Blood Ninja by Nick Lake

Taro's whole life has been spent in a small fishing village on the coast of Japan. He hunts while his dad fishes, and his mom dives for treasures to sell to passing merchants. Taro dreams of becoming a samurai, even though it's an impossible dream.

So when Taro's family is attacked by ninjas one night in their home, no one is more surprised than Taro. Before he knows it, his father is dead and his mother is wounded. Shusaku, one of the ninjas, saves Taro before the others can complete their mission. His methods of saving Taro are risky and unexpected. Together with Hiro, Taro's best friend, they set off for the ninja headquarters to train both Taro and Hiro and to keep Taro safe.

Can they make it to the mountain without getting caught by the man who wants Taro dead?

A great action book, but it takes off slowly. The fighting scenes are great, and learning the legends behind the ninjas (and why they're all vampires), and the difference between a ninja and samurai fill many pages. The story does take a while to pick up and move, but once it gets going, it's a great ride. Be looking for the sequel.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Nora isn't happy to have Patch for a lab partner in Biology, but their teacher won't be persuaded. Since they're lab partners, they spend more time together and Nora can't help some of the attraction she feels. Not only do they have to work on their lab projects, but Patch seems to show up in a variety of places or convinces Nora to meet him.

Nora has more problems then her growing attraction to Patch. She's managed to evade death too many times for her comfort and she wants to know his role. Patch knows she'll never believe he's a fallen angel, and his hands aren't completely clean when it comes to her near-death experiences.


Nora and Patch have an interesting relationship. This is a great supernatural romance. Patch's struggles to choose between what he should do and what he wants, while Nora struggles to keep herself alive. The storyline is plausible and well-written.