Time of the Dragons

Jebu has just completed his initiation into the secretive Order of Zinja when he is sent from his mountain temple to Kamakura. His first mission is to escort Shima Taniko, a young and strong-willed noblewoman, along the Tokaido road to Heian Kyo, where she is to marry the powerful Prince Horigawa. The journey exposes them to the hostility between the Red Dragon Takashi and White Dragon Muratomo clans, while the attraction developing between Jebu and Taniko conflicts with her family obligations and his obedience to the Order.

After political violence overturns the apparent stability of the imperial court, Jebu enters Muratomo service and helps the young warrior Yukio escape Takashi control. Their flight takes them to China, where Song resistance, Mongol armies and the struggle for leadership within the empire enlarge the conflict far beyond Japan. Taniko’s own fortunes bring her into Kublai Khan’s household, placing her close to imperial power while leaving her vulnerable to it. The first volume establishes the personal and political loyalties that will drive the War of the Dragons.