Books in Young Samurai series

Shipwrecked on the shore of Japan, twelve-year-old Jack Fletcher is wounded and alone. His father and the entire crew have been slaughtered by ninja pirates. Jack’s last remaining possession is his father’s rudder, an invaluable book of maps and notes about the world’s uncharted oceans. Masamoto-sama, one of Japan’s greatest samurai, rescues Jack, adopts him, and sends him to samurai school, where Jack will be trained in the Way of the Warrior. Will it be enough to help Jack defeat Dragon Eye, the ruthless ninja who is intent on stealing the rudder at any cost?

August 1611. Jack Fletcher is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan - his beloved father and the crew lie slaughtered by ninja pirates. Rescued by the legendary sword master Masamoto Takeshi, Jack's only hope is to become a samurai warrior. And so his training begins. But life at the samurai school is a constant fight for survival. Even with his friend Akiko by his side, Jack is singled out by bullies and treated as an outcast. With courage in his heart and his sword held high, can Jack prove himself and face his deadliest rival yet?

Jack Fletcher faces his toughest challenge yet. After a snowstorm forces him to take shelter, Jack comes across a village in need of protection from raiding mountain bandits. Torn between moving on or helping, Jack is persuaded to stay and fight the villagers' cause. But Jack is the first and only samurai to do so. Now he must enlist other warriors to the villagers' aid before the bandits return to steal their harvest. No easy task when the reward is so little and he is a foreigner. If only he had his friends to call on. . . Using the Ring of Fire, can Jack overpower the bandits and win?

After being shipwrecked in Japan, adopted, and taught the Way of the Warrior at samurai school, Jack is ready to embark on the next chapter of his training: the Way of the Sword. His lessons involve fighting blindfolded, using a b–o staff, and finding messages in origami—all while withstanding the constant pressure of being a foreigner. The stakes are raised even higher when the school holds a contest. The winners will learn the great samurai Masamoto-sama’s secret martial arts technique. Jack is sure this is the key to protecting his prized possession—his father’s rutter—from Dragon Eye, the ninja who will stop at nothing to get it.

Critics and fans alike can't get enough of the heroism, friendship and adventure in this fast-paced series full of ancient dangers and treasures untold. Hailed as having "some of the most exciting fight sequences imaginable on paper," readers will be "studying for their belts in between episodes." In this final volume, Japan is threatened with war and Jack Fletcher is facing his greatest battle yet. Samurai are taking sides and as the blood begins to flow, Jack’s warrior training is put to the ultimate test. His survival—and that of his friends—depends upon him mastering the Two Heavens, the secret sword technique of the legendary samurai Masamoto Takeshi. But first Jack must recover his father’s prize possession from the deadly ninja Dragon Eye. Can Jack defeat his ruthless enemy? Or will the ninja complete his mission to kill the young English samurai?

One year of training in samurai school and Jack Fletcher is in real trouble . . . Not only is he struggling to prepare for the Circle of Three, an ancient ritual that tests a samurai's courage, skill and spirit to the limit, he's caught in a running battle with fellow student Kazuki and his gang. But these are the least of Jack's problems. He knows his deadly rival - the ninja Dragon Eye - could strike at any moment. Jack possesses the very thing he will kill for. Can Jack master the Way of the Sword in time to survive a fight to the death?

Young Samurai: The Ring of Water is the fifth book in this blockbuster series by Chris Bradford. Jack Fletcher has been left for dead. Bruised and battered, Jack wakes up in a roadside inn wrapped only in a dirty kimono. He has lost everything, including his memory of what happened. Determined to discover the truth, Jack goes on a quest to retrieve his belongings—his precious swords, his friend Akiko's black pearl, and, most important of all, his father's prize possession. Relying on his samurai and ninja training, Jack realizes The Ring of Water is the key to his survival. But with only a washed up Ronin—a masterless samurai—for help, what will Jack manage to find? What will he lose? And what will he have to sacrifice?

Packed with historical action-adventure, the eighth and final book in Chris Bradford's blockbuster Young Samurai series reaches a thrilling conclusion. The Shogun has deemed that any Christian or foreigner now discovered outside the bounds of an official trading port will be instantly put to death. For Jack, Nagasaki is within reach, but the Shogun's samurai are closing in with the help of Jack's old school rival, Kazuki, who has a score to settle. Will Jack make it to the city alive? Will he keep hold of the precious rutter? Can he find a ship bound for England, or will he be burned at the stake?

Jack Fletcher is on the run. With no sensei to guide him, he has just his wits and his swords against many new and unknown enemies, as he journeys along the treacherous road to the port of Nagasaki and perhaps home. . . But the Shogun's samurai are hot on his trail. Barely escaping their clutches, Jack runs headlong into a trap. Kidnapped by ninja and led to their village deep in the mountains, Jack has no means of escape. The only question is who will kill him first—the ninja or samurai?

Jack Fletcher is battling the high seas. Ambushed by the Shogun's samurai, Jack and his friends have only one hope of escape—the Seto Sea. But with ferocious storms, man-eating sharks, and ninja pirates at every turn, their chosen route is fraught with danger. A treacherous crew only adds to their problems as they flee south from a ruthless samurai sea lord. Unless Jack can harness the Ring of Wind, he and his friends are destined for a watery grave.