Tales of the Otori (Book 2)
Gillian Rubinstein (1942—) is an award-winning Australian children’s author and playwright. Born in England, Rubinstein split her childhood between England and Nigeria, moving to Australia in 1973. As well as eight plays, numerous short stories and articles, she has written over 30 books. Her award-winning and hugely popular 1986 debut ‘Space Demons’ introduced the themes of growing up and fantasy worlds which emerge often in her other writings. Books such as “At Ardilla”, “Foxspell” and “Galax-Arena” all received critical acclaim and multiple awards.
In 2001, Rubinstein published the first of the ‘Tales of the Otori’ series under the pseudonym ‘Lian Hearn’. ‘Lian’, comes from a childhood nickname (as the last four letters of ‘Gillian) and ‘Hearn’ refers to herons which is a prominent theme in the series. The series is set in a fictional island nation resembling feudal Japan and is her first work to reach an adult audience. Gillian Rubinstein currently resides in Goolwa, South Australia.
In the second book, Grass for His Pillow, Takeo character rising.
He learns to become ruthless, and to develop his talents. Although he longs for Kaede, he finds himself attracted to another member of the Kikuta family, Yuki, who happens to be Kenji’s daughter. On the other hand, he incurs the hatred of another member, Akio, for being the object of affection for Yuki. When on a mission to go to the Otori home where he had once lived and to obtain records of what Shigeru had recorded, Takeo overhears Akio tell of a plot against him. Akio had been ordered by Kotaro (the leader of the Kikuta) to kill Takeo. With the wise advice of his former teacher Ichiro, Takeo manages to mortally wound Akio and leaves him to die in a freezing river.
After that Takeo flees to Terayama. On his way he ran into Jo-an and other outcasts. Jo-an brings him to a holy woman who makes a phrophecy. It dicates that he will rule at the price of 5 battles. 4 to win and 1 to lose. He will rule the three countries including the unknown far east.
Kaede in the meantime is raising an army to take up her inhertiance at Maruyama. She makes a deal with Fujiwara that’ll she’ll tell him the secrets of her life for food, knowledge, and money. He accepts and that continues on.
Takeo reaches Terayama and begings a training regim with Makoto and the abbot, Matsuda Shingen a famous Otori warror. In the spring Otori and other warrors begin to come to the temple to form in army for Takeo to challenge the Otori lords. Kahei and Gemba Miyoshi are among the first to show. Kaede visits the temple and they get married.
The third book, Brilliance of the Moon, I still have to wait because i still didn’t have that one yet. and it will the same as The Harsh Cry of the Heron and the prequel, Heaven’s Net is Wide (to be published in 2007). still waiting the time to have them all.
