The Emperor of the Eight Islands

"Have I been here before?" Kazumaru said. Behind him the wolf howled."In this life or another."And maybe he had. Who knew where the soul voyaged while the body slept? Perhaps it had the strange familiarity of dreams. The setting is familiar : Lian Hearn has used a similar setting for her "Tales of the Otori" , a fantay epic based on Medieval Japan. The wait between the two series was worth it, because "Shikanoko" reads like the revised and improved version of the overtly romantic, slightly Y.A. [...]

Lian Hearn's become known for her Japanese-tinged fantasies. I'd previously read the first installation of her 'Tales of the Otori,' 'Across The Nightingale Floor,' and thought it was quite well-done, if a little bit more juvenile-feeling than I'd expected. Although the protagonist of 'Emperor of the Eight Islands' is also a young man (also an orphaned and adopted one, as well), the tale here is quite a bit darker. And of course, we're still in pseudo-Japan.After his father's death, Shikanoko ha [...]

This was an amazing tale, and I am excited to finish the remainder of this series. It is a feudal Japanese fantasy through and through, with wild Tengu, WereHawks, and Mountain Sorcerers with command of dark spirits. Each chapter is written from a specific characters viewpoint and it transitions between them very naturally in a very Song of Ice and Fire fashion.After the first chapter I had assumed it would be a tale mainly for youngsters, and in some ways it is, but there are some very adult si [...]

This is the first of a new series of four books set in the same medieval, feudal Japanese-like world as Hearn's 'Tales of the Otori'. It tells of the the complex plotting to change the natural succession to the emperor's throne. It is a tale of warring factions, brother turned against brother, plots to murder children to steal their heritage and through it all is woven threads of magic and sorcery making it read like classic mythology. The main character is Shikanoko who is thought to have been [...]

Have you ever been absolutely loving a book, when suddenly the ending splashes a bucket of cold water on you? That was my experience with EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS.EMPEROR OF THE EIGHT ISLANDS is the first book in The Tale of Shikanoko, the new series from Lian Hearn. There are four books, all to be published before July from Farrar, Straus and Giroux's (fairly new) digital imprint. I still intend to read the second book, AUTUMN PRINCESS, DRAGON CHILD, but it is going to have to work to earn [...]

This author has an ease to her writing that I found extremely comforting. The story flowed so well that I didn't even realize how far into the book I had gotten at points. I loved the setting, the characters and story held my interest, and by the end I really wanted to know how the whole thing resolves. Add a new series to the TBR, this one's a keeper!

I was able to read this novel as an ARC at my library.This slim volume reads more like the first quarter of a larger work than like a standalone. Perhaps the author, or her editor, was concerned about publishing a monster of a book, but readers looking for strong resolution should avoid starting Emperor of the Eight Islands until the rest of the series comes out. Despite that, this work is still brimming with interesting characters, significant action, and establishes the background of a fantasy [...]

InkvotaryShikanoko has survived the fall from a mountain cliff. But the price he has to pay for being alive is tremendous. His uncle wants his dead, a powerful man wants to control him and the woman he loves is out of his reach. Only the dark powers are willing to help him. But with them danger and death are always near. To gain back what is rightfully his, he must learn to control his new abilities and defeat his uncle.Lian Hearn is no author of the loud tones. Her writing-style is decent, clas [...]

*Based on a reading of an ARC I've not made up my mind whether this is 2.5 or 3 stars books. 2.75 is the average. :) The world building when the genre is what I call Historical Fantasy, where there are things that are realistic mix with fantasy elements, can be difficult to make it believable and even more difficult to make the characters who reside in that world matter so that we are invested in them. George R. R. Martin succeed with "A Song of Ice and Fire" series (a.k.a. Game of Thrones). Lia [...]

Rating : Er 1.5 stars ?DNF'd 60%Nope nopety nope nope. Sorry, I can't.I tell you guys, I LOVED The Otori Tales. I read the three books from the original trilogy in a weekend when the third book came out. It was SO good, and I think the first book may be the book i cried the most reading. Really.And I was so happy to get my hands on this book ! But unfortunatly, it didn't go well.1. Teens and YA ? Are you kidding me ? I maybe prudish or oldfashioned or whatever, you can't give this book to a kid. [...]

Lian Hearn est l'auteure de la saga du Clan des Otori. Que je n'ai jamais lu mais qui est pourtant dans ma bibliothèque, prêtée par une copine, honte à moi. Mais c'est à sa nouvelle série que nous allons nous intéresser, Shikanoko. Les 4 tomes de la saga doivent paraître dans l'année aux éditions Gallimard, pour une fois pas trop d'attente prévue. Cette fois, l'auteure se prête au jeu de la fantasy avec une mythologie japonaise des plus poétique. Alors, quid de ce premier tome ?Shik [...]

2/5starsSIIIIIIGH, I was legit so freaking pumped for this book. Someone recommended it to me on twitter and I immediately looked it up, did some research and it sounded AWESOME - a fantasy novel with Japanese and Korean influence? hell freaking YAH. Sign me up! I immediately ordered it on amazon and the second it arrived in the mail I sat down and started reading. Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed which especially sucks because these books are GORGEOUS and the author has so many books o [...]

Hearn, the author of the awesome Tales of the Otori series, is back with a new fantastic series set in medieval Japan. At the beginning of the tale is a young future lord, sent into hiding with a mountain wizard by his scheming uncle who wants the boy's land for himself. What follows is magical adventures on battlefields, and in forests and castles, involving both man and beasts. This story is a rich tapestry of magic, superstition, and ancient history, all wonderfully realized. And all four boo [...]

Medieval Japan seems a fitting setting for a tale of fantasy and intrigue. In my mind it is a place and era that have taken on phantasmagorical proportions, ripe with dragons, levitating monks and rulers who seemingly lived for thousands of years.Emperor of the Eight Islands, Book One: The Tale of Shikanoko is the first of four installments by Lian Hern to be released this year from FSG Originals.I have to admit, I was a bit apprehensive when I opened the book and immediately encountered a five [...]

Lian Hearn writes excellent, Japanese-inspired fantasy. My wife and I fell in love with her books with her first series, Tales of the Otori, and have been hooked ever since. So much of classical fantasy draws on European traditions, to the point where it's easy to forget that it's not the only cultural tradition out there. That's one of the many reasons why this book is such a breath of fresh air. There's a lot going on in this, the first of four books (all of which should be out by the end of 2 [...]

I loved this! The setting of a mythical, medieval Japan was amazing. The plot was engaging and unlike anything I've read recently. The characters are all intriguing, as well as being well written. This book definitely pulls no punches - bad things happen to some good people and good people do some questionable things. The ending was just I am still recovering. Well that's being a bit dramatic but the ending definitely messed me up a bit. Excellent storytelling - I will be trying out Lian Hearn's [...]

300 Jahre vor „Der Clan der Otori“ spielt Lian Hearns neue Fantasy-Saga im feudalen Japan; sie wurde von mittelalterlichen japanischen Kriegsepen inspiriert. Der junge Shikanoko (vorher Kazumaru genannt) muss gegen seinen Onkel um seinen Platz kämpfen und erhält von einem Magier gegen seinen Willen die Kräfte eines Hirsches. Shikanokos Aufgabe wird das Töten von fünf Angehorigen des Spinnenvolkes sein, die die Hexerin Tora aus Eiern ausgebrütet hat. Außer Tora treten weitere starke Fr [...]

Wow, this was a great book. I haven't read a book before bed since Rae Carson's Like a River Glorious, which was also a great book.Originally I wasn't going to pick this up because it had a 3.65 rating here on GoodReads, but I needed a few more books on a BookOutlet order I was making and this series was just really cheap so I decided I'd try it anyway. I'm so glad I did.There was not one pov that I disliked. They were all interesting, and overlapped in exciting ways. None of the characters acti [...]

Ich habe von Lian Hearn schon sehr lange etwas gehört, die Otori-Saga aber selbst nie gelesen. Als mir ihr neues Buch und somit der Beginn der Shikanoko-Saga vorgeschlagen wurde, hat mich das Buch jedoch sofort durch sein Setting angezogen. Es zeigt uns ein historisches Japan und beinhaltet darüber hinaus viel Platz für Legenden und Mythologien. Das klang für mich unglaublich anziehend, sodass mich zu diesem Zeitpunkt die Dicke des Buches mehr anzog, als dass sie mich abschreckte. Direkt nac [...]

While at first it was hard for me to follow for various reasons including a lot of characters with names that aren't my everyday and getting distracted then coming back to it and bam! Whole new character! I grew enchanted by the storyline and learned all the characters personalities. I loved that it was very different the way it was told. Heavy emphasis on Japanese folklore which drew me to this book. We may have heard the story beforehand from amazing works like Game of Thrones but in all hones [...]

I really enjoyed this book, maybe even more than the author's previous book in her Tales of the Otori Series. This story is set several hundred years before the events of that series. I enjoyed the pacing of this story it unfolded well, a perfect first book for a series, laying a solid foundation for the story to unfold. I enjoyed the animism and magical elements of the story set against a background of feudal Japan. Excellent story telling and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. [...]

This is a well told story in a Japanese style

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 politi [...]

Solid 4 stars at first, it was frustrating with all the foreign names. It was nice of the author to include a character list and a map. I love when authors do that. But flipping back and forth every time a character was introduced, which was often, grew tiresome. Soon you ignore the names and start paying attention to descriptions to recognize characters. Then, to make things more complicated, the main character changes his name a little ways into the book. I was like, really?

Maybe 3.5. The style is more cut and dry than I like. A lot of telling rather than showing, though that fits into the style of old mythologies. Still, a quick easy read. Complicated and interesting plot. I intend to keep reading the series!

A non-historical fantasy of feudal Japan. While there are monsters and magic, it's not overpowering. A sort, quick read.

The author did a very good job of creating a fantastical world with the feel of the writing of an ancient epic with turns of phrase and pacing. I liked the way the different voices and characters were handled, even though I feel a little removed from them, which isn't unusual when I read actual older epics. The ambiguity of certain parts of the telling was also appropriate. And I liked the story. I don't know if I'll read the additional books, though.

In under three hundred pages, Hearn spins the tale of a civil war through glimpses of the lives of about a dozen major characters over about sixteen years and the ways in which their fortunes rise and fall because of how how their social roles, family ties, and personal allegiances cast them on one side or the other of the conflict. Needless to say, the prose is lean, almost terse, recalling (consciously, from the Author's Note at the end) the style of early Japanese chronicles and legendary sto [...]

4.5 STARS“It was a time of troubles and opportunities. In the capital the Emperor was weak, his sons rivals. His brother-in-law, the Prince Abbot at Ryosonji, was regent in all but name. He favored the Emperor’s younger son and carried on endless intrigues against the Crown Prince.”Premise: Dark forces plot against the heir to the Lotus throne, wishing to replace him with his younger brother. Far from this royal contention lives a young orphan named Kazumaru. After his uncle forces him fro [...]

I loooooooooooooved this. Every sentence in this, the first installment in Lian Hearn's four-part "historical fantasy" saga, is immaculate. It was so engrossing I never felt the need to skip ahead. The magic is strange, yet believable. The world is rich. Each character in the large cast is complex and consistent, yet surprising. The pacing, too is unpredictable (there was one plot point in particular that had me say, "No way!!" out loud, but I believed it completely). The series is heavily influ [...]