The battle of Sekigahara has just ended, as armies of rival samurai clash across Japan to be the next Shogun. All this seems far removed from Kami, a boy who quietly goes about his everyday life in his farm village until one day he trips over the unconsious body of a warrior hidden in the long grass.That discovery will lead him on an adventure across the warring kingdoms, facing assassins and enemy soldiers as he journeys to the capital to face the new Shogun. Through his travels he aspires to become a samurai, and in his many challenges he eventually comes to understand what it means to be one.
This was a new author and book series, The Samurai Trilogy. I enjoyed the author's style of writing along with the action throughout the book. I have added the other books, Samurai's Apprentice 2: Ninja's Apprentice and Samurai's Apprentice 3: Shogun's Apprentice. I am looking forward to continuing saga of Kami.
Great action adventure set in Japan. Gets stuck into the action without getting bogged down with too many details or fancy descriptions - just enough to give the feel of the setting. David has, however, studied a lot about this period, and his knowledge of weapons gives the story credibility. One of the nice surprises was the character, Yanama, a girl forced into becoming a ninja. You can't trust her and she throws some fantastic spanners (and tiny poisoned darts) into the works. The two other books in the trilogy are a must read.
The book is based in the history of the Japanese Shogunate. Although the story is interesting, it is a bit choppy. Maybe the second volume will flow better.