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Black Samurai #6
The Warlock
When a voodoo priest bewitches Sand's beloved, the samurai goes on the warpathBlack magic orgies. Human sacrifices. Necrophilia. These are just a few of Augustus Janicot's special skills. This charismatic sadist has built a formidable following, convincing politicians across Europe that his voodoo ritual can win them office. When they consent to his bloody rites, he films them, and uses the footage for blackmail. On the verge of obtaining unlimited power, the Warlock is about to make a fatal mistake.Janicot's next target is in Vietnam, and for Robert Sand, this is too close to home. An American trained in the ways of the samurai, Sand fears for the safety of Toki Jakata, the granddaughter of his late samurai master and the only woman he has ever loved. Sand has never been able to win Toki's heart, but he will do anything to keep Janicot from pulling it out of her chest.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Marc Olden
54 books40 followersMarc Olden (1933–2003) was the author of forty mystery and suspense novels. Born in Baltimore, he began writing while working in New York as a Broadway publicist. His first book, Angela Davis (1973), was a nonfiction study of the controversial Black Panther. In 1973 he also published Narc, under the name Robert Hawke, beginning a hard-boiled nine-book series about a federal narcotics agent.
A year later, Black Samurai introduced Robert Sand, a martial arts expert who becomes the first non-Japanese student of a samurai master. Based on Olden’s own interest in martial arts, which led him to the advanced ranks of karate and aikido, the novel spawned a successful eight-book series. Olden continued writing for the next three decades, often drawing on his fascination with Japanese culture and history.
A year later, Black Samurai introduced Robert Sand, a martial arts expert who becomes the first non-Japanese student of a samurai master. Based on Olden’s own interest in martial arts, which led him to the advanced ranks of karate and aikido, the novel spawned a successful eight-book series. Olden continued writing for the next three decades, often drawing on his fascination with Japanese culture and history.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 8, 2022
So, I presume this is the one the 1976 Jim Kelly Black Samurai movie was based on? What a bonkers read dealing with a powerful cult bent on collapsing the worldwide political structure. It bears little resemblance to the move other than the cult angle, but I still enjoyed it!
This book was full of violence and deviant sex to show how evil the cult is, but it felt overly exploitive and a little out of place for an adventure book like this; but what the hell - I still enjoyed it!
This book was full of violence and deviant sex to show how evil the cult is, but it felt overly exploitive and a little out of place for an adventure book like this; but what the hell - I still enjoyed it!
March 29, 2021
Number six in this series is oddly enough the more PC than any of the other books including Olden's Narc series. With the description of "Black magic orgies. Human sacrifices. Necrophilia." One would expect, and rightly so, that this book would be pretty vile and vulgar. It never pushes the limits of those descriptions though, so an action book is what we get. A great action book at that.
The Warlock is a former Nazi officer that still want's power. His cult blackmails politicians and important people by filming them having sex or killing people. They drug them to the gills before hand. It seems that The Warlock's next victim is a Vietnamese politician trying to stop the graft of aide to his country. His wife is the love of The Black Samurai's life. The cult means to kidnap her and do all sorts of things to stop her husband.
Also on hand is an old enemy of The Samurai from a previous mission. An Argentinian who's brother was killed by our hero is paying The Warlock to kill him on the one year anniversary of his death. The brothers dealt in forced prostitution, drugs and illegal weapons, so he fits right in with the cult of sadists. Another great entry in this series.
The Warlock is a former Nazi officer that still want's power. His cult blackmails politicians and important people by filming them having sex or killing people. They drug them to the gills before hand. It seems that The Warlock's next victim is a Vietnamese politician trying to stop the graft of aide to his country. His wife is the love of The Black Samurai's life. The cult means to kidnap her and do all sorts of things to stop her husband.
Also on hand is an old enemy of The Samurai from a previous mission. An Argentinian who's brother was killed by our hero is paying The Warlock to kill him on the one year anniversary of his death. The brothers dealt in forced prostitution, drugs and illegal weapons, so he fits right in with the cult of sadists. Another great entry in this series.
