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27th out of 80 books
—
32 voters
Heaven's Net is Wide (Tales of the Otori 0)
by
Lian Hearn
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...more
Hardcover, 560 pages
Published
August 16th 2007
by Riverhead Hardcover
(first published 2007)
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Jan 05, 2013
Toby Andersen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
all-time-favourites
Absolutely awesome start/end of the best series of books i've ever read. there is no higher praise. Feudal japanese set tales of samurai, geisha, swords, blood, treachery, intrigue, and love. The complex, entertaining and beautiful history of the otori is finally finished with Heaven's Net is Wide - the last in the series and a prequel to the other books. This book is in third person like the recent and equally awesome Harsh Cry of the Heron, and unlike the original trilogy told from Otori Takeo...more
The new beginning-and the grand finale-to the beloved Tales of the Otori series.
Very good. Set in Eastern feudal island resembling Japan, with brutal warlords, a little magic, romance and lost love. Beautiful and tragic.
Very good. Set in Eastern feudal island resembling Japan, with brutal warlords, a little magic, romance and lost love. Beautiful and tragic.
This book is a redemption in my eyes. It is the prequel but it was written after The Harsh Cry of the Heron which disturbed me. It's been a while since I read the last book in this series, but I distinctly remember thinking this is over the top. I don't care about Takeru's daughters.... I should probably give it another read, but I'm here to say that whatever the reason for the bad taste left in my mouth after Harsh Cry, all is as it should be now. I'm going to pretend that last book didn't happ...more
Publisher's Summary
As Tolkien's The Silmarillion is to The Lord of the Rings, Liam Hearn's Heaven's Net Is Wide is to Tales of the Otori. This is the back story fans have been yearning for.
Set before the Tales begin, Heaven's Net recounts the life of Lord Otori Shigeru, the series' spiritual warrior-godfather and the adoptive father of the Tales' Takeo. We learn about Shigeru's training in the ways of the warrior and feudal lord; his relationship with the Tribe of mysteriously powerful assassins...more
As Tolkien's The Silmarillion is to The Lord of the Rings, Liam Hearn's Heaven's Net Is Wide is to Tales of the Otori. This is the back story fans have been yearning for.
Set before the Tales begin, Heaven's Net recounts the life of Lord Otori Shigeru, the series' spiritual warrior-godfather and the adoptive father of the Tales' Takeo. We learn about Shigeru's training in the ways of the warrior and feudal lord; his relationship with the Tribe of mysteriously powerful assassins...more
I've had this book in my shelf since the day it first came out, yet I couldn't manage to pick it up and read it until five years later. Surprisingly, it only took me five days to finish it despite my busy activities, and now I just realized how much I missed the entire Otori klan! Harsh Cry of the Heron was so traumatizing that I refused to remember them for years.
(For you who haven't read the other books, this may contain spoilers!)
So, the book started with Otori Shigeru being a 12-year old bo...more
(For you who haven't read the other books, this may contain spoilers!)
So, the book started with Otori Shigeru being a 12-year old bo...more
I actually had to give myself some time to grieve when I was done with this series. Normally, I start a new book the same day I finish one, but occassionally I have to let myself say goodbye to characters. I had to do that after finishing this series. I had listened to all five books, and had fallen in love with the beautiful, strong, and humble characters. I fell in love with the land, the traditions, and the passionate patriotism the people held for their countries. It was hard to say goodbye,...more
Okay, so I don't often do reviews of the books I read, but this is going to be an exception. This is the prequel of the series "The Tales of the Otori", and being a Japanophile I absolutely fell in love with this book. I anxiously await reading the rest of the series, but they are surprisingly hard to find (not at the local bookstores or in the Barnes & Noble at the Grove).
The detail to which the author immerses you into the Japanese culture is astounding, and it wove in just enough fantasy...more
The detail to which the author immerses you into the Japanese culture is astounding, and it wove in just enough fantasy...more
kisah Lord Otori Shigeru yang sangat mengasyikan. Buku yang menarik karena merupakan buku yang paling terakhir keluar setelah Kisah Klan Otori 1-4, padahal ceritanya duluan.
Klan Otori 1-4 berkisah dengan tokoh utama Otori Takeo, keponakan dari Lord Shigeru tapi beda ibu. setting pada buku 1 berawal dengan kondisi bahwa Otori sudah kalah dari Klan Tohan di Yaegahara.
Kisah mengenai kekalahan Otori dan intrik-intrik setelah kekalahan tersebut dikisahkan dengan sangat menarik dalam buku ini sampai...more
Klan Otori 1-4 berkisah dengan tokoh utama Otori Takeo, keponakan dari Lord Shigeru tapi beda ibu. setting pada buku 1 berawal dengan kondisi bahwa Otori sudah kalah dari Klan Tohan di Yaegahara.
Kisah mengenai kekalahan Otori dan intrik-intrik setelah kekalahan tersebut dikisahkan dengan sangat menarik dalam buku ini sampai...more
I loved all of the books in The Tale of the Otori. I read Across the Nightingale Floor first by accident. At least I didn't know it was part of a series and was fascinated with the story. Got the downloads from Audible for the entire series and was immersed in the Tale for days. They brought to life the beauty, subtlety, intrigue and brutality of Japanese culture in that era. It's something that needs to be given full reign over the imagination to appreciate and get a glimmer of understanding of...more
This book is about a young lord, Shigeru, in a Japanese inspired land, who grows into a dangerous time for himself and his nation. Beautifully written in a storytelling style. The characters are good, the setting is really cool, but its pacing lags at times which lessened my enjoyment of this book.
Here is a random excerpt (In line with my recent food obsession):
"The food was chosen and prepared to increase the sensitivity of the mouth and tongue: the orange melting flesh of sea urchin, slippery...more
Here is a random excerpt (In line with my recent food obsession):
"The food was chosen and prepared to increase the sensitivity of the mouth and tongue: the orange melting flesh of sea urchin, slippery...more
Jan 04, 2010
Indah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
terjemahan-fiksi-fantasi
Kesetiaan untuk Sang Bangau
Judul : Heaven’s Net Is Wide
Penulis : Lian Hearn
Penerjemah : Meithya Rose Prasetya
Penyunting : Lulu Fitri Rahman
Tata Letak : MAB
Penerbit : PT Matahati
Tebal : 786 halaman
Cetakan : November 2009
Kategori : Novel terjemahan/historical Epic
Berseting masa feodal Jepang, tentang keluarga ksatria seperti : Klan Otori (Negeri Tengah ; kota kastil : Hagi), Klan Seishuu (Persekutuan dari beberapa keluarga tua di Negeri Barat; kota kastil utama : Kumamoto dan Maruyama), Klan Tohan...more
Judul : Heaven’s Net Is Wide
Penulis : Lian Hearn
Penerjemah : Meithya Rose Prasetya
Penyunting : Lulu Fitri Rahman
Tata Letak : MAB
Penerbit : PT Matahati
Tebal : 786 halaman
Cetakan : November 2009
Kategori : Novel terjemahan/historical Epic
Berseting masa feodal Jepang, tentang keluarga ksatria seperti : Klan Otori (Negeri Tengah ; kota kastil : Hagi), Klan Seishuu (Persekutuan dari beberapa keluarga tua di Negeri Barat; kota kastil utama : Kumamoto dan Maruyama), Klan Tohan...more
2 likes
·
like
· see review
view 1 comment
If you're into feudal Japan and NOT the modern-day japanime bullshit that has so clouded many youth's opinions and prejudices about the Eastern world, I recommend reading this book. The language is beautiful, the exposition is absolutely phenomenal and the story itself will shock and amaze you. Lian Hearn has done what many authors try to do with their historical world-building: makes something that feels real. Hearn not only makes this whole world very believable and gorgeous but she does it wi...more
Jun 10, 2011
Mystique
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
peeps interested in Japan, or traditional cultural myths of Japan, fuedal Japan
Took me almost 6 weeks to finish this.
Once you've read a trilogy and its final part in the 4th book, it's very hard, at least for me to have to read the 5th book as the 'prequel'.
Seeing as I already knew how it's going to play out, the motivation wasn't really there to dip into this story as often as i have done with the previous four books.
It was a lovely insight into Shigeru's upbringing and past, which led him to begin his quest in 'Across the Nightingale Floor' (Book 1)
However if I had a cho...more
Once you've read a trilogy and its final part in the 4th book, it's very hard, at least for me to have to read the 5th book as the 'prequel'.
Seeing as I already knew how it's going to play out, the motivation wasn't really there to dip into this story as often as i have done with the previous four books.
It was a lovely insight into Shigeru's upbringing and past, which led him to begin his quest in 'Across the Nightingale Floor' (Book 1)
However if I had a cho...more
1 like
·
like
· see review
These books are undoubtedly well written, and while I read this fourth instead of first or fifth, by the time I was done with this, I was ready to be done.... I enjoyed Across the Nightingale Floor because it was fresh and new, but by now, I'm not as interested, and I find myself too often uncomfortable with the level of violence and torture... they also seem pretty TMI at times.. while tastefully skirting around the details in some ways, other times, it's just kinda yuck, in both the sex scenes...more
This book is an immediate prequel to Across the Nightingale Floor, and as such feels sort of unnecessary. I mean, Otori Shigeru is a powerful character, but I found him more powerful when we see him as a grown man with a shadowed past that's only revealed in hints and implications, rather than actually seeing him as a callow boy. I suppose for lovers of the series, it's worth reading, but I certainly wouldn't start here and I'm not sure I'd urge people to pick it up.
