The Harsh Cry of the Heron

Tales of the Otori, Book 4

By: Lian Hearn

Narrated by: Henri Lubatti, Julia Fletcher

Set 15 years after the seismic events of Brilliance of the Moon, The Harsh Cry of the Heron is an elegiac and bittersweet successor to the best-selling series by Lian Hearn, Tales of the Otori.

Otori Takeo and Kaede have ruled the Three Countries peacefully for over 16 years, following the events laid out in the epic Tales of the Otori. They have three daughters: Shigeko, 15 years old and heir to the Otori, and Maya and Miki, 13-year-old twins who have inherited the supernatural skills of their father. Kaede knows nothing of the prophecy that Takeo will die at the hands of his son and longs to give him a male child. Nor does she know of the boy he fathered 16 years ago - a boy whose heart is filled with hatred and whose skills as a Ghostmaster give him the power to incite the dead.

Takeo is determined that clan conflicts will never again ravage the Three Countries, but warriors are born to fight: the warlord Arai Zenko has deadly ambitions, the Emperor himself has challenged Takeo's rule and, despite a delicate truce between the deadly Tribe and the Otori, revenge still eats at the heart of renegade leader Kikuta Akio....

Against these gathering threats, Takeo draws strength from his love for Kaede, but even this is not beyond the reach of their enemies....

©2006 HighBridge Audio (P)2017 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

Critic reviews

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

"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)

Powerful, dramatic and touching

A tale of sheer wit
delivers a punch of
steal and love

A worthy end to the tales of the Otory. This masterpiece takes you through the full range of emotions in a way that's both sharp and soft, full of suspense and surprise all the way to the inevitable climax.