Tales of the Sunrise Lands: Anthology of Fantasy Japan

by David Stokes, Richard Parks, Laura VanArendonk Baugh

Japan has long fascinated with its unique culture and elaborate folklore. This anthology collects fantasy stories inspired by the culture and literary traditions of the Japanese. From steadfast samurai and contemplative monks, to transforming animals, horrifying spirits, end everyday items come to life, these tales transport you to the magical world of the Sunrise Lands.

*An itinerant monk and his animal companion follow an evil wind to a desolate village.
*An onmyōji astrologer investigates the murder of a man who held secrets of the Imperial family.
*The gods' gift of good luck is accompanied by an invisible cat.
*The daughter of a fallen samurai is drawn back into her violent past to defend a village from attacking rōnin.
*A little girl is caught between a mischievous fox and a talking fish.

18 stories of magical Japan, Mike Adamson, Stewart C Baker, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, Jaap Boekestein, Evan Dicken, Alice Dryden, Steven Grassie, Alison Akkiko McBain, Harry Elliot, Marta Murvosh, Kirstie Olley, Richard Parks, Frances Pauli, TS Rhodes, Douglas Smith, Lyn Thorne-Adler, Josh Wagner, Will Weisser.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2017

Reviews

[Alice]

Disclaimer: I have a story, 'Midway', in this anthology.

Lots of foxes in these tales, including mine, but you can never have too many foxes, right?

Most of my knowledge of Japanese folklore comes courtesy of Pokémon and Studio Ghibli, so I enjoyed getting a bit deeper into the mythology and superstition. Standouts were the cute 'Fireworks and Foxes' and the macabre 'Skull Pillow Diary'.

[Sun P. Persona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing anthology. Filled to the brim with inventive stories cover a ton of genres. Here you'll encounter tales of wandering monks, mystic fishes, warriors, and government employed oracles. Even the 'worst' story here is some of the finest fiction I've read this year.

[Renee Babcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this anthology closer to a 3.5. The stories on the whole were interesting and I enjoyed this reading them.

All but 2 stories were historical. Interestingly the first and last stories seemed contemporary. It felt a little odd to have such an imbalanced mix like that. I also would have liked it if more of the stories featured women main characters (only about 4 did but the majority were about men). Still an enjoyable set of stories.

[Brandy Ackerley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this anthology. My favourite story was the first one, Hanabi To Kitsune, the story of a girl who learns something interesting about herself when she "borrows" her grandmother's best kimono to wear to a festival.