achoward's review against another edition
3.0
Warnings: rape, domestic violence
The Ninja Daughter is (apparently) the first in what will be a series, about Lily Wong, a badass young woman of Chinese-Norwegian descent. After her younger sister is raped and murdered, she turns into a vigilante, and also works helping abused women (and their children) get away from their abusers and to a shelter.
The book opens with Lily strung up on a hook by a Ukrainian mobster who is trying to get information out of her. It won't be spoilery to say that she manages to get out of her predicament and manages to kill said mobster in the process. The "ninja" in the title is on full display here. When she makes it back to the shelter, she is stunned to learn that the woman and child she'd rescued from the dead Ukrainian's boss have returned to the boss' house.
Afterward, Lily is drawn into the case of Mia, who seems to need protection against a man named J Tran. She isn't being paid for this: she simply shows up at the courthouse where Mia has lost her case against him, and Mia agrees to have Lily keep an eye on her.
What follows is a romping story as Lily tries to discover just who J Tran is, and why he would be after Mia in the first place. There are payoffs, conspiracies, more Ukrainian mobster, gang bangers, human trafficking, drugs, affairs, a fair bit of humor, a mysterious and dead, but drop-dead (no pun intended) handsome stranger who is also an assassin, and more dead bodies as the story moves along. As far as the story goes, it's a bit like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels, with a little more gore. While this book was suggested as a thriller, it definitely falls more into the mysrom category, at least for me. The ends tie together in an okay fashion, although the teaming up at the end was a little stretching it for me.
I do love series characters. The only issue with many first books is information. That is to say, at times, authors tend to try to cram too much backstory into the first book, which can slow the pacing of the story in the (book's) current day. I found that to be the case from time to time in The Ninja Daughter (side note: I think the title would be better as just Ninja Daughter - no "the" necessary, since she's the only one in this story). We get quite a bit about her father's parents, her mother's past, more than a few colloquialisms on the Norwegian side of the family, and so on. While at times these lend an authentic feel to the story, as when Lily is ruminating on the comfort brought on by the quilt her Norwegian grandmother made, there are other times when it goes on a bit long and we have to get wound up for the next part of the adventure. We also get more than a couple reminders that Lily is, in fact, a kuniochi - a ninja - something we know already, from the title and from the previous mentions of the same thing.
That aside, I did like it, and it would be a great beach or plane/train read.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
The Ninja Daughter is (apparently) the first in what will be a series, about Lily Wong, a badass young woman of Chinese-Norwegian descent. After her younger sister is raped and murdered, she turns into a vigilante, and also works helping abused women (and their children) get away from their abusers and to a shelter.
The book opens with Lily strung up on a hook by a Ukrainian mobster who is trying to get information out of her. It won't be spoilery to say that she manages to get out of her predicament and manages to kill said mobster in the process. The "ninja" in the title is on full display here. When she makes it back to the shelter, she is stunned to learn that the woman and child she'd rescued from the dead Ukrainian's boss have returned to the boss' house.
Afterward, Lily is drawn into the case of Mia, who seems to need protection against a man named J Tran. She isn't being paid for this: she simply shows up at the courthouse where Mia has lost her case against him, and Mia agrees to have Lily keep an eye on her.
What follows is a romping story as Lily tries to discover just who J Tran is, and why he would be after Mia in the first place. There are payoffs, conspiracies, more Ukrainian mobster, gang bangers, human trafficking, drugs, affairs, a fair bit of humor, a mysterious and dead, but drop-dead (no pun intended) handsome stranger who is also an assassin, and more dead bodies as the story moves along. As far as the story goes, it's a bit like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels, with a little more gore. While this book was suggested as a thriller, it definitely falls more into the mysrom category, at least for me. The ends tie together in an okay fashion, although the teaming up at the end was a little stretching it for me.
I do love series characters. The only issue with many first books is information. That is to say, at times, authors tend to try to cram too much backstory into the first book, which can slow the pacing of the story in the (book's) current day. I found that to be the case from time to time in The Ninja Daughter (side note: I think the title would be better as just Ninja Daughter - no "the" necessary, since she's the only one in this story). We get quite a bit about her father's parents, her mother's past, more than a few colloquialisms on the Norwegian side of the family, and so on. While at times these lend an authentic feel to the story, as when Lily is ruminating on the comfort brought on by the quilt her Norwegian grandmother made, there are other times when it goes on a bit long and we have to get wound up for the next part of the adventure. We also get more than a couple reminders that Lily is, in fact, a kuniochi - a ninja - something we know already, from the title and from the previous mentions of the same thing.
That aside, I did like it, and it would be a great beach or plane/train read.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
jennilathrop's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This book is fine. It felt really shallow as I was reading. Lily talks a lot about what’s going on around her and her life but no one seems to get anywhere and it all feels flat. The mystery itself is stupid and unreasonably complicated.
tbsims's review against another edition
1.0
I like tough female protagonists but this one, not for me.
