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The Nightingale
What is more important? Humanity or beauty?In ancient Japan, a young girl named Uguisu gains the power of magical song through supernatural means. She hopes it will bring her her heart’s desire. But instead it leads her to the halls of Japan’s Imperial power, to the attention of the Emperor himself, and a danger she never expected.Soon she comes into conflict with a vengeful demon who competes with Uguisu for the Emperor’s favour in a fight between Uguisu’s humanity and the demon’s beauty and power.Based on the original fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson, this retelling moves the story from China to Heian Japan, a period of faith, aristocracy and culture which in this story becomes a place of demons, poetry, and a very strange cat.The Nightingale is a retelling for our times and a celebration of a golden age of Japanese history.Kara Dalkey is the author of fifteen fantasy novels and over twenty short stories, fantasy and science fiction. She lives in western Washington State, near Seattle. The Nightingale is her second novel, and she has since written other historical fantasy works set in Japan, such as Little Sister, Heavenward Path , and Genpei .
215 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1988
37 people are currently reading
1774 people want to read
About the author
Kara Dalkey
44 books90 followersKara Mia Dalkey is an American author of young adult fiction and historical fantasy. She was born in Los Angeles and has lived in Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Colorado, and Seattle. Much of her fiction is set in the Heian period of Japan.
She was married to author John Barnes; they divorced in 2001. She is a member of the Pre-Joycean Fellowship and of the Scribblies. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing in Los Angeles.
She is also a musician and has gigged extensively on electric bass (which she plays left-handed) and harmony vocals, with such bands as Runestone, the Albany Free Traders, and Nate Bucklin and the Ensemble (in Minnesota) and Relic and Voodoo Blue (in Seattle.) At different times she has also played drums, banjo and acoustic guitar. She is a songwriter, but her total output is low, and consequently no CD or other album is presently in the works.
She was married to author John Barnes; they divorced in 2001. She is a member of the Pre-Joycean Fellowship and of the Scribblies. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing in Los Angeles.
She is also a musician and has gigged extensively on electric bass (which she plays left-handed) and harmony vocals, with such bands as Runestone, the Albany Free Traders, and Nate Bucklin and the Ensemble (in Minnesota) and Relic and Voodoo Blue (in Seattle.) At different times she has also played drums, banjo and acoustic guitar. She is a songwriter, but her total output is low, and consequently no CD or other album is presently in the works.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 14, 2010
This is a quiet book. It is a very quiet book. Yet it is a very lovely book.
One of the things that draws people to Denmark is the fact that Hans Christan ( 1805 - 1875 ) Andersen was born and lived there. In fact, Odenese most make a fortune out of tourists. It's a lovely town. Very quiet, yet very busy like this book. I've been to Shakespeare's Birthplace and other houses, I've been to various castles, I've been to various museums. Yet the Andersen birthplace was quiet, peaceful. It's true that most tourists gather at the centre and irgnore the birthplace, which is rather sad. In many ways, because it is so simple, it is so beautiful. But even the centre, though more crowded is peaceful. Usually such places are beautiful but full. For instance, Delf, in the Netherlands, is a huge draw because of its Delfware. Most tourists hang out in the town center, traveling from shop to shop looking for the best prices. The other places in Delf, such as Catherine's Gate, or the burial place of the supposedly French Dauphin are far quieter and somehow better because your average tourist doesn't go there. Your average tourist goes to the Andersen center, yet acts like he is off the beaten track.
Dalkey's retelling of one of the most popular tales "The Nightingale" is good. She changes the setting to that of Japan and makes the tale one about first love, long love, and people rather than huge events.
I think that Andersen himself would have enjoyed the book. I'm not extactly sure why I think this. Perhaps because what I remember most about Andersen is his grave. Andersen is buried in Copenhague, yet when he was first buried, he was buried next to his friend Edvard Collin and Collin's wife. Husband and wife were moved, leaving Andersen alone (very like the way he had been treated in life). Today, the grave is celebrated and much visited. The story about his burial and the fact that despite the visits of fans and lovers of his work, he is alone when he didn't want to be. This novel, this retelling, is about love and people, about the desire to not be alone. I think he would've liked that.
