The Ivory Pinion

by Irina Shuranova

For readers who love lyrical, atmospheric fiction in the tradition of Catherynne M. Valente and Madeline Miller.

A mysterious woman guided by dreams arrives at an Inari shrine in search of an ancient scroll hidden in the imperial capital. She does not fully understand why it calls to her — only that it is bound to something buried deep within her: lost memories, forgotten power, and the truth of who she is.

At the shrine, she meets Reine, a quiet wanderer who is neither fully human nor fully spirit. Recognizing one another through fate, they form an uneasy alliance and travel together to the capital. There, among poets, salons, hidden archives, and courtly masks, their search draws them into a world of beauty, secrecy, and dangerous magic.

But the scroll is not the only thing waiting for them. In the capital, they attract the attention of Kanemori, a powerful noble mage who becomes fascinated by the mysterious woman, intrigued by Reine, and increasingly obsessed with the bond between them. What begins as a search soon turns into a struggle over memory, power, and possession. As desire sharpens into control and fascination becomes a trap, she must fight to reclaim not only the scroll, but herself.

Set in a dreamlike world inspired by Japanese myth and courtly intrigue, The Ivory Pinion is a literary dark fantasy of memory, identity, obsession, and slow-burning love. Atmospheric, intimate, and psychologically layered, it is a story about what cannot be owned, what survives transformation, and what it means to choose love freely.

112 pages, ebook

First published May 3, 2026

About the author

Irina Shuranova is a Ukrainian author based in the UAE, writing in English. Her work explores identity under pressure - the ways love, fear, power, and longing alter the self. Rooted in psychological depth, dark lyricism, and symbolic design, her fiction is drawn to attachment, shadow work, and inner transformation.

She writes for readers who are drawn to emotionally precise prose, psychologically layered characters, and stories where beauty and darkness move together. She holds a Master’s degree in Psychology and is the author of Petals And The Locked Sky.

Reviews

[Rachel Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure I was the right reader for this one. While I might seem to be the target demographic, as an almost exclusive reader of fantasy of all variety, this one didn't really hit the mark for me, unfortunately.

My impression of this was, in some respects, similar to my feelings about Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus. Beautifully atmospheric, with poor plotting and non-existent character development. The Ivory Pinion was a mixed bag for me. It was ethereal to the point of ambiguity. While some of the prose was deliciously descriptive, at times it left me wondering what some of it was even supposed to mean.

The plot? Super special snowflake woman (Kitsune) enlists spirit man (Reine) to accompany her on a quest for a scroll. We know not what the scroll contains (and we're never actually told). Incidentally, every man along the way finds Kitsune mysterious and intriguing. When she finally acquires the scroll, one man in particular (Kanemori) wants to possess her and attempts to entrap her. I realize this might be a gross oversimplification, but this (and trust me on this) is much more clear and concise than anything you'll read in this book.

Characterization? Other than knowing how super special Kitsune is and how all the men find her super-intriguing (and the many shades of kimonos she wears), we know surprisingly little about our female protagonist. We know even less about our male protagonist … there's not nearly as much commentary about what *he* wears. He pretty much exists for the sole purpose of being a love interest, wearing a super special spirit ring, combing her hair, and being the gentleman in jeopardy (as opposed to the damsel in distress). There isn't any discernable character arc. The relationship between the two isn't incredibly dynamic.

The conflict felt like an overdone nothing burger. Without leaving spoilers, the protagonist and villain essentially go round and round in a "yes, you will!" "No, i won't!" situation on repeat. There were zero high stakes. Honestly, I was never really clear on what the stakes were. I mean, worst case scenario would have been … inconvenient and I'm not sure what else? And THAT was the biggest problem with the book. The plot was vague, the characters were vague, the conflict was vague, the consequences were vague … see a theme? I wanted something (anything!) to be clear.

Grammatically speaking, the author did not use standard notation for dialog ("______.") and instead used a colon before included (kind of like a script, but not really). The quote-colons were just thrown all willy-nilly around in paragraphs. And em dashes … lots of em dashes. And sentence fragments … those, however, seemed to fit with the vibe of the story. Additionally, there was some interesting shifting between tenses that I didn't enjoy. I *think* it was intentional. It didn't work for me.

