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Sisters of the Sword #1
Sisters of the Sword
Kimi dreams of being a great samurai warrior, but she and her sister, Hana, are young ladies of feudal Japan, daughters of the "Jito" of the province. Her future seems clear: Girls do not become samurai.
Then, betrayal shatters the sisters' world. Their power-hungry uncle murders their father, and their mother and little brother mysteriously disappear. Determined to seek revenge and restore their honor, they disguise themselves as boys to train at a school for samurai. Kimi and Hana are thrown headlong into a life of warrior codes, sharp swords, and shadowy figures--as they work with fierce determination to avenge the brutal wrongs done to their family.
In a flash, life has swept them into a terrible adventure, more heart-pounding than Kimi and Hana ever could have imagined . . . and once it has been set in motion, nothing will ever be the same.
Then, betrayal shatters the sisters' world. Their power-hungry uncle murders their father, and their mother and little brother mysteriously disappear. Determined to seek revenge and restore their honor, they disguise themselves as boys to train at a school for samurai. Kimi and Hana are thrown headlong into a life of warrior codes, sharp swords, and shadowy figures--as they work with fierce determination to avenge the brutal wrongs done to their family.
In a flash, life has swept them into a terrible adventure, more heart-pounding than Kimi and Hana ever could have imagined . . . and once it has been set in motion, nothing will ever be the same.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
44 people are currently reading
1478 people want to read
About the author
Maya Snow
8 books52 followersMaya Snow once had an aikido teacher who told her that the best place for a tree to hide is in the forest. Maya decided that the best place for a writer to hide is among her own words. Maya Snow is the pseudonym of author, Helen Hart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
September 4, 2012
Well, more like middle-school age to me, I felt. Even if the characters are older, I felt the language and emotions shown were a little too simple, even though subjects such a viewing murder, familial betrayal and honor were discussed.
It was a very quick read at around 170 pages (e-book format).
I felt it deserved 2 stars because it really didn't interest me much. Foreshadowing was clearly evident, characters felt too archetypal for me.
Then again, I'm no longer in middle school. I'm sure it would appeal to that age group and maybe I've just grown too cynical for this type of writing.
It was a very quick read at around 170 pages (e-book format).
I felt it deserved 2 stars because it really didn't interest me much. Foreshadowing was clearly evident, characters felt too archetypal for me.
Then again, I'm no longer in middle school. I'm sure it would appeal to that age group and maybe I've just grown too cynical for this type of writing.
May 27, 2017
3,5*
Είναι ένα γρήγορα βιβλίο με πολύ ζωντανές εικόνες μιας άλλης εποχής. Σου δείχνει την Ιαπωνία τον καιρό των σαμουράι, μαζί με τον κόσμος της δολοπλοκίας καθώς και την δίψα για εξουσία. Το μοναδικό μου πρόβλημα ήταν ότι οι πράξεις των κυρίων ηρώων και ο χαρακτήρας τους δεν αντιστοιχούσε στην ηλικίας τους.
Είναι ένα γρήγορα βιβλίο με πολύ ζωντανές εικόνες μιας άλλης εποχής. Σου δείχνει την Ιαπωνία τον καιρό των σαμουράι, μαζί με τον κόσμος της δολοπλοκίας καθώς και την δίψα για εξουσία. Το μοναδικό μου πρόβλημα ήταν ότι οι πράξεις των κυρίων ηρώων και ο χαρακτήρας τους δεν αντιστοιχούσε στην ηλικίας τους.
September 27, 2017
I loved this book because the plot's interesting and well-written. Even though too much violence and gory. But still good.
And I love the way the writer picture the relationship between the sisters.
*my translation*
And I love the way the writer picture the relationship between the sisters.
*my translation*
May 12, 2008
Reviewed by Candace Cunard for TeensReadToo.com
Kimi and her sister, Hana, live a life of luxury as daughters of the Jito, a samurai lord and leader of a strong province in 13th-Century Japan. They do not lead idle lives, however; their father understands the importance of a broad education, and in addition to learning the womanly arts of embroidery and tea-pouring, they are trained in the ways of combat, leading Kimi, the narrator, to wish fervently that she could one day be a samurai, like her father and two older brothers.
