‘The Ninja’ and ‘The Miko’ by Eric Van Lustbader

The Miko by American thriller writer Eric Van Lustbader is a 700-page thriller of revenge, honour, love, ninjas, and samurais. According to its front cover, the book is “the supershock sequel to The Ninja.” The book is part of the Nicholas Linear novels, which include, The Ninja (1980), The Miko (1984), White Ninja (1990), The Kaisho (1993), Floating City (1994), and Second Skin (1995).

The Ninja and The Miko is the story of Nicholas Linnear, a half-Caucasian, half-Oriental man, who is caught between East and West. He is haunted by the sexual passions of Yukio, a Japanese woman he can’t forget, but at the same time he is involved with Justine, an American woman he can’t control. Apart from the two women, a whole series of other major and minor characters shape the story of a man who has to come to terms with his family’s past.

The reader’s attention is often shifted from present-day New York (mid ‘80s) to postwar Japan, thus tracing back the histories of the two ninjas, Nicholas and, his cousin and sworn enemy, Saigo.

I noticed that Lustbader used the same quotation by Tokugawa Ieyasu, a 17^th-centrury daimyo (Japanese feudal lord) in both The Ninja and The Miko. The quote goes as such: “To come to know your enemy, first you must become his friend. And once you become his friend, all his defenses come down. Then you can choose the most fitting method for his demise.” Maybe, the writer used these famous words of military wisdom twice because of the fact that The Miko can be read as an independent book, without having to read its prequel The Ninja.

In 2006, I contacted Eric Van Lustbader by mail and asked if his ninja novels are historically accurate. He responded promptly with the following message: “Yes.  However, like most novelists, within the historical eras I’ve chosen to write about I’ve created characters and certain minor incidents.  Nothing I’ve done, however, interferes with the historical accuracy. Thanks for your interest.  Keep on reading. EVL”

Lustbader has published many fantasy novels and thrillers. Apart from his ninja books, I especially liked the China Maroc novels about the Chinese Traids, composed of Jian (1985) and Shan (1986). He also continued the Jason Bourne series started by Robert Ludlum, the author of The Bourne Identity. Visit his website to find out more about his upcoming novels.