That said, I do find it so re...more
That said, I do find it so re...more
Heaven's Net is Wide is a MOST welcome expansion upon the character and story of Shigeru, into whose character we merely glimpsed in the first for books of the Tales of the Otori.
This prequel definitely showcases Hearn's ability to write convincing and entrancing characters and stories. HNiW made me feel for the characters so acutely it translated into real physical anguish. I knew, from reading the other four Tales of the Otori books, what would ultimately occur, and in Heaven's Net is Wide, I...more
This prequel definitely showcases Hearn's ability to write convincing and entrancing characters and stories. HNiW made me feel for the characters so acutely it translated into real physical anguish. I knew, from reading the other four Tales of the Otori books, what would ultimately occur, and in Heaven's Net is Wide, I...more
I liked this book, it did take a bit to get into though. I loved reading about the up bringing of Shigeru Otori. I found that many of the things that occurred were rather interesting and created a good story for what happened in Across the Nightingale Floor, which is the first written. I did think that the story was a little bit rushed at some places, mainly having the battle be in the middle of the book, but I think that the story was laid out well so that the author can get through everything...more
I bought this in London for Alex to read (teen literature section)- and ended up reading it myself.
The author is a British author who developed a facination with early Japan. Hers is a fictional world of 3 Japanese warrior clans a tribe with valueable skills (hired as spies and assasins) and a hidden group with alternative religious views.
I like the story and the writing. At times it seemed a bit slow, but the characters are strong and well developed with beliefs and actions that tie them clos...more
The author is a British author who developed a facination with early Japan. Hers is a fictional world of 3 Japanese warrior clans a tribe with valueable skills (hired as spies and assasins) and a hidden group with alternative religious views.
I like the story and the writing. At times it seemed a bit slow, but the characters are strong and well developed with beliefs and actions that tie them clos...more
1 like
·
like
· see review
Membaca buku ini mau tidak mau saya semakin jatuh hati dengan sosok Otori Shigeru,
kisah hidupnya yang tragis,
Ramalan bahwa kematiannya akan membawa kedamaian di Tiga Negara,
Kisah cintanya dengan Naomi Maruyama, seperti yang perkataan Kenji di awal Kisah Klan Otori (Across The Nightingale Floor) "Kau jatuh cinta pada kematian..."
Kehancuran keluarganya,
Pengkhianatan dalam klannya,
Kematian hampir semua orang yang disayanginya,
Saat membaca buku ini jujur sering saya tunda-tunda, jadi lama bacanya....more
kisah hidupnya yang tragis,
Ramalan bahwa kematiannya akan membawa kedamaian di Tiga Negara,
Kisah cintanya dengan Naomi Maruyama, seperti yang perkataan Kenji di awal Kisah Klan Otori (Across The Nightingale Floor) "Kau jatuh cinta pada kematian..."
Kehancuran keluarganya,
Pengkhianatan dalam klannya,
Kematian hampir semua orang yang disayanginya,
Saat membaca buku ini jujur sering saya tunda-tunda, jadi lama bacanya....more
I love this series and read the first 3 earlier in the year. They were close to perfection. Of course one wonders about the antecedents of the actors. Heaven's Net is Wide tells the story of Otori Shiguru and Maruyama Naomi in their youth. It stands alone, except for a few instances of unfortunate foreshadowing, and also fills in the background of Takeo and Kaede. While I enjoyed it a great deal, it took some of the mystery out of the Trilogy without providing anything unexpected. It is almost t...more
Jan 20, 2010
indri
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to indri by:
lulu fitri rahman
#2010-6# hadiah dari lulu
Kembali ke titik awal.
Kembali ke awal pertempuran.
Kisah Klan Otori jilid 0.
Ketika saga ini akan dibuat prequelnya, aku sempat berpikir. Bagaimana kita bisa menikmati cerita, padahal kita sudah tahu akhirnya. Mungkin jadinya akan seperti baca buku sejarah? Tapi ini kan novel seri..
Buku ini jadi awalan, dan menjawab banyak pertanyaan yang mungkin timbul dari buku 1-4. Kalau di serial Harry Potter ada orangtua atau Pensieve yang bisa menjelaskan masa lalu dan sebab keja...more
Kembali ke titik awal.
Kembali ke awal pertempuran.
Kisah Klan Otori jilid 0.
Ketika saga ini akan dibuat prequelnya, aku sempat berpikir. Bagaimana kita bisa menikmati cerita, padahal kita sudah tahu akhirnya. Mungkin jadinya akan seperti baca buku sejarah? Tapi ini kan novel seri..
Buku ini jadi awalan, dan menjawab banyak pertanyaan yang mungkin timbul dari buku 1-4. Kalau di serial Harry Potter ada orangtua atau Pensieve yang bisa menjelaskan masa lalu dan sebab keja...more
1 like
·
like
· see review
As a prequel to the Otori Saga, this is a good book and provides good insight to the motivations of the characters in later/earlier books, as well as giving a backdrop to the Three Kingdoms. Alliances that Shigeru and Takeo come to rely on are explained and the stage is set for everything to unfold.
However, if you were to take this book and read it as a stand alone then I think it would leave you feeling unsatisfied. The storytelling is beautifully descriptive and well paced, but the conclusion...more
However, if you were to take this book and read it as a stand alone then I think it would leave you feeling unsatisfied. The storytelling is beautifully descriptive and well paced, but the conclusion...more
C'est avec un pincement au coeur que je referme ce dernier volume du Clan des Otori. Le "fil du destin" permet de comprendre l'ascension de Sire Shigeru et ses liens prédestinés avec le futur Takeo qui n'est autre que son neveu. On comprend mieux également sa détermintation à éliminer Iida Sadamu et le clan des Tohan. Le cycle entier fut un véritable régal tant les personnages sont attachants, les intrigues palpitantes et le décor dépeint non sans un certaine poésie. Ce Japon imaginaire m'a litt...more
It had been a long time since I had read Harsh Cry of the Heron and I couldn't really remember the characters or the plot very well, however as this was a prequel, I really had no excuses to not read it. Lian Hearn did a brilliant job with this book and it is definitely my favourite Tales of the Otori book, even though it is not part of the original series. I would absolutely love it if there was a sequel to this from the perspective of Shigeru but that is clearly not possible. After reading thi...more
I'm going to admit it upfront: I wasn't as blown away by this as I was by the Otori trilogy. There were fewer surprises (obviously, since this is a prequel), and the end wasn't quite satisfying enough. It very much felt like an introduction to something else... On the other hand, it is an extremely readable introduction, reveals more about some great characters from the trilogy, and the narrative is both moving and exciting. If you've already read the trilogy you'll want to read this too. If you...more
Follows Shigeru and his brother Takeshi; Otori who are betrayed and fall under the power of Iida. Gives the back story of all that happened before Takeo is found. This series is a brutal look at feudal life. Women were helpless, those not of nobility were helpless and death was but one step away for almost everyone. Also delved into the Hidden a lot more. Showing the difference between their regard and love for life in contrast to the Warrior Class's lust for death and personal power. Truly, Chr...more
May 14, 2008
Natnat
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Japanese Epic Fiction Lovers
Shelves:
borrowed
Segera terbit di Indonesia!!! :D
Lian Hearn has given me an appreciation for this culture. The beautifully woven story. This is a classic and will live forever. I have the entire series. I love giving them as gifts. This is an awesome writer. This series has become like a friend you go back to again and again when you need to get lost in an entirely different society. I have read Lian Hearn's online story, I so wish a story this incredible could fall into my mind. I thank Ms. Hearn for the Tales of the Otori, it is a gift to al...more
Lembro-me perfeitamente de uma tarde, corria o ano de 2003, em que fui à livraria do costume procurar o mais recente título da Colecção Via Láctea e me deparei com a capa de A Tribo dos Mágicos. Confesso que não fiquei imediatamente convencida, embora a sinopse tenha ajudado a ultrapassar algumas das minhas reticências. Apesar de tudo, e enquanto fã da colecção que por aqueles dias nascia, decidi levar um exemplar para casa. Devo confessar que as minhas reticências eram completamente infundadas...more
Have read the whole Otori series & STILL can't decide which is my favourite, but this one is definitely a contender.
It was a really good back-story for Shigeru, making his character more in-depth and authentic, and for events in the trilogy such as the always-mentioned Battle of Yaegahara, the bridge in Hagi, and also Lady Maruyama and Matsuda Shingen.
I especially like seeing younger versions of characters from the trilogy, others including The Miyoshi brothers, Fumio and his father, Takeo,...more
It was a really good back-story for Shigeru, making his character more in-depth and authentic, and for events in the trilogy such as the always-mentioned Battle of Yaegahara, the bridge in Hagi, and also Lady Maruyama and Matsuda Shingen.
I especially like seeing younger versions of characters from the trilogy, others including The Miyoshi brothers, Fumio and his father, Takeo,...more
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“Apa yang dikatakan orang-orang bukanlah masalah, selama aku mempertahankan perilaku yang benar.”
—
3 people liked it
“The best way is to be strong enough to make your enemy think twice about attacking you, yet not so aggressive that he feels threatened. Keep your sword sheathed as long as you can, but once it is unsheathed, use it without hesitation.”
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2 people liked it
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