Gordon Linzner

Blurb: “Imprisoned for thousands of years in the hilt of a ceremonial sword, the oni, a hideous Japanese demon, is accidentally released to wreak the havoc of its pent-up fury on an unsuspecting world. All-powerful, immortal, and possessed of an unquenchable lust for human blood, the demon seems invincible, leaving in its wake an increasing number of horribly mutilated bodies. Only one woman has learned the oni’s history and the key to its destruction. But will she be able to pit her puny human strength against the demon’s murderous powers before she becomes yet another victim?”

Review: It’s been a long time since I’ve reviewed a horror story—although that’s how I started my writing career. The Oni is just the kind of horror story I enjoy: gritty realism meets ancient evil—The Mummy kind of story. There are tons of setting and period details in both the modern and ancient Japan strands of the story, interesting and diverse characters, and a truly terrifying monster. Linzner writes this horror/fantasy like a tight police procedural: not a lot of fancy language, but with plenty of nail-biting tension and character insight. There are even some lighter moments as the evil oni tries to apply his ancient cultural biases to 1982 Manhattan.

The author obviously did his homework on the historical pieces. Seventh Century Japan comes alive with characters from all classes—imperial courtiers, local nobles, village priests, servants, soldiers, craftsmen. The modern story features police officers, a grieving mother, museum curators, a lecherous photographer (a candidate for the “Me Too” movement), and numerous petty criminals. Having lived in the neighborhood where the story is set, I can vouch for the authenticity of the details dealing with the New York City parks, crowds, and subways. Linzner, a native New Yorker, is spot on.

A minor warning—this is a horror story. There are gory death scenes, rape, sodomy, and implied child abuse. Most of the worst is done “off-screen” and we get a milder description of the aftermath. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much. I fully admit to being squeamish about graphic violence. This book had just the right amount of spine tingling danger without gratuitous gore. A quick absorbing read.

Note: I received an eBook copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.… (mehr)

The Spy Who Drank Blood is an interesting fantasy/horror/mystery type book from the mid-80s. As you can probably guess from the title, it's about a secret agent who is also a vampire. Since the book is from the 80s, it isn't one of those lame sparkly vampires, or a tragic, brooding antihero, or the love interest of some woman who secretly battles the forces of darkness. Being the protagonist means he isn't a crazed monster either, but he is more interesting than these pathetic vampires that infest the genre today.

Blood, as the hero is called, is a vampire mostly in the traditional mold; he drinks blood, casts no reflection, can turn into mist or a bat or a wolf, can control certain animals, has hypnotic eyes, and can't cross running water. He works for a secret government agency called the Office.

His boss's daughter is a reporter for a supermarket tabloid and is in Florida investigating skunk ape sightings. She gets kidnapped by some domestic terrorists, and then kidnapped from them by the skunk ape. Blood gets sent in to sort the whole thing out.

This book combines action, humor, horror, and a little science fiction very well. If you can dis up a copy of this out-of-print book, you should do so.… (mehr)