 | Title: The Kensei Author: Jon F. Merz Series: Lawson the Fixer #5 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy
Paperback: 304 pages
Source: Author |
Book Description
Meet Lawson. A cynical, wise-cracking vampire charged with protecting the Balance between vampires and humans, he is part cop, part spy, and part commando — James Bond with fangs. Lawson mixes shrewd cunning with unmatched lethality to get his job done. He tries his best to dismantle conspiracies, dispatch bad guys, and live long enough to get home. In The Kensei, a battle-weary Lawson heads to Japan for a little rest and some advanced ninja training. But he no sooner steps off the plane than lands in the midst of a Yakuza turf war orchestrated by a shadowy figure known as the Kensei. With the help of Talya, a former KGB-assassin, Lawson must put a stop to the Kensei’s organ trafficking networks, prevent the creation of an army of vampire-human hybrids, and save his own skin in the process.
Review
Lawson is a sardonic, sarcastic, slightly somber spy who thinks he’s going to get some much needed R&R vacationing in Japan until a plea from his former assassin girlfriend lands him in the middle of an organ trafficking operation. Trouble enough for any man, except Lawson isn’t a man. He’s a centuries old vampire.
I’ve never set foot anywhere near Asia, but after reading THE KENSEI I feel like I just got back from my own vacation to Japan. Merz does an excellent job of describing the people, language, and culture of Japan in vivid, picturesque detail, all without deterring from the narrative of his story.
Equally well conveyed were the action sequences and the great love and respect that Lawson (and his creator) clearly has for martial arts. Imagine your favorite James Bond scene but give 007 preternatural strength and speed. Very cool.
Overall, THE KENSEI is a supernatural espionage novel, emphasis on the espionage. If you’re a fan of the spy novel, you’ll probably enjoy this. I couldn’t help but be disappointed by the fact that the vampire details are kept at a minimum. There are four previous Lawson books, but this can be read as a standalone. Metz says he has more planned for Lawson if the demand is there.If the Ian Fleming fans get a hold of this series, I imagine that won’t be a problem.
Sexual Content: Kissing. A brief, non graphic sex scene.
My Rating:
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.
Previous books in the series:
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I've read The Invoker and enjoyed it. More vampire theme to that one. I've been wanting to get my hands on the other earlier books for a long time now. Merz commented at another blog that he's hoping this new release will do well so the publisher might reissue the other books.
ReplyDeleteGreat review!! I skimmed because I have this waiting for me in my TBR.
ReplyDeleteThis does sound exciting, but I haven't had much luck with fantasy books written by men. I might just have to give one of these a try.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this series before. It sounds like a fun read. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Abigail - thanks for the review! As for the earlier books, they are now all available on the Kindle and the Nook along with a novella and some short stories. Links here for Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/lm/R19RWI4PR7ZXUA/ and here for the Nook: http://bit.ly/hGDr7a
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, if you sign up for my free newsletter, I'm running a serialized Lawson adventure this year. Just hit my website at http://www.jonfmerz.net and sign on up.
Thanks again for all your interest in the series!
best regards,
Jon
Daelith - Maybe I'll go back and start with that one. The vampire mythology sounded good, I just wanted more of it.
ReplyDeleteTori - I'll be watching for your review!
SlowReader - I'm hit or miss with the guys too in UF. Wonder why that is?
Tasha - It was a new to me series too. I can see this one appealing to men who wouldn't normally read UF.