An ordinary kid from an ordinary town shouldn't be considered one of the greatest under-cover agents the Air Force has ever seen. Yet that is exactly what Cian is. And now, his time in the Air Force is behind him and his best friend is dead. A new chapter in his life is about to begin, one he could have never foreseen. Back in Japan to attend the funeral his life is about to get complicated. Complicated and weird. Can Cian survive the fire or will he shatter under the blows of life's hammer?
This is a hard one for me to review, because reading it, there was an overwhelming feeling of "I'm not the intended audience for this." The writing and characters reminded me a bit of Tom Clancy ... maybe it was the character's military backstory (and admittedly, it's been about a decade since I read any Clancy), but that wasn't what I'd usually expect out of this genre, so it was an interesting combination for me. I personally like a little more whimsy to this, but this is more hardhitting, factual, sort of blow by blow action. And it works, I think, though it isn't something I'd usually read. Interesting mix of Japanese myth and modern action.