Rating: 
Summary: This book was absolutely brilliant
Review: "Brilliance of the Moon" was brilliant. I got "Across the Nightingale Floor" for Christmas a few years ago, and I thought it was good, but not outstanding. But, a month or so ago, I decided I needed to see how the story of Takeo and Kaede finished out, so I went and got the rest of the trilogy. I could not put down either "Grass for his Pillow" or "Brilliance of the Moon".
The language of the book is gorgeous. The style in which it is written is so vivid, and it's definitely one of those books that, while reading it, you can picture exactly how the movie version would turn out. I get really sucked in to dramatic, angsty stuff, and if you are the same, then this book, especially the ending, will blow you away.
I also read all three books under the impression that they were written by a man, and at no point in the course of reading did I suspect otherwise. To find out later that Lian Hearn is a woman was a big surprise, but simply makes me appreciate her writing more. She was able to completely overlay her voice and Takeo's (the narrator) in a manner so perfect that you'd swear Takeo wrote the book himself. The one small problem I had with the book (and the other two) was that the vast cast of minor characters was very difficult to keep straight. For someone not especially well versed in Japanese names and customs, I had occasional difficulty remembering who the smaller players were. But it was only a minor flaw detracting very little from, what, overall, is one of the best books I have ever read.
Rating:
Summary: BRILLIANCE OF THE MOON
Review: An amazing tale of a place just beyond the reach of an outside world, the third book of the tales of the Otori once again transports the reader into a fanciful medieval Japan.
The tale follows newly weds Otori Takeo and Shirakawa Kaede and their struggle to claim their rightful domains. With much determination, the couple set out to fulfil the holy woman's prophecy, 'Your lands will stretch from sea to sea, but peace comes at the price of bloodshed. Five battles will buy you peace, four to win and one to lose...'
They prepare for war, but just when victory seems certain, Hearn characteristically uproots her characters with unseen treachery and the two lovers are once again separated. Takeo must summon courage from his conflicted heritage to he fulfil his destiny.
The third volume of the Tales Of The Otori is a thrilling novel. It appeals to all audiences because of the many themes in the plot; Brilliance Of The Moon is a unique blend of romance, action, adventure and fantasy.The third novel in the series takes us deeper into the complexities of the loyalties that bind the novel's characters at birth - the fates from which they cannot escape - Brilliance of the Moon goes beyond its transcendent storytelling in demonstrating how we are shaped by forces outside of our control and yet must forge our own destinies all the same.
The beauty and strangeness of this gripping tale make Lian Hearn's Brilliance Of The Moon, a must read.
Rating: 
Summary: A very strong finish
Review: Because Brilliance of the Moon finishes out the trilogy so strongly, we feel that Hearn will have earned a place beside many of the more famous speculative fiction works that are classified for young readers: Ursula K LeGuin and Madeleine L'Engle to name a few. However, the violence runs much deeper than those books. While LeGuin can match some of the inevitability of destiny and the sadness it generates that Hearn employs so effectively, Brilliance soundly defeats LeGuin in the sense of romance. But the themes--particularly the sexual themes--are treated in a much more adult fashion including very frank scenes of sex--often with fornication or adultery involved--homosexuality, and cruelty. It is still unclear if Hearn was ultimately aiming for that particular audience of youthful readers but we feel that that is still where it will end up. It will be interesting to see what rating the movies earn from the MPAA.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS:
All of the fans who were at least casually interested in the trilogy Tales of the Otori should purchase and read this book in order to finish it out. Particularly those readers who were disappointed by Grass for his Pillow should give Hearn a second chance because she delivers grandly here. The series has catered to youthful readers craving to read about honor, loyalty, revenge, and love all encapsulated in the solipsistic world of the very precocious and the very young--Moon continues and excels in this vein.
WHY YOU SHOULD PASS:
All those readers who love the "smash-mouth" style of big, bloody battles and nubile young women in the vein of Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind will probably not have made it this far in the series having long since gone back to more masculine fare. But if they have ventured this far, they will continue to be disappointed if they look to the Otori to answer such vices. No reader should pick up the series by starting with the final book--as is the case with many trilogies, much of its strength comes from earlier works. Please go to books 1 and 2 if you've not yet read them. If you're from the raving Christian Right you may have rightly heard there are Christian themes celebrated here. There are. But there is also a good deal of adult sex including homosexuality--perhaps you shouldn't be letting your sheltered children read for that reason. But we think you've got to be pretty turbo-Christian to feel this way.
READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW AT INCHOATUS.COM
Rating: 
Summary: Unimpressed
Review: I eagerly awaited Brilliance of the Moon, and reread the preceding books before BotM came out. I then read it in two days. It is very readable, as were the first two books. My main complaint with Brilliance of the Moon is that the characters seem weaker. Kaide in particular is just a helpless victim of her circumstances. Even Takeo does little to solve his own problems. Instead, we just watch what "fate" or "god" has planned. Consequently, the conflicts are not satisfactorily resolved, and in fact the conflicts themselves are very minimal. Takeo really doesn't exact revenge on many of his main enemies, and there are some loose ends. The characters here are not as strong as the first two books, but are resigned to accepting whatever fate has in store. This is where the prophecy of Grass for his Pillow really hurts the plot. Finally, the climax is deus ex machina, which is very disappointing. Obviously, fans of the first two books will continue with this one, but if you are thinking about beginning the trilogy, I'd say you'll enjoy it if you are a fan of Japan and/or a spare style of storytelling.
Rating:
Summary: A Good series, but..
Review: I have to say that I was a bit disappointed in the third installment. I was hooked after the first two novels. I loved the pace as well as the author's skill at putting words together. True, we're not dealing with incredible depth of character here, but the books are definitely enjoyable to read. I feel that this third novel wraps up far too quickly. We're in the depths of the climax, and then before you know it, the book ends--and a bit too predictably. I wish the author would have given a bit more depth at the end of the story here. I would LOVE to go into more detail, but I don't want to give any spoilers.
Rating:
Summary: What happened? Bad Editing, Rush To Print?
Review: I really enjoyed the first two books of this series. So what happened here?! Imagine chopping out the first 75 pages and then condensing the last 75 pages down to 5 or so, and then going to press. Voila! This is just inexplainable. As a reader, I felt cheated. I can no longer recommend this author, Gillian Rubinstein.
Rating:
Summary: A LYRICAL, PERSUASIVE VOICE PERFORMANCE
Review: Kevin Gray received plaudits for his readings of " Grass For His Pillow" and "Across The Nightingale Floor," Books One and Two in the Tales of the Otori Series. He delivers another blockbuster performance with the final book in the trilogy, "Brilliance of the Moon." His performing voice is soft yet strong, persuasive, almost lyrical. Aika Nakasone more than holds her own with the sable voiced Gray. Now safely wed hero Otori Takeo and Shirikawa Kaeda take little time to honeymoon but he sets off to secure what he considers their birthrights. They remember the holy woman's prophecy: "Your lands will stretch from sea to sea, but peace comes at the price of bloodshed. Five battles will buy you peace, four to win and one to lose....." However, their enemies are formidable as their marriage has infuriated warlord Arai Daiichi and Lord Fujiwara. He is able to emerge victorious in two battles but, meanwhile, he learns that his bride has been kidnaped and turned over to the vengeful Fujiwara. Obstacles mount and actions escalates, holding listeners in thrall as this mystical tale of medieval Japan unfolds. "Brilliance of the Moon" is first-rate entertainment leaving listeners hoping for just one more adventure. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: A LYRICAL, PERSUASIVE VOICE PERFORMANCE
Review: Kevin Gray received plaudits for his readings of " Grass For His Pillow" and "Across The Nightingale Floor," Books One and Two in the Tales of the Otori Series. He delivers another blockbuster performance with the final book in the trilogy, "Brilliance of the Moon." His performing voice is soft yet strong, persuasive, almost lyrical. Aika Nakasone more than holds her own with the sable voiced Gray. Now safely wed hero Otori Takeo and Shirikawa Kaeda take little time to honeymoon but he sets off to secure what he considers their birthrights. They remember the holy woman's prophecy: "Your lands will stretch from sea to sea, but peace comes at the price of bloodshed. Five battles will buy you peace, four to win and one to lose....." However, their enemies are formidable as their marriage has infuriated warlord Arai Daiichi and Lord Fujiwara. He is able to emerge victorious in two battles but, meanwhile, he learns that his bride has been kidnaped and turned over to the vengeful Fujiwara. Obstacles mount and actions escalates, holding listeners in thrall as this mystical tale of medieval Japan unfolds. "Brilliance of the Moon" is first-rate entertainment leaving listeners hoping for just one more adventure. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: Startling Conclusion Feels a Bit Truncated - but Wow!
