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Voice of the Kami: An Epic Adventure of Japanese Folklore and Yokai Hunting
Not yet published
Expected 16 Feb 26From the depths of Yomi’s dark realm, the First, queen of the yōkai, prepares her vengeance on the kami. Her wrath will not be stopped, not even by the members of the Yaseki and the Daughter of the Sun they’ve just saved, for her power and that of her four tengu sons is too great.
The only thing she fears is a story passed down through the centuries in Yomi. The story of a human speaking with the Voice of the Kami. This power, if it truly exists, would tip the balance in the war with the yōkai.
Ren, however, doubts any of it, for the bearer of this knowledge is none other than one of the four tengu, and unsealing this Voice means heading back to Aokigahara and the ghosts of his troubled past.
The only thing she fears is a story passed down through the centuries in Yomi. The story of a human speaking with the Voice of the Kami. This power, if it truly exists, would tip the balance in the war with the yōkai.
Ren, however, doubts any of it, for the bearer of this knowledge is none other than one of the four tengu, and unsealing this Voice means heading back to Aokigahara and the ghosts of his troubled past.
- GenresFantasy
343 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 16, 2026
2 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 21, 2026
This review is available on Grimoire Ink Reviews
Oh my goodness me!!!!
I was very kindly given an ebook copy of the ARC for this book in return for an honest review.
Let me first say that if you haven't yet read Blood of The Kami, you should 100000% read it first...what are you waiting for...shoo, go read it right now, go on, of with you!!!
I was excited to rejoin Ren and his companions for another story, and Baptise threw us back in again some six months after we ended Blood.
My initial reactions at the end of Blood were rather sweary at BP, and I was still mad going into this, but quickly forgot that as Ren set off on his journeys with Fuyuko, the prickly Kitsune, who I loved in Blood.
Seeing the relationship deepen between Ren and Fuyuko was wonderful. They both spark off each other in such a deliciously snarky way, that you can’t help smiling at them, whilst wanting to bang their heads together!
I missed Suzume at rhe beginning, so when she rejoins them, I was over the moon, and smiled so much with how she communicated. You can't help it, even when things are tense, you just find yourself grinning at her scenes.
The fighting scenes here were exemplary, and something I feel Baptiste does so damn well. You're pulled in, holding your breath and not letting it out until we know our heroes are safe again.
This is a story of love, self discovery, found family and growth, that warms your heart, while building tension as we move through it's pages, as we know what'sat stake.
The old Japan written here is again a stunning tapestry of folklore and mythology, and those beings we meet along the way are depicted so cleverly that I could see them in my minds eye, and found myself loving some of them as much as the main characters.
The difference here, are the flashbacks, which added a layer to our characters and really helped tell their tale, and show us how we got here. All of this, leading to the incredible finale...and all I will say about that is. WHAT THE ACTUAL BAPTISTE????!!!!!!
On that note, I will leave you, and tell you that you need to read this, it is a book written with a love for Japan that shines through in BPs words, and it is beautiful 😍🥰❤️
Oh my goodness me!!!!
I was very kindly given an ebook copy of the ARC for this book in return for an honest review.
Let me first say that if you haven't yet read Blood of The Kami, you should 100000% read it first...what are you waiting for...shoo, go read it right now, go on, of with you!!!
I was excited to rejoin Ren and his companions for another story, and Baptise threw us back in again some six months after we ended Blood.
My initial reactions at the end of Blood were rather sweary at BP, and I was still mad going into this, but quickly forgot that as Ren set off on his journeys with Fuyuko, the prickly Kitsune, who I loved in Blood.
Seeing the relationship deepen between Ren and Fuyuko was wonderful. They both spark off each other in such a deliciously snarky way, that you can’t help smiling at them, whilst wanting to bang their heads together!
I missed Suzume at rhe beginning, so when she rejoins them, I was over the moon, and smiled so much with how she communicated. You can't help it, even when things are tense, you just find yourself grinning at her scenes.
The fighting scenes here were exemplary, and something I feel Baptiste does so damn well. You're pulled in, holding your breath and not letting it out until we know our heroes are safe again.
This is a story of love, self discovery, found family and growth, that warms your heart, while building tension as we move through it's pages, as we know what'sat stake.
The old Japan written here is again a stunning tapestry of folklore and mythology, and those beings we meet along the way are depicted so cleverly that I could see them in my minds eye, and found myself loving some of them as much as the main characters.
The difference here, are the flashbacks, which added a layer to our characters and really helped tell their tale, and show us how we got here. All of this, leading to the incredible finale...and all I will say about that is. WHAT THE ACTUAL BAPTISTE????!!!!!!
On that note, I will leave you, and tell you that you need to read this, it is a book written with a love for Japan that shines through in BPs words, and it is beautiful 😍🥰❤️
Review of advance copy received from Author
Disclaimer: This review is done from the Beta Read version of the book, so expect it to get even better after Baptiste works through the notes.
Voice of the Kami is the second part of the Yasekigatari series, the one that started with my most beloved Blood of the Kami. And boy, it did not disappoint nor falter.
I was tearing up by page three.
Baptiste is a meanie.
He instantly transports you to the same mythical Japan we came to know and love from the first book, and he does it without missing a beat.
This is as much a story of Ren as it is a story about Fuyuko. And their dynamic is one that’ll have you grinning from ear to ear from the beginning. And when our little sparrow, Suzume, comes into the scene, you’ll know things are just as they should. This trio’s energy, warmth, love and dynamism carry the book throughout in such flawless fashion that you cannot put it down. You cannot avoid feeling a little happier and a little warmer when reading this adventure.
It’s not that the book does not have hard, sad or complex problems, issues or more at stake. There’s plenty of that within the pages of Voice of the Kami, but you feel there’s a path amidst the darkness surrounding them.
I want to highlight the new cast we come to know in Voice of the Kami!
On one hand Monkey (a Blood Hunter, just like Ren our Rooster) is just the perfect example of its animal namesake, annoying, grating, vain and many other things, but he will surprise you as he surprised me. His guardians also are a surprising addition, specially Ichigo, whom you end up appreciating beyond her quietness.
There are more, but there’s one that I can’t spoil, because it’d be criminal of me to spoil the joy and surprise it brought. Just gonna say, you won’t see it coming. 🥷
The adventure has so much heart, so many incredible lines and thoughts that it made me recall and evoke everything I loved from Blood of the Kami. It’s YA, but it’s also perfect for anyone who reads with a sense of discovery and joy for everything magical and mystical. It’s perfect for those that love being swept away and transported to a magical place full of wonder.
The world, the story, all of it grew immensely from BotK to VotK and you can feel the magnitude, the stakes, the scope of this battle taking on a magnitude that’s impossible to ignore. But at the same time, it is a very introspective story. A story where each one of its denizens face themselves and their choices, their past, present and future and have to live with them.
Baptiste is master craftsman of the combat scenes, the action scenes, and here again he shows it. But above it all, he nails the pace, flow and the prose of the book to a degree that you find yourself glued to it, having to display an incredible amount of willpower to peel yourself away from it.
I’ve already threatened Baptiste to get on cracking and write Time of the Kami, because I need it immediately!
4.8⭐
Voice of the Kami is the second part of the Yasekigatari series, the one that started with my most beloved Blood of the Kami. And boy, it did not disappoint nor falter.
I was tearing up by page three.
Baptiste is a meanie.
He instantly transports you to the same mythical Japan we came to know and love from the first book, and he does it without missing a beat.
This is as much a story of Ren as it is a story about Fuyuko. And their dynamic is one that’ll have you grinning from ear to ear from the beginning. And when our little sparrow, Suzume, comes into the scene, you’ll know things are just as they should. This trio’s energy, warmth, love and dynamism carry the book throughout in such flawless fashion that you cannot put it down. You cannot avoid feeling a little happier and a little warmer when reading this adventure.
