Tomodachi the Edge of the World

by Simon Higgins
Tomodachi is Japanese for ‘friend’, which is a story based on friendship and war. There are two main protagonists, Daniel Marlowe and Kenji. The antagonists are numerous though the main ones are brigands and warlords along with their feuding armies.

Daniel, a white boy, is shipwrecked in Japan, in the year 1543. He meets Kenji; a young samurai and both embark on a journey together that leads them to freedom. However Japan is torn by civil war, where only the powerful and wise can survive.

Armies fight against each other to gain control of the empire and brigands loot innocent civilians. In between this crisis stand Daniel and Kenji, who work together to encounter more then just, armies and other samurais. So begins their unlikely friendship, a dangerous journey, and a series of gripping adventures across a beautiful land haunted by the shadow of war.

This book is a very fascinating, readable novel and I am sure those in the 10+ age group would enjoy it. The story also has various Japanese terms that are explained in the glossary, which makes reading even more educational and entertaining.
reviewed by Aman D. of year 9.