Kouko Shirakawa – författare

Deep within the palace lives a mysterious woman known only as the Raven Consort. Some say she’s an old woman, others that she’s young and beautiful. But all are agreed on this: her dark arts have the power to exorcise spirits, lay fatal curses, and find what has been lost - for a price. When the young emperor, Koushou, seeks out the Raven Consort to make use of that magic, what follows will overturn the court... and perhaps even the country.

The Yamei Palace has become a much less lonely place - despite Jusetsu’s predecessor’s warnings - but the Raven Consort still cannot truly escape the emptiness in her heart. There’s no shortage of visitors who come in the evenings to ask for her help, and tonight is no exception. A mystery within the Hakkaku Palace leads Jusetsu to come across the Eight True Teachings, a religion threatening faith in Uren Niangniang. Meanwhile, Koshun discovers a glimmer of hope that could free Jusetsu from the Raven once and for all. Will the two of them continue to work together?

A number of things are disappearing around the imperial estate - several prized silkworm cocoons are missing from the Hakkaku Palace, and Kajo gets pulled into a search for another mysteriously lost object. As these happenings occur, Jusetsu and Koshun continue their investigation into what truly happened in the past. Might a nameless ghost hold the key, or does the truth lie elsewhere?

Deep within the palace’s walls lives the secluded and mysterious Raven Consort. Some say she is an old woman, while others claim she is young and beautiful. What all stories agree upon is that she has the power to exorcise spirits, lay fatal curses, and find lost objects - for a price. When the young emperor arrives at the door of the Raven Consort seeking magical assistance, his request could shake up the palace… or perhaps even the entire kingdom.

Breaking the barriers that confined the Raven Consort to the inner palace had a number of consequences. Aside from the physical destruction it caused, Ishiha is missing, Jusetsu’s ancestry is now public knowledge, and the Raven now inhabits Jusetsu's body. The Raven Consort's displaced soul has been set adrift, and it can only be called back by a blood relative. Can Koshun find one, or will Jusetsu be doomed to wander forever?

Despite the Raven’s missing part being within Jusetsu’s grasp, the sea god isn’t about to make that easy for her. An underwater volcano eruption has made the waters around Je Island, where the black sword awaits, impassable. A clash between the ao god and the raven is in their near future, but will the mortal bystanders become collateral damage in this celestial showdown? Witness the stunning finale of this tale of dark magic and court intrigue.