In the Service of Samurai

Rating:
Summary: Timeless Tales 4 stars review
Review: by Jameela

"In the Service of Samurai" takes place in a fictional setting of Medieval Japan. The Asaka Clan has come back from the dead and risen from the depths of the sea to finally complete the mission they were sent out to do. In this epic adventure, the unwilling key that will complete the Asaka clan's mission is a peasant boy named Toshi. Toshi must help the Asaka clan succeed and face many dangers or risk becoming what the Asaka Clan has become, the undead.

Toshi was sold to his master, a mapmaker named Hirojima Shun, when he was very young. Now, at the age of fifteen, he is an apprentice mapmaker. Master Shun is unwell and Toshi is in charge of the shop, when a Samurai, with glowing green eyes, comes in minutes before closing. For the first time in his life he has proof that "obake" (or monsters) actually do roam the world. The Samurai standing before him is an "obake" and has come for him. Toshi is kidnapped from his home and pressed into the company of a ship full of the undead Asaka Clan. The enemies of the Asaka Clan attempt to stop Toshi from completing the task his new master has given him by making him one of the truly dead.

Gloria Oliver has created an exciting and entertaining adventure with "In the Service of Samurai". Although it may take you a chapter or two to really get into the story, it is well worth reading. "In the Service of Samurai" is about honor, betrayal, love, faith, and friendship. While reading "In the Service of Samurai" you get to know Toshi well, and feel as if you are right there with him throughout his adventures. As the story unfolds, Toshi meets new and dangerous challenges and discovers that not everything is as it seems. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Toshi and his adventure with the Asaka Clan and watching Toshi grow thru the challenges he has to face. I look forward to reading more of Gloria Oliver's work. If you enjoy reading a fantasy full of action and adventure I highly recommend you go out and get "In the Service of Samurai" and be prepared to enjoy a trip to Medieval Japan.

Rating:
Summary: A unique quest set in mythical Japan
Review: Toshi the mapmaker receives an unusual visitor to his shop and is launched on a unique, unpredictable adventure to save the souls of a fallen samurai and his retinue. It mixes the elements of the classic ghost story with those of an epic quest and tosses it into the mysterious world of old Japan. The result is an entertaining read with tingling, spooky moments (the scene in the temple is worth the price of the book). Occasionally the pace seems slow, but the lead character is easy to relate to as he comes of age. Recommended.