New Releases by Lian Hearn

A new generation, a relentless enmity. The thrilling climax of Lian Hearn''s multi-million-copy bestselling OTORI series

Takeo berusia enam belas tahun ketika desanya diluluhlantakkan panglima perang yang jahat. Ia sendiri tadinya akan dibunuh orang-orang yang menewaskan orang tua dan para tetangganya. Pada saat-saat terakhir, ia diselamatkan seorang bangsawan, yang menyatakan mereka memiliki hubungan darah dan mulai mendidiknya. Takeo lalu mendapati dirinya ternyata memiliki kekuatan langka. Dan seiring tumbuh dewasa, ia harus memutuskan kepada siapa loyalitasnya akan diberikan: tuan dan ayah angkatnya; Kaum Hidden, sekte spiritual rahasia yang terlarang; atau Kaum Tribe, para pembunuh dan mata-mata. Kisah tentang pengkhianatan, intrik politik, dan kekuatan cinta pertama, dengan latar dunia yang penuh dengan ritual formal dan prinsip kehormatan, Across the Nightingale Floor merupakan kisah lintas genre, lintas generasi, dan lintas gender yang memikat.

Takeo berusia enam belas tahun ketika desanya diluluhlantakkan panglima perang yang jahat. Ia sendiri tadinya akan dibunuh orang-orang yang menewaskan orangtua dan para tetangganya. Pada saat-saat terakhir, ia diselamatkan seorang bangsawan, yang menyatakan mereka memiliki hubungan darah dan mulai mendidiknya. Takeo lalu mendapati dirinya ternyata memiliki kekuatan langka. Dan seiring tumbuh dewasa, ia harus memutuskan kepada siapa loyalitasnya akan diberikan: tuan dan ayah angkatnya; Kaum Hidden, sekte spiritual rahasia yang terlarang; atau Kaum Tribe, para pembunuh dan mata-mata. Kisah tentang pengkhianatan, intrik politik, dan kekuatan cinta pertama, dengan latar dunia yang penuh dengan ritual formal dan prinsip kehormatan, Across the Nightingale Floor merupakan kisah lintas genre, lintas generasi, dan lintas gender yang memikat.

** CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF OTORI ** Orphan warriors fight for survival in a brutal medieval world in this enthralling new chapter in Lian Hearn''s multi-million-copy selling OTORI series The bitter struggles of the Tribe and the clans have left many children orphaned. Among them are Sunaomi and Chikara, sons of Arai Zenko, who face death after their parents'' treachery. 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, 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

PUTRI MUSIM GUGUR, ANAK NAGA (Autumn Princess, Dragon Child) The Tale of Shikanoko 2 Shikanoko gundah setelah mengalami kegagalan, dan masa depan yang tadinya jelas, sekarang tampak buram. Putri Musim Gugur dan bocah yang merupakan sang kaisar sejati bersembunyi di hutan, tanpa teman maupun perlindungan. Di pondok penyihir gunung, lahir generasi baru Suku Laba-laba, yang bukan manusia, bukan setan, dan dengan cepat menjadi dewasa. Satu klan terusir, klan lain menguasai ibu kota, dan bencana alam silih berganti melanda. Apakah Surga akan pernah merasakan kedamaian? Dalam Putri Musim Gugur, Anak Naga, orde lama goyah dan nasib jadi tak bisa ditebak karena insting balas dendam, loyalitas, dan survival semakin kuat, tajam, cepat. Pertempuran memperebutkan Singgasana Teratai pun dimulai. Dalam karya Lian Hearn tentang Jepang abad pertengahan ini---begitu penuh magis, keindahan, kekerasan, cinta, dan penderitaan---satu-satunya yang tak terelakkan adalah bahwa kekuatan-kekuatan itu menuju klimaks yang brutal. Namun, siapa pemainnya dan apa yang jadi taruhannya belum diketahui.

KAISAR DELAPAN PULAU (Emperor of the Eight Islands) Buku #1 seri Kisah Shikanoko Karya pengarang Tales of the Otori Sudah bertahun-tahun klan Kakizuki dan Miboshi berseteru, dan sekarang akhirnya berhadapan langsung. Kaisar hampir wafat dan masing-masing klan mendukung putra yang berlainan untuk menjadi penerus takhta. Lalu datanglah Kumayama no Kazumaru, pemuda yang tadinya merupakan ahli waris keluarga tapi disingkirkan sang paman dan ditinggalkan untuk mati di Darkwood. Ia diselamatkan penyihir gunung Shisoku, tapi juga ditransformasi dengan ritual-ritual aneh. Sekarang bernama Shikanoko---anak rusa---dan memiliki topeng rusa magis, ia berjuang untuk mengarahkan nasibnya. Shikanoko ditangkap, dibebaskan, diperintah, dan dikontrol berbagai bangsawan dan orang bijak, ia makin lama makin menguasai kekuatan hutan. Berlatar rimba, kastel yang anggun, kuil tersembunyi, serta medan tempur yang ganas, inilah Jepang abad pertengahan. Tempat arwah hewan bertempur melawan prajurit, serta anak-anak menjelajahi alam yang tenteram namun mematikan.

Set fifteen years after the seismic events of Brilliance of the Moon, The Harsh Cry of the Heron is an elegaic and bittersweet successor to the bestselling series by Lian Hearn, Tales of the Otori.''Their realm is held in balance by their union . . . Break that union and the Three Countries will fall apart.'' 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: Shigeko, fifteen years old and heir to the Otori, and Maya and Miki, thirteen-year-old twins who have inherited the supernatural skills of their father. Kaede knows nothing of the prophecy that Takeo will die at the hands of his son and longs to give him a male child. Nor does she know of the boy he fathered sixteen years ago - a boy whose heart is filled with hatred and whose skills as a Ghostmaster give him the power to incite the dead. Takeo is determined that clan conflicts will never again ravage the Three Countries, but warriors are born to fight: the warlord Arai Zenko has deadly ambitions, the Emperor himself has challenged Takeo''s rule and, despite a delicate truce between the deadly Tribe and the Otori, revenge still eats at the heart of renegade leader Kikuta Akio . . . Against these gathering threats Takeo draws strength from his love for Kaede, but even this is not beyond the reach of their enemies . . .

"The rightful emperor is lost. Shikanoko is condemned to live, half-man and half-deer, an outlaw in the Darkwood. Yet the mighty lords who now rule the Eight Islands are prey to suspicion and illness, and drought and famine choke the realm. Only Shikanoko can bring healing, by restoring the preordained ruler to the Lotus Throne. And only one person can bring him back from the Darkwood . . . "--

Two rival clans struggling over who will be crowned Emperor of the Eight Islands, in a medieval Japanese country inhabited by warriors, assassins, ghosts and guardian spirits. And as the laws of destiny play out their inexorable drama, so the battle for the Lotus Throne begins.

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

A FANTASY ANTHOLOGY featuring the deadly, the worldly, and the sneaky. Blackguards consists mainly of stories in established series, and the authors range from wildly successful indie authors to New York Times bestsellers. If you enjoy roguish tales of scoundrels and ne''er-do-wells, this one''s for you.

From the author of the phenomenal and bestselling TALES OF THE OTORI series comes a stand-alone historical novel set in 19th century Japan. Japan, 1857 For centuries Japan has been on its own, isolated by choice from the rest of the world. But the Western powers are now at its shores, its government is crumbling and revolution is building. The age of the samurai is ending and in its place a new Japan will be born. Into this turmoil steps a young woman. Tsuru expects to marry a man of her parents'' choice but her life is taken over by the beliefs of the new age and by the passionate men around her. Their slogan is sonnojoi (revere the Emperor, expel the foreigners), their preferred method is violence. BLOSSOMS AND SHADOWS is a compelling and beautiful tale of love and war, women and men, and the rise of modern Japan. **INCLUDES an extract from EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS, the first novel in Lian Hearn''s spellbinding Tale of Shikanoko series** ''a fascinating historical epic'' Sunday Telegraph ''all births are bloody and the characters in this strong novel pay a high price for living in interesting times'' Sunday Age

FOUR MILLION COPIES SOLD. In 40 languages. One of the most thrilling series of our time. Enter the feudal world of the Otori - filled with magic, treachery and intrigue - inspired by medieval Japan and created by Australian author, Lian Hearn. ''The best story of magic, love, sex, revenge and suspense to have come this way since Philip Pullman.'' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY Lord Shigeru, heir to the Otori clan, faces hostility from the ambitious Iida family. His training as a warrior has prepared him for leadership, but fate and Shigeru''s youthful determination bring the Three Countries to war, and he must endure defeat at the battle of Yaegahara and its brutal consequences. Shigeru waits for the moment when he can win back the Middle Country and be with the woman he loves, the Lady Maruyama. But his life is under constant threat. He has friends among the assassins of the Tribe who will not only protect him but will reveal the existence of a boy in a remote mountain village. A boy who is of the sect known as the Hidden, who might prove to be ''the unexpected move that opens up the whole game''. So begin the Tales of the Otori ... INCLUDES an extract from ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR PLUS three chapters of EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS, the first novel in Lian Hearn''s spellbinding new Tale of Shikanoko series. ''One of the most thrilling series of our time.'' THE TIMES ''... a world that is rich with character and detail, yet effortless to read'' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD ''An engrossing fantasy saga of literary quality.'' THE AGE ''Lian Hearn''s marvellous storytelling talent ... makes reading these books a moment of pure bliss.'' LE MONDE

** CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF OTORI ** FOUR MILLION COPIES SOLD. In 40 languages. One of the most thrilling series of our time. Enter the feudal world of the Otori - filled with magic, treachery and intrigue - inspired by medieval Japan and created by acclaimed Australian author, Lian Hearn. ''The best story of magic, love, sex, revenge and suspense to have come this way since Philip Pullman.'' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY In his fortress at Inuyama, the murderous warlord Iida Sadamu surveys his famous nightingale floor. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. No assassin can cross it unheard. Brought up in a remote village among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people, Takeo has learned only the ways of peace. Why, then, does he possess the deadly skills that make him so valuable to the sinister Tribe? These supernatural powers will lead him to his violent destiny within the walls of Inuyama - and to an impossible longing for a girl who can never be his. His journey is one of revenge and treachery, beauty and magic, and the passion of first love. INCLUDES an extract from GRASS FOR HIS PILLOW PLUS three chapters of EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS, the first novel in Lian Hearn''s spellbinding Tale of Shikanoko series. ''One of the most thrilling series of our time.'' THE TIMES '' ... a world that is rich with character and detail, yet effortless to read'' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD ''An engrossing fantasy saga of literary quality.'' THE AGE ''Lian Hearn''s marvellous storytelling talent ... makes reading these books a moment of pure bliss.'' LE MONDE

TOKYO 1884: Sei has devoted his life to storytelling, captivating audiences with his tales. But now he is starting to wonder if the new world has left him behind. Just when he thinks he will never write again, his own life and the lives of the people around him begin to spiral out of control - providing the inspiration for the greatest story he has ever told. A story of love, jealousy, intrigue, and betrayal. Set against the background of Japan''s first incursions into Korea, Sei offers a wise and witty reflection on the nature of storytelling, its perils and delights, its lies and, ultimately, its truth.

The new beginning and the grand finale of Lian Hearn''s celebrated Tales of the Otori is "rivetingly elegant" (Washington Post). Don''t miss the related series, The Tale of Shikanoko. Heaven''s Net Is Wide is the prequel that reveals the full story of Lord Otori Shigeru—the figure who has presided in both life and death over the entire series, the man who represents the true spirit of the Otori Clan. The first and the last tale, it introduces readers to the strange and beautiful world of the Otori and closes the circle where it opened in Across the Nightingale Floor. Set in a mythical, medieval Japan, this epic historical fantasy of revenge and betrayal, honor and loyalty, beauty, passion, and the overwhelming power of love, has enthralled millions of readers the world over—and now, with the cycle complete, its audience will only continue to grow.

Brilliance of the Moon is the third book in the Tales of the Otori series by Lian Hearn. Don''t miss the related series, The Tale of Shikanoko. A beautiful, haunting evocation of the medieval Japan of Lian Hearn''s imagination, this thrilling follow-up to Grass for His Pillow and Across the Nightingale Floor delves deeper into the complex loyalties that bind its characters from birth. Filled with adventure and surprising twists of plot and fortune, this third book in the Tales of the Otori series travels beyond the Three Countries, to the outside influences that threaten to intrude upon this isolated realm.

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 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.