Book Review: The Oni

Book Review: The Oni

The Oni

by Gordon Linzner

 

“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?”

My 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. (more…)