The Way of the Warrior by Chris Bradford
Rate and review The Way of the Warrior! | What does everyone else think?
August 1611. Jack Fletcher is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan – his beloved father and the crew lie slaughtered by ninja pirates. Rescued by the legendary swordmaster Masamoto Takeshi, Jack’s only hope is to become a samurai warrior. And so his training begins… But life at the samurai school is a constant fight for survival. Even with his Akiko by his side, Jack is singled out by bullies and treated as an outcast. With courage in his heart and his sword held high, can Jack prove himself and face his deadliest rival yet?
Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior was originally published on August 7, 2008 and received the 2007 Sasakawa Foundation Award for the best book interpreting Japan to the English-speaking world. Aimed at readers between 10 and 14 years of age the novel also won Book of the Year at the Fighting Spirit Awards in 2008.
Chris Bradford’s Young Samurai series has already sold millions of copies, won multiple awards and is read and enjoyed by young adults all around the world.
So what is the author’s magic recipe?
Take a little inspiration from Shogun and The Karate Kid; mix in some engaging characters and a fast-paced storyline; infuse a passion for Japanese history, culture and the martial arts – and bake for just over three hundred pages.
The finished product is a first-rate adventure in which we have a young boy, shipwrecked and far from home, must fight for acceptance in an alien environment. It is stirring stuff.
To further enhance the energetic narrative Bradford gives an honest and fascinating portrayal of Japan. He shows much that is wonderful about the country: the culture, honour and beauty of its people plus the stunning architecture and delightful Zen gardens. He also shows the negatives; the violence, xenophobia and constrictive customs that existed in the 17th century (and still remain, although to a lesser degree, today).
Although told in the third person, Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior is a tale that could also have been written using the first person narrative. This is Jack’s story, an English boy a long way from home whom we follow through shipwreck, the death of his father and his subsequent samurai training. He suffers hatred and bullying; hardships that he is able to overcome using the physical and mental attributes newly developed thanks to his Samurai training.
This book will be a great comfort for those experiencing difficult times at school. If they are being bullied, mentally or physically, then this story will show them that there are ways to deal with their problems. There are many ways to deal with bullies – you can just ignore them or you can stand up to them and show them that you are not afraid. This book explores both avenues.
The Way of the Warrior makes for compelling reading, the pages fly by and children and young adults will be engrossed in Jack’s struggles in a foreign country. The aspects of Japanese culture will also greatly interest the reader and many will want to learn much more about this most intriguing country.
At the end of the day though, before you start to feel that the Japanese are a harsh and intolerant people it is a worth turning the tables and looking at things from a different viewpoint...
Ask yourself this question: A young Japanese boy has been shipwrecked; a noble 17th century English family takes him in. Would he, no matter what he achieved, have been accepted into the English aristocracy?
If you listen to music whilst reading then the perfect companion piece for Young Samurai is the soundtrack of the film The Last Samurai, they fit together like hand and glove.
Chris Bradford lives an action packed life and is a self-confessed adrenaline junkie. Young Samurai was inspired by Chris’s passion for martial arts and a desire to share the positive influence it has had on his life, as well as his love of Japanese culture. To discover more about Chris go to www.youngsamurai.com.
The Way of the Warrior (Young Samurai) (Amazon.co.uk)
Author: Chris Bradford
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 352
Publication date: 2008-08-07
Publisher: Puffin
RRP: £6.99
Lowest new price: £2.24
Lowest used price: £1.01
The Way Of The Warrior (Young Samurai) (Amazon.com)
Author: Bradford Chris
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 352
Publication date: 2008-01-01
Publisher: Puffin
RRP:
Lowest new price: $3.99
Lowest used price: $3.54
Submit your own mini-review
Let people know what you think about The Way of the Warrior. You can write your own mini-review and give the book the rating that you think it deserves. Your reviews will go towards giving The Way of the Warrior its overall rating that will decide where The Way of the Warrior finishes in the top 100 fantasy books of all time.
