About the Book
Revolutionary young samurai with dirigibles take on Commodore Perry and his Black Ships in this alternate history steampunk technofantasy set in 1850s samurai-era Japan.
In Japan of 1852, the peace imposed by the Tokugawa Shoguns has lasted 250 years. Peace has turned to stagnation, however, as the commoners grow impoverished and their lords restless. Swords rust. Martial values decay. Foreign barbarians circle the island nation's closed borders like vultures, growing ever more demanding.
Tōru, a shipwrecked young fisherman rescued by American traders and taken to America, defies the Shogun's ban on returning to Japan, determined to save his homeland from foreign invasion. Can he rouse his countrymen in time? Or will the cruel Shogun carry out his vow to execute all who set foot in Japan after traveling abroad? Armed only with his will, a few books, dirigible plans and dangerous ideas, Tōru must transform the Emperor's realm before the Black Ships come.
Tōru: Wayfarer Returns is the first book in the Sakura Steam Series, an alternate history of the tumultuous period from the opening of Japan in 1853 to the Meiji Restoration in 1868. This volume covers the year prior to the American Commodore Perry's arrival in Japan and follows the hero and his young allies as they lead Japan through a massively compressed industrial revolution, dramatically altering that pivotal moment in history.
While Tōru and his dirigibles are fictional, the story unfolds against the backdrop of the "real" Japan of that period, with historical figures and their political environment woven into the tale, staying true to their motivations and agendas even as the alternate history warps their actions, history and a few laws of physics. Underpinning the adventure plot is a young man's yearning for his father's approval and an honorable place in his world.
Readers who enjoy steampunk alternate histories more typically set in Victorian England or the American Wild West may enjoy this steampunk story made fresh by the Japanese samurai setting, as well as readers who enjoy historical fiction set in Japan.
About the Author :
Stephanie R. Sorensen is a writer based in the Victorian mining town of Leadville, Colorado, where she lives at 10,251 feet with her husband, five chickens, two bantam English game hens and one Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. After a former life in big cities-New York City, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Boston, Mexico City, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Santa Fe-she now enjoys the birdsong and quiet writing time she finds in Leadville. As a Leadville local, she likes her Victorian attire spiced with a little neo-Victorian futurism and the biggest bustle possible. Recognition for Stephanie's debut novel "Toru: Wayfarer Returns" -- Finalist, Fantasy category, 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards -- Bronze Medal Award, Multicultural Fiction category, 2016 eLit Book Awards -- Awesome Indies Approved -- IndieB.R.A.G Medallion Award -- Shortlisted (winners TBD), Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction, 2016 Cygnus TORU: WAYFARER RETURNS draws on her experience living and working in Japan; her next historical novel is set in Mexico where she also lived for several years.
Review :
RECOGNITION AND AWARDS FINALIST, Fantasy 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards BRONZE MEDAL, Multicultural Fiction 2016 eLIT Book Awards SHORTLIST (Winners TBD) Science Fiction, 2016 Cygnus Book Awards APPROVED, Five Stars, Awesome Indies MEDALLION HONOREE, IndieB.R.A.G. Award "The paths of sword and steam cross brilliantly....Approachable and satisfying." -- Awesome Indies, Approved, 5 Stars "First-time author Sorensen launches her Sakura Steam series with a well-told what-if story that brings a steampunk aesthetic to real-life 1800s Japan... Sorenson cunningly blends far-out fiction with actual historical personages....Young adults as well as older readers can partake of the delicious genre-blending bento. Cool alternative-history yarn of yester-century Nippon, a promising steampunk-energized start." -- Kirkus Reviews "Sorensen immerses readers in a compelling and provocative story....an absorbing read." - BlueInk Review "Toru is an enjoyable and believable work of alternative historical fiction." - Foreword/Clarion Reviews 5 Stars "TORU: WAYFARER RETURNS is a fast-paced historical adventure steeped in Japanese culture." -- IndieReader "A terrifically vivid historical novel set in an 1852 Japan re-imagined along Steampunk lines...Anyone reading it will eagerly look forward to the next volume." -- Historical Novel Society "I loved this book and I definitely recommend it for anyone who is looking for Steampunk that pushes the boundaries of the genre. Airships and samurai swords collide in this thoughtful and compelling alternative history about a culture every bit as rich and nuanced as those usually featured in Steampunk literature, but far less familiar." -- Phoebe Darqueeling of For Whom the Gear Turns "Rather than just a simple steampunk setting, Sorensen steeps her world in history, and finds a fascinating theme to play with: the conflict between tradition and the future, to say nothing of Japan's complex relationship with the outside world." -- Josh Mauthe of Umney's Alley "Outrageous book with strong characters and compelling story" -- Fred Fanning on Amazon "Steampunk adventure sharing a tale of patriotism, honor and love" -- MarthasBookshelf "Good book. Good idea....Anyone interested in Japan, in samurai, in traditional cultures, or in the clash between tradition and modernity -- you should read this book. And the sequels, when they arrive. And anyone who likes a well-written story of one man struggling both for and against society, anyone who is interested in the struggle to break out of a rigid class system and become more than the role created by one's birth, you should read the book, too." -- Theoden Humphrey, VINE VOICE Amazon reviewer "Toru is a vast thought experiment, at times touching and engaging, it is also optimistic. There is the sense that we, in our time, with increasing levels of injustice in our society, could learn from a bunch of open-minded dreamers on the edge of revolution. And who wouldn't want dragon airships after all!" -- BlackRainbowBlade blog "There will probably be some debate as to exactly what genre this book belongs. Is it Alternate Historical Fiction? Is it Steampunk? Is it somehow both? Or neither? My answer to those questions is that it is all of the above. With the addition of dirigibles, it clearly enters the realm of Steampunk, but since it is set in an actual period of our world's history, this takes it away from the Steampunk genre and instead into the realm of alternate historical fiction. All in all, the genre does not really matter. It is the story that matters and the story is superb." --AmiesBookBlog "If you're into the Steampunk genre or even if you're not, it's a beautiful read." - T.S. O'Neill. "If you're looking for something out of the ordinary, something that is gripping, intelligent, and utterly unique, read 'Toru: The Wayfarer Returns.'" - J.M. Lipp.
