To escape his troubles at school, Zen and his family have decided to drop him out of his studies. That was not in Hojo's plans. And as Zen has not followed her lead, she decides to take control of the situation by nipping his troubles in the bud. That unfortunately leads to her being caught in someone else's binds.

Zen is having a hard time living up to his parents’ expectations. And in Japan, when you are not admitted into a top school, then your chances at a stable future are tenuous at best. It's as if he is metaphorically tied to something he wishes to avoid.

Zen’s new hobby has not just helped his homelife, but it is starting to do wonders for his social life. Ayame has added a new member, Miwa Aoi, the student body president, to her circle. Now the three of them will have plenty of chances to become close-knit friends.

A lonely high school student comes of age when a classmate introduces him to a world of intense romance and loyalty.

As spectrum Nemeses start to appear all over Cyfandir, Seth is drawn into a nefarious plot against his will. Suspicion stalks the very halls of the Wizard Knights’ castle, and the Merchant Barons watch with pleasure as these supernatural events unfold. And it’s only a matter of time before Captain Dragunov and Captain Liselotte get their hands on Seth! -- VIZ Media

It is becoming apparent to Zen, and his rope-art instructor Ayame, that while his behavior has been lacking, it is his homelife that is truly damaging. By teaching how best to test the limitations of bonds, Ayame intends to give Zen the strength to speak up to his parents.

"John Verdon writes grown–up detective novels, by which I mean stories with intelligent plots, well–developed characters and crimes that have social consequences. White River Burning, featuring the author's brainy gumshoe–for–hire, Dave Gurney, checks all these boxes." —The New York Times Book Review Tensions have been running high in White River as it approaches the anniversary of a fatal shooting of a black motorist by a local police officer. The polarized city is on edge, confronted with angry demonstrations, arson, and looting. In the midst of the turmoil, a White River police officer is shot dead by an unknown sniper. As the town spirals out of control, local authorities approach Dave Gurney to conduct an independent investigation of the shooting. White River Burning is the most provocative and timely book yet by the author hailed by The New York Times as "masterly."