Synopses & Reviews
When fourteen-year-old samurai apprentice Seikei is sent on a mission by the shogun, he believes it to be a simple one: Convince the 14-year-old emperor to resume his ceremonial duties. But when the emperor is kidnapped in an elaborate plot to overthrow the Shogun, Seikei's mission grows much more dangerous. With the help of a mysterious warrior, he must rescue the emperor before his sacred sword said to be unbeatable in battle falls into the wrong hands. Should he fail, bloodshed will stain the land.
Review
"[T]his installment may make readers feel as though they're walking into the middle of his story....[T]he action moves quickly and the mystery of the emperor's kidnapping is intriguing." School Library Journal
Review
"[T]he Hooblers write with flair about eighteenth-century Japan....[T]here's plenty of rousing action to propel the story forward, and, as always, Seikei makes a thoughtful hero. Unique to the genre." Booklist
Review
"Think Sherlock Holmes in the land of the shoguns. An under-the-radar delight!" Washington Post Book World
Synopsis
In the fourth entry in the Hooblers' engaging mystery series, samurai apprentice Seikei is sent on a mission to convince the 14-year-old emperor to resume his ceremonial duties. But when the young emperor is kidnapped, Seikei's mission grows much more dangerous.
About the Author
Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler are historians and authors of over sixty books, both fiction and nonfiction, mostly for young readers. They are the authors of the well-loved American Family Album series, including
The Japanese American Family Album, which was named a Carter G. Woodson Honor Book in 1997.
The Society for School Librarians International chose their book Showa: The Era of Hirohito for a best book award in 1991, and they have been cited for excellence by the Library of Congress, the Parents' Choice Foundation, Bank Street College, the International Reading Association, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the New York Public Library. The Hooblers make their home in New York City. They have one daughter and are active in community affairs.