From zombies to cannibals....

Our favorite Shinobujin has once again stumbled into more than he expected in Jon Merz's Slavers of the Savage Catacombs.

Note: Slavers of the Savage Catacombs is the second book of the Shadow Warrior series. The review of the first book, The Undead Hoardes of Kan-Gul can be found here. Otherwise, read on!

A final test before graduating

In traditional video game fashion, Ran steals the sword and rescues the princess in this short story intro to the Shadow Warrior world, "The Sorcerer of Daigawa."

Ran is about to graduate from his training as a Shinobujin, or shadow warrior. Before he can be considered a full warrior, however, he must complete a mission assigned to him, to show that he can apply what he has learned.

So this is how we join Ran, waiting outside a castle that he's been casing for at least two weeks, planning his next move. He's watched the guards to see how attentive they really are. He's examined the walls during the light of the full moon so he knows their weaknesses now that the moon is new. He's memorized the interior layout, from plans stolen by another Shadow Warrior on his own final training mission. Everything seems perfect for a quick grab of the sword, and no one would never need to know how it disappeared.

That is, until Ran discovers a locked cell, with a princess being held for sacrifice within. And Ran learns the hard way that every action - even saving a princess from an evil sorcerer - has consequences.

Jon F Merz writes this story to tell us a story only alluded to in The Undead Hoardes of Kan-Gul. While the plot is tight and the characters are just as compelling, his attention to every stealthy detail perhaps isn't the best fit for a short work. Nevertheless, 'The Sorcerer of Daigawa" is a fun ninja adventure read, available for free at the Baen website.

Highs: Ran is written as a pretty good guy who has to reconcile his conscience with his rather ruthless training, which makes him utterly charming

Lows: The pacing started out very slow for a short story, but did pick up further in

Verdict: Another solid addition to the magic and zombie filled ninja world

 Further Reading: The Undead Hoardes of Kan-Gul, Under a Graveyard Sky, Boneshaker

Undead army VS mysterious ninja

Magic, martial arts and an undead army all come together in Jon F. Merz's The Undead Hordes of Kan-Gul.

All Ran really wants is to travel to the west, to the kingdom of Valrus. After rescuing Princess Cassandra, Ran had to report back to his clan, but now that he's out on a wandering quest, he fully intends to wander his way west.

His choice of boat is rather unfortunate, however, and he quickly finds himself shipwrecked on an island rumored to be the home of an evil sorcerer. Ran isn't the type to believe fantastical rumors of armies of dead soldiers risen once more, but there's something odd about this island. Besides the swarms of mosquitoes, there doesn't seem to be anything else alive on it. No birds, no mice, nothing. And when one of the castaways disappears seemingly without a trace, it becomes apparent that they need to get off this island, however they can.

His fellow castaways are something of a mixed bag. The rich merchant that Ran first encounters at the pub seems like he'll be completely useless in a situation where money doesn't help. The ship's captain seems pragmatic enough, but that shark bite to the leg is going to slow him down a bit. The beautiful sorceress-to-be and her bodyguard are surprisingly able, and the old warrior whose background is as fuzzy as Ran's is a strong ally.

As they cross the island, one thing is made perfectly clear: the rumors of Kan-Gul are absolutely true.

Merz creates an alternate Asia for this novel, and gives the reader glimpses into what seems to be a very fully developed world. The characters gain depth and personalities during the course of the novel, and the reader ends up rooting for the good guys simply because they're likable. It's a classic, clean-cut good-guys-versus-bad-guys tale that leaves the reader wishing the next book was already out.

Highs: Watching Jysal develop from a young damsel in distress to a very powerful, if uncontrolled sorceress in her own right, is fun to watch

Lows: I caught a few of the 'twists' pretty early on, but that might be because I've been reading a lot of 'twist-y' books lately

Verdict: A very fun, traditional adventure novel, with dark magic, ninjas and zombies tossed in for fun

Further Reading: Under a Graveyard Sky, The Legend of Eli Monpress, Moribito