Customer Reviews

Shallows Of Night

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Having created one believable world in the first Ronin book, author Lustbader creates a second in SHALLOWS OF NIGHT. The setting for this mysterious action adventure is a pseudo Edo/Shanghai, a feudal Japan mixed with a healthy dash of Mandarin Chinese. That's not the same feat as creating the Freehold in the first book since Oriental culture is well-documented and has existed for centuries. Lustbader simply picked and chose the facets he wanted to use, i.e. a No play instead of Noh play, etc. It is, however, impressive and convincing world-building; at this point in his life Lustbader had yet to visit Japan.

SHALLOWS OF NIGHT is a fine continuation of THE SUNSET WARRIOR and new drama unfolds after Ronin crosses a sea of ice and hooks up with a bunch of Samurai-types. The journey over the ice consumes a fifth of the book with much description and little dialogue, but every sentence is gripping. Another interlude finds Ronin in a bizarre ritual partaking of some kind of drug, described like hashish. There are also a number of intense sword fights as well as heated love scenes.

The wondrous inventive adventure begun in THE SUNSET WARRIOR continues throughout this second book to unfortunately crap out in the third, DAI SAN.

I have never read Eric Lustbader at his best like this. He challenges every boundary of Science-Fiction I know of. Ronin is developed in a very intrueging way. For those who want fantastic entertainment, look no further!