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Tales of the Otori #3 part 1
Brilliance of the Moon, Episode 1: Battle for Maruyama
A tale set in an alternate medieval Japan follows the adventures of Takeo and Kaede as they find their destinies shaped by factors outside of their control. Reprint.
210 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2006
About the author
Lian Hearn
57 books1,838 followersLian Hearn's beloved Tales of the Otori series, set in an imagined feudal Japan, has sold more than four million copies worldwide and has been translated into nearly forty languages. It is comprised of five volumes: ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR, GRASS FOR HIS PILLOW, BRILLIANCE OF THE MOON, THE HARSH CRY OF THE HERON and HEAVEN'S NET IS WIDE. The series was followed by two standalone novels, BLOSSOMS AND SHADOWS and THE STORYTELLER AND HIS THREE DAUGHTERS, also set in Japan.
Hearn's forthcoming series: The Tale of Shikanoko will be published by FSG in 4 volumes in 2016. Book 1 will be EMPEROR OF EIGHT ISLANDS out in late-April 2016, followed by book 2: AUTUMN PRINCESS, DRAGON CHILD (June), book 3: LORD OF THE DARKWOOD (August), and the final book (#4) THE TENGU'S GAME OF GO (late-Sept. 2016).
Lian has made many trips to Japan and has studied Japanese. She read Modern Languages at Oxford and worked as an editor and film critic in England before immigrating to Australia.
Hearn's forthcoming series: The Tale of Shikanoko will be published by FSG in 4 volumes in 2016. Book 1 will be EMPEROR OF EIGHT ISLANDS out in late-April 2016, followed by book 2: AUTUMN PRINCESS, DRAGON CHILD (June), book 3: LORD OF THE DARKWOOD (August), and the final book (#4) THE TENGU'S GAME OF GO (late-Sept. 2016).
Lian has made many trips to Japan and has studied Japanese. She read Modern Languages at Oxford and worked as an editor and film critic in England before immigrating to Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 27, 2017
Tales of the Otori has been about Takeo and Kaede, first and foremost. The plots are complex enough to keep a reader engaged, but the real focus of the books have been the two main characters and their relationship. Their stakes have risen, and the plots against them are circling closer, as we enter the third act of the saga. Given that the last book ended on a cliffhanger of an ending, none of this is a surprise.
Hearn brings in a new point-of-view character here, Shizuka, which felt odd to me. It was necessary to bring her in to tell all the angles of the story, but to bring her in so close to the end of the story feels clunky. I feel like authors should know which characters will be central to their story from the beginning, and use them as POV characters from the start so they won't be introduced so suddenly later in the story.
Her style continues to enchant, and her characters are intriguing. Nothing stays still as Hearn takes us through to the events that will conclude the series, but there's still a gentle, susurrating pace here that lulls you into a false feeling of complacency. It's a strange dichotomy, but it works remarkably well.
Battle for Marumaya isn't a book to read by itself; you'll need Scars of Victory on hand to finish this series quickly. Of course, the book isn't one to start with, either, since if you do, you miss out on Takeo and Kaede's relationship developing over the previous two books. Take my word for it: start at the beginning.
Hearn brings in a new point-of-view character here, Shizuka, which felt odd to me. It was necessary to bring her in to tell all the angles of the story, but to bring her in so close to the end of the story feels clunky. I feel like authors should know which characters will be central to their story from the beginning, and use them as POV characters from the start so they won't be introduced so suddenly later in the story.
Her style continues to enchant, and her characters are intriguing. Nothing stays still as Hearn takes us through to the events that will conclude the series, but there's still a gentle, susurrating pace here that lulls you into a false feeling of complacency. It's a strange dichotomy, but it works remarkably well.
Battle for Marumaya isn't a book to read by itself; you'll need Scars of Victory on hand to finish this series quickly. Of course, the book isn't one to start with, either, since if you do, you miss out on Takeo and Kaede's relationship developing over the previous two books. Take my word for it: start at the beginning.
April 13, 2011
The final two books in the series starts out with every element that has slowly snowballed together from the books before. It changed up the generally cloak and dagger ninja type action that Takeo has give us through out the beginning part of the series and gets down to what many of us are used to, the battles between large military armies with nations making allies and enemies every which way.
The story is made even better because now we the reader, as well as the characters have a map for how its going to end in the form of a prophecy. Mixing in all the elements from before and this new key information to go by Hearn takes the reader into the final stretch with just as much detail, perspectives, and fascination as they had been experiencing before.
By this point I also began to feel this aura of maturity. Almost like reading the story and being immersed in it had regressed me to beign a child again, tutored and guided me to grow up, and now as the characters and the plot was reaching its end I to was reaching the end of the path to adulthood. It was such a strange feeling and yet it amazed me as well, made me want to cause the same kind of change in my writing.
The story is made even better because now we the reader, as well as the characters have a map for how its going to end in the form of a prophecy. Mixing in all the elements from before and this new key information to go by Hearn takes the reader into the final stretch with just as much detail, perspectives, and fascination as they had been experiencing before.
By this point I also began to feel this aura of maturity. Almost like reading the story and being immersed in it had regressed me to beign a child again, tutored and guided me to grow up, and now as the characters and the plot was reaching its end I to was reaching the end of the path to adulthood. It was such a strange feeling and yet it amazed me as well, made me want to cause the same kind of change in my writing.
November 10, 2012
An enjoyable book, as it shows our main characters are succeeding in everything that they want, while angering everyone around them. So the next book will definitely not be so rosy. I liked that this book introduced another point of view character. Being Shizuka, Kaede's old maid, she gives me hope that the tribe storyline will be resolved in some way since I think it is the most interesting of the conflicts int he series.
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July 23, 2011loved the series.
April 27, 2013
I love the imagination put into it, truly enticing....<3
January 8, 2008
good book
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews