111 Book Review: Across the Nightingale Floor
Across the Nightingale Floor
by Lian Hearn
We’re still playing that high-stakes game of Taboo from the first Otori tale, so don’t mention “Japan.” Aww, dang it.
Our hero, Takeo, is just a Christian living in a Shinto/Buddhist world and then discovers he’s just a ninja in a samurai world and then he’s a bat in a deaf world and then he’s a son of an exiled lord serving as a pawn in a greater game and wow, that’s a lot for a sixteen-year-old to have on his shoulders. It’s a non-stop ride.
Unfortunately there’s no rendition of “Sing Sweet Nightingale,” but it makes up for that glaring lack of song with the most badass ninjas ever.
TL;DR: Advice: watch your weight and keep an eye out for teenagers with hidden sewing needles. Why? Oh, no reason.
My rating: 9 out of 11 Creaking Floor Boards, Which Are Significant
Get it here:
- IndieBound (print, U.S.)
- Better World Books (print, worldwide)
- Apple Books (electronic)
- Google Play Books (electronic)
- Scribd (audio)
Oh, you liked it? Well then, try: Heaven’s Net Is Wide (if you haven’t already), Grass for His Pillow (what the ninjas are up to next)
Part of The Tales of the Otori: Heaven’s Net Is Wide | Across the Nightingale Floor | Grass for His Pillow | Brilliance of the Moon | The Harsh Cry of the Heron
