A Thousand Nights
by E. K. Johnson
Rating: 4/5
Pages: 336
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: October 2015
ISBN: 9781484722275
Summary (via Goodreads)
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.
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.
Review
My thanks to Macmillan for the review copy of A Thousand Nights.
A Thousand Nights is a beautifully charming version of a classic, a fresh fairy-tale that I couldn't put down!
I have always found stories like Aladdin and Arabian Nights to be of interest, therefore when I read the press release on A Thousand Nights, I jumped at the chance to read a review copy of the book.
A Thousand Nights follows the story of a young woman who sacrifices herself in place of her sister when the king comes to claim his newest bride. determined, strong-willed and brave, the young woman faces Lo-Melkhiin night after night, always wondering if she would see the following dawn.
The woman notices things about her new husband that she was not expecting, moments of kindness that a monster wouldn't reveal. With this in mind she begins to question the reality of her situation and wonder if the man still existed within the demon.
What I found interesting about this book is that the main character, the wife of Lo-Melkhiin, is never given a name. She is referred to as Lady-Bless by the other characters and, for the purpose of this review, I will be doing the same.
Lady-bless is very much a character who goes on a journey of self-discovery throughout the book. In the beginning she believes herself to be plain, ordinary and dull in comparison to her more beautiful sister. However, after leaving her family behind and moving to her new husband's home, Lady-bless finds out that she has her own inner strength that could save not just herself, but everyone in the kingdom.
I found the book to both gripping and well written. The idea behind the book is captivating and tells an interesting take on the backdrop of The Arabian Nights story where a woman uses her wits and intelligence to survive her marriage to a violent husband. The description of the desert and the it's surroundings allows the reader to become immersed within the story, almost being able to feel the intense heat, taste the sand at the back of their throats.
A Thousand Nights is set for release on 6th October 2015 and I would strongly recommend buying a copy.
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