Daughter of the Sword (Fated Blades #1)

Daughter of the Sword by Steve Bein is the first book in his Fated Blades series - written around three swords created by Master Inazuma who put so much focus into his work that his swords are said to be cursed / magical.

Mariko Oshiro is a police detective in Toyko. The only female detective in the city. She is surrounded by a tradition and culture that does not have female officers for anything higher than meter maid. Some blame her quest for a man's job on the fact that she lived in the United States as a teen. Either way, she is working in Narcotics on a one year probation during which she has to prove she belongs. And her new lieutenant has promised to make sure she fails.

So instead of working on drug cases, Mariko has been loaned out to a suburb to investigate the attempted theft of an ancient sword. Professor Yasou Yamada is a scholar of all things Samurai. Someone, and Mariko thinks he knows who, has tried to steal a sword created by Master Inazuma and said to have mystical powers over the one who wields it. While Mariko is too modern to believe in the magical legend of the sword, she has a lot to learn from Dr. Yamada.

Bein has created a legend and woven it within a modern mystery. With flash backs highlighting some of the men who have owned Inazuma's swords, this well crafted blend of story types will appeal to a variety of readers. Daughter of the Sword is a beautifully written story. I will be stalking the author until he completes the next installment in the series.

Bein, Steve. (2012). Daughter of the Sword. NY: Penguin.