Deadly Flowers

March 1, 2016

Gr 6 Up-Kata is a "deadly flower," a trained ninja who works alone and can take care of herself. She is fully prepared for her first solo assignment, until she learns she is to be an assassin. She flees with her target and his sister as they fight to survive against skilled samurai warriors, deceptive ninjas, and supernatural beings-all to protect a powerful family secret. This mission turns into a coming-of-age lesson for Kata that forces her to challenge herself while she learns about deception, trust, and friendship. The story unfolds with many twists and turns that keep readers intrigued, including many frightening encounters with demons and ghosts pulled from Japanese folklore that range from spooky to outright terrifying. Kata struggles to survive and keep others around her safe. This book is a great combination of adventure, fantasy, and horror, with two strong heroines who form an unlikely alliance. VERDICT A great adventure story that is perfect for readers who are interested in ninjas and other warriors.-Christina Pesiri, Michael F. Stokes Elementary, Island Trees-Levittown, NY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2016
A girl's first mission as a ninja is complicated by a pair of young siblings and dangerous Japanese spirits. Orphaned at a young age, Kata has been trained to be a "deadly flower"--a female ninja in feudal Japan. She is the best trainee at Madame Chiyome's secret school. Kata is eager to prove herself on her first mission, only to realize that she must assassinate Ichiro, a little boy and heir of a powerful lord. His 15-year-old sister, Saiko, initially Kata's accomplice, surprises her by thwarting the mission. Having failed her first mission, Kata's honor forces her to help the siblings find their uncle. The plot is dense with detail and events. Ichiro hands Kata a small pearl for safekeeping but neglects to disclose its supernatural powers. Kata initially looks down on Saiko's noble coyness but finds that Saiko's skills have their uses on their journey. The three fight off demons, Madame's ninjas, and a samurai's legions. In Kata and Saiko, Thomson has created heroines who are opposites yet manage to use their strengths to take control of their lives under the social restraints of their time. Plot-driven moments feel like pauses in between the book's heavy action scenes. Japanese spirits are described in frightfully vivid detail, along with the ninjas' death-defying exploits. Edge-of-your-seat action that will have both girls and boys rooting for the girl ninjas. (Historical fantasy. 10-14)

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March 15, 2016
Grades 4-8 Ninjas are stealthy. They are disciplined. Ninjas trust no one and let nothing deter them from completion of their mission. Teenage Kata has trained since childhood to live up to the exacting standards that Madame Chiyome sets for her deadly flowers the girls who live a harsh, hungry life at her school for ninjasand she is determined to succeed in her first mission as an assassin for hire. When it all goes wrong, she finds herself on the run and guarding a powerful amulet as well as the children of one of Japan's most powerful warlords. They meet bandits and monks and are plagued by demons and ghosts. Feudal Japan is a fascinating backdrop for their journey; neither the wealthy children nor skilled Kata truly control their own fate in a country where might equals right. Genuinely thrilling, with surprises at every turn and a solid emotional core, this is just the thing for Percy Jackson fanatics thirsty for more, more, more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

March 1, 2016
First-person narrator Katain training since childhood to be a deadly flower, a female ninja, in feudal Japansneers at rich new girl Saiko. When Saiko is assigned to assist in Kata's very first assassination, Kata is dismayed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when the target is revealed to be Saiko's younger brother Ichiro, the only heir of a major noble family, and Kata instead finds herself caught up in a rescue mission. Then things go from worse to much worse: someone is hunting the siblings to steal the wish-granting pearl Ichiro has recently inherited, a token whose magical power also happens to attract paranormal creatures of all kinds. On the run, the three face not only samurai, rival ninjas, and bandits but also a kitsune (shape-shifting fox spirit), ghosts, and bakemono (demons). This action-packed adventure blends historical fiction with intriguing supernatural elements drawn from Japanese folklore, such as the terrifying double-mouthed woman, futakuchi onna. While Kata herselfdetermined, stoic, honor-boundhas a somewhat limited emotional range, Saiko turns out to have unexpected depth and even more surprising motivations. An author's note adds historical and mythological context. katie bircher

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)