The Nightmare Ninja

May 1, 2011

In this second outing, Moonshadow's world is still threatened by war.

The Fuma clan is ramping up attacks against members of the Grey Light Order, while Silver Wolf is building up his armies and agitating against the current shogun. When Moonshadow and Snowhawk receive a summons from the White Nun, they quickly head out to the mountain to protect their helpful psychic, but soon they realize the mission is a Fuma trap. As they face down hardened gangster Jiro, freelancer Kagero and dreamweaver Chikuma, Moonshadow finds he must also watch out for Snowhawk, who is struggling to control both her anger and her death blows. Will Moonshadow's skill be able to prevent a Twilight War between ninja clans? While Higgins keeps the swords slashing and the action rolling, things bog down a bit when the focus falls too heavily on Moonshadow's mystic ability to connect with and control animals. Though the villains are treacherous and possess powerful talents, the two teen ninjas are able to defeat them too easily, slightly reducing the narrative tension. The author considerately blends definitions for many Japanese words into the main text and includes a helpful glossary.

Though inevitably fighting middle-novel syndrome, Higgins effectively uses this work to set the stage for a compelling third installment. (Adventure. 10-14)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2011

Gr 5-8-In this fantasy set in a fictionalized feudal Japan, Higgins returns to the story of Moonshadow (Little, Brown, 2010). Now a mission leader, with his onetime rival Snowhawk as his partner, Moonshadow, one of the Shogun's ninjas, faces new challenges. Snowhawk's anger at and hatred for her former ninja clan endangers their endeavors, and he must decide whether he should trust her or reveal her emotional state to their instructors. Once again, the two are targeted by minions of the villain Silver Wolf, as the ambitious warlord gets closer to open rebellion against the Shogun. While Snowhawk's lessons in dealing with her fury are a little heavy-handed, the character growth for both protagonists is convincing. The fighting action, mostly swordplay, is fast and furious, and Japanese words are well integrated into the text. Moonshadow and Snowhawk are a great team that shows a friendship between equals of opposite genders without any romantic complications-at least, at this point. From supernatural ninja skills to the political intrigue that drives the plot, this sequel promises that the series is only getting better.-Alana Joli Abbott, formerly at James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.