Darkness Hidden

October 1, 2015

Gr 5 Up-When readers first met Mio Yamato in The Name of the Blade (Candlewick, 2014), she was learning about her unique heritage, mastering the katana somehow bound to her (as well as Shinobu, the compelling boy who emerges from inside it), and protecting her friends from legions of monsters from Japanese myth. After that adventure, she has little time to catch her breath before this sequel begins. Mio and her friends are home, but things are not well: hordes of creatures called Foul Women are descending on the town, a terrifying figure called the Harbinger has arrived for the katan, Mio's friend Rachel is recovering badly from her encounter with the legendary Nekomata, and the more the protagonist learns about the katana and her heritage, the more she is convinced things will not work out well for her. It doesn't help that she's developing feelings for Shinobu despite his own history and link to the katana. Much like the previous volume, this entry is well paced and exciting and offers a look into Japanese mythology hard to find elsewhere. The story here is not distinct from that of the first book, as the plot picks up from where it left off and unfolds in much the same way. As a result, this sequel cannot be read without the first. VERDICT While not a dramatic stand-alone title, this solid and gripping work will keep readers interested in what's to come.-Heather Talty, formerly at Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2015
The Underworld makes another bid for control of Mio's mystical sword. In this sequel to The Name of the Blade (2014), Mio and her friends are still celebrating their defeat of the Nekomata with their allies in the Kitsune Kingdom when they are attacked again. This time their enemy's tools are the Shikome, the "Foul Women," whose feathers carry a deadly contagion. The gang is ill-prepared to handle the Shikome since they are still coping with the fallout from their first adventure. Mio's connection with her dangerous katana is growing ever more seductive and powerful, while Rachel is discovering that her abduction by the Nekomata has left her terribly changed. Select third-person passages from other characters' perspectives are interspersed throughout Mio's first-person narration, and they emphasize how completely the Shikome plague overwhelms London. The too-tidy ending consequently feels like a cop-out, despite the setup provided for the inevitable third book in the series. Nonetheless, the intense fight scenes and doomed romance will still appeal to many readers, especially if they're inclined to appreciate Marriott's obvious manga influences and willing to overlook generally shallow characterization. At least one major plot twist will immediately remind savvy fans of a similar storyline in Tite Kubo's Bleach. Save this action-packed but derivative adventure for die-hard shonen manga buffs. (Urban fantasy. 13-16)

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