Most Popular Books by Lian Hearn

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.

An international bestseller, Across the Nightingale Floor is the first book in the Tales of the Otori series by Lian Hearn. Don''t miss the related series, The Tale of Shikanoko. In his black-walled fortress at Inuyama, the 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. The youth Takeo has been brought up in a remote mountain village among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people who have taught him only the ways of peace. But unbeknownst to him, his father was a celebrated assassin and a member of the Tribe, an ancient network of families with extraordinary, preternatural skills. When Takeo''s village is pillaged, he is rescued and adopted by the mysterious Lord Otori Shigeru. Under the tutelage of Shigeru, he learns that he too possesses the skills of the Tribe. And, with this knowledge, he embarks on a journey that will lead him across the famed nightingale floor—and to his own unimaginable destiny...

Heaven''s Net is Wide is the Prologue in the five-part Tales of the Otori series. More than four million copies have been sold in over 36 countries.''The best story of magic, love, sex, revenge and suspense to have come this way since Philip Pullman'' Independent On Sunday (UK) 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 ... ''rich with character and detail, yet effortless to read.''Sydney Morning HeraldComing soon - the spellbinding new TALE OF SHIKANOKO, set 300 years before Otori: THE EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS (Books 1 & 2 in the TALE OF SHIKANOKO) and THE LORD OF THE DARKWOOD (Books 3 & 4).PRAISE FOR THE TALES OF THE OTORI ''One of the most thrilling series of our time'' The Times ''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

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 Autumn 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)

Grass for His Pillow is the second book in the Tales of the Otori series by Lian Hearn. Don''t miss the related series, The Tale of Shikanoko. Praised for its epic scope and descriptive detail, Across the Nightingale Floor, the first book in the Tales of the Otori series, was an international bestseller and critical success, named by the London Times as "the most compelling novel to have been published this year." With Grass for His Pillow, Book Two, we return to the medieval Japan of Lian Hearn''s creation—a land of harsh beauty and deceptive appearances. In a complex social hierarchy, amid dissembling clans and fractured allegiances, there is no place for passionate young love. The orphan Takeo has been condemned to work as an assassin—an enforced occupation that his father sacrificed his own life to escape. Meanwhile, Takeo’s beloved Shirakawa Kaede, heir to the Murayama and alone in the world, must find a way to unify the domain she has inherited, as she fights off the advances of would-be suitors and hopes against fading hope that Takeo will return to her...

The Harsh Cry of the Heron is the fourth book in the Tales of the Otori series by Lian Hearn. Don''t miss the related series, The Tale of Shikanoko. A dazzling epic of warfare and sacrifice, passionate revenge, treacherous betrayal, and unconquerable love, The Harsh Cry of the Heron takes the storytelling achievement of Lian Hearn''s fantastic medieval Japanese world to startling new heights of drama and action. Fifteen years of peace and prosperity under the rule of Lord Otori Takeo and his wife Kaede is threatened by a rogue network of assassins, the resurgence of old rivalries, the arrival of foreigners bearing new weapons and religion, and an unfulfilled prophecy that Lord Takeo will die at the hand of a member of his own family. The Harsh Cry of the Heron is the rich and stirring finale to a series whose imaginative vision has enthralled millions of readers worldwide, and an extraordinary novel that stands as a thrilling achievement in its own right.

''Tales of the Otori'' includes the books ''Across the Nightingale Floor'', ''Grass For His Pillow'' and ''Brilliance of the Moon''.

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.

At the temple of Terayama, the words of the blind sage''s prophecy continue to haunt Takeo as he readies his armies for battle.

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

"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 . . . "--

** 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

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

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.

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

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

The mythical world of the Otori is unforgettable. What the critics said: ''...an exquisite tale of revenge, love, beauty and honour...'' - Australian Financial Review ''A remarkable smooth-flowing triumph of the imagination'' - Woman''s Day ''Lian''s writing sweeps you along and leaves you tingling in anticipation of the final instalment in this epic tale'' - The Sydney Morning Herald ''The beauty, savagery and strangeness of Hearn''s gripping tale is heightened by her exquisite, crystalline prose'' - The Independent on Sunday

In this final book in the series, "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"--Amazon.com.