FOUR MILLION COPIES SOLD. In 40 languages. One of the most thrilling series of our time. Enter the feudal world of the Otori - filled with magic, treachery and intrigue - inspired by medieval Japan and created by acclaimed Australian author, Lian Hearn.
** CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF OTORI **
GRASS FOR HIS PILLOW is Book 2 in the five-part Tales of the Otori series.
'The best story of magic, love, sex, revenge and suspense to have come this way since Philip Pullman.' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY
In 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. Forced 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.
COMING SOON - the spellbinding new Tale of Shikanoko, set 300 years before Otori: EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS (Books 1 & 2) and LORD OF THE DARKWOOD (Books 3 & 4).
... a world that is rich with character and detail, yet effortless to read - Sydney Morning Herald
One of the most thrilling series of our time. - The Times
Q&A with author Lian Hearn
Author Lian Hearn reads from her new book (4.28)
Author Lian Hearn on the pronunciation of Japanese weapons
Author Lian Hearn reads from her new book (1.12)
Blossoms and Shadows by Lian Hearn
Q&A with author Lian Hearn
Author Lian Hearn reads from her new book (4.28)
Author Lian Hearn on the pronunciation of Japanese weapons
Author Lian Hearn reads from her new book (1.12)
Blossoms and Shadows by Lian Hearn
One of Australia's most internationally successful writers, Lian Hearn's books have been translated into 42 languages and have sold millions of copies. Nine of her books are set in a mythical country based on medieval Japan: these are the five Tales of the Otori books, starting with Across the Nightingale Floor; The Tale of Shikanoko: Emperor of the Eight Islands and Lord of the Darkwood; and Children of the Otori: Orphan Warriors and Sibling Assassins. She has also written two historical novels set in nineteenth-century Japan, Blossoms and Shadows and The Storyteller and His Three Daughters.
Lian's passionate interest in Japan began when she was a teenager. She received an AsiaLink arts fellowship for travel and research in 1999. She travels frequently to Japan and has studied Japanese for many years. She has always been deeply interested in languages and has a BA and MA in French and Spanish from Oxford University. She worked as an editor and film critic in England and Australia before beginning her career as a novelist in 1986, under the name of Gillian Rubinstein, with the bestselling and award-winning children's novel Space Demons.
You can follow Lian on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.