As with the other four books of the Otori saga, Heaven’s Net Is Wide takes place in a mythical feudal Japan. For newcomers to Lian Hearn’s universe the book will be filled with political intrigue, a touch of magic, and a lot of heart. For those who have followed the Otori through all four previously released books, Heaven’s Net Is Wide answers questions about Otori Shigeru, a pivotal but surprisingly mysterious character in Across the Nightingale Floor, the first book in the Tales of the Otori.
The Otori World
In 2002 author Lian Hearn first released Across the Nightingale Floor, and the world met Otori Takeo. Told directly by Takeo, the story covers the young man’s initial meeting with Otori Shigeru, the deposed heir to the once great Otori clan. When Takeo and Shigeru first meet, everyone is surprised to see that the strange boy that the Otori lord has taken in, renamed, and adopted, looks alarmingly like a close relative.
In reality Takeo is a mixture of all of the warring forces within his world. He was born to the Hidden, a religious faction that is persecuted and hated for worshipping the “Secret God.” He is also part of the Tribe, a group of families with supernatural powers that Takeo has inherited in the extreme. And finally, Takeo is also related to the Otori, a fact that only Shigeru knew.
Takeo is the main character of the three other books that followed: Grass For His Pillow, Brilliance of the Moon, and The Harsh Cry of the Heron. Although Takeo is the fruition of all the elements in the Otori books, religion in the Hidden, supernatural skill in the Tribe, and loyalty in the Otori, none of it would have been possible without Shigeru’s help and influence. It is Takeo that restores the Otori to their glory, but it was Shigeru that opened the door.
Heaven's Net Is Wide
For newcomers to the series, Heaven’s Net Is Wide may ruin some of the mystery of later books, but for longtime fans the book answers many questions. Also, perhaps more excitingly, the book allows readers to see Shigeru’s inner thoughts and plans for the first time. Readers can meet Shigeru’s doomed wife, mother, father, and younger brother. Characters that had already died in Across the Nightingale Floor come to life in Heaven’s Net Is Wide. The prime example in this case is Takeshi, Shigeru’s boisterous and skilled younger brother.
As with all of her work, Lian Hearn’s mastery of the style and mood of feudal era Japanese makes Heaven’s Net Is Wide a pleasure to read. Although her books are labeled fantasy, there are no overused clichés of dragons, wizards, or trolls. The fantasy elements of her work are woven into the narrative with a naturalness that makes them completely believable and yet astounding. When Otori Shigeru, as a young man, sees one of the supernaturally gifted Tribe members for the first time, his reaction becomes the audience’s as well, even for those well-acquainted with the Tribe from the previous books. Shigeru watches the man become invisible before his eyes and calls him a fox spirit.
With Heaven’s Net Is Wide, the Otori tales are complete. Fans and newcomers to the Otori saga will be saddened to see it go, but wait with anticipation for Lian Hearn’s next production, whatever it will be.
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