{"title":"Lian Hearn","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the captivating worlds crafted by Lian Hearn, an acclaimed author renowned for her captivating blend of fantasy, history, and suspense. Hearn, a pseudonym for Australian writer Gillian Rubinstein, enchants readers with her profound storytelling and richly detailed settings inspired by Asian folklore and historical narratives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBegin your journey with the \u003cem\u003eTales of the Otori\u003c\/em\u003e series, where books like \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrilliance of the Moon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrass for His Pillow\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e unfold a narrative of intrigue and adventure. These stories are steeped in the mystical atmosphere of a mythical, feudal Japan, offering a seamless blend of fantasy and thrilling crime elements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExplore the complexities of power and destiny in the \u003cem\u003eTale of Shikanoko\u003c\/em\u003e series, beginning with \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEmperor of the Eight Islands\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e. This series explores the political and magical machinations within a fantastical empire, drawing readers into its spellbinding narrative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEach book by Lian Hearn captivates with its mesmerising prose and intricate plotting. Discover the rich tapestry of her literary world today and become part of the enthralling saga that has enchanted readers around the globe.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"brilliance-of-the-moon-by-lian-hearn-9780733635243","title":"Brilliance Of The Moon","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow released with stunning new cover artwork, \u003ci\u003eBrilliance Of The Moon\u003c\/i\u003e is Book 3 in the five-part Tales of the Otori series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'The best story of magic, love, sex, revenge and suspense to have come this way since Philip Pullman.' \u003cem\u003eIndependent on Sunday\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOtori Takeo's future is uncertain. If he is to reclaim his Otori heritage, he must fight for it - but his army is untrained and Takeo, despite his legendary skills as an assassin, knows nothing of warfare. Can he defeat those who seek to destroy him, and so bring peace to the Three Countries?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTo take what is rightfully his, Takeo must conquer the warlord Arai Daiichi and the nobleman Lord Fujiwara, but every step is fraught with danger for him and his great love, Shirakawa Kaede. Their destinies are determined by forces beyond their control.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eComing soon - the spellbinding new Tale of Shikanoko, set 300 years before Otori: \u003ci\u003eEmperor of the Eight Islands\u003c\/i\u003e (Books 1 and 2) and \u003ci\u003eLord of the Darkwood\u003c\/i\u003e (Books 3 and 4).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46417683939564,"sku":"9780733635243","price":26.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/5052723482449.jpg?v=1746448521"},{"product_id":"grass-for-his-pillow-book-2-tales-of-the-otori-by-lian-hearn-9780733635236","title":"Grass for His Pillow: Book 2 Tales of the Otori","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow released with stunning new cover artwork, \u003cem\u003eGrass for His Pillow\u003c\/em\u003e is Book 2 in the five-part Tales of the Otori series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'The best story of magic, love, sex, revenge and suspense to have come this way since Philip Pullman.' \u003cstrong\u003eIndependent on Sunday\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the ancient lands of the Otori, in a time of war and famine, the fate of the young lovers Otori Takeo and Shirakawa Kaede hangs in the balance. Takeo, heir to the great Otori clan, has pledged his life to the secret Tribe. To follow their brutal directions and become their most deadly assassin, he must deny the spiritual vows of his peaceful upbringing, his birthright of wealth, land and power—and his love for Kaede. If he turns his back on the Tribe, they will kill him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eForced to take a path that leads him to extreme danger, Takeo grows from boy to man. Kaede, heiress to vast lands, is now the valuable pawn of ruthless warlords. She must use her intelligence, beauty, and cunning to assert her place in a world of all-powerful men—who must never suspect the dangerous secret she hides.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eComing soon—the spellbinding new Tale of Shikanoko, set 300 years before Otori: \u003cem\u003eEmperor of the Eight Islands\u003c\/em\u003e (Books 1 \u0026amp; 2) and \u003cem\u003eLord of the Darkwood\u003c\/em\u003e (Books 3 \u0026amp; 4).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46418821742828,"sku":"9780733635236","price":26.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/5052653482449.jpg?v=1746500356"},{"product_id":"heaven-s-net-is-wide-by-lian-hearn-9780733635212","title":"Heaven s Net Is Wide","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow released with stunning new cover artwork, \u003cem\u003eHeaven's Net Is Wide\u003c\/em\u003e is Book 5 in the five-part Tales of the Otori series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'The best story of magic, love, sex, revenge and suspense to have come this way since Philip Pullman.' \u003ccite\u003eIndependent on Sunday\u003c\/cite\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLord Shigeru, heir to the Otori clan, faces hostility from the ambitious Iida family. His training as a warrior has prepared him for leadership, but fate and Shigeru's youthful determination bring the Three Countries to war. He must endure defeat at the battle of Yaegahara and its brutal consequences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShigeru waits for the moment when he can win back the Middle Country and be with the woman he loves, the Lady Maruyama. But his life is under constant threat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe has friends among the assassins of the Tribe who will not only protect him but will reveal the existence of a boy in a remote mountain village. A boy who is of the sect known as the Hidden, who might prove to be 'the unexpected move that opens up the whole game'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSo begin the Tales of the Otori...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eComing soon - the spellbinding new Tale of Shikanoko, set 300 years before Otori: \u003cem\u003eEmperor of the Eight Islands\u003c\/em\u003e (Books 1 and 2) and \u003cem\u003eLord of the Darkwood\u003c\/em\u003e (Books 3 and 4).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46418899796204,"sku":"9780733635212","price":21.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/5052413482449.jpg?v=1746503221"},{"product_id":"emperor-of-the-eight-islands-by-lian-hearn-9780733635137","title":"Emperor of the Eight Islands","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike George R. R. Martin, Lian Hearn has captivated millions of readers worldwide with her masterpiece of imagination, \u003cem\u003eTales of the Otori\u003c\/em\u003e. Now, against a dazzling canvas of wild forest, elegant court and savage battlefield, she brilliantly brings to life the world that existed 300 years earlier. Hearn weaves an intricate tapestry—seething with intrigue, adventure and love—of two rival clans struggling over who will be crowned \u003cem\u003eEmperor of the Eight Islands\u003c\/em\u003e, in a medieval Japanese country inhabited by warriors, assassins, ghosts and guardian spirits. And as the laws of destiny play out their inexorable drama, the battle for the Lotus Throne begins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eComing soon: \u003cem\u003eLord of the Darkwood\u003c\/em\u003e. Books 3 and 4 in \u003cem\u003eThe Tale of Shikanoko\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eEmperor of the Eight Islands\u003c\/em\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n‘huge imaginative vitality’ - \u003cem\u003eSydney Morning Herald\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n‘a fitting follow-up to the Otori series’ - \u003cem\u003eThe Age\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n‘colourful and fascinating characters’ - \u003cem\u003eCourier Mail\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n‘a must-read’ - \u003cem\u003eAurealis\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n‘stands alone for fine storytelling’ - \u003cem\u003eWest Australian\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n‘sure to recruit a fresh legion of fans’ - \u003cem\u003eThe Saturday Paper\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDon't miss any of the novels in the \u003cem\u003eOtori\u003c\/em\u003e saga:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eAcross the Nightingale Floor\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eGrass for His Pillow\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eBrilliance of the Moon\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eThe Harsh Cry of the Heron\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eHeaven's Net is Wide\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072503267564,"sku":"9780733635137","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/5051663482449.jpg?v=1765114077"},{"product_id":"emperor-of-the-eight-islands-by-lian-hearn-9780733635267","title":"Emperor of the Eight Islands","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn ambitious warlord leaves his nephew for dead and seizes his lands. A stubborn father forces his younger son to surrender his wife to his older brother. A mysterious woman seeks five fathers for her children. A powerful priest meddles in the succession to the Lotus Throne. These are the threads of an intricate tapestry in which the laws of destiny play out against a backdrop of wild forest, elegant court, and savage battlefield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSet in a mythical medieval Japan inhabited by warriors and assassins, ghosts and guardian spirits, \u003cem\u003eEmperor of the Eight Islands\u003c\/em\u003e by Lian Hearn is a brilliantly imagined novel, full of drama and intrigue—the beginning of an enthralling, epic adventure: The Tale of Shikanoko.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Brutally thrilling historical fantasy' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHerald Sun\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Wildly successful... Convince[s] as if being read in translation, as if Hearn is merely the medium for some lost and ancient text. Much like Game of Thrones, the book can be read as political intrigue, with great strength deriving from the character studies. Nobody is black or white, rather shades of grey' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Age\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Moves onwards with the narrative force of a flood. It is easy to let the book sweep the reader away, to engage with strange events... very compelling characters [and] huge imaginative vitality' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSydney Morning Herald\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'The action comes thick and fast ...Compelling characters and captivating worldbuilding' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJapan Times\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A must-read' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAurealis\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'One of the great joys of genre novels is that they usually care deeply about plot, satisfying the innately human desire for story. And there is story aplenty here. The unfolding events are so fascinating, the writing so lithe and seductive. There's no need to have read Hearn's earlier Otori series, set in the same remarkable fantasy world, to enjoy this one. Indeed, her new epic seems sure to recruit a fresh legion of fans' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Saturday Paper\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Stands alone for fine storytelling' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWest Australian\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Colourful and fascinating characters' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCourier Mail\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAvailable now: \u003cstrong\u003eLord of the Darkwood\u003c\/strong\u003e, Books 3 and 4 in \u003cstrong\u003eThe Tale of Shikanoko\u003c\/strong\u003e. 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The Three Countries are rich, peaceful and prosperous. The sacred birds, the Houou, nest at Terayama and a fabled creature, the Kirin, has appeared on their shores. Heaven seems to smile on them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYet, their very success has drawn them to the attention of the distant Emperor and his general, the warlord Saga Hideki, who covet the wealth of the Three Countries, especially Takeo's heir, his eldest daughter Shigeko, now of marriageable age. At the same time, the renegade Tribe family, the Kikuta, seek revenge on Takeo for the murder of their leader. 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