Moonshadow: Rise of the Ninja

Amazing! I saw it advertised in a nat geo mag and asked my parents to buy it for me. It was everything i expected,from the ninja fights to the story.

The book was a bit slow in the beginning but that was overshadowed by the exciting events that happen later in the book. I wish Simon Higgins would write more in the series soon. I can't wait!

Well written book but a little to much p.c. Really, a somewhat non-violent Ninja??? Who would have thought. The plot and story were good and the book was fast paced but we could use just a little more butt-kickin attitude from Moonshadow.

This was for karate. I never would have read it otherwise, and wasn't the biggest fan of it. It wasn't exciting enough and had too many Japanese terms that I couldn't remember, so I had a hard time remembering if the people who were near him were good or bad and which ones each of them were.

As a mother who screens everything her 11-year-old daughter reads, I had previously (as well as said daughter) thoroughly enjoyed Maya Snow's "The Sisters of the Sword" series and was looking for more stories set in medieval Japan. Our wonderful librarians introduced us to "Heart of a Samurai" by Margi Preus, another excellent book, and while waiting to get checked out, I came across "Moonshadow: Rise of the Ninja" by Simon Higgins - and what a lucky find that was! Simon Higgins, a writer who should write his own life story some time, dies a fantastic job summarizing the differences between "samurai", "ninja" and "ronin" in a few short paragraphs, and takes us on a thrill ride that reflects the author's own martial arts training.The writing is precise and controlled, and even if at times, the story itself is a little predictable, I enjoyed the excursion tremendously. This is a great book for boys, actually, who are interested in either martial arts or Japan. Coincidentally, both "Moonshadow" and "Heart" came to us just in the weeks following the tsunami and earthquake in Japan, and it is obvious that both authors understand and appreciate the stoicism and bravery of the Japanese people in the face of tremendous tragedy, both historically and currently. Happily, in "Moonshadow", Simon Higgins' used his admiration for the Japanese and knowledge of his art (both writing and martial arts) start and maintain the pace of the adventure. We are really looking forward to "The Nightmare Ninja"! In said daughter's own words:"Moonshadow is the newest agent of the Grey Light Order, a secret brotherhood of ninja spy warriors in medieval Japan who try to do good in the world. For his first mission, Moonshadow is sent to retrieve the plans of a new gun in the hands of an evil samurai. But will Moonshadow's first mission be successful? Or will his feelings for a rival spy, Snowhawk, cause his failure ... and death in the arms of the Deathless, a legend samurai who killed his own master and has the ability to stop his own blood from spilling when he is cut?"My favorite part in the book was when Moonshadow decided to save a bunch of farmers from bandits even though he wasn't supposed to let anything get in-between his mission because he felt sorry for them and decided to trust his gut and rescue them. I think that that showed bravery, kindness and quick thinking."I would give the book five stars: two for the plot, two for the characters, and one for the writing. Like John Flanagan, bestselling author of `The Ranger's Apprentice', I agree that this book is `masterful.' The book, `Moonshadow: Rise of the Ninja' by Simon Higgins is a great book!"

Set in Japan at the end of the medieval period and dawn of the Tokugawa era, this exciting, action-packed novel tells the story of young Moonshadow, an orphan who has been raised to be a member of the Grey Light Order, a secret brotherhood of ninja spy warriors. The members of the order are the closest thing he has ever had to a family, and he feels a strong loyalty to them. Moonshadow is not only highly trained in all sorts of weapons and disguises, he has a unique ability known in the book as The Eye of the Beast, which allows him to link his mind to that of an animal, using its senses to see.His first mission pits him against Silver Wolf, a powerful samurai who is plotting to disturb the new peace in Japan, with the help of European allies. Silver Wolf has plans that could change the face of Japan forever--designs for guns that can file multiple times, with improved accuracy. Moonshadow's mission: to break into Silver Wolf's well-guarded castle and steal the plans. He must overcome not only a special crack team assembled by Silver Wolf to guard his castle, but also another ninja--a girl--sent to steal the plans as well.Simon Higgins has unique qualifications to write about this period of Japanese history. A former detective, he is not only an award-winning children's author in Australia, he is also an expert in Iaido, the Japanese art of sword-drawing and duelling. His intimate knowledge of weaponry, armor, and other fighting implements definitely shines through in the book, with its very detailed and realistic action sequences. Higgins also provides plenty of local color through Japanese vocabulary scattered through the text; many of these words will be familiar to manga/anime fans but Higgins provides a useful glossary, complete with definitions and how to pronounce the foreign words.Teachers notes on Higgins' website provide excellent historical and cultural context for the novel. Higgins explains that "the world of Moonshadow is romanticized or fantasy-enhanced history, rather than traditional epic fantasy in the Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia mode." Many of the elements of the story, including the city of Edo, the Tokaido (Japan's great highway), and the shinobi-ninja secret weapons and practices are based on historical fact, as are many of the religious traditions depicted.A sequel, Moonshadow: The Wrath of Silver Wolf, was published in Australia in 2009 and I expect it will be available in the U.S. as well in the near future.This novel is likely to be very popular with young people who like action-adventure novels, particularly boys. It's a great book to recommend to young people who are fans of Japanese manga and anime. Highly recommended for school and public libraries, as well as for summer reading.

Wonderful coming of age ninja story! Really one of the better, more authentic ninja novels I have ever read. Highly recommended!

Son likes the book and is looking forward to more. Service and seller were great. Thanks