Spirit of the Ronin

The Ronin #3

by Travis Heermann, Alan M. Clark (Illustrator)

A CLASH OF HONOR, LOVE, AND AMBITION In thirteenth-century Japan, the ronin Ken'ishi's fondest wish has been granted--he has found service with a powerful samurai lord. But the underworld crime boss known as Green Tiger lurks in the shadows of Lord Tsunetomo's retinue, and Ken'ishi's honor is tested when learns his new master is married to Kazuko, the only woman he has ever loved. His unknown lineage holds dangerous secrets that could destroy him, and only his sword, the magical relic called Silver Crane, holds the key to his past...and his future. With enemies, temptation, and strife assailing him on all sides, Ken'ishi's very soul falls into jeopardy--even as Khubilai Khan's Mongol hordes plot their next attack.Can Ken'ishi defeat Green Tiger, defend his homeland from the barbarian invaders, and remain true to his heart, his lord, and his honor? If you love romance, intrigue, and action on an epic scale, don't miss this stunning climax to the Ronin Trilogy. "When you actively watch out for new writers with potential, every so often you're pleasantly surprised by one who has simply Got It, whose work is ready to push up to the next level. Travis Heermann has simply Got It." - James A. Owen, author of HERE, THERE BE DRAGONS "Lovely details, an honorable character, and great action. Travis Heermann's Spirit of the Ronin is a rich and entertaining story." - Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of BLOOD OF THE COSMOS, the JEDI ACADEMY TRILOGY, and THE LAST DAYS OF KRYPTON

Genres: Fantasy

442 pages, Hardcover

First published June 24, 2015

About the author

Travis Heermann is also known as T. James Logan.

Freelance writer, novelist, award-winning screenwriter, editor, poker player, poet, biker, roustabout, Travis Heermann is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop, a member of the Authors Guild, an Active member of SFWA and the HWA, and the author of The Hammer Falls, The Ronin Trilogy, Rogues of the Black Fury, and co-author of Death Wind. His short fiction appears in anthologies and magazines such as Apex Magazine, Alembical, Blood & Gasoline, BattleTech: Legacy, and many others. As a freelance writer, he has contributed a metric ton of work to such properties as Firefly Roleplaying Game, Legend of Five Rings, EVE Online, and BattleTech.

He enjoys cycling, collecting martial arts styles and belts, torturing young minds with otherworldly ideas, and monsters of every flavor, especially those with a soft, creamy center.

Reviews

[AudioBookReviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

My original Spirit of the Ronin audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Ken’ishi is forced to face his past: his love of Kazuko, the dark secret of his Ronin past and the evil Green Tiger who haunts him still.  He is able to join the ranks of Lord Tsunetomo’s warier, where he rises quickly to samurai and trusted officer.  He is caught in a battle of inner honor between his loyalty to his master and the love of Kazuko, his master’s wife.  Ken’ishi proves his bravery and honor over and over, but still the guilt and doubt remain.  Silver Crane, the magical sword that gives him unmatched strength and skill in battle is slowly claiming his soul, and if he isn’t extremely careful, its blood lust will overwhelm him.

Based in ancient Japan, Spirit of the Ronin, mixes myth and history into a historical fantasy novel.  There is plenty of explanation of the ancient Japanese traditions to keep the listener informed.  War, magic, a love triangle, an evil villain, monsters and much more keep the story moving at a brisk pace.  It is thoroughly entertaining.

David Doersch performs the story with his excellent voice.  Characters are easily discerned and the Japanese pronunciations sound fine to this listener.  He keep the story moving along without getting in the way.  An excellent performance.

If you are interested in ancient Japan, or just enjoy good fantasy, you will likely enjoy this one.  Though it is book three in a trilogy, it can be listened to on its own.  It appears to wrap up the drama at the end, but leaves a sliver of possibility for further sequels.  This listener did not listen to the other books in the series and was not lost in the explanations of past events.  It stands alone.  If you have listened to or read the previous novels, it seems you would definitely want to listen to this one.  Recommended.

Audiobook was purchased for review by the author.

