I happened upon The Kensei when I was checking out the amazing bookcloseouts.ca sale that Tynga told us all about at the end of July. I'd never heard of Jon F. Merz before but I thought that the book had a really eye-catching cover and an intriguing synopsis and so I had to pick it up, especially since it was a steal at $2.99 (also currently 2,10$ on Amazon.com).

There was nothing I didn't love about this book. It's the fifth book in the Lawson Vampire series so I thought that I might have trouble getting into The Kensei but the author has done a great job of making the book accessible to new readers. There are references to what must be previous books but they didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story or the characters.

In this series, vampires aren't your typical undead. Instead, they're alive, they live in secret from humans, and they absorb life essence from drinking blood. I really liked this mythology. Although there are elements we've seen before, the world felt lively and fresh and I wanted to know more as I was reading the novel. Plus, Lawson is a great protagonist. He's 150 years old and works as a Fixer, eliminating threats to vampire society, which has turned him into one of the those wonderfully tortured characters, all weighed down by past deeds and the cracks he's discovered in what he thought was an orderly hierarchy. And if that isn't enough, he's got a good sense of humour (though not as great as Kevin Hearne's Atticus O'Sullivan) and some serious martial arts skills. Unfortunately, in some ways, he's now one of the people he used to kill since he's fallen in love with a human. You can understand why because Talya is awesome. She's tough, beautiful, and fierce, more than a match for Lawson in every way. Their relationship gives The Kensei its emotional heart and I thought it was really well done.

The Kensei is set in Japan and you can tell that Jon F. Merz has been there from the way he immerses the reader in the setting. All of the little details are so right and they help create a very authentic backdrop for some great action. His bio says that Merz is an actual ninja and I think this is why all of the parts of the story related to combat and the martial arts training that sends Lawson to Japan in the first place feel so real.

I'm definitely going to try to get my hands of the rest of the series. I'll keep you posted on how it turns out. But before I sign off, I want to leave you with a couple great lines from The Kensei:

"I ever tell you how much effortless lethality turns me on?"
"I've heard your wit is something else. I do enjoy the commentary that comes out of your mouth." "You should see me vomit. I'm a riot."

http://ireadgood.wordpress.com ( )

Lawson was born a vampire and he is a Fixer. He ensures the secrecy of his kind, and his work is tough. He decides to take some time off and visit Japan, but Japan isn’t as welcoming as he hoped. After he nearly loses his life in an assassination attempt, he meets an unsuspecting colleague in Starbucks. Yuki is also a vampire, and she is in charge of that particular slice of Tokyo. Yuki uses her intel to help Lawson figure out his almost-assassin’s identity. Turns out the assassin wannabe worked for a major bad-ass, The Kensei, whom was once thought dead, and seems to be beckoning Lawson to come hither and fight. There is no R & R in the future for dear Lawson.

I enjoyed this one. Lawson’s character is right up my alley. He’s a smart ass and doesn’t put up with BS. I enjoyed his commentary throughout the book. He even called himself an “ass clown” once. :)

“I was told you fancied yourself as some type of comedian.”
“Who? Me? Nah. I’m just a sarcastic cynical prick. If that’s your idea of comedy, well, then I’m your man.”

The setting is also one I enjoy – JAPAN! I’ve never visited the country (boohoo!) but I’m a lover of the culture and really enjoyed reading about it in this novel. I became immediately immersed in the story.

Talya, an ex-KGB and Lawson’s secret non-vampire girlfriend, was the highlight of the story. I loved her personality, her witty banter, her intense feelings for Lawson, and her kick ass fighting skills. Not to mention she stole my heart when I learned about her purpose in Tokyo. You see, while she was more than happy to drop in on her secret lover, she actually came to Tokyo for a different reason. Talya has actually been financially supporting an African village. (Big money in assassination, people!) She has a tender spot for these kids and visits them often. However, some of the children have ended up missing or dead, and Talya figured out what was happening: organ trafficking. She followed their trail to Tokyo, seriously heated and ready to kill.

"Hell hath no fury like a professional assassin named Talya."

I thoroughly enjoyed Lawson and Talya teaming up. They delivered some great banter and worked well as a team. They both have significant skills and really make a well-oiled fighting machine. I also enjoyed them as a couple, and thought their tender moments were sweet and honest. In their line of work, it’s hard to settle down and start a family, although they talk about it.

Talya slumped back. “Just would be nice.”
“What?”
She smiled. “Having kids with you.”
“Sure, we could have our family fun time. Sniper hour, close-quarter pillow fights, nighttime recon, we’d be the hallmark of a family utopia.”

Lawson isn’t allowed to be with her and could get in serious shit if the Vampire Council found out. I wonder if they will ever get an HEA?

One complaint: Lawson wasn’t very vampire-like. He does mention blood as the life force, and he has above average instincts, great sight, regeneration abilities and superior reflexes. Honestly, I just thought of him as a really great fighter. There just wasn’t a lot of focus on his vampire-side. Yes, he drinks blood, or juice, as he calls it. He doesn’t drink in the traditional way – via a vein – but instead mixes it in coffee (gag!) or sips it from a vial. It was just easy to forget his true nature. ( )

3 out of 5 stars

Lawson is burned out, and a trip to Japan seems like the perfect holiday. That’s just wishful thinking of course because not long after he arrives his ex-girlfriend–an assassin–pulls him back into the game. Organs are being trafficked and it’s up to Lawson to put an end to it. The Kensei was a great book, and the only thing that really brought it down for me was that Merz hardly ever brings attention to the fact that Lawson is a vampire. It’s touched on a couple times (in regards to eating and such), but that’s really it.

Aside from that, he is basically human so that sort of bothered me since I like heavy fantasy/paranormal elements in my urban fantasies. But other than that, this is a great book with amazing action scenes, plot twists and great attention given to Japanese culture and the martial arts. The Kensei can be read outside of the other Lawson books with no confusion and will definitely speak to fans of Jason Bourne (that is if you don’t mind a little vampire in your espionage). ( )

I had a really hard time getting into this book mainly because I haven't read the first four books of the series. When I requested this book through Early Reviewers I didn't know it was part of a series. Lawson, the main character, is a Fixer and is responsible for keeping the existence of vampires a secret. I enjoy the vampire genre and probably would have liked this book were I up to speed on the rest of the series. ( )

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?

"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.

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!

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