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A Thousand Nights EK Johnston Books

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A Thousand Nights EK Johnston Books

This is the second retelling of 1,001 Nights I've read this year, and I liked it. I was concerned about reading it so close (within a few months) of reading The Wrath and the Dawn duology, because I adored that one. However, I needn't have worried because this was very different and enjoyable in its own right. A Thousand Nights follows an unnamed young girl who volunteers to become the bride of the king, Lo-Melkhiim, in order to save her sister. The king has been marrying young girls and murdering them under mysterious circumstances, and the narrator wants her sister to live. What follows is the story of how she manages to survive and attempt to solve the mystery behind her husband.
The mythology here was very different from The Wrath and the Dawn. It's a bit more mysterious and much less straightforward, and is never really fully explained. I found I really loved that about it, leaving an air of mystery even after the story was done. There was magic and religion and skepticism, and it was all entwined in interesting ways.

I also enjoyed the story, though it did move a bit slower than I would normally like. It was beautifully told, though at times did drag for me. I was interested, but there were times I had to put the book down and take a break because of pacing. The characters were all interesting, and the relationship between the narrator and her sister was beautifully shown through flashbacks and visions. While the characters were interesting, I didn't feel as connected to them throughout the novel as I wanted to, and because of that, the ending fell flat for me.
The last part I want to talk about was the what made the biggest impression on me. While the only named character is the king, the narrator often discusses the role of women in her society. She talks about how the men are okay with the king killing, as long as they're prosperous, whereas the women realize the true gravity of the situation. Throughout the story, the women's role is discussed, particularly when it comes to the power they can wield, as the men ignore them. I found that to be a very powerful theme.

Overall, I found this novel really enjoyable. If you're looking for a love story, this isn't really that. If you're looking for an interesting take on 1,001 Nights, this is definitely that. It has a fascinating mythology and beautiful writing that holds your interest. Despite some things that didn't quite work for me, I'm also interested in checking out the sequel, Spindle, which seems to be a take on Sleeping Beauty.


Tags : Amazon.com: A Thousand Nights (9781484722275): E.K. Johnston: Books,E.K. Johnston,A Thousand Nights,Disney-Hyperion,1484722272,Fantasy - General,Legends, Myths, Fables - General,Fairy tales,Fairy tales.,Kings and rulers,Kings, queens, rulers, etc,Kings, queens, rulers, etc.;Fiction.,Magic,Magic;Fiction.,Tales,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12),Fantasy & Magic,Fiction-Fantasy,JUVENILE,JUVENILE FICTION Fantasy & Magic,JUVENILE FICTION Legends, Myths, Fables General,JUVENILE FICTION Love & Romance,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile FictionLegends, Myths, Fables - General,Juvenile FictionLove & Romance,Juvenile Grades 10-12 Ages 15+,Legends, Myths, & Fables - General,Love & Romance,Science fiction (Children's Teenage),TEEN'S FICTION - ACTION & ADVENTURE,TEEN'S FICTION FANTASY,United States,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Fantasy General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Legends, Myths, Fables General,Young Adult Fiction

A Thousand Nights EK Johnston Books Reviews

The writing in this book is just so magical.

"A horse can get you somewhere quickly, but you cannot carry very much with you. A camel will take its time, but it will also carry your house if you ask it nicely enough."

The narrator has such a beautiful, well-thought-out voice. The fact that the only (main) character given a name is Lo-Melkhiin only adds to this feeling. It seems strange that this is the case, for as the book goes on, it certainly feels like you know the characters quite well. But their names are never revealed.

"But I would rather be patient and learn things in their own time, than force knowledge where it causes destruction."

The family dynamic was… interesting?

Obviously, the characters in this book live in a very different society than we do today. Her father has two wives, and she does talk about her sister’s mother quite often, and fondly, although she is closer to her own mother. Her father has only spoken to her and her sister a few times, and it is not very obvious to them whether he loves them for a good part of their lives. However, the whole (tribe? clan? I don’t remember!) tribe spends time together and works together. It makes for a very interesting dynamic and feel to the relationships in the book, and it was rather difficult for me to relate to. I was never really sure whether the multiple wives were happy? I hope so!

“Men pray in the morning and in the evening,” I said to him. “In the heat of the day, they speak to one another. They trade and they talk and they drink cool water. “Women pray waking and walking and working,” I said to him. “They pray with the spindle’s drop and the shuttle’s shift. They weave their words into the warp and the weft of the cloth they make, and they send that cloth out into the world where everyone can see it, and remark upon its beauty.” “That would wake the dead,” said Sokath, His Eyes Uncovered. His voice was breathless with awe. “I cannot imagine what it would do to the living.” “To a living woman,” I said to him. “To a woman who saved a sister who loved her,” he said to me. “And saved all the other girls in her village. And came to the qasr. And did not die in the night.“

Originally posted on Bursting with Books.
This is the second retelling of 1,001 Nights I've read this year, and I liked it. I was concerned about reading it so close (within a few months) of reading The Wrath and the Dawn duology, because I adored that one. However, I needn't have worried because this was very different and enjoyable in its own right. A Thousand Nights follows an unnamed young girl who volunteers to become the bride of the king, Lo-Melkhiim, in order to save her sister. The king has been marrying young girls and murdering them under mysterious circumstances, and the narrator wants her sister to live. What follows is the story of how she manages to survive and attempt to solve the mystery behind her husband.
The mythology here was very different from The Wrath and the Dawn. It's a bit more mysterious and much less straightforward, and is never really fully explained. I found I really loved that about it, leaving an air of mystery even after the story was done. There was magic and religion and skepticism, and it was all entwined in interesting ways.

I also enjoyed the story, though it did move a bit slower than I would normally like. It was beautifully told, though at times did drag for me. I was interested, but there were times I had to put the book down and take a break because of pacing. The characters were all interesting, and the relationship between the narrator and her sister was beautifully shown through flashbacks and visions. While the characters were interesting, I didn't feel as connected to them throughout the novel as I wanted to, and because of that, the ending fell flat for me.
The last part I want to talk about was the what made the biggest impression on me. While the only named character is the king, the narrator often discusses the role of women in her society. She talks about how the men are okay with the king killing, as long as they're prosperous, whereas the women realize the true gravity of the situation. Throughout the story, the women's role is discussed, particularly when it comes to the power they can wield, as the men ignore them. I found that to be a very powerful theme.

Overall, I found this novel really enjoyable. If you're looking for a love story, this isn't really that. If you're looking for an interesting take on 1,001 Nights, this is definitely that. It has a fascinating mythology and beautiful writing that holds your interest. Despite some things that didn't quite work for me, I'm also interested in checking out the sequel, Spindle, which seems to be a take on Sleeping Beauty.