James Williamson

“Senpai: The Tale of the Gallant Dandelion” is an episodic book set in an alternate world folklore Japan.

Senpai, a young shinobi in training, receives a precious clue from her mother that sets her off on a journey through myth and legend in search of her father, a legendary ninja by the name of Jiraiya.

The orphan soon meets and befriends an elemental kitsune, a fox spirit, that she names Daichi. As the pair venture on a journey of friendship and self-discovery, a true evil rises, in the form of a tyrannical Master Ninja named Orochimaru who threatens to bring the entire world to its knees.  

Senpai appeals to a wide spectrum of readers and age groups. The setting will please fans of existing Manga and Anime shows, such as “Naruto”, “Bleach” and “Pokemon”, whilst the Western storytelling style produces a gritty environment that will intrigue “Harry Potter” and “His Dark Materials” audiences.

The driving force behind this book is undoubtedly Senpai. She is a determined, authentic and dynamic teenager that organically grows on the page. The world she lives in can be likened to the world inhabited by Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games”. The inspiration for the story may be the age-old folktale, “Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari” (児雷也豪傑物語, "The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya"), first released in Japan 174 years ago. However Senpai is a rich, realistic and modern female heroine that has an easily relatable depth to her personality.   

The novel boasts numerous illustrations along the way that help initiate any ardent Manga readers to reading full length material. And in being released episodically, Senpai is further honouring the Jiraiya folktale that inspired it, because that was originally published in 43 instalments between 1839 and 1868. 

“Senpai: The Tale of the Gallant Dandelion,” is the first book in the Senpai Series and is currently a digital download exclusive through Amazon. The book will come to all other good online stockists later in 2013.