Samurai [Library Binding]

Jason Hightman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 22, 2006

They prey on human weakness.
Feed on human misery.
Revel in human pain.

Dragons. Masquerading as regular men and women, they walk unnoticed among their victims. But there are those who can see past the serpents' disguises. Simon St. George and his father, Aldric, the last living descendants of the legendary Saint George, drive fear into the hearts of the western dragons whom they hunt.

In the Far East, the St. Georges must face a new threat of Asian dragons, aided by the samurai, a group of warriors bound by a pledge to rid their land of the creatures. As the dragons stealthily prepare for an international annihilation, the two groups must join forces to save mankind.

Brimming with unforgettable dragon lore and exotic adventure, Jason Hightman's riveting sequel to The Saint of Dragons delves deeper into the raging war between humans and dragons.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–In this adventure-filled sequel to The Saint of Dragons (HarperCollins, 2004), descendants of the famed St. George fight to rid the world of dragon demons responsible for all of the world's problems. The demons have human forms, their serpentine beings seen only by the Dragonhunters, a species that includes Aldric St. George and his teenage son, Simon. Here, they must find Alaythia, a magician who assists them in their struggles and a love interest for Aldric. Their quest involves them in life-threatening combat with a series of dragons that has unleashed such evils as sweatshops, medical science gone awry, and eating disorders. Their search leads them to Japan, where they form a shaky alliance with descendants of the ancient samurai warriors led by Taro and his magician wife, whose son Kyoshi is Simon's cousin. Their common goal is the destruction of the Dragon of Japan and Dragon of Bombay. After many botched attempts caused largely by cultural differences, East and West reluctantly unite to defeat the evil serpents. Hightman has created an adventure filled with twists and turns that will keep readers riveted until the conclusion. Grotesque and violent scenes may repel some. This is definitely a plot-driven book, though some complex characters add to the depth of the complicated story. Fans of Christopher Paolini's Eragon (Knopf, 2003) will surely find it a good choice.–Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

The madcap pace of The Saint of Dragons (2004) continues in this antic sequel in which Simon St. George and his father, Aldric, continue their pursuit of evil dragons. This time the Swedish Ice Dragon is plotting not only to kill the Dragonhunters but also to bring together the Dragon of Japan and the Tiger Dragon of India to mate and produce even more powerful progeny. Learning of the possibility of another St. George descendent living in Japan, the St. George father and son go there, where they are confronted by the Asian Order of the Serpentkillers, charged with the protection of Kyoshi, son of Aldric's now dead brother. Although the Samurais move with deliberation and Aldric tends to jump in recklessly, the two orders are able to unite into a fantasy romp filled with frenzied action and a lot of slapstick humor. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Library Binding: 320 pages
• Publisher: Eos (August 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006054015X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060540159
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,637,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A guilty pleasure but definitely a pleasure, September 2, 2006

By 

mo'reader (maine USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Samurai (Hardcover)

The remarkable thing about this book is its pace. It is non-stop. Truly. The villain characters are the most memorable, a completely new vision of dragons--walking around in the modern world disguised as human beings--but the heroes, a teenaged warrior and his father, are certainly interesting and unconventional, given the modern day setting.

But it's the absolute page-turner part of this that gets me. It may not be the most deeply meaningful story for kids, but I can tell you, seeing it firsthand in our house, kids over the age of about 10 will NOT BE ABLE TO STOP READING, especially if they are boys, from what I've seen.

I think based on that, I have to recommend it fully. Because how many times do you have a book that gets a kid's interest like that??

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fun urban fantasy, September 2, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Samurai (Hardcover)

Dragons are responsible for the miseries of the world, but only the St. Georges can see them and use the Deathspell to kill them. These malevolent beasts cause natural catastrophes as they live off the suffering and pain of humanity that comes with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that they inflict on mankind. Aldric St. George, his son Simon, and the Magician Alaythia are under constant attack from dragons. Research reveals that when a magician falls in love with a knight, she emits a sound that only dragons hear; that hum irritates them so much they track it down to the source to kill the Magician.

Alaythia leaves her beloved men to find a way to muffle the sound in order to keep her mate and his son safe. However Aldric and Simon refuse to let her go alone and catch up to her in Japan where they meet dragon hunting samurai and a St. George they never knew existed. When the Dragon of Japan goes to India, the Tiger Dragon wants to mate with him, then she plans to kill him afterward so he is out of her way while raising their offspring to rule the world. Aldric and company follow knowing they must stop the mating before the carnage begins.

Although SAMURAI is aimed at a teen audience, adults will enjoy this fun urban fantasy though the plot is a bit over the top. The fast-paced story line contains fully developed characters especially the heroic trio who work so well together. However, the key to this solid tale is the antagonists as each dragon is unique with distinct personality traits and eccentricities.

Harriet Klausner

4.0 out of 5 stars Dragonhunters, June 9, 2009

By 

Laura C. Perenic (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Samurai (Saint of Dragons) (Paperback)

In Hightman's sequel to Saint of Dragons, Simon St. George and his estranged father Aldric are globe trotting in search of Alaythia a powerful witch whose love for Aldric is attracting dragons. While on this dangerous mission the pair meets up with Samurai, Japanese dragonhunters, who protect a St. George family secret. United to fight numerous dragons, the dragonhunter's mission is more interesting than the characters, who remain flat throughout the action driven story. Although the plot heavy story would appeal to a younger audience, the descriptions of the atrocities perpetrated over the years by the dragons is sickening and not appropriate for this same age group. Hightman's book is difficult to read (it took me nearly a month) and its odd combination of simplicity and violence makes it tricky to know whom this book was intended for. Fortunately its not necessary to read the first book to make sense of Samurai.