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Nightblade by Ryan Kirk

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Brief synopsis (no spoilers):
Ryuu's family and traveling party are slaughtered by bandits. He is saved by a warrior named Shigeru, who comes across the bandits just before they kill Ryuu. Shigeru is trained to use a sixth sense to connect with the world around him, and fight "bad guys". He trains Ryuu, who becomes one of the strongest nightblades Shigeru has ever seen. Ryuu's sense of justice drives him to defend those who are unable to fight for themselves. But the kingdom will not tolerate nightblades, and the military is sent to destroy him and Shigeru.

 Category:
Fiction

 Why I chose this book:
Description on Amazon

 My personal opinion:
This is not a happy story. It is actually pretty dark. I enjoyed the martial arts, the Eastern influence, the special powers, and the master-apprentice setup. But this is not appropriate for YA readers. I probably shouldn't have finished it, myself, but I got lost in the story. The author is a skilled storyteller. I'm not sure if I will continue the series or not.

 Warnings
Language: None
Violence: Frequent, and some parts somewhat graphic. Note: the violence includes references to torture and rape, and fairly graphic detail of physical abuse and sword fighting
"Adult" situations: Sexual attraction, mention of prostitution, and rape
Death: Yes, including major character(s)

 Movie rating equivalent:
R, for violence

 Protagonist description:
Ryuu starts as a curious young boy and grows into a stunning fighter by age 17.

 Point of view of story:
Third, focused on several characters, changing with roughly each chapter

 Book length:
Medium-long

 Story flow:
Excellent

 Grammar and spelling issues:
Yes, and some of the errors are distracting. The editor should take a second swing at it.

 Character connection (no spoilers):
I'd like to learn more about the island of Shigeru and Orochi
For series:
Independent or integral:
Assuming integral

 Series review as a whole:
I will give the second book a try, but this series might be a little too violent for me. Especially the rape, abuse, and torture.

 If you only have time for one, read:
Start at the beginning: Nightblade

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