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Blood Ninja #3
The Betrayal of the Living
Taro is at a crossroads: He has vanquished Lord Oda for good, but with no land and no title, he has no hope of marrying Hana, the daughter of a daimyo. So when Taro receives news of a murderous dragon and the large reward for killing it, he and his friends find themselves on a dangerous quest to slay the beast.
Their mission has the potential to save the people of Japan—but failure will result in the deaths of thousands. And dragons are not the only monsters they will encounter: The dead, led by the odious Kenji Kira, have begun to rise, and they have Taro in their sights.
Their mission has the potential to save the people of Japan—but failure will result in the deaths of thousands. And dragons are not the only monsters they will encounter: The dead, led by the odious Kenji Kira, have begun to rise, and they have Taro in their sights.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published August 7, 2012
22 people are currently reading
663 people want to read
About the author
Nick Lake
22 books454 followersMy name is Nick and I write and edit books for young adults. My first YA novel IN DARKNESS, was published by Bloomsbury in 2012 and won the Michael L Printz Award for Excellence in YA Literature. I also wrote a book called HOSTAGE THREE about a girl kidnapped by Somali pirates.
THERE WILL BE LIES is coming in January 15 and is about a girl who learns that everything she knows is a lie. To say it's a book with a twist in the story would be a massive understatement. There is also a talking coyote in it.
I live with my wife, daughter and son in a 16th century house in England with almost 19th century amenities. Sometimes the heating even works.
I like: reading, art, music, food containing sugar, cities at night, the countryside in the daytime, vintage furniture, modern standards of heating (see above), travelling.
I dislike: being sick, failing, being underdressed in the cold, being overdressed in the heat, the unnecessary suffering of children, being punched in the face.
THERE WILL BE LIES is coming in January 15 and is about a girl who learns that everything she knows is a lie. To say it's a book with a twist in the story would be a massive understatement. There is also a talking coyote in it.
I live with my wife, daughter and son in a 16th century house in England with almost 19th century amenities. Sometimes the heating even works.
I like: reading, art, music, food containing sugar, cities at night, the countryside in the daytime, vintage furniture, modern standards of heating (see above), travelling.
I dislike: being sick, failing, being underdressed in the cold, being overdressed in the heat, the unnecessary suffering of children, being punched in the face.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 19, 2014
The third installment in the Blood Ninja series is intense, gripping, and imaginative. This story is rich with Japanese lore, but with a twist. It tells of the Kyūketsuki, or vampires. This may seem odd at first, but Nick Lake expertly interweaves these creatures with Japanese folklore. Once you start getting into this book, you may find it hard to put down! Despite the fact that this was the first book in the series, I enjoyed this tale immensely. Though I must warn you, the book does describe some gory content. This, however does not hinder the story, whatsoever. In fact, I thought the graphic element helped portray the world that the characters adventured through. Blood Ninja #3: Betrayal of the Living is a novel that I can recomend to anyone (old enough for the gory content)!
April 15, 2013
Taro is on a mission one again. Although no one belived in Dragons, one has appeared. Taro, Hiro, and Hana leave Mount Hiei to kill the dragon and claim the shoguns prize. The three trasures and right to be shogun. Wait but that is not it, the dead are now magically rising from death. What will Taro do? Will he survive?
I picked up this book because I wanted to finish the Blood Ninja trology.
I finished this book because it was really interesting and it kept me rading until the end.
I think One of my teachers Mr.Gould would really enjoy this book because he was the one who told me that the first book in the series was really good when I started to read it.
I picked up this book because I wanted to finish the Blood Ninja trology.
I finished this book because it was really interesting and it kept me rading until the end.
I think One of my teachers Mr.Gould would really enjoy this book because he was the one who told me that the first book in the series was really good when I started to read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2012
Blood Ninja 3 Betrayal of the Living, is the final book of the Blood ninja trilogy. We continue from Taro being in the mountains with the monks, with his best friend Hiro and his love Hana. HE is called from his boring life when word of a dragon terrorizing villages is sent to Taro, with the prize for defeating the beast being much land and entitlement. But then it is found that long thought dead enemy Kenji Kira is alive, only he is dead. He has become a walking skeleton and also Enma, judge of the dead. His absence of duties as Enma allows the dead to walk among the living, those he hasn't recruited to his pirate army. The team meets up with Shusaku, Taros old mentor and the man who made Taro a vampire. They must search for the only sword in Japan that can slay a dragon. And on the way, Taro learns the prices to pay for using the Buddha Ball.
