Path Of the Assassin, Vol. 2: Sand And Flower (v. 2) [Paperback]

Kazuo Koike (Author), Goseki Kojima (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 2006

It's not easy being Hattori Hanzo. If he's not teaching the young and upcoming shogun how to love, then he's either behind the scenes teaching Ieyasu how not to die in case of a momentary lapse of protection. Or he might be in the shadows making sure Ieyasu's leadership is effective by any means necessary. If you thought you had a tough job, try taking a pudgy, protected youngster, and making him into the leader who would unite Japan under his singular rule. In this quasi-historical tale from the masters of Japanese samurai culture, Path of the Assassin shows a side of feudal japan that entertains with action as well as political drama.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In the second installment of Koike and Kojima's dual-biography, Ieyasu Motonobu, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, and Hattori Hanzo, his ninja bodyguard, move onto the historical stage and advance their love lives. Anticipating that he won't be able to serve both master and wife, Hattori turns away the young woman he won in Serving in the Dark (2006). To learn how to fulfill his wife, Ieyasu has Hattori spy out how a studly warlord pleases his. Here, instead of the many stories of the episodic Samurai Assassin, Koike and Kojima are unfolding a huge story arc, with comparable artfulness. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (September 12, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593075030
• ISBN-13: 978-1593075033
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #529,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History as it Happened, December 22, 2006

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Juan C. Depaz - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Path Of the Assassin, Vol. 2: Sand And Flower (v. 2) (Paperback)

Hanzo the ninja and the future master of Japan continue learning about life and each other, encountering historical personajes and personal heartbreak. Ieyashu must continue to walk on the edge of a knife as he tries to be a feudal lord and not make the lord who keeps him as a hostage see him as a treat and kill him. It will only get harder. And he can find no joy at home with his cold, unloving wife. Although he has a plan to make her less cold...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice escape to Feudal Japan, July 12, 2007

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A. Lung "Sketching Supplies Scholar" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Path Of the Assassin, Vol. 2: Sand And Flower (v. 2) (Paperback)

If you enjoyed "Lone Wolf and Cub" and "Samurai Executioner" from the same creative team, this series will not disappoint. It adds the ninja point-of-view to this well-crafted fiction of Feudal Japan. The depiction of ninja combat and techniques is handled realistically as opposed to the "ninja magic" of fantasy books. Due to graphic violence and sexual content the series is clearly for mature readers.

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but complicated, July 13, 2009

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Timoleon Kiritsis (Athens, Greece) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Path Of the Assassin, Vol. 2: Sand And Flower (v. 2) (Paperback)

Like the other two series "Lone Wolf and Cub" and "Samurai Executioner", "Path of the Assasin" is a very pleasant book for one to read. But unlike the other two series, there is a focus on the geopolitical events of that era in japan and much less battles. Also it is almost impossible to remember all the different names and charactes that take part on the plot.