As a princess of Japan in the year 1858, twelve-year-old Kazunomiya lives a life of privilege and luxury. But it is one in which she is a virtual prisoner, kept sheltered behind palace walls, only able to leave for the occasional visit to a temple or shrine. But her predictable life is changing. Japan has kept itself isolated for generations, but now foreigners are clamoring to be allowed in, and given trading rights. And Kazunomiya finds her own future in question, when she learns that her betrothal to a prince she has known since childhood may be broken so that her half-brother, the Emperor, can make an alliance by marrying her off to the young man that will be the next shogun of Japan.

I recommend this new addition to the Royal Diaries to all fans of the series. I enjoyed learning about what life was like for a princess of Japan during an era of great change. I had never heard of Kazunomiya before I learned of this book, but I found her life fascinating. ( )

A new book in the series, The Royal Diaries, this book will appeal to all those who have become engaged by the series. For other readers, those interested in Asian or Japanese history will find this book very satisfying. It has a lot of information about Japanese tradition and customs that were common in 19th century Japan. It also covers a lot of the history about Westerners as they begin to come into Japan on a large-scale basis.

Kzunomiya, is the daughter of the emperor by his favorite mistress. However, the Emperor Mother despises her and tries to make life hard for her. She is promised in marriage by her brother to someone she truly care about, but soon learns that the promise may be broken when in would benefit the kingdom for her to marry the newly installed shogun. Romance, suspense and a lot of history make this a worthwhile read for girls that have enjoyed this series. Kathryn Lasky has done a fine job in holding the reader. ( )

Entertaining little book. I think it would be a great introduction to Japanese court life, and the lack of control the women had over their destinies, to a young girl - especially if you wanted to break the idea of the "perfect princess" life that is so popular right now. ( )