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Brilliance of the Moon: Tales of the Otori, Book Three Paperback – June 7, 2005
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A beautiful, haunting evocation of the medieval Japan of Lian Hearn's imagination, this thrilling follow-up to Grass for His Pillow and Across the Nightingale Floor delves deeper into the complex loyalties that bind its characters from birth. Filled with adventure and surprising twists of plot and fortune, this third book in the Tales of the Otori series travels beyond the Three Countries, to the outside influences that threaten to intrude upon this isolated realm.
- Print length346 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherRiverhead Books
- Publication dateJune 7, 2005
- Dimensions5.24 x 0.96 x 8 inches
- ISBN-101594480869
- ISBN-13978-1594480867
- Lexile measureHL840L
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"A worthy conclusion to an inventive trilogy."
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Riverhead Books; Reprint edition (June 7, 2005)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 346 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1594480869
- ISBN-13 : 978-1594480867
- Lexile measure : HL840L
- Item Weight : 10.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.24 x 0.96 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #784,907 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,142 in Asian Myth & Legend
- #4,359 in Historical Fantasy (Books)
- #37,629 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book an excellent read with a compelling story and well-crafted plot. They enjoy the series and find it entertaining, exciting, and fun. The writing quality is praised as good and almost poetic. Readers appreciate the great characters and emotional bonds between them. The visual quality is described as beautiful and vivid.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it easy to follow and recommend it as a great read. The printed version enhances the experience. Readers also mention the books are good enough for a return visit and never disappointing.
"...tell the story are so good, so appropriate; but I also still love reading the books, which I have done at least three times. Suggestion...." Read more
"...The writing is clear if a little poetic, at times, and the pace holds the attention well without feeling like an action movie...." Read more
"...Listening to them is a delight. The readers are perfect. Printed books hold the additional flavor of each word." Read more
"Lian Hearn is one of the best writers I've ever read. His writing is lyrical; almost like poetry...." Read more
Customers enjoy the compelling story and well-crafted plot. They find the trilogy fascinating, with an intriguing mix of love, betrayal, adventure, and romance. The author skillfully weaves together the main themes and subplots, maintaining their interest. Overall, readers describe the series as a great series of Japanese samurai action, adventure, and romance that keeps them hooked until the end.
"...If you are enjoy fantasy novels, tails of warriors, a magnificent love story, or just amazingly good writing, I highly highly recommend Tales..." Read more
"...It was a must read to know how the story ends and made me feel like so much has happened since the first book that I'll soon need to go back and..." Read more
"...book in the Otori trilogy ramped up the excitement and conflict of this tale of truth, romance and war...." Read more
"...She weaves and develops the principal theme and sub plots with great skill, maintaining interest and action throughout the three volumes-no easy task..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book series. They find it a worthwhile addition and consider it an excellent trilogy. Many describe it as a favorite fantasy series and mention that the fourth book is the best.
"...3 star = good; worth the effort 4 star = very good; what writing should be..." Read more
"I found this book to be a worthy addition to the series, following the intrigue and developments in the clans of 'Japan.'..." Read more
"...sure if it is simply because I love Japanese culture, but this series is just amazing...." Read more
"I thoroughly enjoyed reading this series...." Read more
Customers appreciate the writing quality. They find the writing lyrical and almost poetic, with appropriate voices chosen to tell the story.
"...is a great way to enter this story, because the voices chosen to tell the story are so good, so appropriate; but I also still love reading the books..." Read more
"...The writing is clear if a little poetic, at times, and the pace holds the attention well without feeling like an action movie...." Read more
"...The writing is captivating and the story is mesmerizing." Read more
"...book definitely ends with kind if a cliffhanger, but its just beautifully written!..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's entertainment value. They find it an easy read with an exciting and satisfying conclusion. The story is fun, with adventure and romance that keep readers engaged. The twists and turns in the story are surprising and satisfying.
"...Ninja-like skills of the male hero are not overdone at all, but add great interest. It takes place in an invented Japanese-like medieval land...." Read more
"...game set in the world described in these books, that would be spectacularly fun and beautiful." Read more
"I liked the book for what it was. Entertainment, period. It is not a historical novel, nor does it try...." Read more
"This final book in the Otori trilogy ramped up the excitement and conflict of this tale of truth, romance and war...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's characters. They find the emotional bonds between them believable, and the story is told through two characters' voices. The book has great characters that readers love and dislike.
"...The story is told through the voices of two characters, one a man, one a woman...." Read more
"...The emotional bonds between the characters are believable and connecting with the reader..." Read more
"...etc. Somehow the male characters can do amazing things, and we're asked to suspend disbelief - they can even do supernatural things, like become..." Read more
"In her trilogy 'Tales of the Otori' Lian Hearn successfully creates her characters, and they evolve before our eyes...." Read more
Customers enjoy the vivid world and well-detailed characters in this book. They appreciate the author's depiction of costs and culture.
"...an amazing depth of imagination that rivals Middle Earth in terms of beauty, stark reality, and excitement...." Read more
"...world described in these books, that would be spectacularly fun and beautiful." Read more
"...With delicacy, the author, Lian Hearn paints a beautiful and vivid world that you want to walk into even as it is fading away...." Read more
"...It is not a historical novel, nor does it try. I like the picture it presents and I like it because it is not real...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2016I have loved this three book epic for several years, and decided to revisit it through this audio addition. The story is told through the voices of two characters, one a man, one a woman. The author, Lian Hearn, has created a world with an amazing depth of imagination that rivals Middle Earth in terms of beauty, stark reality, and excitement. The Ninja-like skills of the male hero are not overdone at all, but add great interest.
It takes place in an invented Japanese-like medieval land. The breadth of the story is magnificent and I consider it to be second only to Lord of the Rings. I am puzzled why Peter Jackson or equivalent movie maker has not yet taken this on, although it would take considerable skill to do it well, and in today's market they would probably make 6,7, or 8 movies out of what has been created as three.
The audio addition is a great way to enter this story, because the voices chosen to tell the story are so good, so appropriate; but I also still love reading the books, which I have done at least three times. Suggestion. Skip the follow-up book; it does not live up to the main three. If you are
enjoy fantasy novels, tails of warriors, a magnificent love story, or just amazingly good writing, I highly highly recommend Tales of the Otori.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2004Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others
STORY: The continuing adventures of Takeo and Kaede as they try to connect with each other at a time when the Tribe is trying to assassinate Takeo, Akida is trying to take over all the known kingdoms and the Otori lords have sent the clan armies to hunt and kill Takeo.
MY FEEDBACK:
1) First off, this was a fairly satisfactory ending to an epic storyline. It didn't have the same level of mystic elements as the first book nor the rising action of the 2nd, but it resolved all the necessary characters and sub-plots well
2) I agree some of the other reviews that the author had an opportunity to exploit some battle scenes but decided in skirting the issue. The author decided to quickly resolve the battles instead of taking the reader through the mayhem and chaos of such events. A missed opportunity in my opinion
3) The emotional bonds between the characters are believable and connecting with the reader
4) I've read a lot of fantasy and whenever "prophecy" is introduced into the story it MAY add to the mystic elements or detract from the story by giving things away too early. I believe this happened here in that some opportunities to increase the suspense of a scene was lost due to me as the reader already knowing that Takeo should win based on the prophecy
OVERALL: It still flows with the same feel as the previous two books. It was a must read to know how the story ends and made me feel like so much has happened since the first book that I'll soon need to go back and start the trilogy all over again.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2014The Tales of the Otori series are all excellent listening for long car trips - I found myself sitting in the car until the chapter finished even after a long trip, and that is saying something.
Set in a fantasy realm that bears a LOT of similarities to Tokugawa era Japan.
Wishing someone would make an assassin's creed style game set in the world described in these books, that would be spectacularly fun and beautiful.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2015I found this book to be a worthy addition to the series, following the intrigue and developments in the clans of 'Japan.' The writing is clear if a little poetic, at times, and the pace holds the attention well without feeling like an action movie.
I would like to note that some reviews of the series mention that it clearly isn't Japan and that the series is insulting to Japanese history. My edition clearly states that this is not a historical novel; rather, it is inspired by Japanese culture and history without actually being part of it. I say that's clear enough for me, and that I welcome semi-historical fantasies based in Eastern traditions. Not every fantasy-fiction story has to take place in pseudo-Western Europe.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2013Simply - I love all 5 novels in the Tales of the Otori series. With delicacy, the author, Lian Hearn paints a beautiful and vivid world that you want to walk into even as it is fading away. Listening to them is a delight. The readers are perfect. Printed books hold the additional flavor of each word.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2012I liked the book for what it was. Entertainment, period. It is not a historical novel, nor does it try. I like the picture it presents and I like it because it is not real. The book is a little slow in places, but I still purchased the next book in the series and the prequel also. If you want a factual history book, look elsewhere. If you want a story to entertain you, this series has done the trick for me. The first book "Across the Nightingale Floor"Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, Book 1) was the most entertaining, but I found the entire series has something to offer as well.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2018This final book in the Otori trilogy ramped up the excitement and conflict of this tale of truth, romance and war. The story progressed unexpectedly and was filled with new challenges and conflicts for Takeo and Kaede. We watch as the horrors of defeat, war and death transforms these impetuous youths into the images of their destiny. The writing is captivating and the story is mesmerizing.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2012To bad, after reading 1-4, I found out that the Author wrote another book, that goes before book one, that kind of puts some the story in more perspective. Having lived in Japan, some the names are not really Japanese. The books were passed on to me by a Japanese, and they told me the same thing. It is entertaining to some respect, I would expect one day to be a book six/
Top reviews from other countries
- J. WReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 1, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this series of books
Captivating series which I have read and re-read many times
- Tanya AndersonReviewed in Canada on December 12, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book series.
Well written historical series about Japan. This book was missing from my collection.
-
Cliente AmazonReviewed in Italy on August 13, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars L'ottima conclusione
La degna conclusione della trilogia! Dopo i primi due libri ci voleva,per riprendere fiato, una conclusione che spezza per un attimo la tensione accumulata precedentemente, soprattutto perché il quarto libro giungerà alla temuta conclusione!
- Indranie DasguptaReviewed in India on January 6, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars I have read upto Brilliance of the moon .....
The books are so beautiful ....reading them feels like looking into a painting ....so vivid are the characters and places I could almost paint a graphic novel myself ....
-
EVANSReviewed in France on September 25, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Je suis fan.
Saga haletante.