Across the Nightingale Floor - Lian Hearn

This is a series I began reading a couple of years ago, but it wasnt finished. It is a pet peeve of mine having to wait for a sequel, so I put it back on a shelf to pick up again later. If you enjoy a break from fast paced action or strenuous philosophical mental workouts, I highly recommend this series. There are 3 books in the tales of the otori, with a prequel due out sometime this year, the author set out to write a fantasy not based in the anglo-celtic stereotypical world we see so much of, thanks largely to Tolkien, but instead imagined a world much like ancient Japan, a world populated by class systems, warrior codes and family obligation. ...

I've been a fan of Chinese martial arts stories for many years. Unfortunately, because of the lack of translators good enough to translate the complicated Chinese that is used in the genre, few have been translated into English. Therefore, when I came across a series of books written in English that looked of a similar genre, albeit set in Japan rather than China, I snapped them up immediately. I was very surprised to find that the author wasn't Japanese, didn't even have much experience about Japan and that the books had been written directly into English, but thought they were still worth a read. The books are supposed to be for both adults and teenagers. The book I am ...

Sadly, "Across the Nightingale Floor" is a book with a lot of potential but without the final effort from the author to make it stand out. The plot is loosely written around the tale of star-crossed lovers, but also includes an adventurous twist involving ancient clans and the story of a boy whose fate is caught in the middle of their quarrels. "Across the Nightingale Floor" could have been an incredibly gripping and exciting novel, but feels rushed throughout and the background to the story lacks foundations. Throughout the book it is hinted that the culture is that of Japanese or Chinese, however you are never given this ...