Harsh Cry of the Heron

Lord Otori Takeo and his consort Kaede have ruled for over sixteen years. The Three Countries are rich, peaceful and prosperous. The sacred birds, the houou, nest at Terayama and a fabled creature, the kirin, has appeared on their shores. Heaven seems to smile on them. Yet their very success has attracted the attention of the distant Emperor and his general, the warlord Saga Hideki, who covet all the wealth of the Three Countries, especially Takeo's heir, his eldest daughter, Shigeko, now of marriageable age. At the same time the violent acts and betrayals of the past will not lie buried. The renegade Tribe family, the Kikuta, seek revenge on Takeo for the murder of their leader; they have an eager ally in his brother-in-law Arai Zenko, who has never been able to forget or forgive his own father's shameful death. No one escapes the Tribe forever. Takeo has many other concerns, above all for his younger daughters, the twins Maya and Miki, whose strange talents lead them into the world of shadows and ghosts. And other secrets that cannot be kept hidden. Everything that he and Kaede have achieved is threatened.

Lian Hearn studied modern languages at oxford and worked as a film critic and arts editor in London before settling in Australia. A lifelong interest in Japan led to a study of the Japanese language, many trips to Japan and culminated in the writing of the 'Tales of the Otori'.