Review: Lian Hearn's "Tales of the Otori" series comes to its (apparent) conclusion in book three, "Brilliance of the Moon." Like the first two novels, "Moon" further explores the mystical, magical alternate Japan that Hearn populates with fascinating, often terrifying characters.
In the second book, "Grass for his Pillow," young Takeo married his soul-mate, Kaede, in a frantic ceremony that was not sanctioned by any of the appropriate authorities. While it's all well and good for young Americans to elope, in the Three Countries Takeo and Kaede have angered just about everyone who is in a position to do them harm. As a result, the drumbeats of war beat out a frantic tempo in "Moon," as Takeo is destined to fight five battles -- four to win and one to lose -- as he fulfills his destiny of bringing peace to the war-torn Three Countries.
Takeo -- who brings together the lineage of the Tribe (the clan of secretive, magical ninjas), the disputed inheritance of the Otori mantle (the Otoris being a proud samurai clan), and the upbringing of the Hidden (a peaceful, persecuted stand-in for Christians) -- cannot seem to make anyone happy, even though all he wants is to bring peace to the land. His warriors mock him because he consorts with the Hidden, who consist largely of untouchable outcasts. His Otori clansmen resent him for his inheritance. Other warlords hate him for his marriage to Kaede, the beautiful heiress to a wealthy fiefdom. The Tribe hates him with a murderous passion for abandoning their way, which commands obedience above all else.
And to top it off, his fate appears to involve his death . . . at the hands of his own son.
Hearn brings all these various plot lines together with a skill and economy that is breathtaking. Indeed, Hearn undercuts many of the reader's expectations with sudden earthquakes, assassinations, and the like. While "Moon" resolves many of the outstanding plot lines, it often does so in such quick-yet-dramatic fashion that the reader is left a bit shocked . . . and, to be honest, looking for more.
The sudden conclusion to the book, as well as an enigmatic epilogue, strongly hint at further books in the series, perhaps as the "next generation" of Otori rise to prominence. One can only hope. Hearn has created an alternate universe of such beauty, drama, and intensity that I feel as if I have left it much too early. More! More! More!
Rating:
Summary: a must read conclusion to an epic trilogy
Review: Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others
STORY: The continuing adventures of Takeo and Kaede as they try to connect with each other at a time when the Tribe is trying to assassinate Takeo, Akida is trying to take over all the known kingdoms and the Otori lords have sent the clan armies to hunt and kill Takeo.
MY FEEDBACK:
1) First off, this was a fairly satisfactory ending to an epic storyline. It didn't have the same level of mystic elements as the first book nor the rising action of the 2nd, but it resolved all the necessary characters and sub-plots well
2) I agree some of the other reviews that the author had an opportunity to exploit some battle scenes but decided in skirting the issue. The author decided to quickly resolve the battles instead of taking the reader through the mayhem and chaos of such events. A missed opportunity in my opinion
3) The emotional bonds between the characters are believable and connecting with the reader
4) I've read a lot of fantasy and whenever "prophecy" is introduced into the story it MAY add to the mystic elements or detract from the story by giving things away too early. I believe this happened here in that some opportunities to increase the suspense of a scene was lost due to me as the reader already knowing that Takeo should win based on the prophecy
OVERALL: It still flows with the same feel as the previous two books. It was a must read to know how the story ends and made me feel like so much has happened since the first book that I'll soon need to go back and start the trilogy all over again.
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