A 6'5" starship captain flees a lost war and lands on Earth in 1600s feudal Japan. Imagine the possibilities!
· In Earth's far distant past an epic battle took place in space thousands of light years away. Facing only annihilation Captain Kendrick turned his interstellar fighter craft to the farthest reaches of the galaxy until he reached a blue marble of a planet and landed on a large island in its northern hemisphere. Earth. 1600s feudal Japan. A 6'5" warrior from an advanced culture in a land populated by 5'8" war-like people.
· Imagine the possibilities!
· He befriends the local Shukido, a Bushido Warrior-Protector, brings innovation to the local ship builder Honashi, master of the village, falls for his beautiful independent daughter Doiyoko, saves and is adopted by a tiger. He helps them to thwart an attack by a neighboring warlord. They in turn help him to defend against his enemies when a patrolling spacecraft discovers his presence, sometimes by using kinetic energy weapons (rocks).
· When challenged by Honashi to a race using his sleek new sailing sloop vs Honashi's own through the dangerous Doro-bai, the treacherous shoreline passage wrecks the ship. He and Doiyoko are forced to overcome their injuries, climb a steep cliff, and strike out overland where they encounter and battle bandits. In the process they save an endearing young woman who charms the elder Honashi when he finally finds and rescues them. But she's not what she seems.
Kendrick - a starship captain and well-trained warrior loyal to his people and his cause, but the war is lost. He is forced to flee across the galaxy.
Gogenko - a pedantic shukido (area protector) trained in the tradition of Bushido, the Way of the Warrrior.
Kenshi - Gogenko’s cousin, fellow martial arts student, and shukido to Honashi Village.
Doiyoko - the beautiful if untraditional oldest daughter of the Honashi Village leader.
Reviews:
***** Great fun! This book is just a lot of fun! With flavors of Samurai and Steam-punk adding spice, it rocks along from delight to surprise, and all along it is highly satisfying. Oh, on first reading, towards the end I thought maybe it bogged down. But it is the sort of book you want to re-read as soon as you finish it, because it was just so much fun. And I found out I was wrong: the story continues apace, right to the last page. And the ending is a pure delight. Don't peek, you won't get it. But I can assure you: it will give you huge satisfaction, and you will be glad you chose to read this book. ·· William Fletcher
**** ...Overall, this is an entertaining book on many levels. Those who enjoy reading about real-life and science fiction technology will enjoy the technical parts. Those who like laser fights and battles between uneven forces where the underdog must overcome long odds will enjoy the battles. Those who like strong women who overcome social barriers and can hold their own will enjoy Doiyoko, Kendrick's love interest. Those who enjoy a little mystical and technological awesomeness in their main character will love Kendrick. And, finally, those who enjoy humorous situations and camaraderie will find more than a sufficient dose in this book to satisfy their funny bones. ·· Patricia Hamill on Goodreads
***** Exciting - this is the most appropriate word to describe Exile. Author R.L. Kiser put a bit of everything in the story. Apart from the prime sci-fi adventure theme, there is romance between Kendrick and Doiyoko, the beautiful but unconventional eldest daughter of the Honashi Village leader. There is also a fairly healthy dose of humor packed into this story. I do appreciate the way it is written in two parts: Kendrick's first arrival and his developing relationship with his new friends in part one; how he copes with his new life years later in part two. I think this approach maintains the good pacing of the story. Simply put, Exile is a stellar work from Kiser, with appealing characters and an absorbing tale. ·· Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite