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Catharine Glen
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Promise of a Storm (Shadowed World Saga) Kindle Edition

by Catharine Glen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 38 ratings
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Shadowed by the deeds of her past…

Assassin Emamori Matsukara has already broken her code once. She won’t let it happen again.

After a year away to reaffirm her commitment to her clan, she returns home to find her leaders forging a disturbing path: allying themselves with the Faction, a ruthless, anti-imperial organization leading the country to war.

Protecting the clan is her primary duty. Supporting honorless, warmongering tyrants? Not a chance.

Bound by a lifetime of loyalty...

To prove her allegiance, Ema is tasked to eliminate a rogue assassin targeting the Faction’s leaders. She has no choice but to accept. Orders are orders, after all. But when a high lord arrives to oversee the mission, he reveals a devastating truth, shattering what she’s always believed about her true purpose.

Compelled by the coming storm…

A promise is broken, honor is no longer sacred, and trust is as fleeting as blossoms in bloom.

As the world she once knew darkens, Ema must find a way to stop the Faction from controlling her clan and fracturing the rest of the country.

And the one who can help her may be the very person she’s tasked to kill…

For fans of epic romantic fantasy like The Gladiator's Downfall (Kristen Banet) and stories deeply rooted in Japanese history and mythology like Red Winter (Annette Marie).

Immerse yourself in a Japanese-inspired world of assassins and samurai, honor and intrigue, sentient shadows of death, and a strong-willed heroine finding her path. PROMISE OF A STORM is the prequel to the epic romantic fantasy series, "Shadowed World Saga". It is a complete novel with no cliffhangers, and the heroine builds her romantic relationships over the course of the series.

★ Recommended Reading Order for the Shadowed World Saga series:

  • Temper the Storm (short story)
  • Promise of a Storm (Book 0 / prequel)
  • Vision of the Moon (Book 1)
  • Books 2 and 3 (forthcoming)
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  1. Print length
    198 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    June 2, 2020
  4. File size
    4.0 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"I am fully into anything related to Japanese culture, reverse harem and fantasy. What I didn't know was that I can get all three of them in one book series. [...] Even if I wasn't interested in Japan's culture and history first and foremost, I will still be enraptured with how she used her words to depict vivid-like sceneries and poetically tell the story of the characters. I was initially drawn to that sense of familiarity (and because I crave more new RH reads) but I will definitely stay for her flawless writing style." -- Anne, Goodreads reviewer

About the Author

Catharine Glen is a USA Today Bestselling Author of romantic fantasy. Her favorite kinds of stories take place in faraway worlds with unforgettable characters, plenty of romance, adventure, magic and the supernatural. She tends to get immersed in all things Japanese, reading, Lego, and possibly consumes a bit too much coffee and tea. She's also a wife to a loving husband and a mom to two children and a spirited Jack Russell.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0863HPFMM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Autumn Crescent Press (June 2, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 2, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.0 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 198 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 38 ratings

About the author

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Catharine Glen

Catharine Glen

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Catharine Glen is a USA Today Bestselling Author of romantic fantasy. Her favorite kinds of stories take place in faraway worlds with unforgettable characters, plenty of romance, adventure, magic and the supernatural. She tends to get immersed in all things Japanese, reading, Lego, and possibly consumes a bit too much coffee and tea. She’s also a wife to a loving husband and a mom to two children and a spirited Jack Russell.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
38 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the book's adventure and find it a pleasure to read. They appreciate the strong female protagonist and her fighting skills. The writing is excellent and the cover is appealing.

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AdventureReadability
3 customers mention "Adventure"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the adventure. They say it takes them on an action-packed journey of a young lady in old Japan. The book explores her strength, ethics, and fighting skills.

"I am enjoying this action pack adventure of young lady in old Japan that is fighting for what is right despite what is happening to her clan" Read more

"...I loved the main character, her strength, ethics, and of course her fighting skills. There is romance, betrayal, great fighting...." Read more

"Love, betrayal and epic battles! This takes you on an adventure of a female assassin who returns home to find her world changed...." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find the writing and flow excellent. The cover is also appreciated.

"...This book is also a pleasure to read with excellent writing and flow. I enjoyed the FMC and I felt for her with the betrayal she felt...." Read more

"This was a great book. I loved the main character, her strength, ethics, and of course her fighting skills...." Read more

"...Cover: Love It! No Spoilers. Cliffhanger(?): Yes..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Jeff Criswell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
    Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I am enjoying this action pack adventure of young lady in old Japan that is fighting for what is right despite what is happening to her clan
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  • Rachel
    4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a prequel worth checking out
    Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I will admit that I don't usually enjoy prequels and actively avoid them most of the time. I had been skipping this one, even though I planned to read book 1 of the series once it releases this summer. I kept circling back to look at it though and since it's longer than many other prequels, I decided to go for it. Considering my star rating and that I'm reviewing it, I think it's clear that decision was a good one.

    Promise of a Storm not only sets up the world that Ms. Glen is building in a wonderful way, she also sets up important character dynamics and history. There is a great deal that happens to the FMC in a short time with a number of life-changing discoveries and revelations for her. I'm not sure how much book 1 will touch on the events that happen in this prequel, but I highly recommend reading it all fleshed out to get the full effect. This book is also a pleasure to read with excellent writing and flow. I enjoyed the FMC and I felt for her with the betrayal she felt. I'm more excited for book 1's release.
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  • Roberta
    5.0 out of 5 stars an insight in to a Japanese type culture
    Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This was a great book. I loved the main character, her strength, ethics, and of course her fighting skills. There is romance, betrayal, great fighting. This is a prequel so it's not extra long, but it did not lack in excitement. I had trouble putting it down and couldn't as I neared the end. I do highly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading Vision of the Moon, book 1 in the series.
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  • NIC
    5.0 out of 5 stars Intense!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2020
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    Love, betrayal and epic battles! This takes you on an adventure of a female assassin who returns home to find her world changed. The levels of betrayal that are revealed are heart breaking but the end leaves you begging for more even though Ryo may have torn out my heart.
    Plus the bonus first chapter of the next book has me now begging for more!
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  • ReaderAddict
    4.0 out of 5 stars Has Cliffhanger, Looking forward to Book 2!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I Give this Book a 3.5-4/5 Star Rating, Listing as 4 because I look forward to reading Book 2!
    Cover: Love It!
    No Spoilers.
    Cliffhanger(?): Yes
    Relationship Type: This will be a #whychoose RH as the series continues, but as of now a slight MF
    Heat: 3.5/5, it’s low BUT there are reasons why.
    Romance: 1/5, there is a reason why, I just won’t give it away!
    Drama: 4.5/5
    Suspense: 4/5

    I Got the Chance to Beta read this book.
    This was a book that I was anticipating just by reading the synopsis, i love reading anything that features feudal japan.
    I can’t wait to see what’ll happen in the upcoming book.
    I would suggest that you’re read the (FREE) prequel ‘Temper the Soul’ before you start this one. :)
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Milly
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic start to a new series!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I've been eagerly anticipating the release of this novel and it defenitley met my hopes and expectations!

    This book beautifully sets us up for what's to come and I cannot wait to see Ema kick some faction butt! Also, more Nazhe, please! So yummy!
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  • Mary
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good story
    Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2022
    Ema has been away at a monastery for a year. When she returns home things are not the same as when she left. Those in charge of her clan no longer back the Emperor and back the dissidents. Her life has changed dramatically. This should be a good series.
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  • Noelle Nichols
    4.0 out of 5 stars ***Read the short story Temper the Soul (Shadowed World Saga) before this!!!***
    Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2020
    The exclusion of the short story is one of the biggest "flaws" for this book and is the main reason why I'm leaving 4-stars instead of 5. Personally, I feel it should have been included in the book, especially being that this book is a prequel itself to the official book 1. As an author myself, I understand the marketing aspect of why it wasn't, but as a reader, it did irk me.

    Thankfully, I knew there was a free short story that went BEFORE this prequel, so when I started reading and felt lost as the main character was talking about something that had happened in the past that was *significant*, I knew I had to read the short story. (It's a fantastic short, but again, I was just annoyed the prequel had a prequel you needed to read.)

    I've already written my review on the short story. You get it by signing up for the author's newsletter. (I know, ugh....)

    ONTO THE REVIEW...

    I'll air out the fact I'm not a fan of the romance in this as I did with the short story. I'm okay with a brief passionate kiss, but it goes beyond this in the book (LOL). Honestly, I just skipped those pages because it's not something I enjoy reading. There are two places where it gets hot and steamy, but so far not reading it doesn't affect the plot.

    As a die-hard samurai and assassin fiction fan.... this book is AWESOME! It's set in a Feudal society mirroring the Meiji era where you have clans aligning themselves with or against the emperor with all of the political woes of the samurai and their power struggles. This clan working in the shadows to overtake this clan, this clan betraying that clan, etc. All good classic samurai drama.

    In this book, we follow Emamori, our main character as she returns from the prequel short story (READ IT) to her normal position in her clan. She's the Black Thorn who is known as the assassin who carries out the justice, wielding her blade against those who stand against her clan. Unlike a normal assassin, she has a strong sense of justice in the sense that she only kills those who are justified to die, those who have wronged the clan, etc.

    WHICH IS AWESOME.

    Those are my favorite types of characters so I devoured this book quite quickly, following Ema's pains of trying to do what was right by her clan and her own heart. As you can imagine, secrets are being shared and Ema is faced with a choice: to follow her clan's orders or to follow her own sense of justice.

    That's the basic plot, but there are lots of good characters in the clan who you get to meet, and delightfully there's at least two characters, one especially, who you can fully loathe. Which is delightful to me.

