Gifts poured through the gates for weeks, coming not only from the greatest families living in the land of Yamato, but also from as far away as Silla and Tang. Servants from the palace went down the mountain to offer rice, fish, and sake to the poor in Heijo-kyo. Yet in celebration of Hirotsugu’s birth, his father, Umakai, sent an order to his bailiff to decree half a day off for all workers. These were the days when finishing the paddy field work was paramount, lest next year’s crops be affected. It was late May, close to the final days of planting the rice. The uguisu sang from dusk until dawn, and a crane appeared in the palace garden and didn’t leave for five days.

On the day Fujiwara no Hirotsugu was born, Mount Kasuga was covered in golden shimmering kagerō rising from the ground to cloak the mountain in mist. This is the first in a series and I can’t wait to read on.Kagerō: The quivering appearance of the mist rising from the hot surface of the ground” As he discovers the world around him, he also meets a human boy, and they develop a sweet friendship that, over time and after reuniting after a separation where they each grow into their own, becomes a romance.ĭespite how short this story is, Lake nonetheless manages to perfectly set the scene, delving into Japanese folklore and myth, all through the eyes of a curious and adorable protagonist, who is both naive and wise and, like mortals, just as susceptible to heartbreak, remorse, and love. This is such a sweet, magical, little story of the birth, and early years, of a kitsune a fox god. Genre : LGBTQIA+ historical fiction/fantasy Series : Takamagahara Monogatari (book 1) ‘Kogitsune’ is a retelling of the famous Noh theater play ‘Kokaji’, a story about a swordsmith who requests the help of the Inari god to build a sword for emperor Ichijo (980-1011). However, the vast differences of the worlds they live in can’t be ignored, as their relationship is frowned upon by both humans and spirits.Īs Kogitsune’s feelings for his human friend turn from friendship to something deeper, he will learn that love can be all consuming and heartbreaking.

A friendship between a young fox god and his human childhood friend is built on deception, but grows stronger and purer as it’s driven by common purpose.

A coming of age story set in medieval Japan.

Kogitsune by Xia Xia Lake