I realize this is largely negative, and I hate that. It was actually clear to me that the author had some absolutely beautiful turns of phrase, and I wanted to love this. The idea of a sweeping love story between a fox-woman and spirit on a quest for a scroll of nebulous content while being thwarted by an enemy who wanted to use the scroll for nefarious purposes sounded like a fantastic story. I just prefer for there to be a bit more concrete to my plot and a bit more arc for my characters. This was probably about 2.6 star read for me.

Overall, it felt like it was trying to be enigmatic and cerebral, and, for some people, it might be the best thing since fluffernutter sandwiches. (Those some people might also be the some people who raved over The Night Circus.) I think I'd rather have the fluffernutter sandwich.

***I received an advance reader copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.***

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up

The Ivory Pinion felt like you were reading something much, much older than it is. Heavy on figurative language, sometimes written almost like a script, the writing and story itself felt like reading a folktale of old which was new and refreshing. While an enjoyable story, I felt like the writing could get a bit repetitive, and the intentionally distant POV kept you a little too distant at times as well.

[Bob Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ivory Pinion is a quietly hypnotic novel that uses the aesthetics of Heian Japan — lantern light, silk, ceremony — as a stage for a deeply psychological drama of desire, autonomy, and the difference between love and possession. The story follows Kitsune, a fox spirit from a foreign shore, and Reine, her cryptic companion, as they search for an ancient scroll through a capital full of watching eyes. What begins as a quest narrative gradually transforms into something far more interior.
The novel's emotional core is the triangle between Kitsune, Reine, and Kanemori, and it is here that Shuranova's psychological instincts are sharpest. The three characters represent three fundamentally different relationships to power. Reine holds power and consistently «refuses to use it against her»; his protection is defined not by control, but by restraint and presence. Kitsune herself embodies sovereign selfhood: she negotiates, she consents, she sets terms, and she never truly loses herself even in captivity. Kanemori, by contrast, is a study in the pathology of desire, a man who cannot distinguish wanting to possess from wanting to know.
What makes Kanemori genuinely compelling is that the author refuses to make him simply a villain. His chapter of solitary monologue, "Is this love? No. It is sickness. Obsession", reads as a moment of devastating self-awareness that changes nothing about his behavior, which is psychologically precise. He sees clearly and still cannot stop. His arc from predator to penitent, culminating in the breaking of the pact, feels earned rather than convenient.
The relationship between Kitsune and Reine is rendered with admirable subtlety. Their bond is communicated almost entirely through gesture: a comb carved from wood, a forehead pressed to a shoulder, a ring worn on the hand where the vein of the soul runs. It is a love defined by recognition rather than conquest, which makes it the quiet structural argument of the entire novel: that true intimacy cannot be designed or demanded, only grown.
The Ivory Pinion is not a fast novel. It is a novel of atmosphere, of repeated ritual moments that accrue meaning. Readers who give themselves to its rhythm will find something genuinely moving at its center, a meditation on what it means to be seen without being owned.
This is actually my second novel by Irina Shuranova, and once again I find myself struck by how consistently she builds psychological depth into her characters. There is something she does with interpersonal dynamics that feels genuinely rare: the tensions between her characters never feel manufactured, they feel observed. I will keep reading her work.
I also want to note that the slow, lyrical pace of this book suited me completely. Some readers may want more plot urgency, but for me, a novel that trusts its atmosphere and takes its time with feeling is exactly the kind of fiction I return to.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved this book from the author and I really enjoyed it! The story is so full of imagery and it's written beautifully. It reminds me of folk tales that I used to read as a kid and kept me engaged. I hope others like this book as well :).

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ruslana Pidsadiuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never read anything like this before. It felt like a song, like a legend, like a poem.

It was so beautiful. So delicate and deeply metaphorical.

This book draws you in from the very first pages, from the very first paragraphs. You sink into a quiet, enchanting, complex world of old Japan, where even the silence of the characters feels poetic.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ivory Pinion is a beautifully atmospheric, Japanese folklore–inspired tale about love and greed, with characters that quickly grow on you. It’s a story best experienced firsthand, as words can hardly do it justice.