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In Book I of the Otori trilogy, Across the nightingale floor, Lian Hearn created a wholly original, fully-realized fantasy world where great powers clashed and young love dawned against a dazzling and mystical landscape. Nightingale was named a New York times Notable Book of the Year, one of Book magazine's best novels of the year, and one of School library journal's Best Adult Books for High School Readers. In this second tale, we return to the story of Takeo--the young orphan taken up by the Otori Lord and now a closely held member of the Tribe--and his beloved Shirakawa Kaede, heir to the Maruyama, who must find a way to unify the domain she has inherited. In a complex social hierarchy, amid dissembling clans and fractured alliances, there is no place for passionate love.… (more)
User reviews
This second book definitely was satisfying. I became
I don't know whether to describe this book as set in medieval Japan, or not as it is fiction. But the author definitely has done her homework and the books are full of interesting, and picturesque, details making me feel as if I were there hearing the noises, seeing the scenes. But even though the environment is completely different than the one where I live, nevertheless, I was very identified with the main characters and am completely cheering for them.
Again, it's set in the Three Countries, but now, Kaede is trying to hold together her lands, and Takeo is learning more about his inheritance and working out how best to live his life. The plotting is still complex and fairly surprising, and the writing is still sharp. The only thing to dislike about the book is that it really feels like it's meant to be a companion to the one after it; lots is left up in the air, to a greater degree than at the end of book 1. But it's still quite good, and I'm enjoying the series thus far.
This, the second volume of the Otori saga, is more clearly a book in a series than the first. Where “Across the nightingale floor” was a concluded story – although pointing forward – this feels much more like a book of transport, building up for the third part. And since it’s not as well constructed, it also feels just a little flatter.
*Spoiler alert here*
I was somewhat disappointed in the part about Takeo’s life among the Tribe, where it felt like Hearn wasn’t really comfortable in handling the setup she built at the end of book one. Takeo’s storyline doesn’t really gain it’s momentum back until he decides to go with his Otori heritage. And even then it’s clearly overshadowed by Kaede’s much more interesting dilemmas, trying to stay on top of her clan as a woman and balancing the fine line of pleasing the dangerous Fujiwara. The best scene in the whole book for me is the reception held by Kaede and her sisters, where they scare one of Arai’s knights shitless with their cold indifference. All in all, I would have preferred more Kaede chapters, I think. The love story between Takeo and Kaede also loses it’s balance a little bit, and sometimes falls from high-strung sentimental into the puddle of mushy mush.
*End spoilers*
Still, there’s a lot to like here. Fast, page-turning action and a solid world-building, juggling many interesting characters, a non-squeamish way of handling cruelty, a proto-feminist viewpoint and a nice balance of fantasy and history. I have high hopes the orchestration will pick up again in the next part.
I enjoyed the middle of this book the best, but the beginning and the end are both soaked in the soppy, unrealistic, romance of two teenagers that should have far more important things on their mind than banging.
There's also some teasing that the author does that I find very frustrating as a reader. As we follow Takeo's story, there are constant references made to the fact that this is a story being told in the future. It's told from first person and the narrator often says "I would later learn . . ." or "I would come to understand . . ." It wasn't a problem the first reference or two, but after that it became exhausting and frustrating. This is also confusing when we jump to Kaede, as her story is told from third person and is devoid of these remarks.
I'm really waffling between two and three stars on this, but I truly was enjoying the book until the last two chapters so I will let it stand with three.
Still very good; I'm waiting for the third volume.
Takeo and Kaede's individual struggles were interesting to observe, as is the evolution of both characters from inexperienced youths to committed and driven adults. But I can't say I quite as taken with this book as I was with the first one. That being said, the groundwork is set up for what promises to be a thrilling ride in the third book.
This was a fitting second book for this series. It moved along at the steady, descriptive pace of the second book. Although for some reason I found myself getting bored while reading this book. The lush descriptions, while detailed, didn't bring the book to life in the way I hoped they would. I had a little trouble understanding some of the stupid decisions made by Kaede and Takeo along the way. Despite these misgivings, if you liked the first book you must read the second book. It is very much in the same style of the first book and continues the story of Kaede and Takeo. This book definitely builds to a climax preparing you for the war and conflict of the third novel.
In this book, Takeo, whose special talents and heightened senses surpass that of most of the Tribe's people, is being trained as an assassin, but the elders don't trust him, nor does he trust them. He believes his destiny lies elsewhere, but he's obligated by the agreement he'd made, to stay, until his heightened hearing reveals to him that he'll be killed on an upcoming mission. He escapes, instead, and sets out on a journey to claim Shigeru's domain from Shigeru's deceitful uncles and unite the many lands of the island realm.
Meanwhile, Kaede has returned to her home to find her mother dead, her father a step short of madness, and the estate in disarray. Though it goes against the laws of society for a woman to act like a man, she sets out to unite her family domain with that of her recently deceased kinswoman's, and the book follows these parallel story threads until Kaede and Takeo meet again, setting up the action for the final book of the trilogy.
This is a fully realized realm, with well-drawn characters, young people who make mistakes yet believe in their cause. The writing is plain and crisp and the book rarely lags. I've just started reading the next one and can't wait to read the fate of Takeo and Kaede.