Across the Nightingale Floor (Hearn, Lian. Tales of the Otori, Bk. 1.)

Rating:
Summary: Amazing, lush, absorbing.
Review: Across The Nightingale Floor is a young-adult crossover novel with some fantasy, but the supernatural is used with a VERY deft & sparing hand.

A young man (Takeo) whose entire village is wiped out by feudal warlord finds out that there is more to his parentage, and his talents, than he could have guessed. The writing is lush, the story set in feudal Japan, and the characters are both charming & believable. Best of all, it doesn't fall into the common trap of "historical non-Western people behaving just like 21st century Western characters." Takeo has a strong sense of honor and obligation that makes you admire him even when he's making hasty or frighteningly selfless decisions. There is a very strong sense of both place and time, and beauty in the middle of horror and violence. The action doesn't stop in this book; it will completely draw you in. As I said, I'm in love.

This is not a story for very young children, as it contains many scenes of violent death, descriptions of torture, and also a couple of very tastefully done sex scenes. Nothing is superfluous or sensationalistic, but the reader is not shielded from the realities of feudal life and war. Although this book is the first in a series, it ends satisfyingly enough. I believe that with the quality of both writing and storytelling, this book & its sequels will become young-adult favorites, like The Earthsea books or His Dark Materials.

Rating:
Summary: The next big thing?
Review: Across the Nightingale Floor is the first book in the fantastic Tales of The Otori trilogy by Lian Hearn. It is set in a time and place much like medieval Japan. Hearn borrows heavily from the geography and language of Japan, but the Three Countries is also unique, filled with magic and clans of families yielding supernatural powers.

The main character, Takeo, part of one of these families. He is torn from his peaceful family life to learn that he possesses amazing powers, including supernaturally good hearing and the ability to become invisible. However, Takeo learns this only after his family is brutally murdered by the evil Lord Iida. Takeo is rescued by the arch-enemy Lord Iida, Lord Otori, who adopts him. Takeo is forced to choose between his adoptive father, the Lord Otori and his real family, the Tribe (who yield magical powers), although they are strangers to him. At the same time, Takeo falls dramatically in love for the first time.

The themes of the book are quite mature, appropriate for the mid-to-late teens.

Across the Nightingale Floor is fascinating and fast-paced. It's visual impact is so strong, it was just picked up by Universal Studios!

At the same time the language is beautiful, poetic, and easy to read.

The only drawback is that the second book Grass for His Pillow hasn't been released yet!

Rating:
Summary: Simple But Powerful
Review: Across the Nightingale Floor, by Lian Hearn, takes place in a fictional country that represents a feudal Japan of the past. The protagonist is Takeo, the adopted son of a feudal lord. As Takeo grows and learns, he dreams of seeking revenge on the lord who killed his family. These ambitions are fueled by his discovery and exploration of unusual physical gifts that make him well-suited to the life of an assassin (who are referred to as the Tribe in this novel).

The story starts slowly, and is hindered by terse, flat writing at the beginning. However, as the story develops, and focuses on the strength of the characters, it becomes powerful and moving. The introduction of a second main character, Kaede, fuels dramatic improvement in the quality of the book. Kaede, a 15 year old girl coming into her adulthood as a political hostage in the hands of a powerful family, makes an immediate impact. Her character is believable and moving, and for a time is far stronger a character than Takeo.

However, as the story progresses, both characters become powerful, and the story will suck the reader in and hold his attention. Overall, the book is quite well-conceived and well-written, especially later in the story. The writing is simple and approachable for all readers, and emphasizes the characters and their Eastern context ahead of strong prose. This is a good book; I rated it four stars for its simple but compelling approach and its strong characters.

Rating:
Summary: A lovely, entertaining screenplay
Review: I've now seen several mentions of this book which refer to it as "young adult" - seems accurate only in the sense that any interesting book might appeal to adults, young or old. There has also been much mention of magic and fantasy, and while the main character does develop abilities outside of the ordinary, the story relies less on magical thinking than good storytelling, a compelling setting in feudal Japan and a visually evocative writing style. It's clear through this writing style that the book is meant to translate readily to film. As the first of a trilogy, it comes to a satisfying conclusion while leaving the implications for the next installment clear - and just in case, there's a preview of book 2 at the end. This is an elegant and entertaining read, and will undoubtedly become a gorgeous film with impressive special effects.

Rating:
Summary: A great fantasy for any reading fan!!
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Five Stars it not enough!
Review: Not in several years have I read a book this good, and I have read most fantasy-type books out there. To tell you the truth, I have read so many books that are trash that I have grown used to, perhaps even expecting, poor quality when I read a fantasy novel. Pure drivel like Robert Newcomb's "The Fifth Sorceress" or Terry Goodkind's "The Naked Empire" are popping up like weeds these days.

But amidst the piles and piles of rubble, sometimes you find that rose of exceptional beauty. And "Across the Nightingale Floor" is that rose. It's vastly different than the usual run-of-the-mill fantasy novels, unique even.

The setting of the book takes place in a mythical Japanese-like society, though it's not a direct allusion to actual history, and it features a smattering of magic. It's a coming of age story, but not in the usual Robert Jordan type of way. Perhaps the best way to describe it is as a recipe: Take the majestic backdrop of "Shogun", mix it with the cool assassin factor of Stoover's brilliant "Hero's Die", imbue it with the oriental mysticism of Eric Lustbader's "Ninja", then toss in a fabulous plot, superlative characterization, a good dose of pathos, a chunk of romance and you have what I consider to be one of the best books, ever.

If you have read "A Song of Fire of Ice" fifteen times, spun through the "Wheel of Time" more times than Nynaeve pulls her braid, consumed every Hobb novel, then give this book a shot; it won't disappoint.

It's a sweeping epic of love, betrayal, loyalty, magic, and a high quest for revenge, and so damn fine a read you will want to lick the cover when you're done. I HIGHLY recommend you check this book out.

Rating:
Summary: Intrigue, mysticism, star crossed lovers spice this fantasy
Review: Not usually a fan of fantasy, I thoroughly enjoyed this story of feudal Japanese lords, battles for honor, love and loyalty. I was intrigued by the title as I visited Nijo Castle in Kyoto and walked across the nightingale floor designed to "chirp" to alert the lord to possible intruders. The period of Japanese history where feudal lords demanded tribute and battled each other for supremacy is the setting for this fantasy involving a 16 year old boy, rescued by Lord Shigeru, a member of the Otori family, when the boy's village is ransacked and plundered. Owing his life to his lord, the boy, now named Takeo after Shigeru's late brother, is adopted and works with his Lord to seek revenge for the death of both Shigeru's brother, and Takeo's murdered family.

Takeo discovers he has mystical powers from his father, who was a member of the Tribe, and has unusual hearing and can make himself invisible, among other things. These gifts turn out to be invaluable when rescuing victims from the evil Lord Iida. Iida has also taken hostage Lady Kaede Shirakawa, the daughter of an enemy. Kaede has been treated as a servant for 8 years, since she was 7. Kaede is betrothed to Shigeru but falls for young Takeo, who falls for her as well. Their love cannot be, as she is duty bound to honor the betrotha. Meanwhile, Lord Shigeru is also in love with Kaede's older cousin.

I couldn't wait to find out what happened in the story which ended in a satisfying but in a "to be continued" way as this is book one of a trilogy.

... I found the amount of detail just right and the book was just at 300 pages was an easy read. I look forward to resuming the story in Book 2.

Rating:
Summary: It captured the imagination and emotion!
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: In its simplest form this is a similar plot line of a fantasy book (Anvil of Ice by Michael Scott Rohan) that I just finished (unintentional coincidence): A youth of lowly station gets taken in by a man of reputation, finds he personally has unbelievable ability, falls into a forbidden love, and tries to right a wrong while forces help and hinder him.

MY FEEDBACK:
Simply a magical and mystical feeling overtook me as I experienced this story of feudal Japan. Warriors, assassins and scheming clan lords fill this story of honor, friendship, love, loyalty and mystery. I can't compare this to Shogun (which may be a bit of a different kind of story) but as compared to the very enjoyable Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka, I enjoyed this one even more.

This story builds up to a single climatic event and doesn't crap out through the process. This story is told from the first person, which allows you to really get into the inner person of Takeo. Takeo is a character you enjoy, sympathize with, empathize with, and you can't wait for him to explode upon the forces of evil. You walk in his footsteps and feel what he feels each step of the way.

I can't better give any helpful details other than to say that even if this isn't your typical genre you will probably like this. I can't imagine this not appealing to all readers. Get it!

Rating:
Summary: Enraptured
Review: This book was just amazing. I got it from the library and could not put it down until I finished it. I have always been taken by Japanese culture and a good fantasy story, and this book has all of that. I look forward to seeing how Takeo and Kaeda grow up into adults and how they can find themselves reunited once more.

Rating:
Summary: A good idea with a mediocre execution.
Review: While self-styled medievalists and other historically-correct types might take issue, England's feudal period has proven over time to be the strongest influence on fantasy fiction, bar none. In recent years other historical influences have crept in, such as C.J. Cherryh's Russian-themed RUSALKA and CHERNEVOG. Now the pseudonymous Lian Hearn tackles fantasy with a Japanese twist in ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR.

The fantastic content is quite light in this, the first of three projected volumes that comprise the TALES OF OTORI. Hearn's Japan-esque fantasy world is very much like the "real" Japan depicted in stories of Musashi, or in the popular manga series, LONE WOLF AND CUB. Actual Japanese locations and even historical figures appear in the book. Even so, ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR is not set in Japan, but the fictional Three Countries, where people speak Japanese, have Japanese names, and follow Japanese customs. While fans of authors such as James Clavell might balk at such a literary treatment, authors of fantasy novels have done much the same thing with Britain and Europe for decades.

Hearn's story is one of revenge, with elements of romance and tragedy in the mix. The book's young hero is rescued from a slaughter by the noble Lord Otori and introduced to the ruling class of the Three Countries, as well as to aspects of his own past that he never knew. Hearn clearly has an affection for the character of Japan and of the traditional adventure story. He includes all the essentials for such a tale, including ninja assassins (here called assassins of The Tribe), and two variations on forbidden love. The only real trouble arises from the bloodless tone Hearn employs, as well as glacial pacing.

Despite the fact that the protagonist, Takeo, is handled in first person - the book's other lead, a young noble betrothed to Takeo's master, is written in third person - there's very little character given to him. All of the players, in fact, are portrayed in the coldest, most removed fashion. This makes certain plot developments, such as Takeo's sudden desire for his master's wife-to-be, and her reciprocal longing, utterly unbelievable, because there's been no indicator that the characters have much in the way of real emotion at all.

Perhaps Hearn felt the need to pull back from the reader due to ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR being only the first of a series, but since he fails to invest the reader in the goings-on essential to his plot, he doesn't set a particularly strong foundation for what's to come later. His Japan-of-the-fantastic approach is definitely fresh and interesting, but when coupled with his cast of ciphers, the book becomes something of a chore even to finish.

Now that someone has managed to crack Japan as a fantasy setting, it will be interesting to see what follows. It's unfortunate that Hearn wasn't able to keep his story and characters as fresh as his setting ideas, but as is so often the case with pioneers, realizing a concept proves more difficult than coming up with it. Perhaps later volumes of TALES OF THE OTORI will address ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR's weaknesses, but this reader will likely not find out.