Late to reading this as it came out some time ago, I was drawn to the story because it takes place in feudal Japan, (which I love), and I love the magical realism aspects, especially that the main characters side-kick is a dog he can speak to, and his martial arts teacher/foster parent is a type of bird. The story is well told and I really cared about the main character, enough that I'll be getting the next books in the series. The writing drops you into a feudal Japanese world full of spirits, politics, martial arts fighting, and even love.