This was a great book and an amazing ending to the trilogy. The mythology
is what really grabs me. Its gets more in depth, how everything connects. They even has flashbacks to the first book and before that. Taro got out alive through it all but he had prices to pay. Its like when everything seemed to go horrible for him, it was all brought back around. And even though Shusaku died, he had more to contribute in death because they went into death. This is a great story bring ancient Japanese culture to life, and its so great, any one should read this. But not without reading it in order, don't worry, the first one will pull you in.
This was a great book and an amazing ending to the trilogy. The mythology
is what really grabs me. Its gets more in depth, how everything connects. They even has flashbacks to the first book and before that. Taro got out alive through it all but he had prices to pay. Its like when everything seemed to go horrible for him, it was all brought back around. And even though Shusaku died, he had more to contribute in death because they went into death. This is a great story bring ancient Japanese culture to life, and its so great, any one should read this. But not without reading it in order, don't worry, the first one will pull you in.
March 6, 2013
This book was AWESOME!! I loved every page of it. Nick lake is a great writer and he is one many writers I admire . Taro is a good character and shuzaku was awesome. If anyone has not read this book then I suggest u read it
September 16, 2014
I really love this series, the first two books were so good and well written! This one was no different, and started out just as good, but toward the middle I was distraught and upset at all that was happening! I didn't want it to go down this road after it was doing so well! I thought that the end was going to leave a gaping hole in my stomach, but Nick Lake ended up pulling a fast one on me and managed to come to a mutual resolution that fit the story well. I greatly enjoyed this series!
December 22, 2018
Blood Ninja Book 3: Revenge of the Living By Nick Lake.
I'm awe-struck at this moment. Like Jaw dropping, awe-inspiring, mind blowing amazed at what I just finished reading. Blood Ninja is one of the book series which will remain at the the top of my favorite shelves till the end of time. It has been a emotional journey where you not only invest your time but also your feelings and hearts content into the storyline and I'm grimly disappointed by the fact that this book series hasn't got a lot of attention lately. Anyways, here begins the review.
The Title 'Revenge of the Living' symbolizes two things- the first one is Kira's state of living dead and the second, a foreshadowed betrayal of a key character which strikes me as the most surprising. I won't reveal it to avoid giving out spoilers but if you've been following up with the story you may know what to expect. This book does not shy to reach new heights and experiment with yet another set of factors which include mythos, dragons, legendary treasures, buried epic swords, realms of hell and heaven, death and morbidity and also the emotional upheaval through which almost all characters in the story undergo. The book bid farewell to a lot of my favorite heroes and villains who played their part very well to the story. The storytelling becomes way more mature and straightforward than the previous books which makes it a bit less of a fun as there's almost no humor in here. Nothing, Nada, null. But still, the epic fantasy of dragon bounties and undead pirates sailing the seas will keep you hooked. Taro is established as an adult and that again changes the way he thinks, acts and fights which has added yet another set of key elements to the story. After suffering all the losses and hoping to achieve peace, Taro confronts his inner demons and evolves as a person. The matter of marriage, Hana's love, Shusaku, Kira and Amaterasu's backstory made the story complete in a full circle resolving all the curiosity of us nosy readers. I wish I'd not let my excitement get way ahead of me and I could have read the story a bit slower as there's a lot of lie lessons, philosophical quotes and inspiring words found throughout the chapters. The story switches pace a lot and gives a wonderful overview of each and every characters personality adding layers to the previously established traits from the previous books and surprises you in fantastic and least expected ways. The part of dragon, Taro's departure from Ikko-Ikki and retrieval of the sword from the wreck went quite slow but the story picked up speed impressively after Kenji Kira's return and Shusaku's death. Yeah! He died, deal with it. Hiro, Jun and Hana are almost thrown in the background but still they have a say and impact on the readers mind as much as they did in the previous books but this time the situation is more grim and everybody's life in on the line. As the climax approached the story twisted and turned the situations upside down. The realms of hell and heaven were explored in this book which gave us a fundamental idea about the mechanics of other realms and how to transcend or descend into each of them. The dragon fight part was unbelievable. What got me hooked to the book was the revelations of minor characters which brought the story where it currently stands and how even the smallest of decisions can help save or kill other people. The book has some hidden references and throwback tags too so memories will begin to emerge out of your hippocampus. The historical facts are very accurate and that gives the story an added depth and an edge when compared to others. The legends, the myths and the Japanese tradition are again very much highlighted in the book. These amazing characters have left an indelible mark on my mind whose existence will undoubtedly be till the end of time. The climax gave me goosebumps, the way the narration works in the end with Nick Lake's book is astonishing and jaw dropping. It gets you hooked and read the final 100 pages within a very short period of time and this happens exclusively with Nick Lake's book. I could never have believed the book would end the way it ended. I'm definitely not complaining about the standard of the conclusion but on the contrary I'm saying that it was ingenious, something almost nobody would have though of, a way if turning the story and planning and making sure it was loaded of surprises. Nick Lake has reached the culmination at which all writers aspire to reach and has bridged the gap between plot-holes and amazing storyline with his perfect storytelling, engaging characters and emotional attachment. This has been a hell of a journey. Definitely give this a shot, more so, give this your whole focus and you won't regret it, ever. The ending was epic, couldn't have been better. That's all. Classy historical ninja/samurai/Japanese fantasy fiction trilogy done right. Absolutely Right. Nice Reading!
I'm awe-struck at this moment. Like Jaw dropping, awe-inspiring, mind blowing amazed at what I just finished reading. Blood Ninja is one of the book series which will remain at the the top of my favorite shelves till the end of time. It has been a emotional journey where you not only invest your time but also your feelings and hearts content into the storyline and I'm grimly disappointed by the fact that this book series hasn't got a lot of attention lately. Anyways, here begins the review.
The Title 'Revenge of the Living' symbolizes two things- the first one is Kira's state of living dead and the second, a foreshadowed betrayal of a key character which strikes me as the most surprising. I won't reveal it to avoid giving out spoilers but if you've been following up with the story you may know what to expect. This book does not shy to reach new heights and experiment with yet another set of factors which include mythos, dragons, legendary treasures, buried epic swords, realms of hell and heaven, death and morbidity and also the emotional upheaval through which almost all characters in the story undergo. The book bid farewell to a lot of my favorite heroes and villains who played their part very well to the story. The storytelling becomes way more mature and straightforward than the previous books which makes it a bit less of a fun as there's almost no humor in here. Nothing, Nada, null. But still, the epic fantasy of dragon bounties and undead pirates sailing the seas will keep you hooked. Taro is established as an adult and that again changes the way he thinks, acts and fights which has added yet another set of key elements to the story. After suffering all the losses and hoping to achieve peace, Taro confronts his inner demons and evolves as a person. The matter of marriage, Hana's love, Shusaku, Kira and Amaterasu's backstory made the story complete in a full circle resolving all the curiosity of us nosy readers. I wish I'd not let my excitement get way ahead of me and I could have read the story a bit slower as there's a lot of lie lessons, philosophical quotes and inspiring words found throughout the chapters. The story switches pace a lot and gives a wonderful overview of each and every characters personality adding layers to the previously established traits from the previous books and surprises you in fantastic and least expected ways. The part of dragon, Taro's departure from Ikko-Ikki and retrieval of the sword from the wreck went quite slow but the story picked up speed impressively after Kenji Kira's return and Shusaku's death. Yeah! He died, deal with it. Hiro, Jun and Hana are almost thrown in the background but still they have a say and impact on the readers mind as much as they did in the previous books but this time the situation is more grim and everybody's life in on the line. As the climax approached the story twisted and turned the situations upside down. The realms of hell and heaven were explored in this book which gave us a fundamental idea about the mechanics of other realms and how to transcend or descend into each of them. The dragon fight part was unbelievable. What got me hooked to the book was the revelations of minor characters which brought the story where it currently stands and how even the smallest of decisions can help save or kill other people. The book has some hidden references and throwback tags too so memories will begin to emerge out of your hippocampus. The historical facts are very accurate and that gives the story an added depth and an edge when compared to others. The legends, the myths and the Japanese tradition are again very much highlighted in the book. These amazing characters have left an indelible mark on my mind whose existence will undoubtedly be till the end of time. The climax gave me goosebumps, the way the narration works in the end with Nick Lake's book is astonishing and jaw dropping. It gets you hooked and read the final 100 pages within a very short period of time and this happens exclusively with Nick Lake's book. I could never have believed the book would end the way it ended. I'm definitely not complaining about the standard of the conclusion but on the contrary I'm saying that it was ingenious, something almost nobody would have though of, a way if turning the story and planning and making sure it was loaded of surprises. Nick Lake has reached the culmination at which all writers aspire to reach and has bridged the gap between plot-holes and amazing storyline with his perfect storytelling, engaging characters and emotional attachment. This has been a hell of a journey. Definitely give this a shot, more so, give this your whole focus and you won't regret it, ever. The ending was epic, couldn't have been better. That's all. Classy historical ninja/samurai/Japanese fantasy fiction trilogy done right. Absolutely Right. Nice Reading!
January 23, 2015
Review:
By now there should be no surprise that I anticipate and welcome any YA set in Japan, be it in a modern or historical settings, everything goes. I’ve read the previous two books in this engaging, imaginative and action-packed series and thoroughly enjoyed them, and I’m quite sad it took me so long to finally pick up the final book. What I discovered is that everything I found awesome previously is still there, but so are heaps of other aspects that just make the last book cramped and full of various plot devices, unnecessary additions, stalling, and despite including all these new things, the story somewhat dragged and felt really slow.
Zombies and vampires and dragons, oh my! That was the source of why I felt this final book lacking. Vampire ninjas as unique twist to the story was ingenious to me and when I heard about the dragon, it was still quite exciting, but when the zombies come around and then the god of death and why oh why can’t that creepily annoying villain Kenji Kira already hit the bucket, then it started to become a bother. There was for sure lots of action, close calls, incredibly tense and oh-my-god-what’s-going-to-happen moments, but all these heaps of bad guys against our poor trio of heroes, who had internal relationship issues as well, wasn’t really encouraging and pleasant to follow. Also, poor Taro, I genuinely felt sorry for him in this book, how much torture, physical pain, emotional pain, betrayal can one person bear.
Despite my whining, I still more or less liked the book, it had a really satisfying conclusion and I was left leaving the series with a smile on my face. I was really happy on how everything was pulled together and all the fates were more than earned. I also absolutely loved the confrontation between Lord Tokugawa and Taro, it was a long time coming and I was on the edge of my seat when they finally met for real, face to face. What a wonderful final showdown they had. Also, Nobunaga was a great villain in the two previous books and Kenji Kira was only disgusting, but the one with more momentum and the main adversary was without a doubt Tokugawa.
While the main gang of three were already from the start somewhat of a cliché: a boy with a destiny, his tough friend and a beautiful strong-willed lady love - I thought they made a decent team and I quite liked all three of them. I’m happy that everything wasn’t smooth sailing for them in this book and various issues came up that were in the long run unavoidable and the separations they went through were good for character development and strengthening bonds, especially for the two sidekicks. I’m glad that the both of them also were able to see each other and survive without Taro by their side all the time.
Overall:
I can say that this was an excellent series with imagination, fights, adventure, Japanese mythology and, most of all, my favourite setting, especially since feudal settings for Japan-themed YA books are incredibly rare. The final book was based on some aspects a slight let down, because there was just too much of everything in it, but it still worked and the previous two were so good that they compensated slightly for the spots lacking. I’m quite sad that this series doesn’t have as many readers as it deserves though, because I guess, it is somewhat of a niche mix of setting and genre. Still, give the series a try, especially if you enjoy historical adventure, action and manga.
