Category: Fantasy Publisher: Zumaya Publications
ISBN-10: 1612710530
Type: Fiction
Pages: 318
Copyright: October 29, 2011
ISBN-13: 9781612710532
Price: $5.00 (eBook)
The Choice: Serve the undead or become one of them.
Toshi never expected the strange visitor who one evening stepped foot inside his master’s shop. A samurai smelling of the sea, dripping on the ground, algae strung from his armor. For the first time in his life, he discovers that monsters do roam the earth. And this one has been specifically looking for him.
Dragged from his home and all he has ever known, Toshi must now use his acquired skills in foreign maps to help the creatures who have taken him. Yet at every turn there are problems. There are even those seeking to terminate his very life, not wanting his new master to succeed in his assigned task. And when they do find it, Toshi discovers his new master’s enemies have prepared for their eventual arrival, leaving him the only one capable of recovering what has been lost.
Can he do what even the undead cannot? Or will he fail and be forced to wonder the world as one of them?
Excerpt
His prison’s blank, glowing walls glared silently at him as he entered. His sickness washed over him. A dead certainty stole over him then, and though the unearthly cold of the ship was mercilessly flowing into him, he didn’t run for his blanket when he was released. Instead, he turned around to face the departing samurai.
“Asaka-sama, please. I beg you!” He sank to his knees, his hands face down against the floor, and his eyes closed in supplication. “Release me. Take me home. I can be of no use to you. Please, I don’t belong here!” His voice got caught in his throat. “Please, Lord, I beg you!”
“Worm.”
He pressed his forehead against the floor’s glowing planks, shooting cold passing through it as it was already doing through his knees and hands. He shut his eyes tighter with a prayer, his heart quickening as he heard the sound most dreaded by his people everywhere. His acrid breath hung still in his raw throat as the soft click of a katana being slightly drawn from its sheath reverberated in the room’s silence. He waited for the end.
Professional Reviews
Eternal Night Review
This novel is truly original. The premise of a ship of undead Japanese warriors sailing the seas in search of salvation is one I have never come across before. I particularly enjoy the way that the intricacies of Japanese society are woven into the storyline. The use of Japanese words (such as gaijin and obake) add to the rich tapestry that unfolds as you read this story.
The way that the relationship between Toshi and Miko develops is very well written. You can feel Toshi's initial reticence as he struggles to come to terms with his conflicting feelings. Although Miko is an undead demon he finds himself becoming very fond of her and is concerned for her welfare.
As the journey progresses Toshi's skills in the way of the Samurai grow. His development from nervous apprentice mapmaker to skilled warrior forms a significant part of the story. This is also quite unusual. On the surface this tale revolves around the search for a teakettle but in many ways this becomes a secondary storyline with Toshi's personal journey taking centre stage. I actually found myself feeling sorry for the undead sailors!
This is quite a difficult book to review, as there are so many aspects that I would like to refer to but in doing so I feel that I would spoil the enjoyment for future readers.
I do not know if this novel is Gloria Oliver's first book. If it is then I am extremely impressed. The writing showed fluidity that you usually find in an author of considerable experience. Oliver shows, in particular, a willingness to carry out detailed research when planning a storyline. There is no way that this level of accuracy could be achieved without many an hour being spent in the library or on the Internet.
I think that this book is a superb fantasy novel and I hope that there are many more to come from Gloria Oliver.
MyShelf.com
I much enjoyed reading a fantasy with a totally different setting to the usual Tolkeinesque tubby tome. The author has done her homework and seems to have a good working knowledge of old Japan, which adds an extra dimension to the tale; fantastic characters in a realistic historical setting. Exciting at the beginning and picking up speed halfway through when landfall is made and Toshi's adventures begin in earnest there is perhaps a preponderance of descriptions where he has a bath, eats a meal, goes on deck etc in the middle that could have been dealt with much quicker thus getting on to the adventures. But nevertheless this original and entertaining tale is sure to satisfy anybody who is looking for something a bit different. If you enjoyed Liam Hearn's Across The Nightingale Floor (also reviewed on this site) then this ought to please as well.
The Pirates of the Caribbean meet The Last Samurai in this fascinating tale of duty, honor, and courage. The characters, including the undead, are well-drawn and show unexpected depth, and the many details of Japanese culture make for an interesting story. But beyond that, the book is a good adventure and a real page turner; I couldn't put it down.
The book contains mild sexual content; there are some innuendoes but nothing explicit. The book should be fine for a teen audience, but parents may want to read it first to decide for themselves.
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