Sword of Honor (Saga of Musashi Miyamoto, #2)

by David Kirk

[Beth C.]

The Way. In Japanese history, this was "the way of the sword", and it was a code of honor for all samurai to live by. A code that included seppuku, the ritual killing of oneself when one has displeased someone of higher rank or dishonored The Way. Musashi Miyamoto is fighting The Way, and eventually becomes the greatest samurai in Japanese history. However, in 'Sword of Honor', Miyamoto is far from becoming the legend he will be. Here, we finding him with a price on his head, having insulted a member of the prestigious Yoshioka school. As he is trying to survive, he is simultaneously crafting what ends up being his legacy and taking on the Yoshioka samurai for what he feels are their failures.

Having read the first book in this series, and having enjoyed it, I was looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately, this one spends a lot of time standing still in various spots. That's not to say that the story itself isn't interesting, just that it seemed to drag on more than necessary. There were times - several of them - when I really wasn't sure I wanted to pick up the book to continue reading.

After finally finishing it, I can say that I would be interested in reading the next one when it comes out, though I'm not sure I would choose to search for it. I do find Miyamoto a fascinating character, particularly given the struggles he faced and the culture of rigidity he was trying to change. Overall, this was worth reading, and would be a good gift for fans of Japanese history.