Download Audio Books from Audible.

Customer reviews

5 star		72%
4 star		17%
3 star		6%
2 star		4%
1 star		1%

How are ratings calculated?

Review this product

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Cynthia Hamilton

A magical tale of honor, bravery and treachery

Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2020

Verified Purchase

I had never heard of this book or the author until a new acquaintance suggested it to me, but I was instantly swept off my feet, from the very first paragraph. Right away, I was caught up in an epic saga—and I don’t use that word “epic” lightly. This story, rich in history and traditions, stretches across a vast landscape, peopled with three main warring tribes, plus The Hidden, which is what the young protagonist belongs to before his life is forever changed the day his village is destroyed.

In addition to the author’s captivating use of language, the details of time and place bring the world she creates vividly to life. There are so many harrowing scenes, so much magical realism, and so many power struggles. And in the middle of such dramatic life and death dynamics, a true and lasting love takes root and holds, just like my attention did all the way through the book. I honestly came away feeling as if my life had been enriched by having gone on this fascinating adventure, from the safety of my own Kindle. I truly loved it!

Rea

Across the Nightingale Floor

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2013

Verified Purchase

I hate to give this book only 3 stars, but I think I have to! As much as I loved the story, I just felt like the book was watered down over all. When Heran gave details in the story, they were wonderful! Beautiful! I could picture the heron in the pond. I could imagine the sounds of the nightingale floor (perhaps my favorite part of the book!), but for me, these magical parts were few and far between. Much of the sword play and training were left to my imagination. Most of the bonding between the characters was also, sadly, left to my imagination. Then before I knew it I was 80% into the book and it got sooo good, then by 85% the climax was over! I feel like I read the outline or the rough draft of the true story. That some how the finished product is out there still waiting for me to read. Loved the book, yet disappointed at the same time...

ST

Something different in a very good way

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

I never read books twice but I did this one. I actually thought I was reading a different book about the same characters until I got into it and realized I had read it. I kept going because I just love the writing and the Nightingale floor and the musical house and gardens. Not a happy story by any means but an interesting and meaningful one--maybe in an odd way. Anyway, I would recommend it to fans of Shogun. Even though it has a little supernatural twist, it's not in a hokey way.

David H. Eisenberg

Excellent action/fantasy in imaginary Japan.

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2016

Verified Purchase

I had just started and was unable to finish a similar book in an imaginary China. This was superior. It is not, however, a classic, but a standard action hero novel with some inherited super-powers which come out with training and make him a powerful assassin, even in his youth. The descriptions of characters and scenery was better than usual. Some of the internal dialogue was very good. The characters were developed to the degree that they do not always act as you would expect and sometimes inconsistently, even the protagonist.

The most important thing is that it was very readable (and I'm very picky and don't finish a lot of books). I look forward to the second installment.

ELR

Not for me.

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2017

Verified Purchase

Not for me. I found the story hard to get into and the writing style rather juvenile. Couldn't finish it. I normally like fiction, fantasy, and historical novels.

Bridges Gijsbers

Can't put it down

Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2019

Verified Purchase

Once you get 60% of this book read, you absolutely will not be able to put it down, you will burn through the rest of the series. Don't be deterred by it being about ninjas, it is hardly about that- it's war, politics, conflict in feudal Japan, assassinations, social caste systems, religion, etc. An exciting read for sure.

Ky WomanTop Contributor: Crochet

All books by this author are fantastic!

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2015

Verified Purchase

I love all books by Lian Hearn. This author could write cereal boxes and keep the reader entranced! The wording is always so descriptive yet always runs so smoothly and utterly effortless by Lian Hearn. I don't like violence so was kinda surprised that I love the Tales of the Otori. I thought about it and the fact that I just can't put any of those books down til I've read them cover to cover is because the author is a beautiful writer. You can smell the smells of the day and feel the feelings that the characters play. This author is my inspiration to try to write so well. Thank-you Lian Hearn for your talent and for your stories!

DianaBanana

Full immersion experience!!

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2013

Verified Purchase

Entering the world (imagined) by Lian Hearn in Tales of the Otori: Across the Nightingale Floor is like being dropped into a beautiful and exquisitely harsh environment. For every moment of beauty there is brutality. Hearn's story takes us into the lives of 4 incredible people. Is it all by chance? Lord Shigeru rescues and cares for a young Takeo. Kaede Shirakawa toils in a distant castle where she is kept captive, even though she is equal to those she serves. Lady Maruyama, a queen of her domain. Their stories will envelop you in a land of great beauty, strife and machinations to achieve a better existence for all who live in this time. The trilogy is well worth the time if you enjoy crisp details, personal trials and warring factors in ancient lands.

Top reviews from other countries

sashaknits

Interesting world let down by clumsy story-telling

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2016

Verified Purchase

I'm torn with this book. I loved the faux-feudal Japan setting, the political wranglings and the magical elements, but quite a few things let it down for me.

Takeo and Kaede are both apparently about 15 and yet behave not at all like 15-year-olds. I know it's a fantasy world etc, but their demeanours most of the time seemed no different to the adults they were dealing with, so very often I forgot they were meant to be much younger.

The love at first device was not to my liking at all - they take one look into each others' eyes and are immediately burned by passion and desire? Ugh, no thanks.

