What do you think?
Yaseki Monogatari #2
Voice of the Kami
From 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
338 pages, Hardcover
First published February 16, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 4, 2026
Love this series!!! The covers are stunning and the bestiary illustrations are such a fun way to start off the book. I’m emotionally invested in so many of the characters, and can’t wait to continue learning more about them in book 3. I’d love to see these books as an anime adaptation one day!
February 17, 2026
“You knew I was coming?” _____ asked as ___ fingers finally let go.” “Yes,” the tengu replied. “And I longed to meet you, dear Voice of the Kami.”
This book was riding on enormous expectations as its predecessor Blood of the Kami was one of the best books I’ve read and it didn’t feature on my top 10 books of the year last year, only because another of Baptiste’s books (Undead Samurai) beat it. I cried with both of those books but I’m saying this with no recency bias - this book is so much worse (for the reader that doesn’t want to feel emotional pain.) I literally cried on 5 different occasions and when I expressed all the emotional hurt I was feeling to Baptiste - he just laughed at me and said that my tears are like crack to him. This is not an embellishment in any form, if one joins his discord and goes to the relevant channel, they can literally follow this conversation (GIF of Elmo snorting coke and everything.)
Baptiste is an extremely skillful writer and his balance and flow only seems to improve with each book. I already appreciated this in book 1 but it appears he has added to his strengths in this book. He also shows off how beautiful his writing can be- I have not read someone’s gruesome death be written so poetically. Another thing that deserves to be highlighted is how vivid Baptiste’s writing is- the mental movie that ran through my mind from beginning to end is impeccable. He also takes some risks with this book and ultimately delivers a more rewarding reading experience for the reader.
One of the risks is a new cast. I was looking forward to the found family I was introduced to and loved in book 1 but only two of them are together at the beginning of this book. Side note: I loved the banter between Ren and Fuyuko in this book and somehow liked them both even more in this book. We get a host of new characters including someone who Ren hates. And since I’ve been in the head of Ren for quite a while now, I automatically hated him too. What I didn’t realize is how devilish authors are. Without spoiling anything, both Ren and I had to eat some crow. One of the new characters has even become my 3rd most favorite character in the series- even with me having traveled a lot longer with some of the original cast.
Another risk or I should say deviation from Book 1 is the structure this book has. Book 1, for all intents and purposes, was more of a fast-paced, linear adventure with Ren & Suzume having to go from point A to point B and then back to point A and everything was happening in the present. This book, though, uses a dual timeline narrative and the plot is also not very linear. There are actually 3 different plots progressing at the same time and with the help of the dual timeline, Baptiste expands the scope of the epic fantasy he’s trying to pull off and also widens the breadth of the world. It is simply sumptuous.
He also takes the mother of all risks (not a deviation, R-I-S-K risk this time) with the ending. I think it might actually be difficult for some readers to fully digest. Now, this is my fourth Baptiste Pinson Wu book and so far his score is one 4-star and three 5-star reading experiences for me- so I have complete faith that he will pull it off. It is just that the ending is left in such a place that I need Book 3 yesterday. The story has veered off into a very wild direction but also I need more.
I was almost about to conclude my review but I cannot without mentioning Fukuyo’s character arc. Now the Yasekagi Monogatari series is still very much Ren’s journey and the plot revolves around him majorly- but Fukuyo has absolutely become my most favorite character in the Yokai hunting universe. She had her moments in book 1 but her growth in this book is electric. Character transformation moments have become the things that evoke the most emotion out of me in fantasy books and Fukuyo has more than one epic reveal in this book.
In conclusion, I loved the book and simply love Baptiste’s writing. If you’re looking for a series that focuses on Japanese mythology whilst also having great character moments, epic fight scenes, warm found family vibes, and compassion- you need to pick up this series. If that doesn’t entice you, the author has stated verbatim that the goal of this series is to extract as much pain as can be done from the reader.
This book was riding on enormous expectations as its predecessor Blood of the Kami was one of the best books I’ve read and it didn’t feature on my top 10 books of the year last year, only because another of Baptiste’s books (Undead Samurai) beat it. I cried with both of those books but I’m saying this with no recency bias - this book is so much worse (for the reader that doesn’t want to feel emotional pain.) I literally cried on 5 different occasions and when I expressed all the emotional hurt I was feeling to Baptiste - he just laughed at me and said that my tears are like crack to him. This is not an embellishment in any form, if one joins his discord and goes to the relevant channel, they can literally follow this conversation (GIF of Elmo snorting coke and everything.)
