Heaven's Net is Wide (Tales of the Otori, #0)

Heaven’s Net is Wide is a prequel to Lian Hearn's popular Tales of the Otori series. It recounts the life of Lord Shigeru from the age of 12 (the year in which Takeo is born). It begins with the murder of Kikuta Isamu, Takeo's father, and includes Shigeru's training with Matsuda Shingen, the battle of Yaegahara, the role of Muto Shizuka, the meeting with Lady Maruyama, and other events foreshadowing Across the Nightingale Floor. It concludes with Shigeru and Takeo's meeting which begins the series.