Samurai Game

GhostWalker #10

by Christine Feehan

In a world so dark and seductive, expect nothing less than a triple-cross in the explosive all-new Ghostwalker novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan…

In an underground club, a high-ranking public official spends his secret nights indulging in fantasies as exciting as they are depraved. For a seductive employee of the Dungeon, it’s her job to fulfill them. But she’s playing a far more dangerous game—one of blackmail, politics, and murder that reaches into the shadow world of the Ghostwalkers, and the creation of a spectacular, one-of-a-kind new weapon of defense.

But when a dictator makes his own catastrophic moves, the Ghostwalkers have no choice but to bring in two major players—a man and woman both driven by passion and revenge. Both expendable. Both with nothing left to lose.

Genres: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Military Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Fantasy, Suspense

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 100 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, GhostWalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series, Shadow Riders, Torpedo Ink and her Romantic Suspense novels. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.
Her series include:
The Dark Series - https://www.christinefeehan.com/darkb...
The GhostWalker series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/ghost...
The Leopard Series - https://www.christinefeehan.com/leopa...
The Shadow Series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/shado...
Torpedo Ink series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/torpe...




IN HER WORDS:
I've been a writer all of my life -- it is who I am. I write for myself and always have. The ability to create pictures and emotions with words is such a miracle to me. I read everything; I mean everything! All kinds of books, even encyclopedias. I am fascinated by the written word and I love storytellers. It is a great privilege to be counted one myself. (www.christinefeehan.com)

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Flat stars

Spoilers



I am going to keep this short, and to the point. The two words I would use for Samurai game is Flat, and boring! I don't know what happened, but this book was so off for me. I didn't connect to the lead couple, or the plot. Sam had no real personality . I didn't feel like I got to know him at all. Azami was just Meh. She totally pissed me off when she went undercover as a high priced escort, and lets one of Dr. Whitney's flunkies, Frank , feel her up, suck on her fingers, and then she felt up his cock.....Really? I don't care if she was undercover it was disrespectful to Sam especially since she didn't even bother to tell Sam she was going undercover, and she never even tells him about the frank thing !

Sam



Azami



I didn't invest in their relationship at all, most likely because they didn't really have much of one. The book was repetitive, and tedious. A ton of " I am not good enough to love." "You are great, and I love you." " You can't love me Whitney messed me up, and I am nothing." "You are everything to me." Blah Blah Blah! I fell asleep at one point. The love making was pages long. Pages!!! Then there was the super long detailed ritual bath. Really I get it she washed him I didn't need such a in depth description of it. Nor did I need to know pages about Nano technology, every weapon under the damn sun, or a ton of Military Jargon. OMG and don't even get me started on the end fight with Dr. Whitney. The book builds up this big fight. OMG Whitney is sending men to kidnap the babies and almost all the men are away on a mission. OMG what are they going to do. Dun dun dun. Yea it's 4 men and Azami and Saber take them out in like 2 second talk about anti-climactic. Whatevs! I am on to the next book and I hope to GOD it's better than this one!

http://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessio...

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

3rd Reread Completed in October 2017.:

I think that Azami is one of Feehan's more complex GhostWalker heroines. She is definitely the most tortured. Like physically and emotionally. Whitney used her for experiments and operated on her repeatedly and then literally threw her away. She rose like a phoenix from the ashes, which is why her tattoo is so appropriate. I love how badass she is. Not only badass, but also very calm and soothing and has a sense of peace that took many years of discipline to cultivate. I think she's perfect for Sam.

Sam is such a sweetie. I love him. He's definitely lethal and capable of kicking butt big time, but he's also like a big cuddly teddy bear. He's so loyal. I was so glad to see he got a good heroine.

I loved how Sam and Azami connected deeply, and one couldn't even say it was because Whitney paired them. They share a history of having grown up in trouble surroundings and being adopted, and a craving for a real sense of family and home. It makes me so happy that they are together.

I like how much of the action in this book is Azami on her mission to cut off Whitney's espionage supply pipeline. She is ruthless about taking out her enemies, but I'm not mad at her.

One thing that bothered me this time as much as the last, Feehan barely mentions that Sam is African American. I would have liked more references to his skin color just as it was important to get a clear image of him in my head. I made up my own image. However, someone who picked up this book first probably wouldn't even know Sam was black.

As always, I love seeing Team One work together and joke around. I like how Feehan takes the time to introduce some characters she hadn't featured before, like Jonas and Kyle. I liked how much Ryland, Gator, Tucker, Nico, and Ian were in this, not to mention the ladies such as Saber, Lily, and Flame.

I never get enough of these book. This completes the reread of the books I have already read at least twice. Now I'm moving onto Viper Game, for my first reread.

2nd Reread Completed in April 2015. I wanted to revisit the GhostWalkers before I read Viper Game. And let's face it, I start getting withdrawal pains when I spend too long away from the GhostWalkers. I'm obsessed.

My thoughts this time around:

I just plain love this book. I mean, it's nothing special amongst the other books, but I really felt the love between Azami and Sam. I think even though they only knew each other for a short period, and they couldn't have been paired on both sides, it was just a synergy between them that made my true romantic heart feel warm and fuzzy. They make such a good pair, and Sam happened to put into words, they just fit together. Their relationship was deeply romantic and appealingly sensual. Those of us who have followed Team One's GWs, I don't think they could be dissatisfied at seeing Sam get his woman.

I love them just as much as individuals. Sam is so fantastic. He's such a good guy. Smart as a whip, lethal as a ninja and sweet as a puppy. That is my kind of combination. This is one of those heroes that I often wish "Why can't I have a guy like that?" It doesn't happen much. I usually view romance as escapism, and it's not wish fulfillment for me, if I'm honest. More than anything, I'm more in love with love. But, yeah, Sam is 100% on my personal compatibility scale. I think out of all the GhostWalkers, he's probably the one I feel like I would be a good match with in real life. But enough of that!

Azami, I have a serious girl crush on her. She's freaking lethal, but elegant and demure. She's highly intelligent, but has no desire to showboat about it. And she's a serious survivor. Out of all the crap that Whitney did in his experimentation with the GhostWalkers, he committed the most atrocities to her. But it didn't break her, she was reborn as a samurai. There is something about a woman warrior that I just love. While I don't have a tendency towards being a warrior in real life, I truly love that aspect of a woman. Yes, I admit I have a secret desire to be a ninja that never went away. Azami's secret assaults on Whitneys organization were long in coming. He things she's thrown away and probably dead, but she's the real ghost who is going to give him his reckoning.

I do believe this book is slightly more action-focused than the previous book. While Feehan goes in detail with some of the operational information, I liked that. I'm sort of geeky about special ops stuff.


