Review of The Way of the Sword
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Chiwelite Obioma Mgbeoji
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Review of The Way of the Sword
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Way of the Sword" by Luke Herbel.]
The Way of the Sword, a novel by Luke Herbel, begins with Colton, a gravedigger sent by Deacon Rodrigo to dig a grave for a deceased war veteran, finding something mysterious at the spot he was to dig. Luke takes us to five years earlier, where he centers the remainder of the book around the Stanford brothers, Paul and Roland. It describes their lives in college, their lives after college, and their lives in the dojo.
The kendo combat of Japanese origin was properly explained in this book. In the book, Roland and Paul spent most of their time in the dojo, mastering the art of kendo combat. Their senseis, Charlie and Gary, did a great job training them and nurturing them into great fighters. When a new girl and team captain, Kirino Ishida, the daughter of one of the senseis, Sensei Abbey Ishida, arrived at the club and defeated both brothers in combat, Paul was not happy. He had already seen himself as a ruthless fighter and felt he was a more deserving team captain. Roland and Kirino started nursing a friendship after her father's death, and Paul, noticing this growing friendship, became more resentful. Roland and Kirino were abducted and taken to an unknown location. Roland then learns about some of the secrets his father had before he died.
One thing I admired about the book was the way the kendo combat was well explained. I learned a lot from just reading this book. The writing was so descriptive that I could picture each scene perfectly. I learned about Japanese culture and Roman Catholicism in Japan. I also appreciated the fact that Roland stuck to his faith and did not allow his brother's mischief to get to him. He remained nice and merciful throughout the book. I also liked the fact that despite the condition they first met, Roland and Kirino decided to try out a friendship. It relates so much to reality. I’ve seen a lot of competitors become very good friends, and I was glad that that was the situation with them.
The only thing I did not like about the book was that I found some parts of the book confusing. I was a bit confused with the abduction scene. I didn’t understand how Roland and Kirino both visited a part of their past and saw things that they hadn’t experienced initially. I was also a bit confused about whether they were abducted because of Roland’s father, Ryan, or if they were abducted to be used as assassins. I did not appreciate my confusion.
Consequently, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I deducted a star from my rating because of the negative aspect mentioned above. I did not deduct any more stars from my rating because the book was an amazing read. It was also exceptionally well-edited. The lack of errors in the book ensured that I appreciated it more. I recommend this book to lovers of Japanese martial art.
******
The Way of the Sword
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Way of the Sword, a novel by Luke Herbel, begins with Colton, a gravedigger sent by Deacon Rodrigo to dig a grave for a deceased war veteran, finding something mysterious at the spot he was to dig. Luke takes us to five years earlier, where he centers the remainder of the book around the Stanford brothers, Paul and Roland. It describes their lives in college, their lives after college, and their lives in the dojo.
The kendo combat of Japanese origin was properly explained in this book. In the book, Roland and Paul spent most of their time in the dojo, mastering the art of kendo combat. Their senseis, Charlie and Gary, did a great job training them and nurturing them into great fighters. When a new girl and team captain, Kirino Ishida, the daughter of one of the senseis, Sensei Abbey Ishida, arrived at the club and defeated both brothers in combat, Paul was not happy. He had already seen himself as a ruthless fighter and felt he was a more deserving team captain. Roland and Kirino started nursing a friendship after her father's death, and Paul, noticing this growing friendship, became more resentful. Roland and Kirino were abducted and taken to an unknown location. Roland then learns about some of the secrets his father had before he died.
One thing I admired about the book was the way the kendo combat was well explained. I learned a lot from just reading this book. The writing was so descriptive that I could picture each scene perfectly. I learned about Japanese culture and Roman Catholicism in Japan. I also appreciated the fact that Roland stuck to his faith and did not allow his brother's mischief to get to him. He remained nice and merciful throughout the book. I also liked the fact that despite the condition they first met, Roland and Kirino decided to try out a friendship. It relates so much to reality. I’ve seen a lot of competitors become very good friends, and I was glad that that was the situation with them.
The only thing I did not like about the book was that I found some parts of the book confusing. I was a bit confused with the abduction scene. I didn’t understand how Roland and Kirino both visited a part of their past and saw things that they hadn’t experienced initially. I was also a bit confused about whether they were abducted because of Roland’s father, Ryan, or if they were abducted to be used as assassins. I did not appreciate my confusion.
Consequently, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I deducted a star from my rating because of the negative aspect mentioned above. I did not deduct any more stars from my rating because the book was an amazing read. It was also exceptionally well-edited. The lack of errors in the book ensured that I appreciated it more. I recommend this book to lovers of Japanese martial art.
******
The Way of the Sword
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Veil of Secrecy by Margaret Franceschini
