Young Samurai books in order

The Young Samurai series by Chris Bradford follows Jack Fletcher, an English boy shipwrecked in 17th-century Japan who trains as a samurai warrior, across 16 books.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Young samurai 2008 Chris Bradford N/A
2 The Way of the Warrior 2008 Chris Bradford Buy
3 The Way of the Sword 2009 Chris Bradford Buy
4 De weg van de draak 2010 Chris Bradford N/A
5 The Way of the Dragon 2010 Chris Bradford Buy
6 Young Samurai 2010 Chris Bradford N/A
7 The Ring of Water 2011 Chris Bradford Buy
8 The Ring of Water (Young Samurai, Book 5) 2011 Chris Bradford N/A
9 The Ring of Fire 2011 Chris Bradford Buy
10 The Ring of Fire (Young Samurai, Book 6) 2011 Chris Bradford N/A
11 The Ring of Wind 2012 Chris Bradford Buy
12 Young Samurai 05. The Ring of Wind 2012 Chris Bradford N/A
13 The Ring of Earth 2010 Chris Bradford Buy
14 The Way of Fire 2012 Chris Bradford Buy
15 The Ring of Sky 2012 Chris Bradford Buy
16 The Return of the Warrior 2019 Chris Bradford Buy

The Young Samurai series is Chris Bradford’s best-known work, with 16 books published between 2008 and 2019. The story follows Jack Fletcher, a young English boy who is shipwrecked on the coast of Japan in 1611. Taken in by a samurai master, Jack must learn the ways of the warrior to survive in a country where foreigners are treated with suspicion and hostility.

Bradford trained in martial arts and traveled to Japan to research the series, and that preparation shows in the detailed descriptions of samurai training, weaponry, and bushido philosophy. The series tracks Jack through years of study in different martial disciplines, each book focusing on a new skill or challenge. The Return of the Warrior (2019) brought the series full circle after more than a decade of publication.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Young Samurai series?

There are sixteen books in the Young Samurai series, published between 2008 and 2019.

What is the first book in the Young Samurai series?

The first book in the Young Samurai series is Young samurai, published in 2008.

Is the Young Samurai series historically accurate?

Bradford researched Japanese history, culture, and martial arts extensively for the series, including traveling to Japan. While the story is fictional, the historical setting, samurai training methods, and cultural details are grounded in real history. Bradford himself is a martial arts practitioner, which adds authenticity to the combat scenes.

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