Lord of the Darkwood: Books 3 and 4 in The Tale of Shikanoko series

Description

Against a background of wild forest, elegant castles, hidden temples and savage battlefields, the adventure that began with Emperor of the Eight Islands draws to its thrilling conclusion in Lord of the Darkwood, the second instalment of Lian Hearn's the Tale of Shikanoko. The rightful emperor is lost. Shikanoko is condemned to live, half-man and half-deer, an outlaw in the Darkwood. Yet the mighty lords who now rule the Eight Islands are prey to suspicion and illness, and drought and famine choke the realm. Only Shikanoko can bring healing, by restoring the preordained ruler to the Lotus Throne. And only one person can bring him back from the Darkwood ...Praise for the TALE OF SHIKANOKO: 'Brutally thrilling historical fantasy' Herald Sun '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' The Age '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 huge imaginative vitality' Sydney Morning Herald 'The action comes thick and fast . ..Compelling characters and captivating worldbuilding' Japan Times 'A must-read' Aurealis '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' The Saturday Paper 'Stands alone for fine storytelling' West Australian 'Colourful and fascinating characters' Courier Mail Available now EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS: Books 1 and 2 in THE TALE OF SHIKANOKO. Don't miss any of the novels in the OTORI saga ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR GRASS FOR HIS PILLOW BRILLIANCE OF THE MOON THE HARSH CRY OF THE HERON HEAVEN'S NET IS WIDE

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. EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS is Books 1 and 2 in The Tale of Shikanoko and is followed by LORD OF THE DARKWOOD (Books 3 and 4). 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 emigrating to Australia. For the latest news from Lian, visit lianhearn.com, follow Lian on Twitter @LianHearn, or join the readers who have become Lian's friend on Facebook.

Brutally thrilling historical fantasy - Herald Sun 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 - The Age 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 huge imaginative vitality - Sydney Morning Herald The action comes thick and fast . . . Compelling characters and captivating worldbuilding - Japan Times