Published December 1st by eReads. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Heart of the Ronin , please sign up. Lists with This Book. Kind of a parallel universe with this world during the Kamakura shogunate. Plus an apt mix of real and fantastic. Evokes another time and another place. A story as old as time. Multiple points of view and story arcs draw the reader into both this story and the culture at a pivotal moment in history. Enough threads were tied off to provide a satisfying conclusion to this volume, while unresolved threads draw the reader into the next.
The contrast is most telling when comparing the Samurai—not with the poor, but with the rich and powerful, but political. Ken-eshi is a masterless samurai called a Ronin in ancient feudal Japan. He possesses a legendary sword and is looking for a Lord to serve, but mostly he is hungry as he walks from village to village with his dog. It seems like any other feudal story except Ken-eshi is able to talk to his dog, he was raised by a tenga, and his sword seems to be able to warn him of danger.
Set in a could have been feudal Japan, this medieval Fantasy is a welcome change from the oftentimes feudal English countrysid Ken-eshi is a masterless samurai called a Ronin in ancient feudal Japan. Set in a could have been feudal Japan, this medieval Fantasy is a welcome change from the oftentimes feudal English countryside. The Ronin is forced early on in the story to kill a Samurai constable who thinks the young Ronin is an easy mark and dies for his mistake.
This is not the best thing because one of the Samurai's aides Toro hunts for the Ronin throughout the novel. Meanwhile, the young Ronin rescues a young Maiden being attacked by bandits and is forced to kill an Oni or demon, who is the leader of the bandits. The Oni has raped the Maiden's lady in waiting and the demon's poison gradually warps the woman.
Later the same thing happens to Toro who is attacked by the dieing Oni. Toro finds the young Ronin and attacks him but the Ronin, defeats him and cuts off his arm. However Toro does not stop hunting the Ronin and starts to gain powers from the Oni. He kills often and starts to blackout and wake up in the homes of murdered victims. So he becomes one pursuer of the Ronin.
Meanwhile the Ronin falls in love with the maiden, but his love is not to be as the killed Samurai story follows him --s uch that he has to leave the Lord and she ends up married to an older Lord who is unknowingly served by an evil crime lord -- the Green Tiger who is trying to help the Mongols take over Japan, and at the same time destroy the maiden's father and husband's houses. Lastly he is seeking the young Ronin's blade as he has recognized it and desires it. The novel has a lot of interesting plot lines and I am looking forward to reading the next one.
Apr 11, Carl Alves rated it it was amazing. Heart of the Ronin is set in feudal Japan, a setting that Travis Heermann wove into the story with great skill to the point where it almost becomes like an extra character in the story. The story's protagonist, Ken'ishi, is an outsider as his name would suggest. Taught in the art of the samurai by a most unusual instructor, Ken'ishi is a skilled warrior who is trying to find a place in society that isn't ready to accept him.
Besides his skill as a warrior, Ken'ishi is also able to speak with ani Heart of the Ronin is set in feudal Japan, a setting that Travis Heermann wove into the story with great skill to the point where it almost becomes like an extra character in the story. Besides his skill as a warrior, Ken'ishi is also able to speak with animals.
There is an inherent shyness and lack of confidence to his personality, which works well in the story. There are a good number of action and fighting scenes, which Heermann wrote with some skill. These were some of the more enjoyable scenes in the story. There is also a great deal of character development both with Ken'ishi and Yohachi. The pace of the story worked well, and there was sufficient tension throughout. From a technical standpoint, I enjoyed Heermann's prose. There was a level of professionalism that, as a fellow writer, I could admire.
Heart of the Ronin sets itself up for a sequel at the very least, and I would look forward to reading it. Carl Alves - author of Blood Street Why I listened to this audiobook? In generally, I am fascinated by all things Japanese. These promos coincided with the December release of the Kindle version of the book, even though the print and audiobooks were released in My one sentence summary: Ken'ichi, a wandering Ronin raised by a Tengu, searches to find his place in a politically vola Why I listened to this audiobook?
Ken'ichi, a wandering Ronin raised by a Tengu, searches to find his place in a politically volatile world. As I said at the start, I love everything connected to feudal Japan.
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Heermann is at his best when he switches into storyteller mode, and Ken'ichi is relating the stories from his upbringing. The interlude with the fox is particularly intriguing. The fight scenes are action-packed, and the characters appealing. This story confused me. At times, I felt it oscillated between middle grade novel and an explicit story.
The sexual references are clunky and clash with the supposed innocence of the characters.
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The overall tone is uneven. Characters are not consistent in their actions, personalities, and knowledge. The plot feels more like a collection of episodes rather than the progression of a unified story. There is no end. Granted this book is meant to be the first of a series, however, even books in a series must be books onto their own. Perhaps the least enjoyable part of listening to this audiobook was fighting my inner editor. Even though this book has been put in print by a publisher, it felt poorly edited.
Words were repeated often. The production of the audiobook was not without its own flaws. I honestly wish this book was a middle-grade Ronin adventure fable. It's got some solid characters but major flaws. Had I paid to read this book, I would have been disappointed. It makes me reconsider the quality of my own work.
I know how hard it is to finish a novel, let alone bring it to publication. However, this book feels like a trunk novel. It pains me to say so because I know someone might look at Between Love and Lust and think the same thing. Heart of the Ronin is an interesting historical fantasy set in the Japan of the late 's when the country is officially unified under the Minamoto Shogunate after the victory of that clan in the civil war against the Taira clan and the utter destruction of the Taira lines.
But the Minamoto proved themselves weak and a lesser line, the Hojo clan usurped the Shogun power though holding it in his name. On the continent the great Mongol Empire established by Genghis is at its height under the abl Heart of the Ronin is an interesting historical fantasy set in the Japan of the late 's when the country is officially unified under the Minamoto Shogunate after the victory of that clan in the civil war against the Taira clan and the utter destruction of the Taira lines.
And the Khan is not happy with Japan so he plans an invasion and Japanese nobles of the vanquished Taira line are more than happy to assist with intelligence and preparation. In this volatile mix, a young ronin - masterless - samurai Ken'ishi with a famous sword and mysterious parentage, as well as raised by a mythical creature of legend, a Tengu and able to talk with animals, tries to make a living. Challenged by an unscrupulous village constable who covets his sword, Ken'ishi easily kills him in duel, but he makes powerful enemies out of the constable friends and followers who blacken his name and try to have him killed.
Yatsuoki is a shadowy lesser noble, adviser to an important clan. But Yatsuoki is of the Taira clan and burns with the desire for power an vengeance. If Kublai is the path to that, Yatsuoki thinks nothing of betraying his country and his people. Kazuko is the only child of a landowning noble and she is the only hope of her father who taught her how to fight and plans for her to marry a powerful neighboring noble who is Yatsuoki's master.
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The destinies of Ken'ishi, Kazuko and Yatsuoki are clearly intertwined, though in this first novel we only start to glimpse how. A very good opening to the trilogy, I liked Heart of the Ronin a lot and it was a very fast read with sword battles, intrigue, romance and fantastic elements blending well with the historical ones. The only minor gripe I have is that the book ends at an arbitrary point in the action with nothing resolved, the big picture barely touched upon, so we have to wait for the next volume to find out what happens with our heroes.
Dec 02, Julia Dvorin rated it really liked it Shelves: I read the whole Ronin trilogy one after another so this review is really of the whole thing. I liked these books a lot, and they definitely kept me interested the whole way through. A very satisfying series overall. There are things in here I liked a great deal - enough that I bought the book after reading the sample. The problem is that the author has too many plots running at the same time.
Some authors can handle this number of simultaneous stories. This one, sadly, could not. Not only that, but I have a pretty good idea how the series is going to end. To many plot points within the book were too clearly telegraphed for me to believe that there will be a twist later in the series. Mar 08, Thomas A. Great dynamic between characters with such great relationships.
So glad I supported the Kickstarter for Sword of the Ronin. Nov 09, J. Long rated it did not like it. This was a really bad book. It demonstrated absolutely no understanding of actual social and political dynamics of 13th century Japan. Just the premise of being trained by someone to become a samurai is ridiculous. Samurai, for what I feel like is the th time I've said it, is a social class.
You are BORN a samurai, or raised to the status as a bloodline by the shogun or emperor. A farmer cannot become a samurai. It isn't a catch all for warrior. Just that premise alone, jarring This was a really bad book. Just that premise alone, jarring vocabulary, a lack of cultural awareness and just really bad pacing, writing and everything, made this a DIFFICULT, nearly impossible read.
Very Good Japanese fantasy I picked it up because i liked the cover, I know I know "Don't judge a book yada yada", and it was a free read. And then read it cover to cover in a day. I bought the second book immediately. Dec 31, Shelly rated it liked it Shelves: I have been pleasantly surprised by this book. The characters are interesting, and I want to know how their stories turn out.
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This is a very well researched highly readable novel. It has a cracking storyline that hooks you from the first chapter and keeps you reading right through to the end because it is structured in such a way as to end each chapter on a cliffhanger. Travis Heerman knows his Japanese history, culture, customs, and mythology inside out, and even when he stretches the facts to fit the story, he does it in such a way that it remains convincing whether or not the reader has an intimate knowledge of Japan This is a very well researched highly readable novel.
Travis Heerman knows his Japanese history, culture, customs, and mythology inside out, and even when he stretches the facts to fit the story, he does it in such a way that it remains convincing whether or not the reader has an intimate knowledge of Japan. The setting is authentic, from the historical references, the pending Mongolian Invasion, and the characters from mythology, to the clothes the characters wear, and even the way they communicate with each other.
It is meticulous in detail, without distracting you from the plot. The fight scenes with the demon and his band in particular are not for the squeamish. There was a colorful cast of characters which all rang true. I was particularly impressed with the tension that Heerman created between male protagonist Kenishi and the female protagonist Kazuko.
There are moments that are touching, especially when Kenishi relates his childhood training, and as they get to know each other the sexual tension increases. Even though it is a trilogy I would expect it to be a little more self contained. There are a distracting number of plot threads unfinished and characters not fully played out. In spite of this being the first book in a trilogy I thought there needed to be just a little more closure at the end.
I found there were far too many questions unanswered at the end of the book. But saying that I am so glad that this story will be continued over another couple of books and I will be at the front of the queue for the next installment. A rollicking good story! Sep 10, Mitchell rated it really liked it Shelves: I was given the second book in the trilogy by Goodreads First Reads giveaways. In the aftermath of the violence in Charlottesville President Trump noted that both sides were to blame for the violence.
His remarks set off a firestorm of righteous indignation in both major political parties. Most of those excoriating him failed to perform even the most rudimentary examination of the facts to determine if, perhaps he was speaking from a well-informed position, instead of assuming he was shooting from the lip. The reality of the violence in Charlottesville is that i.
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Left vs Right Politics and Libertarians. I am sure you won't be shocked to know that recently I have been exchanging some ideas online about politics with a variety of people. During one of these exchanges, while we were discussing what is politically left and right, I found and posted the chart above showing politics as a spectrum from left to right with the axis reflecting the degree of power given to government versus individuals. A friend countered with a diagram created by the founder of Libertarianism showing p.
From gravity and calculus to the workings of the human mind and heart. I have learned many things in my life, from how a flower on a tree becomes an apple to how energy is transformed into matter and back again into energy as the apple tree takes in the energy of the sun, turns some of it into apples which I eat and my body transforms back into energy to power m.
Bullies v the Silent Majority. As TrumpTrauma continues to fascinate the nation, the following true story, posted today by a friend of mine shows what is wrong in the US today and why Trump won this election. It is a sad story. The day after the election my oldest son, Baker, asked my wife if a friend of his, a Muslim girl, would have to be deported now that Trump was elected. Lauren explained to him that we should always stand up and protect others, especially those in the minority, and that she would not be deported.
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Are you one of those feeling Trump Trauma in the aftermath of the Presidential election of ? If you are, then read on TrumpTrauma has been sweeping the country in the aftermath of the election. Many of those who backed Hilary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, or one of the many other candidates whose aspirations were dashed in this election cycle, are taking to the streets to voice their discontent with their new president. Humanity in general and the people of the US and Western Europe in particular have been steadily replacing their faith in God with faith in Government.
This worship of government I call Godvernment. I believe I first coined the phrase in a post about a year ago when I rolled out this blog. Since then, several sites have sprung up under the heading of Godvernment. Feel free to take a moment to fire up Google and check it out. Or just use this link Tim Kaine and Mike Pence both claim to be devout Christians. Both were brought up Catholic. However, I have not let my concerns for my loved ones blind me to the bigger picture here.
I wanted to know, has anyone else noticed that the Black Lives Matter n. Dems Sit-in to Bully for Gun Control. So today, the Wall Street Journal has a front page picture of Democrats staging a sit-in on the floor of Congress in order to force a vote on gun control legislation. Ostensibly, their agenda is to pass legislation that will prevent suspected terrorists from buying guns. While that sounds like a noble idea, as I pointed out the other day in my Pulse Frame Up article, the noble title of their effort is actually simply a way to frame a discussion that is, in reality, a ve.
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She was telling us about how she had managed to leverage her successful modeling career into establishing several thriving businesses. She expressed her thanks to God for these blessings, and then threw out a word of caution. She stated that she does not believe in the Prosperity Gospel. And then she referenced books like ". Real Husbands Don't Make Sitcoms. Recently a divorced father I know posted a Facebook plea to the women in his life to consider the tremendous importance of their role as mothers and to devote their time to being full-time mothers to their children.
While I wholeheartedly agree with this young man about the relative importance of being a mother over a whatever contributions could be made through a career, this man is overlooking a couple of very important ingredients that would enable a woman to make the life-changing for. It is a wonderful Thanksgiving tradition which I hope to honor by sharing it here likewise. The first part is an excerpt from the journal of one of the founders of Plymouth Colony.
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Heart of the Ronin
If your career is going fine, it is u. By reading this, you. A Guide to Self-Directed Learning. A Guide to Self Directed LearningbyTom Sheppard Learning on your own, figuring out what you need to learn and how to learn it is an essential skill to help you to successfully navigate the ever changing job environment. If you are out of a job right now, this could make the difference between languishing in unemployment and getting a better paying job than what you had before.
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