How positively snarky! REVIEW of "The Kensei" by Jon F. Merz

 Why this book?: Librarything sent it to me for review. Why did I request it? For the awesome vampireness of course!

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Type: Series, Vampires, Interesting Vampire Creation Myths, Enough Romance to Keep Me Interested, Excellent Villain, I love a quippy hero, Vamps got skillz

About the book: Lawson has decided to take a break. Work as a Fixer can wear on ones soul, so some time off, away from normal life seems to be the way to go. However, even when on vacation, things don't go well. He's not in Japan for more than an hour before he's in an altercation. While Lawson is incredibly excited to see his girlfriend, she brings along another problem. Will Lawson ever be able to take a break? And more importantly, will he be able to survive the mysterious and feared Kensei?

My Review: "The Kensei" is several novels into the Lawson Vampire series, and despite this fact, I had absolutely no trouble getting into the story. Lawson, his relationship, and his job were extremely well explained so there was no confusion. But beware, after finishing The Kensei you will definitely want to read the rest of the series if you haven't already. I also quite enjoyed the vampire mythos and the origins of the vampires and humans. This book didn't go into great detail, but I look forward to learning a little more when I read the previous novels, since I know Lawson had to explain vampirism to his girlfriend.

Lawson is a very loveable, plucky character. I absolutely loved his interactions with everyone, the bad guys especially. He always has a snarky comment to make, and it amused me to no end. I also enjoyed seeing the darker side of Japan through Lawson's eyes. The author is clearly knowledgeable about the country, and it definitely shows through in his work. And speaking of what the author knows, the weapons and action/fight seens were amazingly well done. Jon Merz wrote some amazing battle scenes in The Kensei, all excellently descriptive. But then again, considering the author and his background, that isn't too surprising.

Cover Loving: Oh yeah. This is an excellent cover. I think it fits Lawson and this story very well.

Recommendation: Definitely recommended for fans of Urban Fantasy. Lawson is a great hero and I loved reading about him. I know I definitely plan to pick up the rest of the series - you should too!

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). A truly great, thrilling read. Lawson added just the right amount of humor and fun to the story.

Have you read "The Kensei" or any of the Lawson Vampire novels by Jon F. Merz? If so, tell me your thoughts in the comments! Would you like to read it? Pick up your copy at Amazon.com!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda~!~