Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • Across the Nightingale Floor

  • Tales of the Otori, Book 1
  • By: Lian Hearn
  • Narrated by: Aiko Nakasone, Kevin Gray
  • Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (368 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Across the Nightingale Floor cover art

Across the Nightingale Floor

By: Lian Hearn
Narrated by: Aiko Nakasone, Kevin Gray
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £10.99

Buy Now for £10.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Orphan Warriors cover art
Sabriel cover art
Musashi cover art
Fourth Wing cover art
The Black Company cover art
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes cover art
Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran cover art
Ruritanian Rogues: Volumes 1-3 cover art
Virgins cover art
Many Are the Dead cover art
The Mists of Avalon cover art
I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire cover art
Sailing to Sarantium cover art
Pile of Bones cover art
The Moon in the Palace cover art
Tigana cover art

Summary

In his palace at Inuyama, Lord Iida Sadamu, warlord of the Tohan clan, surveys his famous nightingale floor. Its surface sings at the tread of every human foot, and no assassin can cross it. But 16-year-old Otori Takeo, his family murdered by Iida's warriors, has the magical skills of the Tribe - preternatural hearing, invisibility, a second self - that enable him to enter the lair of the Tohan. He has love in his heart and death at his fingertips....

Lian Hearn's stunningly powerful best seller, Across the Nightingale Floor, is an epic story for young and old. Set in a mythical feudal Japanese land, a world both beautiful and cruel, the intense love story of two young people takes place against a background of warring clans, secret alliances, high honour and lightning swordplay.

The first novel in the epic Tales of the Otori series, Across the Nightingale Floor is followed by Grass for His Pillow and Brilliance of the Moon.

©2003 Lian Hearn (P)2003 HighBridge Audio

What listeners say about Across the Nightingale Floor

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    246
  • 4 Stars
    88
  • 3 Stars
    29
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    215
  • 4 Stars
    80
  • 3 Stars
    32
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    231
  • 4 Stars
    68
  • 3 Stars
    27
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing story

I remember my English teacher over a decade ago recommended me this book. I had forgotten all about it until I saw it here and decided to grab it. Absolute gem of a story, thanks Mrs. M!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I love this book!!

I read the the Nightingale Floor many years ago, together with the rest of the series and keep them in my bookcase now. Finding them on audible was like a gift just for me. This version is wonderful and the two narrators are exceptional. I will be using my credits to buy the remaining books to enjoy all over again. Thank you audible for giving me this gift. It will follow me for the rest of my life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story

Excellent quick paced and interesting story, which will keep you listening and wanting more and more.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

the narration ruins it

the female narrator is one of the worst I've heard pronunciation isn't consistent, just horrible I almost stop listening

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

only complaint: a bit short

Easy to listen to, enjoyable and throughout and with a good development of characters. At the same time a lot of rarely known facets of Japanese society are referenced allowing the reader to learn more about medieval Japan through a fantasy setting

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Bizarre choice to have 2 narrators.

Potential spoilers ahead.




I mean no disrespect to Aiko, but her performance is quite a step behind Kevin’s, who delivers more drama, and vocal variety, Iidaa is never voiced by Kevin, as most of his lines are spoken in scenes that centre Kaede (whose chapters are read by Aiko). This feels like a missed opportunity to characterise a villain, but then that’s a problem with the narrative too.

In a word; cliche, but it left me wanting more. Hearn is clearly competent, and the narrative was so obvious that it made me expect twists instead. I’m wondering if the following book will be a purposeful shake up. It left me curious to see if she had anything original to say, but also because I was genuinely endeared by the writing and characters.

Part of me thinks the cliche elements of the story are meant to be commentary on mythology and folklore, “a tale as old as time”. I hope it is, anyway.

Got some real gay romance vibes between Makoto and Takeo towards the end too, certainly a more convincing personal relationship than the one he has with and Kaede.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Amazing story, ruined by narration

The story is brilliant and brutal.

The narrator's are less so. Kevin Gray after awhile grows on you but Aiko's parts are a struggle to get through.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

fantastic story and very well narrated

I reas this book years ago a d wanted to revisit it with Audible. eautifully narrated and was a joy to listed every single inktense of it.
on to the next one!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great for the whole family.

Read the books, then brought these audios for my daughter who just loves to hear them over and over again.
Great themes especially if you find Japanese history and myth a big interest.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Fascinating story ruined...

Fascinating story ruined by two awful narrators: a robotic, nasal American male and a woman who sounds like a 12 year old reading a bedtime story to a younger sibling. I am seriously considering switching over to a kindle book instead.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!