Customer Reviews

Warrior Spirit (Rogue Angel, Book 9)

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

 

 

Warrior Spirit is the ninth book of the Rogue Angle series and would be best if most fans of the series gave this effort a miss. The first eight books were written by Victor Milan and Mel Odom and this was the first book attempted by another author. Unfortunately, he completely changes the character, so much so that it almost seems he did not bother to read the first eight. Where in the first eight books heroine Annja Creed is a daring adventurer in the style of Indiana Jones or Lara Croft, the Annja Creed in this book she comes across as a confused ingenue who tags along with the much more dominant male character.

Very few of the traits that made Annja such a dominant character in the first eight manage to make it to the surface. In fact she does not use her famous sword until very near the end of the book and comes across more as a damsel in distress than the enterprising and daring character of the first eight books. Even her vocabulary undergoes a change and she comes sounds more like a bedazzled high school girl rather that a well-educated and sophisticated archeologist.

The level of action is also considerably toned down. Readers of the first eight books have gotten used to high tempo action with Annja moving from one life-threatening encounter to another. In this book the pace is much more sedate; so much so that I actually found myself beginning to skim read in order to move on to a part of the book where something actually happens. My advice to fans of the series is to give this book a miss; it severely disappoints.

I've been a big fan of Annja Creed and the Rogue Angel series since day one- but I was disappointed with "Warrior Spirit" for many reasons. The connection to the sword has given Annja enhanced physical abilities, almost supernatural, yet in this book she fatigues easily, and almost every other character displays more physical prowess than she. The sword is almost an afterthought in this book- she rarely finds occation to use it, and when she does, for some mystical reason she can't get it. The whole series is based on Annja and her conection to the sword!

Annja Creed is a very confident, independant woman, yet in "Warrior Spirit" she questions herself often, and is content to let someone else make the decisions and lead the way. This is not typical Annja Creed. The portrayal of Garin is also disappointing. He wants the artifact, but they never state why, which is a good thing since he gives up without a fight. Previous books have shown Garin to be determined, rich and resourceful. No one can ever find any information about him, yet this time around Annja's guide manages to find a credit card number and bill their entire trip to him? And this is the reason Garin gives up wanting the artifact- which is silly since he's spent the past 500 years amassing a fortune!

Also, there was too much of the book spent on Annja's foes and their background stories, and not enough on Annja and her journey for the artifact.

There are plently of other things I didn't like, but I will leave it at that. If the rest of the series is like this book, I will not be purchasing any more of them.

I don't think I've read such a bland book at the end of a series before. The writing style had no inflection and Alex Archer didn't even describe the main character. The dialog would be entertaining if it didn't feel like statements the entire time. I put it down for a few weeks and easily picked up again to slog through the rest.

The plot was interesting, but the dry storytelling ruined it for me completely. The characters all seemed pretty much the same: all mad equipped with witty statements and more talented then Annja. Every battle sequence was quick and lacking in something. Character development didn't delve past the usual stereotypes and Annja was very "go with the flow and just don't think about it." For all her high and mighty ideals, she didn't stick to them very well, or even put up much of a fight before she accepted them. The scene that she found enlightenment was well thought out and the only extent of skimming below the surface, though it was regrettably short lived.

Alex seemed to rely on the history of Japan to keep the plot flowing instead of the characters and dialog. The descriptions were sketchy at best and the plot devices weren't handled well at all. The climax was anything but and the ending battle very blah. The romance was okay, but I wouldn't have been crushed if they hadn't had sex. Though the very ending had a nice twist, it was sadly, the best part.

I don't feel like I know Annja any better than at the beginning of the book. I couldn't care one way or another if she survived the book and I didn't feel any particular threat from the antagonists. I don't care to learn about how she even got her sword.

That to me, is the worst part of all.

If it were the first book, I would hang on to see if the writing style improves, but seeing how this is towards the end of the series; I have doubts for the earlier books. Unless it's degraded over time or Alex didn't feel the subject matter as the earlier books. Which is a shame, because the cover art and Japanese background is what drew me to the book to begin with.

I would borrow Alex Archer's books from the library, but I doubt I'll buy another.

Annja Creed is a part-time archeologist, part-time tv host of Chasing History's Monsters, and full-time adventurer.