It’s not that the book does not have hard, sad or complex problems, issues or more at stake. There’s plenty of that within the pages of Voice of the Kami, but you feel there’s a path amidst the darkness surrounding them.
I want to highlight the new cast we come to know in Voice of the Kami!
On one hand Monkey (a Blood Hunter, just like Ren our Rooster) is just the perfect example of its animal namesake, annoying, grating, vain and many other things, but he will surprise you as he surprised me. His guardians also are a surprising addition, specially Ichigo, whom you end up appreciating beyond her quietness.
There are more, but there’s one that I can’t spoil, because it’d be criminal of me to spoil the joy and surprise it brought. Just gonna say, you won’t see it coming. 🥷
The adventure has so much heart, so many incredible lines and thoughts that it made me recall and evoke everything I loved from Blood of the Kami. It’s YA, but it’s also perfect for anyone who reads with a sense of discovery and joy for everything magical and mystical. It’s perfect for those that love being swept away and transported to a magical place full of wonder.
The world, the story, all of it grew immensely from BotK to VotK and you can feel the magnitude, the stakes, the scope of this battle taking on a magnitude that’s impossible to ignore. But at the same time, it is a very introspective story. A story where each one of its denizens face themselves and their choices, their past, present and future and have to live with them.
Baptiste is master craftsman of the combat scenes, the action scenes, and here again he shows it. But above it all, he nails the pace, flow and the prose of the book to a degree that you find yourself glued to it, having to display an incredible amount of willpower to peel yourself away from it.
I’ve already threatened Baptiste to get on cracking and write Time of the Kami, because I need it immediately!
4.8⭐
Review of advance copy received from Author
Voice of the Kami continues immediately where Blood of the Kami left off, so if you haven't read the book where this wonderful anime in bookform starts, run and read it before you pick up this book!
As with the first one, Voice of the Kami by Baptiste Pinson Wu shines with a love for Japan, it's culture, mythology and landscape.
We continue to follow Ren and Fuyuko, their bickering is always entertaining and I adore their relationship to bits.
When Suzume returns on page, there is a surprise that will spark confusion and fun in the best way. Lets just say communicating got a bit more difficult 🤭
There is also a surprise concerning a supposed villain that I won't go into but oh dear, did this one turn the tides. And there are wonderful side characters that you will root for and whose uniqueness is written in lovely detail.
As always with Baptiste's stories, the action and combat scenes are epic! He is a master at writing fight scenes in a way that makes you see it in vivid details as if you watched an anime or movie.
The same is true though for the heartwarming and funny moments. This bookseries feels like a hug full of adventures where there are epic scales but also humor and wisdom.
And then there's the ending...
I need the next book right NOW✨️
.
Thank you to Baptiste Pinson Wu for choosing me again to read an eARC of his book!
As with the first one, Voice of the Kami by Baptiste Pinson Wu shines with a love for Japan, it's culture, mythology and landscape.
We continue to follow Ren and Fuyuko, their bickering is always entertaining and I adore their relationship to bits.
When Suzume returns on page, there is a surprise that will spark confusion and fun in the best way. Lets just say communicating got a bit more difficult 🤭
There is also a surprise concerning a supposed villain that I won't go into but oh dear, did this one turn the tides. And there are wonderful side characters that you will root for and whose uniqueness is written in lovely detail.
As always with Baptiste's stories, the action and combat scenes are epic! He is a master at writing fight scenes in a way that makes you see it in vivid details as if you watched an anime or movie.
The same is true though for the heartwarming and funny moments. This bookseries feels like a hug full of adventures where there are epic scales but also humor and wisdom.
And then there's the ending...
I need the next book right NOW✨️
.
Thank you to Baptiste Pinson Wu for choosing me again to read an eARC of his book!
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February 2, 2026Review to Come!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews