Scan barcode
ddoncila's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A beautiful prose style, dripping with drama that meshes perfectly with the feudal Japan setting. A great story, albeit somewhat predictable and suffering from some cliche tropes. Overall a very enjoyable read!
lizouto's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
stephxsu's review against another edition
1.0
I don't understand why this book is considered a good example of Japanese-inspired literature. Besides for the names, I barely got a sense of that culture at all. Add on top of this irritatingly barebones writing that make me unable to see the world, and an insta-luv that's apparently okay because this book was marketed as adult and not YA (double standard much?), and you've got a really bad thing for Steph.
xeyra1's review against another edition
4.0
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.
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.
johanoern's review against another edition
I have read this book once before when I was much younger and I remember really liking it back then.
I do believe it is a book that is aimed at a bit younger audience than where I am in life.
I also realised that I still remembered a substantial amount of the story and because of that I was not as excited to keep reading because I already knew what was about to happen.
It is a fine book but for me it was enough to have read through the series once in my youth.
I do believe it is a book that is aimed at a bit younger audience than where I am in life.
I also realised that I still remembered a substantial amount of the story and because of that I was not as excited to keep reading because I already knew what was about to happen.
It is a fine book but for me it was enough to have read through the series once in my youth.
acogna's review
This was more droll than I remembered reading it as a teenager. The emotions feel inconsistently mercurial, the action scenes are difficult to follow. Shigeru and Kaede still remain my favourite characters despite it all.
ngreads's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating is a high 3.5/5, so I rounded up.
This was my second read through, the first being about ten years ago, at some point in high school. I didn't remember much of it outside of the premise and a few scenes, so when I found the whole series at a used bookstore I picked it up to give book one a reread and see where the rest went.
I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it, but there were, as always, a few issues to talk about, too. So let's get into...
The Good:
- The premise of this book is really fun: a young man raised as a pacifist learning that he's the son of an assassin with supernatural abilities, and has inherited his father's power, leading him into a world of political intrigue and war. Takeo's story is fascinating, and watching how he becomes an assassin over the course of the story was really enjoyable.
- The world the book takes place in is an alternate-universe Feudal Japan, with a touch of magic. I quite liked the aesthetic - it's what drew me to the book back in high school, and what drew me back now.
- The characters were interesting, and had hints of backstory that helped flesh out the world's history without becoming an info-dump.
- Shigeru was a sweetie. I liked him.
- The prose itself, for the most part, was pretty good and smooth to read. It was easy on the eyes, if that makes sense. The best part of it was probably the symbolism and subtlety that was woven throughout the whole book, making it a treat for an attentive reader.
-
The Bad:
- The best way I can describe the writing is 'distant'. The book is told in two POV's - Takeo's, in first person, and Kaede's in third person limited. This would be fine, but the problem is that Takeo's story is told as though it's a memoir - there are a lot of moments where he's saying things like "I didn't know it then", or "One day I would learn". As though he's reminiscing. The problem is that instead of living through the action and emotion with him, I felt like he was just telling me what happened in a somewhat dispassionate way. There were very few points in the story where I felt like I was being pulled into the action.
The thing is, it's easy enough to say that it's because the story is told like a memoir, but so is the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, and in Farseer I could feel everything Fitz went through, even though he was telling me the story. Similar thing with the Kingkiller Chronicles. You can have a character telling their life story without making it distant, and Lian Hearn didn't quite pull that off, here. I wanted to feel Takeo's frustrations and passions and loyalty and love - not just hear him tell me that he was frustrated, if that makes sense.
Because of this, emotional scenes felt more stunted than I had hoped. I wasn't feeling the moment with the characters - I was just being told about the emotions. And in a love story...I wanted to feel more that I did. (There were a couple really good emotional moments where I felt pulled in near the end, but I wanted it to be more throughout the book, too.)
I feel like if it had been written in a more "in the moment" style, I would have felt more engaged and drawn in by the characters themselves, but as it was I had a hard time getting into Takeo's head, on occasion. (Probably part of why I had a hard time remembering a lot of moments from my first read through. I wasn't used to reading styles like this, yet.)
- The instalove. Kaede literally sees Takeo from a distance, and immediatelty decides she's going to marry him. Same with Takeo. I know they're both horny teens, but yeesh. Calm the hormones.
- ON THE SUBJECT OF HORMONES...
- Takeo's inner monologue got very strange at some points. Namely this gem, which made me pause:
"Gradually the song dwindled to a few constant notes: the deep breathing of the sleeping, occasional snores, once the cry of a man at the moment of physical passion. These mundane human sounds touched my soul. I found myself thinking of my father, of his longing to live and ordinary human life. Had he cried out like that when I was conceived?"
...I don't know about you, but it seems a little odd to me to wonder about what sounds one's parents made while they were being conceived. So...you know. That gave me a bit of a "What the Hell, Takeo?" moment.
Overall:
This was a good read. It was nice to return to the story and remember why I had wanted to reread it. I look forward to seeing what else the series has to offer, and where Takeo's story goes next. The blurb for book two really interested me, so I'm excited to check it out. I'm glad I gave this one another look.
This was my second read through, the first being about ten years ago, at some point in high school. I didn't remember much of it outside of the premise and a few scenes, so when I found the whole series at a used bookstore I picked it up to give book one a reread and see where the rest went.
I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it, but there were, as always, a few issues to talk about, too. So let's get into...
The Good:
- The premise of this book is really fun: a young man raised as a pacifist learning that he's the son of an assassin with supernatural abilities, and has inherited his father's power, leading him into a world of political intrigue and war. Takeo's story is fascinating, and watching how he becomes an assassin over the course of the story was really enjoyable.
- The world the book takes place in is an alternate-universe Feudal Japan, with a touch of magic. I quite liked the aesthetic - it's what drew me to the book back in high school, and what drew me back now.
- The characters were interesting, and had hints of backstory that helped flesh out the world's history without becoming an info-dump.
- Shigeru was a sweetie. I liked him.
- The prose itself, for the most part, was pretty good and smooth to read. It was easy on the eyes, if that makes sense. The best part of it was probably the symbolism and subtlety that was woven throughout the whole book, making it a treat for an attentive reader.
-
Spoiler
The section of the book where Takeo is kidnapped by the Tribe was fantastic. It had the best emotional depth, and watching Takeo finally snap was delightful. Another moment I found great was Takeo mourning in the temple, after the death of Shigeru. His emotional turmoil felt real and raw, and I really enjoyed it. The end, in general, felt like the best writing in the book.The Bad:
- The best way I can describe the writing is 'distant'. The book is told in two POV's - Takeo's, in first person, and Kaede's in third person limited. This would be fine, but the problem is that Takeo's story is told as though it's a memoir - there are a lot of moments where he's saying things like "I didn't know it then", or "One day I would learn". As though he's reminiscing. The problem is that instead of living through the action and emotion with him, I felt like he was just telling me what happened in a somewhat dispassionate way. There were very few points in the story where I felt like I was being pulled into the action.
The thing is, it's easy enough to say that it's because the story is told like a memoir, but so is the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, and in Farseer I could feel everything Fitz went through, even though he was telling me the story. Similar thing with the Kingkiller Chronicles. You can have a character telling their life story without making it distant, and Lian Hearn didn't quite pull that off, here. I wanted to feel Takeo's frustrations and passions and loyalty and love - not just hear him tell me that he was frustrated, if that makes sense.
Because of this, emotional scenes felt more stunted than I had hoped. I wasn't feeling the moment with the characters - I was just being told about the emotions. And in a love story...I wanted to feel more that I did. (There were a couple really good emotional moments where I felt pulled in near the end, but I wanted it to be more throughout the book, too.)
I feel like if it had been written in a more "in the moment" style, I would have felt more engaged and drawn in by the characters themselves, but as it was I had a hard time getting into Takeo's head, on occasion. (Probably part of why I had a hard time remembering a lot of moments from my first read through. I wasn't used to reading styles like this, yet.)
- The instalove. Kaede literally sees Takeo from a distance, and immediatelty decides she's going to marry him. Same with Takeo. I know they're both horny teens, but yeesh. Calm the hormones.
- ON THE SUBJECT OF HORMONES...
Spoiler
Takeo and Kaede literally have sex for the first time next to a corpse. So...that's something I remembered being weird the first time I read it, and it was still weird ten years later.- Takeo's inner monologue got very strange at some points. Namely this gem, which made me pause:
"Gradually the song dwindled to a few constant notes: the deep breathing of the sleeping, occasional snores, once the cry of a man at the moment of physical passion. These mundane human sounds touched my soul. I found myself thinking of my father, of his longing to live and ordinary human life. Had he cried out like that when I was conceived?"
...I don't know about you, but it seems a little odd to me to wonder about what sounds one's parents made while they were being conceived. So...you know. That gave me a bit of a "What the Hell, Takeo?" moment.
Overall:
This was a good read. It was nice to return to the story and remember why I had wanted to reread it. I look forward to seeing what else the series has to offer, and where Takeo's story goes next. The blurb for book two really interested me, so I'm excited to check it out. I'm glad I gave this one another look.
sispud's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
callmecat's review against another edition
1.0
I really couldn't buy into the love at first sight romance. That was really disappointing. :( I think there was plenty of potential there that the first meeting squandered.
And the impending murder was so disturbing that whether it ends up happening or not I just dropped it.
And the impending murder was so disturbing that whether it ends up happening or not I just dropped it.