The Heart and Soul of Iuchiban

For centuries, the samurai of the Great Clans have defended and served the Hantei dynasty. But now, danger besets Rokugan from all sides.

Emperor Hantei XXVI is dying, and the courts bristle with opportunity while rebellion stalks the land, and rumors of foul magic threaten to corrupt the Empire from within.

A forgotten evil is at work, and it hungers for power and blood.

With the Great Clans distracted and divided, seven heroes must take up the call and forge their own destiny or risk everything in the pursuit of glory…

In this horror duology of novels by Evan Dicken, samurai from each of the seven Great Clans must unite in order to stop Iuchiban, one of Rokugan’s most infamous villains. Set in the tenth century of Rokugan’s history, readers can glean some insight into the legendary tomb and the vile sorcerer interred there before venturing into the linked Tomb of Iuchiban roleplaying game campaign from Edge Studios. 

Read on to learn more about each of these novels—The Heart of Iuchiban and its sequel, The Soul of Iuchiban. 

The Heart of Iuchiban 

Something is wrong in the Emerald Empire. The emperor is ailing, the court is weak and the Great Clans threaten to escalate their petty squabbling into all-out war. But in the shadows, another threat lurks – sinister Bloodspeaker cults attempt to resurrect the forgotten sorcerer Iuchiban, who possess a power so great it could destroy all of Rokugan. Now seven samurai, one from each of the Great Clans, must put aside their pride, fear, and rivalry to unite and prevent the Bloodspeakers from finding the legendary tomb of Iuchiban, and the hideous treasure locked inside. All that stands in the samurai’s way is their hatred of each other. The road will be long and bloody, but glory waits for them at journey’s end. As does death… 

The Soul of Iuchiban 

The Emerald Empire stands on the brink of destruction. The dark sorcerer Iuchiban has escaped his tomb, and desires dominion over all. Unicorn samurai Iuchi Qadan has been welcomed home and celebrated for her part in destroying the Blood- speaker rebellion. Yet she is not herself… Possessed by Iuchiban, Qadan can do nothing but watch as the undying sorcerer lord draws tight the noose he has wrapped around the throat of an unsuspecting empire. And hope that someone will realize she is not who she seems. But the other survivors of Iuchiban’s tomb are few, and made speechless by the horrors they’ve endured. To stop Iuchiban’s evil, new alliances between old enemies must be formed. They will be brittle, untested, and marred by mistrust. Should these alliances fail, there will be no Rokugan. 

Prepare to Enter the Tomb 

The Heart of Iuchiban is already available for purchase online or wherever good books are sold, and The Soul of Iuchiban is slated to release in the US and as a global ebook on September 5 (November 23 in the UK). Early copies of The Soul of Iuchiban sold out at Gen Con on the very first day of the show, so be sure to pre-order your copy soon! The Tomb of Iuchiban campaign for Adventures in Rokugan goes on sale on September 22, but you can already purchase the requisite core rulebook for Adventures in Rokugan and create your own character to delve into the tomb… if you think you can survive. 

If you’re seeking more forbidden lore, you can check out the full catalogue of Aconyte Books’ Legend of the Five Rings novels here. And don’t forget to visit Aconyte’s web site or their social media accounts to stay up to date with all their new L5R offerings: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.