Across the Nightingale Floor First Tale of the Otori by Lian Hearn.

In a land evocative of feudal Japan, a young boy, Tomasu lives among the Hidden, a persecuted religious sect. When his village is destroyed, Tomasu gifted by the blood of his father, manages to survive. “At that moment, Revenge took me as a pupil.”

He is adopted by Lord Otori Shigeru, and rechristened Takeo. He trains obsessively to acquire the skills he will need to extract his revenge.

He has two phenomenally helpful assets in this quest. His adopted father Shigeru approves of the course, and provides wealth, tutors, and political clout. He is also a cunning tactician.

His second gift is genetic. His biological father was a member of the Tribe, a lineage of ninja like assassins with extraordinary capabilities; Takeo’s hearing is preternaturally acute, and he learns to use other gifts.

However, these gifts come with a price; the Tribe wants them. Not only is Takeo Tribe, but his father was very important to their breeding plans. Now, they know where to find his genes.

Takeo is torn by his dual loyalties; he is Tribe by birth, a very important thing to him (and they will kill him if they think he will be of no use to them.) but he also has a duty to the Otori clan which adopted him. And his mother’s people cry out for vengeance.

The Tohan, authors of the genocide on the Hidden, are led by Lord Iada. He is also Otori Shigeru’s most relentless enemy. This is the man that Takeo needs to kill…and he sleeps protected in a castle, surrounded by a nightingale floor, a clever contrivance that chirps like a bird with the lightest step.

Also complicating all this is the topic of romance. Otori Shigeru is in love with the Lady Maruyama, a female daimyo. Her kinswoman, Shirakawa Kaede is the wife the rulers of the Otori clan have chosen for Takeo. It is obvious that going to marry her in Lord Iada’s castle is a trap, probably set up by the leaders of Otori to quiet their rebellious nephew Shigeru. But it is perfect for Takeo, because now he has a chance to kill Iada.
There are two things they did not count on. Takeo loves Kaede, and the Tribe is unwilling to risk him on an unsanctioned assassination….

Lian Hearn, (a pseudonym) has a delightfully flowing style, marked by confidence and restraint. She confidently deals in hyperbole, with supernatural powers, and secret societies, yet she does it with subtle grace, making them seem perfectly natural.

The land is recognizable, and it is tempting to try to place the action in Japan, both geographically, and chronologically. But it is not Japan, and the differences add a hint of spice to the proceedings.

Her grasp of courtly intrigues, though, those are very detailed. The twisted maze of factions and divided loyalties, the demands of duty and honor, all these things hark to the real history of Nippon, and to the best novels concerning it, like Shogun.

There is however, one flaw in her writing. Sometimes her character development takes a back seat to the development of powers, leaving them a tad flat. Still, this is minor, and only noticeable in a few chapters.

This is a truly brilliant launch to a wonderful trilogy (now standing at five books.) I highly recommend it.

Tales of the Otori

Across the Nightingale Floor
Grass For His Pillow
Brilliance of the Moon

Check out my reviews of all things Japanese:

My Neighbor Totoro
Across the Nightingale Floor
Grass For His Pillow
Brilliance of the Moon
Onmyoji II
Onmyoji
The Hidden Fortress
Hellboy: Storm of Swords
Vexille
Sanjuro
The Hidden Blade
Yaji & Kita: Midnight Pilgrims
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away
Gay Tales of the Samurai
Howl's Moving Castle
Ghost Dog
Memoirs of a Geisha (Book)
Memoirs of Geisha (Movie)
The Last Samurai
The Sword that Cut the Burning Grass
Taboo
Forbidden Colors

Recommended: Yes