Books you may also enjoy...
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
Michael, his parents and their faithful dog Stella set sail around the world in their yacht the Peggy Sue. Michael has never been so happy and then disaster strikes when he and his dog are swept overboard and find themselves stranded on an island where he discovers Kensuke, a former Japanese soldier and obstinate old man. Seemingly determined to thwart any attempt Michael makes to be rescued yet, unswerving in his generosity, sharing precious food and water and watching over him. Michael soon looks on Kensuke as both saviour and captor. It is not until both boy and man begin to understand one another and a bond of trust builds. Having lost his own family in the war Kensuke realises he must do all he can to help Michael find his own family even though he desperately wants to keep his island secret from the outside world he has turned his back on. ... read the full review
Summary: The writing is distinctive; the execution masterful.
The Way of the Sword by Chris Bradford
One year of training in samurai school and Jack is in real trouble… He’s busy preparing for the Circle of Three, an ancient ritual that tests courage, skill and spirit to the limit. And at the same time Jack is caught in a running battle with fellow student Kazuki and his gang. ... read the full review
Summary: A highly recommended adventure book for older children and young adults.
The Galaxy Boys and The Sphere by Andrew Steele
The Galaxy Boys had no idea they were boys of the galaxy, living in an orphanage in Brooklyn as they were. They also had no perception of events outside planet Earth - now racing towards them across the heavens - events that would change their understanding of reality, then their lives respectively. ... read the full review
Summary: A jet-fuelled space adventure!
Also in this sub-genre...
- The Iron Man by Ted Hughes
- The Immortals by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
- King of the Cloud Forests by Michael Morpurgo
- Stormchaser by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
- The Sum of All Men by David Farland
- The Curse of the Gloamglozer by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
- Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
- The Way of the Sword by Chris Bradford
- Midnight over Sanctaphrax by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
- Beyond the Deepwoods by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
- The Galaxy Boys and The Sphere by Andrew Steele
- Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Book of the Month
Apartment 16 by Adam Nevill
Some doors are better left closed . . . In Barrington House, an upmarket block in London, there is an empty apartment. No one goes in, no one comes out. And it’s been that way for fifty years. Until the night watchman hears a disturbance after midnight and investigates. What he experiences is enough to change his life forever.
Latest interviews
Interviews plus question and answer sessions with authors, narrators and publishers.
Must-reads
The following reviews are of books that begin the very best fantasy series available.
Competition: Win a signed copy of Graham Hancock's Entangled
Graham Hancock is the author of The Sign and the Seal, Fingerprints of the Gods, Keeper of Genesis, Heaven's Mirror, Supernatural and other bestselling investigations of historical mysteries. His books have been translated into twenty-seven languages and have sold over five million copies worldwide. Written with the same page-turning appeal that has made his non-fiction so popular, Entangled is his first work of fiction. We have five signed copies of Entangled to give away as prizes. Email us the answer to the following question and the lucky winner, chosen at random, will receive a copy of the book, signed by the author.
Special Feature: Fantasy Book Review talks to the Book View Cafe
Book View Cafe is a cooperative site created by a group of writers - including internationally renowned authors Katharine Kerr, Ursula Le Guin and Vonda N. McIntyre - who want to take advantage of the internet's possibilities for reaching a wider audience and to distribute their work directly to their readers. The Book View Cafe is a place where you can find free, original fiction plus the authors' best and out-of-print work for a fee. Fantasy Book Review spoke to Book View Cafe member, science fiction author and memoirist Chris Dolley in February 2010.
Special Feature: Understanding the author of Alice in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll, the elusive author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, has been the subject of enduring fascination for the past hundred years. The destruction of many major documents about his personal life by his descendants has only magnified the mystery. Jenny Woolf's biography, published to coincide with the release of the new Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland film, lays waste to the myths and suspicions that have obscured Carroll's reputation by placing him firmly in the context of his own time.