I could probably rave more, but I don't want to repeat myself over what I said on my last read. I can say that it definitely stands up to a reread. Sadly, it makes me want to start the series all over again, but I lack the time for it. :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------



Original Review:
I was so sad to finish this book. I love visiting with the GhostWalkers in any capacity, and the arrival of the long lost Thorn (now called Azami) was desperately appreciated. Sam is a sweetheart while clearly maintaining his capable and lethal identity as an enhanced soldier. He is a very calm, together person. I think in some ways, the quiet heart of Team One. From the other books he seemed courtly and down to earth, eminently huggable. It's nice to see more dimensions to him and to see his love story unfold.


Hanging out with Team One again was awesome. And getting to meet the incredibly gifted and advanced Daniel was a real pleasure. He's going to make life very interesting for his parents and the Teams. Also, it was nice seeing Ryland in the field again. I missed seeing him kick some butt. The Team is not just a well-oiled military team, but a close-knit brotherhood/family.

While there is definitely an insta-love vibe between Sam and Thorn, it works for them. I could and do believe in their love. Sam and Azami connect on an intellectual, physical and emotional level. Sam has always kept a part of himself separate from others (despite his tight bonds with the other members of Team One and their wives), and when Azami comes along, she finds her way into the deeper parts of him very quickly. He wants to be her protector, although this lethal woman is more than capable of taking care of herself and others. Sam sees the wounds that Whitney's experiments have left on Azami's psyche and body and it only makes her more beautiful to him, not the broken, unwanted person she fights to leave behind. I loved that Azami is a samurai warrior in every way. I also loved her demure, together, composed demeanor. Despite her calm, she is a very passionate, deep person. She has a lot of strength to survive what she endured from Whitney's heinous experiments, rising like a phoenix from the ashes. The tattoos she wears are very representative of her journey and her psyche. I have to admit, I wish I had gotten to see her go to town with a katana (I'm a martial arts freak, so forgive!), but she proves her lethal skill in many ways, as much as ninja assassin as a samurai (and for a girl who has always thought ninjas were freaking awesome, that worked for me). I liked what I saw of her brothers, and honestly would like to see more.

I am very curious to see where the conspiracy will go next with Whitney and Violet. It looks like there's going to be a game-changer on this front. Azami is going to be a real asset in this arena, with her intel into Whitney, and her resources as a Yoshiie. She probably hates Whitney more than all of the other GhostWalkers combined, and with good reason. Whitney made a huge mistake underestimating her and the other GhostWalker women, not to mention the strong bond between the GhostWalkers. His reckoning is coming, although I don't want to see this series end any time soon.

This book felt too short. I was enjoying it so much, when it ended, I was like, "Oh, no!" I would have been happy with seventy-five more pages, easy. It's like leaving a gathering of your favorite people when these books end, knowing you might not get to spend time together again for a while. I really don't want to wait a year for another installment. It's going to be a long wait. I think I will end up rereading this book to experience more of Sam/Azami's love story and the GhostWalkers yummy goodness.

It's hard to say how I felt about this book, other than loving it and smiling most of the time as I read. The action was hardcore and fierce, and the loving was intense and beautiful, deeply emotional. Despite that satisfaction I felt reading it, I fight a pervasive feeling of sadness because it's over and I don't want to leave this world. I guess I need therapy for my GhostWalkers addiction! That's all I can say right now! Another thumbs up from this die-hard GhostWalkers fan.

*This might be a first draft for this review as my feelings coalesce into something coherent.*

Check out GhostWalkers Pinboard on Pinterest!

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Spoiler free)

Christine Feehan’s GhostWalkers is one of my very favorite PNR/RS series. I love the plot, the characters, the writing… I’m always thrilled when a new book is released, then sad when I’ve finished reading it. That was, and is, the case with this tenth installment of the series, Samurai Game.

I always like to include the book blurb in my reviews, but the official blurb for Samurai Game sucks doesn't really give us much of what this story is about. Christine Feehan posted this on her site, and after seeing it on my friend Kris' review, I decided to post it here, too:

"I’m currently working on Samurai Game, a very exciting action/thriller/romance. My heroine, Thorn, was taken from an orphanage in Japan, enhanced by Dr. Whitney and when he couldn’t find exactly what her psychic ability was, he deemed her useless for anything other than experimentation. His experiments were brutal and at age eight, he threw her away, back to the streets of Japan, in the worst neighborhood, forgetting all about her. Thorn never forgot about him.

Team One is back in full force, and the story is action packed. The chemistry between Thorn and Sam Johnson sizzle. Sam is brilliant and has the most amazing psychic abilities. With his enhancements he and Thorn make a formidable team to fight an unexpected enemy and take out the lifeline between Dr. Whitney and the White House."

Yeah, that's a much better description!

There are so many things to love about this book. Azami "Thorn" Yoshiie creates a slightly different feel to the story than that of the previous books. A female of Japanese descent, she has a... quietude about her and is, in some ways, very unlike the other GhostWalker women. Peaceful, calm… she has a kind of tranquil aura that, for those who do not know her, is quite deceiving. And dangerous. Though she appears to be a non-threat, she’s probably the deadliest of them all because they never see her coming until it's too late. And sometimes, not even then.

Sam “Knight” Johnson is your typical male GhostWalker. He’s strong, determined, dedicated to the teams and does whatever he must to get a job done. Like all the men, his special abilities are vital to whatever mission they are on, so when the team learns that Peter Whitney has offered him up as a sacrifice, deeming Sam expendable, they're more than a bit surprised. But when it starts to look like they have a traitor amongst them - the last person on earth they’d ever suspect would want Sam gone, the team, with Captain Ryland Miller leading, takes matters into their own hands.

It's an understatement to say that I enjoyed this story! Loved it! The action scenes were intense, gripping, send your pulse racing excitement! I can’t remember ever being as captivated by this aspect of the story in any other book in the series. And the romance was very… romantic. Even though the passion and the physical attraction was there from the beginning, Sam and Azami’s romance was a slow build, as calm and peaceful as Azami herself. But remember, her sweet, zen-like demeanor is only one side to Azami and unlike some of the other GhostWalker men when it comes to their woman - and one of the things I love most about him - Sam digs her not-so-soft-and-fluffy side, too:

She sent him another smile. She touched the white balls at the end of the chains. “These are not real pearls, just shells to house the ammunition for my blow gun. It gives me ten extra needles in a fight.”

“I’m getting another hard-on just thinking about you with all those weapons.” His hand snaked out, fingers settling around her wrist. He tugged until she was between his legs. “How am I going to get through the day knowing you’re so damned sexy, woman?”

One of the high points for me in these stories is the chance to revisit characters from previous books, and such is the case – even more-so – in this one! To see where everyone is, how they’re doing… it’s such a treat for me because each couple has become a favorite.

The bottom line: Well, she did it again! Christine Feehan gave me a story that far exceeded my expectations and has left me longing for the next book in the series, and no matter when it gets here, it just won't be soon enough!

4.5/5 stars

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Samurai Game by Christine Feehan
Book 10 of the Ghostwalker series. Paranormal romantic suspense. Can be read as a stand-alone but better if you read the first few as background.
Now a Samurai, Azima and her adopted brothers contract with the Ghostwalkers on a mission. Treachery, danger and sexy interludes.

It’s been many years since I started this series. It was intriguing to jump back in and finding they are still surviving and still hunting Whitney. We obviously hate what was done to the heroine and admire her strength now. I do agree with other reviewers that there was a lot of repetitiveness in the book but listening to an audio version made it easy to skip ahead by 15 seconds or more as needed. Some of that steam is better read than listened to in certain environments.
Overall I liked the suspense and since I bought all these years ago will continue with the series.

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the 10th book in this series, which I really liked in the beginning…..more about what I feel about the last one or two before this one later….

Azami Yoshiie, beautiful and dangerous, once known as Thorn, when she was used as an experiment by Dr Whitney and discarded and left to die in the streets of Tokyo, is adopted by a powerful samurai family and is now a powerful samurai and assassin.

She travels to the Ghostwalkers compound to negotiate a business deal, where she meets Sam Johnson.

Sam Johnson is a powerful Ghostwalker soldier, who has also been used and sacrificed by Dr Whitney.

When the two meet, they find that there is a strong bond between them which they can’t understand. Soon they are thrown together on a mission and discover that the connection they have with each other is deep and very strong.

This series is a bit of a hit and miss for me. Whilst I have really liked some of the books, there have been others that made me cringe and bored me to death!!!

I thought that there wasn’t much storyline….and nothing seemed to happen for a long time. On and on before any action and when finally the group gets on with their mission...which was so unbelievable…..and happen so fast….it was like…allright…Ghostwalkers got in, did their bit, killed the bad guys and all go home feeling good about their successful mission!!!

And jeezz…all those pages and more pages about the sexual encounters between Sam & Azami…repeat..repeat…and more repeat!!! I found myself skimming over those parts after the first or second “encounter”. I would have liked more action than sex!!!!!

I do like the Ghostwalkers world and the characters but this one was not one of my favorites in this series.

[CC · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This book is a hot mess. Who wrote it? I find it hard to believe that Feehan wrote this or wrote all of it. The quality of the work was far below her norm. I am not talking about the story/plot, but the writing itself.

The beginning was ok. Although Thorn/Azami was hard to connect to, what Whitney did to her as a child was unspeakable. (She is mentioned in Saber and Jesse's book) So, so terrible. Luckily she did get a very good adoptive family and she thrived. She became a samurai. I do not know exactly what it means, but Feehan told me about a thousand times that she was samurai. Her Japanese mannerism were very hard for this American to relate to. But I still liked her. I liked Sam to, but he seemed to be a minor player in the story. A supporting character to Azami.

I swear the author must have decided her readers are idiots. If she said something in this story once, it was said no less than 50 more times. No joke.

The first bit of the book moved along ok. It was mostly just Thorn/Azami doing her thing. Then she meets Sam and that was pretty good. The battle was pretty awesome. Azami was the badest ass of all the women so far. But then she almost lets him die because she cannot get out of her own head. I am starting to sense a pattern by now. Every scene goes on too long. I could give a dozen examples of this.

Then the story came to a grinding halt. Soooo slow and boring. Azami and Sam's first night together. If I was not so bored by the interminable tea and bathing, I would have noticed the awkward and uncomfortable sex scene. I did like that once Sam and Azami committed, they BOTH committed. In the beginning, I would not have thought Azami would do this. I was pleasantly surprised.

They prepare for the next mission. We get a detailed list of every item they are taking. EXTREMELY detailed!!! Not only the specs on each weapon, but the number of batteries, water filters, etc. I could go on and on and on and on. I guess in the absence of writing anything of substance, you can write a shopping list for the Army supply store. Then another mission. But not before Azami decides to do some undercover work on her own. She is a badass. Quite the assassin.

It was at the end of Chapter 16 (of 19) that Feehan decides to reintroduce us, in great detail, to every character. No shit - including the Hero. It was like the first chapter got moved to the end. Then, in the next chapter she decides to retell the story as if she was summarizing it for a later book that needed the background. I mean, shit, I did not forget how Sam met Azami a few chapter later. It was so frustrating. Then there was about a minute of the big battle, and then days and days of them travelling. Snore....

Meanwhile the big battle at home lasted about 5 seconds.

Azami's reunion with Flame was about 3 seconds. So strange. Someone who meant so much to Flame and there is just a passing greeting. Feehan could have ignored her shopping lists and given these ladies some time together.

I end up liking both MCs, hence the 2 stars. And the plot was ok. But the quality of the writing was so subpar that I cannot rate any higher.


Good points - got to see lots of Team one, Lily and the baby! He was a treat. Scary talented baby. The story about Whitney and Violet made progress and we learned a bit more.

Safety Gang

Cannot believe I have to give a spoiler in a Feehan book.

Azami goes undercover as an escort. She feels up the man she is with to distract him. It did not really bother me but she never told Sam.

Sam is clearly experienced. Has condoms at the ready in his bedside table. Since he lives in the middle of nowhere, it just felt strange.

[Luna Chulhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok so when I started reading the ghost walkers I was obssesed I particularly loved the story of Jack and Briony their story was hot and compelling. I guess I am just tired of the I am damaged and not worthy of your love women and the men who make them whole. I am also pretty sick of the we have been paired is this really love nonsense.
I was eager to read this book but the formula is getting old and their have been little or no advancement at bring down Whitney... I mean isn't Whitney tired to attacking the compound and failing really he needs a new plan.

So about the story, the characters were likeable enough and thier orginal attaction was exciting but as I said above the formula took over. The series needs a real shake up like Now!

Maybe a pairing that does not work or an actual blow to Whitneys arsenal instead of these minor chips at his arsenal. May be flip an orignal agent of Whitneys something.
The series needs more adrenaline and more of a plot sorry Christine I really wanted to like this one.......

[Alana ~ The Book Pimp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd even go as far as a 4½♥'s on this one.

Just as you would expect from this series, you will still find alpha males, near insta-love, psychic (DNA manipulated) talents, and high action. This book also has a walking lethal weapon of a female, and I loved that. The female, Thorn/Azami was just as deadly, if not more so than Sam. That just plain rocked. I loved that she was Japanese and brought her culture into Sam's life. I found it to be a sensual, heart-pumping journey.

If you are a fan of the Ghostwalker series, this is most definitely one not to be missed. Many of the other characters are included, at least in passing, so you can re-visit older characters while connecting to the newer ones. The camaraderie was there, as well as the paranoia of Whitney's devious, maniacal plans.

If you enjoy paranormal, action, and romance- give this series a try if you haven't already. There are some books I enjoy more than others in the series, but I have yet to find one that disappoints me. I eagerly await more books by Christine Feehan!

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.50 stars for me. I will review about the first 3/4s of the book first and then talk about the last 1/4 of the book. Yoshii has an ax to grind with Dr. Whitney and she is going to grind it against his head. After all he had her thrown out of a car in a very bad part of Japan at 8 years old, after she had served as his operational guinea pig since she was three. When I say operational I mean he literally operated on her without any pain killer wanting to see where the threshold of pain was. This was a stupid premise, because a threshold of pain is going to be different on a young child versus a grown male Ghostwalker. He just wanted to do evil and she was in his clutches. So she has a need to see some of that pain come back to him. He got rid of her because her heart was giving out and she didn't have any talents that he could use.

What Whitney didn't realize that Yoshii "Thorne" had talents that she managed to hide from him and some of her talents didn't manifest until she was older. But she is now head of a multi-billion dollar cutting edge satellite corporation along with her two brothers. She has come to the Ghostwalker compound because they have requested one of her satellites. Her real intent is quite a bit different however. She is met by Sam Robinson, a Ghostwalker with extraordinary talents and intelligence. He is also extremely handsome, but she isn’t' here for that. Sam of his part is instantly alert when the three show up for the meeting. Especially Yoshii has him completely on edge and unable to settle. Soon they are under attack from an unknown source and Sam and Yoshii are forced into a combat mode as a killing machine. It becomes apparent that they have some of the same paranormal talents.

This bonds the two and they begin to realize they are attracted to one another. There were long scenes with these two so they got a lot of page time of forming the relationship. This all took place within a very short period of time, so we had to be convinced that their relationship was not a flash in the pan. Whitney couldn't have performed his little pheromone voodoo on these two because Thorn was long gone from Whitney's clutches before Sam ever entered the program. But they were both lonely people who recognized the other that could feel each other's soul with light. Yoshii needed Sam to assure her that she was desirable no matter what scars Whitney had left on her body and Sam needed Yoshii to fill the empty places in his spirit that a foster family couldn't. They made a great couple and the love scenes were hot and spicy and very drawn out. There was some laugh out loud moments as Yoshii starts taking down her hair and detailing what each little weapon does. The more lethal she became the more Sam got turned on. It was cute in a very James Bond sort of way. She is a dangerous chic to have on your bad side, as Whitney will one day find out.

It was the last 1/4 of the book where things start going off the rails for me. CF started repeating phrasing in order to chew up word count and one of my biggest pet peeves with her. She told us what a HALO jump was on one page and then repeated it on the next page. Then the weaponry that the Ghostwalkers were going to take on a mission was also repeated. Nothing makes my eyes glaze over and lose interest faster that going down a weapons list. Then last but not least the book ended in a odd place. Sam and Yoshii have a HEA, but it ends in mid scene to me and felt incomplete. If you haven't read a Ghostwalker before, you could start with this book and not be lost. There are obvious past couples in here, but I don't think you would be lost. However, those first Ghostwalker books are pretty incredible and I urge you to give them a chance, at least up to book 7. After that the books became hit or miss for me. This one was very good and felt like a first book, except for the last 1/4.

[Sia McKye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved seeing more of the Ghostwalkers and Amazi was a fascinating woman. I enjoyed learning of some the Japanese customs and in particular the fact that there were female Samurai warriors--usually you hear of only the male. Their view of death was interesting as well.

I laughed out loud at all the weapons Amazi regularly wore and all were decorative. If you didn't know they were weapons you would have never known. She is a walking arsenal which Sam found sexy (and that was fun to see). The whole idea of contrasts in how she looked and what capable of. Like I said, fascinating woman.

As usual all the warfare and kick ass take names situations were there but took a second seat to Amazi. The main plot is the story of Amazi and peripherally, her brothers. She is the central character. Her skills, her goals, and mindset, as well as what she was able to accomplish is what kept me turning the pages. Well developed character. I really would have liked to see more of her brothers' personality and see them developed a bit more rather than two names.

Sam is cool (and sexy but I don't think Feehan writes a central character who isn't) and I do like smart men and he was. I like seeing his inner conflict over the loyalties--whether it was being torn between his team family and Amazi or questions surrounding his father. I'm glad Feehan cleared that up.

For those of you following the series, you get to see more of Daniel, the young son of Lily and Rye. Very intriguing little one. I hope to see more about the GhostWalkers' children in upcoming books.

Well worth an evening or two to visit with the GhostWalkers again!

[Truitti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Feehan's series so much. I enjoy the plot, the characters, and the world they live in. However, I do not enjoy sections which deal with intimate sexual situations. Yes I am uncomfortable with Whitney's experimentation on humans, but I don't want to have intimate details of a sexual nature as major parts of the story. I am sure I am missing bits of the plot, but I skim and skip the sections that deal with what she did to him and what he did to her. I don't feel it is necessary to go into gross detail.

In fact, the gross sexual detail is the biggest fantasy in the book. Please, if you are reading this book, hoping for a relationship described, then don't hold your breath cause you will die waiting. I appreciate romance and imagination much more than boring details of where what was put where and how that made him or her feel. sigh.

If Feehan could generalize the sexual details, I would find this book a 5 star book. If I want to read erotica, then I will go to the section clearly labeled as such.

[Joanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know that Christine Feehan writes romance novels, which pretty much mean that her characters are going to fall in love within the word count of one book. But with this I think she has hit a whole new level of disbelief.

They go through a fight within hours of meeting each other for the first time and they're in love? Yes, i realise they have a psychic bond but that's still ridiculous. A person is made of the core character and personality, and also the behaviourial traits, habits that are unique to the individual just as much. And the psychic bond just seems like a convenient excuse for not having a real development between the characters.

I'm not sure where most of the story went since i can pretty much summarise the essence of the story in "they fell in love at first sight, at first psychic connection, and they fought whitney, didn't quite win, but threw a wrench in whitney's plans."

I guess my real issue with this is that I want to be SHOWN they're in love not TOLD. And it used to be that Christine Feehan managed to some extent. -sigh-

[Andaleigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really liked this series when it first began, but now it has just stretched suspension of disbelief beyond the realm of possibility. I didn't think there was much of a storyline to this book as I was more than three quarters of the way through before there was any significant forward motion. I will say the characters were well developed and for the most part the writing flowed well, but the negative aspects far outweigh the positives.
For example:
-The character of Daniel is ridiculous.
-The explanation of why Sam and Azami fell instantly in love is weak.
-The research was maybe not as thorough as it should have been. Would someone tell me how it is possible to do any kind of a parachute jump out of a Gulfstream II. I think the author confused HALO (high altitude low opening) with HALO ( high altitude observatory- part of the US missile defense system).
All in all a disappointing effort from a talented writer.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I disliked the last few books in the Ghostwalkers series but this one was very enjoyable. We have a very tortured and scarred heroine who trusts no one until she meets Sam Johnson. The attraction is instant and the psychic connection goes deep quickly.

I liked both Azami and Sam and thought Ms. Feehan did a good job pairing them up. The fight against Whitney is heating up and hopefully the Ghostwalkers will defeat this asshole soon as his antics are getting progressively more evil as time goes by.

[Ceci Marlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read all of Feehan's "Game" series. This one felt different. It feels good to be making some headway on ending the tyrannical work of Whitney. It was exciting to have a stronger, more emotional connection between the male and female key characters (Sam and Azami/Thorn) than the pheromonal pairing constructed by Whitney. I enjoyed the skill with which Azami did just about everything--that was very empowering for any female reader. Different and even more satisfying. Good read, Ms. Feehan. Thank you for this addition.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tenth in the GhostWalker paranormal romance action series. The couple focus is on Sam Johnson and Azami Yoshiie.


My Take
Oh man, the summary on the back of the book sure dances around. Yes, all these events are in the book, but they're so minor...I had to really think about them.

Feehan gets you worked up immediately with three short, nasty scenarios which leave you questioning and curious. Then she ratchets up the tension with the meeting between Sam and Azami and her brothers. I do love that Sam accepts Azami as a warrior who can hold her own. And then some!

Oh, I love the sound of Sam's house and what Azami does with the stream that runs near it. It's so romantic...sigh…

Dang, telepathy is so very handy in a tight spot! And Feehan just doesn't back down from those.

Sam's acceptance of his feelings and initial expectations of Azami are so brave. His acceptance of her as a warrior in spite of his need to protect her. His desire to conform to her country's customs.

Interesting treatment of Azami's fears, how Feehan uses them to provide the back history for her. It does get a bit tedious after awhile even though the telling of it also makes you want to take up a gun and shoot the bastard. Wait'll you read the list (and description) of the weapons Azami wears…!

Then on the other side of the Azami-coin, you will clap and cheer Azami on as she "tidies up" all sorts of problems. This is one woman you definitely want on your side.

All the usual fears a parent has in raising a child---only this one is much too advanced for his nine months. I don't even want to imagine Daniel as a teenager!

Loose thread: What about Daniels' invisible friend??

Loved the tale of the reluctant Frenchman. An excellent technique to engage the reader, show Azami what the team is like, and give us a bit of light relief in a very tense story. The romance building had its own ...ahem...relief.

Sam is skating a thin line between his honor and loyalty to the team and the woman with whom he has fallen in love. And the truth about General Rainier comes out...oh, man...


The Story
Azami has her own goal and pursues it with a single-minded fervor. A young victim of Peter Whitney, she will destroy him and anyone furthering his work. If that includes his daughter, so be it.

When Sam Johnson meets Azami at the GhostWalkers' mountain compound, he is immediately wary of this tiny, delicate woman. One who quickly becomes a fellow warrior in his battles to come.


The Characters
Sam "Knight" Johnson is a former Ranger and now a GhostWalker skilled in hand-to-hand combat, a genius, a sniper, possesses multiple science degrees, and speaks a number of languages. And targeted by Whitney. He's also the foster son of General Theodore Rainier (he is in command of the GhostWalkers) and his wife, Delia.

Azami "Thorn" Yoshiie is one of three orphans adopted by Mamoru Yoshiie. He has raised these children in the samurai code and each is an extraordinary warrior. Daiki and Eiji Yoshiie are her brothers. Together they run Samurai Telecommunications, the most advanced satellite manufacturer in the world. Only Azami has the psychic abilities of a GhostWalker.

Dr. Lily Whitney-Miller is not her father's daughter. She works constantly to thwart her father and fix the traumatic damage he creates. She is married to Captain Ryland Miller, the GhostWalker commander. Together, they have a highly intelligent, very curious son, Daniel, nine-months-old.

The other GhostWalkers on the mountain include Jack Norton (he and Briony have twin sons now---Jeremiah and Noah); Nicholas "Nico" Trevane is their best sniper and he functions as an anchor (married to Dahlia); Kadan "Bishop" Montague (married to Tansy) functions as a team anchor and shield with the additional skills of self-camouflage, enhancing the others' gifts, and the ability to cling to any surface; Tucker Addison; Kyle; Ian McGillicuddy is assigned to guard Azami at HQ; Rose and Kane have a child; Ken Norton's wife, Mari, is pregnant with twins; Flame's cancer is in remission and she's married to Raoul "Gator" Fontenot; Jonas "Smoke" Harper can fold into small spaces, see through buildings, is an expert with knives (he grew up in a circus), and can disappear into anything; Tom "Shark" Delaney; and, Saber Calhoun can stop a heart with a touch and she's married to Jesse.

Violet Freeman has done a one-eighty about Whitney. She killed the husband she loved and is now running for his senatorial seat. The GhostWalkers are wondering if she's been paired to Whitney! Eeeek.

Sheila Benet is Melanie's friend, a woman who is even nastier than Sheila!, and the go-between for Whitney to whomever he wants to subvert. A woman without conscience, she will do whatever is necessary. Dr. Peter Whitney will lie about anything, destroy anyone. He's also brilliant, a billionaire, somewhat psychic, and an egomaniacal doctor gleefully pursuing the "improvement" of men and women in a way that would put Dr. Mengele and his ilk to shame.

Ezekiel Ekabela is a rebel in the Congo and still controls a very particular diamond mine. His brother, General Eudes Ekalbea, was shot by a GhostWalker. Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Chapman and Melanie Freesha are in Rainer's office. Duncan Forbes is the CIA agent the team meets in the Congo.


The Cover
The cover is gorgeous with the naked and phoenix-tattooed back of Azami towards us, her beautiful head turned in profile, as she holds her classic pose of seductress and warrior. Her katana partly pulled from its sheath. just to be sure we understand that the female is important in this installment, white flowers (camellias??) adorn the title.

Not a Samurai Game so much as the honor and loyalty of the samurai code.

[Julia's Book Haven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea why I originally skipped this one in the series because it was really good. I enjoyed going back and getting to see the original team.

[Lillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have been following the Ghostwalker series, you may remember this heroine. Thorn was mentioned briefly in Predatory Game. Saber was forced by the evil genius Dr. Whitney to stop little Thorn’s heart repeatedly as an experiment.

Thorn is now an adult. After Dr. Whitney decided she was dying from his experiments (torture), she was tossed into the streets to die and was found by a wonderful man who adopted her, gave her a family and a new name. Azami Yoshiie. Azami’s entire purpose in life is to cut Whitney off from his support and stop him.

When the Ghostwalker teams contact Azami and her brothers to purchase their cutting edge technology, Azami sees her chance to find out if the teams are supporting Whitney and giving him more children to experiment on. She didn’t plan on Sam Tucker and the instant attraction she feels for him or for the ambush that is waiting for them all.

The beginning of Samurai Game was great. I loved catching up with all the members of the first Ghostwalker team and seeing what their lives were like now. Azami was a fascinating heroine, strong, deadly, and vulnerable, who still has nightmares of her childhood. And it was really lovely the way Feehan incorporated Azami’s Japanese culture into her character. Sam is not the typical uber-alpha Feehan hero. He’s brilliant and can kick butt but he respects Azami’s strength and finds her knowledge of weapons hot.

Unfortunately, it started to lose steam somewhere near the middle and never really picked it back up. A lot of that can be blamed on the info dumps, excessive details, and repetition. For example, the first love scene is interrupted for a three page discussion on nanotechnology that read like a dry textbook. After they finally stopped talking and moved back to the romance, I had hopes that it would improve and it did for a while. Then the repetition started, such as the numerous times a secondary character’s “Florentine gold eyes” were mentioned or how Sam was a genius. Then we’re back to the excessive details like when the author lists every single weapon and gadget all members of the 8 man team will carry into battle. By this time, all the details were becoming blah blah blah in my mind and I started skimming those large sections.The one thing that wasn’t repetitive or excessive were past events. In fact, very little time was spent on information about the secondary characters and their experiences that play a significant role in Samurai Game. If you haven’t read all the earlier books in the series, I believe you will have a very difficult time following this one.

The anticlimactic end made this promising book an even bigger disappointment to me. Feehan is the author that introduced me to paranormal romance many years ago and I loved her books. I keep hoping to find the book that revives that love. Samurai Game wasn’t it.

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dying over and over again can easily change a person's hair white. It's kind of cool to be able to survive death, like nine lives of a cat. However, when it's a child forced to die over and over again through sadistic butchering in the pursuit of science, this is a horrendous crime. In Samurai Game, Azami is a powerful part of a brother/sister triad. She's the brains of the lucrative Japanese satellite company. She's also bent on vengeance.

For her early eight years of life, Azami was named Thorn. She was one of the orphan girls mad scientist Dr. Whitney experimented on with genetic mutations and as it turns out, nanotechnology. Deemed as worthless, she was tossed aside, left to die. It was the best thing that could ever happen to Thorn. She rose from the ashes, like the Phoenix she tattooed on her body. She's now Azami and she is a force to be reckoned with. Her sole focus, the destruction of Dr. Whitney.

Azami meets up with the Ghostwalkers and isn't sure if they are on her side or not. Through careful intell, she pieces together a picture which needs to be relayed to the Ghostwalkers. This leads her to Sam Johnson - the one for her.

This story is similar to all the other Ghostwalker stories - a tortured woman meets up with a man who is perfect for her. They are a bit wary of each other at first and they click. The abuse of the women's pasts are escalating. This is by far the worst of all the girls. There are no words. Azami is pretty cool. I admire her and wish to have her martial arts/defense/offense skills. She's amazing. Sam is a nice guy. He's a good guy and a perfect match for Azami.

We do get to see a bit of the kids born to the Ghostwalkers. I'm very interested in Daniel and the twins. I hope they get their own story. Perhaps an anthology where each kid is showcased? The kids are trouble and quite precocious.

Lastly, the sex in the story is okay. It's romantic and sweet. The story would have been just as good with less sex. Smexy writing is not Ms. Feehan's forte. Her forte is world building and interesting characters. I do wish we would get to the end game though. As much as I enjoy this series, it's getting a bit long in the tooth. This book is recommended for paranormal romance lovers who enjoy a sweetly devoted couple.

[Darcia Cowart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Thorn has been mentioned in books past so it was no surprise to meet her or Sam.
We had been given hints about them both in previous books so it was a real delight to meet them and follow their story. This book does not have a real deep plot. It does provide more in depth insight of their inner feelings and fears and how they cope. It is a relationship built book where each sees the other for who they are has deep respect for their skills and principles. There were dark events in their lives but they both had wonderful families that shaped them into who they were. In past books some of the Ghost walkers have had traumatic life altering scars that require a special person to
look past the inner scars. Thorn was scared by Whitney but she has over come that and is determined to end his quest for more power.
I have read reviews complaining about the war scenes and long drawn out details of their field missions. I kept waiting for a boring part. But I never found one! I did spend 4 years in the military as the only female in the unit, so I found Christine extremely accurate. There is a rhythm to her writing and as a soldier it is an odd comfort to check off the weapons and masks before a jump. You are headed into a war zone where all H will break loose so the calm before the storm knowing everything is in place, each man you are protecting and whom are protecting you is ready and has checked their equipment. It gives you a foundation to stand on when so many factors will be a freeking assult. I loved how she accomplished this and added that peace to the team that works in harmony so well. I loved how thorn was a part of that and they drew her into their tight circle.
Christine has established each book to stand on its own, but she has also written the books using different teams. After so many you kind of want a reunion or something to give you a tie back into the characters that you had fallen in love with. She did that in a wonderful way in this book for both the sisters of Lily and the ghost walker brothers.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminds me of why I really like the series. A lot of that has to do with the return of a lot of the previous characters. I loved watching the characters interact, the men planning their missions, the men and Lily not sure what to do with Azami, then towards the end, the women gathering together in a battle of their own to protect the babies and the compound while the men were doing their own battle.

Azami had her own charm. I have to admit that at the start I wasn't sure what to think of her, seeing her at all those sites where people died and knowing she was the cause. Part of me was awed by her skill, the other part wondered just what kind of trouble she was going to bring to our group. When hearing her story my heart was breaking for her, that she could live through that and be as normal as she was, amazed me. I was glad that she found a safe harbor, one that gave her the skills she needed to help her find her self worth.

I loved the early interactions between Azami and Sam. They were perfect for each other. I loved that with Sam, Azami could show a side she kept hidden and that she wanted to help out the guys with her skills.

I also really liked how Whitney was brought back to the forefront with this book. Loved hearing how Azami was using guerrilla tactics to go after him. I have a feeling that now that she has teamed up with the rest of the Ghostwalkers they will be a force to be reckoned with, I can't wait to read more about it!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific romantic suspense series with a touch of paranormal thrown in. Action! Adventure! Intrigue! Romance! What’s not to love? I’ve waited anxiously for this installment of the GhostWalkers series as I sense a change in the focus. The GhostWalkers are starting to ferret out Whitneys spies and are becoming a more focused and cohesive unit.

In this installment another GhostWalker finds her way to the mountain retreat where some of the GhostWalkers and their families have made their safe-haven. Thorn was thrown away by Whitney at the age of 8 when she was no longer viable for experimentation. He considered her a failure. She was rescued and renamed Azami by a martial arts master who taught her how to defend herself and others. She and her two foster brothers run a high tech communications company which she uses as a front to track down and destroy anyone connected to Whitney. When Lily wants to purchase Azami’s companys satellite system Azami has a way in to find out if Lily is still in touch and working for her dad. Along the way Azami meets Sam and the attraction is instantaneous and incendiary.

I totally recommend this for any who enjoys Ms. Feehan and romantic suspense.

[AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave it FULL 5 stars. IT deserves it. It was different, warm, satisfying and fast the speed [Oh the speed] lol. Azami aka Thorn fits Sam, even with her imperfection, the man still loves her. That's one of the things I like about this series. The different culture in the book, I'm so glad you didn't skipped it. Azami is a such a strong woman and a great samurai warrior. Meeting her brothers, and the extraordinary satelite. A new road for the GWs, and the scene in Whitney (Ohmygosh, HIS DOUBLE?)! So many questions just popped into my head lol. Daniel (Rye and Lily's son) what a cute, smart boy! He'l be so powerful when he grows up. Samurai Game looked like it's heading at the end of Peter Whitney. I hope next book is Jonas or Ian/Tucker's. Kyle and Jeff can wait :D! Plus, the love scenes (((HOT)))! The ritual and all, I think that's the best love scenes you ever wrote Christine. *Beams* Loved it. Annnd what made me more happy was reading the first chapter of Dark Storm! It looks so gooood! I'M SO EXCITED!

[Hbeebti · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so nice to be back with the Ghost Walkers, Oh how I missed them! Anyway I just adored this book. In fact I think that it very well may be my favorite of this series. Sam and Azami were so great together. I just loved Sam he was so sweet.Talk about a kick butt team. Yeah so what they fell in love right away, somehow with them it felt right. I loved that they did not fall in bed together right away and that there were Japanese traditions that Azami wanted Sam to follow and it was so sweet to read.

Dr Whitney is still around and man oh man I forgot how me makes my skin crawl. Just when I think he cant be any more evil, he is. What he did to Azami (Thorn) was horrific. It was stomach turning they way that he treated her. I cant wait for the next book! Please don't make me wait forever!

[Mollie *scoutrmom* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be good as a stand-alone, even though it is a great part of the series.

I adore the characters. Thorn is one of those who does not know her own inner strength. I liked how Sam set about correcting her negative self-image, especially when he put the brakes on lust in order to do so.

The character of Sam was very lovable, if not well drawn. Had the author given him the depth and character growth our heroine experienced, this would have been a five-star read.

The suspense plot was very well written. I really liked what the women accomplished in the men's absence.

Now to pass this copy on to my fellow fan, Kim C.

[Susinok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good to see Ryland's team again!

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

July 2-I got to page 8 and had to slam it down. I almost did that on the first page, but kept going in the hope that it got better. But it did not. It only got worse. I've never read such classless trash, and I'm surprised the author went there. Thanks to her not putting the name of the characters on the back of the book, I had no idea who the female lead was. I hoped it wasn't one of the women in the beginning of the book, but it looked to be going that way. There was a prostitute named Brenda, who was killed by a blond-headed Asian woman I believe, who I'm assuming is the enemy, or a Ghostwalker. I'm not sure, and I didn't want to stick around to find out. Then there was Sheila, who was working for someone who had her pay off a guy to do something with the senator. And the man, if I understood correctly, was giving the elderly senator, who had had a bad stroke, a hand job, "stroking" him and "working on his knees" for the old man, I believe the author phrased it. How lovely. I was so totally disgusted and turned off by this utter filth that I threw it down.
This was my first book into the Ghostwalkers series, and now that I see it's filled with prostitutes, disgusting sex, payoffs, younger men having gay interludes, when the man isn't naturally gay, with an older man who is on death's door, and assassinations, I don't really even want to read the series.
After reading the reviews on here, I decided to give it another chance, because none of the women above were the female lead. The author should've started with the main characters, because I almost threw it down.

I hated the instant attraction that Sam and Azami had for each other. The first time they see each other he loves everything about her, from the way she styles her hair to the suit she wears. And I don’t know how many times the words calm and serene were used to describe her face, but it was

For like 10 or more pages Sam goes on and on and on and on> about how dangerous the 3 are, Azami and her brothers, whose names are practically unpronounceable. Daiki and Eiji. In fact, none of the names were working for me in here. They all sucked. And Sam’s sucked because it was so generic and mundane. I think the guy deserved a name that went with his skills and reputation. It was really confusing how the author kept referencing Azami in different ways. She would sometimes call her Azami, and sometimes Thorn. I was so confused I thought Thorn was a completely different person. They should only get one name, because otherwise it’s confusing. And it’s not like her brothers called her a nickname; she was addressing herself as such. Really weird.

Aside from there being the same phrases and lines, this novel was different from the Carpathians, which was like a breath of fresh air. I liked the new abilities in here, like teleporting, and Sam was really cool with all that he did. He changed the color of his skin slightly to fit in with the outdoors, and he even used poison on their attackers.

The chemistry they had between them was nice at places, like they each felt alone and hopeless when he broke the connection between their minds to answer Ryodan. Then he sold her out, saying that she was a possible GhostWalker, and that her and her brothers were a threat. I expected her to feel betrayed, but she just smiles and says she would have done the same thing. Here we go again, with these unbelievably good-natured women who will forgive anything the man does.

It’s the first time they’ve met, and they’re already kissing each other, and he’ s asking how to court her. That is so rushed, and I don’t know what the appeal would be to making the characters instantly attracted to each other. And he’s saying he thinks she’s the one woman for him and she’s going to be his wife. It really takes away from it when I know they met like an hour ago, and it barely means anything.

The author always goes way too far with the torturing, mutilation, and childhood traumas. Azami had been experimented on, cut open and worked on without anesthesia, and had a bunch of scars from it. That was bad enough. But it turns out her hair had turned white from all the torture. How such a thing is even possible is beyond me, but Feehan’s horror stories will not be denied. She has to dye her hair black. And then she has these huge tattoos of a spider web and phoenix covering her front and back, to cover the scars, and I don’t like tattoos that big on women. And to really top it off, “one breast is larger than the other, and a little lopsided, as if part had been carelessly cut away.” Ew. I don’t even care how that sounds, that’s disgusting. There’s torture, and then there’s mutilation. And Sam actually gets affected by her appearance. That’s a bit of a stretch for me.

