Samurai Game by Christine Feehan – a Review
Before I begin this review I feel I should share a little story about me and the Ghostwalkers. This was the last of Christine Feehan’s series that I got into and it was only thanks to the urging of fellow Feehanista’s and friends I met in the Feehan Community. When I first checked this series out I thought it sounded a little on the sci-fi side with wacky experiments and a mad scientist. That genre has never been a favourite of mine, so I decided not to read it. However, I couldn’t have been more off base, except for the mad scientist part. 😉 To this day some of my friends from the Feehan community still bug me over those thoughts. 😉 I’m glad I finally came to my senses and listened to everyone, gave the first book a try and as they say, the rest is history. I fell for this series hook, line and sinker. I love me some Ghostwalkers, now lets get to the review.
In Samurai Game, Christine brings it all for me. Action, battles, drama, suspense, intrigue, a hot romance, with a side of nutty professor thrown in to complete the recipe. This story kept me turning page after page just wanting to find out what was happening next. I love it when a book holds my attention so completely.
Once again our resident wacko, the nutty professor himself Dr. Whitney has his sites set on the Ghostwalkers and this time it’s Sam Johnson. Christine brings Sam to the forefront in this story and springs Team One back into action. Since team one is the first team I met they all hold a special place with me. Sam being one of them. Even though he’s been more of a background player till now, there was something that intrigued me about him. I had a feeling there was more to this Ghostwalker and Christine didn’t disappoint. Sam really stepped it up in his book proving he’s every bit as capable as any of the Ghostwalkers and has some pretty amazing talents. Let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be on Sam’s bad side, or run into him in a dark alley.
Azamai Yoshie(Thorn) is very much like Sam. Once she’s set her sites on a mission she won’t waver from that path till she’s completed it and is satisfied with the outcome. She’s feisty, intelligent and one hell of a fighter. When Whitney tossed her out to the streets of Japan deeming her worthless for his continuing experiments, he was sure she’d die there. A major miscalculation on Whitney’s part. Instead she was found and adopted by a samurai warrior who trained her in the art of the samurai along with her two adopted brothers. Now Azmai is making sure that Whitney pays for all he’s done to her and anyone else who’s come into contact with him. She doesn’t want to see anyone else, especially a child used the way Whitney used her and the other girls.
As I mentioned earlier Samurai Game is packed full of action and it starts from the beginning. I liked the fact that there wasn’t a slow build up to the story, but instead got right into the action. Someone is taking out people important to Whitney and they don’t know who it is. I like how Christine introduces us to Azami and lets us see what she’s capable of out in the field. This is a great lead up to Sam and Azami’s first meeting. When they meet for the first time both Sam and Azami feel something but aren’t sure what it is. At first they are leery about the other but soon learn it’s an ambush but unsure who the attack is against. Both are thrown into action and are equally matched in battle skills and the more time they spend together fighting they realize there’s an attraction that’s much deeper then just the physical. These two characters sizzle as a couple and I liked how it was more then just a physical attraction from the get go. The emotional connection they have for one another is strong and real and their scenes together are brilliantly written. Sam is so tender and loving to Azami and shows her what it means to be cherished. Azami brings the meaning of home and family to Sam, something he never thought he’d ever have for himself.
Weaved through Sam and Azami’s romance is of course the danger and intrigue that Christine is noted for in her Ghostwalker series. Dr. Whitney is bound and determined to get a diamond from the Congo to further his madness, but to do so, he needs to sacrifice a Ghostwalker to Ekabela as his men are in possession of the mine. Sam is just the Ghostwalker he has in mind and Azami informs team one of this. Of course Ryland and the rest of the team are cautious about this info from Azami at first seeing as they know little about her, but when Sam’s stepfather General Ranier arrives and informs them of the orders that have just come down, Ryland starts to change his feelings about Azami and Sam’s choice to be with her. As team one prepares for this mission Christine does an amazing job of keeping the reader on edge and wondering just who is in cahoots with Whitney and these orders. For a while she had me second guessing a few people only to learn later on I couldn’t have been farther from the truth.
The more I read, the more I loved this story. I truly love the way Christine unravels the intrigue she creates throughout this story. It kept me on the edge of my seat wanting more. The battle and actions scenes made me feel like I was there, a part of the action and drama that was unfolding on the pages. Along with all the action, danger and intrigue there was also humour and camaraderie amongst the men of team one. There’s one scene in the book that had me laughing out loud at the antics of these guys when they get together. This is a great team and the characters and personalities Christine created just gel perfectly. I truly enjoyed hanging with team one again and watching them battle and once again outsmart the villainous resident mad scientist Dr. Whitney. Here’s to looking forward to the next Ghostwalker installment that can’t come soon enough. If you haven’t ready this one yet, I suggest you do.
Review by Marcie
