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The Destroyer #55
Master's Challenge
Remo Williams, a special agent for CURE, faces ritual combat with fighters from around the world, while Harold W. Smith, his boss, encounters a deadly new threat to national security
246 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1984
26 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Warren Murphy
245 books120 followersWarren Murphy was an American author, most famous as the co-creator of The Destroyer series, the basis for the film Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. He worked as a reporter and editor and after service during the Korean War, he drifted into politics.
Murphy also wrote the screenplay for Lethal Weapon 2. He is the author of the Trace and Digger series. With Molly Cochran, he completed two books of a planned trilogy revolving around the character The Grandmaster, The Grandmaster (1984) and High Priest (1989). Murphy also shares writing credits with Cochran on The Forever King and several novels under the name Dev Stryker. The first Grandmaster book earned Murphy and Cochran a 1985 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original, and Murphy's Pigs Get Fat took the same honor the following year.
His solo novels include Jericho Day, The Red Moon, The Ceiling of Hell, The Sure Thing and Honor Among Thieves. Over his career, Murphy sold over 60 million books.
He started his own publishing house, Ballybunion, to have a vehicle to start The Destroyer spin-off books. Ballybunion has reprinted The Assassin's Handbook, as well as the original works Assassin's Handbook 2, The Movie That Never Was (a screenplay he and Richard Sapir wrote for a Destroyer movie that was never optioned), The Way of the Assassin (the wisdom of Chiun), and New Blood, a collection of short stories written by fans of the series.
He served on the board of the Mystery Writers of America, and was a member of the Private Eye Writers of America, the International Association of Crime Writers, the American Crime Writers League and the Screenwriters Guild.
Murphy also wrote the screenplay for Lethal Weapon 2. He is the author of the Trace and Digger series. With Molly Cochran, he completed two books of a planned trilogy revolving around the character The Grandmaster, The Grandmaster (1984) and High Priest (1989). Murphy also shares writing credits with Cochran on The Forever King and several novels under the name Dev Stryker. The first Grandmaster book earned Murphy and Cochran a 1985 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original, and Murphy's Pigs Get Fat took the same honor the following year.
His solo novels include Jericho Day, The Red Moon, The Ceiling of Hell, The Sure Thing and Honor Among Thieves. Over his career, Murphy sold over 60 million books.
He started his own publishing house, Ballybunion, to have a vehicle to start The Destroyer spin-off books. Ballybunion has reprinted The Assassin's Handbook, as well as the original works Assassin's Handbook 2, The Movie That Never Was (a screenplay he and Richard Sapir wrote for a Destroyer movie that was never optioned), The Way of the Assassin (the wisdom of Chiun), and New Blood, a collection of short stories written by fans of the series.
He served on the board of the Mystery Writers of America, and was a member of the Private Eye Writers of America, the International Association of Crime Writers, the American Crime Writers League and the Screenwriters Guild.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 6, 2022
This is one of the storylines that stands out most clearly in my memory from my first reading of this series more than 20 years ago. It’s also one of the best all around Destroyer novels. In it, Remo discovers he has peers—men and women from rival houses whose superior skills make them capable of killing even the Masters of Sinanju. As if that is not enough, the reader is also introduced to the master who trained Chiun as Chiun initiates an ancient Sinanju tradition, The Master’s Challenge—a coming of age ceremony in which the coming master proves himself in battles to the death with the scions of these rival houses. As if that isn’t enough, the Dutchman returns, even more insane than when we last saw him, still determined to fulfill his vow to Chiun’s first student and kill the reigning master.
Murphy is at the top of his form in this one. The rival masters are all at least respectable and most are genuinely likeable, and Remo doesn’t want to fight them. But honor and tradition are part of the life’s blood of all of these ancient houses and Remo’s desires do not seem to matter. So this is a great problem with a lot of raw emotion as Remo faces off against the other masters and Chiun confronts the Dutchman, but that still isn’t everything that Murphy has to offer in this book. While Remo is MIA dealing with Sinanju’s business, Harold Smith has to run CURE all by himself and he has uncovered a doozy of a problem. Someone is planning to assassinate the president and they have found a way to bypass the Secret Service to get at him. Smith has never seemed to think too highly of Remo, but having to do everything himself gives him a new appreciation for the talents of his enforcement arm, and the reader a new appreciation for Smith’s own dedication to duty and his own impeccable sense of honor.
Murphy brilliantly balances all of these storylines as he steadily guides Remo to the most important fight of his life. And the consequences of this novel continue to reverberate in all the remaining books including the legacy series about Remo’s children. If you have never read a Destroyer novel, I would not start with this book. But if you’ve read even a handful, this novel is a must read.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
Murphy is at the top of his form in this one. The rival masters are all at least respectable and most are genuinely likeable, and Remo doesn’t want to fight them. But honor and tradition are part of the life’s blood of all of these ancient houses and Remo’s desires do not seem to matter. So this is a great problem with a lot of raw emotion as Remo faces off against the other masters and Chiun confronts the Dutchman, but that still isn’t everything that Murphy has to offer in this book. While Remo is MIA dealing with Sinanju’s business, Harold Smith has to run CURE all by himself and he has uncovered a doozy of a problem. Someone is planning to assassinate the president and they have found a way to bypass the Secret Service to get at him. Smith has never seemed to think too highly of Remo, but having to do everything himself gives him a new appreciation for the talents of his enforcement arm, and the reader a new appreciation for Smith’s own dedication to duty and his own impeccable sense of honor.
Murphy brilliantly balances all of these storylines as he steadily guides Remo to the most important fight of his life. And the consequences of this novel continue to reverberate in all the remaining books including the legacy series about Remo’s children. If you have never read a Destroyer novel, I would not start with this book. But if you’ve read even a handful, this novel is a must read.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
November 17, 2020
I've seen the movie Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins a few times over the years, and while I certainly wouldn't classify it as a favorite, it's an enjoyable enough one of those "Oh yeah" films that stumbles onto your radar once a decade or so. I knew that it was based on a long-running men's adventure pulp series titled The Destroyer, which sounded like something that might make for a fun read in between more substantial fare (If I indeed read such things), so I filed the novels away on my lengthy "to read" list. Finally getting to The Master's Challenge--considered a fan favorite in the series--I'm... not sure I'll be reading any more.
Look, you go into a novel like this with the same mindset you walk into a McDonald's with. You know it ain't gourmet, it's not healthy and by God it sure isn't fresh, but it's fast, tasty and cheap, or at least it's supposed to be. But Master's Challenge--though sprinkled with some moments of amusing humor--is just a poorly written and badly plotted bit of disposable nonsense that doesn't entertain enough to smooth over its many, many cracks. My two star rating is a round up, forced by the Goodreads rating system that doesn't see fit to give half star options. When making the call, two or one, I went two more out of pity than merit.
Look, you go into a novel like this with the same mindset you walk into a McDonald's with. You know it ain't gourmet, it's not healthy and by God it sure isn't fresh, but it's fast, tasty and cheap, or at least it's supposed to be. But Master's Challenge--though sprinkled with some moments of amusing humor--is just a poorly written and badly plotted bit of disposable nonsense that doesn't entertain enough to smooth over its many, many cracks. My two star rating is a round up, forced by the Goodreads rating system that doesn't see fit to give half star options. When making the call, two or one, I went two more out of pity than merit.
July 12, 2017
Simply put, this is the best story in the series thus far. We get a lot of interaction between Remo and Chiun and we also get a fresh, new look at their boss, Smith, as he tries to solve a serious threat to the nation by himself when Remo and Chiun have gone missing.
Remo faces the Master's Challenge, setting him up against the best fighters of ancient lost peoples around the globe, but also the disciple of Nuihc: the Dutchman. The Dutchman is not presented as an all-out evil force, but is actually a tragic figure. And Remo's infatuation with the visiting female in the story is also a lot better than ever before: it actually turns into love and forces Remo to make difficult decisions along the way.
A very good story - a true gem in a series that is otherwise relatively lighthearted and casual.
Remo faces the Master's Challenge, setting him up against the best fighters of ancient lost peoples around the globe, but also the disciple of Nuihc: the Dutchman. The Dutchman is not presented as an all-out evil force, but is actually a tragic figure. And Remo's infatuation with the visiting female in the story is also a lot better than ever before: it actually turns into love and forces Remo to make difficult decisions along the way.
A very good story - a true gem in a series that is otherwise relatively lighthearted and casual.
February 17, 2018
One of the best of the series
This has been by far the best of the Destroyer series book I have read. I became a fan back in the mid 70s when a friend turned me on to the books and was so happy when I found them on Amazon. I have read the entire series to this one, even the bad ones and have to say this has been the best so far. It's the first one that Remo's love interest was not killed off, but had to leave him to allow his destiny to be fulfilled. A tragedy, but should be interesting to see how, or if it ever plays out.
This has been by far the best of the Destroyer series book I have read. I became a fan back in the mid 70s when a friend turned me on to the books and was so happy when I found them on Amazon. I have read the entire series to this one, even the bad ones and have to say this has been the best so far. It's the first one that Remo's love interest was not killed off, but had to leave him to allow his destiny to be fulfilled. A tragedy, but should be interesting to see how, or if it ever plays out.
March 17, 2021
Rating 3.5
A better than average entry in the series I thought.
3 different plot lines running...the trial, Chiun in Sinanju and Smith having to take up a gun again.
As always a quick read but it had more interest than some of the other books
A better than average entry in the series I thought.
3 different plot lines running...the trial, Chiun in Sinanju and Smith having to take up a gun again.
As always a quick read but it had more interest than some of the other books
May 11, 2020
This one had it all! Excellent!
November 30, 2009
Remo must travel the world to face some other masters of different secret fighting styles. Nice little comic book feeling adventure, as we encounter the other masters, get some more history of Sinaju and meet 'The Dutchman', who will become a sort of arch-foe to Remo and return every couple year.
One of the books that makes you realize this series is more than your typical paperback, manly spy/vigilante series. It has built it's own mythology.
One of the books that makes you realize this series is more than your typical paperback, manly spy/vigilante series. It has built it's own mythology.
February 13, 2016
One of the big men's adventure series from the 70's than ran an impressive 145 books. The series while an adventure/action story is also full of satire toward much of the mainstream fads and icons of the time. An interesting main character and the sarcastic mentor makes this a funny action/adventure read. This issue tells of the 2nd battle with the Dutchman, disciple of the evil Sinanju master Nuihc. Recommended
September 21, 2016
Wow! Great story, so sad for Remo.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews