Warrior Born (Book 1 of the Katana Series)

Conner MacDonald, named for her grandfather who fought at Culloden, is the awaited redeemer of the Celts and destined to bring glory to the Scots through her horsemanship. She also was chosen Daughter of the Blade by the Samurai God's Katana. Watched over by Epona, the Celtic goddess, and trained by Yokami, the Samarai God, she has a destiny to fulfill in modern day Australia.

Reader beware, this is not a happy story, though the ending is wrapped up while allowing for a continuation. As with any heroic mythology, Conner is sorely tried and tested, to be proven and honed. Scenes of brutality, death, and near rape are vivid, but not obscenely graphic, and Conner has a backbone of steel while still being human; broken but not beaten. That proving, however, doesn't seem to have a point aside from her survival. Blending Celtic and Japanese mythology is brilliant and something rarely, if ever, done and while the two mythologies are vastly different from each other, it works. The downside to the blend is that a massive pantheon of gods from all over is hinted at, but never explained, and leaves one wondering why a Celtic goddess has so little real power, why her riders are nearly incapable of rescuing their champion, and the Japanese god, set up to be all-knowing, is also often late or unable to help. Scene transitions are very jagged, and entire scenes could be left out without incident. Readers will be rooting for Conner, laughing and crying with her, while salivating to know more about such an eclectic mix of gods and the worlds they're from.

Julie York