A bold and vivid historical epic of feudal Japan, based on the real-life exploits of the legendary samurai Musashi Miyamoto. Japan in the late 16th century was a land in turmoil. Lords of the great clans schemed against each other, served by aristocratic samurai bound to them by a rigid code of honor. Bennosuke is a high-born but lonely teenager living in his ancestral village. His mother died when he was a young boy, and his powerful warrior father Munisai has abandoned him for a life of service to his Lord, Shinmei. Bennosuke has been raised by his uncle Dorinbo, a monk who urges the boy to forgo the violence of the samurai and embrace the contemplative life. But Bennosuke worships his absent father, and when Munisai returns, gravely injured, Bennosuke is forced to confront truths about his family's history and his own place in it. These revelations soon guide him down the samurai's path—awash with blood, bravery, and vengeance. His journey will culminate in the epochal battle of Sekigahara—in which Bennosuke will first proclaim his name as Mushashi Miyamoto. This rich and absorbing epic explores the complexities of one young man's quest while capturing a crucial turning point in Japanese history with visceral mastery, sharp psychological insight and tremendous narrative momentum.
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“A brilliant piece of historical fiction—loaded withtreachery and betrayal—that pulses with life. This one is going to find an honored place on many a keeper shelf. It’s a must read debut from an exciting newvoice.”
— Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Columbus Affair
“A fascinating, exciting book, beautifully observed. Kirk avoids clichés at every turn, and creates characters of great depth. An absolute gem.”
— Conn Iggulden, New York Times bestselling author of Genghis: Birth of an Empire“Bravo! The keenest and most vivid evocation of the inner life of the East since James Clavell’s Shogun.”
— Steven Pressfield, New York Times bestselling author of Gates of Fire“Kirk proves himself a worthy samurai novelist…showing feudal Japan as a complex culture in which cunning and poetry are indispensable, and death and vengeance unavoidable.”
— Publishers Weekly“This historical debut rips along at the speed of a deftly wielded, flashing katana sword...educational, engrossing, and just plain fun.”
— Library Journal (starred review)“Kirk presents seventeenth century Japan as a world imbued with stately rituals, unshakable principles, and a rigid moral code…sure to be compared to Clavell’s work in its superb depiction of samurai culture.”
— Kirkus Reviews“This is the book I’ve been waiting for! Razor sharp samurai action coupled with a brutally realistic vision of life in sixteenth century Japan—a real find.”
— Anthony Riches, author of Wounds of HonourDavid Kirk is the author of Child of Vengeance. He first became interested in Japanese history when his father gave him a copy of James Clavell’s Shogun. Years later, he would be inspired to write his dissertation on samurai cinema. Kirk now lives in Japan, where he now works as an English-language teacher.
Arthur Morey has won three AudioFile Magazine “Best Of” Awards, and his work has garnered numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed him as a finalist for two Audie Awards. He has acted in a number of productions, both off Broadway in New York and off Loop in Chicago. He graduated from Harvard and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. He has won awards for his fiction and drama, worked as an editor with several book publishers, and taught literature and writing at Northwestern University. His plays and songs have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Milan, where he has also performed.