Shike (Last of the Zinja Series Book 2)

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Summary: Captivating, yet historical; Emotional but not mushy.
Review: Interesting from the perspective of a Martial Artist because of the descriptive nature of the Zinja way, etc. Relays much information regarding fighting strategies and technique. Thought provoking from the perspective of a historian, puts you there in the old days of China/Japan and their roots. Constructs the why as well as the what. Fun the way this man/woman struggle goes throughout the book. Doesn't become overheated, mushy, or too factual. Lets you experience the same frustrations/intimacy through the reading without going overboard.

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Summary: This one was heavy!
Review: It's not often i find a book that gives me everything. Thank you Robert...do it again!!

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Summary: Great sequel. Extraordinary attention to details.
Review: One wouldn't think of a book like this to be the life-changing kind. But it can be. I read this books a few years ago, getting a copy in the strangest of ways. I read the first book and loved it. But this one is something else. Little I would know that I'd find myself on a trip to India and learning japanese fencing and solving Zen koans inspired partly by it. A very impressive close to the story, and I certainly regret there is no third installment on the series, for it would make a hell of a story. Historic timeline is sharply set aside, but it takes a history freak to check all the details out, so most people won't notice. Even better than the first, and the emphasis on spiritual experiences and growth is more marked in this book. The end is majestic and adequate to a marvelous saga. I almost hope to find a reference to a wandering japanese monk in Shea's next series: Saracen. It wouldn't be too hard.

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Summary: One man's take on a shamefully overlooked book.
Review: Robert Shea takes the reader on a voyage thru the lives of several characters in the Genghis-Kublai era of the Orient. Plenty of action, drama, history and lush characterizations to keep the reader riveted. The only possible improvement (in my humble opinion) would be to make it more available....

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Summary: A perfectly written sweeping saga of ancient Japan, GREAT !
Review: Shike and Shike Book 2 are outstanding reads. It makes me very sad that these excellent books are out of print. The history as described is majestic, the characters are beautiful and interesting. If you have an oportunity to read these two books please do, as you will find them fascinating.

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Summary: Jeff Smith
Review: The tale of Shike is one of the best I have ever read, but only one part of the book disapointed me. When Yukio and the last of his followers made thier last stand in the land of Oshu, by a mountain castle, Jebu threw the mongol Torluk from the path to his death. However, when the mongols returned for thier second attempt at invading the Sacred Islands Torluk led the advanced wave of the invasion from Korea. Anyone else notice this little slip-up or am i just a crack head? Despite this my opinion of the story Shike is the same, one of the best written ever.

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Summary: Medieval Japan
Review: There are two major historical events which focus the great composition of this novel: the Gempei Wars and the Mongol invasions, making clear that the author, certainly on purpose, has mixed both to construct a more powerful historical drama, when the truth is that a century separates them. The two families which struggle to death in the novel, the Takashi and the Muratomo, symbolized by the red and the white dragon,respectively (much like the Houses of Lancaster and York in England, who fought the Wars of the Roses because of their red and white roses symbols)are the real Taira and Minamoto families, who fought the so-called Gempei Wars in the XII century, which was to end only by the creation of the Kamakura Shogunate represented by the first shogun in the history of Japan, Minamoto Yoritomo. On the other hand, the Mongol invasions planned by Kublai Khan took place in the XIII century, when the Minamoto had been replaced by the Hojo regents' rule. Nonetheless, "Shiké" is a powerful picture of the beginnings of feudal Japan, quite the seeds of what was to be known as the Sengoku Jidai in the XV and XVI centuries, apart from the fascinating accounts of Mongol campaigns conducted by the successors of Gingis Khan. Considering also that the characters (there are many) are wonderfully conceived, and that the beautiful love story between Taniko and Jebu lies at the very heart of the novel, it is a delicious reading, a very well done work of Literature, not a simple best seller.

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Summary: The best adventure novel I have read.
Review: This is a book that I could not put down once I started reading it. Shike and Shike 2 are both riviting. The only way to improve this series is to make a Shike 3.

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Summary: But this book now
Review: This is a story that takes us through the lives of two young people. One is a fearsome warrior from a secretive monk caste who is born from a Mongolian father and a Japanese mother. His growth throughout the story, with having to deal with the struggles of not fitting into a discriminating Japanese culture, allows us to readily identify with him. The other character is a very young girl who is to be sent away from home to meet her husband, prior to her prearranged marriage. From there on it is a tale of Combat, Love, and Friendship against the backdrop of Feudal Japan during a war of the clans. The tides of war and betrayal then take our subjects to China during the invasion of the Mongols, and then back to Japan under the newly proclaimed Shogun, preparing to face the Mongol Hordes. If you are considering reading this series, stop considering and get it. You will want to reread them over and over. Monks, Samurai, and Mongols ... what else is there to say.

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Summary: Bar none this is the best book I have ever read!
Review: This is a story that takes us through the lives of two young people. One is a fearsome warrior from a secretive monk caste who is born from a Mongolian father and a Japanese mother. His growth throughout the story, with having to deal with the struggles of not fitting into a discriminating Japanese culture, allows us to readily identify with him. The other character is a very young girl who is to be sent away from home to meet her husband, prior to her prearranged marriage. From there on it is a tale of Combat, Love, and Friendship against the backdrop of Feudal Japan during a war of the clans. The tides of war and betrayal then take our subjects to China during the invasion of the Mongols, and then back to Japan under the newly proclaimed Shogun, preparing to face the Mongol Hordes. If you are considering reading this series, stop considering and get it. You will want to reread them over and over. Monks, Samurai, and Mongols ... what else is there to say.