Skin Deep

Fair book in the series has Remo and Chuin going up against Neo-Nazi's in the Florida Keys. Interesting that the main plot-line involves slamming a plane into the World Trade Center. There's also some killer birds, which makes for some nice gory descriptions. The boys wade through the scum as they attempt to stop a madman's plan from being unleashed. And Chuin always wants to recite Sinanju poetry throughout the book.

Nazis always make for good villains, don't they? Well, though they soon grow tiresome, the fact that the main villain in this novel is a crazed Nazi scientist who has created an army of killer seagulls doesn't hurt the book at all. The plot has Remo and Chuin racing to find a stolen stealth bomber, and winding up on an island off the Florida Keys inhabited by lepers. Turns out these lepers have been moved from Hawaii, where they had been given sanctuary by a previous Master of Sinanju. It also seems that an army of SPIDER Nazis has control of the island, and their mad scientist leader is using the lepers for experiments. This doesn't sit well with Chuin at all, as he has pledged to protect these people. So the duo head into action. Well eventually. Actually, the action doesn't really pick up until the last couple chapters, where everything moves at a breakneck pace, but up till then, things are dealt out a little more slowly. And that's okay in this case, as the writing is excellent and though the action is slow to start, the pace is good, keeping the pages turning at a fast speed. We have a villain to really hate, a beautiful woman who isn't in complete control of her mind, and a lot of vicious birds ready to go all Alfred Hitchcock on anyone who dares disturb them. All the makings of a good action novel in my opinion. I really liked how the story also focused on Smith for a change, showing us a bit of his past and giving him a personal motivation against this particular slimy Nazi. Getting him involved in the main plot was a very good idea and provided some great scenes showing him in the thick of it. Humor has always been a hallmark of the Destroyer series, and that is evident here, with a couple of hilarious moments, including a scene where Chuin tries to use a payphone without paying "tribute" to it. Overall, this is an excellent addition in the series, with some solid action later on, good side characters, plenty of humor, and a lot of fun.

This was a pretty sweet and exciting story. Chiun was at his most tender. Remo also had a fairly good adventure with the Nazi's. I liked this story. The story with the lepers brought out a rather tender side with Chiun. He told the story of how an ancient master had transported a leper colony to a small pacific island and promised to never let harm fall on them. The Nazi doctor a doctor during the death camps and did massive experiments on Jews wanted to attack NYC using a brainwashed Jewish pilot. This doctor also modified seagulls into human killing machines. There was also plenty of humor with Chiun and Smith when they went to the island and Chiun had Smith row. Also Chiun having to use a pay phone was also funny. The girl was also a good character. On one hand devoted to the lepers and also brainwashed by the doctor. A story rather on the serious side but with nice moments with Chiun and the lepers. Read the book well worth it.