The Samurai Sword is an indispensable guide to theory and practice that respects both the physical and spiritual aspects of martial arts practice with the samurai sword. Featuring guidance for selecting, maintaining and using your sword, it also delves into the practical value of meditation and provides brief, inspirational biographies of some of the greatest samurai, men whose words and deeds embodied the true spirit of the samurai warrior.

Overview: From the gruff, sword-toting swashbucklers of the Middle Ages to modern adventure epics like The Princess Bride, the aura surrounding the sword is one that is both romantic and pragmatic. Thoughts of this weapon bring to mind images of the Knights of the Round Table, Zorro, the Three Musketeers-the things daydreams are made of. Historically, the fate of the empires revolved around the sword; nations rose and fell based on the power of their...

"Reader, you will undoubtedly have had the misfortune of consuming the rotten fruit of fallacies that we--Paarfi of Roundwood (esteemed historian of House of Hawk and exquisite artisan of truths)-- borrow our factual recount of Dragaeran history from some obscure fellow who goes by the name Al Dumas or some silly nomenclature of that nature. The salacious claims that The Baron of Magister Valley bears any resemblance to a certain nearly fictional...

Fryða has grown up hearing tales of her uncle, King Beowulf, and his spectacular defeat of the monstrous Grendel. Her one desire is to become a shield maiden in her own right, but a terrible accident during her childhood has thwarted this dream. Yet still, somehow, she feels an uncontrollable power begin to rise within herself. The last thing Fryða wants is to be forced into a political marriage, especially as her heart belongs to her lifelong friend,...