Lord of the Darkwood

** CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF OTORI **

Against a background of wild forest, elegant castles, hidden temples and savage battlefields, the adventure that began with Emperor of the Eight Islands draws to its thrilling conclusion in Lord of the Darkwood, the second instalment of Lian Hearn's the Tale of Shikanoko.

The rightful emperor is lost. Shikanoko is condemned to live, half-man and half-deer, an outlaw in the Darkwood. Yet the mighty lords who now rule the Eight Islands are prey to suspicion and illness, and drought and famine choke the realm. Only Shikanoko can bring healing, by restoring the preordained ruler to the Lotus Throne. And only one person can bring him back from the Darkwood . . .

Praise for the TALE OF SHIKANOKO:

'Brutally thrilling historical fantasy' Herald Sun

'Wildly successful... Convince[s] as if being read in translation, as if Hearn is merely the medium for some lost and ancient text. Much like Game of Thrones, the book can be read as political intrigue, with great strength deriving from the character studies. Nobody is black or white, rather shades of grey' The Age

'Moves onwards with the narrative force of a flood. It is easy to let the book sweep the reader away, to engage with strange events... very compelling characters [and] huge imaginative vitality' Sydney Morning Herald

'The action comes thick and fast . . . Compelling characters and captivating worldbuilding' Japan Times

'A must-read' Aurealis

'One of the great joys of genre novels is that they usually care deeply about plot, satisfying the innately human desire for story. And there is story aplenty here. The unfolding events are so fascinating, the writing so lithe and seductive. There's no need to have read Hearn's earlier Otori series, set in the same remarkable fantasy world, to enjoy this one. Indeed, her new epic seems sure to recruit a fresh legion of fans' The Saturday Paper

'Stands alone for fine storytelling' West Australian

'Colourful and fascinating characters' Courier Mail

Available now

EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS: Books 1 and 2 in THE TALE OF SHIKANOKO.

Don't miss any of the novels in the OTORI saga

ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR

GRASS FOR HIS PILLOW

BRILLIANCE OF THE MOON

THE HARSH CRY OF THE HERON

HEAVEN'S NET IS WIDE