Scintillating and gripping.
“The world is full of ugly things, Hiro. Sometimes it helps to be in the presence of something beautiful.” Hiro has seen his share of ugliness in his life, but nothing could have prepared his heart for what the shadowed future holds. On the eve of an important anniversary, the infamous samurai Sakurai Hideyoshi calls upon Hiro’s oiran. Both drawn to and scared of the fabled warrior, Hiro can’t control his nascent feelings. Opening himself up to a torrent of new emotions, Hiro dares to feel something new with Hideyoshi. Another man’s jealousy, however, threatens the geisha’s peace and ultimately forces a life-altering decision. For revenge on his mother’s murder and for what seems like justice, Hiro becomes yokai. A new world comes to life for Hiro and it soon becomes clear that monsters aren’t always who we expect when the hero and the villain wear the same robe.
Blood pact is a dark paranormal fantasy set in the same chilling world as Bloodlaced. While not strictly a sequel, there are some familiar characters, though cast in a different light. However, the overall tone of the story about Hiro and Hideyoshi feels a little less heavy than Yokai Bloodlines Book 1. Filled with illuminating Japanese terms and rich with culture, even the mundane becomes sensual with Maguire behind the pen. Equal parts romance and adventure, this historical LGBTQ fantasy is both scintillating and gripping, adding an aching beauty to an otherwise sanguine tale.
