There’s harrowing tension in being Asayi. But readers will be drawn to those who form Asayi’s circle to oppose a punitive regime. Court intrigues swirl, underbelly characters from different levels of society emerge, deceptions reign, yet truth emerges at the end. This work is not a simple “coming of age” drama. Layers of nuance unfold: the vulnerability of an autistic young woman in a merciless time period; political unrest, physical survival, secret identities, and finding one’s tribe and love. While this drama immerses one in a distant time and place, the injustices and revolts are just as real as today’s inequities and discontents. The underdog(s) prevail in this drama as readers step through remarkable medieval Japan, replete with true to life characters, political and personal sagas, and the enduring Asian cultural icon: the ghost.