Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Across the Nightingale Floor: Tales of the Otori Book One
Across the Nightingale Floor: Tales of the Otori Book One
Across the Nightingale Floor: Tales of the Otori Book One
Audiobook8 hours

Across the Nightingale Floor: Tales of the Otori Book One

Written by Lian Hearn

Narrated by Kevin Gray and Aiko Nakasone

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

A tour-de-force novel set in ancient Japan filled with passion, fantasy, and feuding warlords. The first volume in the highly anticipated "Tales of the Otori" trilogy.Sixteen-year-old Takeo's village has been massacred by an evil warlord, and he is about to be slain by the men who murdered his parents and neighbors. At the last moment, his life is saved by a nobleman, who claims the boy as his kin and begins his education.But nothing is as it seems. Takeo discovers that he has rare powers that are useful to those around him. As he grows into manhood, he must decide where his loyalties lie: with his noble master and adoptive father; with the Hidden, a secret, spiritual sect whose beliefs are forbidden; or with the Tribe, the assassins and spies who consider him one of their own.A story of treachery, political intrigue, and the intensity of first love, set in a world ruled by formal ritual and codes of honor, Across the Nightingale Floor crosses genres, generations, and genders to captivate fans of all ages.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJul 18, 2002
ISBN9781598873122
Across the Nightingale Floor: Tales of the Otori Book One
Author

Lian Hearn

Lian Hearn studied modern languages at Oxford University and worked as a film critic and arts editor in London before settling in Australia. A lifelong interest in Japan led to the study of the Japanese language, many trips to Japan, and culminated in the Tales of the Otori series.

More audiobooks from Lian Hearn

Related to Across the Nightingale Floor

Related audiobooks

Fantasy For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Across the Nightingale Floor

Rating: 4.181818181818182 out of 5 stars
4/5

99 ratings71 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was great! Lots of action, a tender love story, a fascinating culture and a wonderful story. About to start the second book in the series.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I don't usually read others' reviews before writing my own; I don't want to be influenced. With this book, though, I was having trouble putting my thoughts in order. A look through Goodreads shows a wide variety of reactions, with very strongly held and expressed opinions on both ends of the spectrum. (One single star review begins "This book is nothing other than a flight-of-fancy on the part of the author." Well… yes. Aren't all novels?) (Interesting: opinion seems to slant more positive on Amazon. I wonder if there's truth to what I read about the site deleting negative reviews…) My opinion is positive, though not rabidly so. I do wonder how I would feel about the book if I'd held it in my hands – but I listened to an audiobook, and this is what came of it. The narration took a little getting used to. A stretch of the first several chapters is first person POV Tomasu/Takeo, read by Kevin Gray in a dry, light voice. What called for adjustments for me was the faint trace of an accent he used (or which he has); there was some part of me that was not quite convinced by it. This part of me became a bit bigger when a few chapters in the point of view switched to the third person to tell of Lady Shirakawa, Kaede, as narrated by Aiko Nakasone – whose name, however, certainly seems to support the accent; part of my resistance there might simply have been that I didn't want a change of voice. I did get used to it, and was very much enjoying both narrators by the end. Kevin Gray's reading of emotional moments was moving, and I loved the characters he gave voice to. As for the book… A major, major drawback was the not-infrequent use of foreshadowing. One major character, a favorite of mine, was basically dispensed with a bit more than halfway through the book with a casual line about an omen of a grim future. (Exact quotes are difficult with audiobooks…I have enough trouble keeping my place.) I'm not happy about this. Maybe it's a good thing to be able to read something like that and know to start detaching myself from a character I've liked – but, really? I hate foreshadowing. The character was all but dead (dead man walking) long before the killing, and part of the story would have been much more gripping if I had had no idea whether things would work out or not. Then there was another character's "sudden but inevitable betrayal" – it was built up to, and telegraphed, and I think would have been far more effective as a shock. In reviews, one of the divisive factors of this book is the use of culture. It's almost, but not quite, feudal Japan; it resembles feudal Japan. It isn't feudal Japan. (Which does make it odd that, among other things, an actual historical figure, the artist Sesshu, is referenced…) There are plenty of people out there who fancy themselves experts on the period who are jumping up and down in their reviews, the book made them so angry. (As well as people who are put out because the author is not Japanese…) I know next to nothing, so I'm untroubled – except by small, random things like words which in my experience belong to other countries entirely. "Palanquin", used frequently, is one which irked me every time it was said: to me, the word brings up images of India and elephants, and does not fit. There were others, but, again, audiobooks and exact quotes. I do wonder, though, where the line was drawn between historical novel and pure fantasy, and why. Hagi is a real place. Sesshu was a real person. But so much else was changed, names and histories; it's curious. There is a strong undercurrent of brutality throughout the story, so despite the stated youth of the two main characters this doesn't work, I don't think, as a young adult novel – at least, it's not my idea of YA. I was surprised to see people refer to Nightingale Floor as such. The two main characters are very young, but there is no real "coming of age" story here; they have been forced into life as adults from the moment we meet them. Takeo is plucked from the life he has lived since birth and dropped into another, takes to it well, and there you are. Kaede has more of an arc, but her story could almost be that of any highborn female in any patriarchal culture; she could have been 25 rather than 15 and little would have changed, except for family worries that she was an old maid. Both of them could have been any age, and the story would have still worked. In fact, Takeo generally presents as much older, particularly with the level of skill he shows in just about everything – I kept forgetting he was supposed to be just 16. That is actually another drawback in the book: Takeo is just so incredibly good at nearly everything. There is very little learning curve for him once he discovers his skills – drawing, the tribal skills, even riding and writing once it clicks with him – everything but the sword, I think, and even with that it seems like his plateau is reached quickly. He is 16, and has never trained in art or martial skills before, but he is abruptly a master at most of what he attempts. Not good. The romance is something else that is both loved and hated in reviews, and something else that is not quite what it could be. It begins with something like love at first sight, and I wish more had been done with that. The element of magic is so strong throughout the story that it would have made sense to bring it in here, as I expected, but it turns out to be just another case of L@FS. It seemed fairly obvious before the two ever met that they would, and that there would be romance: the two characters featured in the narration, of an age, and set to converge? Done deal. There were parts of it I really liked. There were a couple of parts I hated. I probably will read (or listen to) at least the next book, just to find out what happens next, but I'm in no rush. Rather more, with spoilers, is on my blog.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The start of the journey of Takeo, a ninja by any other name, with the confusing heritage of being raised a pacifist Christian too.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Audiobook - 16-year-old Tomasu returns from a walk in the mountains to find that his entire village is being slaughtered by the warlord Iida and his men. Tomasu is rescued by the warrior Shigeru, who takes him home with him. To protect him from Iida (who is pissed that Tomasu escaped the slaughter), Shigeru changes Tomasu's name to Takeo and plans to adopt him in order to avert suspicion (and also because Shigeru's only son is dead and thus he does not have an heir). Shigeru's former teacher/trainer starts to train Takeo to be a warrior, and discovers that Takeo is much more special than anyone thought.Meh. The plot was decent (and it has lots of series-potential) and I liked the characters a lot but I did not care for this audiobook at all. The chapters alternated perspectives (and narrators) between Tomasu/Takeo and Kaede. Kevin Gray narrated too fast and Aiko Nakasone narrated too slowly. I could not keep the names and places straight and had to look things up online. I will probably continue with this series if I come across the books somewhere, but definitely not in audio.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Across the Nightingale Floor has been following me for a long time. For a long time I kept almost buying it, but never doing so. And once I finally acquired it, it also took me some time to pick it up. It was a good thing that I read it now, because my interest with oriental things waxes and wanes regularly, and right now I want everything Japanese.Set in a Japan-but-not-Japan land, i.e., a heavily Japanese inspired land, full with its most traditional costumes, and samurais and ninjas, but not bound by the need to be totally accurate, because it's fantasy. But even the term fantasy is used very loosely here. There are hints of some things that may be magical. A term that I rarely use, but which I like, and fits this book is Speculative Fiction – a what if? kind of book.Across the Nightingale Floor is the tale of Takeo, who has lost everything but is taken under Lord Otori's wing, who will educate him. Once Takeo's powers become apparent, his education will also be redirected to a sole objective – revenge, Takeo's and Lord Otori's. Caught in this story is also Kaede, who has been a hostage for a long time, treated as a servant instead of a girl of high birth, and who everyone believes to be cursed.What I loved the most was the writing style; I found it vivid and to the point, which is always a bonus. But there was a softness about it, something that made me want revel in it. The story was good, but was made great by the way it was told. This is the first book in the series, but can easily be read as a standalone. I will read the next ones because I loved this one.Also at Spoilers and Nuts
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not as good as the first time I read it in high school, but still a fun read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another book which literally flew out of my hands in a couple of hours. This is one of two books which I've confiscated from my little brother once I saw that they were not for his age. For some reason it reminded me a bit of 'Assassin's Aprentice', though there are no similarities except for his special powers. The story is set in Feudal Japan, a very interesting era, about which I have read in only one book so far (Shogun), and adds a touch of the preternatural. The book is just plain fun, the story and the telling of it is smooth and just leads you through it. I was very surprised to discover that the author was American and not Japanese. 26.3.07
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Set in a fictional country, rather like Japan, Across the Nightingale Floor and its sequels are hugely complex reads for young adults. Takeo is 16, and has been raised by his mother and step-father as one of the Hidden, a religious sect unpopular with the ruling feudal lords. When they are killed in a massacre he find himself adopted into one of the most powerful clans. With themes of love and revenge, these novels are certainly more suited to older teenagers, especially as there are scenes of sexual tension, and some highly violent episodes. I would highly recommend the series though, as long as you are prepared to keep track of a complicated array of character and place names.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I adored this book and the series in general. I probably wouldn't have read it but the book was chosen by the library in which I worked as our One Book One Salisbury (Adelaide). I totally fell in love with the setting, the characters and the writing in general. The title alone evokes images of ancient, feudal Japan. The author - Lian Hearn, was an absolute delight to meet as well. She lives a very private life in South Australia. She totally immersed hereslf in Japan, learning to read and write the language as well as learning about the history of the country. She drew upon Japanese history upon writing this book, which was really interesting to know. I have suggested this book to many people.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A wonderful blend of myth and fiction, very readable and remarkably entralling. I want to find the remainder of the series NOW!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Quite enjoyable, a fascinating tale but not requiring a lot of thought. Characters I could understand and empathise with, as well as baddies I could hate.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed this book. Lian Hearn blends an amazing tale with japanese historical points so well you would almost believe it wasnt a work of fiction. A must read for anyone who enjoys reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Engrossing, well-written tale of an alternate feudal Japan. I stayed up late reading this one, and rushed to the library for the next today.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I made the unusal choice of reading the prequel Heaven's Net is Wide, before reading this Book 1 of the Tales of the Otory, and I can't say that was the wrong choice. I felt close to the very likeable characters, and had a great deal of compassion for their fate. Lian Hearn writes beautifully; light but descriptive and full of imagination, emotion and suspense. I think this series is aimed at a "young adult" reader, but that was never a problem for Harry Potter! Excellent read, highly recommended
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Interesting fantasy, a little bit different. Ok, so it's still about a boy who loses his home, travels to find he possesses certain magical skills, but even so it's different. The setting in Asia and the different magic makes it good. It's pretty much about war and fighting but I still liked it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In one afternoon, Takeo (once Tomasu of the Hidden) sees his life go from that of a simple, peace-loving country boy to being the adoptive son of the leader of the Otori clan, being trained in the way of a warrior. As we make our way through the story, we'll discover that the annihilation of an entire village is not what it seems and that Takeo's ability to hear anything and everything is not a gift of chance. Did I mention the love story involving the kidnapped slave girl who may or may not be cursed with the ability to bring death to anyone she is betrothed to just before they marry? All in all, this first book in the Tales of the Otori series (once a trilogy, long since expanded), manages to paint a harsh picture of the structure of Feudal Japan, the tight structure for each class and weaves an exciting and often violent story with a side of romance. Of course, we get very wrapped up in honor and promises whenever we need such a construct to throw up artificial conflict (and ignore it when we also need conflict), but I suppose this is the author's right. I will likely read future volumes, but I do hope that we find that Takeo's conflict arises from more sincere places rather than random promises he'll be forced to follow when it is quite clear that he's willing to ignore others when it suits him.As an aside, the audiobook takes the time to have two different narrators read Takedo and Kaede's parts (male and female, respectively). In the end, this actually detracts from the overall experience of the book, as the female narrator tends to make all of her female characters sound like small, frightened girls no matter the situation. It's not horrific, just one of those minor points of irritation when the narration shifts.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was curious about this book and its series for a while now, and more than one person recommended it to me. I read comments on the book and was naturally excited about it, so I started reading it with high expectations. I loved the story, I truly did, but it was a love that grew as I read, tempered by some problems I encountered with the book. No book is ever flawless, and Across the Nightingale Floor has its fair share of aspects that could use some work in my opinion. As the first book in a trilogy, I am confident that the story will only improve from now on, so I'm looking forward to reading the next two volumes.The author's writing is very good, with breathtaking descriptions and a simple but beautiful language that draws you in. The world she creates, with its traditions, cities and people, is surprisingly real, and brings with it a sense of the East, with its mysticism and beauty. The characters are fleshed out very well, and we as readers easily identify with them. Takeo is a likeable protagonist and his story is one we read with a sense of wonder and fear and anxiety, wanting to know what he thinks and does and chooses. Although the author uses themes that have been explored by other authors (the suddenly orphanaged boy in a quest for revenge), the author brings a fresh perspective to it. If you liked this story, I also recommend reading Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy and subsequent works.But this first book in the series does have its problems where I am concerned. Some books have the particularity of almost losing themselves in details and side stories, whereas this one lacks some detail and backstory that would have made it a far more enjoyable read. It is a short book, with fewer pages than most books in the fantasy genre, probably the reason why you end up missing some aspects of the story you would like to have read about.The book starts too abruptly; by the second page Takeo is already confronted with the death of his family and the destruction of his village. We hardly have time to be introduced to the story and this boy before we're taken away from the idylic village of the Hidden to a desperate escape from the muderers. We never really get the feeling Takeo has grieved for his family, and since we hardly know his mother and sisters (consequence of too soon a jump into the action, the burning of his village that is the cataclyst of the story), we never really get the feeling of loss, and we can't really identify with the character in his grief (which is hardly shown, anyway).Another aspect I thought to be missing were little moments in those lost six months when Takeo was trained. I would have loved to have seen at least a few lines that would describe these six months, his training, the gradual change in his character as he got more in touch with his heritage and his talents. We realise he is someone with a deep aversion to death, legacy of his upbringing with the Hidden, but after six months he seems to be more open to the idea of killing (even if he starts by killing out of mercy, and not out of revenge or, worse still, cold blooded determination) and we never really see how this transition might have come about.Exploring a few of these things would have added more pages to the book and perhaps some would argue that the story hardly needs anything more, being perfect as it is. I could agree, because despite these problems, the story grew on me and I ended it wanting more. But a little more backstory, a few more incursions into the gradual change of one's character from scared child to hardened assassin-to-be, would have made me enjoy it even more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a very good book. As some of the other reviews I have read said, it is almost like watching the movie Hero or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, or any other of those types of movie. The characters were easy to keep up with and the descriptions were beautiful. Furthermore, the author painted a wonderful new world in very few, but beautiful, words. I will leave anything about the ending out because it is not quite what I was expecting, and I do not want to ruin it for anybody. Read and Enjoy!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Poetic descriptions, insights into Japanese culture and good old fashioned quest for power and revenge. The two main characters are both pawns in the power struggle for Feudal Japan. The chapters alternate between their stories. Long before they meet, the reader can predict a love interest- but it is not too annoying. I will certainly read the second in the series when it becomes available.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I thought the story, characters and world-building were just as captivating as the prequel, which I read first. The audiobook narrators were clearly very talented but it was kind of irksome at times because it felt like they were telling you a secret the whole time, like they were whispering a bit and I get kind of distracted by mouth noises and hushed tones but that’s just a personal thing so I gave it 5 stars
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a perfectly magical book. Sparsely told, the action unfolds quickly, with a style that is engaging and witty. I look forward to reading the next in the series. I confess that I had rolled my eyes a bit, figuring it would be fairly formulaic, but Hern creates characters that are wonderful, passionate, and of course at times doomed. A lovely example of the genre, and a fine work. On loan from (and returned to) Ethan.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Set in a remarkably envisioned feudal Japan, it would be easy to mistake this book for historic fiction. Across the Nightingale Floor has opened my eyes to a new subgenre: historical fantasy. Nightingale fits this subgenre only in its superb rendering of a place in time. Takeo is the hero, orphaned, then rescued by the good man, Lord Otori Shigeru. Three nations exist on this fantasy island off Japan, and the evil Lord Iida wants it all. It is he who is responsible for killing Takeo's family, because one of his goals for domination includes killing all members of the religious sect, The Hidden, a group with parallels to Christianity. Lord Iida also wants to control the three major nations, and schemes to do so through a marriage agreement that draws Takeo, Shigeru and Kenji into battles and suffering. Takeo faces many coming-of-age dilemmas including falling in love with Kaede, the betrothed woman (girl) of Lord Iida's plan.It turns out that Takeo is also a member of another secret group, The Tribe. He is endowed with super-human powers that must be developed, and which become critical for the battles between good and evil. Typical of Joseph Campbell's definition of a hero cycle, Nightingale is a monomyth, the type of story I love: unlikely hero is born of seemingly ordinary roots, has supernatural capacity, battles evil, and brings goodness to ordinary people. Hearn has given birth to a likable hero. I look forward to reading more.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I enjoyed this fantastic tale of a sixteen-year-old boy named Tomasu and fifteen-year-old girl named Kaede set in feudal Japan. The prose was stylish and beautiful. It is the first of the Tales of the Otori, a series of historical fantasy novels by Gillian Rubinstein, writing under the Pen name Lian Hearn, set in a fictional world based on feudal Japan.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Reviewed by: Zack (Class of 2013)“I snatched a rapid glance at her and then fell to my knees and bowed my head to the floor. I was sure I was in the presence of a princess” (Hearn, 17). "Across the Nightingale Floor", written by Lian Hearn, is an epic story about two lovers destined for great power, never to be able to be together. The lovers would commit political suicide if they were to be together, and in the world where they are the key is leading their people to freedom; they wouldn’t risk it because of the people.Tomasu lives in a village, a village that is mostly hidden. Now in those days, to be hidden was to be a dead man in the land of the Tohan. The village that Tomasu was living in was small but not small enough. The Tohan attacked and killed all but Tomasu. Tomasu ran from the village after dishonoring the lord of the Tohan, Iida. Running for his life Tomasu was captured by the person who would change the rest of his life, Otori Shigeru. Otori Shigeru told him who his father was, the most skilled assassin in all the three countries. Shigeru's friend is an assassin and set forth to train Tomasu in the ways of the assassin.Lian Hearn has done a great job on the plot, characters, and the setting. The setting is described so vividly, she makes you feel the wind on your face, the smells in the air, taste the blood running down your face. You can relate to the characters on so many different levels, the connection that you form will bring you further into the plot, as the book goes on. The way that she pulls the read in form the first word is magic. I strongly urged all people who love a good action book with a twist of love to read this book. This should be at the top of your list of books to read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love works with Japanese influences, but I'm not usually interested in action-heavy fantasy novels. I picked this book up on a whim, and I was completely drawn into the world and characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love a good Fantasy story that isn't too over the top. I put "Name of the Wind" by Rothfuss and the Dragonlance Trilogy in this grouping. I now add "Across the Nightingale Floor". I found this book by chance in Moab, Utah. This little independent bookstore "Back of Beyond Books" had a whole set of these books. A quick glance through the series revealed that it was a highly praised series... and one I had never heard of. I had to have it. As a child, I loved the stories of ninja and Shogun... what little boy didn't? This resonated with me without being too cliche. Once I started, I could not put it down. I burned through this book in record time (for me). I can't wait for the next in the trilogy!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Across the Nightingale Floor is written in lyrical prose about an imaginary realm that is like mystical, feudal Japan. 16-year-old Takeo is a young man who belongs to an unpopular religious sect. He finds his village in flames and is saved from death by Lord Otori Shigeru. He becomes Shigeru's protege and falls in love with the stunningly beautiful Lady Kaede Shirakawa who is promised to another man. He also discovers that he is a member of a group of assassins with magical powers called the Tribe. As he grows, he discovers the ability to create a double of himself and become invisible.The novel works well for a wide range of readers -- those who like historical fiction, fantasy, thrillers, martial arts, Asian focused works, and those who appreciate lyrical prose.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a fantastic story for young adults and adults alike - you can become really immersed in the culture and the world you're transported into. Great, really enjoyable read and different.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love the writing style of these books. Simple, easy, and yet enough to seize you and not let go. I read this book in a couple of hours, unable to put it down. Despite the simplicity of the prose, you really get to care about the characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was great! I loved almost everything about it. The characters were involved, the story was interesting and the plot was well balanced. The only disappointment here was the rather abrupt end.