Magical powers in medieval Japan (Across the Nightingale Floor - Lian Hearn)

Member Name: sunmeilan

Product:	Across the Nightingale Floor - Lian Hearn
Date:	05/10/06 (130 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Enjoyable escapism

Disadvantages: More suited to teenagers than adults

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 reviewing is the first of the series, which in itself is split into two episodes.

The story
The Japan of the time of the story is split into three countries, the leaders of which are constantly fighting for supremacy. Tomasu is a sixteen year old boy who lives in a remote village amongst the members of the Hidden, a tribe who believe in peace and so keep hidden away from the rest of the world. One day, while out collecting mushrooms, Tomasu returns to find his neighbours slain and his family missing. His own life seems to be in the balance, when he is snatched away from certain death by Lord Otori Shigeru.

Tomasu is taken in by Lord Shigeru, who changes his name to Takeo, formally adopts him and hires a teacher to educate him in literature and martial arts. Lord Shigeru is the head of the Otori clan, one of the three great clans in Japan, and the great enemy of Iida Sadamu, Lord of the Tohan clan. The latter was responsible for both the deaths of Takeo's family and Lord Shigerus's brother and father. But things are not quite as straightforward as Takeo first thought. Takeo, who feels a strong allegiance for Lord Shigeru, finds out that his real father was an assassin for the Tribe, a network of fighters known for their extraordinary skills and magic powers. Whose side will Takeo take?

The characters
Despite the large number of characters in the book, Takeo is clearly character number one, although the story is told both by Takeo and Kaede, a young girl unwillingly affianced to Lord Shigeru. Takeo and Kaede fall in love at first sight, but are both aware that they will never be able to come together. Takeo is not a typical sixteen year old boy; he has been forced to grow up far more quickly than he should have had to and suffers deeply at the death of his mother and sisters. He quickly recognises his love for his rescuer, Lord Shigeru and is determined to bring about the killer of both Shigeru's family and his own, Lord Iida. Unfortunately, he is to learn that things do not always turn out the way they are planned.

Kaede plays quite an important role in the book, although I felt all the way through that she was being merely introduced in this book and that her character would really come to the fore in later books in the series. I did find the 'love affair' between her and Takeo a little unlikely, but perhaps it is just that I am not very romantic.

Neither character can be said to be realistic. This is, after all, a book about magical powers. They seemed all the less realistic to me because I couldn't help wondering how much the Australian Lian Hearn, who spent just short periods of her life in Japan, could possibly know about Japanese people. To be honest, it doesn't really make that much difference to the book, but I still found her background at the back of my mind all the way through.

Conclusion
This was an enjoyable and very readable book, with enough of a combination of tragedy, romance and magic to keep me interested. However, I did feel that, especially compared to some of the Chinese martial arts stories that I enjoy so much, there was something missing. The story was generally too simplistic and I couldn't help but think that it would be better suited to a younger audience. The language was certainly simple enough.

At the beginning of the book, there is a map of the areas that the story is set in and also a breakdown of all the characters and the various clans and tribes to which they belong. This is really helpful and I think I would have struggled to follow the story without this.

To a certain extent, the book could have been set anywhere and I really felt that the author's lack of knowledge about the country in which the story was supposed to be set was all too obvious. Perhaps this isn't important; perhaps the fact that she is spreading the word about Japan to an audience that don't know all that much about it is a good thing. Nevertheless, it did niggle.

One final niggle is that this is the first book in a series of four (at least four have been written so far) and so the reader is left with an awful lot of questions at the end. That is fine if you are intending to continue reading; not if you want the book to be a one-off. I am vaguely tempted to read on in the series, but I don't think I would buy - I would probably try and borrow from the library. Recommended, with reservations, particularly for teenagers.

The book is available from play.com for £5.59. Published by Pan Macmillan, it has 320 pages. ISBN: 0330493345

Summary: Not as good as it could be