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44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fantasy/Suspense in Japan-like setting, January 14, 2004
This review is from: Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, Book 1) (Hardcover)
Across the Nightingale Floor is a well-paced and orchestrated historical fantasy set in an imaginary feudal Japan-like setting. Teenage Tomasu lives in a remote mountain village among a people called "The Hidden" who are a secretive and persecuted caste. One night his village is massacred by the chief warlord, Iida. Tomasu pulls a trick and escapes into the mountains and is saved by another warrior lord, Otori Shigeru. Otori takes Tomasu in as his son, renames him Takeo, and the young man begins to learn the way of the warrior. It soon becomes apparent that he possesses the skills of the assassin class known as "The Tribe" which include superior hearing, stealth, invisibility and the ability to leave a "second self" behind. Later, he learns to put people to sleep. Meanwhile, a second plot told in the third person involves Kaede, a young woman who is the daughter of a lord but held hostage to keep her family from considering an uprising. The warlords are to use Kaede as a pawn in an arranged marriage with Otori. Things get complicated because of a certain Lady Maruyama, and then Takeo's feelings toward Kaede. A little Shakespearean tragedy within a Japanese setting makes for plenty of intrigue. Takeo makes an interesting and likable protagonist, and I found myself cheering for him and all the challenges he had to face. The side characters were also colorful, with heroic Otori Shigeru, the mysterious teacher Kenji, the doomed Lady Maruyama, jinxed Kaede, and more. You know some of them will play larger roles in the following two books. I wondered about this book being a young adult novel, because while the language and sentence construction read fairly simply, there is graphic violence and some sex that should be for a more mature audience. The dialogue was sometimes stilted and overly formal, but that's the way it is in Japan, and for the most part Hearn makes this work. I also liked the author's choice of pseudonym, presumably after the great Japan historian Lafcadio Hearn. I came away wanting to know more about The Hidden and The Tribe, and hope the subsequent books reveal more, because I'm eager to continue this series. I thought the first book came to a satisfying resolution, while setting us up for things to come. Across the Nightingale Floor is an enjoyable read and definitely for those interested in Japan.
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
MY BOOK OF THE YEAR, September 27, 2002
This review is from: Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, Book 1) (Hardcover)
Unusually for a book with so many characters, several with strange-sounding names, Across The Nightingale Floor is remarkably easy to follow. The main narrative is rich and eventful and I for one was attracted by the incident and intrigue that was delivered early on in the opening few pages. The setting is authentic and beautiful, familiar in many ways, yet new and mysterious in others. It's a fascinating landscape and the story quite riveting. It's genuinely very difficult to put down once you've started it. The writing is exceptional, with very few words out of place. Smooth and easy to read, the author's style is generous enough to paint the characters and scenery very well, yet clipped enough to keep the plot moving along at a steady pace. Importantly, there are no slow patches! The book does not flinch from adult content and is certainly a mature read. It appears pitched at an adult and young adult audience simultaneously. There are numerous deaths - several beheadings, torture, cruelty and other violence. All, however, are within context and not out of place. The strong story, appealing characters and Japanesesque setting combine incredibly strongly within Across The Nightingale Floor to produce a highly readable book that should appeal to many different-aged readers.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great fantasy for any reading fan!!, March 30, 2003
If you like books about feudal Japan, this book is for you. It's a fascinating story that follows a young man as he grows up in the clans of Japan. This book has everything you need for a great experience, action, adventure, love, and betrayal. I picked this book up on a whim and read four pages in and was hooked. It grabs a hold of you and you can't put it down. Not only are the characters great, with all kinds of individual plots, they all contribute to they main plot of the book. The young boy, Takeo, is taken under the protection of Lord Otori, a leader of one of the clans in Japan. Takeo joins Lord Otori after a rival clan kills his parents. From the second Takeo runs into Lord Otori in the woods the action doesn't stop. With all the twists and individual plots the end of this book leaves you wanting more. This book is also a surprisingly easy read, most of the books that I've read that are set in this time are usually hard to follow, but this book is well written and even with all the Japanese terms its easy to follow and a great read. I highly recommend this book, not only to fans of fantasy, but also to anyone who wants to read a good book. This is one of the best books I've ever read and I am anxiously waiting for the rest of the trilogy.
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