The first volume of a sweeping fantasy by one of Japan’s most beloved storytellers, and the bestselling author of the Moribito series.

The vast Umal Empire has flourished for centuries thanks to the miraculous ohaleh rice, a sacred grain brought from a distant land by the first empress Kokun. Resistant to all parasites, the rice has sustained the empire, ensuring peace and prosperity for centuries—until now. When a mysterious infestation strikes, famine spreads and the empire begins to crumble.

Fifteen-year-old Aisha, granddaughter of the deposed lord of West Kantal, flees to the imperial capital with her younger brother after a violent coup. There she meets the reigning Kokun, Olie—an enigmatic girl worshipped for her supposed gift of scent, yet secretly powerless. As Aisha uncovers her own latent ability to perceive the natural world through smell, she and Olie form an unlikely alliance.

Together, Aisha and Olie must uncover a hidden history and the truth behind the ohaleh rice, all the while battling forces that threaten not just the empire’s survival, but the very balance of nature.

Nahoko Uehashi
Born in Tokyo in 1962, Nahoko Uehashi earned a PhD in cultural anthropology at Rikkyo University, focusing on Indigenous Australian cultures. She taught at Kawamura Gakuen Women's University, later becoming a senior fellow, and has been Professor Emeritus since 2025. Her debut novel, Seirei no Ki, was published during graduate school. She is best known for the Moribito series, The Beast Player, The Deer King, and Kōkun. Her books have sold over 11.5 million copies, inspired multiple adaptations, and been widely translated. She received the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award in 2014.