Wednesday 5 June 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: The Night Itself by Zoë Marriott


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s can’t wait to read selection is
The Night Itself by Zoë Marriott.
Publication Date: July 4th 2013

The Night Itself - Walker Books

When fifteen year old Mio Yamato furtively sneaks the katana - an ancestral Japanese sword - out of its hiding place in her parent's attic to help liven up her Christmas party costume, she has no idea of the darkness she is about to unleash on modern day London, or the family secrets that she is going to uncover.

The paralysing paranoia that descends on her before she gets to her friend's party is her first clue. The vivid and terrifying visions that nearly get her killed are a pretty good warning too.

The giant nine-tailed cat demon that comes after the sword and tries to rip her throat out? Overkill.

Seconds away from becoming kitty-food, Mio is saved by Shinobu, a mysterious warrior boy. But it's already too late. Mio has ruptured the veil between the mortal realm and the Underworld, and now the gods and monsters of ancient Japan stalk the streets of London, searching for her and the sword. 

With the help of her best friend Jack, a fox spirit named Hikaru - and the devoted protection of the betwitchingly familiar Shinobu - Mio attempts to discover the true nature of the sword and its connection to the Yamato family. Because if she doesn't learn how to control the katana's incredible powers, she's in danger of being overwhelmed by them. And if she can't keep the sword safe from the terrible creatures who want it for their own, she'll lose not only her own life... but the love of a lifetime.
Synopsis from goodreads.com.

I'm not very familiar with Japanese stories outside of a manga or anime, so this book will be new territory for me and I'm so very, very curious. The synopsis sounds promising: ancient Japanese monsters prowling the modern world, a sword with incredible power and a love story. Moreover I like the mix of ancient history and a modern setting. The setting being London is just the icing on the cake.

Do you like a mix of ancient and modern in your books as well? Leave us a comment with what you're waiting on this week.

5 comments:

Jessica @ Books: A true story said...

This sounds like a cool way to learn about Japanese mythology. I like stories that blend the ancient and modern. And the cover is beautiful. Great pick!

My WoW

Raya @ midnight coffee monster said...

This slightly reminds me of Sea of Shadow by Fuyumi Ono -- I never made it very far into that book, but the modern society and fantastical creatures mix sounds similar. I haven't heard of The Night Itself before, though it certainly sounds interesting and I'd love to check it out myself when it's released!

Cricket said...

Oh, the cover looks so cool and this sounds interesting.
Cricket@ Little Library MuseMy WoW

Chyna said...

It kinda reminds me of INK by Amanda Sun :))

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Unknown said...

This book looks so good! Great WoW pick :)
-Scott Reads It

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