A Thousand Steps into Night
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
Longlisted for the National Book Award
From bestselling and award-winning author Traci Chee comes a fantasy perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli. When a girl who’s never longed for adventure is hit with a curse that begins to transform her into a demon, she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life, but along the way is forced to confront her true power within.
In the realm of Awara, where gods, monsters, and humans exist side by side, Miuko is an ordinary girl resigned to a safe, if uneventful, existence as an innkeeper’s daughter.
But when Miuko is cursed and begins to transform into a demon with a deadly touch, she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life. Aided by a thieving magpie spirit and continuously thwarted by a demon prince, Miuko must outfox tricksters, escape demon hunters, and negotiate with feral gods if she wants to make it home again.
With her transformation comes power and freedom she never even dreamed of, and she’ll have to decide if saving her soul is worth trying to cram herself back into an ordinary life that no longer fits her… and perhaps never did.
She never wanted an adventure. Now she has to survive one.
Gods and Monsters: A realm inspired by Japanese folklore, where Miuko must outfox trickster spirits, bargain with feral gods, and escape demon hunters on her quest.A Cursed Heroine: Once an ordinary innkeeper's daughter, Miuko is transforming into a demon with a deadly touch. To save her soul, she must risk everything she’s ever known.Unlikely Allies: Aided by a thieving magpie spirit and constantly thwarted by a mysterious demon prince, Miuko discovers that friends—and enemies—can be found in the strangest of places.Found Power: With her curse comes a power and freedom she never imagined. But will she choose to reclaim her old life, or embrace the monster she’s becoming?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Inspired by Japanese mythology, National Book Award finalist Chee's lavish, swiftly paced quest narrative follows plain, clumsy, and "uncommonly loud" Otori Miuko, 17, who lives with her innkeeper single father as part of the serving class in a crumbling village in the realm of Awara, where mortals exist alongside spirits and demons. When a dusk encounter with a malevolence imparts a spreading curse with both visible and invisible consequences, Miuko embarks on a two-week journey across Awara to break the curse before it consumes her. An endearing trickster spirit named Geiki contributes banter, camaraderie, and invaluable assistance as Miuko encounters demon-possessed princes, learns of a spirits hierarchy and the follies of gods, and faces injustice and peril at the hands of men and demons alike. Footnotes providing pronunciation as well as in-world historical and folkloric context enrich the text, and interrogation and analysis of gender, cultural sexism, and patriarchy add layers of contemporary resonance. Intricate plotting; a vivid, multifaceted cast; and immersive worldbuilding provide plenty for readers to sink their teeth into in this triumphant fantasy. Ages 12–up.
