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Assassin's Creed: Fragments - The Blade of Aizu
A gripping story of sibling loyalty in the last days of medieval Japan. The first novel in a trilogy from the iconic Assassin’s Creed universe.
Japan, 1868. The Boshin War is about to begin.
The Templars have infiltrated the Emperor’s closest advisors and pushed the sovereign to launch an attack against the Shogun Tokugawa, who draws secret support from the Brotherhood of Assassins. Violence soon escalates, threatening the end of centuries of peace--and with it, the end of the glorious era of the samurai.
Sixteen-year-old Atsuko grew up in the city of Aizu under the shadow of her older brother, Ibuka. Though destined for an arranged marriage, she stokes a secret passion for combat and can wield weaponry just as well as her brother, whose renowned skill with the blade conceals a mortal fear of battle.
When war breaks out, duty calls Ibuka to the front lines alongside his father, and defying ancient tradition that forbids women from fighting, Atsuko joins the war effort in disguise.
However, Atsuko soon becomes entangled in political machinations that reach far beyond her and must fight to prove her skills and protect her family--armed only with her blade, her courage, and the strength of her sibling bond. But will it be enough?
Japan, 1868. The Boshin War is about to begin.
The Templars have infiltrated the Emperor’s closest advisors and pushed the sovereign to launch an attack against the Shogun Tokugawa, who draws secret support from the Brotherhood of Assassins. Violence soon escalates, threatening the end of centuries of peace--and with it, the end of the glorious era of the samurai.
Sixteen-year-old Atsuko grew up in the city of Aizu under the shadow of her older brother, Ibuka. Though destined for an arranged marriage, she stokes a secret passion for combat and can wield weaponry just as well as her brother, whose renowned skill with the blade conceals a mortal fear of battle.
When war breaks out, duty calls Ibuka to the front lines alongside his father, and defying ancient tradition that forbids women from fighting, Atsuko joins the war effort in disguise.
However, Atsuko soon becomes entangled in political machinations that reach far beyond her and must fight to prove her skills and protect her family--armed only with her blade, her courage, and the strength of her sibling bond. But will it be enough?
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 6, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 17, 2023
yeah this was terrible. badly written, not well edited either. they shouldve been lesbians. the gore was weird like there was a lot of it but it was bad. just interesting choices all round really
August 8, 2023
…I thought this was a comic when I picked it up from the digital library? It’s not. That was a bit of a surprise.
This story is about a brother and sister drawn into a civil war in Japan (spoiler alert: it’s the Meiji Revolution)--Ibuka and Atsuko. Atsuko is allowed to train in martial arts alongside her brother by her father, but she knows she won’t be able to live that life, and her brother always surpasses her in skill. Except… turns out her brother is a coward, and when war comes, she disguises herself as a man to be able to guard him and his reputation. Of course, the Assassins and Templars have their own designs on the outcomes of this conflict.
Well, this is miles ahead of “Sword of the White Horse,” for starters. It’s a fine historical fiction novel for young adults. No, it’s not entirely historically accurate, but it mostly sticks to the history books, so I can’t say it was ever too much of a problem for me. And the author clearly knew the games’ story–the main Templar representative is British, and the main Assassin representative is French, and according to the games those were where those societies were strong at this time.
But you know… this doesn’t really feel like an “Assassin’s Creed” story? Yeah, Assassins and Templars are *there*, and some of them are major characters. But the actual conflict between the two is incidental–it has little to do with the actual Plot of the book. There’s a fight over an artifact, a sword, but it’s not a Piece of Eden, it’s just a notable historical relic. It feels very much like the “Assassin’s Creed” name was put on it to help boost its profile, because there isn’t much that makes this feel like it actually did anything with the AC premise.
It also doesn’t go *that* deep into AC backstory. The story seems to indicate that while there are Japanese members, the Assassins and Templars are still outsider organizations, viewed as essentially European. According to the series mythology, both had been in Japan for over two hundred years at this point. Hattori Hanzo was an Assassin, for instance.
Eh, so it doesn’t work so well as an “Assassin’s Creed” story. But it works just fine as a historical fiction story, with interesting and complex characters who find themselves in the middle of a massive conflict that changes the course of history. So that’s fun.
This story is about a brother and sister drawn into a civil war in Japan (spoiler alert: it’s the Meiji Revolution)--Ibuka and Atsuko. Atsuko is allowed to train in martial arts alongside her brother by her father, but she knows she won’t be able to live that life, and her brother always surpasses her in skill. Except… turns out her brother is a coward, and when war comes, she disguises herself as a man to be able to guard him and his reputation. Of course, the Assassins and Templars have their own designs on the outcomes of this conflict.
Well, this is miles ahead of “Sword of the White Horse,” for starters. It’s a fine historical fiction novel for young adults. No, it’s not entirely historically accurate, but it mostly sticks to the history books, so I can’t say it was ever too much of a problem for me. And the author clearly knew the games’ story–the main Templar representative is British, and the main Assassin representative is French, and according to the games those were where those societies were strong at this time.
But you know… this doesn’t really feel like an “Assassin’s Creed” story? Yeah, Assassins and Templars are *there*, and some of them are major characters. But the actual conflict between the two is incidental–it has little to do with the actual Plot of the book. There’s a fight over an artifact, a sword, but it’s not a Piece of Eden, it’s just a notable historical relic. It feels very much like the “Assassin’s Creed” name was put on it to help boost its profile, because there isn’t much that makes this feel like it actually did anything with the AC premise.
It also doesn’t go *that* deep into AC backstory. The story seems to indicate that while there are Japanese members, the Assassins and Templars are still outsider organizations, viewed as essentially European. According to the series mythology, both had been in Japan for over two hundred years at this point. Hattori Hanzo was an Assassin, for instance.
Eh, so it doesn’t work so well as an “Assassin’s Creed” story. But it works just fine as a historical fiction story, with interesting and complex characters who find themselves in the middle of a massive conflict that changes the course of history. So that’s fun.
July 1, 2023
Actual Rating 3.5*
I picked this book up after stumbling across it at my local library, I've always been a big lover of the Assassin's Creed Games so I was interested to see what a book adaptation could do. Overall I did like this, it wasn't my favourite thing as I felt like there wasn't a massive plot with lots of twists and turns but quite a simple story, (not that that's a bad thing). I liked our main set of characters, (Atsuko, Ibuko, and Takeko) but didn't really care for anyone else.
Overall this is a somewhat enjoyable story but might be more enjoyable for those who are already familiar with the games.
I picked this book up after stumbling across it at my local library, I've always been a big lover of the Assassin's Creed Games so I was interested to see what a book adaptation could do. Overall I did like this, it wasn't my favourite thing as I felt like there wasn't a massive plot with lots of twists and turns but quite a simple story, (not that that's a bad thing). I liked our main set of characters, (Atsuko, Ibuko, and Takeko) but didn't really care for anyone else.
Overall this is a somewhat enjoyable story but might be more enjoyable for those who are already familiar with the games.
January 25, 2025
Story didn't really feel like an Assassin's Creed story but was a decent historical fiction story. The biggest complaint I have is how rushed the last few chapters felt. Felt like it spent 90% of the time building up the story to a big climax just to abruptly end. Even the character deaths at the end were just abrupt. Overall, it's a forgettable book and story.
September 1, 2023
Fun to read a story based on the Boshin senso and Aizu, a place I lived and visited many times. The stories of the war are pivotal to understanding Aizu. Enjoyed reading this historical fiction from this time.
January 28, 2025
Publisher's Greed
A master class in how to not write Assassin's Creed.
It's a poorly written, vapid version of Mulan. And only 1% of its content focuses on the Assassin's Creed mythos or plot.
A master class in how to not write Assassin's Creed.
It's a poorly written, vapid version of Mulan. And only 1% of its content focuses on the Assassin's Creed mythos or plot.
March 5, 2026
An enjoyable Japanese Assassin's creed tale. I enjoyed the main protagonist and her journey and would be interested in more of her tales.
March 29, 2025
We are in Japan in 1868 on the brink of civil war between the supporters of the Emperor and the Tokugawa Shogunate. Starring 16-year-old Atsuko, who, along with her brother, Ibuka, grew up receiving warrior training, unlike other girls her age. When war breaks out, her father and brother are called to fight. Atsuko, refusing to accept that her family will be on the front line while she waits for them helpless at home, disguises herself as a boy and joins the same battalion.
These stories are far more interesting if you're a fan of Assassin's Creed and know about the feud between the Assassins and the Templars. However, the above brief plot summary doesn't mention Assassins and Templars anywhere. And that's because the story involves them very little. This particular book, since it's not based on any of the games, is a little weak at introducing the classic feud between the two organizations into the story.
It's a very casual read, and it's considered a young adult novel. Definitely not one of the best Assassin's Creed books out there, but hopefully the next two (because it's the first part of a trilogy) will be better. The second book will be set in Scotland.
It could be a movie along the lines of Assassin's Creed with Fassbender (not great not terrible).
These stories are far more interesting if you're a fan of Assassin's Creed and know about the feud between the Assassins and the Templars. However, the above brief plot summary doesn't mention Assassins and Templars anywhere. And that's because the story involves them very little. This particular book, since it's not based on any of the games, is a little weak at introducing the classic feud between the two organizations into the story.
It's a very casual read, and it's considered a young adult novel. Definitely not one of the best Assassin's Creed books out there, but hopefully the next two (because it's the first part of a trilogy) will be better. The second book will be set in Scotland.
It could be a movie along the lines of Assassin's Creed with Fassbender (not great not terrible).
June 12, 2026
I have to say I preferred the story in this book to what we got in AC Shadows. I never really cared for the Japanese setting but this book really hooked me.
Definitely worth the read, I don’t want to say anything that will spoil it for those who have yet to read a copy.
Definitely worth the read, I don’t want to say anything that will spoil it for those who have yet to read a copy.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews