Independent of the trilogy
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I felt this book was better written than the trilogy, the writing was more fluid and flowed. It gave me a deeper understanding of Otori Shigeru and his relationship with Naomi Muruyama. It also tidied the loose ends of the trilogy and gave more background about how the war began. It actually made me read the trilogy again, probably because I've read them years ago and couldn't remember much.
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hmmmmmmm
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it was an ok book.
but not my favorite.
the best were the three books which form the "tales of the otori" series.
the harsh cry of the heron is also better
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Mixed feelings
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This is a strangely disappointing book.. For those who have been following the fortunes of the Otori clan it will be a must buy. Yet at the same time it is curiously unsatisfying. Whilst it fills in some details of history that pre-date "Across the Nightingale Floor" it adds little to our understanding of the motivation of the main characters in the later books as this was already clear. The strangely compressed ending, when Hearn appears to be in a rush to get Shigeru across to Mino, killing off Takeshi and Komori (who puts in a late and unconvincing reappearance) in the process seems to be driven more by the need to end the book and link it back into "Nightingale" than by clearly worked out narrative structure. That said, Hearn displays all her old skills in evoking the world of a semi-mythical medieval Japan. Particularly interesting is how she uses the possibility of Nestorian Christianity having reached Japan in the 9th Century as the basis of the Hidden, as indicated by the name of one of her Hidden characters. In the end I am glad I read it (if only out of a sense of completing the set), but I am not sure that it has added anything to my understanding or appreciation of the previous books in the series.
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Packed with blood, gore and intrigue
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This prequel is packed with blood, gore and intrigue. She delves into the history of the Otari. We are better able to understand Hearn's world and its subtleties through her detailed descriptions of it.
At times, Hearn takes up quite a lot of space describing an almost Catholic cult and their secret members. There us no reason for this. It could have something to do with a prophecy or something. But who cares? This is a book about the Samurai and secret tribes of assassins. Not early Christian development.
This makes it rather drawn out and, at times, it seems that this book is just a fan's guide to the Otori world. This is not to say that the book is dull. There is a definite plot but after the initial hundred pages or so not much seems to happen.
The main character describing farming techniques in mind-numbing detail is not inspiring.
I would recommend this book to dedicated fans.
If you are interested in farming and the spread of Catholicism in a fictional 15th century Japan, that's great.
If you're interested in neither of the above, try her other books.
They are easier on the eye.
Christopher Dean
4/5 for action
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The beginning
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I really loved this book, and i thought the way the book continues into the start of the original trilogy clever and satisfying.Having just finished it, I feel the need to start the first trilogy again, just to how well it flows on.
my only critisism would be that Hearn seems to write better in first person, as the writing at points was 'shigeru did this' and shigeru did that', so you don't feel as much in the action as in the first 4.
But don't let that put you off because this book is just as good as the previous ones, and if you're new to the trilogy, it can be read first.
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