Across the Nightingale Floor
This is an entertaining historical fantasy that does nearly everything right. In an imaginary country strongly reminiscent of feudal Japan, young Tomasu was raised as a member of a peaceful mountain tribe called the Hidden. After a raid by enemy warriors–his family killed, his village in flames–he finds himself rescued by Shigeru, a Lord of the Otori clan who adopts him and renames him Takeo, after Shigeru’s dead brother. Takeo is instructed by his new mentor in the arts of magical deception and swordfighting, only to discover his true heritage when he excels beyond the Otori’s wildest hopes.
In a land where clan warfare is a way of life, the death of the evil Lord Iida–the killer of Taeko’s people and the future husband of Taeko’s secret love–is the only hope for the Otori. However, a nightingale floor serves as Lord Iida’s protection, for it sings if any intruder steps upon it. It is in crossing this floor in silence that Taeko has been trained… but at what cost? The beautiful and the tragic have always been intertwined in Japanese culture, and this tale serves as a lovely example. (For readers interested in hearing what a real-life nightingale floor sounds like, listen in at www.theotori.com.)
