Gate to Kagoshima

In the second book in the Ancestor Memories historical fantasy series, a young woman finds herself back in 1920s Tokyo as Japan enters a new and dangerous era—and a deadly tragedy awaits her city.Yui Sanada struggles to raise her twelve-year-old brother, Hiro, while contending with the antics of their neglectful, alcoholic mother. During a trip to Ueno Park, Hiro runs away from his sister into a strange passage beneath a samurai statue. Yui chases after him and soon finds herself in a Tokyo far removed from the familiar world of 1995. When Yui emerges from the tunnel, she cannot find Hiro but meets a young woman named Chiyo and her family and learns she has traveled back through time to 1923. As feelings between the two women develop, Yui and realizes it’s just weeks before the devastating Great Kanto Earthquake will happen, killing tens of thousands and leveling the city. Will Yui be able to find her brother and save her new family from the coming disaster? 

"Gate to Kagoshima is an action-packed adventure that opens in Scotland and makes its way to Kagoshima, Japan, as our heroine flees the ghosts of relationships past only to find new loves―and new heartbreak. Set at the close of the Samurai era, the story blends Outlander by way of Before the Coffee Gets Cold."—Marie Claire"A terrific ‘what if’ time-travel novel with an intriguing historical element, epic battles, and a dash of romance."—Adrian Cousins, author of The Jason Apsley seriesIn this exciting historical romantasy in the spirit of The Hurricane Wars and The Time Traveler’s Wife—Outlander set in Japan—a young Scottish woman is magically transported to the last Samurai era, where she encounters ghosts from the past, her own Japanese ancestry, and a love that transcends time.While in Japan researching her family’s history, a vicious typhoon sends Isla Mackenzie 128 years back in time, to the dawn of the Satsuma Rebellion. There she meets her ancestors, and a charismatic samurai, Kei, with whom she unexpectedly finds romance.But, unlike her Beloved, Isla knows about the looming Samurai rebellion—and Kai’s fate. Should she attempt to change history or somehow make her way back to the life she’d had before?Compulsively readable, historically grounded, and irresistibly immersive, Gate to Kagoshima is an unforgettable tale of duty, and of timeless love.  The book is beautifully designed and features colored and illustrated sprayed edges—purple with stenciled moonscape and cherry blossoms.

The only thing to fear about the past is it may destroy the future...'Fun, romantic and heartbreaking. Serious Outlander vibes with a fresh new twist.' Pim Wangtechawat, author of The Moon Represents my HeartA Marie Claire Summer Reads Pick, 20242005: While researching her Japanese ancestors, Isla travels from Scotland to Kagoshima. There, a vicious typhoon hurls her through a strange white gate and back to 1877, amid the dawn of the Satsuma Rebellion - the conflict that ended the samurai.When she meets Keiichiro Maeda, a samurai who introduces her to a way of life only previously encountered in books, Isla begins to wonder if she has found her true home. But as the samurai fight a losing battle, she is increasingly distraught. Should she forewarn Keiichiro and save the man she loves or let him die the glorious death he so believes in, proud to the end that he remained a faithful warrior?And what will become of Isla? Is she willing to leave the past behind, knowing her future will forever be changed? 'Refreshingly original... A stunning debut.' Jason Ayres, author of The Time Bubble series