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?

Reviewer: David Johnson

'''This is a really excellent book. There are two important aspects to it :- i) the story is completely believable and well told, ii) the little details that often get missed in stories like this are definitely left in and apart from the terrific story the book also serves as a first-class introduction to Japanese society. Jack is an 11-year old who is shipwrecked on the Japanese coast in 1611. His fellow crew-members (including his father) are slaughtered by pirates who turn out to be ninjas. Jack is rescued and adopted by a famous Samurai and has to prove himself to his master as well as his class. He is treated as an outcast by the other pupils as he is a ´gaijin´ or foreigner and is singled out and bullied. He is alone in a country where he has no knowledge of either the language or the customs. Jack learns the hard way that he can expect no favours. He has a secret, however, which he has to keep to himself as it will attract unwelcome attention. This is an action-packed tale which has you turning the pages in order to find out what happens next. The fight scenes are accurately described and the tension is maintained and even increased as the story unfolds. I am impressed by the depth of research that the author has undoubtedly undertaken in order to complete this book. Japanese culture is notoriously difficult to come to grips with and this book also manages to get across the utter alienation felt by Jack who is alone in a foreign country with no idea when (or even if) he will ever get home. I would recommend this book without hesitation, and am particularly excited by the fact that there are two more books to come! '''

‘A fantastic adventure that floors the reader on page one and keeps them there until the end’
Eoin Colfer

‘Young Samurai won't just delight its readers with tales of ninjas, swords and samurai, but will inspire them to actually get involved in the world of martial arts’
Steve Backshall, BBC Children’s TV Presenter

‘Young Samurai is a series which starts with as much promise and excitement as the joys of Christmas morning. With a formidable pace and characters who breathe life from the pages, Chris Bradford will undoubtedly be the new talent to watch out for.’
John Lloyd, Waterstone’s Bath