Baptiste is an extremely skillful writer and his balance and flow only seems to improve with each book. I already appreciated this in book 1 but it appears he has added to his strengths in this book. He also shows off how beautiful his writing can be- I have not read someone’s gruesome death be written so poetically. Another thing that deserves to be highlighted is how vivid Baptiste’s writing is- the mental movie that ran through my mind from beginning to end is impeccable. He also takes some risks with this book and ultimately delivers a more rewarding reading experience for the reader.
One of the risks is a new cast. I was looking forward to the found family I was introduced to and loved in book 1 but only two of them are together at the beginning of this book. Side note: I loved the banter between Ren and Fuyuko in this book and somehow liked them both even more in this book. We get a host of new characters including someone who Ren hates. And since I’ve been in the head of Ren for quite a while now, I automatically hated him too. What I didn’t realize is how devilish authors are. Without spoiling anything, both Ren and I had to eat some crow. One of the new characters has even become my 3rd most favorite character in the series- even with me having traveled a lot longer with some of the original cast.
Another risk or I should say deviation from Book 1 is the structure this book has. Book 1, for all intents and purposes, was more of a fast-paced, linear adventure with Ren & Suzume having to go from point A to point B and then back to point A and everything was happening in the present. This book, though, uses a dual timeline narrative and the plot is also not very linear. There are actually 3 different plots progressing at the same time and with the help of the dual timeline, Baptiste expands the scope of the epic fantasy he’s trying to pull off and also widens the breadth of the world. It is simply sumptuous.
He also takes the mother of all risks (not a deviation, R-I-S-K risk this time) with the ending. I think it might actually be difficult for some readers to fully digest. Now, this is my fourth Baptiste Pinson Wu book and so far his score is one 4-star and three 5-star reading experiences for me- so I have complete faith that he will pull it off. It is just that the ending is left in such a place that I need Book 3 yesterday. The story has veered off into a very wild direction but also I need more.
I was almost about to conclude my review but I cannot without mentioning Fukuyo’s character arc. Now the Yasekagi Monogatari series is still very much Ren’s journey and the plot revolves around him majorly- but Fukuyo has absolutely become my most favorite character in the Yokai hunting universe. She had her moments in book 1 but her growth in this book is electric. Character transformation moments have become the things that evoke the most emotion out of me in fantasy books and Fukuyo has more than one epic reveal in this book.
In conclusion, I loved the book and simply love Baptiste’s writing. If you’re looking for a series that focuses on Japanese mythology whilst also having great character moments, epic fight scenes, warm found family vibes, and compassion- you need to pick up this series. If that doesn’t entice you, the author has stated verbatim that the goal of this series is to extract as much pain as can be done from the reader.
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 😍🥰❤️
March 31, 2026
So glad that I found out this book was just released!
Thoroughly enjoyed this. It was a little difficult to follow at times, but overall was very good. Would've liked more monster-of-the-week yōkai battles like in the previous book, but the battles that were here were fast paced and detailed.
Thoroughly enjoyed this. It was a little difficult to follow at times, but overall was very good. Would've liked more monster-of-the-week yōkai battles like in the previous book, but the battles that were here were fast paced and detailed.
May 27, 2026
I dont understand what just happened... but I know I want a third!
Read
February 2, 2026Review to Come!
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!
Review of advance copy received from Author
One of my favorite story setups is characters who barely get along and yet are friends. Voice of the Kami does this spectacularly.
Starting the story, we continue with our main character Ren, a bullish, impolite blood hunter, who is traveling with Fuyuko, a refined, beautiful, but heartbroken kitsune (fox spirit). Later, Suzume, a young woman combined with a Kami -- duel personality both violent and sweet -- returns along with new characters; Masaru: a vain, stuck-up blood hunter, with his shiba-inu (dog spirit) allies; and Zanzo: a tactical, calm shinobi nekomata (ninja cat spirit).
