Lian Hearn

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...

"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 nightingale floor and to his destiny within the walls of lnuyama." Overcome by the intensity of first love and conflicted by split loyalties and his own divided nature, Takeo realizes that he must make his own way on this journey of revenge and treachery, honor and loyalty, betrayal and love.

In the opening pages of the action-packed Book One of Lian Hearn's epic Tale of Shikanoko series, a future lord is dispossessed of his birthright by a scheming uncle, a mountain sorcerer imbues a mask with the spirit of a great stag for a lost young man, a stubborn father forces his son to give up his wife to his older brother, and a powerful priest meddles in the succession to the Lotus Throne, the child who is the rightful heir to the emperor barely escaping the capital in the arms of his sister. And that is just the beginning. 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 Emperor of the Eight Islands Book Autumn Princess, Dragon Child Book Lord of the Darkwood Book The Tengu's Game of Go

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.

"Against a background of wild forest, elegant castles, hidden temples and savage battlefields, the adventure that began with Emperor of the Eight Islands draws to its thrilling conclusion. 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 . . ."

The rightful emperor is lost to the world, farther from the throne than ever before . . . The lord of the usurper clan has fallen ill, and further unrest looms . . . Shikanoko has withdrawn to the furthest reaches of the country, leaving his allies stranded and the Spider Tribe unchecked . . . Lakes are drying up, rivers receding-have the powers of Heaven abandoned the Eight Islands? The Tale of Shikanoko began with an unusual game of Go, as young Shikanoko's father sat down to an ill-advised match against a tengu. Now, in the last chapter of The Tale of Shikanoko, the stones are arrayed in their final positions on the board. In The Tengu's Game of Go, all are forced to confront the missteps of the past, as the wrath of Heaven weaves tight around its mortal players. Hidden identities are revealed, loyalties are put to their ultimate test, and death appears around every corner. Throughout The Tale of Shikanoko, Lian Hearn has masterfully captured the thrilling danger and beauty of the medieval and magical. In the final installment, Shikanoko risks everything for fate and justice-an exhilarating ending to an unforgettable adventure.

Endlich ist Takeo mit Kaede vereint. Heimlich und gegen den Willen der Clans, haben sie sich vermählt. Doch den Liebenden bleibt nicht viel Zeit, ihr gemeinsames Glück zu genießen. Denn die Otorilords, die Takeos Herrschaftsanspruch bestreiten, rüsten bereits zum Kampf gegen ihn. Mit seinen Getreuen zieht Takeo in die Schlacht. Und Kaede bleibt zurück, voller unguter Vorahnungen. Nun wird sich zeigen, ob die Prophezeiung, die ihrem Geliebten einst gemacht wurde, sich erfüllt.

Seit sechzehn Jahren herrschen Takeo und Kaede gemeinsam über die Drei Länder. Ihre Liebe und Harmonie, aber auch die perfekte Balance zwischen männlicher und weiblicher Kraft haben ihrem Land dauerhaften Frieden und großen Reichtum beschert. Das bleibt auch dem Kaiser im fernen Miyako und seinem obersten General, Saga Hideki, nicht verborgen. Der General fordert Takeo zu einem Wettkampf heraus: Wenn er verliert, muss er nicht nur abdanken und sein Land verlassen, sondern auch in eine Heirat seiner schönen Tochter Shigeko mit Saga einwilligen. Mit seinen treusten Gefolgsleuten reist Takeo nach Miyako. Und schon bald überschlagen sich die Ereignisse, denn ein schwerer Verrat droht das zu zerstören, wofür Takeo sein Leben lang gekämpft hat ...

Takeo, Erbe des mächtigen Otori-Clans, hat sich dem geheimnisvollen Stamm angeschlossen. Dafür muss er dem Glauben seiner Kindheit, seinem Recht auf Reichtum, Land und Macht abschwören und seiner Liebe zu Kaede entsagen! Sonst wird der Stamm ihn töten. Doch Takeo kann sich den strengen Regeln nicht beugen, zu stark ist seine Verbindung zu den Otori und zu der Frau, die er liebt. Er flieht und begibt sich mitten im eisigen Winter auf eine gefahrvolle Reise.

Bislang hatte Takeo nicht gewusst, was Menschen einander antun können, nichts von den wilden Schlachten der Clans. Doch dann wird seine Familie ermordet und er selbst entkommt nur knapp dem Tod. Otori Shigeru vom Clan der Otori ist es, der ihn rettet - mit dem Schlangenschwert in der Hand. Von ihm lernt Takeo die Bräuche der Clans und gerät dabei immer tiefer in eine Welt der Lügen, der Geheimnisse und der Rache...

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.

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 new beginning — and the grand finale to — the beloved Tales of the Otori series. Heaven's Net Is Wide is the new first volume of the now complete Tales of the Otori — prequel to Across the Nightingale Floor, the book that first introduced Hearn's mythical, medieval Japanese world. This is the story of Lord Otori Shigeru — who has presided over the entire series as a sort of spiritual warrior-godfather — the man who saved Takeo and raised him as his own and heir to the Otori clan. This sweeping novel expands on what has been only hinted at before: Shigeru's training in the ways of the warrior and feudal lord, his relationship with the Tribe of mysteriously powerful assassins, the battles that tested his skills and talents, and his fateful meeting with Lady Maruyama. Heaven's Net Is Wide is an epic tale of warfare, loyalty, love, and heartbreak. This book leaves off where Across the Nightingale Floor begins, finally bringing the Otori series full circle. And while it both completes and introduces the Tales of the Otori, it also stands on its own as a satisfying, dramatic novel of feudal Japan.

Lord Otori Takeo beserta istrinya Kaede telah memerintah selama lebih dari enam belas tahun. Tiga Negara menjadi negeri yang kaya, damai dan sejahtera. Burung suci, houou, bersarang di Terayama dan hewan dalam dongeng, kirin, muncul di tepi pantai. Agaknya Nirwana tengah tersenyum pada mereka. Namun keberhasilan mereka menarik perhatian Kaisar dan jenderalnya, Lord Saga Hideki, yang mengincar seluruh kekayaan Tiga Negara, terutama pewaris Takeo, putri sulungnya, Shigeko, yang kini sudah cukup usia untuk menikah. Di saat yang sama, tindak kekerasan dan pengkhianatan dari masa silam tak hilang terkubur begitu saja. Keluarga Tribe yang membelot, Kikuta, berusaha membalas dendam. Mereka ingin bersekutu dengan adik ipar Takeo, Arai Zenko, yang tak pernah bisa melupakan maupun memaafkan kematian ayah kandungnya dengan cara yang memalukan. Tidak seorang pun bisa lepas dari incaran Tribe untuk selamanya. Takeo mengkhawatirkan banyak hal lain, lebih dari segalanya, kedua putri kembarnya, Maya dan Miki, dengan kemampuan aneh yang mereka miliki, membawa mereka masuk ke dunia penuh bayangan dan hantu. Dan rahasia-rahasia lain yang tak bisa terus disembunyikan rapat-rapat. Segala yang telah diraihnya bersama Kaede berada di ujung tanduk. Harsh Cry of the Heron (Jeritan Pilu Sang Bangau) adalah lanjutan yang menakjubkan dari 'Kisah Klan Otori', epik yang tak terlupakan dengan bentangan sisi emosional yang luas, karya klasik yang melewati batas genre, jender serta generasi.

From the internationally bestselling author of the TALES OF THE OTORI, comes a tale of families, love, intrigue and betrayal. 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.