The Name of the Blade

by Zoe Marriott

Overview

Ancient Japanese gods and monsters are unleashed on modern-day London in this first book of an epic trilogy from acclaimed fantasy writer Zoë Marriott.

When Mio sneaks the family’s katana — a priceless ancestral sword —from her parents’ attic, she just wants to spice up a costume. But the katana is much more than a dusty antique. Awakening the power within the sword unleashes a terrible, ancient evil onto the streets of unsuspecting London. But it also releases Shinobu, a fearless warrior boy, from the depths of time. He helps to protect Mio — and steals her heart. With creatures straight out of Japanese myths stalking her and her friends, Mio realizes that if she cannot keep the sword safe and learn to control its legendary powers, she will lose not only her own life . . . but the love of a lifetime.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763674168
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	11/11/2014
Series:	The Name of the Blade , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	750L (what's this?)
File size:	992 KB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Zoë Marriott is the author of the young adult fantasy novels The Swan Kingdom, Daughter of the Flames, and Shadows on the Moon, which won the prestigious Sasakawa Prize. She lives in England.

I grew up with an older sister and a younger brother who ganged up on me mercilessly whenever they could get away with it (teaching me to fight dirty at an early age). We had a small menagerie of rescued strays ranging from canaries to kittens, all of whom I liked much better than my siblings. I struggled between being a princess (because I liked frilly dresses and tiaras) and being a tomboy (because I could run faster and spit farther than any of the boys). I resolved this by being a princess whenever my hair had grown long, and being a tomboy whenever my mum noticed how long my hair had gotten and chopped it off with the kitchen scissors.

I decided I was going to be a writer as soon as I finished reading my first book—The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton—and mad as it sounds, I never changed my mind. The first story that I wrote was about a rabbit and a pig having a party. The second was about a girl who found a pair of magic shoes that made flowers grow wherever she walked. I live in a peaceful little house that has the sea on one side and marshlands on the other. Both landscapes provide inspiration for my work. For company I have two cats, one named Hero after the Shakespearian character, and the other Echo after the nymph from the Greek myth. I also have a sprocker—a springer/cocker spaniel cross—called Finn, but normally he’s known as the Devil Hound. I sing a lot, talk to myself a lot (writers are allowed to do this) and read a lot, usually when I’m supposed to be writing.

About My Work:

I usually work in my front room, hunched over a laptop, but I also do a lot of planning and playing around with things in my trusty notebook, which I take with me everywhere. Every time I start a new book I get out a new notebook, label the front page with the working title and the date, and then do lots of elaborate doodling around the title with silver and gold pens to make it look official. By the time I’ve finished the book the notebook is usually stuffed with maps and bits of paper and full of barely readable notes that say things like: “Wingspan? Speed? Eye-Color—Do they even sing? Make something up, useless!” I would never let anyone look in one of my notebooks. I’d be far too embarrassed.

Three Things You Might Not Know About Me:

1. I once cried for half an hour after accidentally standing on a moth and squashing it.
2. I can’t ride a bike, and I never could—but I broke two fingers trying to learn.
3. When I was little, I was convinced that wolves lived under my bed. I still can’t let my hands or feet hang over the edge of the mattress, just in case.

Editorial Reviews

08/01/2014
Gr 6 Up—Mio Yamato has owned a beautiful and dangerous katana for most of her life, a gift passed down from her beloved Ojjichan (grandfather), meant to become hers when she turns 16. She knows she shouldn't take it out earlier than her 16th birthday, but with her parents away on a trip and a Halloween party to get ready for, the teen takes it down just days before it was meant to be hers. Almost immediately, she regrets her decision. To and from the party, she begins to see dark figures and omens everywhere. The Nekomata, an ancient cat monster begins stalking those close to her, and a boy she has only seen in her dreams shows up to aid her against the monster she has apparently set free. Since everything has come from the sword, Mio feels like she has to make it right, especially when the monster threatens her best friends. What follows is a crucial battle for a highly sympathetic character and a clever twist on Japanese mythology. The story is slow to develop, but readers who keep with it will be rewarded with unique and fun characters, a truly dire conflict, and a lifetime-spanning love story. This is a particularly good choice for library collections that need more myth-based fiction, and want to branch out from Greek myth and fairy tales.—Heather Talty, formerly at Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City

School Library Journal

09/29/2014
Marriott (Shadows on the Moon) launches a trilogy that draws from Japanese mythology to deliver an action-packed story with a romantic undercurrent. When nearly 16-year-old Londoner Mio Yamato “borrows” the katana that has been in her family for centuries to flesh out a Christmas party costume, she inadvertently awakens an ancient evil—a nine-tailed cat demon called a Nekomata—which leaves blood and misery in its wake and wants the sword for itself. But she also frees Shinobu, a young man who has been trapped in the sword for 500 years. To rescue her best friend’s sister from the Nekomata and thwart its plans, Mio and Shinobu team up with London’s reclusive Kitsune community of shapeshifting foxes while Mio learns to master the sword’s power. While the story starts off slowly, it quickly kicks into high gear as Mio and friends fight for their lives in the real and spirit worlds, deal with Kitsune intrigue, and face omnipresent danger. Strong characters and an intriguing premise make this a solid, enjoyable story. Ages 12–up. Agent: Nancy Miles, Miles Stott Literary Agency. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Marriott gifts Mio with a bit of uncertainty and typical teen angst, tempering the hard edge of the high-stakes-action scenes with convincing, swoonworthy moments between Mio and Shinobu. Fans of Japanese lore will appreciate the wily kitsune tribespeople, who agree to help this unlikely trio, and there’s enough nail-biting action and near misses in the romance department to keep every reader on their toes. First in a trilogy originally published in the UK, this will win American fans who like their fantasy urban, their romances mysterious, and their swords well sharpened.
—Booklist

A crucial battle for a highly sympathetic character and a clever twist on Japanese mythology. The story is slow to develop, but readers who keep with it will be rewarded with unique and fun characters, a truly dire conflict, and a lifetime-spanning love story. This is a particularly good choice for library collections that need more myth-based fiction, and want to branch out from Greek myth and fairy tales.
—School Library Journal

Mio's wry narration is appealing... Fast-paced.
—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2014-10-01
An antique Japanese sword causes havoc in contemporary London in this series opener. Growing up in the U.K., Mio has little knowledge of her Japanese heritage. What she does have comes mostly from her late grandfather, who on one unforgettable occasion showed her their family's heirloom katana. Mio knows it's stupid to use a priceless family treasure as part of her costume for a Christmas party, but she can't resist the temptation to accessorize with the Japanese long sword. Of course, when she removes the katana from its hiding place, she unwittingly awakens its powers and unleashes a monster from Japanese myth on London. In her first foray into urban fantasy, Marriott (Shadows of the Moon, 2012) wears her influences on her sleeve. Many details of the plot will feel familiar to fans of shonen manga and anime, like Tite Kubo's Bleach or Kazue Kato's Blue Exorcist. While Mio's wry narration is appealing, her romance with Shinobu, a boy linked to the katana, progresses too quickly to instant love to be compelling. In the end, it's a shame the London setting isn't more fully explored, as the contrast between the setting and the use of Japanese myth has the potential to make this otherwise derivative adventure feel fresh. Fast-paced but forgettable. (Urban fantasy. 13-16)

Kirkus Reviews