Preview
  • The Harsh Cry of the Heron

  • Tales of the Otori, Book 4
  • By: Lian Hearn
  • Narrated by: Paul English
  • Length: 20 hrs and 57 mins
  • 3.3 out of 5 stars (3 ratings)

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The Harsh Cry of the Heron

By: Lian Hearn
Narrated by: Paul English
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Publisher's summary

The Harsh Cry of the Heron is the dazzling continuation of the Tales of the Otori, an unforgettable epic with a vast emotional landscape, a classic work that crosses genres, genders and generations.

'Their realm is held in balance by their union... Break that union and the Three Countries will fall apart.’

Otori Takeo and Kaede have ruled the Three Countries peacefully for over sixteen 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 Lian Hearn (P)2015 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd
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Critic reviews

"Hearn writes with a delicate attention to detail that creates an all-encompassing world around her characters." ( The Sunday Telegraph)
"A thrilling tale of love, violence, loyalty and betrayal, fast moving, set in a far-away country long ago." ( The Guardian)

What listeners say about The Harsh Cry of the Heron

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Great reading of a poor sequel

This book is narrated in 3rd person, rather than the first person narration of the earlier books. This may have affected my engagement with the characters, for I found this book somewhat flat compared with the first three. The ending was shambolic and inconsistent which really bothered me. The audible narration was however top quality.

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