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Seasons of the Sword #2
Bright Eyes: Sakura-Con Special Edition
THIS IS A SPECIAL EDITION — THE REGULAR EDITION COMES OUT ON MAY 5, 2022!
244 pages, Hardcover
Published April 5, 2022
8 people are currently reading
5030 people want to read
About the author
David Kudler
58 books187 followersDavid Kudler is a writer and editor living just north of the Golden Gate Bridge with his wife, actress, teacher, and author Maura Vaughn, their author-to-be daughters, and their (apparently) non-literary cats.
His award-winning novel Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale , a young-adult historical adventure novel set in sixteenth century Japan, serves as the first book in the Seasons of the Sword series. The sequel, Bright Eyes , hit the shelves on May 5, 2022. He's now hard at work on Book 3 ( Kano ).
He served as managing editor for the Collected Works of Joseph Campbell, editing Pathways to Bliss, Myths of Light, and Campbell's Asian Journals) in addition to managing the publication of over a hundred other print, ebook, print, audio, and video titles, including the first revised edition of the seminal The Hero with a Thousand Faces since the author's death.
Currently, he serves as publisher for Stillpoint Digital Press, producing fine print, ebook, and audiobook editions for all ages in a wide variety of genres from philosophy and poetry to memoir and historical to fantasy and romance.
His award-winning novel Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale , a young-adult historical adventure novel set in sixteenth century Japan, serves as the first book in the Seasons of the Sword series. The sequel, Bright Eyes , hit the shelves on May 5, 2022. He's now hard at work on Book 3 ( Kano ).
He served as managing editor for the Collected Works of Joseph Campbell, editing Pathways to Bliss, Myths of Light, and Campbell's Asian Journals) in addition to managing the publication of over a hundred other print, ebook, print, audio, and video titles, including the first revised edition of the seminal The Hero with a Thousand Faces since the author's death.
Currently, he serves as publisher for Stillpoint Digital Press, producing fine print, ebook, and audiobook editions for all ages in a wide variety of genres from philosophy and poetry to memoir and historical to fantasy and romance.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 9, 2022
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Bright Eyes is the second installment within the Swords of the Seasons series. Just like in the first book, we are still following Risuko. Unlike the first book, though, things did not hit any bumps in the road or get boring. Which, yes, I was very thankful for because I could see the potential lurking in the corners.
She definitely hits the ground running after initiating. So, it's pretty safe to state that is constantly challenged and always learning. Through in a murder mystery to solve and I was completely hooked. It also didn't hurt that we met a bunch of new people which ended up making me oddly suspicious of every little thing.
Besides all of the action, we also get some secrets revealed. I've been dying to figure out everything about her father and family. Now that we know what we know, I'm secretly wishing for the next book to fall into my lap.
In the end, I definitely enjoyed the heck out of this book. So happy that I found this series and look forward to Risuko's next adventure!
Bright Eyes is the second installment within the Swords of the Seasons series. Just like in the first book, we are still following Risuko. Unlike the first book, though, things did not hit any bumps in the road or get boring. Which, yes, I was very thankful for because I could see the potential lurking in the corners.
She definitely hits the ground running after initiating. So, it's pretty safe to state that is constantly challenged and always learning. Through in a murder mystery to solve and I was completely hooked. It also didn't hurt that we met a bunch of new people which ended up making me oddly suspicious of every little thing.
Besides all of the action, we also get some secrets revealed. I've been dying to figure out everything about her father and family. Now that we know what we know, I'm secretly wishing for the next book to fall into my lap.
In the end, I definitely enjoyed the heck out of this book. So happy that I found this series and look forward to Risuko's next adventure!
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July 17, 2017
Is it 2018 yet?
May 2, 2022
An exciting and imaginative story that continues to follow the main character, Kano Murasaki, called Risuko (Squirrel) in sixteenth-century Japan.
This is an entertaining coming of age tale with some lovable characters that you can’t help but root for and invest your time cheering them on. The world building is rich and thoroughly engrossing with such descriptive detail that you can just “see” everything so clearly.
I really enjoyed this book and Mr. Kudler’s writing style. I recommend this series whole heartedly.
It was my pleasure to receive a free advance review copy of this book but that does not in any way affect my opinions in this review of this entertaining story.
This is an entertaining coming of age tale with some lovable characters that you can’t help but root for and invest your time cheering them on. The world building is rich and thoroughly engrossing with such descriptive detail that you can just “see” everything so clearly.
I really enjoyed this book and Mr. Kudler’s writing style. I recommend this series whole heartedly.
It was my pleasure to receive a free advance review copy of this book but that does not in any way affect my opinions in this review of this entertaining story.
May 7, 2022
David Kudler crafts an enthralling, unputdownable tale due in no small part to his outstanding worldbuilding.
Read full review in the 2022 May issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2022 May issue of InD'tale Magazine.
March 30, 2022
I read the first book in this series, Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale, and have been desperately looking forward to reading the sequel. And it has more than lived up to the wait.
The series follows Kano Murasaki, known as Risuko, as she is purchased away from her mother and brought to a mysterious school in the Japanese Alps to train to become a shrine maiden, but also a kunoichi — in this take, not a ninja-like shadow warrior, but a spy/assassin. Risuko's challenge is that her father, a disgraced samurai who disappeared mysteriously, made her promise to "do no harm." She doesn't want to hurt or kill, but that's what she's being trained to do.
As this book begins, two warlords, Lord Matsudaira and Lord Takeda, bring their troops to the school, the Full Moon, to plan an attack on their supposed ally, Lord Oda.
There is tension between the two armies, and the women of the Full Moon struggle to keep both the peace and their cover. The struggle becomes even more difficult when a samurai is found dead in the compound. It is up to Risuko and her friends to solve the mystery and prevent further bloodshed.
I loved Bright Eyes: A Kunoichi Tale on many levels. It is full of cultural and historical detail that immersed me in this fascinating period. It also works as a wonderful murder mystery, with fun twists and turns, red herrings, a tense courtroom sequence, and a surprising, satisfying conclusion — I wasn't able to spot the solution to the mystery (unusual for me) but the final reveal(s) landed perfectly.
And, of course, it is also a coming-of-age story, following Risuko as she grows more mature and assured — as she begins to who she is, at where she truly comes from, and where she wants to go.
The cast of characters is much larger than the first book, but I had no problem following who was who (the character list at the beginning helped). There's a mix of very different characters — male and female, young and old, high-born and low — that add to the intrigue and the excitement. And of course, my favorite characters from the first book (Lady Chiyome, Kee Sun, Mieko, Sachi) were back, like old friends
Bright Eyes is a compelling, fast-moving young adult historical adventure. I can't wait to read book #3!
The series follows Kano Murasaki, known as Risuko, as she is purchased away from her mother and brought to a mysterious school in the Japanese Alps to train to become a shrine maiden, but also a kunoichi — in this take, not a ninja-like shadow warrior, but a spy/assassin. Risuko's challenge is that her father, a disgraced samurai who disappeared mysteriously, made her promise to "do no harm." She doesn't want to hurt or kill, but that's what she's being trained to do.
As this book begins, two warlords, Lord Matsudaira and Lord Takeda, bring their troops to the school, the Full Moon, to plan an attack on their supposed ally, Lord Oda.
There is tension between the two armies, and the women of the Full Moon struggle to keep both the peace and their cover. The struggle becomes even more difficult when a samurai is found dead in the compound. It is up to Risuko and her friends to solve the mystery and prevent further bloodshed.
I loved Bright Eyes: A Kunoichi Tale on many levels. It is full of cultural and historical detail that immersed me in this fascinating period. It also works as a wonderful murder mystery, with fun twists and turns, red herrings, a tense courtroom sequence, and a surprising, satisfying conclusion — I wasn't able to spot the solution to the mystery (unusual for me) but the final reveal(s) landed perfectly.
And, of course, it is also a coming-of-age story, following Risuko as she grows more mature and assured — as she begins to who she is, at where she truly comes from, and where she wants to go.
The cast of characters is much larger than the first book, but I had no problem following who was who (the character list at the beginning helped). There's a mix of very different characters — male and female, young and old, high-born and low — that add to the intrigue and the excitement. And of course, my favorite characters from the first book (Lady Chiyome, Kee Sun, Mieko, Sachi) were back, like old friends
Bright Eyes is a compelling, fast-moving young adult historical adventure. I can't wait to read book #3!
April 19, 2022
Wow, this Risuko’s sequel was living up my expectations! It was gripping from the start, more action-packed, more character development, and more mystery elements added.
Bright Eyes tells more about Risuko’s everyday life in Full Moon (a school for kunoichi) after she’s become initiates. But, in this sequel, Risuko is facing a murder mystery, warlords, suspicion about a spy among kunoichi, and dealing with the truth about her father. More characters involved here, making the plot more complicated and exciting.
Just a thought about the titles in this series. The first book titled Risuko, second is Bright Eyes (her nickname given by Kee Sun, the cook), and the next book is Kano (Risuko’s family name). I think that the titles are depicting the development of Risuko as she lived up her all name and nicknames. Risuko (Book 1) is about her as ‘squirrel’, jumping from her home to the Full Moon. Bright Eyes is about her as initiates, with improved skill and intuition, and how her ‘bright eyes’ see the little details and helps solve the murder mystery. Next is Kano and I think it will going to be about her living up her father’s name and her fight to return his father’s honor. I really can’t wait for the next book to come!
Bright Eyes tells more about Risuko’s everyday life in Full Moon (a school for kunoichi) after she’s become initiates. But, in this sequel, Risuko is facing a murder mystery, warlords, suspicion about a spy among kunoichi, and dealing with the truth about her father. More characters involved here, making the plot more complicated and exciting.
Just a thought about the titles in this series. The first book titled Risuko, second is Bright Eyes (her nickname given by Kee Sun, the cook), and the next book is Kano (Risuko’s family name). I think that the titles are depicting the development of Risuko as she lived up her all name and nicknames. Risuko (Book 1) is about her as ‘squirrel’, jumping from her home to the Full Moon. Bright Eyes is about her as initiates, with improved skill and intuition, and how her ‘bright eyes’ see the little details and helps solve the murder mystery. Next is Kano and I think it will going to be about her living up her father’s name and her fight to return his father’s honor. I really can’t wait for the next book to come!
July 12, 2022
Excellent series
Wow, what a page turner. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. Risuko has to be one of my favorite female main characters of all time. Can't say enough good things about this book.
Wow, what a page turner. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. Risuko has to be one of my favorite female main characters of all time. Can't say enough good things about this book.
August 25, 2022
Bright Eyes is a Kunoichi Tale by David Kudler. The future of Japan hangs in the balance, and it's up to a girl who likes to climb to save the day. Two armies have descended on the Full Moon, and the war that has torn Japan apart for over a century threatens to destroy Lady Chiyome's school for young shrine maidens (and assassins). In this thrilling sequel to Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale, Risuko must face warlords, samurai, angry cooks, a monster in the hills, the truth about her father, a spy among the kunoichi, and a murderer. Someone kills a Takeda lieutenant, staging it to look like suicide. Can Risuko figure out who would do such thing? And can she keep it from happening again?
Bright Eyes is a book that I desperately wanted to read as soon as I saw it existed, and dreaded reading since it had been so long since I had read Risuko. which I remember loving but worried that I would not remember enough to follow this sequel or that it would not live up to my expectations. I should not have worried, or put of starting the book because of those worries for so long. I enjoyed this read just as much as Risuko, and honestly look forward to more. I thought the continued character development for the major characters was well done, and the mystery was handled very well. There were clues, red herrings, and interesting information about all the major players through out the book leaving readers wondering which were the really important bits for the mystery and which were there to help us understand the characters and situation even better. Even though I felt like it had been too long since I read the first book there were little hints about what had happened. Just enough to remind me, but not enough that would bore or bother readers reading the books back to back. In fact, I know there are a few novellas or short stories tied into this series , which I now need to go find and read as soon as possible. I really enjoyed the read and think it will be a hit with a wide range of readers.
Bright Eyes is an engaging and entertaining read that delivers a rollercoaster of emotion.
Bright Eyes is a book that I desperately wanted to read as soon as I saw it existed, and dreaded reading since it had been so long since I had read Risuko. which I remember loving but worried that I would not remember enough to follow this sequel or that it would not live up to my expectations. I should not have worried, or put of starting the book because of those worries for so long. I enjoyed this read just as much as Risuko, and honestly look forward to more. I thought the continued character development for the major characters was well done, and the mystery was handled very well. There were clues, red herrings, and interesting information about all the major players through out the book leaving readers wondering which were the really important bits for the mystery and which were there to help us understand the characters and situation even better. Even though I felt like it had been too long since I read the first book there were little hints about what had happened. Just enough to remind me, but not enough that would bore or bother readers reading the books back to back. In fact, I know there are a few novellas or short stories tied into this series , which I now need to go find and read as soon as possible. I really enjoyed the read and think it will be a hit with a wide range of readers.
Bright Eyes is an engaging and entertaining read that delivers a rollercoaster of emotion.
January 14, 2022
Loved the first book — the second takes everything I enjoyed in Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale, and dials it up a notch! There's cloak and dagger, a murder to investigate, and of course the characters continue to grow in wonderful ways.
May 31, 2022
The was an excellent way to continue off of Risuko. The way that the book throws all these twist and turns at you is just astounding. Especially the ending to the book, that was one hell of a cliff hanger.
This was another amazing book for me to read. So keep up the amazing work and I look forward to reading the next book. :)
This was another amazing book for me to read. So keep up the amazing work and I look forward to reading the next book. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2022
When I first picked up Bright Eyes I had no idea that this book was part of a series, which I will definitely be reading going forward. I wasn't sure how I would feel about this one initially but it was a really engaging and compelling story!
April 4, 2022
I didn't realise that this was part of a series so I will definitely go back and read the first before reading this one again as I think I would understand some things more than I did the first time around. It was a well written storyline that was engaging and compelling and well developed characters that I loved and think I will love even more on a reread after the first book.
May 31, 2022
I was a huge fan of the first book, Risuko, and have been looking forward to this sequel. It fulfilled my expectation and exceeded them. My favorite characters from Risuko are back, but I love that they've grown. Where the first book had a number of large mysteries that Risuko was trying to unravel (what was the school she was sent to? Who kept breaking into Masugu's things, and why? Who could be trusted?), Bright Eyes is an honest to goodness murder mystery that Risuko and her friends have to solve. There are a number of twists and turns, and while I had worked out parts of the mystery, I didn't see the real solution coming — but when it came, I found it very satisfying (and also more that a little sad).
The book ends with Risuko, Emi, and Toumi heading off on a mission. I can't wait to see what happens in book 3!
The book ends with Risuko, Emi, and Toumi heading off on a mission. I can't wait to see what happens in book 3!
April 15, 2025
This is a wonderful sequel to Risuko. I enjoyed it thoroughly and can't wait to keep reading the series. There were twists, turns, and reveals that made me gasp and cuss aloud.
May 1, 2022
I didn't realize this book is part of the series so I will give my opinion only based this one. First thing that caught my eyes is how enrich this book with Japan Feudal era as setting. The MC Risuko easily gripping my attention with her character arc since beginning. I think she got enough depth and developing in whole book.
This book is fast pace and packed with action. The plot is complicate enough with additional of mysteries elements but still easy to follow. I really love it and will try go got my hand to the another books in series to enrich my experience.
I received a free copy of this book but my opinion are my own.
This book is fast pace and packed with action. The plot is complicate enough with additional of mysteries elements but still easy to follow. I really love it and will try go got my hand to the another books in series to enrich my experience.
I received a free copy of this book but my opinion are my own.
April 8, 2022
This book was unimpressive. Supposedly it takes place in the 1500's in Japan. The dialog between the women, girls, and the men is mind boggling.
May 1, 2024
👁️✨ A captivating adventure filled with intrigue and magic 🪄 Very good-read for fans of fantasy & mystery 📚
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews