Young Samurai: The Way of the Sword
Encyclopedia
Young Samurai: The Way of the Sword is a children's historical novel by Chris Bradford
, published in 2009. It is the second in a series of action-adventure stories set in 17th century Japan
following the exploits of an English boy, Jack Fletcher, as he strives to be the first gaijin
samurai
.
Young Samurai
has been described as a 'Black Belt' Young Bond
, Artemis Fowl
with Swords and Percy Jackson with Ninja. The first book is titled Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior
(2008) and the third in the series is Young Samurai: The Way of the Dragon
(2010).
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.
Chris Bradford
Chris Bradford is an author, professional musician and black belt martial artist, best known for his children's fictional series, Young Samurai.The first Young Samurai book, The Way of the Warrior, was published by Puffin Books in 2008...
, published in 2009. It is the second in a series of action-adventure stories set in 17th century Japan
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
following the exploits of an English boy, Jack Fletcher, as he strives to be the first gaijin
Gaijin
is a Japanese word meaning "non-Japanese", or "alien". This word is a short form of gaikokujin , which literally means "person from outside of the country". The word is composed of two kanji: , meaning "outside"; and , meaning "person". Thus, the word technically means "outsider"...
samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
.
Young Samurai
Young Samurai
Young Samurai is a series of action-adventure stories written by Chris Bradford. It is set in 17th century Japan following the exploits of an English boy, Jack Fletcher, as he strives to be the first gaijin samurai....
has been described as a 'Black Belt' Young Bond
Young Bond
Young Bond is a series of five young adult spy novels by Charlie Higson featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent James Bond as a young teenage boy attending school at Eton College in the 1930s...
, Artemis Fowl
Artemis Fowl (series)
Artemis Fowl is a series of fantasy novels written by Irish author Eoin Colfer and all the books are best sellers, starring the teenage criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II. The author summed up the series as: "Die Hard with fairies." There are seven novels in the series; the first was published in...
with Swords and Percy Jackson with Ninja. The first book is titled Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior
Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior
Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior is a children's historical novel by Chris Bradford, published in 2008. It is the first in a series of action-adventure stories set in 17th century Japan following the exploits of an English boy, Jack Fletcher, as he strives to be the first gaijin samurai.Young...
(2008) and the third in the series is Young Samurai: The Way of the Dragon
Young Samurai: The Way of the Dragon
-Plot:Japan is threatened with war and samurai are taking sides. As the blood begins to flow, Jack’s warrior training is put to the ultimate test.His survival - and those of his friends - depends upon him mastering the Two Heavens, the secret sword technique of the legendary samurai Masamoto...
(2010).
Plot
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.
Characters
- Jack Fletcher - hero of the Young Samurai series
- Akiko – daughter of Dāte Hiroko and niece of Masamoto
- Yamato – second son of Masamoto
- Masamoto Takeshi – samurai swordmaster and founder of the Niten Ichi-Ryū school
- Dokugan Ryu – Dragon Eye, one-eyed ninja and Jack's sworn enemy
- Sensei Kano - senseiSensei' is a Japanese word that basically means "person born before another." In general usage, it means "master" or "teacher," and the word is used as a title to refer to or address teachers, professors, professionals such as lawyers, CPA and doctors, politicians, clergymen, and other figures of authority...
of BojutsuBojutsu, translated from Japanese as "staff technique", is the martial art of using a staff weapon called bō which simply means "staff". Staffs are perhaps one of the earliest weapons used by humankind. They have been in use for thousands of years in Eastern Asia. Some techniques involve slashing,... - Sensei Hosokawa– senseiSensei' is a Japanese word that basically means "person born before another." In general usage, it means "master" or "teacher," and the word is used as a title to refer to or address teachers, professors, professionals such as lawyers, CPA and doctors, politicians, clergymen, and other figures of authority...
of KenjutsuKenjutsu, meaning "the method, or technique, of the sword." This is opposed to kendo, which means the way of the sword. Kenjutsu is the umbrella term for all traditional schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration... - Kamakura Katsuro – daimyoDaimyois a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of Edo (Tokyo) and founder of the Yagyu school - Kazuki – student rival of Jack
- Hiroto – accomplice of Kazuki and member of the Scorpion Gang
- Moriko – black-teethed girl samurai from rival Yagyu School
- Sensei Kyuzo – sensei of Taijutsu
- Saburo – the talkative friend of Jack
- Takatomi Hideaki – daimyo of Kyoto and governs Japan on behalf of the Emperor
- Sensei Yamada – sensei of Zen
- Yori – the quiet, mouse-like friend of Jack
- Sensei Yosa – sensei of Kyujutsu - female