Reviews

Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn

mako5hark's review

Go to review page

3.0

3.5/5

friendlyhonu's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

agut's review against another edition

Go to review page

a lot of telling, no showing

m_delaney's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jalleyn's review

Go to review page

adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

cgeesey's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

jen_reads_books_'s review

Go to review page

  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

1.5

Let me tell you I was SHOCKED to find out Lian Hearn is a woman with the way she writes women💀 It’s got to be a talent in itself to write women as bad, as normally only men do when you’re literally a woman yourself. Justice for Kaede😭😭😭

nbpamies's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

jesslolsen's review

Go to review page

4.0

Not something I would usually pick up to read - the back cover blurb doesn't do the book justice.

I was worried at first that I would get too confused by all the different names, and wouldn't be able to keep track of who was who, but it wasn't as issue. The characters were beautifully written.

I read a few reviews before I started so I already knew it was set in fictional times, I wasn't bothered at all that it didn't follow a true-to-life order.

I loved it and will definitely keep reading to finish the trilogy and see how it ends.

almondcookies's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

Let me just start by saying Across the Nightingale Floor is an amazing title. Not a bad book, but I'm not keen on reading the sequel. The back and forth POV between Takeo and Kaede felt really dry because they both had the same narration - very simplistic with a lot of telling and very little showing. I was this. I felt this. I did this.

Speaking of which, I don't understand why such eye rolling, dare I say it, superficial, romance plays such a fundamental part in this book. Takeo and Kaede instantly fall in love without exchanging a single word, and are suddenly willing to die for each other. The first time Kaede sees Takeo, she literally develops a fever and decided she couldn't live without him. The secondary character's romance is much more compelling as there's definitely a politically dangerous backstory there, but unfortunately we never get to see how it developed or how it plays out as they both die prematurely. In addition, some political motivations also made very little sense, and the ending was rushed to the point it felt like they were ticking things off a to do list! Rescue this guy. Kill that guy. Rescue this person.

I did enjoy (parts) of the build up in the initial half of the book, especially seeing how Takeo and Shigeru's relationship develop, and how they grow so close, Shigeru eventually adopts him. I thought the lengths Takeo would go for Shigeru
Spoilereven eventually killing him to grant him a merciful death
was the most realistic and heart warming part of the book.

Overall, it was okay, but would not read again.