“Cold Blood not only shows you the beginning of Yamabuki’s story as a teenage Samurai, it also contrasts her life to that of the woman she would have been had she not opted to tread the warrior’s path. That draws out one of the best elements of historical fiction which is when it educated as well as entertains.... You don’t write an excellent story by accident. I highly recommend Cold Blood.”

“Doubly impressive is the character Yamabuki herself, deftly crafted and executed on the page and throughout the story. Skillful, confident; full of Japanese “warrior spirit”, Yamabuki embodies much of what the original tales of samurai and the feudal era would have given her, making Lawrence’s work feel authentic.”