Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - A Thousand Steps into Night

It follows Otori Miuko, a misfit in her small village where being loud, clumsy and a girl are not looked upon kindly. But after a run in with a demon, not only is she cursed (and slowly transforming into a demon whose touch can kill) Miuko has also been banished from her home. And if she ever wishes to return, she must embark on a journey to reverse the curse—whilst also attempting to foil the schemes of a demon prince, avoid demon hunters and plead her case to the gods.

I absolutely loved our fiercely determined (if a bit clumsy) protagonist, Miuko whose coming of age journey sees her overcome the (predominately demon shaped) challenges she has to face, learn to accept herself and embrace the differences that make her unique (and really quite powerful.)

The vast cast of characters,comprising of spirits, ghosts, gods and humans were all really intriguing (and I loved the unique tales and backstories we encounter) but I have to admit Geiki, the thieving bird spirit completely stole my heart with his antics.

The pacing was slightly slower than I anticipated but the rich world building more than made up it.

So, if you love Studio Ghibli or epic coming of age fantasy then I definitely recommend checking this out.

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annorabrady's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An expertly told story of self-discovery and gaining acceptance within society. The first part of the story focuses on feeling out of control and like a victim of circumstances while the second part examined the why of the things that happened and the acceptance of what was once seen as unbearable or unfair. The ending nicely wrapped up the story without jeopardizing the growth and development of any character in the story.

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spookily's review against another edition

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adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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yilliun's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Solid book exploring Japanese mythology and a journey to find oneself.

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herceia's review against another edition

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adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I got to page 100 and was done with the book. I couldn’t wait for it to be over and it just kept. Getting. Longer. I finished it bc I love We Are Not Free, but goodness this is not the fantasy book I thought would come out of Traci’s brain. The book is funny and combines modern with historic in an “our flag means death” kind of way, but I could not care less about our main character. She was always trying her best and never messed up and was fighting too hard for the world. And there were important themes I could tell that wanted to be a ~moment~ that just didn’t land and ultimately felt crammed in and predictable. The pacing felt too fast, and at some points, waaaaay too slow. It didn’t feel like the storytelling was focused. I can’t even remember half the things they did. A thousand things happened on the thousand step way and not in an entertaining way, but a “why is this important for the plot and why are there so many tertiary characters?” Way. I read a ton of YA fantasy and this was one of the least captivating. If it wasn’t Traci Chee, I would have stopped reading around pg 100. Every page turn brought me one step closer to the end but also brought on more nonsense from our main character and her struggle for self actualisation. If you’re in for a very light world that you don’t have to think about, but at the same time need to think very hard to remember all the characters and why they’re important, but you’re also just having a good time, but also not having a good time bc of all the bs the characters go through, you might enjoy it.

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pagelikebooks's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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cyan_altaria's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

A exciting tale of being true to yourself and defeating evil, all strongly rooted in Japanese mythology.

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leahb88's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This book reminded me so much of Look What You Made Me Do by TS because it the vibes of our protagonist coming into her own and learning how to be herself despite the world around her (plus the literal demon voice in her head with murderous thoughts). In general a fun-spirited book with a typical hero’s journey and crew of sidekicks.

A cool twist with alternate timelines

and ultimate lesson on the importance of friends and family. One thing I really enjoyed is the feminism undertones - badass female protagonist with no love interests at all!

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