Enzan: The Far Mountain

(Paperback, New edition)

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Description

Chie Miyazaki is wild and spoiled the pampered child of a cadet line of the imperial House of Japan. Minders have attempted to keep her drug use and sex life under control, or at least out of the tabloids. When she disappears in the United States accompanied by a slick Korean boyfriend, it sets off alarm bells among people in Japan s security apparatus. The disgrace of a member of the Imperial house is one thing, but US intelligence has picked up hints that the Korean boyfriend may be taking orders from Pyongyang. The Japanese want the problem solved quietly. They seek out Connor Burke, prize student of the master martial arts sensei Yamashita. Burke s sensei left the service of the Imperial House years ago for reasons buried in the past. Now Burke accepts the charge to seek out the errant princess, suspecting that he s somehow being used but also convinced that he needs to spare Yamashita from the dangers of a mission that could be his last. Compelled by the need to protect his master, Burke is swept along in a covert search and rescue operation that soon turns into a deadly confrontation with a North Korean sleeper cell. In the process, Burke will not only learn the secret that has drawn his sensei into such danger, but also something of the pull of the past, the power of decades old connections, and the secret that both drove Yamashita from Japan and now pulls him back into the service of the Imperial family.

Reviews

Multilayered and satisfying, a welcome and well-developed addition to an accomplished series. Kirkus A Zen master, a princess, and a martial artist burst out of their archetypes to reveal deep and likable characters. Stupendous! Foreword Reviews Incredible ... delightful ... couldn't put it down. (5 hearts) Heartland Reviews 4 out of 5 stars. Interesting plot and well written. Recommend for those Einstein martial arts. -- Marjorie Benet, Net Galley Reviewer 3 out of 5 stars. I strongly suspect that readers of John Donahue's four previous burke books" need only to be told that there is a new one out titled Enzan: The Far Mountain" and they will seek it out. However, if you are new to the John Donahue's fiction, as I was, I offer this advice; you need not be overly concerned about the book being part of a series as it stands quite well on it's own merit. The story is this: the daughter of a rich and powerful Japanese family is a willing participant in sex games with thugs. Pictures of her activities are being sent to her father, a high-ranking diplomat in the Japanese Foreign Service, in order to embarrass and manipulate him. The family reaches out to Burke and his Sensei, Yamashita for help. Why them The answer comes to light in a diary written by Yamashita's old enemy Mori. When Burke decides to shoulder the burden to shield Yamashita, the double dealing and betrayals only wrap them tighter together. The story is awash in the culture of Japan and Burke's devotion to the way of the warrior" lends a semi-religiosity to the story. These injections of Japanese aestheticism and martial arts philosophy provide both reasons for, and contrasts to, the violence surrounding the mission to retrieve the errant daughter. I found Enzan" to be well written and interesting. The actions of Burke and Yamashita have realistic consequences; they, and their opponents are skillful, but there is no superhero, or mega-villain, within it's pages. All the characters have voices that seem true to life; they interact and clash in an unfantastic manner with that of Burke. I think anyone, and particularly those who have an interest in Japanese martial arts, will enjoy this slim novel. I received an advance reader's copy of Enzan: The Far Mountain" from NetGalley. -- J Alton, Net Galley Reviewer 4 out of 5 stars. Although I am not someone who engages in the martial arts, and had not read the earlier books in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The main character is engaging and I appreciated his self-deprecating wry humor. The plot held together reasonably well for a thriller. I am now going to see if I can read some of the earlier books in the series, which is as strong a compliment as I can make. -- David Daniel Klipper, Net Galley Reviewer

Author Bio

John Donohue, is an expert on the study of the martial arts. He is the author of ten books, including the award-winning Connor Burke martial arts thrillers Sensei, Deshi, Tengu, and Kage. He holds a Ph.D. in anthropology, researches and trains in the martial arts, and has been banging around the dojo for more than thirty years. John Donohue, resides near New Haven, Connecticut.