The Swords of Silence, whilst not my preferred reading genre, is fascinating and a highly thought provoking read. It is set in the Japan of the seventeenth century; a time of division and of persecution towards Christians. As a Christian novel, there are many similarities between the Jesuit priest, Father Joaquim, who helps the Christians to worship in secret and eventually flee, and Brother Andrew (who, in the modern day context, took bibles to the persecuted Christians around Europe). However, this book is not for the squeamish. Shaun Curry has not held back from describing, in detail, the violence of the regime. There are parts that feel a little contrived but overall it is a gripping and powerful story.