Published by: Disney Hyperion, October 6th 2015
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Retelling
Pages: 336
Format: Ebook
Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.
And so she is taken in her sister's place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin's court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time.But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.
Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.
Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.
A Thousand Nights is magical and dark and empowering. From the first page it's rich with cultural details, and it all feels really respectful and authentic, which made me like this book from the start. And it's vivid. It really felt like I was there.
I liked the characters but I didn't love them. The main character is brave in a silent kind of way, which was great to see, and she fights her battles carefully. Lo-Melkiin is obviously a despicable demon, and he doesn't exhibit enough personality to form a connection with, but I really wish we'd seen more of the real Lo-Melkhiin, like maybe an insight into his thoughts throughout all this. I'd imagine he's a poor tortured child and I would love him.
My favourite thing about this book is the magic, which is brought to life by spinning and weaving and embroidering. This felt really, really original, and I couldn't get enough of it. I liked the story and the characters, but I LOVED the magic and the atmosphere of the book.
All in all, a remarkable retelling that I 100% recommend for its attention to detail and magic system.
I liked the characters but I didn't love them. The main character is brave in a silent kind of way, which was great to see, and she fights her battles carefully. Lo-Melkiin is obviously a despicable demon, and he doesn't exhibit enough personality to form a connection with, but I really wish we'd seen more of the real Lo-Melkhiin, like maybe an insight into his thoughts throughout all this. I'd imagine he's a poor tortured child and I would love him.
My favourite thing about this book is the magic, which is brought to life by spinning and weaving and embroidering. This felt really, really original, and I couldn't get enough of it. I liked the story and the characters, but I LOVED the magic and the atmosphere of the book.
All in all, a remarkable retelling that I 100% recommend for its attention to detail and magic system.
Characters ★★★☆☆
Setting/world-building ★★★★★
Yayyy you liked it! I'm so happy, I absolutely adored the story-telling element to this one but I agree that the characters weren't the strongest.
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