As always, the experienced men are given these dumb virgins who ask if they did something wrong, and if it’s gonna be a problem that they don’t know anything, and all that crap. It’s really annoying. And Sam saying “in any case, I know enough for the both of us. Trust me, honey, we have nothing to worry about in that department” was really disgusting.

The story was completely bogged down with political and technological crap. I got so lost and bored with the proceedings I almost fell asleep. It was like civics and economics class all over again. When politics come into play, I check out. About 100 pages were spent talking about Whitney and the senator, the president, and the White House, and I found my eyes glazing over. I had to concentrate hard to keep up. And the satellites that Samurai Telecommunications made went completely over my head. I didn’t see how satellites even fit into the story. I thought GhostWalkers were going to be a little better, but it was disappointing to learn that they were smack dab in the middle of the technological world.

Feehan seemed to have been sticking to Japanese life quite closely, and then just abandoned it when it got in her way. She has Azami tell Sam that they can’t display their affection in public and that he has to ask her brother’s permission to marry her. Sam does that, and her brothers hand him a ring, and say she’s waiting for him at his house. Where’s the strict Japanese courtship I’ve been hearing about? You’re telling me it’s not acceptable to hold hands in public but it’s okay for them to have sex when they’re not yet married? And her brothers are okay with that? Okayy.

I just love how virgins undress men and bathe them with absolutely no hesitation. It’s just rich. And when you’ve got Sam using the words “hack job Whitney had done on her body” when he looks at her, there’s a problem. I do not believe for one second that a man would be attracted to a stranger so profoundly that he’d overlook that. I’m not buying it.

As always, I look at my progress and realize that I’m over halfway through the book, and absolutely NOTHING has happened. They talk about what could be going on, they talk about what’s happened, they speculate, and then they talk about what they’re going to do. They talk and talk and talk, but there is no action. It’s so incredibly frustrating and boring when you’re reading hundreds of pages of characters just talking and thinking.

When Azami kept calling him Sammy all of a sudden, I just cringed. First, it’s out of character for her to use a baby name like that, and second, that’s a really childish name to give to a grown man. Basically, it wasn’t working for me.

Sam seems to be really enamored with her tattoos, and I just wanted to yell we get it, she has a phoenix and spider tattoo. We aren’t likely to forget that, and we don’t need to be reminded every 2 seconds. And I just wasn’t buying that he was into it. He kept lavishing attention on the spider, noting the spider, kissing the spider, and even told her she needed another spider on her stomach for him “to tease.” Wow, the man must really have a spider fetish. It’s actually weird. And I just didn’t think a man like Sam would be so into a woman with tattoos, especially a spider. You have to have the characters compliment each other. You can’t just throw two random people together.

I was thinking that the abilities were cool in here, but then I found out Azami had a synthetic heart or something like that, and she had been given cat DNA, and I was turned off from the whole story even further.

When they’re planning their trip to the Congo, Feehan threw out acronyms like it was garbage day. I don’t know if she assumed readers knew things like HAHO was high altitude, high opening jump and AGL was air to ground level, or if this was in the other books in the series and she assumed readers of this one had read the other ones, but assumptions on her part were a major mistake. I was so lost with all the names of guns, ammunition, tactics and all that. I like action, but I’m convinced women just can’t do it. A bunch of terms and phrases were thrown out, and since there were barely any explanations, I don’t even know if the author knew what she was talking about. It was ridiculous.

And then Feehan, on pg. 313, suddenly thinks it’s pertinent to drop descriptions of the side characters. I did you not, she launches into descriptions of Nico, Kadan, and Jonas, even though they’ve been almost constant participants from the beginning. Wtf? She also gives a little synopsis of Sam’s character. Yes, that’s right; it’s the same Sam that is the main character of this book, yet on pg. 314 I’m given a rundown of his abilities like I know nothing about him. It’s lunacy.

As always in Feehan’s novels, hundreds of pages slowly drone on, in which nothing occurs but conversations repeating the same things, and endless paragraphs reiterating the same things. The action didn’t even happen until the last 50 pages or so.

The ending was disappointing, because I thought Azami would kill Whitney or at least run into him, so that he’d know that she was still alive. I wanted her to get revenge over him, but I guess Feehan is dragging that out into the next books. I feel that should have been in Azami’s story.

Azami and Sam as a couple were a complete failure. They did not go together at all, and I wasn’t buying the attraction on either end actually, but especially on Sam’s. He said he wanted more spider tattoos on her, but I didn’t believe him. I don’t his character is attracted to a woman with tattoos, especially large ones covering her entire midsection, chest, and back. There was also a culture clash. I like when people of different races come together, if it’s done believably. But I just did not think these two went together at all. I hated that he wouldn’t be able to display his affections for her in front of anyone—ever. I thought she’d get over that, but nope, it was clearly stated that she wouldn’t be able to touch him in the presence of others. And then there was one scene where she’s making tea for him with her father’s sacred utensils, and Sam is trying to kiss her and touch her, and she tells him basically to stop because she has to treat the ceremony with respect and honor. Wtf? That’s so annoying, like she’s so strict about her rituals that she’ll cut him off just to get them done. And Azami did a major 360 from the strong assassin she was in the beginning of the book, fighting alongside Sam and killing the attackers, to speaking just like an Englishwoman, being soft around him and saying how much he affected her, and calling him the childish name of Sammy. Really? No one above the age of 5 should be addressed as Sammy. And then, instead of going with the men into the Congo like I expected and wanted her to, she stays behind, saying she could be of more use to him watching on the satellite. Yet, all she did was talk to him like twice and tell him the boat was waiting for him. Yeah, big help that was. They would have never made it without you. It was like she was a completely different person. And the possessive comments set my teeth on edge. I don’t know how many thoughts Sam had about dragging her away like a cavemen, turning into a caveman, and being really possessive, but it was like the Dark series all over again.

[**Manjula ♥ Books** · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our samurai girl was really kick ass. I loved how she managed to overcome Whitney's torture and become a warrior. Her cleansing and tea rituals are so intimate that I felt like an intruder reading about them. And Sammy our brilliant soldier stands up for her in a way no one else has. He does it every single time never letting her down.

The only thing that about the story that didn't sit quite right with me was the insta-love. If the timeline had been even slightly longer it would have been more believable.

Verdict: Pillar of strength in my corner

[Marcella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings

Childhood abuse....starts out a little slow but allows you to get a real sense of Dr Whitney’s cruelty

[lostsouls · Rating 3 out of 5]

a esta mujer es a la única que le perdono el casi instalove