Lian Hearn

"An epic, fantastical adventure in the mythical Japan, a world inhabited by warriors, assassins, acrobats, ghosts, guardian spirits, demons, horses, and monkeys"--

Book 1 in the Tale of Shikanoko

Emperor of the Eight Islands

The harsh cry of the heron

A self-assured warrior stumbles into a game of Go that turns fatal. An ambitious lord leaves his nephew for dead and seizes his lands. A stubborn father forces his son to give up his wife to his older brother. A powerful priest meddles in the succession to the Lotus Throne. A woman of the Old People seeks five fathers for her five children, who will go on to found the Spider Tribe and direct the fate of the country. As destiny weaves its tapestry in Lian Hearn's Tale of Shikanoko series, an emotionally rich and compelling drama plays out against a background of wild forests, elegant castles, hidden temples, and savage battlefields inAutumn Princess, Dragon Child. The Tale of Shikanoko, Book One:Emperor of the Eight Islands (April 2016) The Tale of Shikanoko, Book Two:Autumn Princess, Dragon Child (June 2016) The Tale of Shikanoko, Book Three:Lord of the Darkwood (August 2016) The Tale of Shikanoko, Book Four:The Tengu's Game of Go (September 2016)

Book 2 in the Tale of Shikanoko

Autumn Princess, Dragon Child

" A self-assured warrior stumbles into a game of Go that turns fatal. An ambitious lord leaves his nephew for dead and seizes his lands. A stubborn father forces his son to give up his wife to his older brother. A powerful priest meddles in the succession to the Lotus Throne. A woman of the Old People seeks five fathers for her five children, who will go on to found the Spider Tribe and direct the fate of the country. As destiny weaves its tapestry in Lian Hearn's Tale of Shikanoko series, an emotionally rich and compelling drama plays out against a background of wild forests, elegant castles, hidden temples, and savage battlefields in Lord of the Darkwood. The Tale of Shikanoko, Book One: Emperor of the Eight Islands (April 2016) The Tale of Shikanoko, Book Two: Autumn Princess, Dragon Child (June 2016) The Tale of Shikanoko, Book Three: Lord of the Darkwood (August 2016) The Tale of Shikanoko, Book Four: The Tengu's Game of Go (September 2016) "--

Book 3 in the Tale of Shikanoko

Lord of the Darkwood

This is the story of the birth of modern Japan, told by Tsuru, a young woman who breaks every stereotype of the Japanese lady. We meet her on the day of her sister s wedding, and soon realise that she will not accept the same domestic role that her sister is about to take on. Instead, Tsuru is ready to embrace the new world, defend her beliefs, look for love, and follow her career as a doctor working alongside her husband on the battlefields.In the mid 1860s Japan was in the grip of a revolution almost as tumultuous as the French Revolution 100 years earlier, yet we in the West know very little about it. This book lets readers feel they are there among the revolutionaries, guided by the engaging character of Tsuru. By the end of the first chapter readers will feel they know her, and want to fight with her as she battles against the conventions of the day and falls into a forbidden love.

Blossoms and Shadows

A new generation, a relentless enmity. The thrilling climax of Lian Hearn's multi-million-copy bestselling OTORI series As a boy Arai Sunaomi was known as the Miracle Child and crossed between the worlds to walk among the dead. Now he has put aside his past to follow the way of the warrior. His aunt, Kaede, is considering making him her heir, and her General, Miyoshi Kahei, hopes to betroth Sunaomi to his daughter, Kinu. But there is one girl whom Sunaomi cannot forget: Utahime, who has been dead for seven years. Will he dare bring her back to life? Utahime's brother, Masao, is Sunaomi's oldest friend and the only surviving relative of the great warlord Saga Hideki. When Masao disappears after a fight in the city, Sunaomi is charged with finding him. With his cousins, Kiyoko and Kichizo, sibling assassins from the Tribe, Sunaomi sets out on a journey which will take him into an enthralling and dangerous world of spirits and supernatural beings, rebels, pirates and saints - the extraordinary and enchanting world of the Tales of the Otori.

Children of the Otori Book 2

Sibling Assassins

Orphan warriors fight for survival in a brutal medieval world in this fantastically thrilling adventure that continues the multi-million-copy selling TALES OF THE OTORI series'It was as if they were pieces on a board which had been kicked over, each scattered in the dirt and alone.'Orphaned or left fatherless: such is the fate of many children of the Otori and the Tribe. Sunaomi and Chikara, sons of Arai Zenko, also carry the burden of their father's treachery, but their aunt, Kaede, is able to save their lives on condition they become novice monks and never leave the temple at Terayama.Sunaomi has been brought up as a warrior, yet his grandmother is Muto Shizuka. He cannot escape that he is also a child of the Tribe. As he discovers unimagined talents within himself he comes up against Hisao, Takeo's son, the ghostmaster, as well as Saga Hideki, the most powerful warlord in the realm, the Emperor's General.Taking place in the magical medieval world of Tales of the Otori and following on from The Harsh Cry of the Heron, Orphan Warriors is a coming-of-age adventure story in a human world of courage and sacrifice behind which always hovers a supernatural world of danger and dread.Praise for Lian Hearn:'Brutally thrilling historical fantasy' Herald Sun'Much like Game of Thrones, the book can be read as political intrigue. Nobody is black or white, rather shades of grey' The Age'Huge imaginative vitality. Moves onwards with the narrative force of a flood. It is easy to let the book sweep the reader away' Sydney Morning Herald'The action comes thick and fast . . . Compelling characters and captivating worldbuilding' Japan Times

Book 6 Tales of the Otori

Orphan Warriors

An epic four-volume adventure in mythical medieval Japan: a world of warriors and assassins, demons and spirits In The Tengu’s Game of Go, the final book of Lian Hearn's epic Tale of Shikanoko--all of which will be published in 2016--the rightful emperor is lost; illness and murder give rise to suspicions and make enemies of allies. Unrest rules the country. Only Shika can end the madness by returning the Lotus Throne to its rightful ruler. As destiny weaves its rich tapestry, a compelling drama plays out against a background of wild forests, elegant castles, hidden temples, and savage battlefields. This is the medieval Japan of Lian Hearn's imagination, where animal spirits clash with warriors and children navigate a landscape as serene as it is deadly. The Tale of Shikanoko, Book 1: Emperor of the Eight Islands (April 2016) The Tale of Shikanoko, Book 2: Autumn Princess, Dragon Child (June 2016) The Tale of Shikanoko, Book 3: Lord of the Darkwood (August 2016) The Tale of Shikanoko, Book 4: The Tengu's Game of Go (September 2016)

Book 4 in the Tale of Shikanoko

The Tengu's Game of Go

In his palace at Inuyama, Lord Iida Sadamu, warlord of the Tohan clan, surveys his famous nightingale floor. Its surface sings at the tread of every human foot, and no assassin can cross it. But sixteen-year-old Otori Takeo, his family murdered by Iida's warriors, has the magical skills of the Tribe - preternatural hearing, invisibility, a second self - that enable him to enter the lair of the Tohan. He has love in his heart and death at his fingertips . . . Lian Hearn's stunningly powerful bestseller, Across the Nightingale Floor, is an epic story for readers young and old. Set in a mythical, feudal, Japanese land, a world both beautiful and cruel, the intense love story of two young people takes place against a background of warring clans, secret alliances, high honour and lightning swordplay.The first novel in the epic Tales of the Otori series, Across the Nightingale Floor is followed by Grass For His Pillow and Brilliance of the Moon.

Across the Nightingale Floor

Across the Nightingale Floor / Grass for His Pillow / Brilliance of the Moon

Tales of the Otori 1-3

Ein japanisch geprägtes Land zur Zeit eines Feudalsystems: Konkurrierende Clans bekämpfen sich, der grausame Fürst Iida beherrscht mit seinen Tohan fast alles. Shigeru, ein OtoriLord, rettet Tomasu, 15, nach der Ermordung seiner Familie durch die Tohan und nimmt ihn auf. Schnell wird klar, dass Tomasu, jetzt Takeo, zauberische Begabungen hat, von denen er selbst bisher nicht wusste. Kenji, Freund Shigerus, erkennt Takeos Abstammung von den magisch begabten Kikuta, zu denen auch er gehört. Kenji bildet den sehr talentierten Takeo aus, denn der soll Fürst Iida töten und damit Shigeru sowie das Land vor den Tohan retten. Gut gegen Böse, Pflicht und Ehre, Intrigen, Verrat, Macht sowie (wichtig) die Liebe sind die Ingredienzien dieses FantasyEpos. Das Ganze rasant, sprachlich hervorragend erzählt und übersetzt, mit stimmigen Figuren in einem spannenden AbenteuerPlot. Differenziertester Charakter: Der zunächst friedlichsanfte Held Takeo, dessen Entwicklung, Selbstzweifel und Suche nach einem Platz zwischen Guten, Bösen und den Verrätern glaubhaft dargestellt sind. Band 1 einer Trilogie. Klasse! Für alle! . Shigeru rettet Tomasu nach der Ermordung seiner Familie und nimmt ihn bei sich auf. Tomasu entdeckt seine Zauberkünste. Kann er damit das Land vor dem grausamen Fürst Iida und den Tohan retten? Ab 13.

