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Ghosts of Kurosawa
Not yet published
Expected 3 Mar 26John Wick meets The Bourne Identity in this heart-pounding descent into Tokyo’s criminal underworld, where a rouge assassin must confront his past to stop a deadly genetic virus.
Five years ago, Ryō killed his Yakuza partner Niko—after watching him murder the woman he loved.
Now living as Hiroshi Ichihara, a quiet college student, he’s buried his past. A second chance. A normal life.
Until a first date shatters everything.
Forced to reveal himself, Ryō discovers the impossible: Niko is alive.
Worse, he’s united the Yakuza clans and engineered a CRISPR virus that could destroy the world. Only one person can stop him—the assassin Ryō swore he'd never become again.
But there’s a price. Every kill awakens the darkness inside him, the bloodlust that made him Tokyo's most feared killer. The more he fights, the more his humanity slips away.
With Ayako Yanagi—a brilliant doctor caught in the crossfire—as his only ally, Ryō must return to Tokyo’s underworld to infiltrate Niko’s genetically enhanced army and stop the virus before it’s unleashed. But defeating his former brother-in-arms may cost him the one thing he’s fought to his soul.
Can he save the world without becoming the monster he fears most?
Five years ago, Ryō killed his Yakuza partner Niko—after watching him murder the woman he loved.
Now living as Hiroshi Ichihara, a quiet college student, he’s buried his past. A second chance. A normal life.
Until a first date shatters everything.
Forced to reveal himself, Ryō discovers the impossible: Niko is alive.
Worse, he’s united the Yakuza clans and engineered a CRISPR virus that could destroy the world. Only one person can stop him—the assassin Ryō swore he'd never become again.
But there’s a price. Every kill awakens the darkness inside him, the bloodlust that made him Tokyo's most feared killer. The more he fights, the more his humanity slips away.
With Ayako Yanagi—a brilliant doctor caught in the crossfire—as his only ally, Ryō must return to Tokyo’s underworld to infiltrate Niko’s genetically enhanced army and stop the virus before it’s unleashed. But defeating his former brother-in-arms may cost him the one thing he’s fought to his soul.
Can he save the world without becoming the monster he fears most?
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 3, 2026
65 people want to read
About the author
Asghar Ali
1 book2 followersAsghar (pronounced Uhz-grr) lives in Southern California with his wife, Leema. By day, he works as a technology consultant; by night, he builds worlds where science fiction and fantasy collide in thrilling, cinematic tales.
A lifelong fan of immersive storytelling—from RPGs and anime to books and film—he loves creating stories that make readers feel like they’re in the middle of the action. His characters are colorful, imperfect, and driven to grow in the face of heart-pounding adventure.
When he’s not writing, Asghar paints, experiments with 3D printing, and travels with his wife, discovering inspiration in every new city they visit.
A lifelong fan of immersive storytelling—from RPGs and anime to books and film—he loves creating stories that make readers feel like they’re in the middle of the action. His characters are colorful, imperfect, and driven to grow in the face of heart-pounding adventure.
When he’s not writing, Asghar paints, experiments with 3D printing, and travels with his wife, discovering inspiration in every new city they visit.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 stars
This was a fun and wild ride. It felt like watching an action movie. Ryo was an assassin and is now living as a college student alter ego. He gets pulled back into his assassin world after the yakuza develop a deadly virus and Ryo is the only one to stop them.
This was fun and action packed, but at times the writing felt a bit amateur. I’m not sure if this is translated, knowing that might change readers' perception. The writing isn’t bad but some things are too descriptive and feel wordy. Ryo is a great character and I like how it ended with the potential to be a series. I would continue this if it becomes a series. I recommend this to fans of Japan based media or fans of Anime/Manga.
Thank you, NetGalley and Vagrant Publishing for allowing me to read this early. The opinion in this review is my own.
This was a fun and wild ride. It felt like watching an action movie. Ryo was an assassin and is now living as a college student alter ego. He gets pulled back into his assassin world after the yakuza develop a deadly virus and Ryo is the only one to stop them.
This was fun and action packed, but at times the writing felt a bit amateur. I’m not sure if this is translated, knowing that might change readers' perception. The writing isn’t bad but some things are too descriptive and feel wordy. Ryo is a great character and I like how it ended with the potential to be a series. I would continue this if it becomes a series. I recommend this to fans of Japan based media or fans of Anime/Manga.
Thank you, NetGalley and Vagrant Publishing for allowing me to read this early. The opinion in this review is my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was provided this book through Netgalley in return for my review.
Our main character, Ryō, is a haunted man. He is pulled back into a life he had violently torn himself from after he is tracked down through a potential love interest at college. There's a ghost from Ryō's past come back to life threatening to release a gene mutating virus and only Ryō can stop him. The action in the book can best be described as cinematic. There's a teaser at the end that points to this being the beginning of a series and I'm certain it will be an interesting one.
Our main character, Ryō, is a haunted man. He is pulled back into a life he had violently torn himself from after he is tracked down through a potential love interest at college. There's a ghost from Ryō's past come back to life threatening to release a gene mutating virus and only Ryō can stop him. The action in the book can best be described as cinematic. There's a teaser at the end that points to this being the beginning of a series and I'm certain it will be an interesting one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews