Brilliance of the Moon

The third volume in the ‘Tales of the Otori‘ trilogy ‘Your lands will stretch from sea to sea. But peace comes at the price of bloodshed. Four battles to win and one to lose.‘ Takeo‘s future is uncertain, his destiny determined by forces beyond his control. If he is to reclaim his Otori heritage, he must fight for it - but his army is untrained and Takeo, despite his legendary skills as an assassin, knows nothing of warfare. Can he defeat those who seek to destroy him, and so bring peace to the Three Countries? And what of the woman Takeo loves? The beautiful Kaede has been treacherously betrayed and is now imprisoned, utterly powerless, never to see her lover again. ‘Blood-splashed combat alternates with contemplative stillness, and the writing is extraordinary. Hearn‘s trilogy ends as it began, virtually pitch-perfect‘ Francis Spufford, Evening Standard ‘The aesthetic sense of a distant culture goes hand in hand with a visceral cruelty, in an unexpected, thoughtful conclusion to an enthralling and original work of fantasy‘ Amanda Craig, The Times