Reviews

Heaven's Net Is Wide by Lian Hearn

booked_az's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

amyappy's review

4.0

An epic fantasy along the lines of Guy Gavriel Kay (whom I also love, if you haven't yet noticed). Not quite as complex or all-engrossing, but it's pretty engaging and the treatment of "feudal Japan" is interesting. Apparently this is the prequel to a whole series. Will likely find and read the rest. :-)

lu_ise's review

adventurous emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

pillywiggin's review

5.0

This is one of my all-time favorite series!

drdearest's review

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

thunguyen's review

4.0

It's brilliant as a prequel. Only read this book if you're absolutely in love with the Otori clan. And don't read it before the other 4 books just because it's a prequel.

snugglor's review against another edition

4.0

As a prequel to the Otori Saga, this is a good book and provides good insight to the motivations of the characters in later/earlier books, as well as giving a backdrop to the Three Kingdoms. Alliances that Shigeru and Takeo come to rely on are explained and the stage is set for everything to unfold.

However, if you were to take this book and read it as a stand alone then I think it would leave you feeling unsatisfied. The storytelling is beautifully descriptive and well paced, but the conclusion does not offer any sort of closure; rather, it opens the world of the Otori for the reader.

So if you've read the Saga, or are planning to, this is a good book to either begin or end with, but if you're not planning on going the distance with the other books, this one might not be for you. Enjoy!

_lexie_'s review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

k5tog's review

5.0

Love this series. This is myn2nd time reading it. Historical fiction combined with a little magic/otherworldly abilities make a great story.

quasar728's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0