Matari

Matari (or reissued as White Wind, Black Rider) is a book written by Luke Rhinehart, a pen name of George Cockcroft.

It was published in the US under the name of White Wind, Black Rider (2002).

The story is set in 18th century Japan, and features a conflict between four very different characters - Oboko (nb, Ōbaku is a form of Zen), a poet of the wind and Buddhist monk; Izzi, court poet and extrovert; Lord Arishi, samurai and lord of the realm; and finally Matari, beautiful, intelligent, and on the run for her life.

While individually we might applaud them as good men and true, the meeting of the three results in tragedy.

Oboko survives the story and is later mentioned in The Book of the Die by the same author.