Tales of the Otori

A tour-de-force novel set in ancient Japan filled with passion, fantasy, and feuding warlords. The first volume in the highly anticipated "Tales of the Otori" trilogy. Sixteen-year-old Takeo's village has been massacred by an evil warlord, and he is about to be slain by the men who murdered his parents and neighbors. At the last moment, his life is saved by a nobleman, who claims the boy as his kin and begins his education. But nothing is as it seems. Takeo discovers that he has rare powers that are useful to those around him. As he grows into manhood, he must decide where his loyalties lie: with his noble master and adoptive father; with the Hidden, a secret, spiritual sect whose beliefs are forbidden; or with the Tribe, the assassins and spies who consider him one of their own. A story of treachery, political intrigue, and the intensity of first love, set in a world ruled by formal ritual and codes of honor, Across the Nightingale Floor crosses genres, generations, and genders to captivate fans of all ages.

A New York Times Notable Book of the YearBook II of the internationally best-selling Tales of the Otori trilogy, a sweeping saga set in a mythical, medieval Japan. In Book I of the Otori trilogy, Across the Nightingale Floor, Lian Hearn created a wholly original, fully-realized fantasy world where great powers clashed and young love dawned against a dazzling and mystical landscape. Nightingale was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, one of Book magazine's best novels of the year, and one of School Library Journal's Best Adult Books for High School Readers. In this second tale, we return to the story of Takeo - the young orphan taken up by the Otori Lord and now a closely held member of the Tribe - and his beloved Shirakawa Kaede, heir to the Maruyama, who must find a way to unify the domain she has inherited. In a complex social hierarchy, amid dissembling clans and fractured alliances, there is no place for passionate love. Yet Takeo and Kaede, drawing on their unusual talents and hidden strengths, find ways both to nurture their intense personal bond and to honor the best interests of their people. Like its predecessor, Grass for His Pillow is a transcendent work of storytelling - epic in scope, shimmering with imagination, and graced in equal measure with rapturous writing and exhilarating action.

The stage is set: Takeo and his new bride Kaede are on the brink of starting a war to reclaim the lands that are her rightful claim by birth, with a thousand loyal warriors by their side. But much more is at stake, with Takeo sworn to avenge the death of his adoptive father. Kaede, a not-at-all helpless damsel, has also cast a first stone by renouncing the powerful Lord Fujiwara, who considers her his first wife. An imaginary feudal Japan is vividly reconstructed in this magical tale filled with clan rivalries, supernatural powers, shadowy tribes, and true love. Lian Hearn's epic fantasy of a conflict-ridden, mystical world has enraptured fans around the world, thanks to many complex mysteries, fascinating characters, and a riveting buildup to the dazzling finale.

An epic fantasy set in a mythical, medieval Japan, Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori series has crossed genres, generations, and genders. Grand and complex in its themes, elegantly written, each book in the original trilogy has become a worldwide bestseller. The surprise fourth installment (and real conclusion), The Harsh Cry of the Heron achieves new heights of drama and action. Sixteen years of peace and prosperity have passed since Lord Otori Takeo united the Three Countries. Takeo and his beloved consort Kaede have three daughters and a happy family life. Their success has attracted the attention of the distant Emperor and his general, the warlord Saga Hideki, who covet the wealth of the Countries. Meanwhile, the violent acts and betrayals of the past will not lie buried, and other secrets will not stay hidden. Everything that Takeo and Kaede have achieved is threatened.In full ninja versus samurai fashion, Hearn delivers a kinetic, heartbreaking, and uplifting resolution to a thoroughly gripping saga.

As Tolkien's The Silmarillion is to The Lord of the Rings, Liam Hearn's Heaven's Net Is Wide is the backstory fans of the series have been yearning for. Set before the Tales of the Otori begins, Heaven's Net recounts the life of Lord Otori Shigeru, the series' spiritual warrior-godfather and adoptive father of the Tales' Takeo. We learn about Shigeru's training in the ways of the warrior and feudal lord; his relationship with the Tribe of mysteriously powerful assassins; his fateful meeting with Lady Maruyama, who would become his secret lover; the battle of Yaegahara, where his father is killed; and other turning points that shaped the Tales. The first four volumes gave us only glimpses. Now we are treated to rich detail and more of Hearn's fantastical Japanese world. Gripping and bewitching, Heaven's Netis a new beginning and a grand finale; a story of monumental battles, supreme loyalty, triumphant love, and heartbreak. It ends just just before Across the Nightingale Floor begins, bringing the Otori epic full circle.