Wolf Matheson, a NYPD homicide detective investigates the murder of a billionnaire who dies in bizarre circumstances. Sooner rather than later, he is up against corrupt fellow officers and discovers that the body found is the tip of the iceberg. In Japan, the Black Blade Society, a kind of Yakuza-style organisation has the very latest in neural-net computers called The Hive planning their greatest operation yet. In Washington, a clandestine agency is conspiring to destroy Japan's abilities as an economic world power. Add these three elements together, throw in Wolf's love interest Chika, a Japanese girl who leads him to the Black Blade Society and helps him rediscover an ability he was taught by his Native American family in order to fight the bad guys. Like THE NINJA and all the other novels in that series, BLACK BLADE has all the necessary ingredients of a Lustbader classic - action, suspense, Oriental mysticism, sizzling sex scenes and martial arts combat scenes put well into print. Overall, a must purchase!

The characters are alive. The plot is complex and rich with detail. I found it to be a wonderful night time read. Eric Lustbader books get better each time you read it, you will notice details you haven't noticed before.

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!

When I picked up this first volume in the Batman vs. Dracula trilogy. I expected it to be an excellent graphic novel!! And it meeted my exact expectations. Batman, the Dark Knight and Dracula, the Lord of Darkness,make excellent characters for this crossover. This Batman tale has a dark and terrifying storyline with the Lord of Darkness and his undead army of vampires taking over Gotham city, plotting to plunge it into an age of utter darkness, pain, and fear! This reads just like a gothic dark fantasy or horror novel, and being a huge fan of gothic dark fantasy and horror novels, video games, and movies, such as the "Castlevania" video game series, the "Dark Shadows" tv series, and the anime movie "Vampire Hunter D", I just loved this
Batman vs. Dracula graphic novel and I certainly plan on buying the other two volumes in this epic gothic trilogy!!!

Batman and vampires. It seems an obvious match. Who better to take down creatures of the night than the Dark Knight, himself? Of course, in Gotham, things are always a little more complicated than they appear at first. I really enjoyed this book, once I got past the artwork. It can be too stylish at times. But the idea and the story are nicely done.

This is the most thrilling Batman that I have seen yet. Compelling storyline that intrigues from the first pages. Can't wait to pick up the Bloodstorm followup title.

The author creates an interesting and unique world for this novel. The post apoclayptic world that this story takes place in is a combination of a feudalistic society and a one where "big brother is watching". The protaganist, Ronin, is a brooding anti-hero who I found a little difficult to like, but I guess that's always the case with anti-heroes. Regardless, I really enjoyed this book, but for most part it was laying the groundwork for the rest of the series. I'll reserve judgement until I read the rest of the books

Lustbader takes his readers on a disturbing ride through the hellish nightmare of a dieing civilization where lies, deception, and violence are the only true virtues. One man must decide to follow a path forced upon him or look for the truth of a past and a future that might not exist. Lustbader is great at developing a dark forbidding world were nothing is as it seems. The characters are complex and mysterious with overtones of a society were duty is place above all else. This book is exciting, violet, sensual, and disturbing. Together with the Sunset Warrior Cycle it is one of the best books I have read.

If only they made more books like this one. It's very creative and imaginative. A definate entertainer! I can't wait to read the rest of the Sunset Warrior Cycle.

I found this book to be extremely entertaining. I am a big fan of all things martial arts/ninja/samurai and i loved reading about their histories as well as the histories of Japan, China, etc. I liked the characters and thought the story was excellent. Plus, the fight scenes were great!! Some of the violence and sex were a little excessive, but overall a very good read! PS-Brandon Lee would have made a great Nicholas Linnear!

This excellent read is the first in a series of six about Nicholas Linnear, a half-Oriental and half-Western man well versed in many martial arts. Through present-day plots and flashbacks to post-war Japan through the eyes of Nicholas's father Colonel Dennis Linnear, watch as the story unfolds. Nicholas is torn up over a Japanese woman he knew as a younger man and his present-day girlfriend Justine who is being hunted down by a ninja assassin. But who is behind the ninja's actions? How does Justine's father's company Tomkin Industries fit in, and what is the secret behind several ritual killings in New York? This book also introduces Nicholas Linnear's friend Detective Lew Croaker, who, in a related subplot, is investigating the murders. And to top it all, some explicit sex and stunning martial arts action scenes! The part where Nicholas hunts the ninja down through New York, is one of the best action and suspense scenes in literature ever. If you are new to Eric Lustbader, read this one first and then read the rest of the Linnear chronology in order, and I guarantee you'll become addicted to him! Awesome.

Eric Van Lustbader's "The Ninja" has all the trappings of a cinematic thriller: a fast-moving plot, a villain skilled in the deadliest martial arts, suspenseful encounters, a narrative fuelled by passion and revenge, lashings of sex and spellbinding action scenes. Although it is regarded as a popular book, which is to say, "a good read" on account of its standard storyline and characterisation, its sophisticated language, with choice descriptions and refined diction, elevate to the altogether higher plane of literature.

Van Lustbader can spin a good sentence, but the overall feel seems overly ambitious and hollow. There is just enough ring of falsehood to all the underpinnings of this world--the fakey science, the half-baked cultural explanations--that it left me with a feeling of cheese all over my skin. I am glad that there are those who enjoy his work. It shows a lot of effort and imagination, and for that I give him two stars. But overall, it feels oily to me.

Not a bad series but not really up my alley. If your a sci-fi fan you'll like it, but fantasy probably not.

I thought the book was wicked awesome! I'm not gona tell you what it's about, you should have read the last one. I did'nt finish it just yet but I know it's gona be great, I can't put it down! I strongly recomend buying this book. I gata go finish reading it!

French Kiss is a passionate description of the fight of two men to discover the killer of their respective brothers. As all Eastern suspense thrillers this book contains scenes of controlled violence and love. The reader is brought on trips to France, the U. S. and most of Southeast Asia. A super armchair exploration of the planet and its different inhabitants mannerisms and thinkings.

Jake Maroc has been subjected to the mutilation of his wife, daughter and now his father. He must return to a place to recover his strength to carry on and fight his oppressors......whoever they are. Following this is a tale of the workings of Hong Kong and it's neighbours. Add in the interest of the KGB, Communist China and a private vendetta and you will have an understanding of the complex plot in this novel.

If you love the old Japanese martial arts, action and romance this book is for you. Lustbader will keep you turning the pages until the very end.

The second book in the Nicholas Linnear story is almost as riveting as the first! Sex, lies, intrigue, romance, martial arts, ... These early novels include interesting character development. Nicholas' dilemma is pervasive throughout the novel: his Japanese root vs. the Western world and his love Justine...

In this second instalment in the Nicholas Linnear chronology, Nicholas is being hunted by Russian agents while he attempts to build up his inherited Tomkin Industries in the competitive Japanese business climate. The reasons for the Russian interest become apparent when a revolutionary new computer chip is developed. Also, what is the secret behind the death of his Oriental lover from years gone by? How is his past linked to the appearance of THE MIKO(sorceress) out to assassinate him? This story contains everything - martial arts action, a spy subplot with Nicholas being hired by a clandestine organisation within the CIA, high-tech James Bond-style gadgetry and explicit sex scenes! The Japanese business climate is also well-researched, more so than other books I've read on the subject(namely Tom Clancy's anti-Japanese stance in DEBT OF HONOUR.). Highly recommended and hard to fault.

If you loved Ninja then prepare to be disappointed. None of the fascinating detail that made Ninja such a page turner. Minor moments when describing the world of Heta I, a South American healing art that stores power in stones. Lew Croaker's biomechanical hand has more of a personality then Lew, and is much more fascinating.

Twisted plot involving South American magic, South Florida sleaziness, black market human organs, and secret government agenices.

Although I read this book to the end, I can't say I recommend it.

the books of mr.Lustbader have something different from the others:a way of seeing things unusual.This book has nothing like this.By far his best ones were JIAN and SHAN.Anyway,i'm still one of his fans

Despite of the lack of exotic settings and having a more ordinary hero,this novel is still a page-turner, thanks to the complexity of its charachters. Croaker ends up being a much more intersting person than Nicholas Linnear (who is something of a demi-god by now), however, DH lacks the thrilling changes of location in time and space characteristic of former novels. It's on the whole a fine novel, but I would suggest Mr, Lustbader to improve his Spanish spelling and grammar, there are lots of mistakes which undermine the credibility of the Spanish-speaking characters.