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Emperor of the Eight Islands
Emperor of the Eight Islands
Emperor of the Eight Islands
Audiobook6 hours

Emperor of the Eight Islands

Written by Lian Hearn

Narrated by Neil Shah

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

About this audiobook

In the opening pages of the action-packed Book One of Lian Hearn's epic Tale of Shikanoko a future lord is dispossessed of his birthright by a scheming uncle, a mountain sorcerer imbues a mask with the spirit of a great stag for a lost young man, a stubborn father forces his son to give up his wife to his older brother, and a powerful priest meddles in the succession to the Lotus Throne, the child who is the rightful heir to the emperor barely escaping the capital in the arms of his sister. And that is just the beginning. As destiny weaves its rich tapestry, a compelling drama plays out against a background of wild forests, elegant castles, hidden temples, and savage battlefields. This is the medieval Japan of Lian Hearn's imagination, where animal spirits clash with warriors and children navigate a landscape as serene as it is deadly.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 26, 2016
ISBN9781681681535
Emperor of the Eight Islands
Author

Lian Hearn

Lian Hearn studied modern languages at Oxford University and worked as a film critic and arts editor in London before settling in Australia. A lifelong interest in Japan led to the study of the Japanese language, many trips to Japan, and culminated in the Tales of the Otori series.

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Reviews for Emperor of the Eight Islands

Rating: 3.5446429035714284 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

56 ratings11 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was so good. The characters were complex but i rooted for them and was scared for them. A wonderful blend of historical and magic. Can’t wait to read book 2!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is an interesting take on Japanese legends. Like an older fairy tale or legend, the details are sparse when it comes to character details (what they look like) or world building, yet I enjoyed this because I was able to fill in these details myself, and focus on character development and plot. I didn't love this, but I'm interested enough that I want to find out what happens next. Luckily, all the books in the series are being released this year. And the cover art is fantastic, so of course I'll have to buy the rest so I can have a lovely set. Perhaps I'll become more enamored with the story once I get deeper into the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I devoured this book. I am a bit surprised it is not rated higher here on Goodreads. You would think with all the characters and places in the book it might get confusing but the author did a great job and you just fly through it. Can't wait to read the rest of the story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I did not like this as well as the Tales of the Otori series by this author, so I did not continue reading this series. For me the "tribe" special powers in the Otori series was less fantasy than the sorcerer powers and weird fantasy in this series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book even more the second read. The relentlessly forward sweeping tale of a magical Japanese like struggle to gain and keep territory and position is full of betrayals trickery and can get rather gruesome but never shorts the individuals who make the story mean something.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Emperor of the Eight Islands by Lian Hearn, psedonym for author Gillian Rubinstein, is the first in her series entitled "The Tale of Shikanoko" that is based on the Japanese feudal system. This is a tale of war and magic. There has been trouble between the Kakizuki and Miboshi clans for years and now upon the death of the emperor, it is breaking out into open warfare. Each clan supports a different prince to be the next emperor. The author develops her story while at the same time introduces many characters. This is an exciting story with strange rituals, assassinations, revenge killings and characters destinies becoming entwined with each other. The main character, Shikanoko, is a young man who has been dispossessed by his scheming uncle and transformed by a mountain sorcerer by having his spirit bonded with that of a stag. He has been under the control of various warlords but he decides to direct his own fate while all the while struggling to gain mastery over his forest power.The setting for Emperor of Eight Islands is a medieval Japan built from the author’s imagination, beautiful and deadly. Although there are a lot of characters and story-lines to juggle, the book moves along at a quick pace. Most characters are morally ambiguous, seizing opportunities as they arise, yet they are well developed and multi-layered. I was happy to discover that there are many women characters that have major roles to play in the story, and I look forward to seeing how they are developed in the future books. I became a huge fan of this author when I read her "Tales of the Otori" so I am very excited to continue on with this story as I am already feeling very connected to it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A quick read, but perhaps too quick. Most characters are your standard fantasy tropes, and there's a lot of similarity to her other Japanese inspired series Tales of the Otori, which also clipped along at a brisk pace. I would like to see more focus on Shikanoko, and dice dweper into the magic amd spiritual realms.Nevertheless it was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I am looking forward to reading the remaining threw books.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This first book in a four-book series - all published in 2016 - by Gillian Rubinstein (writing under the pseudonym Lian Hearn) is a pretty darn decent read considering I don't usually go for the epic Japanese fantasy-styled stories of warring clans and sorcery-inspired magical elements. A fantasy world of chivalry, rivalry, swords, daggers and intrigue. All good elements for a fast-paced story! The descriptive scenery - I could "feel" the cold being described! - and the recognizable Japanese elements of medieval classic tales are well done. The pace for the story starts out at a good clip and doesn't slow down. No time for dilly-dallying and stopping to smell the flowers when the self-serving ambitions of men are involved. Yes, I had a difficult time keeping some the characters straight in my mind, but I was too busy enjoying all the action and decided to just settle in and let the story wash over me. I enjoyed this story enough that I will probably continue to read the other three books in the series. Overall, a good, fast paced story set in a fantasy version of feudal Japan and made for a nice "change of pace" to my previous reads.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An intriguing blend of fantasy and history, in a reimagined world of medieval Japan. It awakened the dormant Asian Studies scholar in me (that's legitimate: BA in history, anthropology, and Asian Studies in 1978 from Washington University.) This, apparently, is one of 4 novels in the series, all of which came out in 2016. While I enjoyed reading it, I'm not committed to seeking out the others, though wouldn't say no to one if it fell into my hands. The characters were interesting, and the politics of historic Japan was filled with intrigue and mystery. This adds magic and fantasy.Many thanks to my friend Laurali, who passed it on to me. I trust her book recommendations. She has not failed me yet.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Stylized like a translation of a feudal Japanese tale, this is a story of magic, passions, political power and shifting allegiances. It is spare prose that yields rich imagery, a slender book that bears an epic story. The internal beat or meter of the story is reminiscent of medieval chansons de trouveres with the evocation of poetry, the lyrical prose, the linear narrative told in small sections, and the ultimate sum being greater than the parts.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An enjoyable fantasy novel, possibly meant to be historical fantasy, set in a feudal Japan. A young boy is driven away from his home by his scheming uncle and becomes the 'deer spirit' warrior. While he is wandering from master to master, the Crown Prince is overthrown by a rival faction and sets the entire region into chaos. The plot is complex, with multiple noble houses fighting against each other as several young men and women of destiny attempt to stay alive. Well written, I thought it really captured the feel of feudal Japan, at least for non-Japanese.