Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori #1) (2002)

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 figure of towering nobility whose presence is felt throughout the series.



"Creeping Tiger" (Thai)

"Nightingale Floor" (Spanish)

"The Nightingale Floor" (Portuguese)

"The Sword in the Silence" (German)

"Steps on the Nightingale Floor" (Hebrew)

"On the Nightingale Floor" (Polish)


"Nightingale Floors" (Turkish)

"Over the Floor of the Nightingale" (Swedish)

"The Nightingale Floor" (Finnish)

"The Ear Floor" (Hungarian)

"The Song of the Nightingale" (Italian)

"The Silence of the Nightingale" (French)

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