Warrior hero Takeo Otori, feels destined to fulfill the potent prophecy of a holy woman: "Your lands will stretch from sea to sea, but peace comes at the price of bloodshed. Five battles will buy you peace, four to win and one to lose." Intrigue, heartaches and battles ensue as Takeo, of mixed blood and conflicting loyalties (to the pseudo-Christian Hidden, the noble Otori clan and the dangerous, supernaturally gifted Tribe), seeks to unite the Three Countries. Desperately in love with Kaede Shirakawa, whom he secretly wed at the end of Grass for His Pillow, Takeo must now assist her in reclaiming her lands of Maruyama while balancing his own need to avenge the deaths of his blood father and his adoptive father, Lord Shigeru.

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Lian Hearn
Lian Hearn is a pseudonym for Gillian Rubinstein. Gillian Rubinstein (born 29 August 1942) is an Australian children's author and playwright. Born in Potten End, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire,[1][2] England, Rubinstein split her childhood between England and Nigeria, moving to Australia in 1973.[3] As well as eight plays, numerous short stories and articles, she has written over 30 books. Her award-winning and hugely popular 1986 debut Space Demons introduced the themes of growing up and fantasy worlds which emerge often in her other writings. Books such as At Ardilla, Foxspell and Galax-Arena all received critical acclaim and multiple awards. In 2001, Rubinstein published "Across the Nightingale Floor", the first of the best-selling 5 book Tales of the Otori series under the pseudonym, Lian Hearn. The series is set in a fictional island nation resembling feudal Japan and is her first work to reach an adult audience. The name 'Lian', comes from a childhood nickname and 'Hearn' apparently refers to herons which are a prominent theme in the series. It has also been suggested that the surname is most likely borrowed from Lafcadio Hearn; one of the first Western writers to tackle Japanese mythology. Gillian Rubinstein currently resides in Goolwa, South Australia.