Lian Hearn has 15 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 15 narrators, with an average listener rating of 3.6★ across 126 ratings. The most-rated is Across the Nightingale Floor.
Across the Nightingale Floor
Summary
A tour-de-force novel set in ancient Japan filled with passion, fantasy, and feuding warlords. The first volume in the highly anticipated Tales of the Otori trilogy. Sixteen-year-old Takeo's village has been massacred by an evil warlord, and he is about to be slain by the men who murdered his parents and neighbors. At the last moment, his life is saved by a nobleman, who claims the boy as his kin and begins his education. But nothing is as it seems. Takeo discovers that he has rare powers that are useful to those around him. As he grows into manhood, he must decide where his loyalties lie: with his noble master and adoptive father; with the Hidden, a secret, spiritual sect whose beliefs are forbidden; or with the Tribe, the assassins and spies who consider him one of their own. A story of treachery, political intrigue, and the intensity of first love, set in a world ruled by formal ritual and codes of honor, Across the Nighingale Floor crosses genres, generations, and genders to captivate fans of all ages.
©2002 Lian Hearn (P)2003 HighBridge Company
Grass for His Pillow
Summary
Book II of the internationally best-selling Tales of the Otori trilogy, a sweeping saga set in a mythical, medieval Japan. In Book I of the Otori trilogy, Across the Nightingale Floor, Lian Hearn created a wholly original, fully-realized fantasy world where great powers clashed and young love dawned against a dazzling and mystical landscape. Nightingale was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, one of Book magazine's best novels of the year, and one of School Library Journal's Best Adult Books for High School Readers. In this second tale, we return to the story of Takeo (the young orphan taken up by the Otori Lord and now a closely held member of the Tribe) and his beloved Shirakawa Kaede, heir to the Maruyama, who must find a way to unify the domain she has inherited. In a complex social hierarchy, amid dissembling clans and fractured alliances, there is no place for passionate love. Yet Takeo and Kaede, drawing on their unusual talents and hidden strengths, find ways both to nurture their intense personal bond and to honor the best interests of their people. Like its predecessor, Grass for His Pillow is a transcendent work of storytelling: epic in scope, shimmering with imagination, and graced in equal measure with rapturous writing and exhilarating action.
©2003 Lian Hearn (P)2003 HighBridge Company
Brilliance of the Moon
Summary
In the final installment of the Tales of the Otori, the young Takeo meets his destiny, fulfilling the prophesy: "You were born into the Hidden, but your life...is no longer your own." The stage is set: Takeo and his new bride Kaede are on the brink of starting a war to reclaim the lands that are her rightful claim by birth, with a thousand loyal warriors by their side. But much more is at stake, with Takeo sworn to avenge the death of his adoptive father. Kaede, a not-at-all helpless damsel, has also cast a first stone by renouncing the powerful Lord Fujiwara, who considers her his first wife. An imaginary feudal Japan is vividly reconstructed in this magical tale filled with clan rivalries, supernatural powers, shadowy tribes, and true love. Lian Hearn's epic fantasy of a conflict-ridden, mystical world has enraptured fans around the world, thanks to many complex mysteries, fascinating characters, and a riveting buildup to the dazzling finale.
©2004 Lian Hearn (P)2004 HighBridge Company
Harsh Cry of the Heron
Summary
An epic fantasy set in a mythical, medieval Japan, Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori series has crossed genres, generations, and genders. Grand and complex in its themes, elegantly written, each book in the original trilogy has become a worldwide best seller. This surprise fourth installment (and real conclusion), The Harsh Cry of the Heron, achieves new heights of drama and action. 16 years of peace and prosperity have passed since Lord Otori Takeo united the Three Countries. Takeo and his beloved consort, Kaede, have three daughters and a happy family life. Their success has attracted the attention of the distant Emperor and his general, the warlord Saga Hideki, who covet the wealth of the Countries. Meanwhile, the violent acts and betrayals of the past will not lie buried, and other secrets will not stay hidden. Everything that Takeo and Kaede have achieved is threatened. In full ninja versus samurai fashion, Hearn delivers a kinetic, heartbreaking, and uplifting resolution to a thoroughly gripping saga.
©2006 Lian Hearn (P)2006 HighBridge Company
Heaven's Net Is Wide
Summary
As Tolkien's The Silmarillion is to The Lord of the Rings, Liam Hearn's Heaven's Net Is Wide is to Tales of the Otori. This is the back story fans have been yearning for. Set before the Tales begin, Heaven's Net recounts the life of Lord Otori Shigeru, the series' spiritual warrior-godfather and the adoptive father of the Tales' Takeo. We learn about Shigeru's training in the ways of the warrior and feudal lord; his relationship with the Tribe of mysteriously powerful assassins; his fateful meeting with Lady Maruyama, who would become his secret lover; the battle of Yaegahara, where his father is killed; and other turning points that shaped the Tales. The first four volumes gave us only glimpses. Now we are treated to rich detail and more of Hearn's fantastical Japanese world. Gripping and bewitching, Heaven's Net is a new beginning and a grand finale; a story of monumental battles, supreme loyalty, triumphant love, and heartbreak. It ends just before Across the Nightingale Floor begins, bringing the Otori epic full circle.
©2007 Lian Hearn. Recorded by arrangement with Riverhead Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc (P)2007 HighBridge Company
Orphan Warriors
Summary
The Tales of the Otori does for medieval Japan what Game of Thrones does for medieval Europe. The bitter struggles of the Tribe and the clans have left many children orphaned. Among them are Sunaomi and Chikara, sons of Arai Zenko, who face death after their parents' treachery. Their aunt, Kaede, is able to save their lives on the condition they become novice monks and never leave the temple at Terayama. Sunaomi has been brought up as a warrior, yet his grandmother is Muto Shizuka. He cannot escape that he is also a child of the Tribe. As he discovers unimagined talents within himself he comes up against Hisao, Takeo's son, the ghostmaster, as well as Saga Hideki, the most powerful warlord in the realm, the Emperor's General. Taking place in the magical medieval world of Tales of the Otori, Orphan Warriors is a coming-of-age adventure story in a human world of courage and sacrifice behind which always hovers a supernatural world of danger and dread.
©2020 Lian Hearn Associates Pty Ltd (P)2020 Bolinda Publishing
Emperor of the Eight Islands
Summary
As destiny weaves its rich tapestry, a compelling drama plays out against a background of wild forests, elegant castles, hidden temples, and savage battlefields. This is the medieval Japan of Lian Hearn's imagination, where animal spirits clash with warriors and children navigate a landscape as serene as it is deadly.
©2016 Lian Hearn (P)2016 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
Les Neiges de l'exil
Summary
Takeo, désormais héritier du puissant clan des Otori, s'est engagé à rejoindre les rangs criminels de la Tribu, reniant ainsi son éducation pacifique, abandonnant ce qui lui revient de droit, territoire, fortune et pouvoir, renonçant aussi à son amour pour Kaede. Mais la Tribu peut-elle éloigner Takeo de son destin ? Le chemin qu'il choisit le conduira au paroxysme du danger, de l'épreuve et du sacrifice, au cœur des montagnes glacées du Pays du Milieu. Kaede, pion utile dans le jeu des seigneurs de la guerre, devra quant à elle mettre en œuvre toute son intelligence, sa beauté et sa ténacité pour s'imposer dans le monde des hommes tout-puissants et garder son précieux secret.
©2003 Lian Hearn (P)2005 Éditions Gallimard
Le silence du rossignol
Summary
Au XIVe siècle, dans un Japon médiéval mythique, le jeune Takeo grandit au sein d'une communauté paisible qui condamne la violence. Mais celle-ci est massacrée par les hommes d'Iida, chef du clan des Tohan. Takeo est sauvé et adopté par sire Shigeru, chef du clan des Otori, et se retrouve plongé au cœur de luttes sanglantes entre les seigneurs de la guerre. Il doit suivre son destin. Mais qui est-il ? Paysan, seigneur ou assassin ? D'où tient-il ses dons prodigieux ? Lorsqu'il rencontre la belle Kaede, un amour fou naît entre les deux jeunes gens. Animé par son désir de vengeance et son devoir de loyauté, sa dévotion à sire Shigeru, transporté par l'intensité de son amour pour Kaede, Takeo devra trouver sa propre voie. Sa quête le conduira derrière les murailles d'Inuyama, où il devra franchir le "parquet du rossignol". Cette nuit-là, le rossignol chantera-t-il ?
©2002 Lian Hearn (P)2004 Éditions Gallimard
Sibling Assassins
Summary
A new generation, a relentless enmity. As a boy, Arai Sunaomi was known as the Miracle Child and crossed between the worlds to walk among the dead. Now he has put aside his past to follow the way of the warrior. His aunt, Kaede, is considering making him her heir, and her General, Miyoshi Kahei, hopes to betroth Sunaomi to his daughter, Kinu. But there is one girl whom Sunaomi cannot forget - Utahime, who has been dead for seven years. Will he dare bring her back to life? Utahime's brother, Masao, is Sunaomi's oldest friend and the only surviving relative of the great warlord Saga Hideki. When Masao disappears after a fight in the city, Sunaomi is charged with finding him. With his cousins Kiyoko and Kichizo, sibling assassins from the Tribe, Sunaomi sets out on a journey which will take him into an enthralling and dangerous world of spirits and supernatural beings, rebels, pirates and saints - the extraordinary and enchanting world of the Tales of the Otori.
©2020 Lian Hearn Associates Pty Ltd (P)2020 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd
Blackguards
Summary
Rogues. Assassins. Mercenaries. Whether by coin or by blood...you will pay. A fantasy anthology featuring the deadly, the worldly, and the sneaky. Blackguards consists mainly of stories in established series, and the authors range from wildly successful indie authors to New York Times best sellers. If you enjoy roguish tales of scoundrels and ne'er-do-wells, this one's for you. Contents: Foreword by Glen Cook (Black Company) Richard Lee Byers, "Troll Trouble" David Dalglish, "Take You Home" James Enge, "Thieves at the Gate" John Gwynne, "Better to Live than to Die" Lian Hearn, "His Kikuta Hands" Snorri Kristjansson, "A Kingdom and a Horse" Joseph Lallo, "Seeking the Shadow" Mark Lawrence, "The Secret" Tim Marquitz, "A Taste of Agony" Peter Orullian, "A Length of Cherrywood" Cat Rambo, "The Subtler Art" Laura Resnick, "Friendship" Mark Smylie, "Manhunt" Kenny Soward, "Jancy's Justice" Shawn Speakman, "The White Rose Thief" Jon Sprunk, "Sun and Steel" Anton Strout, "Scream" Django Wexler, "The First Kill" Paul S. Kemp, "A Better Man" James A. Moore, "What Gods Demand" Jean Rabe, "Mainon" Bradley P. Beaulieu, "Irindai" S. R. Cambridge, "The Magus and the Betyar" Clay Sanger, "The Long Kiss" Please note: "The Lord Collector" by Anthony Ryan, which appears in the print edition of Blackguards, is not included in this audio edition. Full cast of narrators includes: Richard Poe, Gabra Zackman, Karyn O'Bryant, Macleod Andrews, Ray Porter, Tim Gerard Reynolds, John Keating, Kevin T. Collins, David DeVries, Elijah Alexander, Allyson Johnson, Oliver Wyman, and Victor Bevine.
©2015 Bradley P. Beaulieu; Carol Berg; Richard Lee Byers; S.R. Cambridge; David Dalglish; James Enge; John Gwynne; Lian Hearn; Paul S. Kemp; Snorri Kristjansson; Joseph R. Lallo; Mark Lawrence; Tim Marquitz; James A. Moore; Peter Orullian; Jean Rabe; Cat Rambo; Laura Resnick; Clay Sanger; Mark Smylie; Kenny Soward; Shawn Speakman; Jon Sprunk; Anton Strout; Michael J. Sullivan; Django Wexler (P)2015 Audible, Inc.
Autumn Princess, Dragon Child
Summary
In book two of Lian Hearn's Tale of Shikanoko series, a self-assured warrior stumbles into a game of Go that turns fatal. An ambitious lord leaves his nephew for dead and seizes his lands. A stubborn father forces his son to give up his wife to his older brother. A powerful priest meddles in the succession to the Lotus Throne. A woman of the Old People seeks five fathers for her five children, who will go on to found the Spider Tribe and direct the fate of the country.
©2016 Lian Hearn Associates Pty Ltd (P)2016 HighBridge
Lord of the Darkwood
Summary
A self-assured warrior stumbles into a game of Go that turns fatal. An ambitious lord leaves his nephew for dead and seizes his lands. A stubborn father forces his son to give up his wife to his older brother. A powerful priest meddles in the succession to the Lotus Throne. A woman of the Old People seeks five fathers for her five children, who will go on to found the Spider Tribe and direct the fate of the country.
©2016 Lian Hearn Associates Pty Ltd. (P)2016 Highbridge, a division of Recorded Books
The Tengu's Game of Go
Summary
The rightful emperor is lost to the world, further from the throne than ever before. The lord of the usurper clan has fallen ill, and further unrest looms. Shikanoko has withdrawn to the farthest reaches of the country, leaving his allies stranded and the Spider Tribe unchecked. Lakes are drying up, rivers receding - have the powers of Heaven abandoned the Eight Islands? The Tale of Shikanoko began with an unusual game of Go, as young Shikanoko's father sat down to an ill-advised match against a tengu. Now, in the last chapter of The Tale of Shikanoko, the stones are arrayed in their final positions on the board. In The Tengu's Game of Go, all are forced to confront the missteps of the past as the wrath of Heaven weaves tight around its mortal players. Hidden identities are revealed, loyalties are put to their ultimate test, and death appears around every corner. Throughout The Tale of Shikanoko, Lian Hearn has masterfully captured the thrilling danger and beauty of the medieval and magical. In the final installment, Shikanoko risks everything for fate and justice - an exhilarating ending to an unforgettable adventure.
©2016 Lian Hearn Associates Pty Ltd. (P)2016 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
His Kikuta Hands
Summary
"His Kakuta Hands" was published in the anthology Blackguards: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues. About this story, author Lian Hearn says, "'His Kikuta Hands' is set in Maruyama, the farthest city to the west in the Three Countries. It takes place behind the scenes of chapter five of Brilliance of the Moon. I'd always wanted to expand these pages where a lot happens in a short space of time. Takeo feels he must take on the Tribe and demonstrate the ruthlessness he will need to be a competent ruler. But the Tribe don't believe, firstly, that he knows where to find them and, secondly, that he will have the strength of will to deal with them. They are proven wrong."
©2015 Lian Hearn (P)2015 Audible, Inc.