Blood Ninja

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About Blood Ninja

Product Description Is Taro, a fisherman's son, destined for greatness? In the course of a day, Taro's entire life changes: His father is murdered before his eyes, and Taro is taken by a mysterious ninja on a perilous journey toward safety. Someone wants Taro dead, but who -- and why? With his best friend, Hiro, and their ninja guide Shusaku, Taro gets caught in the crossfire of a bitter conflict between rival lords for control of imperial Japan. As Taro trains to become a ninja himself, he's less and less sure that he wants to be one. But when his real identity is revealed, it becomes impossible for Taro to turn his back on his fate. From School Library Journal Grade 8 Up—Taro wants to be a samurai, but as this story opens, ninjas attack his house and decapitate his father, and he is run through with a ninja sword. All is not lost—he is saved by a good ninja who had to bite him and turn him vampire. Yes, that's right; all the ninjas are vampires. This addition to the dead and undead outpouring is cleverly set in the 16th century at the height of the warring daimyos of the Tokugawa period in Japan. The author makes a good argument for the logic of ninjas being vampires—they only come out at night, they move with stealthlike speed, and they seem to be invincible. In this case, they are vital in determining who will be eventual Shogun as well. Taro and his friend Haro are taken on an adventure with the good ninja, Shusaku, where they learn of and must thwart a plot to have Taro killed because of his true identity. The female characters take a backseat to the nonstop action, and the gruesome details of all the killings and the cool weaponry will mark this as a great "guy book" to counter all the female frenzy around Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series (Little, Brown).— Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School, Loveland, CO Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Lake deftly blends sixteenth-century Japanese samurai history with vampire mythology to concoct a gory and fast-paced adventure that will grab readers. Overwhelming interest in manga often extends to interest in Japanese history, and Lake’s focus on swordplay will carry along those who don’t relish the historical element. Teenage Taro, a misfit among the peasants of his fishing village, finds himself pursued by ninja mysteriously intent on killing him; is saved by a “good” ninja, who turns him into a vampire; and becomes a ninja himself. There’s plenty of decapitation and seppuku, light romance, and unsuspected royal lineage, but the main premise—that all ninjas are vampires—drives the story and works surprisingly well. Plucky female characters with martial-arts skills may not be historically accurate but are lots of fun. Lake has clearly studied Japanese history and mythology, and he offers a tangible appreciation of the culture. The cliff-hanger ending will leave readers clamoring for a sequel. Grades 7-11. --Debbie Carton Review “The night has a new hero.”—Darren Shan, author of the Cirque Du Freak series “A fast-paced, gripping book about ninjas. It’s all I ask for, really.”—Conn Iggulden, coauthor of The Dangerous Book for Boys “An elegantly thrilling and action-packed tale of honor, duty, and destiny.” -- Derek Land, author of Skulduggery Pleasant “Deftly blends sixteenth-century Japanese samurai history with vampire mythology to concoct a gory and fast-paced adventure that will grab readers...the cliff-hanger ending will leave readers clamoring for a sequel.”— Booklist “Lake uses the story's familiar elements skillfully, combining them into an imaginative and original whole. And, really, with vampire ninjas, how can you lose?”— Publishers Weekly “Those who enjoy Far Eastern-tinged quest stories—with a dash of vampires and ninjas for flavor—will find much to enjoy here.”— VOYA About the Author Nick Lake is a children’s book editor at Harper UK. He received his degree in Engl