Much though I enjoyed the magical system in general, it was presented very haphazardly which really let it down. I've read many great books where a young student learns a new magical craft and it can be presented in such a way that the reader learns along with the character and really gets a lot from it. Aside from Takeo's hearing which was introduced quite naturally and quite well, the reader didn't witness him learning any of his other Tribe-endowed skills. We learned that the second self was a potential skill because Takeo sees Kenji use it, but it's never shown being taught. Instead Takeo sets off to research a mission and states that here he will use his second self (oh OK, so he can do that now?), here he will go invisible (WHAT, there's invisibility now?!) and so forth. Very disappointing.

There were however a couple of nice plot twists that kept me guessing right to the end and I was glad to see that Hearn wasn't scared to kill off some major characters in order to move the plot along. I probably will read the next to see what happens to Takeo now, but not in any big hurry.

Jinkai

Great Story, completely hooked!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2020

Verified Purchase

I am a huge fan of books, but more so of feudal Japan. Any kind of sci-fi fantasy book, tv show or movie depicting Feudal Japan is right up my street. Some books and movies can often be a disappointment as they forget they’re based in a feudal era and can sometimes slip up by adding modern aspects into it.

Not this story! It has Fantasy elements, a map of the lands which is awesome! I do love visual maps in books, it makes it that much more understandable and fun. I have gotten as far as chapter 2 and I am completely gripped by it. It’s like I’ve been transported through time and I’m watching everything happen before my eyes!

Just amazingly beautiful so far and I definitely plan on getting all of the series.

If you love Feudal Japan, Sci-fi Fantasy, Martial Arts, Swordplay and Clans then this book should most definitely be on your shopping list!

Enjoy ☺️

Kindle Customer

Japanese epic with young magical hero

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 27, 2019

Verified Purchase

Saved by a clan leader young Takeover dedicates his youth to revenge for his murdered family and the death of his rescuers brother. Faced also with the choice between his true love, his heritage and his inheritance.

BJE

Love and War

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 10, 2012

Verified Purchase

This book is set in the fictional land of the Three Countries but it is pretty much identical to Japan from anytime between the 6th century to the late 18th. There are warriors like samurai and assassins like ninja's called the Tribe but there are groups of people that are entirely fictional like the Hidden who have very controversial religious beliefs that result in them being disliked by the rest of the Three Countries. In one of the Hidden villages called Mino we meet the main character Tomasu who is a young and adventures boy who likes to explore the nearby forest every day and it is this innocent habit that saves his life when his village is attacked by the most powerful man in the Three Countries which is Ida. Tomasu manages to escape after entering the village and as he flees from his pursuers he bumps into a man named Shigeru Otori and he saves Tomasu's life. From that point onwards Tomasu life changes forever and his name is replaced with Takeo Otori to prevent him from being discovered as one of the hidden. Shigeru protects him and brings him to the relative safety of his own domain in Hagi and teaches him many things but soon things become complicated as a member of the Tribe turning up who shows Takeo the skills he has inherited from his deceased father which allows him to go invisible, have sharper hearing than a cat, make a double of himself to distract opponents and put people to sleep with a few seconds of staring. And later he meets a beautiful girl called Kaede and they instantly fall in love with each other which makes things a lot more complicated and introduces the theme of Romance into the book. And so Across the Nightingale begins.

This is a very intelligent book with war and romance at its centre along with believable characters that draw you even deeper into the story. This book is classed as a cross over from Young Adult to Adult audience and due to its contents of sex, occasional language intricate plot I would say 15/16 years old and above and it is a good book for adults too. Overall it was Fantastic and its sequels maintain the high standards of this book.

THE MSTRKRFT

Easy to pick up a nice short read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2011

Verified Purchase

I read this book a couple of years ago and was drawn in by the orient setting and the characters who at the times seemed interesting with enough depth and detail to keep the story flowing.
However I'm older now and while I think the characters are good there isn't all that much detail too them and I not sure whether they will really be fleshed out in next two books or whether they will simply grow from their experiences which isn't a bad thing just may leave a few questions unanswered.

As the story goes we follow two characters on their journeys of one with Takeo ( 17 years old I think) on his journey to the Otori clan and then on to revenge against the warlord who killed his family and destroyed his village. The second story is Kaeda on her trek through fantasy Japan to find a husband; this is against her wishes as she's only 15 (or maybe 16) and wants to love a man of her choosing. Their paths predictably cross as the adventure continues with both telling their points of view of the situation at hand. There's magic ninjas ,battles, sex, love all the things a teenager may be interested in, and that's all good but to say this book had a lot of depth is maybe flattering it too much. The book has detail yes but things seem only to be touched on and never really drawn out; maybe it's just me but from my experiences I found it hard to believe and kind of lame love at first sight? Really?, again it's not that bad but when two characters make love by a dead body it's just a bit creepy in my eyes and not romantic or a special moment like the books wants to get across. Takeo is a teenager and he fits the bill with his mood swings and lust for girls,the other Kaede seems like a standard teenage lass falling for boys and thinks about them constantly.One nit pick is the book is too black and white the bad guys are so obvious which in a film is a good thing to get that across to the audience, but this isnt a film its a book which constantly reminds us how bad the bad guys are and how noble and good the good guys are(it can get tiresome), again its just a nit pick its most likly aimed at a young audience.

Final comments, it's a good book a bit basic however for my taste at 294 pages I suppose what do I expect. It was an enjoyable read short and sweet the characters interesting in a simple kind of way, nothing like "Sharp" from the Sharp series or "Salander" from the Millennium trilogy but still they keep the story going and you begin to feel for them as they struggle with tough world they live in. Will I read the next two books? Probably they're a fun read, easy for anyone to pick up and read I would recommend them to anyone who's curious or just wants an exciting read to kill a few hours.

See all reviews

Customer reviews

Review this product

Customer images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries