The Iron Palace

Winner of the 2025 Florida Authors and Publishers Association Gold Award for Folklore/Mythology

�The Iron Palace� by Kate Shanahan is a time-slip novel with an incredible backdrop of mythology, ancient secrets and enduring friendship." -The Historical Fiction Company

FIVE WARRIORS. FOUR SHAMANS. ONE SAK�-LOVING DEMON.
Heian Capital, 1002: As Shrine Miko, Masako loves her job and her new home at Kamo, but her powers have vanished and rumors fly that she�ll be forced to leave. When the Crown Prince�s consort dies in front of her and a lady-in-waiting disappears without a trace, Masako volunteers for the perilous mission to battle a demon and save the innocent young woman from a gruesome end. But without her powers, she may be destined for the same fate.

Kyoto, 2019: Mina longs to return to the life of a normal college student, but unsettling visions and dreams won�t leave her alone. Her mysterious friend Kenji offers to help her search for Masako�s journal to find closure, but instead, they find desperate letters Masako wrote a thousand years ago.

Now Mina faces a choice: return to the past to save Masako, or move on with her life and leave the ancient world - and her best friend - behind forever.

In this exciting sequel to Tangled Spirits, Kate Shanahan weaves Japanese history and folklore into a captivating tale of courage, strength, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship.

"I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in tales of the Japanese supernatural, romance, and fascinating speculative fiction." �Dr. Noriko Tsunoda Reider, author of Japanese Demon Lore and Mountain Witches: Yamauba