if you've been with me for a while, you know that I absolutely loved Katana, so when I hear that book 2 was on NetGalley? Of course I rushed to get it! I admit, I had my doubts. Would it go through the Sequel Syndrome? Here's the answer: It really didn't. Senshi was just as intriguing and hilarious as Katana and I loved every page of it!Rileigh (or as I like to call her, Riley) is probably somewhere in my Top 10 Heroines list somewhere! She's hilarious to the nth and she has some seriously awesome comebacks. I'm pretty sure she can shock anyone into speechlessness! I loved her sassiness and how she could make light of most situations. But at the same time, she was more than just a girl who knew words. There are tons of things in Katana that I think would've broken her, but she stayed strong. Poised at the edge, but still strong. I'm extremely glad to say that Rileigh hasn't changed a bit since Katana!
The romance. Heh, that was about half the plot and instead of being annoyed by it like I usually would, I kept waiting for more of the romance bits to show through the actual plot. Not that it wasn't good! But in Senshi, Sumi (you remember her?) has awakened and she turns out to be Yoshido's old fiance, the one who supposedly died before he met Senshi. Things got even more complicated when Kim says that he's honor bound to Sumi and can't see Rileigh anymore. And when I say complicated? I meant heartbreaking. There were so many times when I could literally feel a pang in my chest and I wanted to strangle Sumi for doing this to Kim and Rileigh. If she were real...
Plot-wise, can any story with samurai in it be boring? Definitely not. Senshi was filled with ninja attacks, brainwashing, new concepts (Healers and soul mates) discovered and it was just so fun! I actually read this, entirely on the computer, in less than 3 hours. Of course, that has something to do with how fast paced Senshi was. And I loved it! Ri was a seriously awesome fighter and I, personally, love reading detailed fights. I know, I'm weird!
If you felt a bit iffy about Katana, I'd still give Senshi a try! and if you just haven't read Katana...READ IT! It was one of my favorite books of the old year, and you know you can't resist the Nikki Puppy Dog eyes. Please? I can promise that it'll be sassy, fun, and insanely filled with action!