
Harsh Cry of the Heron
The Last Tale of the Otori
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Narrated by:
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Julia Fletcher
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Henri Lubatti
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By:
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Lian Hearn
About this listen
16 years of peace and prosperity have passed since Lord Otori Takeo united the Three Countries. Takeo and his beloved consort, Kaede, have three daughters and a happy family life. Their success has attracted the attention of the distant Emperor and his general, the warlord Saga Hideki, who covet the wealth of the Countries. Meanwhile, the violent acts and betrayals of the past will not lie buried, and other secrets will not stay hidden. Everything that Takeo and Kaede have achieved is threatened.
In full ninja versus samurai fashion, Hearn delivers a kinetic, heartbreaking, and uplifting resolution to a thoroughly gripping saga.
Don't miss the rest of the Tales of the Otori series.©2006 Lian Hearn (P)2006 HighBridge CompanyListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"Seizes you from start to finish." (The Washington Post)
"Hearn seamlessly fuses fact and fantasy to create a sprawling, bewitching realm of magic." (Publishers Weekly)
"The Otori saga gets better with each book, and this is the most absorbing entry in the series, complete with intrigue, magic, romance, and action. A perfect final chapter." (Booklist)
Realistic
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The book was billed as a trilogy. I devoured all three. At the end, I wondered - what happened? There is so much more that I need to know. This can't be the end of the trilogy.
With this final book, I am content. I know how everything worked out.
The political intrigues, the status and use of the "Ninja", the introduction of the foreigners in Japan all served as excellent background for the characters to develop.
It is a 4 book trilogy, but well worth the time and expense. You will not be disappointed.
Otori Clan - an excellent story
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Just as Good as previous titles
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Beautifully written
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The second "final tale" was strained with fantisy and femininism to the point that it was hard to finish.
Too much of a good thing
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Where does Harsh Cry of the Heron rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Right near the top!Who was your favorite character and why?
So many! Takeo, of course, and Kaide; Shiguka, the twins--I'd have to list most of the cast of characters. It is an ensemble.What does Julia Fletcher and Henri Lubatti bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Excellent performances, adding nuance to the characters.Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Many! I don't want to share spoilers.Any additional comments?
I read the first three books in this series, and was enthralled. But when I went to get the fourth, I saw several negative reviews. My experience of the first three was so wonderful that I did not want to spoil it.A couple of months later, my wife said, "I want to try the fourth book." So I downloaded it and we listened to it. We were stunned.
Not only was the story as good as the prior segments, the narrators--though different from the narrators of the first three books--were quite good. And this book, if anything, probed more deeply into the complex characters than the first 3 books.
We enjoyed this book profoundly. We both cried at the end.
Thank you, Lian Hearn, for creating such amazing people, and for giving us such an incredible experience!
I loved this book! I don't understand the negative
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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes. The story needed a strong ending and this provided it.What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
The ending was not exactly predictable, but it wasn't surprising either.What does Julia Fletcher and Henri Lubatti bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
A lot of listeners reacted poorly to the change in narration. I have seen this to be a trend in a number of series from Audible. People equate the narrators with the story and do not like when narrators change between books. I am not sure why Audible isn't learning this basic lesson.Having said that, the narrators did a fine job on this last book. They seem to be getting bad reviews more because they are different than because they weren't good.
Good ending to the series
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I would have given this audible 5 stars, but the narriators were horrible. I couldnt bring myself to give this audible less than 4 stars however, as the story is very well written and complete.
Great book, but Poor Listen
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a solid ending to the series
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Happy ending kind of spoils the story
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