Customer Reviews

The Harsh Cry of the Heron

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Alls I can say is that if you liked the first three books in the Tales Of The Otori... leave it there. Let that be the end, and that is what Lian Hearn should have done also.

While I have absolutly no qualms with her writing style, which is quick and easy to follow, not complicated with an absurd amount of details and subplots as some other fantasy writers are prone to do; the path she leads her characters down is engaging and exciting... until the last three or four chapters.

I am simply amazed at how thouroughly the author "drops the ball." If you liked the characters in the previous books don't read this... she makes you hate them. Everything in the last couple of chapters is hurried and unfulfilling. Main characters make extreme and unrealistic decisions, all just to help rush to the overly dramatic sense of tragedy in the end.

I can tell that the author was trying to create a compeling, tragic tale, but fails misserably, probably due to deadlines and print dates. All the loose ends and sub-storylines are basically summed up in a brief retelling in the end, the author couldn't even take the time to finish them properly. The end of one of the main plots that continues thoughout the entire series, the death of the MAIN hero IS SUMMED UP IN THE END!!! I was so mad. I had looked forward to this book ever since I heard it was to be written, since I liked the other books so well, but was extremely dissapointed. I gave two stars because the author's writing style is still enjoyable, but I personally will probably never read another of her books if this is how she chooses to end a series...

-T

The Three Countries have experienced sixteen years of peace and prosperity under the rule of Otori Takeo and his wife, Kaede. Merchants are flourishing, farmers are reaping good harvests, people are free to worship as they please, and there is an all-around air of content. But under the surface, political machinations are at play. In addition to the threat he has always faced from the Kikuta Tribe family, Takeo must also watch for betrayal from the Arai. And now the sudden arrival of foreigners brining new goods and a new religion, combined with the rise of a powerful new warlord sanctioned by the Emperor, threaten to ruin all that Takeo has strove for.

I greatly enjoyed the first three Otori novels, but I enjoyed "The Harsh Cry of the Heron" even more. It is more mature, the tone is darker, and there are deeper plots and subplots at play. Takeo is older, wiser, and at the same time more careful and careless. It is fascinating to see the changes in his character, but at the same time realize that, in many ways, he is still the same Takeo of the prior books. The same cannot be said of Kaede. While she does display some of the strength and intelligence readers are used to from her, she also uncharacteristically seems to fall prey to superstitions and petty desires and jealousies. This was one of the reasons I did not give the book a full five stars. Of all the characters in "Heron", I have to admit that Kaede was the one that disappointed me the most.

Many of the other characters readers knew are also back: Shizuka, Dr. Ishida, Gemba, Hiroshi, Taku, Zenko, Hana, Akio. The most important new characters are probably Takeo's children: Shigeko (Takeo's eldest daughter and heir), Maya and Miki (twins), and Hisao (who was raised by Akio). Because so much of the novel was spread over so many different characters, there was never a large focus on any one particular person. Despite this, Hearn did a good job of introducing us to these new people and giving readers a firm impression of their beliefs, strengths, weaknesses, and desires.

The plot was tightly woven, intricate in detail, and things unraveled in a very believable and natural progression. The choices that many of the characters make are reasonable and understandable. Plot twists abound, and unlike many of the other novels I've read, I could not predict them or see them coming. Some were pleasant surprises, others not-so-pleasant, but I was kept on the edge of my seat wanting to know what would come next. The main complaint I had, and another reason this did not rate five stars, was that the ending felt very rushed. After such an elaborate build-up, the explosive culmination of events in "Heron" took up all of around 25 pages. It was simply narrated, in more of a "this is how it happened" rather than in a "this is it happening" manner. It was disappointing, especially considering the tragic nature of the ending.

Despite this, as I said, the book was highly enjoyable. Hearn's writing is still poetic and lyrical, the descriptions elaborative, thoughtful, and inspiring. As before, it was very easy to get caught up in the world that Hearn created, to love, hate, root for and cry for its characters. While I am saddened to know this is the last tale we'll get of the Otori, I'm looking forward to the prequel.

Incredible writing and compelling character development picks up years in the future of the Otori clan. But what is worse than a generally bad novel is an excellent one that ends poorly. The conclusion is unexpected and not in rhythm with the book. Chapter upon chapter of moving the plot along with the development of the characters is abruptly brought to an end over the course of 2-3 chapters. What makes it even more unsatisfying is the third person description of the fates of characters that we have come to know and love in their own words. You can almost hear Ms. Hearn's phone ring and the publisher letting her know that the novel has met it's publishing deadline and she has to conclude what has taken her so long to write.

Reflecting on previous comments. Yes it may be appropriate for the harsh code of the Japanese warrior but it tries too hard to be Shakesperian or profound literature. I just wanted an enjoyable read that was consistent with the first three books.

I entirely agree with what "Avid Reader" wrote in the first review of this book, quote: "All I can say is that if you liked the first three books in the Tales Of The Otori... leave it there. Let that be the end, and that is what Lian Hearn should have done also." The reviewer from "Book List" gave it a good write-up, that's marred by the fact she gets some of the main characters' names wrong (she mixes up Arai and Akio for example). I wonder whether she actually read the book.

The Tales of the Otori were supposed to be a trilogy, and should NEVER have become a tetralogy. This fourth instalment was probably written under the publisher's pressure due to the success of the first three, but Lian Hearn ran out of ideas. All she does in this book is some filling-up, some mental acrobatics and some not believable plot twists. As "Avid Reader" said, she manages to make you hate people you used to love, starting with Kaede who's such a likeable person, strong, smart, resilient and understanding in the first three books and, in just a few short pages, becomes an irrational shrew, not to mention a betrayer of both her husband and her people - Her second turnabout and her fate at the very end are psychologically and politically incomprehensible. Some of the plot twists make no sense whatsoever, and the way the prophecy about Takeo's death is fulfilled is just plain cheating. Not to mention that the reason he dies for is nonsensical. Takeo (who, like his adopted father Shigeru, has this deplorable habit of sparing his enemies' lives when he has them at his mercy, but is a strong warrior and a good ruler) becomes this wishy-washy guy, totally undone by... well, not to give too much away, by the result of his aforementioned leniency towards his enemies.

The only good thing in the book is the deep but doomed love between Shigeko and Hiroshi, the only characters I could still like and sympathize with. (I also liked one of the twins, Miki, though her sister Maya gave me the shivers.) This book made me despise Takeo and hate Kaede, and wish I'd stayed with the end of "Brilliance of the Moon" and never bought this fourth book.

The fifth book, however, which tells Shigeru's story before he rescued and adopted Takeo, brings the series into a nice circle - it ends where the first book begins, and it is both interesting and satisfying, but that's a subject for a different review.

My advice is, read the first three books, skim quickly through the fourth if you feel you must, then read the fifth. After doing so myself (I mean reading the fifth book), I re-read the first three again, and enjoyed them all over again. But I did not, and will never, reread "The Harsh Cry of the Heron". Hiroshi and Shigeko notwithstanding, I'm sorry I read it at all in the first place. It ruined everything for me, which is why I reread the first three, just to (figuratively) take the bad taste out of my mouth.

The two stars I gave it are for Hiroshi and Shigeko, and also in memory of how much I enjoyed the original trilogy.

As a fan of the Tales of the Otori series, I purchased this book the day of its release. I was to be severely disappointed. Unlike the other reviewers, I did not find the writing engaging at all. From a technical perspective, in this outing the POV has changed to omniscient from the alternating first-person (for Takeo) to limited third person (on Kaede) of the first three books. For me, this time the writing looses its pacing, intimacy and urgency. And as another reviewer hinted at, there is too much summarizing here as well.

I would question the authenticity of the first couple of reviews; they feel more like marketing material than actual reviews. This book can certainly not be categorized as "action packed," for there is only one brief scene of action (moving from place to place discussing politics does not constitute action) in well over the first half of the book. I found the early going tedious and filled with too many characters.

And getting towards the end, I concur with the other reviewer who said you begin to hate the characters. I wanted to just put the book down and remember them the way they were; it was very frustrating to lose sympathy for them. You can tell a tragic tale without causing your characters to be unsympathetic.

I would recommend skipping this Last Tale of the Otori and waiting to see if the First Tale is any better.

It is very rare to come to the end of something that I have enjoyed so much, to find myself so disappointed (with regard to the 'trilogy' and this book). The dark undertones that are present from the start of this book,eventually dominate to a sickening extent. I had a quick look at the author's website and she herself raised the question of whether or not the final book of the Otori Series (and the prequel that I have not yet read) would add or detract from the trilogy. I am very sad to say that I believe in the case of The Harsh Cry it detracts. Where the trilogy was the champion of love, the final book twists it into the opposite. Love will only end in pain and destruction, is the message I received. The trilogy was one of my favorite set of books, so I am bitterly disappointed with what she does to the characters in this, with one character in particular. If she wanted to write a similar book with a darker theme she should not have attached it to this trilogy. Obviously, not everyone will feel this way and I do very much enjoy her writing style, but I have lost faith with the author as a result of this book.

Over fourteen years have passed since Otori Takeo defeated his enemies and united the Three Countries. Prosperity and harmony are everywhere, but underneath the surface calm, Takeo's foes rage as they treacherously plan to avenge their previous defeat. Kikuta Akio and his assassin, followers of the Tribe, want a return to their notorious past that Takeo stopped; his brother-in-law Lord Zenko wants to usurp power; the Emperor wants to end Takeo's independence by dispatching deadly warlord Saga to do whatever it takes; and finally the seer prophesizes that his unrecognized illegitimate son will one day kill him.

