Kitsune-Tsuki: Kitsune Tales, #1

By Laura VanArendonk Baugh

Winner of the 2012 Luminis Prize!

"Once I started reading, I could not put it down. The story is thrilling and magical."
"Twisty! Turny! Magical! Wonderful!"
"...I figured I knew exactly how it was going to end. I was completely wrong."
"I finished it and immediate starting reading again, looking for the clues."

How does one find a shapeshifter who may not even exist?

The onmyouji Tsurugu no Kiyomori, a practitioner of the mystic arts, has been engaged to protect the warlord's new bride from the fox spirit rumored to be near. Tsurugu and the shadow-warrior Shishio Hitoshi face an impossible challenge in teasing out a kitsune shapeshifter from the samurai and servants –- if such a creature is even present at all.

The handsome mute twin servants belonging to Lady Kaede are certainly suspicious, but it is the beautiful and strong-willed lady herself who draws Shishio's mistrust. Tsurugu and Shishio must move carefully, for accusing the warlord's bride falsely would be death. But failing to identify the kitsune to the warlord is equally perilous, and there is more to discover. For an onmyouji knows secrets even the shadows do not….

Kitsune-Tsuki is a historical fiction novelette, the introduction to the series KITSUNE TALES. Includes a full glossary as well.

Categories:
Historical fiction Japan
Historical mysteries
Fantasy mythology Asian
Fantasy magic

• Language: English
• Publisher: Æclipse Press
• Release date: Jul 23, 2012
• ISBN: 9780985934903

Laura VanArendonk Baugh

Laura was born at a very early age and never looked back. She overcame childhood deficiencies of having been born without teeth or developed motor skills, and by the time she matured into a recognizable adult she had become a behavior analyst, an internationally-recognized and award-winning animal trainer, a popular costumer/cosplayer, a chocolate addict, and of course a writer. Find her at www.LauraVanArendonkBaugh.com  

Book preview

Kitsune-Tsuki

Kitsune Tales, Book 1

Laura VanArendonk Baugh

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Æclipse Press

Copyright 2012 by Laura VanArendonk Baugh

Cover fox illustration copyright 2012 R. H. Potter

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations as in a book review.

To all those who asked me to

dedicate a book to them—here it is.

But mostly, to my family and the Author.

Contents

1.Chapter 1

2.Chapter 2

3.Chapter 3

4.Chapter 4

5.Chapter 5

6.Chapter 6

7.Chapter 7

8.Chapter 8

9.Chapter 9

10.Chapter 10

11.Chapter 11

12.Chapter 12

13.Kitsune-Mochi Preview

14.Thank you! Want more?

15.Glossary

Chapter 1

Tsurugu no Kiyomori bowed low over the polished floor. I am at your service, tono.

I am glad to hear it, answered Naka no Yoritomo. We can be only relieved by the presence of an accomplished onmyōji. Your service in protecting our household and our new wife will be greatly appreciated and greatly rewarded.

The thanks of the shugo is recompense enough, replied Tsurugu. I am grateful that you have honored one such as myself with this trust.

You have been entrusted with more than this, Naka no Yoritomo said significantly. You will find in your room an additional token of our faith.

Tsurugu bowed a final time and then followed a silent servant to his new room, observing the carefully kept grounds with a casual eye. Naka no Yoritomo was a wealthy man and inclined to display it, in everything from his immaculate gardens to his hiring of an onmyōji mystic to protect his bride. Tsurugu’s stay would be pleasant, provided he pleased the shugo.

Naka no Yoritomo believed that a local kitsune meant to work mischief upon him or his new wife, Fujitani no Kaede. There had been strange incidents in the countryside of late, with objects of value disappearing and irrational stories offered by confused laborers for missing goods and missing hours. There had even been a recent case of kitsune-tsuki in the farmers’ village below, a poor young girl possessed by a fox spirit and driven to madness. The villagers had beaten and burned her in an attempt to drive out the fox, but she had broken free and run screaming into the woods.

