Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Disney-Hyperion (2015), 336 pages
Description
Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, so when she is taken to the king's dangerous court she believes death will soon follow, but night after night Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, leading her to unlocking years of fear that have tormented and silenced the kingdom, and soon she is dreaming of bigger, more terrible magic, power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to rule of a monster.
User reviews
LibraryThing member dk_phoenix
There are many different kinds of stories. Scary stories, action stories, romantic stories, and then there are those stories that paint pictures with their words. This is what you’ll find in A THOUSAND NIGHTS. It’s a tale with a slow burn, with each piece of the world and the characters wrapped
This is not a fast book. This is not a book you should expect to sit down and burn through in a night. This is a story to savor, to allow to linger on your tongue as you savor the taste of salt, feel the hot desert air on your skin, smell the rich fragrance of warmed spices.
And all this before we come to the story itself. Ethereal, lyrical, and woven with shimmering threads, this is no typical retelling of “A Thousand and One Nights.” I would argue that it is no retelling at all. Rather, this is a story of the people in ancient history whose tale is almost never told—the women. The daily lives of women may have all but vanished from the historical record, but they were there, shaping the world with their power day by day. And in A THOUSAND NIGHTS, we have a character whose power literally shapes the world with her growing magic.
It’s a story of invisible people, a tale of a woman who finds the strength to sustain her in the worst possible circumstance, a story of those who do what they must to survive. Yes, it’s true—this is a story without names. But that’s the whole point, isn’t it?
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in fine cloth and carefully presented for the reader to unveil, bit by bit.This is not a fast book. This is not a book you should expect to sit down and burn through in a night. This is a story to savor, to allow to linger on your tongue as you savor the taste of salt, feel the hot desert air on your skin, smell the rich fragrance of warmed spices.
And all this before we come to the story itself. Ethereal, lyrical, and woven with shimmering threads, this is no typical retelling of “A Thousand and One Nights.” I would argue that it is no retelling at all. Rather, this is a story of the people in ancient history whose tale is almost never told—the women. The daily lives of women may have all but vanished from the historical record, but they were there, shaping the world with their power day by day. And in A THOUSAND NIGHTS, we have a character whose power literally shapes the world with her growing magic.
It’s a story of invisible people, a tale of a woman who finds the strength to sustain her in the worst possible circumstance, a story of those who do what they must to survive. Yes, it’s true—this is a story without names. But that’s the whole point, isn’t it?
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LibraryThing member bucketofrhymes
E K Johnston's books are magical, and this is no exception. Beautifully-written; elaborate world-building; the most incredible desert atmosphere.
LibraryThing member foggidawn
Lo-Melkhiin went hunting in the desert one day, and he came back changed. The powerful young ruler now has something cold and calculating at his heart, and though he is still fair, he is no longer beloved. How could he be, when he has killed hundreds of brides and seems to have an insatiable
I loved the sense of mystery and the wealth of authentic detail in this book. I have not run across many retellings of The Thousand and One Nights, and this one is particularly skillfully written. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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appetite for more? When he comes to the tents of this book's nameless heroine, she bravely steps forward to save her beloved, beautiful sister. She expects to die like all the others, but she finds that she can survive one day at a time -- thanks, perhaps, to her words and stories, which seem to have a mysterious power that they never had before. Can she use them save Lo-Melkhiin and his people from a powerful force of evil?I loved the sense of mystery and the wealth of authentic detail in this book. I have not run across many retellings of The Thousand and One Nights, and this one is particularly skillfully written. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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LibraryThing member brandileigh2003
3.5 stars (Liked it a lot)
I wanted to read A Thousand Nights because the premise of being a good storyteller being the thing that helps her to survive in the wake of thousands of dead wives at the hands of Lo-Melkhiin. The sound of the main character putting her life up as tribute rather than the
The desert setting was fascinating. I am not sure that I have read anything quite like it. But living surrounded by sand sets up a very different way of life than being in a more normal setting of country or city. The ways of survival are so different as well as the feel of the middle east with family formation being different (multiple spouses, the importance of sons and carrying on family name).
I loved the strength of the main character, as well as her intelligence. She realized so much about LoMelkhiin and the qasr. She made friends wherever she went although at first everyone seemed to avoid her, because I am sure they got attached to other wives only for them to die as well. But her mysterious power is a match for LoMelkhiin. She is the only one that realized and could confirm that he had been possessed by a powerful being, but she and his mom believed that there was still a part of the original LoMelkhiin still in there, fighting against.
I was captivated by the story, but it wasn't one that I could get fully immersed in because I would want to stop and think.
I like that romance wasn't really the forefront. She wanted to meet the real LoMelkhiin, but she def didn't love the demon that had taken over. It is more about family, friendship, politics to some extent, and magic.
I thought that is was going to be a cliffie ending for sure, but I love how it was wrapped up. The ending surprised me in a good way, because I wasn't sure how it was going to possibly wrap everything up, but it did, and I was happy with it.
Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC (advanced review copy). I am not paid for this review, and my opinions in this review are mine, and are not effected by the book being free.
Bottom Line: Great main character, and themes with a bit slower pace.
I wanted to read A Thousand Nights because the premise of being a good storyteller being the thing that helps her to survive in the wake of thousands of dead wives at the hands of Lo-Melkhiin. The sound of the main character putting her life up as tribute rather than the
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otherwise obvious choice of her beautiful sister shows me a lot about her priorities, and I love when family is one of the driving forces behind the development. Also, the sister left behind weaving the subtle magic trying to help her sister who volunteered to go in her place at home only strengthened that. The desert setting was fascinating. I am not sure that I have read anything quite like it. But living surrounded by sand sets up a very different way of life than being in a more normal setting of country or city. The ways of survival are so different as well as the feel of the middle east with family formation being different (multiple spouses, the importance of sons and carrying on family name).
I loved the strength of the main character, as well as her intelligence. She realized so much about LoMelkhiin and the qasr. She made friends wherever she went although at first everyone seemed to avoid her, because I am sure they got attached to other wives only for them to die as well. But her mysterious power is a match for LoMelkhiin. She is the only one that realized and could confirm that he had been possessed by a powerful being, but she and his mom believed that there was still a part of the original LoMelkhiin still in there, fighting against.
I was captivated by the story, but it wasn't one that I could get fully immersed in because I would want to stop and think.
I like that romance wasn't really the forefront. She wanted to meet the real LoMelkhiin, but she def didn't love the demon that had taken over. It is more about family, friendship, politics to some extent, and magic.
I thought that is was going to be a cliffie ending for sure, but I love how it was wrapped up. The ending surprised me in a good way, because I wasn't sure how it was going to possibly wrap everything up, but it did, and I was happy with it.
Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC (advanced review copy). I am not paid for this review, and my opinions in this review are mine, and are not effected by the book being free.
Bottom Line: Great main character, and themes with a bit slower pace.
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LibraryThing member swingdancefan
Based on the tale of Scheherezade, the woman who entertains a king nightly with her 1001 tales and escapes with her life, this story takes on a life of its own. In fact, in the end of the story, it talks about how the true story has already changed with retelling—which makes it into a precursor
Set in an unnamed time and place in the Middle East, only a handful of characters have names. The demon/king is one, the soldier/stonecarver another. A Skeptic (scientist) is named Sokath, His Eyes Uncovered, which made me laugh out loud upon reading it. (Bonus points to anyone who catches the reference. I wrote to the author to chortle over it, and she admitted it was deliberately done. Apparently, there are others, but I didn’t catch them.) The rest of the characters are identified by their occupation or relationship. Some reviewers have said that this made it difficult to identify with the point-of-view character, but I disagree. I think it gives her a degree of universality. She could be anyone who finds the bravery to save a beloved sister, and then her way of life. It must have been a challenge for the author to find ways for the characters to refer to one another without overusing pronouns!
I also love how the POV character refers to the father of her half-sister and herself as “our father,” to their home as “our home.” There was very little “my” in this story. This emphasized the familial bond for me.
The POV character starts out strong and gets stronger, developing true power as well as the moral compass to use it carefully. When she fears that her accidental creation has forced her sister into a marriage that she might not have wanted, she feels real guilt which rings true to the reader.
Lovely characters and believable plot. This is not a romance, although love does develop. Instead, it’s a story about finding the strength to do what needs to be done.
