Heavens Net Is Wide

The new beginning and the grand finale of Lian Hearn's celebrated Tales of the Otori is "rivetingly elegant" (Washington Post). Don't miss the related series, The Tale of Shikanoko. Heaven's Net Is Wide is the prequel that reveals the full story of Lord Otori Shigeru—the figure who has presided in both life and death over the entire series, the man who represents the true spirit of the Otori Clan. The first and the last tale, it introduces readers to the strange and beautiful world of the Otori and closes the circle where it opened in Across the Nightingale Floor. Set in a mythical, medieval Japan, this epic historical fantasy of revenge and betrayal, honor and loyalty, beauty, passion, and the overwhelming power of love, has enthralled millions of readers the world over—and now, with the cycle complete, its audience will only continue to grow.

Heaven's Net is Wide is the Prologue in the five-part Tales of the Otori series. More than four million copies have been sold in over 36 countries.'The best story of magic, love, sex, revenge and suspense to have come this way since Philip Pullman' Independent On Sunday (UK) Lord Shigeru, heir to the Otori clan, faces hostility from the ambitious Iida family. His training as a warrior has prepared him for leadership, but fate and Shigeru's youthful determination bring the Three Countries to war, and he must endure defeat at the battle of Yaegahara and its brutal consequences. Shigeru waits for the moment when he can win back the Middle Country and be with the woman he loves, the Lady Maruyama. But his life is under constant threat. He has friends among the assassins of the Tribe who will not only protect him but will reveal the existence of a boy in a remote mountain village. A boy who is of the sect known as the Hidden, who might prove to be 'the unexpected move that opens up the whole game'. So begin the Tales of the Otori ... 'rich with character and detail, yet effortless to read.'Sydney Morning HeraldComing soon - the spellbinding new TALE OF SHIKANOKO, set 300 years before Otori: THE EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS (Books 1 & 2 in the TALE OF SHIKANOKO) and THE LORD OF THE DARKWOOD (Books 3 & 4).PRAISE FOR THE TALES OF THE OTORI 'One of the most thrilling series of our time' The Times 'An engrossing fantasy saga of literary quality.' The Age 'Lian Hearn's marvellous storytelling talent ... makes reading these books a moment of pure bliss.' Le Monde

The Harsh Cry of the Heron is the fourth book in the Tales of the Otori series by Lian Hearn. Don't miss the related series, The Tale of Shikanoko. A dazzling epic of warfare and sacrifice, passionate revenge, treacherous betrayal, and unconquerable love, The Harsh Cry of the Heron takes the storytelling achievement of Lian Hearn's fantastic medieval Japanese world to startling new heights of drama and action. Fifteen years of peace and prosperity under the rule of Lord Otori Takeo and his wife Kaede is threatened by a rogue network of assassins, the resurgence of old rivalries, the arrival of foreigners bearing new weapons and religion, and an unfulfilled prophecy that Lord Takeo will die at the hand of a member of his own family. The Harsh Cry of the Heron is the rich and stirring finale to a series whose imaginative vision has enthralled millions of readers worldwide, and an extraordinary novel that stands as a thrilling achievement in its own right.

Does heaven exist? If so, what is it like? And how does one get in? Throughout history, painters, poets, philosophers, pastors, and many ordinary people have pondered these questions. Perhaps no other topic captures the popular imagination quite like heaven. Gary Scott Smith examines how Americans from the Puritans to the present have imagined heaven. He argues that whether Americans have perceived heaven as reality or fantasy, as God's home or a human invention, as a source of inspiration and comfort or an opiate that distracts from earthly life, or as a place of worship or a perpetual playground has varied largely according to the spirit of the age. In the colonial era, conceptions of heaven focused primarily on the glory of God. For the Victorians, heaven was a warm, comfortable home where people would live forever with their family and friends. Today, heaven is often less distinctively Christian and more of a celestial entertainment center or a paradise where everyone can reach his full potential. Drawing on an astounding array of sources, including works of art, music, sociology, psychology, folklore, liturgy, sermons, poetry, fiction, jokes, and devotional books, Smith paints a sweeping, provocative portrait of what Americans-from Jonathan Edwards to Mitch Albom-have thought about heaven.

In Crossover Fiction, Sandra L. Beckett explores the global trend of crossover literature and explains how it is transforming literary canons, concepts of readership, the status of authors, the publishing industry, and bookselling practices. This study will have significant relevance across disciplines, as scholars in literary studies, media and cultural studies, visual arts, education, psychology, and sociology examine the increasingly blurred borderlines between adults and young people in contemporary society, notably with regard to their consumption of popular culture.

INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLER HEAVEN IS SO REAL! WITH OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD Do you believe heaven really exists? Choo Thomas retells a stunning, personal story of how she saw the living Christ, visited Hell, and walked in Heaven.

The mythical world of the Otori is unforgettable. What the critics said: '...an exquisite tale of revenge, love, beauty and honour...' - Australian Financial Review 'A remarkable smooth-flowing triumph of the imagination' - Woman's Day 'Lian's writing sweeps you along and leaves you tingling in anticipation of the final instalment in this epic tale' - The Sydney Morning Herald 'The beauty, savagery and strangeness of Hearn's gripping tale is heightened by her exquisite, crystalline prose' - The Independent on Sunday