Jack Fletcher is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan, his beloved father and the crew lie slaughtered by ninja pirates.
Rescued by a legendary master swordsman and brought under his wing, Jack begins the grueling physical and psychological training needed to become a samurai. Life at Samurai school is fraught with difficulty for Jack who is bullied and treated as an outcast.
With his friend the remarkable, beautiful Akiko at his side and all the courage he can muster, Jack has to prove himself. Will he be able to face deadly rivals and challenges that will test him to his very limits?
Starred Review. Debut author Bradford comes out swinging in this fast-paced adventure set in medieval Japan, the first in the projected Young Samurai trilogy. Twelve-year-old Jack Fletcher has gained a reputation aboard a British merchant vessel as an agile rigging monkey. But after Japanese ninja murder the entire crew, including his father, Jack is left alone and injured to cope with strange customs and indecipherable language. When he shows his fortitude and cleverness, however, a powerful samurai adopts him and sends him to learn the ways of Japan's warrior class. Jack's story alone makes for a page-turner, but coupling it with intriguing bits of Japanese history and culture, Bradford produces an adventure novel to rank among the genre's best. The intricate and authentic descriptions of martial arts contests will hold readers spellbound. Just as potent for many readers, though, are the outright hatred and prejudice Jack faces as a gaijin, or foreigner, while he attempts to master an elaborate code of honor. This book earns the literary equivalent of a black belt. Ages 10–up. (Mar.)
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In 1611, a British merchant ship bound for “the Japans” is attacked by ninjas, and the lone survivor, 12-year-old Jack Fletcher, is taken into the home of a revered samurai. After dispensing with Jack’s initial sense of being lost in a new culture, the story dives directly into what teenaged boys will be looking for: fighting, and lots of it. The action comes fast, and Bradford writes with the authority of a black belt—which he happens to be—and a genuine respect for the subject. The minutiae of Jack’s samurai training are conveyed with clarity and plenty of bravura, and while the central conflicts in Jack’s path tend to be shallow and fairly telegraphed, the clashes they lead into are deeper and more satisfying. Employing a wide range of Japanese terms will have the dual effect of drawing readers intrigued by Japanese culture into the story, while dispelling the interest of those less enthusiastic. But it’s hard to fault an author for authenticity, and this first historical adventure in what promises to be a series shows definite promise. Grades 6-9. --Ian Chipman