The best comparison would be a fiction book version of a comic book - clunky dialog, lots of action?
POW! WHAM!
The best comparison would be a fiction book version of a comic book - clunky dialog, lots of action?
POW! WHAM!
ady_soundslike80's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
bookmason's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyed though not enough to continue v with the series
ripples_and_embers's review against another edition
4.0
Martial arts... Action... Mystery... Kickass female heroine... Count me in.
After the death of her sister, Lily Wong, aka Dumpling, takes her martial arts training to the next level to become a Ninja so that she can help, empower and protect women in need. This book was fast paced and action packed. I really liked Lily and her cause. She is employed by a local women's shelter. Sometimes her work involves helping women orchestrate their escape from abusive situations. Other times, she distributes vigilante justice herself. I enjoyed Lily's character development. With a Norwegian father and Chinese mother, Lily’s heritage pulls her in conflicting directions. She struggles with balancing family expectations with her own self-given task of protecting women. Overall, this was a fun read.
After the death of her sister, Lily Wong, aka Dumpling, takes her martial arts training to the next level to become a Ninja so that she can help, empower and protect women in need. This book was fast paced and action packed. I really liked Lily and her cause. She is employed by a local women's shelter. Sometimes her work involves helping women orchestrate their escape from abusive situations. Other times, she distributes vigilante justice herself. I enjoyed Lily's character development. With a Norwegian father and Chinese mother, Lily’s heritage pulls her in conflicting directions. She struggles with balancing family expectations with her own self-given task of protecting women. Overall, this was a fun read.
weekendsfullybooked's review against another edition
5.0
"It was easy to fool people when you showed them what they expected to see."
Summary
After her sister is raped and murdered, Lily Wong dedicates her life and ninja skills to the protection of women. But her mission is complicated. Not only does she live above the Chinese restaurant owned by her Norwegian father and inspired by the recipes of her Chinese mother, but she has to hide her true self from her mom who is already disappointed at her less than feminine ways, and who would be horrified if she knew what she had become. But when a woman and her son she escorted safely to an abused women’s shelter return home to dangerous consequences, Lily is forced to not only confront her family and her past, but team up with a mysterious―and very lethal―stranger to rescue them.
Why did I pick up this book?
A local bookstore has a reading challenge every year, and I thought I'd try to complete it this year. One of the prompts is "A book published by small press." I believe the author self-published!
What did I enjoy about it?
It was definitely a complicated mystery that intertwined in ways that were very unexpected when the book first started out. I loved that I always felt I was waiting for something to happen, like I was in suspense the whole time. I also appreciated that we got to hear about Lily's many layers of identity and how they were often in conflict with one another.
What did I not enjoy about it?
Outside of the overarching mystery, there were many moments when Lily would use her ninja skills in daily life. Yes, women face threats all the time, but as a woman living in a big city myself, I have never been in this many places or situations where I wished I knew self-defense. It seemed to be a bit overdramatic in this aspect.
Summary
After her sister is raped and murdered, Lily Wong dedicates her life and ninja skills to the protection of women. But her mission is complicated. Not only does she live above the Chinese restaurant owned by her Norwegian father and inspired by the recipes of her Chinese mother, but she has to hide her true self from her mom who is already disappointed at her less than feminine ways, and who would be horrified if she knew what she had become. But when a woman and her son she escorted safely to an abused women’s shelter return home to dangerous consequences, Lily is forced to not only confront her family and her past, but team up with a mysterious―and very lethal―stranger to rescue them.
Why did I pick up this book?
A local bookstore has a reading challenge every year, and I thought I'd try to complete it this year. One of the prompts is "A book published by small press." I believe the author self-published!
What did I enjoy about it?
It was definitely a complicated mystery that intertwined in ways that were very unexpected when the book first started out. I loved that I always felt I was waiting for something to happen, like I was in suspense the whole time. I also appreciated that we got to hear about Lily's many layers of identity and how they were often in conflict with one another.
What did I not enjoy about it?
Outside of the overarching mystery, there were many moments when Lily would use her ninja skills in daily life. Yes, women face threats all the time, but as a woman living in a big city myself, I have never been in this many places or situations where I wished I knew self-defense. It seemed to be a bit overdramatic in this aspect.
elizafiedler's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Really fun story, lots of exciting events and emotional tensions. But holy cognitive dissonance, Batman, what's with the copaganda? A vigilante protects vulnerable women and children who have no legal recourse or for whom legal resources are far too unreliable and dangerous, and she thinks the cops just need MORE FUNDING and their inherent goodheartedness will be enough to get justice for these same vulnerable women??? I just can't get past this nonsense.