Product Description

Running away from home is usually a bad idea. However Ignis, Allandra, and Michael have three good reasons for doing it. First, their father Vargas Havelock is a drug baron; second, he's thoroughly evil; and third, he expects them to join him in the family business before they get much older. Given all that, running away starts to look quite reasonable. But when Ignis and Allandra stage an escape during a holiday in Wales, taking Michael with them, things don't go to plan. Michael gets recaptured, and Ignis and Allandra nearly drown. When they wake up, they find they've been taken to a secret valley deep in the forest. A school is hidden there, built into the treetops, and it's filled with children studying to be ninjas. This is Rokkaku, and it's to become their home. And so Ignis and Allandra's new life begins. The ninjutsu training is hard, but the friends they find make up for it. Outside Rokkaku, though, Vargas is still looking for them. Sooner or later, Ignis and Allandra are going to have to face their father again...and their brother too.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #936346 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

Harry Potter meets Jiraiya?
The book is readable -- I didn't put it down -- and not too challenging -- I finished it in a night. It's obviously aimed at a 'young' readership, but teenagers and adults wanting some light relief will probably enjoy it too: both my children (girl aged 10 and boy aged 13) enjoyed it a lot, and asked me to let them know as soon as the sequel is out. There are no really scary or gory bits, but just enough suspense, and a convincing moral background.

Some of the story is reminiscent of Harry Potter: the young protagonists suddenly find themselves inducted into a mysterious school far from all 'normal' civilization, surrounded by omnipotent teachers and seniors, yet threatened by evil outside. Even some of the scenes (the climax in particular) seem rather too close to HP for comfort... In place of JK Rowling's magic, Jacka offers us the power of the Ninja, yet these are not the conventional Kung-Fu supermen of the films, but rational and realistic people whose theories show the clear influence of Masaaki Hatsumi. Jacka has evidently incorporated much of what he learned himself in the Bujinkan Dojo, and it is to the publishers' credit that they have not tried to change this back to the rather jaded Sho Kosugi / Eric van Lustbader style.

However, it's too early to say if this will make it as a classic or even a bestseller. As an adult, I am tempted to read it again, but only after I've seen what the author manages to achieve in a sequel -- the characters are a little stereotyped and could be developed more.

Same book as Ninja: The Beginning!
N.B My son is very disappointed as I ordered this book for him and it's exactly the same book (re-published) as Ninja: The Beginning. Same book, different title and cover, very naughty!!

To Be A Ninja Review
I really enjoyed reading this book. My brother got it out of the library, but I ended up reading it because I was bored, and I couldn't put it down! It's got just the right amount of action and suspense in, and I think both girls and boys aged 12/13 and over will like it. I can't wait for the sequel to come out in July!