August 14, 2024
As I'm more familiar with the Al Adamson film version, I was quite surprised that Marc Olden's source novel features a scene set in Croydon. I guess Adamson wasn't able to rustle up any stock footage of Croydon for the movie, it's somewhat disappointing though that Adamson chose to turn the character of Molay into the bad guy's pet vulture, whereas in the novel he is the bad guy's pet werewolf!
Here's a few more ways that the film and the book differ:
-Toki is kidnapped in Hong Kong in the film, whereas in the book that happens in Saigon.
-In the film she is kidnapped to blackmail her father for money, in the book she is kidnapped to dissuade her husband from testifying in Washington against corruption in Saigon.
-In the book Chavez is trying to avenge the death of his brother Benito, who was killed by the Black Samurai a year earlier.
-Bone is depicted as black and asexual in the film, but in the book is an albino chickenhawk.
-Synne has silver hair in the book, and is killed by Chavez during rough sex, whereas the film keeps her alive for much longer.
-The Black Samurai's run in with Reinhardt and the Leopard men takes place right at the start of the book, but the film moves that to much later on.
-The film eliminates the crucial character of William Baron Clarke, a wealthy former president who sends the Robert Sand/Black Samurai off on various missions. Clarke is essentially the M to the Black Samurai's Bond, but with added racial tension to their relationship "Boss man, thought Sand. Until they take him away, that's what he'll always be. Boss man". He's replaced in the film by the succession of white CIA agents who are depicted as being far more subservient to the Black Samurai.
Olden's book is also incredibly rude about dwarfs ("he looks like hammered shit"), the french ("Garlic. The French probably poured it on cornflakes") and overweight women ("the last thing the black samurai wanted was to be locked in a smelly gas station with a fat french lady who had a mustache"). I suppose it's up for debate whether the loss of that mean spirited attitude works for or against the movie. The jet pack stuff is unique to the Adamson film though, so if you want werewolf action go for the book, but if you want to see Jim Kelly fly the film is the only option.
Here's a few more ways that the film and the book differ:
-Toki is kidnapped in Hong Kong in the film, whereas in the book that happens in Saigon.
-In the film she is kidnapped to blackmail her father for money, in the book she is kidnapped to dissuade her husband from testifying in Washington against corruption in Saigon.
-In the book Chavez is trying to avenge the death of his brother Benito, who was killed by the Black Samurai a year earlier.
-Bone is depicted as black and asexual in the film, but in the book is an albino chickenhawk.
-Synne has silver hair in the book, and is killed by Chavez during rough sex, whereas the film keeps her alive for much longer.
-The Black Samurai's run in with Reinhardt and the Leopard men takes place right at the start of the book, but the film moves that to much later on.
-The film eliminates the crucial character of William Baron Clarke, a wealthy former president who sends the Robert Sand/Black Samurai off on various missions. Clarke is essentially the M to the Black Samurai's Bond, but with added racial tension to their relationship "Boss man, thought Sand. Until they take him away, that's what he'll always be. Boss man". He's replaced in the film by the succession of white CIA agents who are depicted as being far more subservient to the Black Samurai.
Olden's book is also incredibly rude about dwarfs ("he looks like hammered shit"), the french ("Garlic. The French probably poured it on cornflakes") and overweight women ("the last thing the black samurai wanted was to be locked in a smelly gas station with a fat french lady who had a mustache"). I suppose it's up for debate whether the loss of that mean spirited attitude works for or against the movie. The jet pack stuff is unique to the Adamson film though, so if you want werewolf action go for the book, but if you want to see Jim Kelly fly the film is the only option.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2022
I started reading this book, entirely unfamiliar with the genre and Marc Olden, and I. LOVED. IT! Such a fun, fast and sometimes gruesome adventure. Now I have to read the entire series.
November 6, 2025
Old School 70s Action
This actioner gives you everything you could want, car chases, sexy women, weird villains, and a samurai!! This is much better than the movie based on it!
This actioner gives you everything you could want, car chases, sexy women, weird villains, and a samurai!! This is much better than the movie based on it!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews