The characters and setting here have promise. Who doesn't love magic mixed with feudal Japan and a splash of drama?

However, even for a novella the plot and happenings felt abrupt and shallow. I wanted to like the characters, but the entire read left me feeling like I had just read the text of a comic without any of the images. It did read much like a graphic novel or comic, but without the visuals to back it up, it did not work for me.

I'd be willing to read future ones, again because this has plenty of promise (and the opening lines were kickass), but overall I couldn't get into the stories or characters.

I received this copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntary.