Description:
Inspired by the true story of sixteenth-century samurai Musashi Miyamoto, David Kirk has crafted a rich, absorbing novel of one young man's coming of age at a crucial turning point in Japanese history.
Thirteen-year-old Bennosuke is deeply disconnected from the rest of his village. When he was five, his mother died, and his father, a powerful samurai, has been traveling the country in service to his lord ever since. Raised by his uncle, a monk, who has tried to teach his charge to eschew violence and martial glory and embrace knowledge and peace, Bennosuke worships his absent, renowned father, Munisai. Subject to shifting alliances beyond his control, Munisai has become indebted to the odious Nakata clan. This escalating feud forces him to return home to his village--followed by his enemies. Now Bennosuke will be forced to confront harsh truths about his family history and his own place in it--and to choose between the paths of samurai and monk.Review Quotes: "Kirk presents 17th-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 historical debut rips along at the speed of a deftly wielded, flashing katana sword....Well anchored in history, beliefs, and traditions of feudal Japan, this novel is a personal psychological trip...educational, engrossing, and just plain fun-to-read....should appeal to a wide variety of readers, especially those who loved James Clavell's "Shogun.""
--Library Journal, starred review
"A brilliant piece of historical fiction --- loaded with treachery 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 new voice."
--Steve Berry, "New York Times" Bestselling author of The Columbus Affair
"A fascinating, exciting book, beautifully observed. Kirk avoids cliches 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
"I've been fascinated by Musashi Miyamoto since I first read "The Book of Five Rings" in college. David Kirk's "Child of Vengeance" restores my faith in historical fiction to bring lost worlds to life. 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 with this brutal account of real-life 17th-century swordsman Musashi Miyamoto... Kirk, who lives in Japan, positively seethes with energy when depicting bloody violence--from great battlefields to intimate ritual suicide--showing feudal Japan as a complex culture in which cunning and poetry are indispensable, and death and vengeance unavoidable."
"--Publishers Weekl