Tales of the Otori Books in Order
Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn contains 7 books, published between 2002 and 2016. The first book is Across the Nightingale Floor (2002) and the newest is His Kikuta Hands (2016). Publication order is the reading order below.
- Books
- 7
- Published
- 2002–2016
- Pages on record
- 2,466 in 6 of 7 books
- Reading time
- 41–62 hours
Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 2,466 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 6 of 7 titles with a page count on record.
Tales of the Otori is a historical fantasy series by Lian Hearn set in Japan. Seven books are catalogued between 2002 and 2016. Across the Nightingale Floor (2002) opens it, followed by Grass for His Pillow (2003), Brilliance of the Moon (2004), The Harsh Cry of the Heron (2006), Scars of Victory (2006), Heaven's Net Is Wide (2007) and His Kikuta Hands (2016). Revenge, honour, inheritance and succession, orphans and teenage boys run through the subjects. The series is complete.
How many Tales of the Otori books are there?
Tales of the Otori has 7 books, released between 2002 and 2016.
Tales of the Otori Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 7 Tales of the Otori books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.
- 1Across the Nightingale Floor2002 · 305 pages · confirmed 1/420023051/4
- 2Grass for His Pillow2003 · 344 pages · confirmed 1/420033441/4
- 3Brilliance of the Moon2004 · 368 pages · confirmed 1/420043681/4
- 4The Harsh Cry of the Heron2006 · 592 pages · confirmed 1/420065921/4
- 5Scars of Victory2006 · 281 pages · confirmed 1/420062811/4
- 6Heaven's Net Is Wide2007 · 576 pages · confirmed 1/420075761/4
- 7His Kikuta Hands2016 · confirmed 1/42016–1/4
Is there a chronological order for Tales of the Otori?
No separate chronological order is on record for Tales of the Otori, because none of the book listings this catalogue draws on publishes one; the publication order above is the only order given.
Do you have to read Tales of the Otori books in order?
You should read the Tales of the Otori books in publication order, the order of the numbered table above. The catalogue does not record whether each Tales of the Otori book also stands alone.
Where to start with Tales of the Otori
Start with Across the Nightingale Floor (2002), the earliest published title.
What is the newest Tales of the Otori book?
His Kikuta Hands (2016) is the newest Tales of the Otori book released so far.
Is there a new Tales of the Otori book coming?
No next Tales of the Otori book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.
Tales of the Otori at a glance
- No recent titles
- The newest Tales of the Otori title on record dates from 2016, 10 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
- Release pace
- Tales of the Otori books have appeared about one every 2 years on average.
- Length
- 2,466 pages across the 6 of 7 books with a recorded length, a median of 356 pages each.
- Busiest decade
- Most Tales of the Otori books, 6 of 7, were published in the 2000s.
What the Tales of the Otori books are about
6 of the 7 Tales of the Otori books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: action & adventure is tagged on 3 of 6. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.
- Action & adventure 3 of 6 books
- Japan 3 of 6 books
- Fantasy 2 of 6 books
- Fantasy, historical 2 of 6 books
- Inheritance and succession 2 of 6 books
- Marriage 2 of 6 books
- Revenge 2 of 6 books
More books by Lian Hearn
The author page linked below lists every book in publication order.
- Lian Hearn books in order 17 books