Real-life figure Miyamoto Musashi was the most celebrated samurai of all time. The quintessential warrior-philosopher, Musashi authored A Book of Five Rings, a classic treatise in the canon of world philosophy and military strategy. But the path to enlightenment is an endless journey, and to get there through violent means--by way of the sword--makes mere survival an even greater challenge.

Glimmering Waves

In a remote seaside village, an abandoned infant is left to the care of a reclusive old man who has all but renounced the ways of the world. This helpless child is destined to become Sasaki Kojirō--the legendary archrival of Miyamoto Musashi. Inoue's unique take on this enigmatic figure lays the foundation for his fictional account of the most famous rivalry in Japanese history.