Das Schwert in der Stille

Au XIVe siècle, dans un Japon médiéval mythique, le jeune Takeo grandit au sein d'une communauté paisible qui condamne la violence, mais elle est massacrée par les hommes d'Iida, chef du clan des Tohan. Takeo, sauvé par sire Shigeru, du Clan des Otori, se trouve plongé au cœur de luttes sanglantes entre les seigneurs de la guerre. Il doit suivre son destin. Mais qui est-il ? Paysan, seigneur ou assassin ? D'où tient-il ses dons prodigieux ? Lorsqu'il rencontre la belle Kaede, un amour fou naît entre les deux jeunes gens : devra-t-il choisir entre cet amour, sa dévotion à sire Shigeru et son désir de vengeance ? Sa quête le mènera jusqu'à la forteresse d'Inuyama, lorsqu'il marchera sur le " parquet du Rossignol ". Cette nuit-là, le rossignol chantera-t-il ?

Le silence du rossignol

In the ancient Oriental lands of the Otori, amidst a time of violent war, famine and treacherous alliances, the fate of the young lovers Otori Takeo and Shirakawa Kaede hangs in the balance . . . Takeo, heir to the great Otori clan, has pledged his life to the secret Tribe. His supernatural skills of virtual invisibility and acute hearing make him their most deadly assassin. But he must deny the solemn oath of vengeance he made, his adopted birthright of wealth, land and power – and his love for Kaede. If he does not devote himself entirely to the brutal ways of the Tribe, they will kill him. Whichever path he choose, it will lead to hardship and sacrifice in the bitter winter of the high mountains, and test him to the limits of his being. Kaede, heiress to vast lands, is now the valuable pawn of ruthless warlords. She must use her intelligence, beauty and cunning to assert her place in a world of all-powerful men – who must never suspect the dangerous secret she hides. ‘The beauty, savagery and strangeness of Hearn’s gripping tale is heightened by her exquisite, crystalline prose. The second instalment in the Tales of the Otori is, astonishingly, even better than Across the Nightingale Floor’ Independent on Sunday

Grass for His Pillow

Över näkteralens golv

A FREE ebook exclusive short story, including a personal letter to readers, by the bestselling Australian author of TALES OF THE OTORI, Lian Hearn. The publication of my new series, THE TALE OF SHIKANOKO, sees me celebrating a career that has spanned fourteen years and nine novels. ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR was published in 2002 and I'm delighted that new readers are still discovering the Tales of the Otori. I'm very grateful to all my readers - many of you who've stayed with me from the beginning. To show my gratitude I'm making available this very short story, HIS KIKUTA HANDS (first published by Ragnarok in their anthology Blackguards). It takes place behind the scenes of BRILLIANCE OF THE MOON, the third Otori novel. I'd always wanted to expand these pages where a lot happens in a short space of time: Otori Takeo has come to Maruyama, the furthest city to the west in the Three Countries, to confront the Tribe families and secure what is his by right. The Tribe don't believe he possesses the requisite ruthlessness of a competent ruler. They will be proved wrong. I also hope you will enjoy this early extract from my new novel, EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS, set 300 years before Otori. Lian

His Kikuta Hands

Der Clan der Otori

Otori Takeo and Kaede have ruled the Three Countries peacefully for over sixteen years, following the events laid out in the epic Tales of the Otori. They have three daughters. Kaede knows nothing of the prophecy that Takeo will die at the hands of his son and longs to give him a male child.

The Harsh Cry of the Heron

In a novel set in ancient Japan, a young boy named Takeo becomes a pawn in the ceaseless wars between rival warlord clans in a culture ruled by codes of honor and formal rituals.

Lian Hearn

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