Young Samurai: The Way of the Sword by Chris Bradford

Young Samurai: The Way of the Sword

Chris Bradford

432 pages

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: March 16th, 2010

Source: Library

Jack's first year in Japan was more than tumultuous. He was shipwrecked, orphaned, adopted, hunted by a ninja, and finally turned into a halfway decent samurai after learning the Way of the Warrior at Niten Ichi Ryu Samurai School. Now Jack is ready to embark on the next chapter of his training - the Way of the Sword.

The Way of the Sword isn't easy though - training includes fighting blindfolded, lessons with a bo staff, and learning the lessons hidden in origami, all while withstanding the constant pressure of being a foreigner in Japan.

Soon Jack and his classmates hear  that the school will be holding a contest  - the winners of which will have the opportunity to learn the great samurai Masamoto-sama's secret martial arts technique.  If Jack were to learn from Masamoto-sama, surely he'd grow strong enough to protect his prized possession - his father's rutter (a guidebook to the world's unchartered oceans)- from Dragon Eye - the ninja who slaughtered his father and vowed to stop at nothing to get the rutter.

   After a vicious ninja attack left him orphaned and stranded in Japan, Jack Fletcher managed to complete his first year of samurai school. Still, his troubles are far from over. The prejudice of his Japanese classmates has gained him dangerous enemies within his school, and Dragon Eye -- the ninja who killed his father -- is still after him. Jack's only hope of defeating them lies in surviving the Circle of Three: an ancient ritual that tests a samurai's courage, skill, and spirit to the limit. For most, gaining entry into the Circle means honor and glory, but for Jack it's a matter of life or death.

   The winner will be trained in the Two Heavens -- the formidable sword technique of the great samurai, Masamoto. Learning this secret is the only hope Jack has of protecting his father's rutter -- the invaluable navigation guide of the world's uncharted oceans -- from Dragon Eye. Forced into a deadly battle, Jack's going to have to master the Way of the Sword. And his time is running out.

   The Way of the Sword was fantastic, and author Chris Bradford has yet again, written a flawless book. Most of the time, books will have some good things about them, but they will almost always have a few bad things too. But in The Way of the Sword there were all these good things but absolutely no bad things! It has action, adventure, and everything else a good book must have. The book is great for both boys and girls, and almost any age will love it. 

   After I read the first book in the series, The Way of the Warrior, I immediately saw how great it was and wrote a five-star review for it. The second is even better since Bradford raises the stakes for Jack. And if I could, I would give the book plus five stars, but I'm stuck with giving it a plain old five! I can't wait to read the third book, The Way of the Dragon, when it comes to the US in February.

This review was written by my 12 year old brother :) (aka Calidude)

Be sure to leave him a comment!