Best Selling Books by Lian Hearn

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.

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...

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.

Japanese mythology comes to life in this "magically seductive" fantasy series debut of an orphan with mysterious power—and an empire descending into war ( Kirkus Reviews). A future lord is dispossessed of his birthright by a scheming uncle. Left for dead, he finds a new path thanks to a mountain sorcerer—and a mask imbued with the spirit of a great stag. Meanwhile, a dying emperor makes a desperate decree to stop his rival sons from instigating a costly war. But his meddling will only lead to more mistrust, betrayal, and violence. 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 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 . . . "--

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

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