Unfortunately, disaster strikes in the form of Kimi and Hana's uncle, Hidehiro. Their father's younger brother, annoyed at their father's growing power, plots to kill their father and wipe out their branch of the family so that he can rule. Kimi, Hana, their mother, and younger brother manage to escape, but their older brothers and their father are brutally slaughtered by Hidehiro.
Separated from their mother and brother, Kimi and Hana disguise themselves as boys and present themselves to a local dojo, where they are taken on as servants by the wise Sensei Goku, who promises to teach them further fighting skills if they comport themselves well. While at the dojo they meet with a boy of peasant background, Tatsuya, who is ridiculed for his low status since most of those training under Goku are nobles. Kimi and Hana's cousin, Ken-ichi, plays the role of small-scale antagonist; although he does not realize his cousins are actually alive and right under his nose, he makes their life difficult.
Kimi and Hana must maintain their disguise while learning the skills of the samurai so they can face their uncle Hidehiro in combat and revenge their father's death once and for all.
I enjoyed the characters, and got a good picture of the relationship between the sisters. The secondary characters, such as Tatsuya and Goku, were well-drawn. An obvious deal of research went into recreating Japanese life in this time period, but the author presents this detail without confusing the reader. The conclusion of the book was satisfying, but leaves room for a sequel that I, for one, would be excited to see.
Kimi and her sister, Hana, live a life of luxury as daughters of the Jito, a samurai lord and leader of a strong province in 13th-Century Japan. They do not lead idle lives, however; their father understands the importance of a broad education, and in addition to learning the womanly arts of embroidery and tea-pouring, they are trained in the ways of combat, leading Kimi, the narrator, to wish fervently that she could one day be a samurai, like her father and two older brothers.
Unfortunately, disaster strikes in the form of Kimi and Hana's uncle, Hidehiro. Their father's younger brother, annoyed at their father's growing power, plots to kill their father and wipe out their branch of the family so that he can rule. Kimi, Hana, their mother, and younger brother manage to escape, but their older brothers and their father are brutally slaughtered by Hidehiro.
Separated from their mother and brother, Kimi and Hana disguise themselves as boys and present themselves to a local dojo, where they are taken on as servants by the wise Sensei Goku, who promises to teach them further fighting skills if they comport themselves well. While at the dojo they meet with a boy of peasant background, Tatsuya, who is ridiculed for his low status since most of those training under Goku are nobles. Kimi and Hana's cousin, Ken-ichi, plays the role of small-scale antagonist; although he does not realize his cousins are actually alive and right under his nose, he makes their life difficult.
Kimi and Hana must maintain their disguise while learning the skills of the samurai so they can face their uncle Hidehiro in combat and revenge their father's death once and for all.
I enjoyed the characters, and got a good picture of the relationship between the sisters. The secondary characters, such as Tatsuya and Goku, were well-drawn. An obvious deal of research went into recreating Japanese life in this time period, but the author presents this detail without confusing the reader. The conclusion of the book was satisfying, but leaves room for a sequel that I, for one, would be excited to see.
February 27, 2009
A good light action book with obvious appeal to younger teen readers. The plot is familiar: twins must hide from the evil responsible for their orphaning and are trained by a wise elder loyal to their dead parent. There's a malicious teen, plenty of hard work, and lots of Bushido trappings.
It did feel a little stiff at times. I wish there had been a little nuance between the sisters. The combat sequences were good and it moved along quickly. There wasn't the emotional punch of the best YA, but for fans of Japanese culture, this is a fun trifle.
It did feel a little stiff at times. I wish there had been a little nuance between the sisters. The combat sequences were good and it moved along quickly. There wasn't the emotional punch of the best YA, but for fans of Japanese culture, this is a fun trifle.
August 12, 2023
Kimi and Hana Yamamoto are two sisters living in feudal japan, daughters of Jito Yoshijiro. However, after the betrayal of their uncle leads to the death of their father, they flee their home in the hope of someday getting revenge.
There were a lot of things I really appreciated about this book, despite the fact that I was unimpressed until the very end. Admittedly, there is always the possibility that I'm being too harsh; the fact that the back of the book reads "A girl? you think. Surely a girl cannot be a samurai. But you are WRONG." made me immediately doubt that there would be any depth to the story--but I digress. I was actually wrong about that.
The book starts to pick up at around chapter ten, in my opinion, around when a myriad of characters are introduced. All of them I really like, regardless of their personalities or their character roles. It fleshed out the book quite a bit to have such a group of different people, and made for a lot of sweet mundane moments that I liked. Big fan of those kinds of interactions.
Despite the back of the book reeking of "strong female character with no personality," I felt the protagonist was tolerable. Her sister even more so--I really liked the sister, Hana. She felt more fleshed out. The dynamic between the two sisters was good as well, something I really appreciated, having sisters myself.
I'm no expert on the ways of feudal Japan, but as far as I could tell, the book was well researched. By osmosis I've gathered a few things about that time period, and the details in this book matched what I've come to understand. There were also a lot of things I wasn't familiar with, but the way it was presented leaves me with little doubt that the author at least TRIED to know what she was talking about. I really appreciated that.
Surprisingly enough, the book managed to make me tear up at the end. The emotions were raw and unfiltered, which was a welcome detail. This contrasted sharply with the rest of the book, however, which leads me to a few things I didn't like.
I'll preface all of this by saying that this IS middle grade fiction. On the one hand, less depth is to be a bit expected; I can't say I'm necessarily surprised that this isn't my favorite book in the world. However, I'm a firm believer that a children's book that can't be enjoyed by adults is not a good children's book. Not that I didn't enjoy the book per se, but it lacked the depth I feel could have made it that much better.
For one thing, Kimi--the protagonist--got over her father's death FAR too quickly. She was already plotting revenge by the end of the evening. While that may be how some people react in this world... I can't say the sequences were believable at all. It's books like these that make bookworm kids wish they were orphans so they could have adventures. The grief that comes from losing a parent--especially after seeing that parent MURDERED--was entirely glossed over. Again, this is middle grade fiction, so a certain lack of depth it to be expected; but I was nonetheless very disappointed in how the protagonist was written. Her sister, Hana, had much more believable reactions. Sobbing, paleness, moments of distance, et cetera. Honestly, I stuck it out to the end mostly for Hana's sake.
Even though Kimi wasn't the completely shallow, personality-less warrior girl I expected her to be, she wasn't too much beyond that. She did struggle a bit in learning the ways of the samurai, but not to the point where I was rooting for her at any given point. A lot of it seemed to come naturally to her; there was no substantial growth, and I was left feeling uninspired. This, in addition to her generally unfazed emotions, made for a very dull protagonist.
There were a couple of moments, plot-wise, that I didn't really understand--but none of them were so bad as to dismiss the entire book. The main one was that no one recognized them as women. They disguised themselves with topknots, and that's it. Throughout the book, no one recognized them, even on close interaction. I didn't really expect a middle grade fiction novel to point out female anatomy, especially given the characters were younger--but not even recognizing faces? Come on.
Other than that, though, the book was... okay. I really didn't care for it much at all until the VERY end, when it pulled through a bit with some heartfelt emotion. I can definitely see how this series could be appealing to the middle grade world, but I doubt I'll be revisiting it anytime soon.
There were a lot of things I really appreciated about this book, despite the fact that I was unimpressed until the very end. Admittedly, there is always the possibility that I'm being too harsh; the fact that the back of the book reads "A girl? you think. Surely a girl cannot be a samurai. But you are WRONG." made me immediately doubt that there would be any depth to the story--but I digress. I was actually wrong about that.