Akio raises Takeo's teenage son Hisao by training the lad to hate his father. Takeo has never told his beloved wife Kaede that he has one more offspring from a previous relationship; instead they raise their daughters in love with Shigeko being his acknowledged heir. To reconcile with the emperor, keep his family safe, and to insure Shigeko inherits his legacy and rule, he offers to Saga his daughter in marriage as he knows the forces of military, assassins, and magical destiny will soon converge on him.

The forth Otori tale is a terrific historical Feudal Japan thriller with some fantasy elements. The story line is fast-paced and filled with action. However, it is the cast that makes the tale and the full saga is one of the best of the decade as the audience obtains a taste of political maneuvering to survive. Readers will want to read the quartet, but also know that THE HARSH CRY OF THE HERON can stand alone, a tribute to Lian Hearn's talent.

Harriet Klausner

I much enjoyed the first three Tales of the Otori books, and number four did not disappoint. The author presents the historical picture very effectively, while weaving a tale of epic proportions. Few authors so well command the skill of showing the right balance of fairness and unfairness, justice and injustice happening to the central characters. If you read the first three books, you must get this one, and if you did not, but have an interest in feudal Japan, get all four.

It is amazing the contrast between this book and the first three of the series. While the first three had a spare Japanese style, this book breaks with all the strengths of the first three. The first person narration of Takeo is abandoned for boring and overly developed third person narration. It lacks any plot, instead digressing in developing boring characters, many of which bear little resemblance to the earlier books. The magical realism of the trilogy is abandoned with the development of a completely non-believable story and new over the top elements invented for the book (morphing of characters, shamanism, etc.). Rarely in other literary series has the drop off been this pronounced. It's like a bad movie sequel, where the star has been replaced with a B-list actor.

Lian Hearn's "Tales of the Otori" series is a refreshing blend of fantasy and history, set in a fictional land that mirrors the legendary feudal Japan of samurai, ninja, and magic. "The Harsh Cry of the Heron" brings the series to a close, but anyone who expects that Hearn's hero, Takeo, will continue his long string of victories (both personal and military) without blemish is sorely mistaken.

At the outset, all is right with the world, or as well as it can be for Takeo and his family. Takeo has ruled the Three Countries for fifteen years in peace and tranquility. Virtually the only people who are frustrated with Takeo's rule are the warriors who chafe under the burdens of peacetime (as well as the financial success of the contemptible merchant class) or those who hate Takeo for personal reasons. Unfortunately for Takeo and his family, there are quite a few of those.

The plot of "Heron" is too vast to be summarized here. Suffice it to say that war returns to the Three Countries on a grand scale as Takeo's rule is called into question by the Emperor. Further, Takeo's domestic life is riven as his twin daughters continue their education in the ways of the Tribe, Hearn's stand-in for ninjas, while his eldest daughter continues to shine as one of the samurai class. Takeo must also struggle with the fact that he is prophesied to die at the hand of his son, but Takeo's wife Kaede does not know that Takeo had a son by another woman, Yuki. And it just so happens that Hisao, that son, is being raised by a man who despises Takeo with every fiber of his being, and Hisao also just happens to be a ghostmaster, with sorcerer's powers that haven't been seen in a generation.

There is much to enjoy in this vast novel. Hearn has an active imagination and a wonderful gift for character. My favorite element is the arrival of the "kirin," a mystical beast in Japanese culture along the lines of a unicorn, as a gift for Takeo. The animal is clearly a giraffe, something never seen before in the Three Countries, but Hearn does a wonderful job using the "kirin" as a symbol.

Hearn also does a wonderful job of taking Takeo's story in unexpected ways. All too often the climactic novel in a series like this involves a massive build-up to the "last battle" in which the hero emerges victorious, usually after the loss of a close friend or two. While there is definitely a "last battle" in "Heron," the final 100 pages of "Heron" have so many unexpected yet pitch-perfect surprises that the book becomes simply impossible to put down.

All that being said, "Heron" is not a five-star novel. Ultimately, the novel was either too big or too small. Several plot strands, such as Takeo's connections with the Hidden (a peace-loving sect akin to Christians) and the return of his half-sister Madaren, or the arrival of Europeans into the Three Countries, really don't go anywhere. Also, Hisao and the various villains of the novel really are secondary concerns when compared to Takeo's struggles to keep control over his own family. With "Heron," Hearn has taken on a story with a scope at least as large as James Clavell's masterpiece "Shogun," but Hearn does not do nearly as good a job as Clavell does in managing that massive story.

But saying a book is not quite as good as "Shogun" is not a criticism - it's merely an observation. "Heron" is still an enjoyable book that brings the Otori series to a close in deeply satisfying fashion. For fans of the series, it's a must-read. If you haven't read it, grab a copy of "Across the Nightingale Floor" and start reading!