Books with title The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy

In a fantasy version of Meiji-era Japan, the country is in a constant state of change and chaos with the coming of the Black Ships and the opening of Japan to the rest of the world. It was a time when anything could happen, and probably did.On the southern island of Kyushu, two children who can turn into birds live with their adopted human parents. An evil feudal overlord kidnaps Azuki for the valuable white and orange feathers she sheds when she is a Toki-bird. Her courageous father dies trying to prevent her capture. With the help of the local birds and animals, her mother sets her free, but is also killed by the overlord’s men. With her parents dead at the evil overlord’s hands, a heartbroken Azuki flees. It’s all her fault! It’s her ridiculous ability to turn into a Toki-bird that caused everything horrible to happen! She destroyed her human family. Maybe she’ll do better as a bird. She’ll join her Toki-kin and give up being human at all. That will make things better. Won’t it? Shota, her brother, can turn into a sparrow, but nobody’s interested in his plain brown feathers. The best he can do is follow his mother’s directions and rouse his own bird-kin to help his sister fly free. But his mother is hurt! She is dying, and Shota can’t think about anything else. But before she dies, their mother tells him all is not lost at home or in the human world for either of her children. She will do whatever she can to help them, living or dead, and she makes of Shota a final request. Shota speeds after Azuki to tell her that they will lose their human inheritance and won’t be able to live in human society at all, ever, unless they return in time to claim it, and return they must, honoring their mother’s wishes. Shota plans to bring Azuki home whether she likes it or not. She is his sister! They must stay together! There must be a way for them to embrace their heritage, all of it — didn’t their mother tell him so?In her desperate search for her Toki-kin, Azuki visits egrets who send her off to the major Toki nesting grounds on Sado-ga-shima, far from their Kyushu home. On the way to a place she doesn’t know, unsure of her welcome, and with no clear directions other than “north and east”, Azuki weathers storms, encounters a fierce mountain ogre, and befriends a dragon who also has a secret. Will she ever reach her goal? What will she find when she gets there?Shota, smaller and slower, doggedly follows the directions from the egrets. In a dream, his late father comes to give him help in his quest to track his sister and bring her home. Shota thinks he knows where Azuki is going, but it’s far from a sure thing. She could join other Toki, she could make a wrong turn, she could give up the idea and do something else! Can he find her? Will he reach her in time? Even if he does, can they possibly get back before the deadline? He is helped on the way by sailors, finding in himself a love of the sea, makes a friend of a war-horse, earns some gold, and just maybe discovers a way to get them back in time to claim their human heritage, so they can live as themselves, even if that isn’t like anybody else.

She loves to weave. Her brother dreams of sailing. But can two powerful siblings keep their way of life alive? Japan, 1872. Dual-natured bird-girl Azuki delights in making her highly desirable woven kimonos. But something about her intricate loom work is making her sick. And even worse, the illness has spread to her majestic Toki plumage. Sparrow-boy Shota worries that his friendship with the Dragon Princess is waning. With his sister falling desperately ill, he hopes to impress the royal dragon-girl by tracking down the legendary crane-woman who can heal Azuki. And as soon as she’s recovered, he can follow his ambition to become a master mariner and help sail Azuki’s gorgeous fabrics to far-flung destinations.But with Shota’s perilous journey attracting the attention of foreign invaders and giant sea monsters, his adventure to save his sister and impress his friend could end up at the bottom of the ocean. Can Shota, Azuki, and their dragon friends join forces to survive the turmoil and protect their dreams? Together is the third book in the Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy historical fantasy series. If you like classical Japanese folklore, enchanting characters, and heroic journeys, then you’ll love Claire Youmans’ captivating tale from the Meiji Era.

In a fantasy version of Meiji-era Japan, the country is in a constant state of change and chaos with the coming of the Black Ships and the opening of Japan to the rest of the world. It was a time when anything could happen, and probably did.On the southern island of Kyushu, two children who can turn into birds live with their adopted human parents. An evil feudal overlord kidnaps Azuki for the valuable white and orange feathers she sheds when she is a Toki-bird. Her courageous father dies trying to prevent her capture. With the help of the local birds and animals, her mother sets her free, but is also killed by the overlord’s men. With her parents dead at the evil overlord’s hands, a heartbroken Azuki flees. It’s all her fault! It’s her ridiculous ability to turn into a Toki-bird that caused everything horrible to happen! She destroyed her human family. Maybe she’ll do better as a bird. She’ll join her Toki-kin and give up being human at all. That will make things better. Won’t it? Shota, her brother, can turn into a sparrow, but nobody’s interested in his plain brown feathers. The best he can do is follow his mother’s directions and rouse his own bird-kin to help his sister fly free. But his mother is hurt! She is dying, and Shota can’t think about anything else. But before she dies, their mother tells him all is not lost at home or in the human world for either of her children. She will do whatever she can to help them, living or dead, and she makes of Shota a final request. Shota speeds after Azuki to tell her that they will lose their human inheritance and won’t be able to live in human society at all, ever, unless they return in time to claim it, and return they must, honoring their mother’s wishes. Shota plans to bring Azuki home whether she likes it or not. She is his sister! They must stay together! There must be a way for them to embrace their heritage, all of it — didn’t their mother tell him so?In her desperate search for her Toki-kin, Azuki visits egrets who send her off to the major Toki nesting grounds on Sado-ga-shima, far from their Kyushu home. On the way to a place she doesn’t know, unsure of her welcome, and with no clear directions other than “north and east”, Azuki weathers storms, encounters a fierce mountain ogre, and befriends a dragon who also has a secret. Will she ever reach her goal? What will she find when she gets there?Shota, smaller and slower, doggedly follows the directions from the egrets. In a dream, his late father comes to give him help in his quest to track his sister and bring her home. Shota thinks he knows where Azuki is going, but it’s far from a sure thing. She could join other Toki, she could make a wrong turn, she could give up the idea and do something else! Can he find her? Will he reach her in time? Even if he does, can they possibly get back before the deadline? He is helped on the way by sailors, finding in himself a love of the sea, makes a friend of a war-horse, earns some gold, and just maybe discovers a way to get them back in time to claim their human heritage, so they can live as themselves, even if that isn’t like anybody else.

A bird-girl may fly between two worlds. But to protect her future, she must reclaim her human rights.Japan, 1871. Toki-girl Azuki wants to share her talents with Japan’s changing world. But without proper status in her community, she can only watch and worry as war engulfs her beloved homeland. So, when she unearths a priceless treasure, she hopes she's found the key that could stop the fighting and win her heart’s desire.Embarking on a treacherous journey to the provincial capital to secure her lord’s approval, Azuki and her sparrow-boy brother join forces with a kindly warrior monk. But with hawk-like demons on the attack and bandits lurking behind every tree, she fears the peaceful land she loves could be lost forever. Will Azuki defeat the demonic forces to reclaim her rights and her home? Chasing Dreams is the thrilling second book in The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy historical fantasy series. If you like heroes from folklore, fiendish enemies, and action-packed adventures, you’ll love Claire Youmans’ mythical story, another tale from the Meiji Era.

Azuki and Shota are finally home! Life in their corner of rural 19th Century Japan is nearly perfect – but Azuki’s sick and Shota doubts his friendship with the Dragon Princess, who is upset because her mother rejects her dual nature. Shota defies his uncle to track down the legendary Crane-girl to help Azuki and impress the Princess. This leads to the discovery of a new and better way to incorporate Azuki’s spectacular feathers in fabrics. When Shota takes his beloved boat to deliver Azuki’s work, he finds trouble – and not just among humans! Even the Dragon King and Princess Renko’s European mother must join forces with Azuki and Shota to repel a sea-monster’s challenge, but it’s Uncle Yuta who crafts a lasting peace.

