her mysterious friend Kenji offers to help her search for Masako’s journal to find closure, but instead, they find desperate letters Masako wrote a thousand years ago. Now Mina faces a choice: return to the past to save Masako, or move on with her life and leave the ancient world - and her best friend - behind forever. In this exciting sequel to Tangled Spirits, Kate Shanahan weaves Japanese history and folklore into a captivating tale of courage, strength, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship. "I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in tales of the Japanese supernatural, romance, and fascinating speculative fiction." – Dr. Noriko Tsunoda Reider, author of Japanese Demon Lore and Mountain Witches: Yamauba "The Iron Palace (A Tangled Spirits Novel)" by Kate Shanahan is a time-slip novel with an incredible backdrop of mythology, ancient secrets and enduring friendship. Modern-day college students Mina and Kenji travel to Japan on a quest to find a mysterious journal but instead Mina is faced with an impossible choice, as she is torn between two worlds. It's an amazing read - mysterious documents and quest-type plots have obsessed this reviewer for decades - set in the Japanese Heian Era (circa the year 1000), and also in modern times (2019). It is a sequel, but can easily be read as a standalone, as this reviewer has done... At its heart, "The Iron Palace" is speculative fiction, and readers will see and enjoy elements of several different genres. The storyline is thrilling, and nothing is quite as it seems..." - The Historical Fiction Company