Orphan Warriors

Tales of the Otori #5

by Lian Hearn

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.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Japanese Literature, Young Adult, Historical

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 2020

About the author

Lian 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.

Reviews

[Teapot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I genuinely enjoyed this book! The characters are fantastic and the story is thrilling! The atmosphere is just as stunning as I've remembered. Like its predecessors, this book is definitely YA fiction so if you've grown out of stories that seem too whimsical or childish at times then I don't recommend it. For me though, I still adore this genre so the book was overall great! Now I really look forward to reading the sequel!!! ♥️♥️♥️

[RG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many characters and not alot going on. I read this series in highschool or I should say began but I feel like I've lost my connection to it.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't quite live up to Lian's previous works - or, at least, not my memory of them. There was more narrative tension when Magic A was Magic A; now, with new and strange supernatural effects coming out the wazoo, it's hard to feel the tension when anything might be solved with some heretofore unseen application of magic - and often is.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad

[gegelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

C’était cool mais sans +. y’avait trop de nom japonais je les confondais tous.

[Ernie Rijs]

I found this instalment of the Otori saga a bit lackluster. It lacks the depth of characterisation of the previous five - Hearn seems to be telling the story from a distance. She seems too keen to explore the "other world" at the expense of the ideas and the characters. I didn't develop much sympathy for Kasho and thought Hearn pushed him around the story too much. I wanted to find out more about Kaede, and the inclusion of the characters from the previous stories felt gratuitous, having little impact in the story. Even the drama of Saga's eventual demise seemed forced and very obviously foreshadowed.
The strong, evocative descriptions of the world of the Otori, so magical in the previous novels, are missing here.
So while I was moved to persevere simply to see the story through out of respect for Hearn and her accomplishment with the Otori world, I was not enthralled or captivated as I had hoped.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this fifth book the story brings us many new intrigues, mysterious characters, magnificent nature and the dark creatures of the past. As in all previous books of this chronicles the language is beautiful, the images are vivid, the characters are noble, but vulnerable and the forces of evil are everywhere. Life is a constant struggle and everything is an illusion. The Otori legacy is living on.

[Mercedes · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this sequel to Tales of the Otori with the Children of the Otori. The World building for Feudal Japan is extraordinary, the character development and writing is excellent. I was complete engrossed and so happy it’s a two book series.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I am still so incredibly happy that the Tales of the Otori got two more final books after such a long time. While I really loved The Harsh Cry of the Heron, the destinies of many beloved characters remained unknown. For me, the Otori series was always as much about Kaede as it was about Takeo, and therefore I think it is just right that Lian Hearn decided to continue the story now even after Takeo's tragic death.

Orphan Warriors continues right after these events and therefore enters into the series seamlessly which is great for continued reading. We meet so many old friends again: Shizuka, Makoto, the Gemba brothers, Takeo and Kaede's children, Hiroshi... and I was so so happy to see them again, after such a long time. Especially important is the older child of Arai Zenko, Arai Sunaomi, who faces a sad destiny as the son of a defeated warlord, now an orphan. He loses his name and is then called Kasho, he has to leave his past behind, but he is caught too deeply in the net of expectations from all the people around him. Kasho is the narrator of the novel, and he is still a child as the events unfold around him. Through magical bonds he finds himself deeply connected to Hisao, the illegitimate son of Otori Takeo, who has suffered such a terrible childhood that it has turned him into a broken, sadistic and dangerous man - but as always, Lian Hearn refrains from oversimplifying her characters into moral categories of mere good and evil. The world of the Otori remains a world full of tragedy, treacherousness, but also beauty. Her narration is crafted as lovely as ever, fine descriptions of nature, observant depictions of human behaviour.

Kasho as narrator is sometimes almost unbearably passive, like a chess piece moved around on a table, people adopt him, take him away, let him go again. However, his passiveness is also part of the overall theme of The Way of the Hohou, a spiritual refusal of violence and killing, a demonstration of strength through peace and meditation and calmness, best demonstrated in Makoto, now Abbot. Liarn Hearn gives us in Orphan Warriors a narrator who is utterly kind, empathetic, sensitive and perceptive. Kasho deeply connects with the people around him, feels for their stories, their tragedies. He is able to practice forgiveness. Able to be afraid. Kasho, the child of a brutal warlord, defies so many stereotypes of masculine behaviour. In that way, he even surpasses Takeo, who was still unable to trust his wife to become the ruler next to him, in full equality. The fact that I as a reader am sometimes irritated by his passiveness, yes, even by his compassion, tells me more about how influenced is still am by traditional ideas of masculinity and strength.

This is another important theme of the novel: the harmfulness of these gender stereotypes, the destructive power of toxic masculinity. In fact, it has always been. I believe it is one of the main reasons why Kaede nearly fell into madness. I love that Kaede finds redemption and, finally, even matriarchal power, in this novel. The imbalance that probably started with the fall of Maruyama Naomi, with the terrible force of men such as Iida Sadamu and finds itself repeated again and again, through important men in power, just like Saga Hideki in Orphan Warriors, the Emperor's General.

With the fall of Saga Hideki then comes one thing I disliked about the novel: I thought that Rei, Ren and the Fire God were not introduced properly, and also stayed so disconnected from the overall story that their intervention and defeat of Saga Hideki felt like a literal deus ex machina. It was not fulfilling at all to see him defeated by characters that where so much on the fringe of the overall story. However, these sisters will probably play a bigger part in the second novel, so at least we will get to know them more and maybe I will feel differently about that part then. I must also say that while I think that the new Tribe skills are definitely fascinating and positively creepy, I still miss and prefer the older Tribe skills which are almost inexistent in this book. It is so much more mysterious in its depiction of also divine magic and I'm not sure whether I like that. However, I'm pretty sure that much of it is rooted in Japanese culture, as the whole series has always been grounded on a lot of research to be both accurate and still fictional.

I am looking very much forward now to read Sibling Assassins! After that, I will read Heaven's Net is Wide at last, for maximum heartbreak.

[Jessica | madameratou ♡]

Je n’ai jamais eu l’occasion de plonger dans l’univers de Lian Hearn et de découvrir ses écrits. Mais il y a peu de temps, j’ai lu le clan des Otori : le silence du rossignol — une bande dessinée de Stéphane Melchior et Benjamin Bachelier qui reprend le premier tome de la saga culte. Juste après, et sans avoir acheté la suite des (més)aventures de Kaede, j’ai dévoré les enfants des Otori : les guerriers orphelins. J’ai donc sauté quelques étapes importantes et pas mal de moments clés pour comprendre l’intrigue, vous l’aurez compris.. Fort heureusement, les éditions Gallimard Jeunesse ont pensé à tout : à la fin de l’ouvrage, on peut retrouver des résumés de chaque opus ainsi qu’une liste des personnages (noms, liens de parenté..). De cette manière, on peut s’y retrouver. À peu près.

Je ne vous le cache pas : ma lecture a été plutôt laborieuse. Surtout au début, parce que je ne comprenais rien. Je n’arrivais pas à situer les personnages, à définir le contexte, à visualiser une intrigue sans me noyer sous les informations et descriptions. Pourtant, au bout d’un moment, j’ai fini par y voir plus clair. Dès lors, j’ai apprécié (et surtout savouré) ce que j’avais sous les yeux.

J’ai beaucoup aimé le héros et narrateur, Sunaomi (autrement appelé « Kasho »), fils de traître que l’on a épargné à l’unique condition qu’il vive au temple de Terayama et ne le quitte jamais. C’est quelqu’un de calme, de discret, qui est contre la violence et qui, surtout, m’a surprise : malgré l’environnement dans lequel il évolue, je l’ai trouvé incroyablement rusé, noble et courageux. Il y a également Hisao, jeune homme au tempérament de feu. Je n’ai pas approuvé chacune de ses pensées ou actions, néanmoins, j’ai adoré son côté fonceur. Il sait ce qu’il veut et rien ni personne ne pourra l’arrêter. Pour ce qui est des autres personnages, ils ont beau être nombreux, certains se sont démarqués et ont réussi à sortir du lot.

Grâce à la plume fluide et entraînante de l’autrice, j’ai voyagé dans un univers riche, complexe et travaillé. Quant à son Japon féodal, il m’a émerveillée autant qu’il m’a effrayée. En effet, ce nouveau cycle nous apporte son lot d’intrigues, de complots, de batailles, de rebondissements et de tragédies ; tout en étant porté par une touche de magie que j’ai pris plaisir à découvrir. Le début a été compliqué, je le répète, parce que je n’avais pas les bases du récit mais au bout du compte, les enfants des Otori est une bonne surprise. Si vous souhaitez plonger dans une histoire aussi poétique que tragique, je vous conseille celle-ci. Merci aux éditions Gallimard Jeunesse pour l’envoi de ce livre et pour la confiance qui m’a été accordée. ♥

[La Gran Biblioteca de David · Rating 3 out of 5]

El señor Saga, general del emperador, está gobernando con mano de hierro. Sus decisiones son cada vez más crueles y menos aceptadas. Sunaomi, hijo del traidor Arai Zenko, tiene que vivir para siempre como monje en un templo si quiere seguir con vida. Pero, pese a su destierro, con sus habilidades se va a ir ganando enemistades muy poderosas. Entre ellos la de Hisao, hijo de Takeo, el maestro fantasma, también con unas habilidades especiales. Ahora la Tribu también le busca, y quizás sus intenciones no sean buenas.

Hearn nos trae una historia bastante emocionante, pues los personajes estarán en constante lucha por vivir. Hay batallas, conspiraciones, intrigas y tragedias. Quizás su anterior saga dejó el listón demasiado alto y este nuevo libro no ha llegado a tanto, pero aún así se disfruta bastante. Además contiene varias intrigas que tendrá al lector en vilo. La ambientación me ha gustado mucho, llevando al lector al Japón feudal pero lleno con el folclore mitológico de este país.

Los personajes de esta historia son todos de una gran nobleza que tendrán que hacer frente a las fuerzas oscuras, las cuales están en todas partes. Uno de estos es Sunaomi, llamado Kasho, hijo de un triador al que se le perdonó la vida con la condición de que quiera en el templo de Terayama para siempre. Es un joven tranquilo y pacífico, de gran astucia y nobleza. Otro personaje es Hisao, hijo del fallecido Otori Takeo, gobernador de los Tres Reinos. Este tiene un caracter demasiado fuerte y temperamental, un joven que sabe perfectamente lo que quiere y que nada ni nadie lo va a impedir.

El libro está bien escrito, aunque no es tan potente como su anterior saga, especialmente en lo referente a las descripciones del mundo de los Otori, muy fascinante por otro lado. También es cierto que si no conoces las historias anteriores quizás esta puede costar un poco al principio, especialmente a la hora de conocer a los personajes antiguos.

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

With elements of medieval Japan and supernatural folklore, I was really excited to pick this one up - only to realise very early on that having not read the previous 4 books in the series, I was in for a confusing ride. While I was still able to follow along with the story, I think I was probably missing out on the richness that comes with understanding the backstories of many of the characters (though I will note that I did look up detailed synopses of the previous 4 books for reference before marching on).

Unfortunately, even with that little bit of added knowledge, I just didn't find the story very compelling. Again, while it might have been influenced by coming into the series towards the end, as a novel on its own, Orphan Warriors didn't stand up for me. There were so many characters to keep track of, and so many supernatural elements to contend with, that I found myself mostly trying to wrap my head around every plot movement instead of enjoying the book.

[Sophie lit ça · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lien vers la critique complète : http://sophielit.ca/critique.php?id=2610

Je dois commencer ce billet en disant que j’ai déjà lu le premier tome du Clan des Otori, il y a un bon moment déjà, mais que je ne m’en souvenais pas au moment de tourner les premières pages de celui-ci et ça m’a créé bien des soucis de compréhension. En effet, Lian Hearn met en scène de très nombreux personnages dans son roman et on dirait que plusieurs sont déjà connus des lecteurs fans de la série si bien qu’hors la liste présentée en fin d’ouvrage, il n’y a que très peu de mise en contexte. Et qu’on s’y perd. Mon premier conseil, si vous ne connaissez pas cette série, c’est donc de revenir à l’originale afin de profiter davantage de celle-ci.

[Maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a terrific story. This is the first Lian Hearn book I have read and I loved it. The Japanese names was a trial but the story of an orphaned 8 yo (I think) Kasho trying to avoid the war lord who wants to kill him, and finding what magic he can do was so enjoyable. It was a bit odd that a small child was able to negotiate all the adult encounters he had on his journey across the country but he was treated as a child by most of those adults. He has some small toys he carries with him but each of these toys are magical artifacts and Kasho learns how to use the magic in each of them as he goes. The themes are of war, orphans, tragedy and death but there is a lightness to the story and there is always a feeling of hope.

[James Reed · Rating 2 out of 5]

After finishing the original series of 4 books, Tales of the Otori (with such a tragic ending), I was hungry for more. While not disappointed, I found the style, voice, and overall feeling of this book to be VERY different from Tales.

There were almost too many characters to keep track of (thanks for the list at the start of the book) as I read. The immersion of magic was not unappreciated, but where it was using sparingly in Tales, it was front and center in Children. It was a slight shock-almost like the book was written by a different author. Where magic is concerned, I would have preferred more balance between both series.

All that said, I am glad I was able to follow the children. On to book 2........

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

her original series tales of the otori is one of my all time favorite series. so I was looking forward to getting more stories in that world. but unfortunately this one isn't as well written, alot of characters that are just bland or add nothing to the story and the story itself just seems to be lagging. nothing happening or not enough to really care about. I feel like the main character is never fully developed.. he gives the reader nothing to hate, cheer, cry, scream, or any other emotion one can get when reading a fantasy adventure. I really believe if main character left the story for awhile the reader wouldn't even notice. this was a very disappointing read for me. I guess because I had such high hopes.

[Jenny Talbot · Rating 4 out of 5]

It lacks the absorbing nature of the original novels but was still entertaining with its magic and whimsical skill sets of the characters. It is probably more suited to YA fiction than an older reader but having read all the other books I couldn’t miss the opportunity to dip back into Lian Hearn’s world again. I found the other books had very strong female characters. This book puts the strong females into the background with the foreground occupied by a young boy who is finding himself and his way with his abilities. I am hopeful that the next book unleashes the female power that the end of the book promises and lives up to its contemporaries a little better.

[Kizzy Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like all the other books in the series, I delved head first into this book with high expectations, which it didn’t disappoint.

After finishing the series of shikanoko, the last book left me feeling a little lost as I felt it didn’t quite have the impact I was hoping it was going to have at the end. but, orphan worries made me forget all about my slight disappointment, which I was very happy. This book kept a steady tempo, not lacking with excitement or emotions all the way to the end!

Another amazing book that is yet another exciting read for though who love the otori world! A very good read! I’m off to read sibling assassins! 😁

[David Swanborough · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say this is probably my least favourite of Lian Hearn's books says more about how brilliant she is.

This book is a journey and a set up piece for a fantastic sequel it's so reminiscent of how she set up through nightingale floor to make brilliance of the moon and harsh cry if the heron masterpieces and how tales of shikanoko emperor of the eight islands sets up the whole saga.

The book has its own pay offs as well it's not just a set up piece but I read it back to back with it's sequel

And stuff from harsh cry of the heron and tales of shikanoko bleed into the soul of this book series but in away that you could read the series in reverse order and it still have endless pay offs because Lian is the master of having basic pay off inside the novel series and a deeper fandom pay off through our the series' that work in reverse

[Melinda Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the other books in the Tales of the Otori, this new instalment totally immerses you in the feudal world of Japan. I found myself thinking and dreaming a lot about Japanese character names and places as I was reading it. While I didn't find myself enamoured deeply to the main character, I was still filled with a curiosity to see what would happen to him, as well as his antagonist and other supporting characters. The story moved quickly enough for me to charge ahead and before I knew it, I had finished the book in 3 days, which was unusually fast for me.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but…..
Not that great. Certainly a let down after such a wonderful journey through her previous books.
Why?
Far too many characters, too many arcs that personally I found weren’t necessary, too many fantastical or magical parts that honestly changed the feel of the book from believable fantasy based on history to straight out fantasy.
For me, speculative fiction has always been about keeping everything ‘real’ except for one small part, a trait that H.G. Wells and Stephen King captured so well.
This book however went a bit too far.
Overall not bad but…..

[Maxine]

Set almost directly after Heaven’s Net is Wide, which was published years ago, I really struggled to remember who all the characters were. Had to google a family tree. Felt like there was a lot more of the supernatural in this one.

[Leanbh Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved the Tales of the Otori and Tale of Shikanoko. I enjoyed the blending of the two storylines in this novel. The story felt a little adrift from its purpose at times but the characters were strongly drawn, the folklore and history as vivid as ever.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book but it has been over ten years since I read the first trilogy and I got a little confused at the beginning. I think you would get a lot more enjoyment out of it if you started with Across The Nightingale Floor first.

[Steven J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story but I found that with the writing so much happened so fast, with so many characters, that I lost track sometimes. I'm a fan of Lian Hear but something about the book made me feel like it was an imitator of her writing style and not Lian

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love the Tales of Otori!
I love to be transported back to the Three Countries and feel like meeting old friends again although Takeo died long ago. However the ending of this book is disappointing.

[JESH · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed earlier Otori books but found this one too convoluted. The 4 page list of characters at the beginning should have warned me. Even with that it was hard to work out what was happening, too many sides to the conflict, too many protagonists

[Sim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je n'avais pas lu la série qui précède. Très belle écriture qui engendre une atmosphère de suspense tout au long du récit. C'est un univers de magie bien avant son aspect martial en surface. La terminologie s'apprend après quelques chapitres. Je recommande.

[Crystal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy this book at all honestly the Asian inspired fantasy aspect sounded so intriguing before I started but I found it was slow and I don't have a connection with any of the characters except jen

[Paperbark Merchants]

Revisits the Otori clan. Focused more on the Tribe and their supernatural powers than previous books. Lovely to catch up with old favourites.