Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori #1) (2002)
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by Lian Hearn A young boy with mysterious powers is rescued from the slaughter of his village and adopted by an honorable lord. Thus begins a tale of intrigue as political factions and secret societies contend for influence in an alternate history version of feudal Japan. Lian Hearn tells an intriguing story in a fascinating setting and creates characters that I cared about, but prepare yourself for one major flaw in her writing. Lian Hearn She has a tendency to wrap things up rather abruptly and has a penchant for deus ex machina. As of this writing, I have completed the original trilogy and, though I enjoyed it quite a bit, I was disappointed that the complex threads that she interweaves throughout three novels are largely resolved by circumstances that could not be foreseen by the characters. Nevertheless, I intend to read the fourth book and particularly the prequel, since it focuses on Lord Shigeru, who was my favorite character in this novel. In him, Hearn creates a fi