This three-book omni edition contains the entire text of the first three books in the highly-rated The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy series! The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy Book One: Coming home (2014; American I Publishing)Azuki, the girl who can become a Toki, races across Meiji-era Japan to join her bird-kin. Her parents dead, herself hunted because of her beautiful feathers – what else can she do? Shota, her Sparrow-boy brother, hurries after her. They must return to claim their human status or spend the rest of their lives as human outcasts. Shota know they need to be able to live as both human and bird. Ghosts, ogres, dragons and talking horses – nothing can stand in their way. Shota has to find his sister and get them home in time.When they arrive, there’s war brewing over the domain. They’re not home safely yet. The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-BoyBook Two: Chasing Dreams (2015; American I Publishing) In the middle of battle, Azuki discovers an asset even more valuable than her feathers. Now, Shota and Azuki must reach their lord, secure their status and never, ever give up on themselves or their dreams. As orphaned children, though, their options are limited. Harassed by Tengu, helped by Tanuki, surrounded by stunning technologies and strange new people, Azuki and Shota find a long-lost uncle and can go home at last. The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-BoyBook Three: Together (2016; American I Publishing) Azuki and Shota are finally home! Life in their corner of rural 19th Century Japan is nearly perfect – but Azuki’s sick and Shota doubts his friendship with the Dragon Princess, who is upset because her mother rejects her dual nature. Shota defies his uncle to track down the legendary Crane-girl to help Azuki and impress the Princess. This leads to the discovery of a new and better way to incorporate Azuki’s spectacular feathers in fabrics. When Shota takes his beloved boat to deliver Azuki’s work, he finds trouble – and not just among humans! Even the Dragon King and Princess Renko’s European mother must join forces with Azuki and Shota to repel a sea-monster’s challenge, but it’s Uncle Yuta who crafts a lasting peace.

This three-book omni edition contains the entire text of the first three books in the highly-rated The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy series! The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy Book One: Coming home (2014; American I Publishing)Azuki, the girl who can become a Toki, races across Meiji-era Japan to join her bird-kin. Her parents dead, herself hunted because of her beautiful feathers – what else can she do? Shota, her Sparrow-boy brother, hurries after her. They must return to claim their human status or spend the rest of their lives as human outcasts. Shota know they need to be able to live as both human and bird. Ghosts, ogres, dragons and talking horses – nothing can stand in their way. Shota has to find his sister and get them home in time.When they arrive, there’s war brewing over the domain. They’re not home safely yet. The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-BoyBook Two: Chasing Dreams (2015; American I Publishing) In the middle of battle, Azuki discovers an asset even more valuable than her feathers. Now, Shota and Azuki must reach their lord, secure their status and never, ever give up on themselves or their dreams. As orphaned children, though, their options are limited. Harassed by Tengu, helped by Tanuki, surrounded by stunning technologies and strange new people, Azuki and Shota find a long-lost uncle and can go home at last. The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-BoyBook Three: Together (2016; American I Publishing) Azuki and Shota are finally home! Life in their corner of rural 19th Century Japan is nearly perfect – but Azuki’s sick and Shota doubts his friendship with the Dragon Princess, who is upset because her mother rejects her dual nature. Shota defies his uncle to track down the legendary Crane-girl to help Azuki and impress the Princess. This leads to the discovery of a new and better way to incorporate Azuki’s spectacular feathers in fabrics. When Shota takes his beloved boat to deliver Azuki’s work, he finds trouble – and not just among humans! Even the Dragon King and Princess Renko’s European mother must join forces with Azuki and Shota to repel a sea-monster’s challenge, but it’s Uncle Yuta who crafts a lasting peace.

A bird-girl may fly between two worlds. But to protect her future, she must reclaim her human rights.Japan, 1871. Toki-girl Azuki wants to share her talents with Japan’s changing world. But without proper status in her community, she can only watch and worry as war engulfs her beloved homeland. So, when she unearths a priceless treasure, she hopes she's found the key that could stop the fighting and win her heart’s desire.Embarking on a treacherous journey to the provincial capital to secure her lord’s approval, Azuki and her sparrow-boy brother join forces with a kindly warrior monk. But with hawk-like demons on the attack and bandits lurking behind every tree, she fears the peaceful land she loves could be lost forever. Will Azuki defeat the demonic forces to reclaim her rights and her home? Chasing Dreams is the thrilling second book in The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy historical fantasy series. If you like heroes from folklore, fiendish enemies, and action-packed adventures, you’ll love Claire Youmans’ mythical story, another tale from the Meiji Era.

When Azuki, the girl who turns into a Toki, and her brother, the Sparrow-Boy Shota, finally reach their home village to claim their human identities, they find chaos and war, as the brother of the man who killed their parents and still wants to capture Azuki is fighting the appointment of the new lord of the domain.  A traveling monk shelters them from battle, hiding Azuki in plain sight as a boy acolyte and Shota as her pet sparrow.  In the midst of the fight, Azuki discovers an asset even more valuable than her brilliant feathers.  This, she realizes, is the asset the foreigners seek, and this is what the rightful lord - the one who doesn’t want to kill her - can use to cement his claim!Yuta, the monk, agrees to take them to the capitol and get them in to see the properly appointed Lord Eitaro, but they must outrun the battle first.  Karasu Tengu, nasty bird-humanoids that follow battles and harass monks, spot them and realize Azuki is no ordinary acolyte – or ordinary girl.  Yuta drives them off, but Shota thinks of his friend, Renko, the Dragon Princess, while touching the Wishing Rock she gave him, and the Tengu realize that he knows a Dragon, the old enemy of the evil Tengu.  They vow they will be back with their DaiTengu master, to steal Azuki and challenge the Dragon.Taking shelter in a outcast’s village where the old and sick live outside the law, they make arrangements to travel with deep-woods colliers as far as the nearest town, and thence to the city where Lord Eitaro might be found.  Bandits attack their little group, and Shota flies off for reinforcements.  Blackie, Shota’s horse friend, stolen by the bandits, offers his help and that of Red Wind, a roan mare who claims she is fastest of them all. As they get close to the city, both Azuki and Shota realize how precarious their situation is.  They hadn’t thought beyond getting home, not completely realizing that as children, they were completely under the power of adults who could do pretty much anything with them.  That would be hard for any children, much less children who can and must turn into birds.  Shota tells the Dragon Princess that the Tengu know about her.  She will help them, she says, and will be keeping watch.  Azuki encounters a Tanuki in the wood who has a surprising message for them both.Once they reach the city, Azuki spots a new style of loom, one of the many stunning technologies the foreigners have brought.  She loves to weave, she’s good at it, and she wants that loom, so while Yuta goes to visit the Abbot at the big Temple and arrange an audience with their lord, Azuki sneaks out – and she’s caught.  Has she forfeited her opportunity to see and work the marvelous loom forever?The Abbot arranges for them to meet with Lady Satsuki, Lord Eitaro’s wife, and their daughter, Anko.  There, they can impart their news of the coal discovery, which will ensure Eitaro’s position.   There, too, the children’s fate will be decided.  How can they be themselves and follow their dreams when the world that has so much power over them doesn’t have a place for bird-children?Then there’s the DaiTengu, the humanoid form of the monster, that wants Azuki’s feathers for its wind-making fans even if she isn’t a female Tengu. Can Azuki escape once more?  Will the Dragon Princess defeat the DaiTengu?  How can Shota and Azuki survive in a human world when they aren’t entirely human?  Can they find a way to live as themselves among humans who will accept them as they are?  Will they find a way to chase their dreams and make them whole?

Third in The Toki-Girl and Sparrow-Boy Series of tales from the Meiji Era. Azuki and Shota are finally home! Life in their corner of rural 19th Century Japan is nearly perfect – but Azuki’s sick and Shota doubts his friendship with the Dragon Princess, who is upset because her mother rejects her dual nature. Shota defies his uncle to track down the legendary Crane-girl to help Azuki and impress the Princess. This leads to the discovery of a new and better way to incorporate Azuki’s spectacular feathers in fabrics. When Shota takes his beloved boat to deliver Azuki’s work, he finds trouble – and not just among humans! Even the Dragon King and Princess Renko’s European mother must join forces with Azuki and Shota to repel a sea-monster’s challenge, but it’s Uncle Yuta who crafts a lasting peace.

Her only choice is to run away. But if she can't return in time, she'll be an outcast for life! Japan, 1870. For bird-girl Azuki, being dual-natured is dangerous. With a greedy overlord coveting her beautiful Toki feathers, she attempts to keep her head down. But when he murders her parents in a failed kidnapping, Azuki's only escape is to spread her wings and take to the skies. Sparrow-boy Shota has no time to grieve. As his mother dies in his arms, he makes a promise to find his sister and warn her that she must come back. For unless Shota and Azuki make it home by the quarter-day, they'll lose their chance to return forever. As he barters his way across the country, the obstacles of ogres, storms, and time stand between two siblings and their hopes of citizenship and happiness.In a rapidly-modernizing world, can Azuki and Shota return before they're banished without a place to call home? Coming Home is the enchanting first novel in the Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy historical fantasy series. If you like mythical creatures, unique folklore, and fast-paced adventure, then you’ll love Claire Youmans’ captivating tale from the Meiji Era.