Lian Hearn's third installment in the Tales of the Otori series Brilliance of the Moon brings a mystical and violent conclusion to the saga of Takeo Otori as he fulfills his destiny to reclaim the Otori lands. At the climax of Grass for his Pillow, Takeo's passion for his beloved Kaede was finally realized with their secret and forbidden wedding. As spring approaches, Takeo and Kaede prepare for war and embark on a campaign to reclaim their respective realms. But just when victory seems certain, Hearn characteristically uproots her characters with unseen treachery and the two lovers are again separated. Takeo must summon courage from his conflicted heritage as he marches towards his destiny. The fates of other Otori characters are also determined in a succinct and magical finale.

This third chapter in the Otori saga lives up its predecessors. Hearn's mythical ancient Japan is again brought to storybook life. Although the novel's climax comes suddenly and almost unexpectedly, the afterword hints at another tale to be told by the heirs of Kaede and Takeo's legendary rise. --Jeremy Pugh


From Publishers Weekly
Set in an imaginary medieval Japan, the pseudonymous Hearn's third elegant installment in her epic fantasy (after 2002's Across the Nightingale Floor and 2003's Grass for His Pillow) is a fragrant blend of romance and martial-arts action. Her warrior hero, Takeo Otori, feels destined to fulfill the potent prophecy of a holy woman: "Your lands will stretch from sea to sea, but peace comes at the price of bloodshed. Five battles will buy you peace, four to win and one to lose." Intrigue, heartaches and battles ensue as Takeo, of mixed blood and conflicting loyalties (to the pseudo-Christian Hidden, the noble Otori clan and the dangerous, supernaturally gifted Tribe), seeks to unite the Three Countries. Desperately in love with Kaede Shirakawa, whom he secretly wed at the end of Grass for His Pillow, Takeo must now assist her in reclaiming her lands of Maruyama while balancing his own need to avenge the deaths of his blood father and his adoptive father, Lord Shigeru. The fates of such characters as Kaede's lover, Dr. Ishida, and her nemesis, Lord Fujiwara, who's determined to possess her, provide some cool aftershocks, while the afterword adds another—that a book four may follow. FYI: Hearn is the pseudonym of Australian children's book author Gillian Rubinstein. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–Kaede and Takeo find themselves in danger after their hasty marriage. Lord Fujiwara is furious that Kaede chose to marry another man when he considered them betrothed, and the warlord Arai considers Takeo presumptuous. The Tribe is split over the decision to kill Takeo. The young lovers must find allies in unexpected places to claim the domains that are rightfully theirs. In the end, they are both saved by a timely earthquake. This is a satisfactory conclusion to the story line, although the afterword virtually promises a sequel. Hearn's writing is evocative and subtle. A great deal of the excitement and intrigue of the first book is missing, but readers who have stuck with Takeo and Kaede will want to continue following their adventures.–Susan Salpini, TASIS–The American School in England Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From AudioFile
Set in a fantastical land modeled after feudal Japan, the earlier books ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR and GRASS FOR HIS PILLOW set up the struggle between unyielding Asian rules of obedience and the human need for individuality and independence. Fraught with warlords and noblemen, formality and ritual, and a mysterious prophesy, THE BRILLIANCE OF THE MOON offers stunning visual poetry reminiscent of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. Kevin Gray and Aiko Nakasone share the narrative. Gray's intense, perceptive reading brings truth to both battle sequences and moments of stillness. Nakasone's performance alternates between perplexed and passionate. In her voice, even minor characters become multidimensional. In this third episode in the epic adventure of Takeo and Kaede, martial arts meet romance in a resolution that is sure to leave young adult listeners wishing for more. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
The third book in the Otori trilogy picks up where Grass for His Pillow [BKL Jl 03] left off, just after the wedding of Takeo Otori and his beloved Shirakawa Kaede. The prophecy that Takeo will fight five battles, "four to win and one to lose," factors heavily in the action of the novel as Takeo sets out to win back both Kaede's ancestral lands and those of his own adoptive father. Along the way, Takeo is plagued by assassins sent by the Tribe, who have sworn to kill the young warrior. After winning two battles on the way to Kaede's lands, Takeo sets off to seek a childhood friend who could be a key ally. While he is gone, Kaede discovers her sisters have been taken hostage by Lord Fujiwara and the powerful warlord Arai. Kaede goes to rescue her sisters, but Fujiwara captures her and forces her into marriage with him. When Takeo learns what has happened he determines to rescue her, as fate draws him toward the final three battles that are destined to bring peace to the region. This is a worthy conclusion to a genuinely thrilling epic saga. Even more good news lies in the fact that the ending leaves open the possibility of another Otori trilogy. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Brilliance of the Moon, the third and concluding volume of Lian Hearn's bestselling Tales of the Otori trilogy (Across the Nightingale Floor and Grass for His Pillow), pits the fate-driven lovers Takeo and Kaede against impossible odds as they fight to save their marriage, their lands, and their own lives.

As Takeo plots to avenge the betrayal of his adopted father and take his rightful place as the leader of his clan, a holy woman's prophecy haunts him: "Three bloods are mixed in you. You were born into the Hidden, but your life has been brought into the open and is no longer your own. Earth will deliver what heaven desires. Your lands will stretch from sea to sea. Five battles will buy you peace, four to win and one to lose￯﾿ﾽ"

While Takeo is traveling throughout the Three Countries defeating evil warlords and ruthless bands of outlaws, his wife, Kaede -- legendary for her beauty -- is abducted by a sadistic nobleman who, stating that Kaede's marriage to Takeo is invalid, forces her to wed him. A political prisoner once again, Kaede must rely on her intelligence to survive long enough to see Takeo again.

As bloody as it is beautiful, as poetic as it is profound, feudal Japan in Hearn's portrayal is a realm that readers will not soon forget. The Tales of the Otori saga is like an intriguing fusion of Arthurian legend and Taoist philosophy -- a philosophical battle between obeying rigid cultural mores and striving to live an honorable life. In a word: Brilliant. Paul Goat Allen

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Otori Takeo and Shirakawa Kaede are now married and more resolved than ever to strengthen their domains. Yet their hasty marriage has enraged Arai Daiichi, the warlord who controls most of the Three Countries, and has insulted the nobleman Lord Fujiwara, who considered Kaede betrothed to him. Brilliance of the Moon follows Takeo and Kaede as they attempt to consolidate their powers and fulfill the holy woman's prophecy: "Your lands will stretch from sea to sea, but peace comes at the price of bloodshed. Five battles will buy you peace, four to win and one to lose."

FROM THE CRITICS

Gerald Jonas - The New York Times

The Brilliance of the Moon, by Lian Hearn, is a worthy conclusion to an inventive trilogy that the pseudonymous author calls ''Tales of the Otori''; all three volumes are set in an imaginary medieval Japan where some people, including the hero, Takeo, are capable of truly mind-bending powers.

Publishers Weekly

Set in an imaginary medieval Japan, the pseudonymous Hearn's third elegant installment in her epic fantasy (after 2002's Across the Nightingale Floor and 2003's Grass for His Pillow) is a fragrant blend of romance and martial-arts action. Her warrior hero, Takeo Otori, feels destined to fulfill the potent prophecy of a holy woman: "Your lands will stretch from sea to sea, but peace comes at the price of bloodshed. Five battles will buy you peace, four to win and one to lose." Intrigue, heartaches and battles ensue as Takeo, of mixed blood and conflicting loyalties (to the pseudo-Christian Hidden, the noble Otori clan and the dangerous, supernaturally gifted Tribe), seeks to unite the Three Countries. Desperately in love with Kaede Shirakawa, whom he secretly wed at the end of Grass for His Pillow, Takeo must now assist her in reclaiming her lands of Maruyama while balancing his own need to avenge the deaths of his blood father and his adoptive father, Lord Shigeru. The fates of such characters as Kaede's lover, Dr. Ishida, and her nemesis, Lord Fujiwara, who's determined to possess her, provide some cool aftershocks, while the afterword adds another-that a book four may follow. Agent, Joe Regal at Regal Literary. (June 7) FYI: Hearn is the pseudonym of Australian children's book author Gillian Rubinstein. Foreign rights have been sold in 23 markets. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Hearn continues her vividly related tale, set in an imaginary medieval Japan. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Kaede and Takeo find themselves in danger after their hasty marriage. Lord Fujiwara is furious that Kaede chose to marry another man when he considered them betrothed, and the warlord Arai considers Takeo presumptuous. The Tribe is split over the decision to kill Takeo. The young lovers must find allies in unexpected places to claim the domains that are rightfully theirs. In the end, they are both saved by a timely earthquake. This is a satisfactory conclusion to the story line, although the afterword virtually promises a sequel. Hearn's writing is evocative and subtle. A great deal of the excitement and intrigue of the first book is missing, but readers who have stuck with Takeo and Kaede will want to continue following their adventures.-Susan Salpini, TASIS-The American School in England Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

AudioFile