Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, #1)

by Lian Hearn

[Kat @ Novels & Waffles]

“How was it possible for the world to be so beautiful and so cruel at the same time?”

As somebody who has lived in Japan for over three years, has studied the Japanese language for more than ten, and who is familiar with Japanese literature from various historic periods, I think I can safely say that I have a pretty good understanding of Japanese culture. And let me tell you, this book demonstrates that same understanding.

Across the Nightingale Floor blew me away with how well it captured the essence of Japan, and its knowledge concerning the Japanese psyche. It draws inspiration from Japanese literary classics, such as The Tale of the Heike and The Pillow Book. It explores traditional themes, the most prominent being duty vs. love (giri vs. ninjō), a highly popular motif in Japanese literature. Hearn doesn't just throw in a reference to cherry blossoms or mention a woman in a kimono and call it good – no, she goes beyond that. It's not just the setting of the novel that is Japanese. No. It's also the way the characters think and act and react that is Japanese. Hearn captures the very mind and heart of the Japanese people.

While reading this book, another that is also set in an alternate feudal Japan came to mind: Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh. The Flame in the Mist, published just last year, was a huge disappointment to me for the very reasons I think that Nightingale Floor succeeds: the characters think and feel in a very American way. The setting is just that – a backdrop. The Japan depicted by Ahdieh feels fake and one-dimensional to me, a person who is extremely familiar with this country and its culture. Yes, I realize both books are classified as history-inspired fantasy, and not as historical fiction. They are set in a Japan-that-is-not-Japan. But still.

Now back to Across the Nightingale Floor. This novel is told from the perspective of two teenagers: Takeo and Kaede. Takeo is a member of the Hidden, a group of religious people who worship a forbidden god. His story begins when his whole village is burned to the ground because of their "dangerous" beliefs, beliefs that have been outlawed by the fearsome warlord, Iida. Takeo is snatched from death's claws by Iida's archenemy, Lord Shigeru, and is subsequently adopted by him. His conflicting loyalties – to his adoptive father, to the Hidden, to a mysterious and ancient family called The Tribe – are perfect fodder for lots of tension-filled and action-packed chapters.

Conversely, Kaede is a fifteen-year-old girl, and the way she thinks and talks reflects that. I am not so sure this is a good thing. She is a political prisoner and has been since she was seven years old. Initially, I thought I was going to love Kaede; her inner dialogue was charged with hate towards her captives and she constantly questioned a world where men were in charge. Then, Takeo and Kaede met.

It was #INSTALOVE. NOOOoOOOooOoOOOOooOo. I was so let down by this part of the book. Takeo and Kaede's relationship was instantaneous. Kaede swooned and took a fever the moment she saw Takeo for the first time. SHE TOOK A FEVER, GUYS. Seriously *insert eye roll here*. As soon as this romance was introduced to the plot, Kaede started to became a doe-eyed damsel-in-distress. Historically speaking, a woman's station was pretty limited in feudal Japan, and I get that. But it still doesn't make it any more interesting to read.

It's true – Kaede still has brief moments of toughness and she no doubt has a fighting spirit, but I felt that these stronger traits were undercut by lengthy descriptions of her intense longing for Takeo. Maybe the author was trying to accurately capture the way a fifteen-year-old girl would feel and think, but I just wasn't buying it. Also, I think the words, "beautiful," "lust," and "desire," showed up at least twenty times whenever there was a scene involving Kaede. Her perspective was just not as strong as Takeo's in this installation; I can only hope that Kaede becomes more independent and central to the story as the series continues.