One of the things that draws people to Denmark is the fact that Hans Christan ( 1805 - 1875 ) Andersen was born and lived there. In fact, Odenese most make a fortune out of tourists. It's a lovely town. Very quiet, yet very busy like this book. I've been to Shakespeare's Birthplace and other houses, I've been to various castles, I've been to various museums. Yet the Andersen birthplace was quiet, peaceful. It's true that most tourists gather at the centre and irgnore the birthplace, which is rather sad. In many ways, because it is so simple, it is so beautiful. But even the centre, though more crowded is peaceful. Usually such places are beautiful but full. For instance, Delf, in the Netherlands, is a huge draw because of its Delfware. Most tourists hang out in the town center, traveling from shop to shop looking for the best prices. The other places in Delf, such as Catherine's Gate, or the burial place of the supposedly French Dauphin are far quieter and somehow better because your average tourist doesn't go there. Your average tourist goes to the Andersen center, yet acts like he is off the beaten track.
Dalkey's retelling of one of the most popular tales "The Nightingale" is good. She changes the setting to that of Japan and makes the tale one about first love, long love, and people rather than huge events.
I think that Andersen himself would have enjoyed the book. I'm not extactly sure why I think this. Perhaps because what I remember most about Andersen is his grave. Andersen is buried in Copenhague, yet when he was first buried, he was buried next to his friend Edvard Collin and Collin's wife. Husband and wife were moved, leaving Andersen alone (very like the way he had been treated in life). Today, the grave is celebrated and much visited. The story about his burial and the fact that despite the visits of fans and lovers of his work, he is alone when he didn't want to be. This novel, this retelling, is about love and people, about the desire to not be alone. I think he would've liked that.
July 30, 2014
The word I would use to describe this book is utterly charming. When I found this fairytale retelling set in Heian Japan, a time period I studied in college and continues to fascinate me, I knew I had to read it.
Minus one sensual scene and an undercurrent of the sexual freedom that was part of the Heian period, the tone of this book is very middle-grade. The characters remain the same, clear good and bad guys, and moral messages. This isn't bad because it helps create the simplistic fairy tale mood of the story. Dalkey clearly did her research and I loved living court life through the story.
However, there were some anachronisms such as Zen Buddhism, ronin, etc. - things that did not exist in the Heian era. These inclusions felt more like exoticizing Japan and presenting the Western image of Samurai!Sushi!Geisha!Hello Kitty!Japan instead of Japan itself. I also didn't like how the more sexually provacative women were, of course, evil and conniving.
But despite my problems, I would give this book to an early teen to spark interest in Japan and its history and hope it would inspire them to further research. The Nightingale is charming with beautiful language and images, but little depth and old-fashioned morality - just like a fairy tales themselves.
Minus one sensual scene and an undercurrent of the sexual freedom that was part of the Heian period, the tone of this book is very middle-grade. The characters remain the same, clear good and bad guys, and moral messages. This isn't bad because it helps create the simplistic fairy tale mood of the story. Dalkey clearly did her research and I loved living court life through the story.
However, there were some anachronisms such as Zen Buddhism, ronin, etc. - things that did not exist in the Heian era. These inclusions felt more like exoticizing Japan and presenting the Western image of Samurai!Sushi!Geisha!Hello Kitty!Japan instead of Japan itself. I also didn't like how the more sexually provacative women were, of course, evil and conniving.
But despite my problems, I would give this book to an early teen to spark interest in Japan and its history and hope it would inspire them to further research. The Nightingale is charming with beautiful language and images, but little depth and old-fashioned morality - just like a fairy tales themselves.
June 16, 2009
I didn't plan on liking this book, actually. Tam Lin was the first of the Fairy Tale Series that I'd read, and after reading a couple others, I thought I'd happened upon the best of them and half-decided not to bother with any others. But I'd put The Nightingale on hold a while ago, so when it showed up I decided to read it.
The prose was lovely, sweet, and delicate. The setting was well-drawn and understandable, even to those of us who don't know much Japanese history. The characters weren't terribly compelling to me--they all seemed distant and somehow unemotional. (And the romantic in me is muttering and grumbling about the inadequacy of the novel's love story.)
But the story itself is an intelligent, creative departure from Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale of the same name. To be perfectly honest, it was a fairy tale I had forgotten until I read the afterward and was reminded. I would recommend it without hesitation for those who enjoy fairytales, but are a bit tired of reading about Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, or Sleeping Beauty. =)
The prose was lovely, sweet, and delicate. The setting was well-drawn and understandable, even to those of us who don't know much Japanese history. The characters weren't terribly compelling to me--they all seemed distant and somehow unemotional. (And the romantic in me is muttering and grumbling about the inadequacy of the novel's love story.)
But the story itself is an intelligent, creative departure from Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale of the same name. To be perfectly honest, it was a fairy tale I had forgotten until I read the afterward and was reminded. I would recommend it without hesitation for those who enjoy fairytales, but are a bit tired of reading about Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, or Sleeping Beauty. =)
November 3, 2025
I have owned this book since 1992, and just got around to reading it. It was a gift from a friend who fell in love with the Fairy Tale series as I did with
, and gave me another from the series. This was the only one I never read, and I don't know why. I liked or loved all of the other eight books in the series.
The series was organized and edited by Terri Windling, another author I like a lot, and there are some standouts for sure. The list of books, if you like retellings of fairy tales or the like is here-
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
If the covers don't inspire you to run to your nearby (used) bookstore, then you haven't looked closely enough. Thomas Canty is a wonder.
Anyway, this book. I liked it a lot. It is based on Hans Christian Anderson's tale of the same name. The original is set in China, and this one is set in Japan. There is a lot more of character study in this one as well, and the story is lovely. It is a bit of a quiet book, but I never lost interest. I definitely enjoyed other books from that original series than this one, but I am so glad I finally got to it.
But seriously, check out some of the books from that list. Jane Yolen's and Steven Brust's are particularly good, but they are all worth checking out.
, and gave me another from the series. This was the only one I never read, and I don't know why. I liked or loved all of the other eight books in the series. The series was organized and edited by Terri Windling, another author I like a lot, and there are some standouts for sure. The list of books, if you like retellings of fairy tales or the like is here-
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
If the covers don't inspire you to run to your nearby (used) bookstore, then you haven't looked closely enough. Thomas Canty is a wonder.
Anyway, this book. I liked it a lot. It is based on Hans Christian Anderson's tale of the same name. The original is set in China, and this one is set in Japan. There is a lot more of character study in this one as well, and the story is lovely. It is a bit of a quiet book, but I never lost interest. I definitely enjoyed other books from that original series than this one, but I am so glad I finally got to it.
But seriously, check out some of the books from that list. Jane Yolen's and Steven Brust's are particularly good, but they are all worth checking out.
March 9, 2021
Fairy tale
A fantasy based on The Nightingale by Hans Christian Anderson set in Japan rather than China. This was so wonderfully written and captured my attention throughout. I now have to read the original although the summary at the end of the story was enlightening.
A fantasy based on The Nightingale by Hans Christian Anderson set in Japan rather than China. This was so wonderfully written and captured my attention throughout. I now have to read the original although the summary at the end of the story was enlightening.
December 31, 2017
Enjoyable fantasy based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale of the same name.
June 30, 2020
A haunting historical fantasy set at the Japanese Imperial Court--a tale of love and magic and poetry.
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee (1989).
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee (1989).
Read
October 20, 2021What a sweet little book! I can't believe I TBR ed it for nine years
August 3, 2010
Over the course of the last year and a half, I have been reading Terri Windling’s fairy tales series. Each book was written by a different author and retold a different fairy tale, often changing the original tale to form something unique. Some of the books, (like Jane Yolen’s Broar Rose), were brilliant, some were enjoyable and some fell very flat for me. And so, I never know what to expect when I pick up one of these books.
The Nightingale is a retelling of a classic Hans Christian Anderson story. In the original, the Emperor of China discovers a nightingale who sings the sweetest songs he ever heard. At first she is treasured and loved but when the Emperor is given a fantastically jeweled clockwork bird, he rejects the nightingale and drives her from his court. Eventually, he comes to regret this when the mechanical bird breaks and he is left on his deathbed with no one to sing for him. But then the nightingale returns and sings so sweetly she charms death into leaving without the Emperor, saving his life.
In Kara Dalkey’s version, the story takes place in Japan and instead of a literal bird, the “nightingale” in question is a young girl, Uguisu, who plays the flute. Uguisu is being guided by the spirit of one of her ancestors but as she gets closer to the Emperor, she learns that her spirit guise is a malevolent one, bent on vengeance and destruction. Although Uguisu is ordered to submit to the Emperor and is well placed to become Empress if she does, she refuses his advances in order to protect him. Eventually, she is rejected and banished while a foreign courtesan takes her place in the Emperor’s affections. Still the courtesan is not what she seems and Uguisu (and other faithful friends) must risk everything to save their Emperor from death.
I thought the author was very respectful of the original story. There were elements of the book seemed to echo some of Han Christian Anderson’s writing. I was reminded of the Little Mermaid when Uguisu chooses to save her royal lover despite the costs to herself. Also bringing in the malevolent spirit made the Emperor’s illness and possible death more plausible to a modern audience as opposed to in the original story when the Emperor fell ill because he was pining for the Nightingale’s song. I also loved the use of poetry in the book. It really added a lot interest and flavor to the book.
Overall, I would have to say that The Nightingale was definitely one of the better parts of this series and that if you have interest in fairy tale literature, then you might want to check it out.
The Nightingale is a retelling of a classic Hans Christian Anderson story. In the original, the Emperor of China discovers a nightingale who sings the sweetest songs he ever heard. At first she is treasured and loved but when the Emperor is given a fantastically jeweled clockwork bird, he rejects the nightingale and drives her from his court. Eventually, he comes to regret this when the mechanical bird breaks and he is left on his deathbed with no one to sing for him. But then the nightingale returns and sings so sweetly she charms death into leaving without the Emperor, saving his life.
In Kara Dalkey’s version, the story takes place in Japan and instead of a literal bird, the “nightingale” in question is a young girl, Uguisu, who plays the flute. Uguisu is being guided by the spirit of one of her ancestors but as she gets closer to the Emperor, she learns that her spirit guise is a malevolent one, bent on vengeance and destruction. Although Uguisu is ordered to submit to the Emperor and is well placed to become Empress if she does, she refuses his advances in order to protect him. Eventually, she is rejected and banished while a foreign courtesan takes her place in the Emperor’s affections. Still the courtesan is not what she seems and Uguisu (and other faithful friends) must risk everything to save their Emperor from death.
I thought the author was very respectful of the original story. There were elements of the book seemed to echo some of Han Christian Anderson’s writing. I was reminded of the Little Mermaid when Uguisu chooses to save her royal lover despite the costs to herself. Also bringing in the malevolent spirit made the Emperor’s illness and possible death more plausible to a modern audience as opposed to in the original story when the Emperor fell ill because he was pining for the Nightingale’s song. I also loved the use of poetry in the book. It really added a lot interest and flavor to the book.
Overall, I would have to say that The Nightingale was definitely one of the better parts of this series and that if you have interest in fairy tale literature, then you might want to check it out.
May 31, 2020
The Nightingale by Kara Dalkey is a historical fantasy novel about a beautiful flute-playing maiden who captures the heart of the Emperor, but her family plots to use her as an instrument of vengeance against him and seize the throne. The book is based upon the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale of the same name, but the story takes places in Japan about a thousand years ago.
This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting. There was a trend in dark, sexy fairy tale retellings for adults back in the 90s (it persists to this day, actually) and I’d assumed this was part of that trend, but it turned out instead to be a kid’s book. The writing lacks subtlety and sophistication, the characters are shallow, and the author’s gratuitous use of Japanese (konnichi wa!) was cringe-inducing. With that said, however, the characters are still likable, the plot was complicated enough to be interesting, and I liked the way it all came together in the end. I especially enjoyed the fun scene where the troupe of aristocrats follow the servant in a merry parade to find the mysterious flute-player. The book remains true in spirit to the original fairy tale, even if it bulks up the story with a lot of subplots and tons more characters.
It’s a pleasant book but light and fluffy, and I’d really only recommend it for a young adult audience; 3 stars, granted reluctantly. Honestly, I’d rather recommend to you another kid’s book by Kara Dalkey set in Heian-era Japan called Little Sister which I liked much, much more.
This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting. There was a trend in dark, sexy fairy tale retellings for adults back in the 90s (it persists to this day, actually) and I’d assumed this was part of that trend, but it turned out instead to be a kid’s book. The writing lacks subtlety and sophistication, the characters are shallow, and the author’s gratuitous use of Japanese (konnichi wa!) was cringe-inducing. With that said, however, the characters are still likable, the plot was complicated enough to be interesting, and I liked the way it all came together in the end. I especially enjoyed the fun scene where the troupe of aristocrats follow the servant in a merry parade to find the mysterious flute-player. The book remains true in spirit to the original fairy tale, even if it bulks up the story with a lot of subplots and tons more characters.
It’s a pleasant book but light and fluffy, and I’d really only recommend it for a young adult audience; 3 stars, granted reluctantly. Honestly, I’d rather recommend to you another kid’s book by Kara Dalkey set in Heian-era Japan called Little Sister which I liked much, much more.
January 7, 2022
Once again Terri Windling is a master at creating a collection. This is a not re-read for me as are most of the other in series Fairy Tales: A Series fantasy Novels Retelling Classic Tales. Kara Dalkey is utterly amazing and clever in this story transported to middle-age Japan.
Having Read...
the Nightingale by Kara Dalkey
Jack the Giant Killer by Charles de Lint
Fitcher's Brides by Gregory Frost
Reading and rereading as part of a Terry Windling's Fairy Tales: a Series of Fantasy Novels Retelling Classic Tales.
The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars by Steven Brust (pub:1987)
Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede (pub:1989)
Tam Lin by Pamela Dean (pub: 1991)
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen (pub:1992)
White as Snow by Tanith Lee (pub: ?)
My next read is the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars by Steven Brust
I recommend this book for any fans of the classic 'Tale of Genji' (the author, Lady Murasaki actually makes an appearance) or 'Pillow Book' and those of course following the series. Such a clever book!
Having Read...
the Nightingale by Kara Dalkey
Jack the Giant Killer by Charles de Lint
Fitcher's Brides by Gregory Frost
Reading and rereading as part of a Terry Windling's Fairy Tales: a Series of Fantasy Novels Retelling Classic Tales.
The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars by Steven Brust (pub:1987)
Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede (pub:1989)
Tam Lin by Pamela Dean (pub: 1991)
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen (pub:1992)
White as Snow by Tanith Lee (pub: ?)
My next read is the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars by Steven Brust
I recommend this book for any fans of the classic 'Tale of Genji' (the author, Lady Murasaki actually makes an appearance) or 'Pillow Book' and those of course following the series. Such a clever book!
April 11, 2016
This book is an adaptation of the fairy tale The Nightingale, moving the story to ancient Japan instead of China. The book, instead of dealing with birds, centers on a young woman flautist whose playing is so beautiful that she catches the ear of the Emperor. But she is under an ancestral obligation to repay a slight done to her ancestors from the Emperor's ancestors, which would result in calamity if the Emperor touches her. There are a great deal of Japanese superstitions and myths about ghosts, spirits and goddesses woven throughout the book, so I felt this was the best place for the review. The book was a quick read but not all that interesting. I couldn't really feel myself personally invested in the story, and the high use of little couplet poems as communication between characters I found a bit annoying.
November 3, 2011
Not as bad as the reviews lead me to believe, but still very lackluster. Lots of great details but the characters were overshadowed by the heavy handed spirit/demon plot. I was annoyed that the goddess solved everything, I wanted more to be due to the hard work of the people involved. I would have preferred that the "artificial nightingale" character not realize that she could only play one song. It would have been interesting to have it be that the Emperor realizes she only plays one song despite the fact that she keeps trying to play different ones. She has the magic to create a beautiful song to capture an Emperor's heart, but not the creativity to create new songs and that would have been a really nice touch. And he would like that one song but it would wear on him like if you were able to have your favorite food, but ONLY your favorite food for the rest of your life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2024
I first read this novel years and years ago, but honestly I didn't have the knowledge of Heian era Japan necessary to make much sense of it.
Earlier this year I took a deep dive into Heian era and learned a ton about it, so I was excited to revisit and see if that knowledge helped. It certainly did in some ways, though in others I still found it a little lacking; the ending in particular seemed entirely too Western. Too much happily ever after, not enough "bridge of dreams" melancholy and isolation.
Still, it was a really clever way to bring the Hans Christian Anderson story to life, with enough new elements to feel fresh and original and enough faithfulness to the source to be recognizable. So, as a retelling, I really can't fault it.
Earlier this year I took a deep dive into Heian era and learned a ton about it, so I was excited to revisit and see if that knowledge helped. It certainly did in some ways, though in others I still found it a little lacking; the ending in particular seemed entirely too Western. Too much happily ever after, not enough "bridge of dreams" melancholy and isolation.
Still, it was a really clever way to bring the Hans Christian Anderson story to life, with enough new elements to feel fresh and original and enough faithfulness to the source to be recognizable. So, as a retelling, I really can't fault it.
January 24, 2008
Kara Dalkey, The Nightingale (Ace, 1988)
During the late eighties, Ace Book released a series based on fairytales, of which this is one. Dalkey retells the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale of the nightingale, changing the setting to Japan (because, she says, she knows more about Japan than she does China) and extending it to novel length.
A fine little work it is. Dalkey has taken the cast of characters form the tale, expanded on it, and fleshed out the existing bunch to give us a fine little tale. It is well-paced, intricate, and a joy to read. Along the way, the reader also
gains some knowledge of various Japanese cultural traditions. Quite fun, and highly recommended. ****
During the late eighties, Ace Book released a series based on fairytales, of which this is one. Dalkey retells the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale of the nightingale, changing the setting to Japan (because, she says, she knows more about Japan than she does China) and extending it to novel length.
A fine little work it is. Dalkey has taken the cast of characters form the tale, expanded on it, and fleshed out the existing bunch to give us a fine little tale. It is well-paced, intricate, and a joy to read. Along the way, the reader also
gains some knowledge of various Japanese cultural traditions. Quite fun, and highly recommended. ****
January 16, 2009
Once upon a time I would read any fantasy that was based on a fairy tale. I'm a little more selective now, and when I was recently culling my bookshelves, The Nightingale didn't make the cut. It is only lightly fantasy, it's more about life at court in super feudal Japan with a few supernatural elements thrown in. I know more about court manners than I care to know. The Bridge of Birds, set in feudal China, is much more entertaining.
March 18, 2012
A retelling of Andersen's fairy tale moved to Japan and with both the Nightingale and her false copy recast as human beings. Both the depiction of the Japanese court and the unfolding of the intricate plot which features war, intrigue, ghosts and several twined romances are masterly. Charming and beautiful, despite a lingering sadness the ending leaves a smile on your face...
October 23, 2017
This was a smart take on the Nightingale story
As a fan of Japanese historical fiction this was wonderful. Sometimes in Japanese stories there is not a happily ever after. Love goes unrequited, evil ends and even good doesn’t fair to well either.
I was drawn into the world. Cultural details were not bogged down with history speak.
As a fan of Japanese historical fiction this was wonderful. Sometimes in Japanese stories there is not a happily ever after. Love goes unrequited, evil ends and even good doesn’t fair to well either.
I was drawn into the world. Cultural details were not bogged down with history speak.
December 1, 2008
I have been looking for this book for ages and I finally got my hands on a copy. It's a retelling of the story by Hans Christian Andersen, set in Heian Kyo instead of China. The change in setting works well.
maybe-read-sometime
June 12, 2012I wanted to read this. And I tried. It's a cool concept and some aspects are well-handled. But ... I've read The Tale of Genji and it was impossible not to be making comparisons in the back of my head.
Read
May 17, 2008Retelling of The Nightingale.
December 12, 2008
This story is fun, but was ruined by bawdy humor and one inappropriate scene. I hate it when authors ruin books like that. Totally unneccesary.
July 27, 2011
a fractured fairytale explains much of the japanese culture and the ideals of the buddist and shinto religions, a very nice story.
February 6, 2014
One of my favorite fairytale turned novel books.
February 11, 2016
Very interesting adaptation of the fairy tale. I enjoyed the story, culture, and characters, and would only have cut out some of the parts about the demons.
June 7, 2016
3 and a half stars.
September 15, 2017
This entire series is charming! You can thank Terri Windling for it, again and again.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews