Release Date: 01/09/10BOOK BLURB:
Taro is a boy from a coastal village in rural Japan, fated to become a fisherman like his father. But in just one night, Taro's world is turned upside down - and his destiny is changed forever. Skilled in the art of silent and deadly combat, ninjas are the agents of powerful nobles who rule sixteenth-century Japan. So why did a group of these highly trained assassins creep into a peasant's hut and kill Taro's father? And why did one ninja rescue Taro from their clutches, saving his life at enormous cost? Now on the run with this mysterious saviour and his best friend Hiro, Taro is determined to learn the way of the ninja to avenge his father's death. But if they are to complete their perilous journey, Taro must first evade the wrath of the warring Lords, decipher an ancient curse, resist forbidden love - and come to terms with the blood-soaked secrets of a life lived in moonlight.
REVIEW:
To be honest this is a strange title. In some respects is has elements of an adult book, in others it could quite easily be a Young Adult one in much the same vein as Chris Bradford’s Young Samurai series. The main difference however is that Nick has introduced vampires into the mix. It’s certainly novel, it definitely has its own twist on the whole Ninja mythos and to be honest was something that I got quite a bit of fun from.
Add to this a writing style that’s reasonable, a host of interesting supporting cast members and the reader can quite happily immerse themselves within this world. Definitely one that’s perhaps geared more for the adventure reader than one who loves the whole vamp angle although it does have elements to please both sets of readers. Finally add to the mix that this is the first part of the series and one that sets the background which gives the author a whole host of additional things he can work on in the second instalment. It’s certainly going to be interesting to see which way it goes.
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