With this clashing group, we get plenty of banter, bickering, and clashing ideas for problem-solving, while all of them have one another's backs.
For a Japanese learner, this book is especially fun, as the author puts simple Japanese phrases into the text -- not so much that someone who knows nothing of Japanese would be lost, but just enough to remind readers this story takes place in Japan.
The first book in this seires reads as if it's a stand-alone with series potential. This book is the start of a larger arc, with plenty of payoffs, but creating more questions than it answers, with an ending that is both a delight and frustration.
This story is great for anyone who enjoys myth-based fantasy and found-family tropes.
Starting the story, we continue with our main character Ren, a bullish, impolite blood hunter, who is traveling with Fuyuko, a refined, beautiful, but heartbroken kitsune (fox spirit). Later, Suzume, a young woman combined with a Kami -- duel personality both violent and sweet -- returns along with new characters; Masaru: a vain, stuck-up blood hunter, with his shiba-inu (dog spirit) allies; and Zanzo: a tactical, calm shinobi nekomata (ninja cat spirit).
With this clashing group, we get plenty of banter, bickering, and clashing ideas for problem-solving, while all of them have one another's backs.
For a Japanese learner, this book is especially fun, as the author puts simple Japanese phrases into the text -- not so much that someone who knows nothing of Japanese would be lost, but just enough to remind readers this story takes place in Japan.
The first book in this seires reads as if it's a stand-alone with series potential. This book is the start of a larger arc, with plenty of payoffs, but creating more questions than it answers, with an ending that is both a delight and frustration.
This story is great for anyone who enjoys myth-based fantasy and found-family tropes.
February 11, 2026
Oh my! This book took everything great about book 1 and expanded on it. I loved the chapter structure change. Something love in my books is learning about history in the world. The structure of some of the chapters is one of past and present. I loved this structure because we got to learn more about all of our characters! As usual, the story progresses smoothly, with no lulls. The action is smooth and easy to read. It’s easy to see in your mind. The author did a fantastic job making this read like a manga or an anime because while reading, it was so easy to visualize the characters and their actions. The last 30 percent of this book is where things get absolutely wild. So much happens with questions answered and sacrifices made and minds blown into a million tiny fragments! I’m reeling from the end of this book! I don’t know what to think or how to feel but in a good way. I’ll be sitting with this one until book 3 I think. So good and so engaging! Awesome sequel to Blood of the Kami!
February 24, 2026
I have yet to read a bad, non-engaging Baptiste Pinson Wu book and Voice of the Kami doesnt come anywhere close to those standards. With Baptiste, you are getting a terrific tale steeped in Japanese lore and myth and a cast of likeable characters and tough situations. Voice of the Kami puts Ren is such situations to make him grow and become what might be his destiny but the path is never easy nor straight. Ren's growth comes, not through his power, but in dealing with people (and other creatures) that rub him abrasively and yet come out strong.
The 2nd half is fantastically action packed while still allowing for philosophical asides and bitter moments of truth but what got me really excited for this book is the ending. It takes the series in a completely new unexpected direction and while it is a risky move, I am locked in for this journey even more now
Full RTC
The 2nd half is fantastically action packed while still allowing for philosophical asides and bitter moments of truth but what got me really excited for this book is the ending. It takes the series in a completely new unexpected direction and while it is a risky move, I am locked in for this journey even more now
Full RTC
September 12, 2026
In this continuation of the Yaseki Monogateri series, Ren and Fuyuko journey to get away from the battle and run into trouble, so afterwards we see that Ren needs to unleash the power of the Voice of the Kami. The story went into the full depths of Japanese myths and legends, which was really impressive. The pacing was definitely slow but fit in well with the storytelling. It was refreshing to have familiar faces return, and new ones show up to help boost the story. Unfortunately, the ending really threw me off and made me a little disappointed, but the story does have me pulled in. Overall, this was a good fantasy book with plenty of Japanese myths and legends embodied in it.
February 18, 2026
Baptiste is back with his captivating storytelling. Voice of the Kami returns the characters we adore and throws in a collection of new incredible lovable friends and foes! stunning descriptions of environments and yokai show of Baptiste's extensive knowledge and the continuation of Ren's development is gorgeous. Suzume is the best...don't argue with me!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews