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A review by allisonwonderlandreads
A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.0
This adventure is funny from page one. I'm far more used to ya fantasy relying on angst and despair, etc., so this approach was glittering and exciting for me from the start.
Miuko is a gloriously chaotic protagonist who speaks her mind even when inconvenient (for herself as much as anyone else) and loudly enough for all to hear. When she is cursed to slowly turn into a malevolence demon, Miuko takes up with an even more chaotic magpie shapeshifter spirit, Geiki, who likes shiny things as much as he dislikes superfluous (all of them) rules. Another pleasant departure from genre norms is that this friendship never becomes romantic. Miuko thinks Geiki's handsome, so I think if you want to ship it as a future option, go for it, but during this story's timeline, her feelings are firmly platonic and no less fierce for it. There's no pining, no jealousy, no toxic possessiveness.
In their quest for information on breaking the curse, a library B&E is necessary because women aren't allowed, and their ridiculous escapades valiantly returned all the missing joy from my life. I also appreciated the footnotes, which range from helpful to snarky. My favorites were the swear words, with footnotes assuring us they were too rude to translate while also providing grammatical options for our own usage.
Sexism is a sad reality in this world, but it fuels both plot and humor as Miuko expands her horizons. There's also non-binary and trans representation. While the gender binary is pretty strongly adhered to among humans, non-binary humans can serve as priests, and demons and spirits can do whatever they want because human rules are stupid and limiting. I appreciate the author's message on gender and power. Miuko ponders that yes, she has limited power as a girl, but she also doesn't want to wield power in the way men do. I did find that the resolution of the conversation was pretty simplistic and happy-go-lucky, but it was thoughtful overall.
My only problem while reading was that the humor nearly evaporated in the latter half of the book in conjunction with a plot shift that I didn't fully dislike but was less engaging for me nonetheless. A time travel element didn't fully make sense to my small brain, and a complete changeover to a new set of supporting cast members had a lesser claim on my heart.
This is a solid ya fantasy read, all the more pleasant for the ways that it dodges the expected, tired pitfalls of the genre. It has a lovely approach to gender with a triumph over power structures that assign worth on a strict system according to gender binary. If you're looking for a ya fantasy read with laughs and colorful, snappy world-building, this would be a great read for you.
Miuko is a gloriously chaotic protagonist who speaks her mind even when inconvenient (for herself as much as anyone else) and loudly enough for all to hear. When she is cursed to slowly turn into a malevolence demon, Miuko takes up with an even more chaotic magpie shapeshifter spirit, Geiki, who likes shiny things as much as he dislikes superfluous (all of them) rules. Another pleasant departure from genre norms is that this friendship never becomes romantic. Miuko thinks Geiki's handsome, so I think if you want to ship it as a future option, go for it, but during this story's timeline, her feelings are firmly platonic and no less fierce for it. There's no pining, no jealousy, no toxic possessiveness.
In their quest for information on breaking the curse, a library B&E is necessary because women aren't allowed, and their ridiculous escapades valiantly returned all the missing joy from my life. I also appreciated the footnotes, which range from helpful to snarky. My favorites were the swear words, with footnotes assuring us they were too rude to translate while also providing grammatical options for our own usage.
Sexism is a sad reality in this world, but it fuels both plot and humor as Miuko expands her horizons. There's also non-binary and trans representation. While the gender binary is pretty strongly adhered to among humans, non-binary humans can serve as priests, and demons and spirits can do whatever they want because human rules are stupid and limiting. I appreciate the author's message on gender and power. Miuko ponders that yes, she has limited power as a girl, but she also doesn't want to wield power in the way men do. I did find that the resolution of the conversation was pretty simplistic and happy-go-lucky, but it was thoughtful overall.
My only problem while reading was that the humor nearly evaporated in the latter half of the book in conjunction with a plot shift that I didn't fully dislike but was less engaging for me nonetheless. A time travel element didn't fully make sense to my small brain, and a complete changeover to a new set of supporting cast members had a lesser claim on my heart.
This is a solid ya fantasy read, all the more pleasant for the ways that it dodges the expected, tired pitfalls of the genre. It has a lovely approach to gender with a triumph over power structures that assign worth on a strict system according to gender binary. If you're looking for a ya fantasy read with laughs and colorful, snappy world-building, this would be a great read for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Violence, and Abandonment
Minor: Confinement, Animal death, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, War, Classism, and Domestic abuse