The book starts to pick up at around chapter ten, in my opinion, around when a myriad of characters are introduced. All of them I really like, regardless of their personalities or their character roles. It fleshed out the book quite a bit to have such a group of different people, and made for a lot of sweet mundane moments that I liked. Big fan of those kinds of interactions.
Despite the back of the book reeking of "strong female character with no personality," I felt the protagonist was tolerable. Her sister even more so--I really liked the sister, Hana. She felt more fleshed out. The dynamic between the two sisters was good as well, something I really appreciated, having sisters myself.
I'm no expert on the ways of feudal Japan, but as far as I could tell, the book was well researched. By osmosis I've gathered a few things about that time period, and the details in this book matched what I've come to understand. There were also a lot of things I wasn't familiar with, but the way it was presented leaves me with little doubt that the author at least TRIED to know what she was talking about. I really appreciated that.
Surprisingly enough, the book managed to make me tear up at the end. The emotions were raw and unfiltered, which was a welcome detail. This contrasted sharply with the rest of the book, however, which leads me to a few things I didn't like.
I'll preface all of this by saying that this IS middle grade fiction. On the one hand, less depth is to be a bit expected; I can't say I'm necessarily surprised that this isn't my favorite book in the world. However, I'm a firm believer that a children's book that can't be enjoyed by adults is not a good children's book. Not that I didn't enjoy the book per se, but it lacked the depth I feel could have made it that much better.
For one thing, Kimi--the protagonist--got over her father's death FAR too quickly. She was already plotting revenge by the end of the evening. While that may be how some people react in this world... I can't say the sequences were believable at all. It's books like these that make bookworm kids wish they were orphans so they could have adventures. The grief that comes from losing a parent--especially after seeing that parent MURDERED--was entirely glossed over. Again, this is middle grade fiction, so a certain lack of depth it to be expected; but I was nonetheless very disappointed in how the protagonist was written. Her sister, Hana, had much more believable reactions. Sobbing, paleness, moments of distance, et cetera. Honestly, I stuck it out to the end mostly for Hana's sake.
Even though Kimi wasn't the completely shallow, personality-less warrior girl I expected her to be, she wasn't too much beyond that. She did struggle a bit in learning the ways of the samurai, but not to the point where I was rooting for her at any given point. A lot of it seemed to come naturally to her; there was no substantial growth, and I was left feeling uninspired. This, in addition to her generally unfazed emotions, made for a very dull protagonist.
There were a couple of moments, plot-wise, that I didn't really understand--but none of them were so bad as to dismiss the entire book. The main one was that no one recognized them as women. They disguised themselves with topknots, and that's it. Throughout the book, no one recognized them, even on close interaction. I didn't really expect a middle grade fiction novel to point out female anatomy, especially given the characters were younger--but not even recognizing faces? Come on.
Other than that, though, the book was... okay. I really didn't care for it much at all until the VERY end, when it pulled through a bit with some heartfelt emotion. I can definitely see how this series could be appealing to the middle grade world, but I doubt I'll be revisiting it anytime soon.
April 21, 2015
Actual rating: 1.5
This book was the kind of thing I might read in third grade, not in seventh grade. Compared to the other types of books I read now, the characters are flat, the plot is predictable, and the setting needs more detail.
Plot:
Kimi and Hana are the only daughters of the Jito, a manager appointed by the shogun who is a military commander with a lot of power. As girls, they cannot be samurai which angers Kimi. However, they have been trained to protect themselves should someone try to the house. When their uncle comes to visit his younger brother, Kimi and the rest of her family are very excited and completely unprepared when he murders the Jito and takes his position. When he attempts to kill everyone in the household, Kimi and Hana manage to escape and take shelter at a famous samurai school their now dead father and brothers went to.
The only thing I can say is: been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Honestly, I've heard this story line a billion times. The only difference is that it is in feudal Japan.
