The Ring of Wind is the seventh book in the Young Samurai Series; the official release date was March 1, 2012.
Synopsis[]
Spring, 1615
Jack Fletcher is battling the high seas.
Ambushed by the Shogun’s samurai, Jack and his friends have only one hope of escape – the Seto sea. But with ferocious storms, man-eating sharks and ninja pirates at every turn, their chosen route is fraught with danger.
A treacherous crew only adds to their problems as they flee south from a ruthless samurai sea lord. Unless Jack can harness the Ring of Wind, he and his friends are destined for a watery grave. . . .
Summary[]
The story starts a month after The Ring of Fire.
Characters[]
- Tatsumaki - The Pirate Queen. Leader of the Wind Demons. Sees Jack as a valuable asset. Shows exceptional skill with the naginata.
- Saru - Tatsumaki's pet monkey. Shows apparent affection towards Jack, but she steals Akiko's pearl from him and becomes extremely possessive of it.
- Kurogumo - Captain of the Black Spider.
- Skullface - Part of Kurogumo's crew. He detests Jack, believing him to be the root of their misfortunes. Betrays Tatsumkaki along with Tiger and Snakehead, but all were killed in the end by "Dragon Eye."
- Tiger- Part of Kurogumo's crew.
- Snakehead - Part of Kurogumo's crew.
- Li Ling (Cheng) - Hails from China, and soon becomes a member of the Wind Demons. Aspires to become a great pirate like Tatsumaki. Drawing inspiration from Hua Mulan, she disguised herself as a boy as the Demons do not allow girls as crew. Assists Jack and friends on several occasions. She would go on to play a pivotal role in helping them escape from the lagoon.
- Arashi - Commander of daimyo Mori's naval forces. Cruel by nature.
- Wanizame - Female Captain of the Great White. She and her crew were all killed during the final assault against the Nihon Maru.
- Kujira - Captain of the Killer Whale. Presumably killed in the final battle. His ship was then overtaken by Sea Samurai.
- Hebi - Captain of the Jade Serpent.
- "Dragon Eye" - Apparently the infamous ninja back from the dead. However, this was proved false when Jack manages to unmask him during a duel—revealing him to be a kagemusha, or "shadow warrior"—serving as Dragon Eye's replacement.