In The Service Of Samurai

		"The samurai smelled of the sea, dripping on the ground, algae strung from his armor and an eerie green light glowing from the eye slits of his demon-mask. For the first time in his life, Toshi discovers that monsters do roam the earth. And this one has come for him." "Dragged from his home and into the company of the undead, Toshi must use his skills to help the creatures holding him hostage. The alternative is to fail and become one of them. But those who do not wish his new master's quest to succeed may make Toshi one of the truly dead before they will allow him to do what only he can to help." In The Service Of Samurai is a fantasy novel.

Review: I was pleasantly surprised by this book. While its writing cannot be compared to better known works, it managed something very rare these days: it entertained and intrigued me. The story is simple and to the point, yet more complex than it seems at first. If anything, it could be compared to Japanese ghost stories such as Kwaidan and Haunted Lantern. My only negative comment will be for the cover, which features some really ugly art. Entertaining.

In The Service Of Samurai, by Gloria Oliver. Zumaya Publications, 2002, 322 pg. ISBN 1-894869-67-2. $15 / $22 US.

Reviewed by Martin Ouellette