Revenge of the Bakeneko

by V.B. Scott

A dice game in the hands of Takana Gozen is anything but a matter of chance. Takana covets golden ryō coins almost as much as she hates yakuza, and she is a master at manipulating both as she hosts backroom gambling events to pay off her deadbeat father’s debt. She’s spent the last eight years wandering the Nikkō Kaidō highway, living the life of a homeless vagabond—stealing, cheating, and killing—all in the never-ending pursuit of coin.
Instigated by the lowliest of prostitutes in the brothel Takana’s mother runs, a series of brutal, deadly events break Takana out of debt, and she earns the power to oppose the very structures that bound her. The found family she collects along the way looks to her for leadership, and together they form their own yakuza clan—the most prosperous and feared in all of Eastern Nihon--The Bakeneko Clan.
Takana has trained her whole life to survive deadly encounters, but the risks that come with being a clan head come in more forms than katana and kunai. Protection, love, compassion, friendship, and sacrifice will all be necessary if she is to survive her new life—a life that proves to be more dangerous and unfulfilling than the old one.

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 15, 2024

About the author

linktr.ee/vbscott

I write in multiple genres, favoring character, action, and relationship drama.
I live in the Pacific Northwest but would rather be living in Japan again.

Reviews

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

VB Scott does a great job in writing a Japanese story that was engaging and thought Takana was a strong character to follow. I enjoyed the rest of the characters in this world and was glad that I got to read this. I look forward to read more. I enjoyed that it felt like it belonged in the time-period and can't wait for more.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Yukari Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book felt very well researched. There are bits of japanese history and culture peppered throughout the chapters that gave me new insights on my own background, and i appreciated learning while reading. I also felt that the way the characters reacted to what was happening around them was also nihon-poi.

I liked all the characters and felt invested in their fates. The pacing was fantastic, and i never felt any lulls. The story itself had so many ups and downs, balancing out fortune and misfortune so well, it reminded me of an older generation of storytelling i couldn't quite put my finger on.

One of the downsides to this book for readers that might be less familiar with the japanese language is the incorporation of a lot of japanese words throughout the story itself that will have you flipping back to the glossary. You can get the gist of the meaning contextually for some of the words, but other spots do require you to flip back. I wouldn't have minded it so much on a paper copy, but maybe those reading digitally might find this to be a chore.

Still, i think the little fuss is worth the read. I loved that this story was a standalone. It wrapped up wonderfully with a nice message that many of us need to be reminded of sometimes. :)

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brent Millis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly fun novel of found family, action and adventure. I thought it was going to be a bit grim considering the samurai setting, but was relieved when it was a bit more lighthearted.

Plenty of action, swordplay, demise and heartwrenching moments to be sure, but the author's pacing keeps everything centered more on the fight and achievements of the the characters and not the plight. Highly recommended samurai adventure with a healthy mix of ninja and common folk (who don't often get that much spotlight) as well as a cast of nefarious adversaries. This book was offered to me free for an honest review. I leave this review voluntarily.

[Carol Stefanik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lot of action. Lot of bloodshed. Tons of angst. You want to like her. You root for her. At the beginning, it is tough to get into the story because it is so dark, so fear ridden, so unhappy. It would be hard to say it ever gets any happier. But if you stick with it, the story draws you in until it is hard to put down.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ivy Bookdragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Takana Gozen is one of the fiercest and unrelenting women in fantasy ever. I adore her ability to never give up, to fight for what she believes in and for the freedom of the found family she has gathered around her, even if she didn't want them following her at first.

This book is set in a Japan where Samurai and Shinobi are the top of fighters and Yakuza clans have started to gain power. Your tattoos tell stories of the family or clan you belong to and women can be as confident and independant as they can be soft and tricky.
While you have a seemingly strong and love-to-hate antagonist in Taiga, son of the clan boss Takana still works for in the beginning, you also have an honorable and positive man on her side in Sōkichi.

I adore the different friendships Takana forms with Fusa, who becomes like a kind of younger sister to her, and Natsu, the mysterious Shinobi who she starts to feel more for along the way.
I loved the relationships Takana has with Sōkichi and Natsu all the more since neither of them stands in the way of the other and Takana's feelings for them never felt forced or out of place. A refreshing difference from all the love triangles in other stories.

And there is Tomoe, who the reader gets to hear from in the beginning and who appears later in the story. She was young Takana's amazing mentor and I wish she had gotten more pagetime because I felt there is more to this woman. Tomoe is a badass and for me, she stole every scene she appeared in.

Needless to say, I greatly enjoyed the Revenge Of The Bakeneko, it's obvious that V.B. Scott researched the themes of this era of Japan well. The characters and setting feel authentic, and while many moments are brutal and awful, there are also scenes of hope, revenge and love.
Should I ever run into Takana Gozen, I will get my Bakeneko tattoo for sure.

Thanks to the author and publisher for choosing me for an eARC!

[jessi_reading_corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learnt so much in this book. I also really liked that there was a helpful list of certain Japanese words that were needed. I was flicking backwards and forwards.
Learning that there was actually a lot of Samurai women!!
There was plenty of suspense in this novel that kept me on the edge of my seat. There was soooo much world building put into this, I could see myself being there, walking down the shabby streets, or sleeping rough under a tiny roof. There was so much description, even if it wasn't needed, I appreciated it- down to the smell of tobacco and the sweat in the air in the casino, the changing of the trick dice with artful movements.
So much depth to this novel, there was no point I was 'bored'. There was a lot to take in at times, a few breathers were needed.
The start of the chapters was filled with information from way back when, they were an added enjoyment of learning!
The relationship between Takana and Tetsuo, how he always protected her and always managed to get the truth out of her. He was genuinely so nice too!
Fusas and Takanas was heart-warming! And having Sokichi join their dynamic was great!!
There was some shocks in this with the shockingly good twists and turns!!

[T.K. Toppin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young woman in the 1700s Japan, struggles through life, repaying the debt her father has placed her, and her mother, in with the yakuza. Takana Gozen hosts cleverly rigged dice games, travelling from one city to the next, collecting money for yakuza who "own" her. Living on the streets, surviving in any way she can, killing if she must. When events turn, and she finds herself not only collecting more gold, but an assortment of loyal friends. Her shrewd business sense and fighting skills soon see her turning the tables to become the leader of the most feared and respected Bakeneko clan. And exacting her revenge to reclaim her freedom, once and for all.

An engrossing, richly developed story about overcoming hardships, discovering found family and learning heartrending truths, set against a visceral and bloody backdrop of a feuding yakuza clans in their desperate attempts for a power grab. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

[ABrahosky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Scott’s very fast paced and action packed tale. I was immediately plunged me into the main character’s inner conflict between obligation and freedom, victimization and self-assertion.

The world of the yakuza and samurai made this a perfect setting for these conflicts to play out, and the plot development and twists were well executed. Even the emergent “love story” was interwoven into the tale in a meaningful way, not just thrown in as fluff or as an expected part of a formula.

Besides…..tattoos, ninjas, and swords are just plain cool.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Callie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating!