I will be the first to admit that I should read more then I do. With the advent of portable DVD and IPOD TV shows my daily commute has been filled more with films then books. Which is a shame because I can clearly remember the long days spent in childhood in the company of a good novel that I couldn’t put down, one that would keep me up hours past bedtime and cause me to miss homework. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy reading a good story now and again, it’s just that I don’t have as much time now as I do then, so I have to try and fit my books into my film schedule.

I am a huge fan of martial arts films, I list “Enter The Dragon” and “Drunken Master 2” on my top films list right beside “Casablanca” and “The Shawshank Redemption”.  I am also a fan of Vampire films as well, especially “Fright Night” and “The Lost Boys”. So when Nick Lake’s novel “Blood Ninja” showed up on my doorstep, I have to admit that I was excited just by the title. And the prospect of a story that involved both Ninja’s and Vampires sounded like it would be right up my alley. I’m happy to point out that, while sidestepping the vampire angle a little, “Blood Ninja” is an entertaining, breezy read that will entertain fans of both genres.

Taro’s is living the simple life of a fisherman in imperial Japan. But his life is turned upside down all in the span of one day when his father is murdered before his eyes and a mysterious Ninja named Shusaku  rescues him and places him right in the middle of two warring clans battling for the control of Imperial Japan. Taro begins to train in the ways of the Ninja, but as he develops his skills, he becomes unsure of his choice, but a dark secret is brought to light that makes it impossible for him to turn his back on his destiny.

The first thing to say about this book is that author Nick Lake is fantastic at portraying location and puts the reader right in the heart of ancient Japan. The settings seem realistic and fantastic at the same time. The characters are likeable and well defined, and the mystery surrounding them is well handled even though it’s fairly obvious where it’s leading us. The author is obviously well versed in the ways of the ninja, and even though most are familiar with the conventions of that genre, Lake is able to put a fresh spin on them.

Lake is a fantastic action writer. His narrative here runs like a freight train. It keeps the action moving from set piece to set piece and rarely slows down to take a breath , which makes for an easy read for those who love both genres. My only complaints are that I wish more time were devoted to the vampire aspects of the novel, and that the ending seems a bit rushed. But there are so many things going on especially towards the end that these are small complaints.  

This being the first in a series of novels, I have to say that I’m really looking forward to reading the further adventures of Taro and his clan. A great read for any Ninja or Vampire fan!!