This is the second book in a series telling the story of Kenny Blackwood, a young boy chosen by the God Inari to be her champion and to fight on the side of right. In Book 1 He was awarded Kusanagi, a magical sword that appears at his bidding to aid him in his endeavours.
Kenny Blackwood's story continues but slowly Kiyomi, his girl friend, is dying and being taken over by an oni - a bloodthirsty ogre. A threat has developed in which an organisation, with oni as its henchmen, are trying to take over the world and the only thing that stands in their way is Kenny - and where Kenny goes Kiyomi goes, at her own connivance and insistence. She isn't his girlfriend only his girl friend. Are we convinced?
A magical fantasy, set in Japan, which starts fast and just gets faster. With lots of references to Japanese culture the reader gets an insight into the tea ceremony, shrines to gods, legends and myths and so much more.
Monsters come at you thick and fast, and, if you put the book down, the story is moving so fast that you expect to pick it up and have missed something. Fear not, you don't - I tried it. It contains a lot of violence, as most fast paced stories do, along with tension but both are very much at the surface level that holds the young reader's attention without being so graphic or tense to upset anyone.
It contains monsters that the average person could never conceive of and a new one on almost every page. But balanced with this is science... from mobile phones and computers to satellites and space mirrors.
There is a love story but it doesn't dominate or spoil the plot because neither character will admit to it. And while Kenny is saving the world Kiyomi is busy saving Kenny - time and time again - and this balance of the two main characters means this book is truly going to appeal equally to both girls and boys. But why stop there? I am a little outside the teen market (by about 40 years) and I loved it. It's a "suspend disbelief" novel - as so many good ones are - and it manages from about page one to make that clear. Is Kenny going to save Kiyomi? Is Kiyomi going to save Kenny? This is Book 2 of a series...
I truly loved this book and any child who likes fantasy will it too.
Publisher - Egmont Books
Genre - Children's/Teen fantasy/scifi
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