The only picture that could be found is that of the whole anthology in which the Warlord and the Nightingale is a part of.  The Warlord and the Nightingale is a mini tale of the Steampunk genre set in feudal Japan. 

I won the little minibook in a giveaway that the author Jeannie Lin had for those who subscribed to her newsletter, and I was ever so stoked to get the book.  =)  I wanted to read the story sooooo bad but I didn't want to cough up the money to buy anthology when I just wanted to read one story.

Yeah, I'm a tad picky like that.  

Anyway.  

Kanakuri no Hanzo is a Kanakuri maker who is summoned by the warlord, Lord Mitzunaga to create a Kanakuri, which is a type of mechanical puppet of sorts, created elaborately and as wondrously as one can.  Innocently he accepts the challenge and request unknowing of the hidden motives of the feudal lords.  

While staying at the compound of Lord Mitzungaga, Hanzo meets Lady Yura of Edo.  A woman of great beauty and a voice of one who could only put the Warlord to sleep, Lady Yura and Hanzo develop a cautious friendship of sorts that leads to more that could mean death for more because Yura is fiercely protected by the Warlord and murders those who would even casually mention her name in front of the Lord Mitzuangaga.

Okay.  Stopping there I may end up giving the whole story, and for such a short story, it is so beautifully woven.  The detail and imagination just takes you there and you're just caught up so that by the time you finish the story you're left wanting more.

Needless, to say, the ending was very surprising to me and very satisfying.  But it left me wanting more.  =)

It's a good thing I have more of Ms. Lin's works to read.=) 

Thanks Ms. Lin for the book!!