Book 1 in an exciting new series by Jon F. Merz - the Shadow Warrior saga! In the fog-enshrouded peaks of the island nation of Japan, Ran, a newly-minted ninja field operative, is set loose on a musha shugyo, a wandering quest, whereby he must travel alone and hone his skills. Journeying from Japan to Korea aboard a merchant vessel, Ran hears tales of a mysterious lord believed to have the dead for his servants. Soon these tales prove all too real as Ran comes to the aid of Jysal, a beautiful sorceress, whose undeveloped power gives her the ability to heal a land - or destroy it! But the Lord Kan-Gul also covets Jysal's power. And when Kan-Gul sends an army of the undead to take Jysal by force, Ran is faced with the ultimate warrior's choice: save himself, or face down a horde of enemies that cannot be killed for the simple reason that they're already dead!