2/18/2023 0 Comments Across the nightingale floor![]() ![]() And, with this knowledge, he embarks on a journey that will lead him across the famed nightingale floor-and to his own unimaginable destiny. Under the tutelage of Shigeru, he learns that he too possesses the skills of the Tribe. When Takeo's village is pillaged, he is rescued and adopted by the mysterious Lord Otori Shigeru. But unbeknownst to him, his father was a celebrated assassin and a member of the Tribe, an ancient network of families with extraordinary, preternatural skills. The youth Takeo has been brought up in a remote mountain village among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people who have taught him only the ways of peace. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. In his black-walled fortress at Inuyama, the warlord Iida Sadamu surveys his famous nightingale floor. Don't miss the related series, The Tale of Shikanoko. I highly recommend Across the Nightingale Floor.About the Book Set in an engaging, alternate Japan, this first book in a new epic trilogy has already become a bestselling sensation in England and Australia, earning comparisons to "Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." It begins with legend of a nightingale floor in a black-walled fortress-a floor that sings in alarm at the step of an assassin.īook Synopsis An international bestseller, Across the Nightingale Floor is the first book in the Tales of the Otori series by Lian Hearn. I’ve enjoyed this story and I look forward to further immersing myself in Hearn’s series. Hachette has re-released The Tales of the Otori series with new covers, supporting Hearn’s recent release of new stories. (Although I remember that story in detail 20 years later, the name and the author’s name elude me.) Hearn’s research, her trip to Japan funded by a grant and the assistance of Japanese experts are evident in her world building and manner of storytelling. ![]() The ending is particularly reminiscent of an authentic Japanese story I read years ago, borrowed from the State Library of Tasmania. Through Shizuka, Across the Nightingale Floor passes the Bechdel Test and explores equity versus patriarchy.Īcross the Nightingale Floor is reminiscent of Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice and Umberto Eco’s Name of the Rose while incorporating the flavor of some stories translated from Japanese writing. Shizuka is placed in the care of the matriarchal line and begins learning warrior skills while acquiring a different world-view. Part of Across the Nightingale Floor is written in the third person, following Lady Shizuka from her time as Lord Sadamu’s hostage to her planned marriage to Shigeru. The world of the Otori is a patriarchy but there is one province ruled by a woman where inheritance is through the female line. ![]() ![]() Sight, sound and even smell create a visceral experience. Many scenes are shown beautifully, engaging the senses. However, Hearn has broken this cardinal rule with flair her story is engaging, Takeo’s voice snares the reader and pulls the reader onwards. Lian Hearn breaks one of the cardinal rules of contemporary storytelling in that there is considerable telling instead of showing. Then Takeo falls in love with Shigeru’s betrothed.Īcross the Nightingale Floor is largely written in Takeo’s voice as a tale told to another, complete with ruminations and backstory ramblings that you might expect if listening to Takeo talk. Takeo develops magical abilities that save Shigeru’s life while complicating his own. Shigeru is the deposed leader of the Otori his uncles have assumed rule of the region while plotting Shigeru’s downfall. Takeo escapes, running into Lord Shigeru Otori, who adopts Takeo as his heir. One day Takeo returns home from wandering the hillside to find the evil Lord Iida Sadamu and his men slaughtering the village. He is Hidden, part of a tribe who worship the Hidden god, because of which they are targets of genocide. Takeo is a village boy rapidly growing into manhood. Tales of the Otori Book 1 A review by Nalini Haynes ![]()
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