The Way of the Sword by Chris Bradford

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Normally, I'd give anything involving the martial arts a very wide berth but Chris Bradford's The Way of the Sword is addictive. It's about an English boy, Jack, shipwrecked in Japan in the 17th century, adopted by a local warrior struggling to protect his father's navigational charts from a sinister ninja called Dragoneye. It occupies the same territory as Harry Potter, not least in that it's a boarding school story. Jack is training to be a samurai, and at the One School of Two Heavens he has loyal friends, including a clever girl warrior, and sneery, unpleasant enemies, one of whom is also engaged in an ancient competition called the Circle of Three. I could give you a list of parallels with HP but, believe me, there are heaps.

Synopsis by Foyles.co.uk

One year of training in samurai school and Jack Fletcher is in real trouble ...Not only is he struggling to prepare for the Circle of Three, an ancient ritual that tests a samurai's courage, skill and spirit to the limit, he's caught in a running battle with fellow student Kazuki and his gang. But these are the least of Jack's problems. He knows his deadly rival - the ninja Dragon Eye - could strike at any moment. Jack possesses the very thing he will kill for. Can Jack master the Way of the Sword in time to survive a fight to the death?