The Way of the Warrior

Young Samurai, Book 1

By: Chris Bradford

Narrated by: Joe Jameson

Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

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?

©2008 Chris Bradford (P)2017 Audible, Ltd

great book

this book was a great choice because it mixed ancient Japanese culture and fiction in a great way

Anyone who is a fan of Rangers Apprentice will love these books

Chris Bradford does an awesome job, as well as the narrator to pull you into the story. These deserve to be as popular as the rangers apprentice series. Highly recommend.

Excellent story

I liked the whole story line.
I enjoyed the way it was narrated.
I liked how Jack had to adapt to live in a foreign land & how he made true friends.

Very entertaining

Riveting story; I look forward to book 2. Japanese culture from that time frame comes alive in the reading. Narrator's performance is good; since I am new to Audible, I have little experience yet for comparison.

The narrator nearly ruined it

I love this series. But the narrator doesn’t seem to understand basic pronunciation. As someone who speaks English and Japanese I was struggling to understand what he was saying when attempting to pronounce Japanese words.

great for all ages.

great book. clean, exciting, great narrating, for all ages. I'm going to finish the other books.

Good story, narration was a let down

The story and the characters are well done, although the beginning borrows heavily from James Clavelle’s Shogun. What brings the audiobook down is the embarrassing lack of research in proper pronunciation of the Japanese words and names. Pronouncing names correctly should be the first thing a narrator should research.

Very entertaining!

I loved the performance and great story. Please make audiobooks of books 4-9! Would love to continue to listen!

Action and relationships in Japan 1611

Historically-grounded adventure / coming-of-age series starts here. Emphasis on Samurai service and Buddhism/ Zen. It's told in 3rd-person, set in Japan in 1611.

A shipwrecked, orphaned English youth, age 12, must learn Japanese language and culture and discover the Samurai warrior within. Meanwhile, he develops some valuable friendships and other relationships.

Good character development for both Jack and Yamoto. Some poignant scenes. Some action, death, cruelty, battle training. Strong female roles, as well as male. I liked the different types of adult figures, too. The heroes and the villains were credible-- both adults and youth.

The plot isn't too predictable, but some bits do stretch credulity.

Excellent narration! I read and listened, interchangeably.

Reminded me a little of John Flanagan's two series: Brotherband and Ranger's Apprentice.

I might read book 2, even though the target audience is probably youngsters. It held my attention, and I learned something about Japanese culture and history.

great story iffy narration

exposure to Japanese media had fascinated millions of people world wide with anime and j drama Jpop. unfortunately the reader is not one, his pronunciation is a purely english attempt. Kun is used alot but the way the reader pronounces it isn't japanese he pronounces it like there is a t that is being committed from the end. it's good narration but poor pronunciation of 99% of the Japanese is actually distracting as I try to follow the story. the story itself is well researched and though it's been written for young readers, still harnesses the rigid nobility that is samurai. but I've heard Wheaton's mangle Glenn Merenge so onward to book 2