See book 1 for my review of the series ( )

The best way to describe the Young Samurai books is Harry Potter at Samurai School. I can just imagine teen boys (and girls!) salivating over these. Set in Japan in the early 17th century, THE WAY OF THE DRAGON had everything: Ninjas, poison darts, at least twenty different types of weapons, non-stop action, and surprising twists. However, Bradford also managed to throw in characters I really cared about, haiku, Japanese folktales, and all sorts of contemporary school issues, bullying, competitiveness, romance, all in a way that was believable and absorbing. I was a little thrown when the war started, as I had completely forgotten I was in historical times, but the book also has a serious edge about history, violence, and what it means to be a Samurai. ( )