Rating: 
Summary: unbelievable!
Review: I could not praise a book or a series more highly that The Tales of the Otori. Lian Hearn has written something that will stay on my top shelf until the end of my days.
Grass for His Pillow (Book 2) starts out, where Across the Nightingale Floor left off, with Takeo under the control of the Tribe, a group of families with special traits, after he avenges Lord Shigeru's death. The Kikuta, Takeo's family in the Tribe, teach Takeo how to master his skills, but their actions and orders never sit well with him. Finally, the Kikuta force Takeo to make a decision between his opposing loyalties, causing his split with the Kikuta and the beginning of his real journey.
Meanwhile, Kaede continues her fight to retain power in a male dominated world. She forms an alliance with Lord Arai after he takes over the Three Countries from Lord Iida. Although, Lord Arai wants her to marry, but she refuses until she can recover from her loss of Lord Shigeru, whom she was supposed to marry in book one. She returns home to Shirakawa to find it in disrepair. Her sisters, Hana and Ai, are struggling to eat and live respectably, all while Kaede's father is losing his mind.
Both Takeo and Kaede long for each other throughout Grass for His Pillow, but they never seem to follow through on those feelings because of their opposing responsibilities to their families.
The ending was wonderful and has me eagerly anticipating the third installment. To all reading this critique, READ THIS SERIES!
Rating:
Summary: Classic fantasy adventure in the mold of Lord of the Rings
Review: I disagree completely with the reviewer who thought this was for precocious children. The author has written for children in the past, but the Tales of the Otori series is obviously aimed primarily at an adult audience.
As with Nightingale Floor, the characters are richly drawn, the plot wild and blood-soaked, and the setting a supernatural fantasy-scape reminiscent of medieval Japan. I enjoyed this book even more than the first, and can't wait for the third and final installment.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: I don't think this was just fluff and filler for the middle of the trilogy. I thought that they developed Lady Kaede's character much more here than just having her be a hostage and a pretty face. We got to know her character better. It did seem a bit trite that she and Takeo are star-crossed lovers and they are so much in love as to turn their backs on everything else. Been there done that. I agree with the whole fulfilling a prophecy thing as being lame and contrived. Plus, finding out that all the main characters are related, oh come on. All in all, a good easy read and I'm looking forward to the third installment.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book, rises above the first.
Review: I really enjoyed ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR, the first book in this trilogy. Although I was captivated by it, I did not rush out to buy this second book. But this second novel definitely improved upon the first. I am really fired up after having read the conclusion, and am ready to buy book three.The whole series is fascinating, even if it does follow a familiar fomula. But it's a timeless formula, and one that has been proven to work time and time again. Lean Hearn is an expert at hinting at events rather than showing them directly. The way this book is written, you get the impression that it's like a piece of artwork itself: what's not there is just as important as the imagery you see. I'm looking forward to the concluding book, and will rush out to get it right away this time.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book, rises above the first.
Review: I really enjoyed ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR, the first book in this trilogy. Although I was captivated by it, I did not rush out to buy this second book. But this second novel definitely improved upon the first. I am really fired up after having read the conclusion, and am ready to buy book three. The whole series is fascinating, even if it does follow a familiar fomula. But it's a timeless formula, and one that has been proven to work time and time again. Lean Hearn is an expert at hinting at events rather than showing them directly. The way this book is written, you get the impression that it's like a piece of artwork itself: what's not there is just as important as the imagery you see. I'm looking forward to the concluding book, and will rush out to get it right away this time.
Rating: 
Summary: Grass for His Pillow
Review: I totally loved Book One. Book Two, Grass for His Pillow was a complete disappointment. The first half of the book was nothing but a repeat of material from Book One. In many instances, it was paragraph and chapter upon paragraph and chapter repeating text from Book One. Book Two was a rip off, I bought and read it based on the quality of Book One, and I was sadly mistaken. I am sorry I got and would not recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Fun but lots of filler
Review: If you haven't read Across the Nightengale Floor much of Grass for His Pillow isn't going to make any sense. This book is clearly a bridge between the first and third books in the series so it suffers a bit as a result. Despite that, Hearn's fantastical version of feudal Japan remains mesmerizing. Chracters are fleshed out a little bit more and we learn that Takeo really does have a destiny to fulfill. Takeo and Kaede both have a chance to grow independent of each other and it is interesting to watch the way each must move within their "families." I can't wait to see how Hearn brings it all together in the finale.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Continuation of Series -- a Definitive "Book 2"
Review: Lian Hearn continues his "Tales of the Otori" trilogy with "Grass for His Pillow," and "Pillow" expands upon the wonderful foundation Hearn laid in Book 1, "Across the Nightingale Floor."
In Book 1, our hero, young Takeo, learns that he is a young man of divided legacies. Raised among the Hidden, a pseudo-Christian sect devoted to one almighty god, adopted by the warrior-clan the Otori after his village was slaughtered, and a talented member of the mystical Tribe (a highly regimented clan of ninjas blessed with magical powers). This is a lot for a young man to bear, particularly when the Three Countries (Hearn's alternate, mythical version of Japan) are devolving into civil war.
Takeo was adopted by the charismatic Lord Shigeru, who met is end in dastardly fashion, and Takeo exacted revenge while falling in love with the beautiful-yet-cursed Kaede. At the end of Book 1, Takeo and Kaede are forced to go their separate ways - Kaede to rule her newly-expanded homeland, and Takeo to study as one of the Tribe. The catch is that its pretty clear that Takeo considers his oath to the Tribe to be a coerced deal with the Devil, and we're pretty convinced that Takeo's relationship with his magical kinsmen will not be warm.
"Pillow" confirms this. Takeo undergoes rigorous training at the hands of the Tribe, and his talents continue to flourish. But all is not well, and Takeo learns that his destiny with the Tribe is precarious, at best. At the same time, he is learning more and more about himself and his connections both with the Hidden and with the Otori clan, and these bonds are growing too powerful to ignore. Takeo also learns that there are mighty prophecies at work in the Three Countries, and he is destined to play a large part in their fulfillment, although there are some ominous signs that the fulfillment of the prophecies may not require his survival . . .
Through it all, Takeo pines for Kaede (even as he receives his education in the more intimate arts from another member of the Tribe). Kaede aches equally for Takeo, but finds herself in a precarious position. Her father has continually taken the wrong sides in the civil war, and he is a depressed shadow of his former self. And her lands have fallen into decrepitude following war and neglect. And she is making her way as a matriarch in a man's world. And she is single, and customs demand that she be married. But how can she marry another when she loves Takeo so fiercely? How Kaede responds to these various challenges (and others) through her wit and courage is a wonder.
Most of the action in "Pillow" takes place during an exceedingly harsh winter, and the characters are often cold, on the verge of freezing. The harsh landscape underscores the harsh realities that beset the young lovers.
Hearn describes this all with an economic-yet-poetic style, and has a gift for capturing the defining characteristics of a landscape, a palatial estate, or a humble cave. While the action scenes may be lacking in "Pillow," the drama is intense, and readers will see that Hearn is going to great lengths to set a climactic table for the final book in his trilogy. A must-read for fans of "Across the Nightingale Floor!"
Rating:
Summary: Review of unabridged audio version
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: From back cover: "Takeo has now been claimed by the Tribe; held by them against his will, he is condemned to work as an assassin. Meanwhile, Shirakawa Kaede must try to unify the domain she has inherited, while fighting off would-be suitors and hoping that Takeo will return to her." MY FEEDBACK:
1) You don't really need to read the first book to understand this story because the author does enough reflection and backstory to get a reader up to speed. BUT...it is so much better if you do read Across the Nightingale Floor first. 2) The characters of Takeo and Kaede are explored more and we as readers continue our bond and love for them. Kaede plays a much larger role in this book than the first. 3) This second/middle book doesn't seem to suffer from middle-book syndrome but continues with the same strength as the first. The first book resolved enough without having to read this book, but this book definitely sets the stage for interesting events to happen in the 3rd book.
Very little is resolved in this book. This book was truly the rising action of the series making you feel that the climax is just around the corner and me as a reader anxious to get there. 4) The same actors come back to this book to do the voices in this unabridged representation of the book. The acting is very well done and enjoyable throughout. OVERALL: Fantastic continuation. I can't wait till the end of the trilogy!
Rating:
Summary: A worthy sequel
Review: The second book by Lian Hearn, Grass for His Pillow, picks up right where the first left off. This book suffers somewhat from the "middle of the trilogy" syndrome, but it keeps the plot going.
One thing I've noticed about Hearn's works is that events are well-paced and the action is detailed without being overly descriptive. Even if you're a slow reader (like I can be), these books are quick reads.
This book begins with Lady Kaede, who is now on her own with her lady-in-waiting Shizuka, who is also part of The Tribe. Kaede must now find a way to fend for her life and help her sisters survive in this dangerous world they live in. With the help of Shizuka, she learns how to defend herself and learn the skills that traditionally belong to a man, because she knows that she can no longer trust anyone else, and she will certainly not trust a man again. Her only love Takeo has been taken away and she does not even know whether he is alive.
Takeo is also unaware of what has become of Kaede. He has been taken by the Tribe and will eventually become one of them as is his birthright. Takeo has no desire to be with them but is bound to them by heritage and a promise he made in the first book.
Takeo and Kaede live day by day, yearning for each other and never knowing whether they will see tomorrow. Their struggles and adventures are comparable to a cross between Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Lord of the Rings. The Tales of the Otori are written on an epic scale, brought to a conclusion by the third installment, Brillance of the Moon.
Grass for His Pillow is an adventure epic that is beautifully written and researched thoroughly by Hearn.
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