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Start giftingSword of Honor
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Learn moreIN THE EPIC HISTORICAL NOVEL SWORD OF HONOR, DAVID KIRK CONTINUES THE SAGA OF MUSASHI MIYAMOTO, THE GREATEST SWORDSMAN IN JAPANESE HISTORY, AS HE JOURNEYS TO THE ANCIENT CITY OF KYOTO TO FIGHT FOR HIS LIFE AND HIS IDEALS.
Having survived the cataclysmic battle of Sekigahara, which established the mighty Tokugawa Shogunate, young Musashi Miyamoto travels through Japan determined to proclaim his revolutionary epiphany that the “way of the samurai,” the ancient code that binds warriors to their masters, needs to be abolished.
But during the battle Musashi insulted an adept of the powerful Yoshioka school, and a price has been put on his head. Musashi is drawn to Kyoto, domain of the Yoshioka, driven by anger and certain that he will deal a crushing blow to the traditional samurai dogma by destroying the school. Musashi will learn, however, that the capital of the nation is rife with intrigue and potential rebellion against the newly established government, a struggle into which he unwittingly enters.
Among other outcasts, Musashi will find the worth of his spectacular skill with the sword weighed against the deep cunning of manipulative Lords, and must make his reckoning with the Yoshioka, the way of the samurai, and ultimately his own nature. Only then will he be able to take one step closer to becoming the wise old sage who wrote The Book of Five Rings.
Sword of Honor seamlessly blends meticulous research, mesmerizing action sequences, and a driving narrative to bring this extraordinary figure to life.
DAVID KIRK is the author of Child of Vengeance. He grew up in Stamford, Lincolnshire, in the UK. He has lived in Sendai, Japan, since 2008. Visit him at http://www.davidkirkfiction.com.
Reviews
"If one purpose of imaginative fiction is to show us that other people have different beliefs and a different understanding of morality, of what is right and wrong, then Mr. Kirk fulfills it in [Child of Vengeance and Sword of Honor]. In doing so he enlarges our sense of what it is to be human—even if one response to samurai culture may still be horror, or revulsion.... It is possible to enjoy these books as fine examples of the blood-and-thunder school, the sort of thing Rafael Sabatini did marvelously well a few generations ago. But every now and then they bring you up with a start. 'The world is as it is.'Yes, indeed, but might it, as Miyamato comes to ask, be something better than it is?"--The Wall Street Journal
"There are lots of elements that make this novel an extraordinary read: the throat-gripping set pieces, beautiful imagery, crafty politics, and themes of ego, power, and individualism. Most of all, it is how this tale of a masterless samurai is rendered in language that feels like it’s from a different time and place—not because of archaisms or cheap tricks but because it is slow without being tedious, and it emerges from a wholly foreign worldview without being incomprehensible to the modern mind. Musashi is an unforgettable character, and this novel should make Kirk a leading name in historical fiction."
--Booklist (Starred Review)
"[P]oetic.... Kirk's vigorous and robust prose complements the action to make rousing historical and philosophical statements."
--Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
"So authentic, it's easy to forget one is reading a novel...solid, action-packed, thoughtful."
--Library Journal (Starred Review)
“[Kirk’s] books are amazing, a way of giving us historical perspective about feudal Japan by making us resonate with one character and his ordeals; just as Dumas did with The Three Musketeers and 19th-century France.... What Kirk has accomplished in this series is a new way to understand a classic tale: the sword hero and his quest, in a world full of ancient rituals and beliefs, a world entirely different to our own. If you love samurai films, ancient Japanese traditions, and would like to immerse yourself in them, this is the best book I’ve read in years.
--GeekDad.com
"Kirk has captured the essence of life in medieval Japan.... [H]e has used impeccable research to provide a story rich in historical detail.... vividly portrayed."
--Historical Novel Society Expand reviews