ENMA the Immortal, an award-winning debut novel from Fumi Nakamura, gives readers a riveting tale of the undead—with a Japanese twist. Opening in the waning days of Japan's feudal era and spanning nearly 90 years, ENMA the Immortal follows the adventures of a disgraced samurai named Amane, cursed with a tattoo that makes him immortal.
The story begins in 1866, with Amane Ichinose on the run after betraying the Shogunate's infamous Special Police Unit, the Shinsengumi. Although fatally wounded in a sword fight, Amane somehow crawls to the shack of tattoo artist Baikou. The elderly tattooist realizes that Amane's life is slipping away, and takes pity on him. He decides to make the young man his final masterpiece by etching a forbidden Sanskrit design into Amane's palm, thus sacrificing his unconscious client to a demonic force that will possess him forever.
In the tale of Amane and his endless life, Nakamura depicts a time of turbulence and transition in Japan. She seamlessly weaves together some of today's most intriguing pop culture threads—the seductiveness of immortality, the mystique of permanently adorning our bodies, and the theme of warriors disconnected from their purpose. Previously adapted into a comics series (The Immortal: Demon in the Blood from Dark Horse) and an e-book, ENMA the Immortal in its original novel form is an epic, entertaining saga for a wide and eager audience.