[Cal · Rating 4 out of 5]

good series.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across this one when I was looking for some martial arts books for study, and it looked interesting. Since the first volume was available for free on my Kindle Unlimited account, I gave it a spin, and rapidly went on to the sequels. Although set in feudal Japan, and following the story of a ronin, a masterless samurai, the writing style is very “western” in its approach, which gave them an interesting flavor – sort of like watching a completely foreign culture and concept develop from an outside observer’s eye. The author has a nice little quip on his site, “Writing fiction set in a far different time and place is challenging. The key is cram as much background information into your brain, let it percolate for a while, and see what bubbles out.”. And, no question, that’s what he’s done – creating a real image of a very different world than I’m familiar with, and at the same time, letting it develop in a way that I could actually visualize it, without feeling lost. I loved it.

[Julia Dvorin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the whole Ronin trilogy one after another so this review is really of the whole thing. I liked these books a lot, and they definitely kept me interested the whole way through. Great stuff if you like Japanese folklore, samurai movies, and/or straightforward epic fantasy that comes in a flavor other than generic medieval European. High points: good characters that grow over the course of the series, a smattering of interesting magic, and classic themes of honor, love, duty, and good vs. evil. Low points: there were some torture and war scenes I had a hard time with, but at least they were there for a good reason and not gratuitous (I just get squeamish sometimes.) A very satisfying series overall.

[John Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

A real page-turner, with just the right amount of adventure and fantasy. Very nicely tied up at the end. I was sorry to finish it!

[Susan May · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a book is good it will have a great story & perfect characters. This one had both. I am blown away. Keneeshi's whole life was full of sadness, trauma, war & death. No wonder his spirit drifted so he would become an Onie. Kazicko was his true love. Alas she was not his to have so he became the best Samurai he could be. He was full of knowledge, dedication, discipline and devotion. He fought for truth and freedom. It was no wonder he wanted Kazicko. She was such a lady. Graceful, caring, determined & above all a fighter. Through their turmoil in the story the ending was inevitable. I will be checking more out by this author. A must read!

[Swantje P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure about this. I enjoyed the book rather much (as was expected) but then I think it got all messed up at the end.
Just the last 2 or three chapters felt terribly rushed. Leading up to them I kept glancing at the page number and wondering how the author would bring all the different parts of the story to satisfying endings. Well it didn't work out that well. As I said all the endings felt really choppy and rushed. Also I felt like the story wasn't really complete by the end of the book....
I was all quite unsatisfying.

[Ty · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite in the series.

I am really enjoying the growth in the characters and the setting in this novel. The author's take on the Oni remind me of the Viking legends particularly of the dwarf who became a dragon because of unbending greed and a cruel nature that was named Fafnir and part of the Sigurd legend.

In this tale it begins with Ken'ishi taking service with a lord and no longer being ronin and becoming a samurai. I don't want to give spoilers beyond that but it gets really entertaining from there. Highly recommend!

[Paula Dyches · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better narration than book 2! Adult Only Read.

The narration is so much better than the previous book. I’m not adept at Japanese so I’m unsure as to their accuracy.

Story was ok, maybe this just isn’t my genre. With the realities of history this series should be reserved for adults ONLY due to content.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this trilogy. While the battle scenes where very graphic, the plot was phenomenal. I am not sure about the ending for Kenishi. But I found it interesting that his most cherished possession was also his bane. I was ecstatic that my favorite character lived. Wanna know who that was? Read the books and take a guess!

[Wc Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great storytelling !

If you are into any of the following: Japanese history and culture, Bushido, mythology, amazing fantasy, written with believable and strong characters, suspense, intrigue, love, honor, loyalty or just a can't put down read...buy this trilogy ! One of the best in years !

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed with the ending. It wasn't bad; in fact it was rather poignant. It just wasnt what I expected. I'm not sure what I expected, but this was not it. I do highly recommend the series. The quotes from Japanese historical texts definitely make the series worth reading.

[Dan Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read.

Great summer read. Excellent adventure story with complex, believable characters. The fantasy element is pretty mild throughout the book and when it does pop up it feels more like authentic myth than the wet dreams of some lonely nerd. All in all, highly recommended.

[Jerold Farver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historically accurate, wonderfully written, with characters who will make you hurt with them.

A very good job of the writer's art. Not to be missed by any fan of Japanese history and myth.

[Michelle Olms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[S. Nomakeo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book. I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review (audiobook). It was the last book in the Spirit of the Ronin trilogy. I felt there was no obstacle to enjoying this book because I didn't read the first two. I liked the setting 13th Century Japan, the characters, and the narration was very well done. There were fantasy elements that provided a glance into the culture. An unrequited love story through the sadness of war.