I love an action packed book and this one definitely kept me on the edge of my seat! The themes of family were lovely to read, as well as the determination to get justice for people who need it. Lily’s character is one that you simply have to root for, and I loved learning about her and her past, her reasons for her work, and her family.

The seemingly separate jobs she undertakes are woven through the story brilliantly.

I would have loved to have connected a bit more with the story, but it was a great first book in the series!

2.5 stars

ALC review

Lily Wong is on a mission for vengeance following the rape and murder of her sister, and she is determined to use her ninja training to protect other women and children in need. This takes Lily up against the local faction of the Ukrainian mob and she’ll need to trust someone she’d sworn to destroy.

I really struggled to stay engaged during this book, which I think was a result of the combination of a stagnant plot and an underwhelming narrator. The narrative successfully moves from A to B but there aren’t any stand out of memorable moments in between. I was also shocked this book was written by a woman because female characters are very much written through the male gaze which gives me the sense ick.

I liked the dynamic between the two main characters except for the insta-lust from Lily’s side because YOU LITERALLY DESPISE THIS MAN? I was just rolling my eyes so hard. Lily as a main character offers a great perspective of the issues of growing up in a mixed race household and the feeling of being torn between cultures and communities. I also thought the relationship between her and her parents, as a pair and individually, was very well done and compelling.

This definitely wasn’t the book for me but the characters have potential.

This is such a great, action packed book, I read the whole thing in one sitting. We follow Lily Wong, a Chinese-Norwegian woman who is following her dream of becoming a modern day female ninja. She’s basically the ninja version of Batman, using her martial arts skills to help women in danger and out of abusive situations. The storyline and mystery elements were super interesting, and the writing is so good and reads super fast. I would definitely check out the trigger warnings but overall this was a really really fun read. I’m definitely invested enough to continue the series.

The Ninja Daughter by Tori Eldridge is a gripping, fast-paced thriller that seamlessly blends action, mystery, and cultural depth. Lily Wong is a fierce, highly trained ninja on a mission to protect women in danger, but she’s also a daughter balancing the weight of her Chinese-Norwegian heritage and her family’s expectations. The book does an excellent job of weaving together intense fight scenes, a compelling mystery, and Lily’s personal struggles, making her feel like a fully realised and deeply engaging protagonist.

The action is exhilarating, but what really sets this book apart is how well it develops Lily as a character. Her home life, her relationships, and her inner conflicts add emotional depth, making every decision she makes feel high-stakes. The mystery itself is well-paced and kept me hooked from the start, with plenty of twists to keep things interesting. By the end, I was completely invested in Lily’s journey and excited to see where the rest of the series takes her.

Thank you to Datura books & the author for gifting me a copy of this book.

Lily Wong is an incredibly cool, aims for the right thing yet leans into moral ambiguity, food loving character that I instantly got on board with. This crime fiction with elements of ‘murder’ mystery was actioned pack from the very beginning which I absolutely love being thrown straight into the middle of a fight (quite literally).

The main character has set her path in life to help women who have left difficult circumstances such as abuse after being unable to help her sister who was murdered years prior by becoming a modern day ninja. Balancing keep to keep this part of her life a secret from her Chinese mother and Norwegian Father, whilst following the events of this story to help a mother and son leave an absuive household, things start getting darker, more complicated and help has to come from the last person she needs in her life.

I really enjoyed reading this, super fast paced that I got through it in a couple of days and would 100% continue onto The Ninja’s Blade which is next in the series. The writing style is descriptive and easy to follow without being hand held through the exploration of finding out ‘who’s up to what’. My first Tori Eldridge book but definitely not my last!

Thank you Datura for sending me an advanced copy of this in anticipation for its rerelease.

I had no specific expectation and just gave a look to the blurb before joining the blog tour so I started this book without any bias or expectation.
I got more than I bargained because this is a well plotted, gripping, and intriguing thriller featuring a kickass heroine, Lily, who happens to be a ninja warrior, half Norwegian and half Chinese.
I find Lily's background intriguing and appreciated how the heroine was involved in helping abused women after something tragic happened in her life.
It's a lot of fun but it's also heartbreaking at times and multilayered.
There's a lot of violence that I usually don't like but the descriptions turned it a sort of cartoonish fight that made me smile at times.
I appreciated the humour and liked Lily who grew on me.
4.5 upped to 5. Highly recommended
Many thanks to Datura Books for this arc, all opinions are mine.

What a fun book to read. There's a great main character, wonderful, mouth-watering descriptions of food and exciting ninjutsu action. This was a quick read that kept me entertained all the way through.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This was an exciting thriller with a very cool main character!

We follow our MC who has trained as a ninja as she works to protect women from abusive partners and dangerous men. She supports a local shelter and gets women out of perilous situations. However one case becomes complicated, and she finds herself embroiled in a mystery whilst trying to balance her family and their expectations and keeping her work a secret!

The main character in this was fantastic, a really layered and complex individual who we learn so much about in not a huge amount of time. Her historical trauma, her complicated relationships within her family, her reasons to be driven, her skills. We have a lot packed in to one character!

The core mystery was reasonably interesting, though not particularly memorable. It was more the main character herself that brought the intrigue to this with how she dealt with and investigated leads.

An entertaining thriller and a series I’m likely to continue with.

I struggled to get into this one which is a shame because I was looking forward to reading it. Ultimately, I just didn't connect with Lily which I think was due to more telling than showing as well as repetition. That, and I dislike swearing so starting with a cuss word in the first sentence nearly got this an immediate DNF.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

There are lots of things I liked about this book: the Chinese-Norwegian-Japanese cultural mixture, the personal revenge, the food scenes.
The bad news is however that the list of things that didn't work for me is longer.
The main character is meant to be a strong female ninja whose mission is to protect women, but she is actually a man-hating woman who bumps into solely abusive and evil men throughout the book.
I can see the point of her moving around in LA by bike but the argument for public transportation as opposed to driving comes up so many times that I had to check if it's a novel or a leaflet on sustainable mobility solutions.
Lily is eavesdropping on Ukrainian thugs discussing their plan, and of course they are doing this in English so that she can understand, lol.

Maybe the upcoming books in the series will be better, but I just couldn't take this one seriously.

The Ninja Daughter is an interesting novel about Lily, who uses her ninja skills to protect women and children from domestic violence and regular evil guys
While the writing at times is a little immature, the novel and story itself are filled with nostalgic feelings