Brilliance of the Moon (Tales of the Otori Series #3) » (Unabridged)

Lian Hearn was born in England and later settled in Australia, has a lifelong interest in Japan, has lived there, and speaks Japanese.

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.

Brilliance of the Moon © 2004 Lian Hearn. Recorded by arrangement with Riverhead Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

The New York Times - Gerald Jonas

The Brilliance of the Moon, by Lian Hearn, is a worthy conclusion to an inventive trilogy that the pseudonymous author calls ''Tales of the Otori''; all three volumes are set in an imaginary medieval Japan where some people, including the hero, Takeo, are capable of truly mind-bending powers.