    There's an element of magic/folklore that was introduced at the end which has me completely hooked. The samurai traditionally were sort of a speculative bunch and have lots of different rituals they preformed and things they believed (such as colors of horses being good or bad for certain people), so I'm anxious and exited to see how that all plays out.

    Overall, the writing is wonderful. I really enjoy this author's style. It's crisp, flowing, and sinks you into Feudal Japan. There is a glossary at the back if you need it for the Japanese terms. The language in this tamer than it was in the short story (the cursing), so it didn't bother me as much. Nay on the romance, but I can keep skipping pages, so I'm good with it so far.

    I'm eagerly awaiting for the playing board to become messier. A few of the pieces have been placed in the story and some of the villains and possible anti-heroes have been introduced, but I have a feeling we're in for a bumpy ride.

    If you've enjoyed the Tales of the Otori books, as long as you're okay with M-Rated romantic scenes and are okay with cursing, you'll love this. Fans of Hakuouki and Rurouni Kenshin will also enjoy reading this, as I certainly have.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • thegreenhillsofafrica
    3.0 out of 5 stars crisscross double cross with katanas
    Reviewed in Canada on January 18, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    With every genre there are certain expectations whether it is a murder mystery, a horror story, a western, an epic fantasy …. So it is with what I’ll call samurai fiction. Think of the movie The Last Samurai - I expect fast swordplay, monasteries, pithy spiritual truths dropped at random, those with honor battling those without it …. I also require strong and agile female warriors or I am unhappy.

    So, Ms. Glen started out far too slowly for me and, but for some fiery love scenes, nothing sped up that slowness for 3/4 of the book. At that point, with only 25% of the novel remaining, things began to happen in rapid succession - the swords (katanas) were out, betrayal upon betrayal upon betrayal was revealed, battle after battle took place, and, ultimately, our beautiful and powerful heroine-assassin survived, broke free, and made her way into her future as ronin (that is, belonging to no master or clan, utterly rootless and independent).

    Until the last quarter of the book I did not think I would read anymore in this series. However, with an exceptional denouement, I’ve decided I will pick up the next volume and see how it goes and where it goes.
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  • Tedz
    5.0 out of 5 stars This book will take you by storm, I promise. Pun intended :)
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    So, “Promise of a Storm”...

    It’s one heaven of an amazing book for anyone who likes romantic fantasy. Here’s what’s good about it:

    Pros:

    Sassy heroine with a sword? Check.

    A genuine conflict against a backdrop of a parallel feudal Japan? Check.

    Romantic tension, hard decisions, love vs duty? Check.

    Original, fresh prose? Check!

    Cons:

    Um…. None. Wait… No, none. Someone mentioned a cliffhanger at the end, but to me, it's a logical transition into the next book introducing us to…

    Reverse harem.

    Ok, let’s get this out of the way: even if RH doesn’t tickle your reading fancy, you can still read “Promise of a Storm” as it features F/M romantic relationship (Ema and Ryo). Reverse harem emerges in the next book (Vision of the Moon), and it’s a slow-burn, perfectly paced progression with delicious male interests. A definite must read, by the way. I’ve read no RH prior to the “Vision of the Moon” and I’m a fan now :D.

    Back to “Promise of the Storm”, the author nailed world-building by creating a parallel Japan (called Hinae in the book) and, in doing so, struck the perfect balance between what you know about Japan and her own vision. You will devour this world. The prose is original, crisp, and beautiful.

    The characters, both good and bad, are intriguing and unpredictable—and don’t we love characters like that? I loved how Ema was hard as nails, yet vulnerable in her own way: a perfect female warrior, feisty yet humble. She came across as cold sometimes, but hey, she’s an assassin, right? And her struggle to be loyal to her clan despite her ever-growing doubts was agonizing and raw. No spoilers, of course, but it was crafted so well! There is a well-rounded plot there, guaranteed to keep you turning the pages. And the clandestine romance between her and Ryo was the icing on this already super delicious cake.

    Ok, but why should you trust me if this is my first review? That’s why. This book made me write my first review EVER. It’s that good.

    I hope this book makes it to the top of your TBR pile, where it deserves to be. And make sure to follow the author. Catharine Glen is a name to watch for.
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  • Daranem
    5.0 out of 5 stars Japanese inspired
    Reviewed in Australia on February 11, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I loved the Japanese inspired theme. It is meant to be RH, but there was none of that in this book. However, the romance and steam were perfect and the successive betrayals really tore at my heart. I was disappointed to see that the author has not finished the series and it has been a while, so I'm reluctant to continue if there's no ending. I loved the relatively slow pace and the characters, though, so I'll keep an eye out in the hope the books get written.
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  • Cat
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great start!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 22, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    A well written introduction to the world and some of the characters. I love reverse harem books with a lot of external plot like this. The relationships develop naturally and any sexual interaction happens at appropriate times that make sense for the story.
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