By the Sword takes up the adventures of Repairman Jack directly after
Bloodline. Jack is hired to find a legendary Japanese sword, a katana
stolen from the Hiroshima Peace Museum and brought to New York City.
Central characters include the members of a weird Japanese cult, a young
Japanese businessman and his three Yakuza bodyguards, plus Hank
Thompson, the Kicker cult leader from Bloodline. The cult, the
businessman, the Yakuza, and the Kickers are looking for the sword as
well.
Also in the mix is the pregnant teenager carrying a child, loaded with
abnormal DNA, who will be a decisive force in the cosmic shadow war
raging behind the scenes. She becomes a pawn in the game, hunted by both
sides. Followinghis usual m.o., Jack maneuvers all sides into a bloody
melee from which he plans to waltz away with the fabled katana. Of
course, when things don't go as planned, Jack must improvise (and he
hates to improvise). By the Sword takes F. Paul Wilson's trademark
breakneck pacing and interweaving storylines to a new level.