I Read Books: Grass For His Pillow
The second volume in the tales of the Otori. Takeo, having taken revenge for the death of his step-father, is claimed by the Tribe and forced to undergo ninja-training. Meanwhile Kaede’s story comes to the fore. She returns home and is forced to take control of her family’s lands. More, if she is to claim her inheritance she needs to raise an army. But after war and storms they may not even be able to feed themselves. She strikes a bargain with Lord Fujiwara, a favourite of the Emperor, who desires her for her beauty. But not in that way!
Simultaneously the slowest of the trilogy – Takeo spends the first half reluctantly doing what he’s told in hiding while Arai, the warlord who came out on top at the end of the last book consolidates his rule – it’s also the most interesting. Lord Fujiwara is a decadent nobleman in a savage war-torn land and yet everyone is afraid of him. Kaede has to be tougher and more ruthless than her rivals, ordering the death of soldiers who won’t follow her, while also having to be absolutely feminine in order to be accepted. Takeo has an affair with a woman in the Tribe, and another with a male monk. All this, of course against a well drawn backdrop of Fantasy-Japan.
Read This: As I said, the most interesting of the trilogy so if you’ve read the first one, please continue
Don’t Read This: As a standalone; if you don’t care about the characters they spend a lot of the first half just running in place.
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