Young Samurai: The Ring of Wind by Chris Bradford (Children's, 9 years +)

 

March 2012, Puffin
356 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Themes: pirates, samurai code & customs, ninja fighting, female pirates, a monkey with attitude, foes who defy death, mystical events, real & fake dragons, solid friendships, betrayal, keeping promises, lots of violence, some blood,

Summary from Puffin

JACK FLETCHER IS BATTLING THE HIGH SEAS
Ambushed by the Shogun's samurai, Jack and his friends have only one hope of escape - the Seto Sea. But with ferocious storms, man-eating sharks and ninja pirates at every turn, their chosen route is fraught with danger.

A treacherous crew only adds to their problems as they flee south from a ruthless samurai sea lord. Unless Jack can harness the Ring of Wind, he and his friends are destined for a watery grave . . .

 

Nayuleska's thoughts

Somehow I'd managed to think this was the last book in the series right up until the end. No wonder it was open ended! I've read books 1 & 2, and didn't feel as though I'd missed out on too much with the well placed summaries. There were times when I was a bit disinterested in Jack because I prefer girl protagonists, some parts of the book felt repetitive - although there were big differences in the fights, the finer points of fighting were similar. I have to stress I think it's just my personal preferences for books. The plot twists were well executed and leave me wondering how it all will end. This is a 7/10 read, with lovely short chapters that help keep the pace fast.

Check out more on the dedicated website.  You can also find out more on Chris's website 

 

Suggested read

Start at the beginning of the series, which includes book 2 Young Samurai: The Way of the Sword.