Characters:
Kimi: The story is told from Kimi's point of view. Kimi just seemed bland way. Everything that happened to her and sister, good or bad, seemed to happen by luck. Whatever choice she made seemed like it was made after someone else had made the choice. Kimi was like a little sheep being herded along. She didn't seem like the best choice as a main character either. It was as if she was the person who got picked last for teams in P.E. My final problem with her was the fact she trusted people instantly. No one had to prove themselves to her and her sister. Nope, all she had to do was look at them and decide they were trustworthy. A few examples of this are her uncle, her friend Tatsuya, and the head of the kitchen.
Hana: If Kimi was bland, Hana was invisible. Honestly, she just kind of stood in the background doing nothing. The story could have just as easily been written without her. I really didn't see the point of her being there.
Tatsuya: Tatsuya is a student and Kimi and Hana's best friend. Unlike Hana, he was actually needed to move the plot forward, but my problem were the vibes I was getting from him. He just seemed way younger than he actually was. I'm probably just being weird though.
Setting:
Snow describes this ancient world of feudal Japan very well and she gave me a much better understanding of how life was as a daughter of the Jito, a servant, and eventually a samurai student. I learned a lot of terminology and became more comfortable with information I already knew. Even though the setting just needs more detail. I'd say the setting needs a few similes, metaphors, and extra adjectives, and it would be golden.
This book was the kind of thing I might read in third grade, not in seventh grade. Compared to the other types of books I read now, the characters are flat, the plot is predictable, and the setting needs more detail.
Plot:
Kimi and Hana are the only daughters of the Jito, a manager appointed by the shogun who is a military commander with a lot of power. As girls, they cannot be samurai which angers Kimi. However, they have been trained to protect themselves should someone try to the house. When their uncle comes to visit his younger brother, Kimi and the rest of her family are very excited and completely unprepared when he murders the Jito and takes his position. When he attempts to kill everyone in the household, Kimi and Hana manage to escape and take shelter at a famous samurai school their now dead father and brothers went to.
The only thing I can say is: been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Honestly, I've heard this story line a billion times. The only difference is that it is in feudal Japan.
Characters:
Kimi: The story is told from Kimi's point of view. Kimi just seemed bland way. Everything that happened to her and sister, good or bad, seemed to happen by luck. Whatever choice she made seemed like it was made after someone else had made the choice. Kimi was like a little sheep being herded along. She didn't seem like the best choice as a main character either. It was as if she was the person who got picked last for teams in P.E. My final problem with her was the fact she trusted people instantly. No one had to prove themselves to her and her sister. Nope, all she had to do was look at them and decide they were trustworthy. A few examples of this are her uncle, her friend Tatsuya, and the head of the kitchen.
Hana: If Kimi was bland, Hana was invisible. Honestly, she just kind of stood in the background doing nothing. The story could have just as easily been written without her. I really didn't see the point of her being there.
Tatsuya: Tatsuya is a student and Kimi and Hana's best friend. Unlike Hana, he was actually needed to move the plot forward, but my problem were the vibes I was getting from him. He just seemed way younger than he actually was. I'm probably just being weird though.
Setting:
Snow describes this ancient world of feudal Japan very well and she gave me a much better understanding of how life was as a daughter of the Jito, a servant, and eventually a samurai student. I learned a lot of terminology and became more comfortable with information I already knew. Even though the setting just needs more detail. I'd say the setting needs a few similes, metaphors, and extra adjectives, and it would be golden.
March 22, 2012
My friend recommended this book to me, and after I read the synopsis I immediately borrowed it. The story is about an extremely wealthy noble family in Japan. One day, the father is assassinated by his brother, who also kills two of the children. The family is suddenly being hunted for their lives, and two sisters have to disguise themselves as normal boys living in a dojo, while they try not to let it show that they are skilled in the art of the samurai. My favorite quote in this book is when the two sisters have been accepted into the master's study session, and the master almost sees through their disguise."His next words sent my heart fluttering. "If someone else had brought me this scroll," he said quietly, "and they did not tell me where it had come from, I would have said that this writing came from the brush of the great Jito himself, Lord Steward Yoshijiro." I stared in horror at the Master. Had he guessed our secret?" I liked this quote because it was very suspenseful and dramatic. The author used a lot of Japanese terms, which I found very cool. I would recommend this book to people interested in the Japanese culture and swords style. It is very easy to read, and it has a good plot.
January 20, 2011
Dapat kehormatan mengintip kerjaan kembaranku, dan sukaa
sudah lama ga baca buku yang bau-bau jepang juga
ini cerita dua saudara Hana dan Kimi, putri bangsawan yang biasa hidup enak
nyaman, harus tercerabut dari rumahnya, setelah ayahnya dibunuh
mereka harus kabur karena dikejar oleh orang yang membunuh ayahnya - pamannya
sendiri!!!
dan harus menyamar jadi anak laki-laki saat masuk ke sebuah perguruan (aduh lupa
istilahnya haha) tempat belajar anak-anak bangsawan yang ingin jadi samurai (ada
sih yang ga bangsawan, tapi dibully abis-lah)
tetep aja bukan berarti udah aman - karena sepupu mereka sekolah di situ
sepupu yang dulunya baik dan lucu sekarang jadi arogan
meskipun di sana Kimi dan Hana ga diterima jadi murid, tapi sebagai pekerja
mereka tetap dapat kesempatan untuk berlatih juga - Master Goku-nya baik hihihi
endingnya kesel ih
masa Masternya begitu aja ********* menyebalkaaaaan.... )@)#*()@#!
btw gw lebih suka Hana, soalnya kalem tapi menghanyutkan :D :D
wishlist
January 6, 2012From The Book Depository:
'I once knew little of danger, and nothing of death.' Kimi and Hana's lives of luxury are torn apart with the murder of their family. They must hide as servants and find a way to avenge their father's death. Then the rumours start. Perhaps they weren't the only survivors? What secret will they find beneath the cherry blossoms?
In book one of this thrilling quartet, Hana and Kimi are delighted when their heroic uncle, Hidehira, arrives at their palace, along with his dashing army of Samurai soldiers. He is their father's right hand man, a guardian and protector who helps him govern the land on behalf of the Shogun. So when Hidehira and his army slaughter their father and elder brothers, it is a harrowing betrayal. As the palace burns around them, Hana and Kimi have to fight for their very survival. Now the whole country is searching for them - and anyone who helps them will be put to death. The girls must disguise themselves and find somewhere to hide, while working to avenge the brutal wrongs done to their family ...
'I once knew little of danger, and nothing of death.' Kimi and Hana's lives of luxury are torn apart with the murder of their family. They must hide as servants and find a way to avenge their father's death. Then the rumours start. Perhaps they weren't the only survivors? What secret will they find beneath the cherry blossoms?
In book one of this thrilling quartet, Hana and Kimi are delighted when their heroic uncle, Hidehira, arrives at their palace, along with his dashing army of Samurai soldiers. He is their father's right hand man, a guardian and protector who helps him govern the land on behalf of the Shogun. So when Hidehira and his army slaughter their father and elder brothers, it is a harrowing betrayal. As the palace burns around them, Hana and Kimi have to fight for their very survival. Now the whole country is searching for them - and anyone who helps them will be put to death. The girls must disguise themselves and find somewhere to hide, while working to avenge the brutal wrongs done to their family ...
July 21, 2014
I loved this book immensely! I could hardly put it down, and read it in two days, and could have read it in one, but I had already read two novels that took up most of my time. The plot, ancient Japan, is one of my absolute favorite story plots, and I have loved Japanese stories since I was a little girl. The ending was satisfying to me, and I am so ready to read the next book in the series! I am still curious as to what will happen in this thrilling series, which kept me on the edge of my seat, and which I believe is a great read!
Read
May 21, 2016I liked this book because the plot was interesting but I also liked the Japanese culture which I don't know much about.
September 28, 2018
really good read for a tween
May 16, 2025
I loved it. Couldn't put it down. Always wonder what was going to happen next. I finished it in a week!
