Nothing makes driving from point A to point B more dramatic than an epic tale of swords, sorcery, and honor. Autumn Bridge fits the bill nicely, I'd say.
Events are propelled by the narrative conceit of prophecy; one male from each generation of a specific bloodline receives the gift. (Or curse. Depends on your perspective.) Knowing the future doesn't mean you can alter it in any way, of course. Trying to do so would bring certain disaster. All you can do is change your sense of perspective. Knowing the day you'll die might make you brave when you'd normally be a coward, but it will also make you reckless when caution is needed.
Each of these characters comes into the ability in a different way. Genji is granted only three visions during his natural span, while his father was visited by an ancestral specter that told him the shape of things to come. Just like Japanese history, this novel is filled with too many names, places, and dates to easily remember. Matsuoka does an admirable job of keeping a sense of cohesion even as events jump from the Mongol invasions of 1311 to the aftermath of World War II. Professional narration by Jennifer Van Dyck ("Bullets Over Broadway") adds a great deal to the experience.
BOTTOM LINE: I'm an East Asian Area Studies major. Your mileage may vary, but I think you'll like it if you have a taste for historical fiction or fantasy.
Edited: PC
Article comments
1 - Rach
Genji? Hmmm. Anything like the Tale
of Genji?
2 - Ashok K. Banker
I wondered the exact same thing. Is it related to the classic Tale of Genji? Or is it a recent novel that just happens to explore that classic territory?