The Harsh Cry of the Heron - Hardcover

Hearn, Lian

3.96

13,205 ratings by Goodreads

9781405092104: The Harsh Cry of the Heron

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1405092106 ISBN 13: 9781405092104

Publisher: Macmillan, 2006

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Takeo and Kaede have ruled the Three Countries peacefully for over 16 years, following the tumultuous events laid out in the epic Tales of the Otori. The land and people are peaceable and calm, the world is balanced and Heaven seems to shine upon them. They have three daughters. Shigeko, 15 years old and heir to the vast territory, is developing into a bold warrior with meditative powers, making her wise beyond her years, and Maya and Miki - twins, two years' her junior - have inherited the supernatural powers of their father.

However, an attempted assassination of Kaede at the New Year ceremonies reveals that the inescapable forces of destiny still bear down on Takeo and those he loves, and that forces from his past and from beyond the Three Countries are plotting. While his strength and power come from the enduring love of Kaede, the blind sage's prophecy that only his son could bring death to him, haunts his thoughts.

This is a breath-taking epic of warfare and sacrifice, passionate revenge, treacherous betrayals and unconquerable love. Liane Hearn's ancient mythological world of fierce chivalry is compelling, timeless storytelling that will endure for generations of readers to come.

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Review:

'Hearn writes with a delicate attention to detail that creates an
all-encompassing world around her characters' -- Sunday Telegraph

A thrilling tale of love, violence, loyalty and betrayal, fast moving, set in a far-away country long ago -- Guardian

The Harsh Cry of the Heron was voted Number Five in the `Our
critics choice of the hottest tickets'.
-- Independent on Sunday Top Fifty

The plot is gripping and the writing is beautiful, packed with authentic, atmospheric detail -- Daily Mail

From the Publisher:

Lian Hearn is an amazing author. She can write believably and movingly about war and peace, love, poetry, politics, philosophy, nature, realism and magic and weave them all into a compelling plot of grace, compolexity and simplicity. I well remember when I first read Across the Nightigale Floor, the first of the otori books. I knew within a few pages that here was an author who had written a novel that was destined to become a classic, to be read as avidly many years from now. The Harsh Cry of Heron is the sequel to the three volumes of the Tales of the Otori. It is just as beautiful, poignant, frightening and compelling as Lian's earlier novels. Please read it. I know you'll enjoy it.

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