Set before the Tales of the Otori begins, Heaven’s Net recounts the life of Lord Otori Shigeru, the series’ spiritual warrior-godfather and adoptive father of the Tales’ Takeo. We learn about Shigeru’s training in the ways of the warrior and feudal lord; his relationship with the Tribe of mysteriously powerful assassins; his fateful meeting with Lady Maruyama, who would become his secret lover; the battle of Yaegahara, where his father is killed; and other turning points that shaped the Tales. The first four volumes gave us only glimpses. Now we are treated to rich detail and more of Hearn’s fantastical Japanese world.

Gripping and bewitching, Heaven’s Net is a new beginning and a grand finale; a story of monumental battles, supreme loyalty, triumphant love, and heartbreak. It ends just before Across the Nightingale Floor begins, bringing the Otori epic full circle.

LIAN HEARN is the pseudonym for Gillian Rubinstein who, prior to the release of the three volumes of Tales of the Otori, was a successful writer of children's stories. Rubinstein was born in England, attended Oxford University, and now lives in Australia with her husband and children. She has a lifelong interest in Japan, has lived there, and has studied the language.