ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR
Lian Hearn

Synopsis: In his black-walled fortress at Inuyama, the warlord Iida Sadamu surveys his famous nightingale floor. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. No assassin can cross it unheard.

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. 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. When Takeo's village is pillaged, he is rescued and adopted by the mysterious Lort Otori Shigeru. Under the tutelage of Shigeru, he learns that he too possesses the skills of the Tribe. And, with this knowledge, he embarks on a journey that will lead him across the famed nightingale floor--and to his own unimaginable destiny...

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July 12, 2008

"Will it ever be over?" I replied. "Everything that has a beginning has an ending," he said. - Ch. 8, Pg. 183

Review: Okay, the bad habit continues. I forgot to review this book immediately after I finished it so let's hope I remember everything that I wanted to say. To start off, I really enjoyed reading Across the Nightingale Floor. At first I was worried that I wouldn't like it, thinking it would be too sensationalistic, but thankfully it wasn't. The book is fast-paced and written in a minimalist style which fit the tone of the book. I admire Lian Hearn for being able to captivate my attention throughout with such a simplistic approach. Not only that, but this is one of the few books that I didn't have to force myself to stop skimming due to overly descriptive paragraphs.

Though it does have a fantasy setting, it didn't seem like a fantasy book to me. Any "supernatural" element was described in such a subtle way that it almost seemed believable (or at least convincing enough where I didn't feel that I had to mock it).

Now, for the only bad thing about this book...the fact that it's not over. ;) It is actually part of a trilogy....well, sorta. There are four more books left to read, including the two in the trilogy:

Grass for His Pillow - second novel
Brilliance of the Moon - third novel
Heaven's Net is Wide - prequel to Tales of the Otori trilogy.
The Harsh Cry of the Heron - sequel to Tales of the Otori trilogy

The only good thing about this is that since I was late to pick up on the series, at least there's no waiting between books. (Well not long, anyway). To be honest, I am happy for the series because I really liked this novel. I just want to complain because I want all of these books right this second! I refuse to wait!

NAVIGATION

CHALLENGES

BIBLIOPHILE