While taking a vacation in Japan, Annja is approached by a young man who needs her help. Ken is searching for a long lost artifact that belongs to his family, of which he is the last remaining heir. And Annja soon finds out that Ken is more than what he seems, as he comes from a lineage of ninjistu warriors. But Annja and Ken are not the only ones searching for the artifact. And the other treasure hunters are willing to kill to get their hands on it.

As a new author brings his talents to the Rogue Angel series, I was excited about seeing where he took Annja's character. In this installment, Annja is more laid-back and more than a little flirtatious with Ken. And the action and suspense was bumped up a notch with the addition of ninjas and other fighters that actually give Annja a run for her money. Annja doesn't defeat every opponent with ease, as in most of the other installments. And she doesn't have as easy access to her sword as usual. These added complications made the story that much more suspenseful and exciting.

The Rogue Angel series has been a favorite of mine since its inception. Warrior Spirit is an impressive addition, and definitely one of my top picks in the series. Action, mystery, romance, magic, and ninjas... you won't be able to put this one down.

How does archaeologist Annja Creed relax on a vacation? Why, she participates in a martial arts tournament, of course! At the tournament, she meets Kennichi "Ken" Ogawa who wants her help in restoring a long lost magical artifact to his family. Ken isn't the only one who wants the artifact, however, and soon he and Annja will find themselves dodging attacks everywhere on their quest to locate the mythical vajra.

WARRIOR SPIRIT is yet another fascinating entry into the Rogue Angel series. The Japanese culture permeates the entire book, adding an interesting touch to the series. The clash between the ninjitsu, also known as ninjas, and the samurai is absolutely fascinating. I found this a bit surprising, as I have always adamantly avoided those late night ninja movies as the art of fighting has little to no appeal for me. However, Alex Archer really brings the whole art to life and provides a mystical perspective on it that is interesting, to say the least.

WARRIOR SPIRIT shows a much more relaxed and casual Annja Creed than in prior books. As she is on vacation, it is refreshing to see that she can step back a bit from her weighty role of carrying the legendary Joan of Arc's sword. In addition, we learn a few more tidbits about the sword in WARRIOR SPIRIT. Alex Archer does a great job at showing us a slightly different, softer side of Annja, as she is almost flirty at times.

The Rogue Angel series continues to be one of my favorite ongoing series. It's quite enjoyable to read a series in which the main character is a sharp and independent woman who can take care of herself in almost any situation. The paranormal twists, along with the archaeological adventures, make WARRIOR SPIRIT yet another great entry in what is a superb series. Easily recommended!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Annja Creed decides to take a vacation to Japan and test her martial arts skills in an international tournament. Her skill enables her to meet, but not defeat, the current champion in a close match. After the match a young Japanese man approaches Annja requesting her aid in recovering an ancient Ninja family artifact.

I've been reading this series since the first book was released, ans although I haven't been keeping up on the reviews, I am keeping up with the series.

It's hard to find a series of this calibur, a female heroine in the genre of Dark Angel, ALias, and Buffy in a well-written series. Full of action scenes, suspense, foreboding, and fighting scenarios without the nagging and overbearing steamy love/sex story that many many supernatural thrillers include.
Anya is the heroine, is a virtual reincarnation of Joan D Arc who possesses a sometimes invisible and always at hand, deadly sword. It would make a great T.v show if only t.v shows still existed with content.
In this story, she heads to Japan on vacation and encounters another dangerous mission. Every story has a new location, a new story, and new as well as reacurring enemies.
This is not so much review of the story in this book, but a confirmation that the series is still on the same track with the same formula - and it works.

WOW!
way to go MERZ--way to ruin a terrific series by odom and milan that
used to be filled with non-stop action. well, the bus stops (and i mean
dead in the water) here. how do you like your heroine now-- SHE DOESN'T EVEN
PULL OUT THE SWORD FOR OVER A HUNDRED PAGES! (and counting)!!JON MERZ
should be writing for harlequin romance because the will she wont she
kiss a guy on the cheek is a little hard to swallow after LOVING the
first 8 volumes.who is THIS miss creed anyway? THIS miss creed is such
the world traveler that she is snobbishly prudish when some people
change into their workout clothes and "HORRORS" show their underwear in
a way that "annja" finds and i quote "tasteless" and "crude". WHAT? if
you like your action consisting of tepid desciptions of eating dinner,
lunch and breakfast---then this is the book for you!