Across the Nightingale Floor. Lian Hearn (Tales of the Otori (Paperback)) - Softcover

Lian Hearn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 033041528X ISBN 13: 9780330415286

Publisher: MACMILLAN CHILDREN'S, 2004

Synopsis

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About this title

Review:

The debut novel of Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori series, Across the Nightingale Floor, is set in a feudal Japan on the edge of the imagination. The tale begins with young Takeo, a member of a subversive and persecuted religious group, who returns home to find his village in flames. He is saved, not by coincidence, by the swords of Lord Otori Shigeru and thrust into a world of warlords, feuding clans, and political scheming. As Lord Otori's ward, he discovers he is a member by birth of the shadowy "Tribe," a mysterious group of assassins with supernatural abilities.

Hearn sets his tale in an imaginary realm that is and isn't feudal Japan. This device serves the author well as he is able to play with familiar archetypes--samurai, Shogun, and ninja--without falling prey to the pitfalls of history. The novel fills a unique niche that is at once period piece and fantasy novel. Hearn unfolds the tale of Takeo and the conflicting forces around him in a deliberate manner that leads to a satisfying conclusion and sets the stage for the rest of the series. --Jeremy Pugh

About the Author:

Lian Hearn, born in England, has studied Japanese and has a lifelong interest in Japan.

About this edition

• Publisher: MACMILLAN CHILDREN'S
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 033041528X
• ISBN 13: 9780330415286
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320