Privately, Tsurugu suspected the girl was simply mad, for bad blood or other causes, and not a victim of a fox at all. But it would be little use to argue with the shugo.

The servant paused to slide aside a shōji door. Before Tsurugu could enter, two figures came about the corner, moving side by side on the exterior walkway. He paused to regard them—two young men, perhaps sixteen, if the ages of servants mattered. They did not quite bow their heads deferentially, so he could clearly see their faces. They were handsome young men, and absolutely alike. Even had they averted their gaze fully, one would have guessed they were twins.

He entered his room. Who are they? he asked the servant who waited by his door.

Futagokyōdai, he answered, in the household of Kaede-dono. His tone betrayed his disapproval; a woman, even a widow, had no business bringing male servants, and certainly not such as those.

Tsurugu suppressed a smile. The women would be chattering about the twins, certainly, and a few of the men, no doubt. They were well-formed enough to forgive their lapse in etiquette; they would

Reviews for Kitsune-Tsuki

[dpappas_25 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Before reading this book I had not read any Japanese folklore, so this book was something completely new to me. I am really glad that I decided to try something new. Even though I had no knowledge of Japanese folklore or the Japanese language before reading this I still found this book to be really interesting and fairly easy to read. I did make sure to have a Japanese to English dictionary handy while reading this book but I don't think it is necessary in order to read the book (I just wanted to fully comprehend everything). The only problem I had with this book (which is really a short story) is that the ending felt a bit abrupt to me, I was so hooked in the story that when the ending came I was like "Wait, I want more!"I would recommend this book to people interested in Japanese folklore, even if you haven't read any before.(I received this book from a Librarything Member Giveaway, that does not affect the content of my review in any way.)

[wolfjack_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(Disclaimer: Received this book through Goodreads Giveaways/First Reads program. Review was first published there on 10/23/12)Wonderful read. I enjoyed this immensely. Even though it was a shorter piece, I didn't feel short-changed. The two main characters were very human and understandable, and the Asian influence and language was not an impediment in any way in my opinion. The ending was a surprise, definitely not what I was anticipating, which is always a happy event. When you have a character you like and believe you know, if they do something truly unforeseen then you feel almost betrayed. But this was in a good way, taking into account artistic license. So, the writing style was very agreeable, characters believable and likeable, Asian feel of the piece not overdone and still had the right amount of "foreign" feel to it. All in all, my only "complaint" was that I would have liked a longer story with even more development/further adventures. If the protagonist and this setting were to appear in a series of stories or novels, I'd be very pleased.I'm glad to have read this story and hope to see more and longer works from this author in the future.

[marnigreatrex · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think that my lack of familiarity with japanese folklore and terminology distracted me from enjoying the story more....i did like the story but felt my lack of knowledge prevented me from getting the full image of what the author was presenting.

[realalondra45 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

iS JUST A LITTLE PIECE OF THE BOOK SO IS KIND OF DIFFICULT TO REVIEW IT.tILL i COULD READ IS NICELY WRITEN AND FUN

[sakinah_r_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As someone who appreciates a good story influenced by Japan of old, I really enjoyed Kitsune-Tsuki. The tale of an Onmyouji mystic hired to protect the new bride of a ruler from a menacing Kitsune is filled with magic, superstition and mystery. As I was reading and the story unfolded, I figured I knew how exactly how it was going to end. I was completely wrong. If you love Japanese folklore you shouldn't pass up this book.

[wolffaerie17 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tsurugu no Kiyomori is asked to protect the daimyou's new wife from harm by kitsune that has purportedly roaming the country side. Daimyou wishes that his new wife be protected thru Tsurugu's services as an onmyouji. He must work hand and hand with Kagemura no Shishio Hitoshi or as Ookami to provide protection at all costs. Kitsune-Tsuki is proving hard to catch and very little clues have been found as proof of it's existence either. Ookami is starting to suspect someone as the kitsune and tries to get Tsurugu to help him find the proof that is needed. Kitsune is blamed for a young village girl being possessed with fox spirit even if the accusation proven false. Daimyou's wife Kaede comes under suspicion as the kitsune with very little proof for such a claim. Will Ookami find the kitsune? Will the village girl go home? What is Tsuruga's plan? Your answers await you in Kitsune-Tsuki

[leesalogic · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this book via LibraryThing's Member Giveaways.I wanted to like this story a lot more than I did. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about Japanese folklore and I got lost with all the Japanese words so it was hard for me to get into the story.Other than the language issue, this story is stylistically beautiful. I can see this translating into an animated short. I LOVE the cover.One scene that sticks out that I particularly liked was when Tsurugu was practicing his calligraphy and the ritual we as Americans sometimes take for granted: the grinding of the ink stone, the concentration on perfecting the letters, the annoyance when interrupted and the ink splatters on the page...The parts I understood I liked very much.

[needtoreadgottowatch · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Kitsune-Tsuki is a short, interesting read. The main plot revolves around protecting the emperor from the kitsune (or fox spirit).The characters are well written and we follow them through a very Japanese folklore spun tale.I enjoyed reading this short story and was left wishing there was more. I think a collection of short stories by Laura Baugh would make a fantastic book.The only criticism I have is with the use of Japanese words within the writing. A glossary at the back would easily fix this however, but I can see people becoming frustrated with not understanding certain words. I myself am very fond of the Japanese language, legends and culture, so I was able to figure out a few alone, and a couple words are translated in text, but it would be wise to do so to the rest.Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in folklore, Japan or just has an hour to kill.

[mirrani_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Any time I find myself reaching the end of a book and thinking, "That's it? There's no more?" and frowning sadly in the absence of the characters, I figure I must have deeply enjoyed the time I spent reading. This book went by so fast for me that I find it very hard to believe that I spent any time reading at all. Suddenly the story seems to have become a part of my mind and that is an odd, yet wonderful feeling.Kitsune-Tsuki is based on Japanese legend and it is written very well. I ended up feeling a deep sense of culture that came from the story with what seemed like very little effort on the part of the writer. Reading this book was like watching it all happen before my eyes, the visual power of the words quite easily whisking me away to Japan long ago. At the end of my reviewer's copy there is a mention of things to come in the future, based on some of the characters within these pages, and I certainly hope that comes to be. I would love to read more of this world from this author.Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.

[slimy07 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In Kitsune-Tsuki, Tsurugu no Kiyomori has been hired by the daimyou, Naka no Yoritomo, to protect his new bride from a Kitsune, a fox spirit. In Japanese folktales, a Kitsune like the coyote spirit in Native American myths; the fox spirit is a mischievous or a trickster. At the beginning of the story, Tsurugu appears to be a skeptic when dealing with the peasants in the story. The peasants are superstitious and beat a young girl who they believe is possessed by a fox spirit. This is one of a few red-herrings within the tale. Twists abound, the mystery deepens; is there really a kitsune plaguing the the daimyou’s household? Will Tsurugu and his partner find the Kitsune?I really enjoyed this story. It is full of interesting characters and is set in an interesting country. I haven’t read a lot of stories set in Japan; therefore, I was not familiar with the Japanese terms and titles used in the story. As another reviewer has suggested, I would definitely recommend locating a good source to find the correct definitions of the terms such as daimyou. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for further stories written by the author, Laura Baugh.

[disco_grinch · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing “Member Giveaway” program.Kitsune-Tsuki by Laura V. BaughPLEASE keep in mind, this review is written by my “taste in books”/my opinion. Check out my library ratings of other books to see if your tastes are the same as mine before judging this book by my review)I wasn't sure what to think about this book at first. I requested it because I love to read about Asian culture, mythology, etc (especially Korea and Japan). The reason I was hesitant is because I normally like to read books on these topics by people FROM Korea or Japan...it just seem more "authentic" to me. Well...I was surprised. Ms. Baugh did her research and from what I could tell, she did it well. I am definitely NOT an expert on all things Japanese but she didn't make any huge mistakes that I noticed.I really enjoyed the flow and the length was good for the story itself. There could have been a bit more character development but overall I really enjoyed the story. The one thing that may be difficult for readers is the large amount of Japanese words/phrases. The author defines some of the words/phrases immediately after she writes them in the story but she didn't do it for all of them and I felt a bit confused at times (and I have studied Japanese and Japanese culture).The story is about a Daimyo (territorial lord in ancient Japan) and his wife who believe they are bewitched by a Kitsune (fox spirit). They hire a Onmyouji (basically like a shaman) to help ward off the Kitsune and protect everyone from its magic/charms. Throughout the story, the Onmyouji (named Tsurugu) doubts that the suspicious events happening are the work of a Kitsune and he teams up with others in the Daimyo's charge to find the culprit(s).(SPOILER ALERT)The ending was a surprise, especially after seeing the book through Tsurugu's eyes...I won't say anymore although I probably said too much already.CONCLUSIONThe story was interesting and fun but a bit confusing at times with all the Japanese words (especially for those not familiar with Japanese culture and mythology). I would be interested in reading future stories by Ms. Baugh and I am grateful to have shared this experience with her.OVERALL RATING: 3 stars

[stewartry · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I won this novella through LibraryThing's Member Giveaways, and since I had just read Yamada Monogatari it seemed like a natural next read. In keeping with my confusion over what "Monogatari" meant, I expected "Tsuki" to mean "story" or something along those lines. But it doesn't. It's not a literary term at all, at least according to my limited search: it means "punch" or "thrust". Perhaps it refers to the twist in the tale, which ought to come as a shock equivalent to a kendo attack. Because there certainly was a twist. Of sorts. As the synopsis says, Tsurugu no Kiyomori is a sort of magic-using private eye, hired to protect a warlord's new bride from a kitsune (often malicious fox spirit) they believe is near, and threatening. Kitsune can and often do take human shape in order to work mischief (and worse), and it could be anyone – or no one. And – again, as the synopsis says – a PI in ancient Japan doesn't have the leeway a classic American gumshoe would, since a mistaken accusation against, say, the bride herself could end in very ugly, very painful, possibly very fatal results. Tsurugu is partnered – against his will – with a warrior named Shishio Hitoshi, who makes up in grit and determination what he lacks in magic. They become a good team, until they aren't any longer, and that's the problem I had with this story. I'll come back to that. It was well done, with several factors that made it both a very good and a very bad followup to Yamada Monogatari - there were surprising similarities (which is why it was both good and bad). I'm not in any way suggesting anything hinky about either book – just surprise at a superficial resemblance. This is a quick tale (wouldn't it be fun to write stories about kitsune in sets of three? Three tales? Geddit??) which encompasses a pair of mysterious twins, a dog hunt (which was, I felt, an unnecessarily ugly scene, but at least it was not graphic or detailed), and a beautiful bride who may not be what she is supposed to be. The twist in the tail tale was very much a surprise, and so was effective in that way – but it was so very close to the end of the novella that I think I was still thinking "What … just happened here?" when I hit the last sentence. With the fast pace of the story, it felt like flying along on a bobsled, hitting a wall, and continuing to fly along without the benefit of the sled for a while until I came to a spinning stop several yards away. (This would be one of those rare times I wish I knew where to find a gif that would illustrate that better.) Once I stopped blinking in surprise, I think I was just unhappy about the whole thing. It was clever – I just didn't like it. But, to end this at least on a positive note, I do love kitsune. I love that the fox-as-trickster trope is as strong in Japan as it is in Native American lore. I love that the creatures can be malice personified or merely mischievous, can fall in love with human and be willing to kill anyone else. They're a fascinating class of being, and it's fun to see them as much as I have lately. And they have three tails – how cool is that?