The Sword That Saves is the incredible debut series from author Ambrose Merrell. Discover more about the book series, Ambrose Merrell, and the real Kensho who inspired (and possibly more) the story.
*Spoiler alert*: Don't become a Guardian until you've read The Osawa Scrolls!
Careful, this is no ordinary story. It could change your life forever.
Sure, it begins ordinarily enough. It has three orphans: Sam, 15, is fostered separately from his two sisters, Zoe, 14 and Sophie, 12. Trying to reunite with his sisters, Sam has a seemingly random encounter with a martial arts master who has a sword which is decidedly un-ordinary. Magical, perhaps.This is where things begin to get interesting, but still, perhaps, ordinary for an epic fantasy, time-travelling, coming-of-age story. Sam, Zoe, and Sophie get flung back to feudal Japan where they have to battle a Yokai Lord (think properly evil sorcerer) to save the powerful swords, themselves, and humanity.
In order to defeat Darkness incarnate, the siblings need to master their unique gifts. This means getting to grips with the same ancient wisdom samurai warriors sought to master. When they weren't slicing enemies in half, samurai were trying to master Zen. Why? Because they desperately wanted what Zen masters have: fear of nothing. Not even death. This is what Sam, Zoe, and Sophie have to master, in between being flung through time, attacks by the evil beasts of Darkness, escaping the Land of the Dead, etc.
And here, my book-reading friend, is where you could make this story extraordinary. You could read it as the fantastic page turner that it is. Brilliant, but not extraordinary. Or, you could begin the journey to join the ranks of the greatest samurai who ever lived. Those samurai who penetrated the veil of illusion, ended all their suffering, and became fearless, even of death itself.
Choose wisely.
The Osawa Scrolls is available for purchase now at most Amazon stores
The King of the Tengu is available to purchase now at most Amazon stores
The Rise of Darkness is available to purchase now at most Amazon stores
Book four in the series is currently being written, with more books to follow!
The adventure is just beginning...
"When my own grandson reaches his teens, I'll present 'The Sword That Saves' to him with as much hope and reverence as a master swordsman passes his teacher's katana to his own disciple."
"The Sword that Saves is a gripping novel that has many compelling twists and turns. Every page holds a new question, followed by half an answer that leads you to another question. Every time you think you've figured something out everything changes.
There are so many great characters and settings woven throughout the story that is almost impossible to put down. When I pick it up I can feel myself sucked into modern day Vancouver, before being flung back into 16th century Japan."
Fantastic story by debut author! A beautifully well-written book and definitely one for adults as well as teens. I don't know much about the history of Japan or Aikido, so found the detail interesting without being overwhelming. The characters are well rounded and very relatable and the story was very well thought out. I read a lot of adventure, fantasy and sci-fi books and of everything I've read recently this has been, by far, the most compelling. I eagerly await the next installment...
This is a fantastic adventure! It's a great unfolding story supported by universal lessons of hope, courage and perseverance. My son loved it and is looking forward to a sequel.
Great book! Found this book by accident and took a chance on buying it. Great read. Think I'm in at the start of something and can't wait to read the next part (hope there will be one). The detail is amazing and as I'm into manga and samurai and all stuff like that this is just great...
The late Reverend Kensho Furuya was a Zen priest, an aikido master, an iaido (Japanese swordsmanship) master, and a world expert on samurai swords. He was also my friend.
He wrote a book called Kodo: Ancient Ways that I stumbled upon and began to read. It was filled with wonderful stories about Japanese martial artists from years gone by. I learnt so much, not just about aikido and the martial arts, but about how to live life.
Kensho and I began to exchange emails and we became friends. However, I lived in England and he lived in Los Angeles so it was difficult for us to meet. The years passed by until at last I was due to visit him and meet him face to face in April 2007. But on the 6th March 2007, in his dojo and surrounded by his beloved students, he died suddenly.
At the very least Kensho has been a huge inspiration for The Sword That Saves. But I believe his role is much more than just that...
More information about Reverend Kensho Furuya can be found through his dojo:
Aikido Center of Los Angeles
Below is a review of The Osawa Scrolls written by David Ito Sensei, the current head of the dojo and long-time student of Furuya Sensei:
Excellent book. Definitely worth a read. You won't be disappointed
Every once in a while, my beliefs get challenged and I realize that I am wrong. I used to think that to consider yourself a student of a teacher that you had to actually be in the physical presence of that teacher. I am here today to tell you that is not always true. It has been almost 10 years since Furuya Sensei passed away. Most of his so called students have left for greener pastures. A few have still remained fighting the good fight. Recently, there have been a couple of people that followed Sensei via the internet that have demonstrated that they not only were his students but are in fact more loyal and grateful to him than the students who trained directly under him.
One of those people is Ambrose Merrell. This year Ambrose published his very first book titled, The Sword that Saves. It is a very ambitious first book that he takes on with courage and sense of honest that we don’t see today in books. It is a fictional story about a troubled boy who finds his martial arts master and ultimately finds his way in life thorough Aikido, Iaido, and Japanese culture. The book is well written and is not predictable at all. I found myself riveted and could not put it down.
Ambrose deftly weaves Aikido and martial arts themes with life lessons in a coming of age story. What makes this book special is that one of the main characters is based on Sensei. Most times, I would have turned my nose up to something like this as I let out an audible sigh of disgust. When I came upon the part which introduced Sensei, I was at first very hesitant, but Ambrose does an excellent job of immortalizing Sensei and paying homage to him. I was also blown away at the detail in which he describes the dojo having never been there.
Japanese culture and etiquette can be very nuanced and I often have discussions with people who are fluent and miss the point. Ambrose is able to eloquently convey Japanese traditional themes without over complicating them. This book is an excellent read for anyone who wants to start learning more about Japanese culture without trying to learn about Japanese culture. The story is excellent too and I hope that Ambrose does not make us wait too long for the next installment. I wholeheartedly suggest this book to people of any age who want to learn more about martial arts and Japanese culture or if they just want to read a book that is well written.
Ambrose grew up playing in the fields around Cambridge, England (one of the flattest places on Earth) and dreaming of adventures in the Misty Mountains.
For a decade he ran a software business. A nervous breakdown and depression sent him spiralling down towards suicide. His training in the martial art, aikido, along with his (sometimes laughable) attempts at embodying the teachings of the Tao Te Ching and Zen Buddhism brought him back. That and frequently hugging a fir tree: a story for another time...
Then, from somewhere unknowable, the story that became The Sword That Saves was given to him and he began to write. He has not stopped, though many have begged him to. No! That's unkind. Almost everyone who reads his books loves them, it seems.
But then Ambrose doesn't claim to have created the story. As he says, "The story has been given to me. I'm not entirely sure from where (or from whom) it comes but it flows through me. I'm more a transcriber than an author. I'm the guardian of this fabulous story and it is my responsibility to share it as far and wide as possible."
He lives on a little island off the coast of British Columbia, Canada on the traditional and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, with his partner and their daughter. When he's not writing he likes to lift heavy(ish) stones, hew logs with his Japanese axe, practise his bokken and jo, and play field hockey (with the odd beer thrown in.) He loves to roam the forests and mountains of BC and he's probably happiest sitting beside a mountain stream deep in the wilderness. Just as long as there aren't too many mosquitoes for company. Apparently his blood is ambrosia to mozzies.
Find out more about Ambrose, his dance with depression and the origin of the story by becoming a Guardian of The Sword That Saves. And get a free copy of the prequel short story, The Age of the Guardians. Just sign up using the link above.
Ambrose would love to hear from you:
ambrose@ambrosemerrell.com
