A review by tasmanian_bibliophile
Emperor of the Eight Islands by Lian Hearn
4.0
‘Your life is not your own. You will die to one life and rise to another, to become what you are meant to be.’
This book contains the first two books of ‘The Tale of Shikanoko’: Book One: ‘Emperor of the Eight Islands’ and Book Two: ‘Autumn Princess, Dragon Child’.
There’s plenty of action in the opening pages: a future lord is dispossessed of his birthright by his uncle, a mountain sorcerer turns a stag’s skull into a powerful mask, a father forces his younger son to give his wife to his older brother, and a priest seeks to change the succession to the Lotus Throne. The rightful heir, a child, escapes from the capital – barely.
The characters, the links between man and nature, the magic, and the setting have all combined to make this a memorable read for me.
This novel is set in a fantasy world, based on a medieval Japan, where animals and spirits are also important characters. This is a world of contrast, where action moves between battlefields, castles, forests, and temples. Where many of the characters are in pursuit of power, and sometimes of truth. While Shikanoko is the main character in this novel, there are many other characters whose stories will intersect with his. The list of characters at the beginning of the novel comes in very handy, especially initially.
‘The dragon child, he flew too high.’
These are the first two of four books in Lian Hearn’s new fantasy saga entitled ‘The Tale of Shikanoko’. All four of the books are scheduled for publication in 2016. I am waiting (impatiently) for the next two books. Having entered this world, I want to see how it will work out, to see how the characters develop, to try to figure out the links with and consequences for the ‘Tales of the Otori’.
If you enjoyed the medieval fantasy world Lian Hearn created in ‘The Tales of the Otori’ then, here’s a chance to revisit.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
This book contains the first two books of ‘The Tale of Shikanoko’: Book One: ‘Emperor of the Eight Islands’ and Book Two: ‘Autumn Princess, Dragon Child’.
There’s plenty of action in the opening pages: a future lord is dispossessed of his birthright by his uncle, a mountain sorcerer turns a stag’s skull into a powerful mask, a father forces his younger son to give his wife to his older brother, and a priest seeks to change the succession to the Lotus Throne. The rightful heir, a child, escapes from the capital – barely.
The characters, the links between man and nature, the magic, and the setting have all combined to make this a memorable read for me.
This novel is set in a fantasy world, based on a medieval Japan, where animals and spirits are also important characters. This is a world of contrast, where action moves between battlefields, castles, forests, and temples. Where many of the characters are in pursuit of power, and sometimes of truth. While Shikanoko is the main character in this novel, there are many other characters whose stories will intersect with his. The list of characters at the beginning of the novel comes in very handy, especially initially.
‘The dragon child, he flew too high.’
These are the first two of four books in Lian Hearn’s new fantasy saga entitled ‘The Tale of Shikanoko’. All four of the books are scheduled for publication in 2016. I am waiting (impatiently) for the next two books. Having entered this world, I want to see how it will work out, to see how the characters develop, to try to figure out the links with and consequences for the ‘Tales of the Otori’.
If you enjoyed the medieval fantasy world Lian Hearn created in ‘The Tales of the Otori’ then, here’s a chance to revisit.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith