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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
6 stars.
what a fantastic way to start off my halloween read for the month! fans of inuyasha can rejoice in this epic fantasy steeped in japanese mythologies, from tricksters, to demons, to gods. we follow a girl named miuko who is used to living in the patriarchy where japanese girls can't even ride a horse without being accused of indecency. she is cursed to become a demon and, on her journey to reverse the effects, she makes unlikely friends along the way. there is nonbinary and trans rep and they don't die or get traumatized, yay! the antagonist is a monster like naraku or edward cullen, except nothing he says or does is romanticized and we have a smart heroine who sees that. the misogyny was horrible, sometimes scary, but justice was always served. my only complaints are that part 2 was really slow at first and it was rough seeing miuko constantly lose, despite my enjoyment of the lore. the misogyny was belaboring to the point of exhaustion at times but it's also because it's my lived experience and i hate seeing it on-page. all in all, a thousand steps into night was full of complex worldbuilding, superb character development, and the friendships and relationships were beautiful. it’s also a master class in how to fluidly write time travel. i hope people in their demon era enjoy it as much as i did!
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cover artist: kotaro chiba
what a fantastic way to start off my halloween read for the month! fans of inuyasha can rejoice in this epic fantasy steeped in japanese mythologies, from tricksters, to demons, to gods. we follow a girl named miuko who is used to living in the patriarchy where japanese girls can't even ride a horse without being accused of indecency. she is cursed to become a demon and, on her journey to reverse the effects, she makes unlikely friends along the way. there is nonbinary and trans rep and they don't die or get traumatized, yay! the antagonist is a monster like naraku or edward cullen, except nothing he says or does is romanticized and we have a smart heroine who sees that. the misogyny was horrible, sometimes scary, but justice was always served. my only complaints are that part 2 was really slow at first and it was rough seeing miuko constantly lose, despite my enjoyment of the lore. the misogyny was belaboring to the point of exhaustion at times but it's also because it's my lived experience and i hate seeing it on-page. all in all, a thousand steps into night was full of complex worldbuilding, superb character development, and the friendships and relationships were beautiful. it’s also a master class in how to fluidly write time travel. i hope people in their demon era enjoy it as much as i did!
---
cover artist: kotaro chiba
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Murder, Abandonment
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and the publishers! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read such a wonderful story!
I'm a little at a loss for words, having just finished this minutes ago and opening this up to write while it's still fresh. I don't know what I expected when I asked for this book when I requested— some fun little fantasy, and it IS but it's so much more— but I'm kind of left stunned right now.
A Thousand Steps Into Night is, at its core, a story about misogyny. That's something I did not expect, or at least not to the extent that it is. And it's handled tactfully and realistically, a frank but hopeful deconstruction of how misogyny affects women. In particular, it touches on aspects of misogyny present in Asian culture because of the setting. Misogyny is presented to us in every layer of the story, not just in the way men treat women but in how women struggle with what's expected of them, how they're supposed to act, even though many know it's not fair.
I'd even wager that misogyny at its core is the true villain of this story, even how it presents in the Big Bad.
Miuko is a character I didn't expect to cherish as much as I did, but she's one of the most genuinely endearing and likable protagonists I've gotten to read about in a very long time. She struggles with her place in the world— or the place she's been told she belongs in by society— and her transformation into a demon is a very literal image of that. She's kind, and earnest, and so, so very lost. And I love her.
All of the characters are charming, from the magpie spirit who becomes her dearest companion to the eccentric forest spirit she meets, and every character beyond that.
There's something of a fairytale vibe to this book, or a folk story. In many ways, it almost reminds me of the strange but charming vibe of Over The Garden Wall, despite them being completely different stories with different aesthetics and everything. Or Ghibli films, that whimsical strangeness that feels comforting. It's just... I don't know. It's just charming.
It's also gently, earnestly inclusive of LGBT characters. It has a host of nonbinary and trans characters, actively carving out a place for them in the world.
It feels worth mentioning that through the last fifty pages of this book, I was on the verge of tears for no good reason. I wasn't sad, just... overwhelmed in the best possible way. I'd grown so very attached to these characters, and they were all so earnest, I wasn't ready to let them go.
So... yeah. I like this book a normal amount, haha! On a serious note, I don't know if this will be a standalone or if the author will ever write sequels or books in the same world, but I will read them.
