-
Across the Nightingale Floor
- Tales of the Otori, Book One
- Narrated by: Kevin Gray, Aiko Nakasone
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
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Publisher's summary
Sixteen-year-old Takeo's village has been massacred by an evil warlord, and he is about to be slain by the men who murdered his parents and neighbors. At the last moment, his life is saved by a nobleman, who claims the boy as his kin and begins his education.
But nothing is as it seems. Takeo discovers that he has rare powers that are useful to those around him. As he grows into manhood, he must decide where his loyalties lie: with his noble master and adoptive father; with the Hidden, a secret, spiritual sect whose beliefs are forbidden; or with the Tribe, the assassins and spies who consider him one of their own.
A story of treachery, political intrigue, and the intensity of first love, set in a world ruled by formal ritual and codes of honor, Across the Nighingale Floor crosses genres, generations, and genders to captivate fans of all ages.
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Lovely Sorcha is the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Bereft of a mother, she is comforted by her six brothers who love and protect her. Sorcha is the light in their lives and they are determined that she know only contentment. But Sorcha's joy is shattered when her father is bewitched by his new wife, an evil enchantress who binds her brothers with a terrible spell, a spell which only Sorcha can lift - by staying silent.
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Compelling story--but only at 1.5x
- By barefoot rabbit on 09-09-13
By: Juliet Marillier
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Transformation
- Rai-Kirah, Book 1
- By: Carol Berg
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 16 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Seyonne is a man waiting to die. He has been a slave for 16 years, almost half his life, and has lost everything of meaning to him: his dignity, the people and homeland he loves, and the Warden's power he used to defend an unsuspecting world from the ravages of demons. Seyonne has made peace with his fate. With strict self-discipline he forces himself to exist only in the present moment and to avoid the pain of hope or caring about anyone.
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Seriously Excellent
- By Sharon on 09-25-13
By: Carol Berg
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Buddha
- A Story of Enlightenment
- By: Deepak Chopra
- Narrated by: Deepak Chopra
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Best-selling author Deepak Chopra brings the Buddha back to life in this gripping account of the young prince who abandoned his inheritance to discover his true calling. This iconic journey changed the world forever, and the truths revealed continue to influence every corner of the globe today.
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Excellent +++++
- By Daniel on 04-17-09
By: Deepak Chopra
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The Lions of Al-Rassan
- By: Guy Gavriel Kay
- Narrated by: Euan Morton
- Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The ruling Asharites of Al-Rassan have come from the desert sands, but over centuries, seduced by the sensuous pleasures of their new land, their stern piety has eroded. The Asharite empire has splintered into decadent city-states led by warring petty kings. King Almalik of Cartada is on the ascendancy, aided always by his friend and advisor, the notorious Ammar ibn Khairan - poet, diplomat, soldier - until a summer afternoon of savage brutality changes their relationship forever.
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Lots of drama
- By KH on 10-12-12
By: Guy Gavriel Kay
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Markswoman
- Asiana, Book 1
- By: Rati Mehrotra
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
Kyra is the youngest Markswoman in the Order of Kali, a highly trained sisterhood of elite warriors armed with telepathic blades. Guided by a strict code of conduct, Kyra and the other Orders are sworn to protect the people of Asiana. But to be a Markswoman, an acolyte must repudiate her former life completely. Kyra has pledged to do so, yet she secretly harbors a fierce desire to avenge her dead family. When Kyra's beloved mentor dies in mysterious circumstances, and Tamsyn, the dangerous Mistress of Mental Arts, assumes control, Kyra is forced on the run.
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Everything I look for in a fantasy series!
- By Shawscribbles on 02-11-18
By: Rati Mehrotra
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Dragon's Child
- The King Arthur Trilogy, Book 1
- By: M. K. Hume
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The future of Britain is at stake. In the turbulent times of the Dark Ages, the despotic Uther Pendragon, High King of Celtic Britain, is nearing death, and his kingdom is being torn apart by the squabbling of minor kings. But only one man can bring the Celts together as a nation and restore peace - King Arthur. Artorex (Arthur) doesn't yet seem like the great man he will grow into. We meet him as a shy, subservient twelve-year-old living in the foster home of Lord Ector, who took in Artorex as a babe to protect him from murderous kin.
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A Dry, Dull Tale, Marred in "Realism"
- By Steven on 09-21-15
By: M. K. Hume
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The Bone Doll's Twin
- Tamir Triad, Book 1
- By: Lynn Flewelling
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine, Lynn Flewelling
- Length: 16 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
As people start to recall the Oracle's prophecy, Erius begins to quietly kill off his female relatives who pose the only threat to his monarchy. Constantly in fear for her life, Princess Ariani the King's sister, gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. But Ariani is married to Lord Rhius, the patron of the powerful wizard Iya, and Iya has sinister plans for the babes.
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Not a bad beginning, but . . .
