The Harsh Cry of the Heron
core novel 2006 Tales of the Otori
Record
| First published | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.97 (14,119 ratings, collected 2026-08-21) |
| Page count | 572 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9781594489235 |
| Internal chronology | 4 |
Synopsis
Set sixteen years after the events of the original trilogy, The Harsh Cry of the Heron finds Takeo and Kaede ruling over the Three Countries, their once-fragile alliance now a settled, prosperous domain that nonetheless still draws the ambitions of rivals. A prophecy hanging over Takeo, foretelling that he can only be killed by his own son, becomes an increasing source of anxiety as external threats mount, chief among them a powerful warlord maneuvering against the Three Countries, and internal betrayal creeps closer to Takeo and Kaede's own household. As old loyalties within the Tribe and among the couple's allies come under strain, the novel follows the mounting pressure on a rule that has, until now, held the peace, with the prophecy of Takeo's death by his son's hand looming over every decision he makes to protect his family and his domain.
Where it sits
- Universe: Tales of the Otori
- Series: Tales of the Otori core; position 4 of 5 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Lian Hearn
Notes
- From the series record (Tales of the Otori): Heaven's Net Is Wide is a prequel published last; the internal story order differs from publication order.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series Tales of the Otori: position 4 of 5: previous Brilliance of the Moon (2004) · next Heaven's Net Is Wide (2007)
Sources
← Tales of the Otori dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.