September 14, 2020
While I used to lament how there are never enough Mulan-based stories in the world, this just felt like a fanfictiondotnet-story, written by an edgy 12-year-old with a sincere love for the Japanese culture (No offence to writers of fanfiction: I’ve read a lot of absolutely amazing stories that kept me up till 4 AM).
In other words: This was not a suitable book for me. No doubt other people will enjoy it more.
The main characters are flat (they never really struggle with anything, making them difficult to root for) and mercilessly separated into the good/evil camp, the plot is predictable, the villains have unbelievable motifs/act in dubious ways. (A professional, armoured samurai getting killed by a pair of young, half-trained women… I’m a feminist by nature but that seems very unlikely.)
For some reason, the author decided to combine language suited for a younger audience with graphic descriptions of violence.
Speaking of language… This book did help me discover a previously unknown pet peeve of mine: random use of foreign language. It literally started in the first paragraph of the first chapter:
"Ima tsukitamaisoro!" He is arriving!
Why would you do this? I can live with naming Japanese rituals, or specifying weapons by their original name, but not dialogue. But hashi chopsticks: Really? That’s just saying chopsticks twice. Same for saya scabbards. Examples like these just make the writer look pretentious & pedantic, while I’m sure she’s a perfectly lovely woman with a sincere love for the Japanese language. It did offer some interesting information about historical Japan: the author did her proper research, that was clear.
Nevertheless... everything was either predictable or unbelievable. (Expect for the murder of Kimi and Hana's father by his own brother: that came out of nowhere and his mentioned previous shows of affection makes it feel fake.)
Kimi was supposed to be portrayed as a strong, brave character, but ended up just following the flow, only reacting and never acting first. A classic telling-not-showing problem, I fear. (I’m also a bit dubious about the wisdom of insisting on entering the dojo where their ‘evil’ cousin was training. Seems like an unnecessary risk.)
Warning: the book has an open ending. Still, it won’t convince me to read the sequel.
In other words: This was not a suitable book for me. No doubt other people will enjoy it more.
The main characters are flat (they never really struggle with anything, making them difficult to root for) and mercilessly separated into the good/evil camp, the plot is predictable, the villains have unbelievable motifs/act in dubious ways. (A professional, armoured samurai getting killed by a pair of young, half-trained women… I’m a feminist by nature but that seems very unlikely.)
For some reason, the author decided to combine language suited for a younger audience with graphic descriptions of violence.
Speaking of language… This book did help me discover a previously unknown pet peeve of mine: random use of foreign language. It literally started in the first paragraph of the first chapter:
"Ima tsukitamaisoro!" He is arriving!
Why would you do this? I can live with naming Japanese rituals, or specifying weapons by their original name, but not dialogue. But hashi chopsticks: Really? That’s just saying chopsticks twice. Same for saya scabbards. Examples like these just make the writer look pretentious & pedantic, while I’m sure she’s a perfectly lovely woman with a sincere love for the Japanese language. It did offer some interesting information about historical Japan: the author did her proper research, that was clear.
Nevertheless... everything was either predictable or unbelievable. (Expect for the murder of Kimi and Hana's father by his own brother: that came out of nowhere and his mentioned previous shows of affection makes it feel fake.)
Kimi was supposed to be portrayed as a strong, brave character, but ended up just following the flow, only reacting and never acting first. A classic telling-not-showing problem, I fear. (I’m also a bit dubious about the wisdom of insisting on entering the dojo where their ‘evil’ cousin was training. Seems like an unnecessary risk.)
Warning: the book has an open ending. Still, it won’t convince me to read the sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2022
The setting, medieval Japan, is a compelling backdrop to this story of family love and betrayal. Beautiful, lyrical language guides the reader from page to page as Kimi and Hana set out from their childhood home and learn the skills of samurai warriors. The author clearly did her research on this historical era. However, the epilogue is disjointed and feeble and may not resonate with middle grade readers.
February 12, 2018
I would have given this a five star rating because the main protagonist was spot-on, the pacing was great, the drama was superb, and the supporting characters were interesting enough to keep my attention throughout.