I'll cherish the time I spent with this book for a long time, I think.
I'm a little at a loss for words, having just finished this minutes ago and opening this up to write while it's still fresh. I don't know what I expected when I asked for this book when I requested— some fun little fantasy, and it IS but it's so much more— but I'm kind of left stunned right now.
A Thousand Steps Into Night is, at its core, a story about misogyny. That's something I did not expect, or at least not to the extent that it is. And it's handled tactfully and realistically, a frank but hopeful deconstruction of how misogyny affects women. In particular, it touches on aspects of misogyny present in Asian culture because of the setting. Misogyny is presented to us in every layer of the story, not just in the way men treat women but in how women struggle with what's expected of them, how they're supposed to act, even though many know it's not fair.
I'd even wager that misogyny at its core is the true villain of this story, even how it presents in the Big Bad.
Miuko is a character I didn't expect to cherish as much as I did, but she's one of the most genuinely endearing and likable protagonists I've gotten to read about in a very long time. She struggles with her place in the world— or the place she's been told she belongs in by society— and her transformation into a demon is a very literal image of that. She's kind, and earnest, and so, so very lost. And I love her.
All of the characters are charming, from the magpie spirit who becomes her dearest companion to the eccentric forest spirit she meets, and every character beyond that.
There's something of a fairytale vibe to this book, or a folk story. In many ways, it almost reminds me of the strange but charming vibe of Over The Garden Wall, despite them being completely different stories with different aesthetics and everything. Or Ghibli films, that whimsical strangeness that feels comforting. It's just... I don't know. It's just charming.
It's also gently, earnestly inclusive of LGBT characters. It has a host of nonbinary and trans characters, actively carving out a place for them in the world.
It feels worth mentioning that through the last fifty pages of this book, I was on the verge of tears for no good reason. I wasn't sad, just... overwhelmed in the best possible way. I'd grown so very attached to these characters, and they were all so earnest, I wasn't ready to let them go.
So... yeah. I like this book a normal amount, haha! On a serious note, I don't know if this will be a standalone or if the author will ever write sequels or books in the same world, but I will read them.
I'll cherish the time I spent with this book for a long time, I think.
3 1/2 rounded down but it’s a really good book!! I do recommend for a quick enjoyable read. It’s fast paced, which annoyed me SLIGHTLY but honestly it had great plot. I loved the message it sent and just a really nice book!
SPOILER ALERT
ps i loved the ending!! half demon half person?? having power but not letting it control her?? gorgeous.
SPOILER ALERT
ps i loved the ending!! half demon half person?? having power but not letting it control her?? gorgeous.
adventurous
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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
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:
Yes
3.5 rounding up for a happy ending. The writing has a dreamlike folktale quality which sometimes works against it. That being said, the characters are pretty fleshed out, and the interactions are mostly organic. The world building is solid. The best part is the plot. There's a fantastic mid book plot twist which just rocketed it straight into the 4ish category. Everything ties up neatly and there's no loss of momentum.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
I thought about giving this book a slightly lower rating but truth is, I loved it with all its flaws ❣️
I read a review about it being kind of a Ghibli movie turned book, and I would say that’s pretty accurate! This reads like a long fairytale. Personally, I really enjoyed all the details in the worldbuilding and the writing, which felt a little convoluted at times? I still liked it. It was my cup of tea tbh. Some characters are a little bit one dimensional, but in a fairytale I would say that's okay lol.
One thing I really disliked about this book was the superficial gender commentary– though I guess that could be explained by the target audience (this is a YA after all). However, even if it was kind of annoying, it didn't bother me enough to make me stop reading.
Would really recommend this book!
I read a review about it being kind of a Ghibli movie turned book, and I would say that’s pretty accurate! This reads like a long fairytale. Personally, I really enjoyed all the details in the worldbuilding and the writing, which felt a little convoluted at times? I still liked it. It was my cup of tea tbh. Some characters are a little bit one dimensional, but in a fairytale I would say that's okay lol.
One thing I really disliked about this book was the superficial gender commentary– though I guess that could be explained by the target audience (this is a YA after all). However, even if it was kind of annoying, it didn't bother me enough to make me stop reading.
Would really recommend this book!
adventurous
lighthearted
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:
Complicated