Customer Reviews

Deshi: A Martial Arts Thriller (Connor Burke and Yamashita Sensei)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This novel is going to be a little tougher to critique than Mr. Donohue's first outing, the remarkable "Sensei". I very much enjoyed reading this sequel to that excellent novel and also enjoyed being introduced to the characters again. There were a few flaws with this novel though, and this one felt more like a debut novel than his Sensei did.

As I noted in my review of Sensei, Donohue's protagonist, Connor Burke, is a finely realized and interesting character with substantial depth, complex feelings and motivations, and is an unusual hybrid of both college professor of Asian Studies and martial artist. In Sensei, his actions and reactions, to the unfolding plot events were both sensible and consistent with his character. Within this novel I felt the author stretched that sensibility and consistency a little too far for my comfort.

In this outing Connor, still a thinking man's hero, is drawn into another police investigation because of his unusual background and expertise in martial arts and Asian studies. The investigation, taking place in New York City, revolves around a series of murders of experts in Japanese calligraphy. Events proceed and eventually two dojos (martial arts schools) come into conflict with each other, spiritually and physically. The action scenes are excellent, the writing taut, and the book flows extremely well. In fact, I churned through this one very quickly, ignoring important things in my life clamoring for my attention, and enjoyed myself quite a bit.

I was disapppointed on some levels with this book however, probably because my expectations were so elevated after reading Sensei. Some of the characters in this book are finely realized, complex, believable and interesting. Yet many are not. Additionally some of the situations within the novel felt both forced and contrived and lacked a sense of naturalness and authenticity. Perhaps most disappointing was that the villains felt fairly cartoonish in the end and certainly did not behave rationally nor were their actions internally consistent with their depictations. Clever villains are so much more interesting than stupid ones.

I wish I could whole-heartedly recommend this book as an excellent read, but all I can really say is that it was certainly a fun read and I still enjoyed it despite some flaws. If you liked Sensei then go ahead and read this one, you'll still enjoy the further adventures of Connor Burke. If you haven't read Sensei, but like to read thrillers/mysteries/action adventure then I'd recommend reading Sensei before this book.

Edward Sakura sees the man in his shodo hut on his Brooklyn estate and knows the intruder is going to kill him. Before he dies, he creates a message in calligraphy that reads "spring wind". The police think it is a clue to his murderer and one of the lead detectives brings his brother, martial arts expert Connor Burke, is called into the investigation since he is an expert in things Asian. It is learned that Sakura has sent a calligraphic scroll to Professor Hoddington in Georgia for an evaluation.

The evidence shows the professor ends up murdered by the same person who killed Sakura. The school journalist Kim who gave the scroll to Sakura is found tortured and dead. The man Connor suspects killed the three men is also interested in Connor's Sensei's friend Tibetan monk Changpa Ripache. The killer has ties to the People's Republic of China security forces but they don't know why China would be interested in one outspoken monk. All these events seem to tie back to Kita Tekenobo, an expert in martial arts who wants the scroll destroyed. At an isolated gathering, all the principal players come together but not all of them will leave alive.

DESHI is a fascinating thriller that gives readers an in-depth look at those who practice the martial arts and how mysticism plays a role in the making of a warrior. The protagonist has been tutored by his sensei for many years yet still realizes he has a lot to learn especially how the interaction of eastern philosophy and mysticism creates warriors. The plight of Tibet and the Chinese attempts to destroy Buddhism and the monks who practice it add depth to this creative work of suspense.

Harriet Klausner

Let me start by saying that I'm a dedicated fan of this genre. That means of course that I've read Lustbader, Trevanian, Eisler, and now both of Donohue's books. This particular book came by recommendation of my father, also a huge martial arts fan (and fellow practictioner). I can totally respect Donohue's effort, because I know first hand how hard it is to put together a compelling martial arts thriller. I recently published a martial arts novel. My book features a Judo/Kenpo master hunting a world-class sniper whose killing presidential candidates. It's more of a mainstream thriller inspired by Lustabader's early erotic martial arts violence. See "Process of Elimination" if interested. End of shamelesss plug!

As another author writing in this same genre, I was very excited to pick up Donohue's "Sensei" (and then "Deshi"). I posted a review of "Sensei" as well, should you care to read it.

In Deshi, Connor is once again called in by the police (his brother and partner) to help with a murder case. There's a lot going on in the book behind the scenes, involving Chinese spies, a Tibetan Lama, some hired thugs, and a martial artist with something to hide. It's weird for me to even say this, but the complication in the plot sort of gets in the way of the story. Even as I finished the book, and I came to understand who was doing what and why, I was left a bit confused. I guess it's because there really isn't any way to figure out the book until Donohue finally walks you through it. It's not one of those stories where you can pick out clues and figure things out. You simply go along for the ride and then listen quietly as the author finally clues you in. Still, I like the authenticity of the martial arts and can overlook the lackluster feeling that I came away with.

Overall, I liked "Deshi" better than "Sensei." The story is unique, and there is more action. Like his first book, "Deshi" is also a quick read (a couple of hours). But complaints aside, I learned some things, and never put it down until it was finished. I guess that earns it 4 stars (but just barely).

I just finished Deshi so I want to write a review while I'm still "under it's influence." First, let me say that in my opinion Deshi is better than Sensei. Connor Burke (the protagonist) is so dimwitted in Sensei that I had a hard time enjoying the book. In Deshi, Connor is once again dim witted, but not so bad that I wanted to throw the book across the room. Actually it is Burke's emotional weaknesses that stand out in both books... something I hope Donohue will fix in his next book (should there be one).

The action in Deshi is also better in my mind. At one point Connor goes to a "Ninja" school (no really, I'm not joking). He fights a street ninja, and the fight description is pretty good. The one problem that Donohue has is that his main guy is a kendo master, and it is hard to describe a sword fight to those of us that don't have formal kendo training. So instead of creating detailed fights, he tends to gloss over them and focus on who wins. That's unfortunate, because Donohue is a real expert and could share a lot of information about technique and style.

The story in Deshi is more complicated than Sensei. Of course that's not saying much, since Sensei's story line could be written on a Chinese fortune cookie. The problem with Deshi's story is that as the reader there is no way for you to know what's going on. It's not a mystery you can solve. You simply have to ride along hoping that he'll clue you in eventually. And that doesn't come until the final pages. In my opinion, neither Deshi nor Sensei are very good stories, but I do like this genre. I hope that Donohue can improve, and if not, we always have Eisler's Rain series and Bradley's Process of Elimination.

John Donohue's Deshi is an excellent tale of clashing cultures, an exquisitely flavored and nuanced mystery featuring college professor/martial arts expert Connor Burke, a character whose background mirrors the author's own.

As in Donohue's first book, Sensei, Burke is asked by the New York City police to help them investigate a difficult case. This time it's the murder of a Japanese-American whose death seems to have something to do with a missing inka, a traditional Japanese scroll indicating accomplishment or enlightenment.

At the behest of his sensei (teacher), Burke also becomes involved with a lama who has fled oppression in his native Tibet but is still in danger. Is it possible that the two cases are related?

Although the publisher of Deshi (Japanese for student) bills the novel as a "martial arts thriller," it is much more than that. True, it has its share of action and suspense, but Donohue's story is also one of insight and reflection, written by an author who understands the dichotomy between East and West and uses that knowledge to flavor his already compelling prose.

This novel is going to be a little tougher to critique than Mr. Donohue's first outing, the remarkable "Sensei". I very much enjoyed reading this sequel to that excellent novel and also enjoyed being introduced to the characters again. There were a few flaws with this novel though, and this one felt more like a debut novel than his Sensei did.

As I noted in my review of Sensei, Donohue's protagonist, Connor Burke, is a finely realized and interesting character with substantial depth, complex feelings and motivations, and is an unusual hybrid of both college professor of Asian Studies and martial artist. In Sensei, his actions and reactions, to the unfolding plot events were both sensible and consistent with his character. Within this novel I felt the author stretched that sensibility and consistency a little too far for my comfort.

In this outing Connor, still a thinking man's hero, is drawn into another police investigation because of his unusual background and expertise in martial arts and Asian studies. The investigation, taking place in New York City, revolves around a series of murders of experts in Japanese calligraphy. Events proceed and eventually two dojos (martial arts schools) come into conflict with each other, spiritually and physically. The action scenes are excellent, the writing taut, and the book flows extremely well. In fact, I churned through this one very quickly, ignoring important things in my life clamoring for my attention, and enjoyed myself quite a bit.

I was disapppointed on some levels with this book however, probably because my expectations were so elevated after reading Sensei. Some of the characters in this book are finely realized, complex, believable and interesting. Yet many are not. Additionally some of the situations within the novel felt both forced and contrived and lacked a sense of naturalness and authenticity. Perhaps most disappointing was that the villains felt fairly cartoonish in the end and certainly did not behave rationally nor were their actions internally consistent with their depictations. Clever villains are so much more interesting than stupid ones.

I wish I could whole-heartedly recommend this book as an excellent read, but all I can really say is that it was certainly a fun read and I still enjoyed it despite some flaws. If you liked Sensei then go ahead and read this one, you'll still enjoy the further adventures of Connor Burke. If you haven't read Sensei, but like to read thrillers/mysteries/action adventure then I'd recommend reading Sensei before this book.

I am drawn to many cultures, ways of life to learn. John Donohue follows the further adventures of martial arts student and master in a satisfying sequel to Sensei. For those who are trying to find Gone With the Wind, fuggettaboutit. For those who like to read of martial arts, tibetan enlightenment, and a continuation of a wondeful cast, this is for you.

Looking forward to the next outing.

I found this martial arts thriller to be an excellent blend of realistic martial arts,likeable recurrent characters and an exciting story line. As a black belt and Ph.D. myself, I appreciated Donohue's attention to martial details without being exaggerative in content (no flying throgh the air or destroying opponents with five fingers of death). I also read Tengu, his third novel, and throughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend the entire series.

The only people who should read this book are the stuffy academics the main character belittles, as this reads more like a lecture than a piece of interesting prose. There is little sense of suspense or danger in his fight scenes. Donohues' martial technique descriptions don't live up to his reputation as someone well-versed in a variety of Asian martial arts. Save for his relationships to master and his brother, there is very little in the way of interesting character interactions, and the conclusion is anti-climactic at best. Even the detective aspect to the story barely held my attention. If you're someone looking for a story rich with martial arts content this book will disappoint you.

Donohue can write. Sensei is one of my favorite thrillers.

Donohue suffers a bit of a sophmore slump in "Deshi". It is still a good book and fun read, but not to the standards set by "Sensei". It drags a bit in the middle and the images are not as clear.

This seems to be a transition book. Donohue appears to be moving in a more mystical direction and the book suffers from that. His writing style is very clear and precise, if I could write I'd like to write like Donohue. I am sure his gift came after a lot of hard work, but like a great figure skater he makes his work seem effortless and beautiful. The mystical direction in this book does not match his style as well as the clean action in the previous book.

If this had been Eisler's only book I probably would have rated it higher but I was expecting more from this gifted writer.

A fun read and recommended.