However, the book just... ended. It was so abrupt, I felt almost like someone had burned part of the manuscript before sending it out to the printer. Nothing got resolved as far as avenging the father and bringing to justice the uncle. until the last chapter. I really dislike cliffhanger endings.
I would have loved this novel to be a short, single, compact tale of girl power and feudal glory... but the lack of a real ending brought this down a full star rating.
However, the book just... ended. It was so abrupt, I felt almost like someone had burned part of the manuscript before sending it out to the printer. Nothing got resolved as far as avenging the father and bringing to justice the uncle. until the last chapter. I really dislike cliffhanger endings.
I would have loved this novel to be a short, single, compact tale of girl power and feudal glory... but the lack of a real ending brought this down a full star rating.
October 10, 2022
What i think of this book is that it's cool because it talks about girls wanting to become samurai's. And in the middle of the book they had to face there own battles on beating up thier uncle's soldiers and they had to run away form the palace to keep themselfes safe. Also they were trying to find their mom and little brother so they went out of the palace to find her thier brother and mom. And they had to identity themselves so they wouldn't be recongnizedby thier uncle's soldiers. I like the book they hav emore series of this book i would love to read them all someday.
August 6, 2020
I've read this book under it's other name Sisters of the Sword, but I've never read the final book in the series (could never find the US Print version) so I switched and bought this version and am reading it all the way through again.
Hana and Kimi are brave and stubborn, and I like the story. That being said this is clearly a book for a younger audience, so there isn't much in the way of subtlety or nuance. It is very simplified and cut and dry
Hana and Kimi are brave and stubborn, and I like the story. That being said this is clearly a book for a younger audience, so there isn't much in the way of subtlety or nuance. It is very simplified and cut and dry
April 2, 2021
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
It was so amazing and the plot was well thought out. I felt like I was on the journey with Kimi and Hana. There were so many twists and turns in this book. I can't say much because I don't want to ruin the book for others but it is definitely recommended!
PS. If you do end up reading this book (and the others in the series), beware that the 4th (last) book in this series is not easy to find.
It was so amazing and the plot was well thought out. I felt like I was on the journey with Kimi and Hana. There were so many twists and turns in this book. I can't say much because I don't want to ruin the book for others but it is definitely recommended!
PS. If you do end up reading this book (and the others in the series), beware that the 4th (last) book in this series is not easy to find.
August 6, 2023
2.5 stars. Light action book about two sisters who disguise themselves as boys and join life at a dōjō, after a murder attempt on their family. While it feels like a book for younger readers as it is fairly simplistic across all areas, the amount of violence and gore it has feels like it belongs to an older age range, and it lacks the emotional depth one would expect when including such darker subjects.
December 27, 2017
Informative historical description. Detailed technical fight scenes, with traditional names for weapons. Believable characters. Fun to read. I cheered for these tween-age girls, fighting trained soldiers for their lives!
October 18, 2021
I like this book, it was refreshing to read after some heavier books. It felt like Mulan at some points, and I had to look up some terms too. But I don't consider that a bad thing, I found out what a Jito is, and what the Bushi Code is. it was nice.
January 5, 2022
Maybe I need to appreciate other cultures more or maybe I didn't enjoy this book too much because I read it in 5th grade but it was a sweet story, similar in some ways to Mulan. It's a good kids book/pre teen.
February 5, 2018
Good book. Suspense and a little violence
Read
October 23, 2019will there be any love intrest with the older sister or is she not good enough
December 27, 2019
This is incredible! I'm eager to read more
February 20, 2020
This book is about two sisters who learn about becoming samurai warriors in order to avenge their father's death, after their uncle murders him. It is like the Mulan of Japan in this novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2020
Amazing book 🙃
We did this for a book club and everyone loved it we highly recommend it 😍🤓Defo read this book. Enjoy!
We did this for a book club and everyone loved it we highly recommend it 😍🤓Defo read this book. Enjoy!
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