By now there should be no surprise that I anticipate and welcome any YA set in Japan, be it in a modern or historical settings, everything goes. I’ve read the previous two books in this engaging, imaginative and action-packed series and thoroughly enjoyed them, and I’m quite sad it took me so long to finally pick up the final book. What I discovered is that everything I found awesome previously is still there, but so are heaps of other aspects that just make the last book cramped and full of various plot devices, unnecessary additions, stalling, and despite including all these new things, the story somewhat dragged and felt really slow.
Zombies and vampires and dragons, oh my! That was the source of why I felt this final book lacking. Vampire ninjas as unique twist to the story was ingenious to me and when I heard about the dragon, it was still quite exciting, but when the zombies come around and then the god of death and why oh why can’t that creepily annoying villain Kenji Kira already hit the bucket, then it started to become a bother. There was for sure lots of action, close calls, incredibly tense and oh-my-god-what’s-going-to-happen moments, but all these heaps of bad guys against our poor trio of heroes, who had internal relationship issues as well, wasn’t really encouraging and pleasant to follow. Also, poor Taro, I genuinely felt sorry for him in this book, how much torture, physical pain, emotional pain, betrayal can one person bear.
Despite my whining, I still more or less liked the book, it had a really satisfying conclusion and I was left leaving the series with a smile on my face. I was really happy on how everything was pulled together and all the fates were more than earned. I also absolutely loved the confrontation between Lord Tokugawa and Taro, it was a long time coming and I was on the edge of my seat when they finally met for real, face to face. What a wonderful final showdown they had. Also, Nobunaga was a great villain in the two previous books and Kenji Kira was only disgusting, but the one with more momentum and the main adversary was without a doubt Tokugawa.
While the main gang of three were already from the start somewhat of a cliché: a boy with a destiny, his tough friend and a beautiful strong-willed lady love - I thought they made a decent team and I quite liked all three of them. I’m happy that everything wasn’t smooth sailing for them in this book and various issues came up that were in the long run unavoidable and the separations they went through were good for character development and strengthening bonds, especially for the two sidekicks. I’m glad that the both of them also were able to see each other and survive without Taro by their side all the time.
Overall:
I can say that this was an excellent series with imagination, fights, adventure, Japanese mythology and, most of all, my favourite setting, especially since feudal settings for Japan-themed YA books are incredibly rare. The final book was based on some aspects a slight let down, because there was just too much of everything in it, but it still worked and the previous two were so good that they compensated slightly for the spots lacking. I’m quite sad that this series doesn’t have as many readers as it deserves though, because I guess, it is somewhat of a niche mix of setting and genre. Still, give the series a try, especially if you enjoy historical adventure, action and manga.
May 10, 2024
A great way to end the series.
My 17-year-old granddaughter brought the series over to me. We pretty much have the same taste in books, so she thought I'd enjoy reading it. She was right. I love it!
From the first of the series to the third, Mr. Lake nailed it. It's an amazing story with great characters who you'll love, who you'll hate, and who you'll love to hate.
I really enjoyed reading the series and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves vampires, ninjas, and adventure.
My 17-year-old granddaughter brought the series over to me. We pretty much have the same taste in books, so she thought I'd enjoy reading it. She was right. I love it!
From the first of the series to the third, Mr. Lake nailed it. It's an amazing story with great characters who you'll love, who you'll hate, and who you'll love to hate.
I really enjoyed reading the series and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves vampires, ninjas, and adventure.
Currently reading
April 16, 2021its a good and creative book with good settings.
Currently reading
January 11, 2013I thought this book was going to end at the second book of "Blood Ninja" but knowing how bad the ending was for me, I didn't expect it to have another book. Most likely to be the last book of the series but I want to focus on what's going to happen considering the main character Taro and his friends have already killed the main protagonist Lord Oda.
January 9, 2014
This book definetely made me a little disappointed. The first book was the best, and it is one of my favorites. I love re-reading it. However, this novel took the joy i felt from the other books and crushed it like a grape. The ending was satisfactory but most of the book, i was just trying to get through it for the sake of finishing the series.
November 6, 2013
This series was an overall good read. I guess I was expecting a different fee?
August 3, 2022
The gore and description are real detailed, but that might as well just be the most interesting part of the book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews