Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness
by Nahoko Uehashi
List Price:
Our Price: $11.44
You Save: $6.55 (36%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $8.08 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Nahoko UehashiBrand: Baker and Taylor
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-05-01
ISBN: 0545102952
Number of pages: 272
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780545102957
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness
Book Review: Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Summary: 5 Stars
This second book of the MORIBITO series follows female bodyguard Balsa as she returns from the land of New Yogo to her ancestral homeland of Kanbal, a land she has not seen since she was a young child. At the age of six, Balsa's father discovered a plot to murder the current king of Kanbal, and as a result, her father was murdered and his best friend fled the country with the young Balsa. This man, Jiguro, was responsible for protecting and raising Balsa from childhood into adulthood, eventually dying of an illness under Balsa's care.
Although Balsa only intends to return in order to find personal peace, her entry into Kanbal sets off a series of events destined to plunge Balsa back into the same kinds of plotting that led to her father's death years before. Balso quickly learns that, during her long absence from the land, her mentor Jiguro has been wrongfully accused of great crimes. His younger brother, Yuguro, has become a hero for supposedly killing Jiguro and returning the symbolically important golden spear rings that Jiguro was framed for stealing. The new king is entirely under Yuguro's control. And once again, it's up to Balsa to work her way through the deception and trickery in order to save her homeland before it's too late.
GUARDIAN OF THE DARKNESS adds new depth to Balsa's character by allowing the reader to see her in a new setting, one that is both familiar to her and strangely foreign. Her own inner turmoil about the death of Jiguro and the lies that have been spread about him provide the novel with its emotional power.
As with the first volume in the series, Uehashi's worldbuilding is stunning. It's obvious that the author knows everything about this world, right down to the different foods people eat and the reasons behind their cultures and traditions. Kanbal is utterly different from New Yogo, a unique place in its own right, with its own legends and elements of the fantastic.
Overall, I found this book even more exciting than the first one. The combination of Balsa's outward strength and emotional searching made her a very complex character. I also appreciated the large cast of secondary characters who helped flesh out this world, in particular the young spearman-in-training Kassa, whose subtle development plays out alongside the novel's grand conflict.
I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who liked the first novel in the series, and even to those who haven't read it!
Reviewed by: Candace Cunard
Summary of Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness
In the marvelous sequel to the novel (and Cartoon Network series) MORIBITO: GUARDIAN OF THE SPIRIT, Balsa returns to her native land to fight a corrupt ruler and face her own demons.
Balsa returns to her native Kanbal to clear the name of Jiguro, her dear mentor, who saved her life when she was six years old. But what should be a visit of truth and reconciliation becomes a fight for her life when she learns that Jiguro had been a member of King Rogsam's personal bodyguard. After Jiguro fled Kanbal with her, Rogsam sent the other bodyguards after them one by one--Jiguro's best friends, whom he had to kill to protect Balsa. Now, with the help of two Kanbalese children, Balsa must unwind the conspiracy surrounding Jiguro and the mystery of the Guardians of the Dark.
Balsa returns to her native Kanbal to clear the name of Jiguro, her dear mentor, who saved her life when she was six years old. But what should be a visit of truth and reconciliation becomes a fight for her life when she learns that Jiguro had been a member of King Rogsam's personal bodyguard. After Jiguro fled Kanbal with her, Rogsam sent the other bodyguards after them one by one--Jiguro's best friends, whom he had to kill to protect Balsa. Now, with the help of two Kanbalese children, Balsa must unwind the conspiracy surrounding Jiguro and the mystery of the Guardians of the Dark.
Fantasy Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Fantasy Books
Lirael (Abhorsen Trilogy)by Garth Nix
HarperTeen; Published: 2008-04-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.98
Price in other shops:
The Coffin Club (Vampire Kisses, Book 5)by Ellen Schreiber
Katherine Tegen Books; Published: 2008-06-24; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops:
Prom Nights from Hellby Stephenie Meyer, Kim Harrison, Meg Cabot, Lauren Myracle, Michele Jaffe
HarperTeen; Published: 2007-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.16
Price in other shops:
As You Wishby Jackson Pearce
HarperTeen; Published: 2009-08-25; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.29
Price in other shops:
Wintersmith (Discworld)by Terry Pratchett
HarperCollins; Published: 2007-10-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.41
Price in other shops:
Wintersmith (Discworld)by Terry Pratchett
HarperTeen; Published: 2006-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.24
Price in other shops:
Missing You (1-800-Where-R-You, Book 5)by Meg Cabot
HarperTeen; Published: 2006-12-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.08
Price in other shops:
Abaratby Clive Barker
HarperCollins; Published: 2002-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $98.95
Abhorsen (adult) (The Abhorsen Trilogy)by Garth Nix
HarperCollins; Published: 2004-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.37
Price in other shops:
Two Princesses of Bamarre, Theby Gail Carson Levine
Eos; Published: 2004-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.47
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Twelve Kingdoms - Paperback Edition Volume 3: The Vast Spread of the Seasby Fuyumi Ono
Tokyopop; Published: 2010-07-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.68
The Twelve Kingdoms Complete CollectionMedia Blasters; Release date: 2009-07-07; DVD
Best price: $39.80
Price in other shops:
A Bride's Story, Vol. 1Yen Press; Published: 2011-05-31; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $10.30
Price in other shops:
Twelve Kingdoms - Paperback Edition Volume 4: Skies of Dawnby Fuyumi Ono
TokyoPop; Published: 2010-12-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.08
Price in other shops:
Dragon Sword and Wind Childby Noriko Ogiwara
VIZ Media LLC; Published: 2007-10-16; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.05
Price in other shops:
Moribito: Guardian of the Spiritby Nahoko Uehashi
Arthur A. Levine Books; Published: 2008-06-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $11.25
Price in other shops:
Mirror Sword and Shadow Prince (Novel) (Tales of the Magatama)by Noriko Ogiwara
VIZ Media LLC; Published: 2011-05-17; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.16
Price in other shops:
Dragon Sword and Wind Child (Tales of the Magatama)by Noriko Ogiwara
VIZ Media LLC; Published: 2010-11-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.95
Price in other shops:
Moribito: Guardian of Spirit - Complete CollectionMedia Blasters; Release date: 2011-06-07; DVD
Best price: $17.48
Price in other shops:
Moribito: Guardian of the Spiritby Nahoko Uehashi
Scholastic Paperbacks; Published: 2009-04-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.96
Price in other shops: