🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Lian Hearn
Lian Hearn is an Australian author that writes fiction with Asian themes. Lian went to Oxford University where she studied modern languages. The author got to work as a film critic for a while, and then an art director before her writing career took off. +Biography Lian Hearn loves Japan. After learning French and Spanish, she made Japanese her next target for conquest. At first, it was merely a means of satiating a lifelong curiosity for Japan that she had held. But then the many trips she took to Japan drove her to write the ‘Tales of the Otori’ Trilogy for which she is best known. Lian was born in England, though she eventually moved to Australia and typically identifies as an Australian. She loved telling stories even as a child.
All Book Series by Lian Hearn
The Storyteller and his Three Daughters
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2013
Brigands: A Blackguards Anthology
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2019
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Lian Hearn?
Lian Hearn is an Australian author that writes fiction with Asian themes. Lian went to Oxford University where she studied modern languages. The author got to work as a film critic for a while, and then an art director before her writing career took off. +Biography Lian Hearn loves Japan.
Which Lian Hearn series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Tales of the Otori series, the earliest of Lian Hearn's multi-book series: it opens with Across the Nightingale Floor (2002) and runs to 7 books across 2002–2016, ending with His Kikuta Hands (2016). Lian Hearn's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Lian Hearn written?
Lian Hearn has 20 books catalogued in this guide, published between 2002 and 2020. 15 of them belong to 4 named series — the largest being the Tales of the Otori series with 7 books — and 5 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Lian Hearn's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Lian Hearn's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Tales of the Otori (2002–2016, 7 books), Grass For His Pillow (2005, 2 books) and The Tale of Shikanoko (2016, 4 books), plus 1 more.
How are Lian Hearn's books organised into series?
This guide splits Lian Hearn's 20 books into 4 named series and 5 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Tales of the Otori (7 books, 2002–2016); The Tale of Shikanoko (4 books, 2016); Grass For His Pillow (2 books, 2005); Children of the Otori (2 books, 2020).