REVIEW: Emperor of the Eight Islands by Lian Hearn

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Emperor of the Eight Islands by Lian Hearn
Publishing information: Paperback; 272 pages
Publisher: FSG Originals; 26 April 2016
ISBN: 9780374536312
Series: Tale of Shikanoko #1
Copy: Provided by publisher
Reviewer: Tyson

Amazon

Synopsis: "In the opening pages of the action-packed Book One of Lian Hearn's epic Tale of Shikanoko series--all of which will be published in 2016--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."

It has been some time since I have read anything from Lian Hearn, her Tales of the Otori series was great fun. When I learned that she was coming out with another series set in a mythical Japan I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy.

Tales of Shikanoko is an ambitious project with all four novels in the series coming out before the end of the year. Emperor of the Eight Islands comes out today and begins the story of Shinkanoko, a young noble who is betrayed by his family and found by a powerful forest sorcerer. From this meeting his life takes a major change as he becomes one with a forest spirit and he is thrusted into the imperial Coup D'etat and must figure out where his true loyalties lie.

The world building of the novel is magical as Hearn does an terrific job of taking feudal Japan to a more mystical place where animals can do the bidding of powerful magicians and their spirits assist in foretelling the future. The dramatis personae is also fairly large considering the small size of the book. Several characters go by different names, which will confuse a few readers at first but Hearn does a impressive job of letting you know who the players are without force-feeding too much information.

Emperor of the Eight Islands will leave you with a bit of a cliffhanger at the end but luckily you won't have to wait very long for answers as the next book in the series, Autumn Princess, Dragon Child will hit bookshelves in June. Emperor of the Eight Islands is being released today and is highly recommended.

Overall 8/10
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