Possible objectionable material:
Hunting and killing of animals. Deaths of people through mystical and human means. A battle near the end. A family member dies in a flood. Reference to “smallgods” might bother those who believe that reference to any but one god is sacrilegious, or to those who prefer no reference to gods at all. The belief in household gods is appropriate to the culture. No cursewords. A married couple spends nights together, but the marriage is unconsummated. The POV character’s father has multiple wives (again, culturally appropriate).
Who would like this book:
It is billed as a children’s book, so probably age 10 and up. Although the POV character is female, I think boys could enjoy the story. Anyone who likes familiar tales that take on new life. Approximate Lexile: 920
Thank you, NetGalley, for the Advanced Reader e-book.
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of Scheherezade.Set in an unnamed time and place in the Middle East, only a handful of characters have names. The demon/king is one, the soldier/stonecarver another. A Skeptic (scientist) is named Sokath, His Eyes Uncovered, which made me laugh out loud upon reading it. (Bonus points to anyone who catches the reference. I wrote to the author to chortle over it, and she admitted it was deliberately done. Apparently, there are others, but I didn’t catch them.) The rest of the characters are identified by their occupation or relationship. Some reviewers have said that this made it difficult to identify with the point-of-view character, but I disagree. I think it gives her a degree of universality. She could be anyone who finds the bravery to save a beloved sister, and then her way of life. It must have been a challenge for the author to find ways for the characters to refer to one another without overusing pronouns!
I also love how the POV character refers to the father of her half-sister and herself as “our father,” to their home as “our home.” There was very little “my” in this story. This emphasized the familial bond for me.
The POV character starts out strong and gets stronger, developing true power as well as the moral compass to use it carefully. When she fears that her accidental creation has forced her sister into a marriage that she might not have wanted, she feels real guilt which rings true to the reader.
Lovely characters and believable plot. This is not a romance, although love does develop. Instead, it’s a story about finding the strength to do what needs to be done.
Possible objectionable material:
Hunting and killing of animals. Deaths of people through mystical and human means. A battle near the end. A family member dies in a flood. Reference to “smallgods” might bother those who believe that reference to any but one god is sacrilegious, or to those who prefer no reference to gods at all. The belief in household gods is appropriate to the culture. No cursewords. A married couple spends nights together, but the marriage is unconsummated. The POV character’s father has multiple wives (again, culturally appropriate).
Who would like this book:
It is billed as a children’s book, so probably age 10 and up. Although the POV character is female, I think boys could enjoy the story. Anyone who likes familiar tales that take on new life. Approximate Lexile: 920
Thank you, NetGalley, for the Advanced Reader e-book.
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LibraryThing member ohsillytwigg
With only 5 months between the publication of The Wrath and the Dawn and A Thousand Nights, frequent comparisons are going to happen and A Thousand Nights is going to suffer for it.
It's not a bad read and there's a few parts I like more than Wrath (like the MC's magic) but it's still missing
It's not a bad read and there's a few parts I like more than Wrath (like the MC's magic) but it's still missing
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something. Even on it's own merits A Thousand Nights is still a pretty middle of the road book. Show Less
LibraryThing member DarkFaerieTales
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: A simple read with a powerful message.
Opening Sentence: We do not know why we came from the sea to this hard and dusty earth, but we know that we are better than it.
The Review:
Just look at this book’s cover – it’s beautiful! The colour
The story is told from a young girl’s point of view in very simple words but the messages throughout hold a lot of power. The sisters share a close bond, such that one gives her life up for the other, and the other in return builds a living shrine for her and essentially transforms her sister into a ‘smallgod’.
“I am not you,” I said to her. I was not bitter. She had never made me feel the lesser, and she had only scorn for those who did.
“That is true,” she said. “And men will lack the imagination to see us as separate beings. For that I am sorry.”
“I am not,” I told her, and I was not, “for I love you more than I love the rain.”
I just realised that through the entire book I can’t recall her name being revealed. Everyone referred to her in different ways: Lady-bless, sister, daughter of my heart, but no one used her actual name. Even the synopsis doesn’t mention her name. Since the story is told in first person, the use of her name, or lack thereof, went unnoticed by me. In fact, most of the characters’ names weren’t revealed and rather than confusing things it made it a lot simpler because the reader doesn’t have to match names to a relationship. They were simply: mother, brother, father, maid etc. The only characters with names were:
Lo Melkhiin – the king possessed by a demon
Firh Stonetouched – his surname was given to him by the king due to his talent at carving stone
Sokath, His Eyes Uncovered – is one of the ‘skeptics,’ which I believe is another name for scientist
Small villages and encampments can spare folk to tend to the bones of the dead and the altars of the smallgods,but they cannot always spare a man to do nothing but think, no matter how great his thoughts. I had never met a Skeptic, and tonight I would.
Although the magic and power she has is bizarre, it sounds so real. First I was wondering how is it that she only realised she has this magic once she marries Lo Melkhiin? But as the story progressed I realised that the power she wields is all thanks to her family, especially her sister. Smallgods and their shrines are only created for the dead but because her sister created one for her whilst she was living, the resulting prayers create a special kind of magic. The more people that hear about her courage in taking her sister’s place and managing to survive, the more they pray to the living smallgod and subsequently, the greater the power she has. It still sounds weird but it makes far more sense than her uncovering this magic all of a sudden, plus it emphasises the bonds of her family.
Although she knows that all Lo Melkhiin’s other wives die very quickly, some lasting just a few days, she has no idea what kills them. Each night the girl thinks she will die and the following morning she’s shocked to have survived. She’s clearly afraid of his power but hides it well. Her determination was inspiring because each day she wills herself to survive another. Death might be an easier way out but she knows that once she dies, the demon will go after her sister and other innocent girls and she can’t let that happen. The demon within Lo Melkhiin is cruel, selfish and power-hungry and I thought he was the perfect villain for this tale.
She was not of my kind, yet there was some power to her that was not human, not quite. She did not die, and I wondered if I might at last have found a queen for whom I could set the desert on fire.
Although there are evil demons and a fair amount of fighting in A Thousand Nights, I found it to be a calming read. The writing is beautiful and there are many underlying messages within this story. Most importantly for me was her philosophical nature; it created a sort of trance whilst I was reading, reminiscent of a classic fairytale with a happy ending.
Notable Scene:
I feared that Lo-Melkhiin, the true one, had been locked so long inside a monster that he would be a monster himself, even if the demon were driven away. We had a demon for a king already; I did not wish to replace him with another.
FTC Advisory: Disney/Hyperion provided me with a copy of A Thousand Nights. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A simple read with a powerful message.
Opening Sentence: We do not know why we came from the sea to this hard and dusty earth, but we know that we are better than it.
The Review:
Just look at this book’s cover – it’s beautiful! The colour
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combination is gorgeous and I love the Arabian feel it gives. Since the story is set in the desert, the cover sets the tone for the book nicely.The story is told from a young girl’s point of view in very simple words but the messages throughout hold a lot of power. The sisters share a close bond, such that one gives her life up for the other, and the other in return builds a living shrine for her and essentially transforms her sister into a ‘smallgod’.
“I am not you,” I said to her. I was not bitter. She had never made me feel the lesser, and she had only scorn for those who did.
“That is true,” she said. “And men will lack the imagination to see us as separate beings. For that I am sorry.”
“I am not,” I told her, and I was not, “for I love you more than I love the rain.”
I just realised that through the entire book I can’t recall her name being revealed. Everyone referred to her in different ways: Lady-bless, sister, daughter of my heart, but no one used her actual name. Even the synopsis doesn’t mention her name. Since the story is told in first person, the use of her name, or lack thereof, went unnoticed by me. In fact, most of the characters’ names weren’t revealed and rather than confusing things it made it a lot simpler because the reader doesn’t have to match names to a relationship. They were simply: mother, brother, father, maid etc. The only characters with names were:
Lo Melkhiin – the king possessed by a demon
Firh Stonetouched – his surname was given to him by the king due to his talent at carving stone
Sokath, His Eyes Uncovered – is one of the ‘skeptics,’ which I believe is another name for scientist
Small villages and encampments can spare folk to tend to the bones of the dead and the altars of the smallgods,but they cannot always spare a man to do nothing but think, no matter how great his thoughts. I had never met a Skeptic, and tonight I would.
Although the magic and power she has is bizarre, it sounds so real. First I was wondering how is it that she only realised she has this magic once she marries Lo Melkhiin? But as the story progressed I realised that the power she wields is all thanks to her family, especially her sister. Smallgods and their shrines are only created for the dead but because her sister created one for her whilst she was living, the resulting prayers create a special kind of magic. The more people that hear about her courage in taking her sister’s place and managing to survive, the more they pray to the living smallgod and subsequently, the greater the power she has. It still sounds weird but it makes far more sense than her uncovering this magic all of a sudden, plus it emphasises the bonds of her family.
Although she knows that all Lo Melkhiin’s other wives die very quickly, some lasting just a few days, she has no idea what kills them. Each night the girl thinks she will die and the following morning she’s shocked to have survived. She’s clearly afraid of his power but hides it well. Her determination was inspiring because each day she wills herself to survive another. Death might be an easier way out but she knows that once she dies, the demon will go after her sister and other innocent girls and she can’t let that happen. The demon within Lo Melkhiin is cruel, selfish and power-hungry and I thought he was the perfect villain for this tale.
She was not of my kind, yet there was some power to her that was not human, not quite. She did not die, and I wondered if I might at last have found a queen for whom I could set the desert on fire.
Although there are evil demons and a fair amount of fighting in A Thousand Nights, I found it to be a calming read. The writing is beautiful and there are many underlying messages within this story. Most importantly for me was her philosophical nature; it created a sort of trance whilst I was reading, reminiscent of a classic fairytale with a happy ending.
Notable Scene:
I feared that Lo-Melkhiin, the true one, had been locked so long inside a monster that he would be a monster himself, even if the demon were driven away. We had a demon for a king already; I did not wish to replace him with another.
FTC Advisory: Disney/Hyperion provided me with a copy of A Thousand Nights. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
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LibraryThing member lilibrarian
The tale of a good king taken over by a demon who now kills all of his brides. Finally, one bride manages not only to survive, but to develop powers of her own, based on the love of her family and her people, that help her overcome the demon.
LibraryThing member Leah422
A curiously told reimagining of Arabian Nights…
Book Title: A Thousand Nights
Author: E.K. Johnston
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Retelling
Source: Kindle E-Book (Library)
"There is a fire in my sister," I said to him, "and I did not want you to have it." --Hmmm...she has some fire in her
Ratings Breakdown
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 3.5/5
The Feels: 4/5
Addictiveness: First half -2/5, Last half -4/5
Theme: 4/5
Flow: 2/5
Backdrop (World Building): 3.5/5
Originality: 4/5
Book Cover: 5/5
Ending: 4/5 Cliffhanger: No
Will I read more from this Author? I'm not sure...
Overall Rating: 3.8/5 STARS
My Thoughts
It was at the 80% mark that I realized no one had names in this book, except Lo-Melkhiin, but that could have been a title for him, and Sokath, His Eyes Uncovered (yeah that's what he was called every time). Even the main character, the girl, does not have a name, other than Sister or Wife. Everyone has a title (like brother, sister, or mother) instead of a name…it was all very odd…
The writing style in this book is less than desirable for me. I struggled at the beginning…but then somewhere along the way, I found this story's flow and was more and more interested in where it was going. Ultimately, I'm glad I stuck with this until the end, because it kind of blew my mind just how beautiful it really was…
Sex Factor: None, hardly even a mention…
Book Title: A Thousand Nights
Author: E.K. Johnston
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Retelling
Source: Kindle E-Book (Library)
"There is a fire in my sister," I said to him, "and I did not want you to have it." --Hmmm...she has some fire in her
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too...Ratings Breakdown
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 3.5/5
The Feels: 4/5
Addictiveness: First half -2/5, Last half -4/5
Theme: 4/5
Flow: 2/5
Backdrop (World Building): 3.5/5
Originality: 4/5
Book Cover: 5/5
Ending: 4/5 Cliffhanger: No
Will I read more from this Author? I'm not sure...
Overall Rating: 3.8/5 STARS
My Thoughts
It was at the 80% mark that I realized no one had names in this book, except Lo-Melkhiin, but that could have been a title for him, and Sokath, His Eyes Uncovered (yeah that's what he was called every time). Even the main character, the girl, does not have a name, other than Sister or Wife. Everyone has a title (like brother, sister, or mother) instead of a name…it was all very odd…
The writing style in this book is less than desirable for me. I struggled at the beginning…but then somewhere along the way, I found this story's flow and was more and more interested in where it was going. Ultimately, I'm glad I stuck with this until the end, because it kind of blew my mind just how beautiful it really was…
Sex Factor: None, hardly even a mention…
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LibraryThing member cablesclasses
Set in the Arabian desert many years ago, this is a tale about two sisters, inseparable and taught in the ways of their mothers, and how they must make a choice as to who will be the ruler's next wife. This ruler has had many wives over the years, each one dying on the wedding night. The unexpected
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happens not only in regard to the choice of bride but as life continues for the other. Now separated by distance, the sisters communicate through an untangible power that electrifies and protects. This power is attributed to being the smallgod that the wedded sister has become. This desert fairytale mixes the backstory of the ruler with the current happenings in his kingdom and the sisters' household. Fantasy element adds depth to an older tale. For fans of Rae Carson's The Girl of Fire and Thorns and those interested in desert culture. Audience: 12 and up. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibrarianRyan
I took a few days to think on this book before writing this review. It is a retelling of the classic 1001 Arabian Nights. Lo-Melkhiin is a prince in a desert place. He is not a good man. He is on his 300th wife. Most do not last one night. Until our “heroine” takes the place of her beautiful
The Queen does tell stories, which is partially what keeps her alive night after night. The other part, her lack of fear, or her ability to find something more fearsome than her husband.
This book was incredibly slow. It’s paced dragged on worse than a camel going through the desert. And then when it finally got exciting, it wrapped up way too quickly. The reader is left thinking, I spent all this time for that? In general I liked the story, but I didn’t love it. But over the last few days, I have come to see a concern in the story. This is an abuse story. There is no better way to put it. This is domestic abuse that is allowed because he is the King. Yet our “heroine” keeps coming back for more. She is doing it for her family, and so no other girl dies. However, this is not a message I want to read, or I would want my students or other teens to read. Some might say that the Queen finds her power in the end and makes everything better, but at what cost? There is a companion novel that I will eventually read, but for me this is not a novel I shall ever crack the cover of again.
#ReadHarder - book set 5000 miles from my location
#beatthebacklist #basilisk - a book with a fierce monster
#LitsyAtoZ
#MountTBR
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sister to become the new Queen. There is no jealousy, as this was a sacrifice; the queen did not want to see her sister die. Her beautiful sister deserved more. She deserved a husband and kids, and a life ever after. The Queen was the worker bee sister who became the sacrificial lamb.The Queen does tell stories, which is partially what keeps her alive night after night. The other part, her lack of fear, or her ability to find something more fearsome than her husband.
This book was incredibly slow. It’s paced dragged on worse than a camel going through the desert. And then when it finally got exciting, it wrapped up way too quickly. The reader is left thinking, I spent all this time for that? In general I liked the story, but I didn’t love it. But over the last few days, I have come to see a concern in the story. This is an abuse story. There is no better way to put it. This is domestic abuse that is allowed because he is the King. Yet our “heroine” keeps coming back for more. She is doing it for her family, and so no other girl dies. However, this is not a message I want to read, or I would want my students or other teens to read. Some might say that the Queen finds her power in the end and makes everything better, but at what cost? There is a companion novel that I will eventually read, but for me this is not a novel I shall ever crack the cover of again.
#ReadHarder - book set 5000 miles from my location
#beatthebacklist #basilisk - a book with a fierce monster
#LitsyAtoZ
#MountTBR
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LibraryThing member Velmeran
An interesting re-telling of the Arabian Nights tale with interesting characters, and a distinctive flavor, this book has a unique flavor worth sampling.
LibraryThing member pwaites
There’s an obvious One Thousand and One Nights influence to E.K. Johnston’s A Thousand Nights. But while A Thousand Nights may take its inspiration from the frame story, it is more of an original story than a retelling.
Lo-Melkhiin has gone through many different wives. Many die after a single
“Always, it seemed, men would overlook unpleasant things for the sake of those that went well. The statues’ eyes for the melodious sounds of the fountain. The deaths of their daughters for the bounty of their trade.
There was great beauty in this qasr, but there was also great ugliness and fear. I would not be like those men who turned their eyes from one to see the other. I would remember what those things cost.”
While mostly an original story, A Thousand Nights has the feel of a fairy tale retelling. It’s slower paced and reflective. It’s magical, but it’s a quiet sort of magic. The lack of names adds an intriguing element to it, which I think helps with the fairy tale feel. I think it may also be part of the book’s commentary on how women are often overlooked or left nameless, both in every day life and in the narrative of history.
The most admirable element of A Thousand Names is its heroine, who’s clever, brave and kind. Her relationship with her sister is one of the most central to the novel. This is one of the rare YA books without much romance, for which I was thankful.
I’d recommend A Thousand Names for anyone in search of a fairy tale starring a worthy heroine.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Lo-Melkhiin has gone through many different wives. Many die after a single
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night, some live for a brief span of days before finally dying as well. When he arrives at the village of the story’s unnamed heroine, she knows her sister will be the girl chosen. To save her sister, she chooses to sacrifice herself. When she reaches the palace, she begins to have visions and to realize that she might have a way to save herself and all the girls who would come after her.“Always, it seemed, men would overlook unpleasant things for the sake of those that went well. The statues’ eyes for the melodious sounds of the fountain. The deaths of their daughters for the bounty of their trade.
There was great beauty in this qasr, but there was also great ugliness and fear. I would not be like those men who turned their eyes from one to see the other. I would remember what those things cost.”
While mostly an original story, A Thousand Nights has the feel of a fairy tale retelling. It’s slower paced and reflective. It’s magical, but it’s a quiet sort of magic. The lack of names adds an intriguing element to it, which I think helps with the fairy tale feel. I think it may also be part of the book’s commentary on how women are often overlooked or left nameless, both in every day life and in the narrative of history.
The most admirable element of A Thousand Names is its heroine, who’s clever, brave and kind. Her relationship with her sister is one of the most central to the novel. This is one of the rare YA books without much romance, for which I was thankful.
I’d recommend A Thousand Names for anyone in search of a fairy tale starring a worthy heroine.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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LibraryThing member allison_s
First things first, Johnston is a hell of a writer. I'm definitely a plot-over-writing-style person, but I will always give kudos where they are due (and where they don't drag/bore me to tears), and this was just so finely crafted. I knew around the halfway point that this would go right up there
Our nameless narrator uses her unwavering bond with her sister to survive her tyrant husband, Lo-Melkhiin, for more nights than any of his previous wives. The tales she weaves for him and for the other palace inhabitants aren't just regurgitations of known stories or fables. They're tales of the desert in which she grew up, tales of her sister, tales that are still beautiful in their simpleness. She has conversations with the needlewomen, with her henna mistress, with one of the Skeptics (scientist-philosophers).
The inspiration may be an oft-used one, but the execution is very original.
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with Valente's "The Orphan's Tales" as one of my favorite takes on "One Thousand and One Nights". Our nameless narrator uses her unwavering bond with her sister to survive her tyrant husband, Lo-Melkhiin, for more nights than any of his previous wives. The tales she weaves for him and for the other palace inhabitants aren't just regurgitations of known stories or fables. They're tales of the desert in which she grew up, tales of her sister, tales that are still beautiful in their simpleness. She has conversations with the needlewomen, with her henna mistress, with one of the Skeptics (scientist-philosophers).
The inspiration may be an oft-used one, but the execution is very original.
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LibraryThing member brittaniethekid
The book started out promising though I felt the writing was a bit stilted, like it was written by a non-English speaker or a translation. It read like an old folk tale which I assume was the intention. I started drifting half way through, though. I just didn't care about any of the characters and
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reading about her daily life was monotonous and boring. The battle also seemed forced, like the writer had to prove one more time that the protagonist was a Strong Female Character but I was rooting for the weird mist demon things if only to finally end the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member nittnut
I really liked this YA riff on the Arabian Nights. It's full of magical realism and it's very unique.
LibraryThing member lexilewords
Twue Wuv did win the day, but not the romantic kind. The kind that is a secret shared and retold. The kind people seek, but never find where they think they will.
This wasn't a romance nor was this a book about how a girl overcame a tyrant. This was about two sisters who believed in the bond they
This wasn't a romance nor was this a book about how a girl overcame a tyrant. This was about two sisters who believed in the bond they
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shared and how that bond showed the world a different way. Show Less
Awards
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Adult Literature — 2016)
Governor General's Literary Award (Finalist — 2016)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2017)
White Pine Award (Nominee — 2017)
Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy (Finalist — 2016)
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015
Physical description
328 p.; 6 inches
ISBN
1484722272 / 9781484722275
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