- By bluestatereader on 12-29-10
By: Lynn Flewelling
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The Tiger's Daughter
- By: K Arsenault Rivera
- Narrated by: Caroline McLaughlin
- Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Hokkaran Empire has conquered every land within their bold reach - but failed to notice a lurking darkness festering within the people. Now their border walls begin to crumble, and villages fall to demons swarming out of the forests. Away on the silver steppes, the remaining tribes of nomadic Qorin retreat and protect their own, having bartered a treaty with the empire, exchanging inheritance through the dynasties. It is up to two young warriors, raised together across borders since their prophesied birth, to save the world from the encroaching demons.
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Writing format that didn't work for this book
- By kara-karina on 02-24-18
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The Memoirs of Mary, Queen of Scots
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Rebekah Germain
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Born Queen of Scotland, married as a young girl to the invalid young King of France, Mary took the reins of the unruly kingdom of Scotland as a young widow and fought to keep her throne. A second marriage to her handsome but dissolute cousin Lord Darnley ended in murder and scandal, while a third marriage to the dashing, commanding Lord Bothwell, the love of her life, gave her joy but widened the scandal and surrounded her with enduring ill repute.
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Fiction being the key word
- By Bonnie-Ann B on 09-25-09
By: Carolly Erickson
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The Bloody Cup
- By: M. K. Hume
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 18 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Celtic Britain is on the brink of collapse, and the kingdom's bloodiest days are upon it. For many years, the people of Briton have enjoyed peace and prosperity under the reign of King Arthur. He has ruled with dignity, honor, and humility. Arthur is now weakening with age, however, and the seeds of discontent are being sown. Seeking to cleanse the land of Christian belief, dissenters need a symbol with which to legitimize their pagan claim and gather malcontents together into a cohesive weapon.
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Worth your time.
- By Helen on 07-01-22
By: M. K. Hume
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The Briar King
- The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone, Book 1
- By: Greg Keyes
- Narrated by: Patrick Michael
- Length: 19 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Two thousand years ago, the Born Queen defeated the Skasloi lords, freeing humans from the bitter yoke of slavery. But now monstrous creatures roam the land and destinies become inextricably entangled in a drama of power and seduction. The kings woodsman, a rebellious girl, a young priest, a roguish adventurer, and a young man made suddenly into a knight all face malevolent forces that shake the foundations of the kingdom, even as the Briar King, legendary harbinger of death, awakens from his slumber.
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Good stuff
- By Jake on 06-10-10
By: Greg Keyes
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Overall
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My favorite trilogy.
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The Water Margin
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The Water Margin is one of the most popular classics of early Chinese literature. It tells the vigorous story of 108 characters who, falling foul of the established state authorities, are forced to become outlaws. They form a bandit community in Liangshan Marsh, becoming such a formidable force in their own right that they threaten the power of government itself.
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Top notch Chinese classic
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The Book of Yokai
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Overall
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Performance
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Drawing on years of research in Japan, Michael Dylan Foster unpacks the history and cultural context of yokai, tracing their roots, interpreting their meanings, and introducing people who have hunted them through the ages. In this delightful and accessible narrative, listeners will explore the roles played by these mysterious beings within Japanese culture and will also learn of their abundance and variety through detailed entries on more than 50 individual creatures.
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Pt 2 was delightful (+no cringey pronunciations!!)
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A Brightness Long Ago
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Overall
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Performance
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In a chamber overlooking the nighttime waterways of a maritime city, a man looks back on his youth and the people who shaped his life. Danio Cerra's intelligence won him entry to a renowned school even though he was only the son of a tailor. He took service at the court of a ruling count - and soon learned why that man was known as the Beast.
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Another Masterpiece from Mr. Kay
- By Craig Cassar on 06-01-19
By: Guy Gavriel Kay
What listeners say about Across the Nightingale Floor
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Richard
- 03-21-09
Enjoyable narrators
I was interested in this book but was put off by the reviewers who did not like the narrators. I finally did listen and I have to disagree with the the negative reviews, especially as regards the female narrator. She sounds as if she may actually be a Japanese speaker and her inflections, pacing, and articulation are precise but convey the appropriate emotion, as well. I enjoyed both performances very much.
The book itself was absorbing and enjoyable. I had a slight problem with the ocassional lapses of the author into 20th century colloquialisms which broke the illusion of feudal-era Japan, but I look forward to reading the next books in the series.
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24 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Jeanne
- 11-26-05
Light entertainment
This book was fun to listen to, although it is entertainment rather than literature. I know virtually nothing about Japanese history prior to the 20th century, so I have to wonder at the accuracy of the historical and cultural setting. A glaring example of questionable background information are the various comments about unfair taxes. These comments "read" like 20th century USA Libertarianism. The author can reasonably assume we have a basic grasp of feudalism and abuse of power, but the juxtaposition of taxes and Japanese feudalism leaves me with more questions than answers. Absent further explanation, the issue of taxes adds nothing to the story. I can't help wondering whether Mr Hearn is tossing political plugs into his story, like product placements in a movie.
As other reviewers have commented, we are left hanging at the end of the story. I presume this is to leave us craving the sequel - kind of like watching an episode of ER and wondering what will happen to Julianna Margulies and George Cloony next week, same time, same station. Still, I plan to listen to both "Grass for his Pillow" and "Brilliance of the Moon," because this book was fun despite its flaws, and I have to say that I like Takeo and want to know how the rest of his life turns out.
I enjoyed Aiko Nakasone's reading. Kevin Gray left me confused, at times, as to who was speaking.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Shannon
- 09-21-07
Fantastic
I am hooked. The readers are great. Both have very appropriate, soothing voices to listen to. The story kept me spellbound and I look forward to the times I can listen to the story. I will definitely get the other books in the series.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Eugene A.
- 01-08-05
Falls Short
The author failed time and again to develop story lines that might have made this a spectacular book. The story line suggested by the name of the title was carefully developed and created high expectations in the reader, but in the end the "Nightingale Floor" story line spins off and becomes irrelevant to the climax. After the story played out, I could only say, "Huh?" I'm not sure I will go on to read the next books in the series.
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Overall
- Kevin Stokes
- 03-18-11
Slow Starting, lots of tea drinking
While I didn't dislike this book, I didn't get into this book nearly as much as some of the others I have listened two which had similar ratings. I found that the main characters were not that likable compared to some of the minor characters. Kenji and lady Shirakawa's maid seem like much cooler people than the whiney Takeo. Lord Shigeru is supposed to be this great guy but he doesn't do much.
Years ago I had read Jame Clavell's Shogun, and really enjoyed it, so I though I would like this book. But although this book held my interest, it just only just barely did so. I would not recommend this book to people simply looking for an entertaining listen. For those who are interested in stories about historical japan, this may be a good choice as the narrators did a very good job, and the story might very well appeal to those with such an interest.
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Performance
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Story
- Mark and Amy Acker
- 09-13-11
Great story!
There weren't many unexpected twists, but the character development more than made up for it. You really find yourself emphathizing with Takeo and others. The narrator does a fantastic job in putting feeling and uniqueness behind each persona. There is some sex and violence in this story. It's done tastefully, but I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers. The only difficulty I had was distinguishing the names of the different characters when hearing them in audio format. Because all the names are foreign to me, it was hard at first to remember which of the similar sounding names belonged to which characters.
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Overall
- Michael
- 11-03-04
Wow! Ninjas & Samurai in a Fantastic World
4.5 stars. I had a ton of fun listening to this book! It?s basis in historic medieval Japan sets a strong foundation for an intricate fantasy world in which warlords battle for dominance. Characters are diverse, bound by honor or willing to do whatever it takes, many use deceit and cunning, others brute force and terror tactics. An ancient mysterious clan of people called the Tribe, masters of subterfuge, uses their meta-human powers to shift the balance of power among the warlords. The charisma, vileness and personalities of the characters shine through and hone the sharpness of their excitement and pleasure, their pain and loss. Gripping, Enthralling and Tragic!
The story is told from the perspective of each of the two main characters, Takeo and Kaede. This makes for a very intimate experience with each of these people, knowing their every thought, sensation and feeling. I loved following Takeo through his self realization of his buried talents and the unfolding of the huge role he would play in the world after growing up in such a sheltered small town. The end of the story left me feeling unfulfilled and wanting more. Fortunately, this is the first book in a trilogy.
I liked the fact that this book used two readers, one for each of the characters whom the story follows (male for the voice of Takeo, female for the voice of Kaede). My only objection would be that I didn?t particularly enjoy the female reader. She reads slowly, to the point where she is annoying and her intonations do not fully capture the passion and suspense of the moments. The male reader is very good.
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Overall
- Olga
- 11-11-03
hard to put down
This book isn't the best I've ever read (or listened to), but it's impossible to put down. It suffers from a common problem of long build-up and quick resolution. The characters are well-developed, but some disappear so abruptly at the end of the book, it's unclear why so much time was devoted to them in the beginning. The narrators are generally good, and it's nice to have two voices. The female narrator is sometimes a bit annoying though - she often sounds as if she's talking to 5-year-olds or ESL students - very s-l-o-w and clear, waaayyy too clear. Still, I couldn't stop listening (literally), and enjoyed every moment of it. I would definitely recommend this.
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Overall
- Sharon
- 07-31-05
Enchanting
The plot, characters and the reader combine to make this an enchanting story. I did not want the end to come. I would listen to almost anything by the same author and/or reader. Totally engrossing.
Sharon
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Overall
- Ilja Kraag
- 01-08-05
Great adventure
I had to get used to the two voices as both of them speak rather monotones. However, the story is so intriguing that it didn't matter anymore. The story line is very crisp, nicely divided in the male and female part. Overall a great book.
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