A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston
Reviewed by: Barb Rude, Reference Assistant
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Suggested Age: Teens
What is the book about?: A Thousand Nights is a retelling of 1001 Nights. A young girl steps up to be the next bride of the king so her sister can be spared from being murdered on the wedding night. The sisters conspire to create a shrine in the new bride’s honor, making her into a smallgod. This magic keeps her safe and helps her survive in the palace, where the king still tries to kill her every night with a dark magic.
My Review: It’s interesting that this year two retellings of the same tale were released in the YA market—The Wrath and the Dawn came out over the summer, and I reviewed that as well. These two books could not be more different. A Thousand Nights has whimsy, beauty, and terror. The protagonist embraces the magic provided by her family’s faith in her and channels it to protect others who are harmed by the king. The descriptions are lyrical and the characters vivid—though only the king ever gets named, I was never confused and didn’t even notice until the end when the author mentioned her use of the naming technique in her acknowledgements. That’s how much I enjoyed the story.
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!