Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
by Nahoko Uehashi
Published by Scholastic, Inc.
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Reviewed by Julina K. Mills
Balsa, a female bodyguard who hires out her services as part of her repentance process for sins committed in a past life, unexpectedly finds herself indebted to the service of a teenage prince after rescuing him from a raging river. The prince, who is unaware that he has been chosen to carry a secret that will determine the fate of his empire, must travel far and wide as he and Balsa solve the mystery of the Water Spirit, whose egg is carried with the prince without his knowledge. As the story begins to unfold, Balsa discovers that the prince is in dire need of her protection as his own father wants him dead.
With clever characters modeled after the television series which preceded this book, author Nahoko Uehashi spins a delightful tale woven with Japanese legends in an imaginary land.
Although I initially found it difficult to be absorbed into the story, by the time I had reached the third chapter I was thoroughly captivated by the storyline and eager to see where Balsa’s adventures would take her. Written in an easy-to-read style for young teens, readers who are familiar with the television series may be able to associate with the characters more easily than someone who is learning about them for the first time.
A helpful list of characters and a list of places are included at the beginning of the book. With twenty-eight different characters to learn and thirty-two unique places and terms, this list is indispensable.
Author Nahoko Uehashi was born in Tokyo in 1962 and studied Cultural Anthropology in college. She is currently the Associate Professor of Anthropolgy Kawamura Gakuen Women’s University.
Armchair Interviews says: A good addition to any young adult’s reading list.