Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Brilliance of the Moon by Lian Hearn


Brilliance of the Moon
Lian Hearn
2004, Riverhead Books, New York.
1594480869
344p.

The third 'Tale of the Otori'. Takeo, a young warrior with special powers, and his wife Kaede fight to retain the land which rightfully belongs to Kaede in this the third novel of the series. The first two books are Across the Nightingale Floor and Grass for his Pillow.

I enjoyed the story. The beauty of the country really comes through in these books, and they evoke a real sense of medieval Japan. Again, like in the other books, the reader is not fully drawn into the story as the narrator writes with too much detachment, even though it is supposed to be emotional.

I like that the fantasy side is a minor part of the story, and that it is set in an identifiable period. I think it would make these books more accessible to a wider audience, like those (such as myself) normally put off a bit by the fantasy genre.

Link to journal at bookcrossing

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