What do you think?
Rate this book
Japanese Werewolf Apocalypse #1-2
Japanese Werewolf Apocalypse
A tribute to Takashi Miike and Meiko Kaji.
The American has decorated her home in her parents’ blood; Ritsuko Kita’s life is spared, but she never forgets the man who killed her parents. A man who has vowed revenge against her kind.
Edmund Grant heard his parents scream. He didn’t see their bodies, but he would always remember the terrible creature he glimpsed in the moonlight.
In an ancient war between beast and man, Kita and Grant struggle against the forces of chaos and nature. They follow each other into twelfth century Japan, where a war between two rival families for the throne becomes a struggle for the fate of the world. Werewolves, samurai, gods, and lovers participate in the apocalyptic feud that spans nine hundred years, a feud that began when the world was born…
Upon the Floating Bridge of Heaven, a dream of love was conceived. A love that would span centuries and give birth to the human race and a rivalry that would decide the fate of the world.
The American has decorated her home in her parents’ blood; Ritsuko Kita’s life is spared, but she never forgets the man who killed her parents. A man who has vowed revenge against her kind.
Edmund Grant heard his parents scream. He didn’t see their bodies, but he would always remember the terrible creature he glimpsed in the moonlight.
In an ancient war between beast and man, Kita and Grant struggle against the forces of chaos and nature. They follow each other into twelfth century Japan, where a war between two rival families for the throne becomes a struggle for the fate of the world. Werewolves, samurai, gods, and lovers participate in the apocalyptic feud that spans nine hundred years, a feud that began when the world was born…
Upon the Floating Bridge of Heaven, a dream of love was conceived. A love that would span centuries and give birth to the human race and a rivalry that would decide the fate of the world.
- GenresHorror
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2013
4 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
Vincenzo Bilof
36 books116 followers"We already have Brautigan, Vonnegut, and Russ Meyer but who can claim to be Vincenzo Bilof?"
--The Novel Pursuit
From Detroit, Michigan, Vincenzo Bilof has been called “The Metallica of Poetry” and “The Shakespeare of Gore”. With a body of work that includes gritty, apocalyptic horror (The Zombie Ascension Series), surrealist prose (The Horror Show), and visceral genre satire (Vampire Strippers from Saturn), Bilof’s fiction remains as divisive and controversial as it is original. He likes to think Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, and Charles Baudelaire would be proud of his work. More likely, Ed Wood would have been his biggest fan.
During the day, Bilof repairs arcade machines in semi-operational billiards clubs, or he chases his children around the house in between episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
You can check out his blog here: http://vincenzobilof.blogspot.com/
Gonzo is his favorite Muppet.
--The Novel Pursuit
From Detroit, Michigan, Vincenzo Bilof has been called “The Metallica of Poetry” and “The Shakespeare of Gore”. With a body of work that includes gritty, apocalyptic horror (The Zombie Ascension Series), surrealist prose (The Horror Show), and visceral genre satire (Vampire Strippers from Saturn), Bilof’s fiction remains as divisive and controversial as it is original. He likes to think Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, and Charles Baudelaire would be proud of his work. More likely, Ed Wood would have been his biggest fan.
During the day, Bilof repairs arcade machines in semi-operational billiards clubs, or he chases his children around the house in between episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
You can check out his blog here: http://vincenzobilof.blogspot.com/
Gonzo is his favorite Muppet.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 21, 2014
Japanese Werewolf Apocalypse by Vincenzo Bilof is the type of book you read during the day. Not only will you have the opportunity to explore some pretty graphic – sometimes obscenely violent – imagery, but if you love horror and anime (all things Japan actually), you’ll probably enjoy it a lot. Due to my own love for anime I really enjoyed the book, even though I sometimes cringed, but the point is that while I read Japanese Werewolf Apocalypse I could imagine it as an anime show. The prologue had a bit of a Kill Bill (The Origin of O-Ren) feel to it, but after that it stands apart from any other anime or Japanese-inspired film/TV show I’ve watched. What makes it even more special is the fact that it’s got werewolves in it … and they aren’t as fluffy and cuddly as you might think.
Some of the names of the characters were a little stereotypical (for example: Takeshi and Nakamura), but I think that Bilof did it on purpose. Other than that though, if you’ve got a strong stomach and you’d like to read something so bad-ass it’s considered cool, this is the book you should get your hands on.
Horror anime lovers will find Japanese Werewolf Apocalypse to be a treat. Manga readers with a thing for blood will love it. Werewolf fanatics who are looking for something with more bite would find great pleasure in it. And guys who like hot chicks with big swords will be forever enchanted by Ritsuko Kita.
In other words, Severed Press should totally hire a mangaka to turn this novel into a manga and sell it to a Japanese publishing house. Can I get a hell yeah?
(review originally posted on www.tentaclebooks.com)
Some of the names of the characters were a little stereotypical (for example: Takeshi and Nakamura), but I think that Bilof did it on purpose. Other than that though, if you’ve got a strong stomach and you’d like to read something so bad-ass it’s considered cool, this is the book you should get your hands on.
Horror anime lovers will find Japanese Werewolf Apocalypse to be a treat. Manga readers with a thing for blood will love it. Werewolf fanatics who are looking for something with more bite would find great pleasure in it. And guys who like hot chicks with big swords will be forever enchanted by Ritsuko Kita.
In other words, Severed Press should totally hire a mangaka to turn this novel into a manga and sell it to a Japanese publishing house. Can I get a hell yeah?
(review originally posted on www.tentaclebooks.com)
September 19, 2017
They say you should never judge a book by its cover. They also say (I think) you should judge a book by its title. OK, maybe not, but this is one book to definitely not judge by the title.
Because to do this you may be forgiven for imagining a bloodfest of werewolves butchering and being butchered by samurai warriors before the inevitable end of the world. A nice, cosy fun-packed adventure where the plot is only there to bring on the next wave of graphic violence.
Well, that’s kind of true here, but there is much, much more going on. Yes it’s Japanese, yes it’s got werewolves that kill and are killed in graphic, grotesque ways, and yes it’s about the apocalypse, in a fashion. Oh, and there’s also some time-travelling and re-incarnation thrown in to boot. What, now? In a splatter-novel? Yes indeed.
I think to add a summary here would be unwise, and yeah that’s sort of because at times I wasn’t completely aware of exactly what was going on. What with characters becoming other characters, being killed or impaling themselves with their own blades so they’d die with honour, only to be resurrected to continue their battle that stretches over hundreds of years. It sounds complicated, and it is. In fact, in the forward the author explains that it is a convoluted plot that takes some concentration. He wasn’t lying.
This isn’t a casual read for someone looking for scene after scene of gore, the story is extremely deep. It deals with love, vengeance, desperation, and big-ass swords that are impaled into every body-hole available (yes, that one too!).
I suppose to describe this novel I’d have to mention the likeness I found to Twin Peaks, especially with the whole time-travelling ting going on. The book leaps from present day to 12th Century wars being fought between clans of werewolves. Characters (well, their souls at least) are thrust back and forth between timelines where their memories become a little distorted, yet they still remember things that are to happen in the future.
Confused? Yeah, me too. But is this a bad thing? The TV series Twin Peaks’ recent return was 18 hours of awesomeness, yet I’m still not entirely sure what was going on. But that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. In fact, it made it even better. The same is true with this book. As you’re reading a passage wondering what these characters are up to and why, suddenly there’s a section of intense brutality. The descriptions of the violence are great, so vividly depicted at times I was wiping the imaginary blood from my own face. Scenes from Ichi the Killer were brought straight to the forefront of my mind. Amazing stuff.
I can’t end this review without mentioning the musical references here. Now I like my metal, and when I read a book with nods to some of my favourite bands, I can’t help but throw those horns while reading. Opeth, Helmet, Slayer, Motorhead; good work! In fact if I was to go fighting a group of blood-hungry werewolves, I too would put some Reign in Blood on the headphones.
This is definitely a ‘read it again’ book, which is a sign of how much I enjoyed it, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy it even more the next time around.
Because to do this you may be forgiven for imagining a bloodfest of werewolves butchering and being butchered by samurai warriors before the inevitable end of the world. A nice, cosy fun-packed adventure where the plot is only there to bring on the next wave of graphic violence.
Well, that’s kind of true here, but there is much, much more going on. Yes it’s Japanese, yes it’s got werewolves that kill and are killed in graphic, grotesque ways, and yes it’s about the apocalypse, in a fashion. Oh, and there’s also some time-travelling and re-incarnation thrown in to boot. What, now? In a splatter-novel? Yes indeed.
I think to add a summary here would be unwise, and yeah that’s sort of because at times I wasn’t completely aware of exactly what was going on. What with characters becoming other characters, being killed or impaling themselves with their own blades so they’d die with honour, only to be resurrected to continue their battle that stretches over hundreds of years. It sounds complicated, and it is. In fact, in the forward the author explains that it is a convoluted plot that takes some concentration. He wasn’t lying.
This isn’t a casual read for someone looking for scene after scene of gore, the story is extremely deep. It deals with love, vengeance, desperation, and big-ass swords that are impaled into every body-hole available (yes, that one too!).
I suppose to describe this novel I’d have to mention the likeness I found to Twin Peaks, especially with the whole time-travelling ting going on. The book leaps from present day to 12th Century wars being fought between clans of werewolves. Characters (well, their souls at least) are thrust back and forth between timelines where their memories become a little distorted, yet they still remember things that are to happen in the future.
Confused? Yeah, me too. But is this a bad thing? The TV series Twin Peaks’ recent return was 18 hours of awesomeness, yet I’m still not entirely sure what was going on. But that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. In fact, it made it even better. The same is true with this book. As you’re reading a passage wondering what these characters are up to and why, suddenly there’s a section of intense brutality. The descriptions of the violence are great, so vividly depicted at times I was wiping the imaginary blood from my own face. Scenes from Ichi the Killer were brought straight to the forefront of my mind. Amazing stuff.
I can’t end this review without mentioning the musical references here. Now I like my metal, and when I read a book with nods to some of my favourite bands, I can’t help but throw those horns while reading. Opeth, Helmet, Slayer, Motorhead; good work! In fact if I was to go fighting a group of blood-hungry werewolves, I too would put some Reign in Blood on the headphones.
This is definitely a ‘read it again’ book, which is a sign of how much I enjoyed it, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy it even more the next time around.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews