Shadow Warrior

The Mechanica Wars #2

by Jay Noel

The agony of a failed quest haunts Kanze Zenjiro, but the betrayal by those he trusted has turned his world upside down. With a heart full of hatred and defeat, Zen is desperate to get back to Nihon and demand the truth from his father.

Meanwhile, the Iberian Empire sends their soaring airships and steam-powered giants into The Orient. They threaten to upset the balance of power, hoping to exploit the faraway land in their greed for the resources needed to power their machines. Zen and his companions must fight to keep the world from plunging into total destruction.

And at the center of it all is a nine year old boy with the power of a god.

Genres: Steampunk

397 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2014

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author...Jay Noel studied to become an English teacher, but it didn't work out. Medical sales ninja by day, writer by night, Jay is determined to do it all...AND keep his sanity.

Reviews

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second books in a trilogy tend to be my least favorite, so even though I absolutely loved the first book, I dove into this one with some trepidation.

Well, as second books in a trilogy go, this one was awesome. It started where the first book left off and dove straight into the plot. There was some shambling slow pacing in the middle, but compared to a lot of 2nd books it was practically full steam ahead.

The ending had a lot in common with the first book, as in I wanted to curl up into a ball and cry afterwards though I do feel like one of the events was totally unnecessary, namely the professor's death, I mean I can see why it happened as a way to drive other characters into action, and I will have to make a total judgement call after I read the third book, but as of this point I think having him be severely wounded would have worked just as well. We shall see though.

I am excited to see the end of this trilogy, it has been immensely refreshing to read a fantasy series and have so little to nitpick when it comes to world building, plot, and characters.

[Christine Rains · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kanze Zenjiro is a young man of honor and power. When he fails on his quest, he wants only to return to Nihon and discover the truth of the betrayal. His father's lies eat away at him, but he finds himself on a different path, learning about his mother's past. The Iberian Empire is set on conquering the Orient, and Zen's father's solution may kill everyone. Zen and his friends must find a way to stop him or end up as casualties themselves.

This incredible book is the second one in the Mechanica Series. This is steampunk with an eastern twist. Shadow Warrior is as well written as the first book. Sharp and clean prose with plenty of action and intrigue.

The characters I loved continue to fight on. Zen is always the honorable and just one, but what he struggles with might overwhelm him finally. The Machine boy, Marcel, is only a child stuck in the middle of a great war, and the strength of his character shines bright. We're also introduced to new characters both good and evil. I loved learning more about the Shadows and getting a peek into the Iberian Empire.

I can't wait for the next book. Cheers for Jay Noel!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I did not see that coming. Can't wait for the third book.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great continuation of the series!

[Tyrean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Beautiful writing, excellent character development, great action scenes, and excellent world-building in the steampunk genre. Highly recommend!

[Stuart Thaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Mechanica Wars series. For that reason, the review might have some spoilers. You've been warned. Picking up exactly where book one left off, Zen is in full-blown despair. His sacred ancestral quest turned out to be a sham (although I have suspicions...) and he has forsaken his homeland. With nowhere left to turn, he travels to the mysterious home of the Shadows to do some much needed soul searching. Without giving too much away, Shadow Warrior is basically a tale of personal discovery and epic revenge. While I loved the plot and direction of Shadow Warrior, the writing was noticeably worse than book 1, Dragonfly Warrior. The reunion of the group felt very contrived and convenient and several instances of bad editing jarred me out of the story and back to the page. Perhaps Shadow Warrior could have used one more round of polishing. I will certainly be reading book 3 when it comes out, but I hope the quality of editing returns to that of Dragonfly Warrior.

Score: 7.2 / 10 - Still the best steampunk series I've read, but not the outstanding quality I expected after reading book 1.

~Stuart Thaman, stuartthamanbooks.com