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teresarosereads's review
I was planning to push through and give this book a full chance, but I got distracted from reading by school for a month and now all my motivation to finish it is goneš
I appreciate what this book was trying to do in giving voice to the female characters of a classic like Arabian Nights, but the style just wasnāt for me. It felt like one of those books that is mostly focused on having flowery, beautiful writing but feels like nothing is really happening in terms of plot which I donāt tend to like. I also didnāt like how many things were unexplained (at least not up to the part where I stopped) in terms of how the magic worked which I also donāt like in books. I like to know exactly how the magic works and itās limitations.
In terms of Arabian Nights retellings, I liked The Wrath and The Dawn much better!
I appreciate what this book was trying to do in giving voice to the female characters of a classic like Arabian Nights, but the style just wasnāt for me. It felt like one of those books that is mostly focused on having flowery, beautiful writing but feels like nothing is really happening in terms of plot which I donāt tend to like. I also didnāt like how many things were unexplained (at least not up to the part where I stopped) in terms of how the magic worked which I also donāt like in books. I like to know exactly how the magic works and itās limitations.
In terms of Arabian Nights retellings, I liked The Wrath and The Dawn much better!
uruseibaka's review
4.0
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Huge thanks to the Disney Book Group for giving me access to an eARC.
This retelling is uniquely beautiful in a thousand ways. The plot was simple but E.K. Johnston's soothing writing style adds the dash of magic the story needs. It had a slow start but as you read on, it will give you more than what you expect. To the curious readers, this is nothing like The Wrath and the Dawn, they're just based on the same classic and have a few identical basic facts. Otherwise, the authors have re-imagined them with their own distinct voices.
I really recommend this if you're looking for a light fantasy retelling.
Huge thanks to the Disney Book Group for giving me access to an eARC.
This retelling is uniquely beautiful in a thousand ways. The plot was simple but E.K. Johnston's soothing writing style adds the dash of magic the story needs. It had a slow start but as you read on, it will give you more than what you expect. To the curious readers, this is nothing like The Wrath and the Dawn, they're just based on the same classic and have a few identical basic facts. Otherwise, the authors have re-imagined them with their own distinct voices.
I really recommend this if you're looking for a light fantasy retelling.
dilchh's review against another edition
2.0
Iāve said it once and Iāll say it again; I love retelling. It is my guilty pleasure, because most often than not, retellings are disappointing to me, but I can never stop when I see one. Just last year, I had the unfortunate chance to read The Wrath and the Dawn and I have to say, I hated it. I hate everything about the book, from the protagonistās voice, the āhey-letās-help-the-damsel-in-distressā trope, the āwoops-didnāt-plant-to-fall-in-love-with-you-because-Iām-a-strong-independent-woman-but-hey-here-we-areā trope; point is I hated it. That being said, I donāt know I tried really hard to get A Thousand Nights, because letās get real here, there is a big possibility that I would hate the story much like I hate the oh so predictable trope of The Wrath and the Dawn.
Butā¦. and itās a bit but, this book has beautiful cover, and I am a sucker for beautiful cover, so I had it in my heart that I should at least give this book a try. Surely, it canāt be as infuriating as The Wrath and the Dawn. Right?
First off the bat, the story is nothing like The Wrath and the Dawn, and thatās why this book got an extra star than the former. I am so beyond thankful we donāt get this disgustingly boring āwoops-didnāt-plant-to-fall-in-love-with-you-because-Iām-a-strong-independent-woman-but-hey-here-we-areā, and Iām not saying thereās anything wrong with falling in love, but really though? Your life is on the line and for some odd reason, you had the time to put love in there somewhere? I honestly never in the position of that, but surely I wouldnāt be give a hoot about love when my life is on the line. This book is more realistic, because there was never any mention about love blossoming, because letās get real here people, if youāre on a constant fear of when youāre gonna die, surely falling in love with your soon to be murderer is the last thing on your mind.
But, this book was still disappointing for me, because it is too slow. So. Very. Slow. I almost gave up the book, only to keep on marching because I was almost to the finish and I am curious to see how it ends. The whole time we read this book, we went back and forth aout Lo-Melkhiin and the girl talk about her sister bla bla bla, and we get into some side story and a little peak on why Lo-Melkhiin killed those girls. Itās like it is all a promise of something big, and thenā¦. poof.
Book ends.
Yeah sure we get a bit of a battle, but after trudging through the entire book full of talks here and there, I would want something a little bit more interesting. And I didnāt quite get it. Oh, and donāt get me started with the ending, I was clearly unhappy and I have so many questions, but I am trying to hold myself back here, because I really donāt want to give out spoilers. Bye.
Butā¦. and itās a bit but, this book has beautiful cover, and I am a sucker for beautiful cover, so I had it in my heart that I should at least give this book a try. Surely, it canāt be as infuriating as The Wrath and the Dawn. Right?
First off the bat, the story is nothing like The Wrath and the Dawn, and thatās why this book got an extra star than the former. I am so beyond thankful we donāt get this disgustingly boring āwoops-didnāt-plant-to-fall-in-love-with-you-because-Iām-a-strong-independent-woman-but-hey-here-we-areā, and Iām not saying thereās anything wrong with falling in love, but really though? Your life is on the line and for some odd reason, you had the time to put love in there somewhere? I honestly never in the position of that, but surely I wouldnāt be give a hoot about love when my life is on the line. This book is more realistic, because there was never any mention about love blossoming, because letās get real here people, if youāre on a constant fear of when youāre gonna die, surely falling in love with your soon to be murderer is the last thing on your mind.
But, this book was still disappointing for me, because it is too slow. So. Very. Slow. I almost gave up the book, only to keep on marching because I was almost to the finish and I am curious to see how it ends. The whole time we read this book, we went back and forth aout Lo-Melkhiin and the girl talk about her sister bla bla bla, and we get into some side story and a little peak on why Lo-Melkhiin killed those girls. Itās like it is all a promise of something big, and thenā¦. poof.
Book ends.
Yeah sure we get a bit of a battle, but after trudging through the entire book full of talks here and there, I would want something a little bit more interesting. And I didnāt quite get it. Oh, and donāt get me started with the ending, I was clearly unhappy and I have so many questions, but I am trying to hold myself back here, because I really donāt want to give out spoilers. Bye.
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
I've read the original Arabian Nights, and loved them (despite sexism and racism aplenty, as you'd expect).
Johnston has here recreated the feel and overall theme of the story of the King who beds and beheads (or otherwise offs) a wife every night, until one comes along who captures him and manages to outlive his lusts.
Lo-Melkhiin has killed hundreds of young women, but has done so under the influence of a demon controlling him. This difference means the man himself really is absolved from the responsibility of his actions, but also means our heroine is in that much more danger - it is an otherworldly creature that wants her dead.
His latest queen places herself in his path, saving her beautiful sister from becoming his next wife, and leaving her desert home, she bravely faces her impending death. Only to discover that she holds some power that stops him from strangling her... she survives the first night. Then the second... The court, which had barely acknowledged her, starts to include her in palace life.
But the demon inside Lo-Melkhiin still wants blood. And the Queen's family have not forgotten her...
Usually, magical realism doesn't agree with me. But in the context of a magical setting, it felt a part of it.
The Queen's love for her sister is quite touching, her strength and courage a welcome change from usual heroines in fairy tales.
There is no sexual content, though a little violence in the fantasy context. It may encourage teenagers to learn more about the original stories.
An interesting perspective on the Arabian Nights, though I must say I prefer the idea of a Queen who can talk her way out of death with three years of stories... (rather than one with random magical powers).
A good feel for the desert setting, and will be a good story for those who like stories of magic, demons and royalty.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.
Johnston has here recreated the feel and overall theme of the story of the King who beds and beheads (or otherwise offs) a wife every night, until one comes along who captures him and manages to outlive his lusts.
Lo-Melkhiin has killed hundreds of young women, but has done so under the influence of a demon controlling him. This difference means the man himself really is absolved from the responsibility of his actions, but also means our heroine is in that much more danger - it is an otherworldly creature that wants her dead.
His latest queen places herself in his path, saving her beautiful sister from becoming his next wife, and leaving her desert home, she bravely faces her impending death. Only to discover that she holds some power that stops him from strangling her... she survives the first night. Then the second... The court, which had barely acknowledged her, starts to include her in palace life.
But the demon inside Lo-Melkhiin still wants blood. And the Queen's family have not forgotten her...
Usually, magical realism doesn't agree with me. But in the context of a magical setting, it felt a part of it.
The Queen's love for her sister is quite touching, her strength and courage a welcome change from usual heroines in fairy tales.
There is no sexual content, though a little violence in the fantasy context. It may encourage teenagers to learn more about the original stories.
An interesting perspective on the Arabian Nights, though I must say I prefer the idea of a Queen who can talk her way out of death with three years of stories... (rather than one with random magical powers).
A good feel for the desert setting, and will be a good story for those who like stories of magic, demons and royalty.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.
slsj_'s review
1.0
DNF at 30% because I decided not to struggle through something I can tell I'm not going to end up liking in the end. For me it's to closely related to The Wrath and the Dawn which was amazing and a 5/5 star read. This just doesn't measure up.
beatrice_apetrei's review
4.0
A Thousand Nights , written by Canadian Writer E.K. Johnston, is a retelling of one of the most famous and known old pieces of literature which is The Arabian Nights, an Islamic tale about a vengeful King, wedding new girls every day, only to have them murdered by dawn, and the heroine that decides to pique his curiosity and intrigue by telling him different stories night by night, in an attempt to stay alive and forbid other girls from marrying him and suffer the same tormented fate as the hundreds dead maids.
The resume of this novel is similar to Arabian Nights *that is why this is a retelling and not a different story duh*. So the plot of this 21st century novel is centered on the heroine which remains anonymous, for she is the one narrating the story, and how she wants to save her sister from dying by stealing her fate. If the mad king would have to choose between the two, our courageous protagonist would not have been chosen, because she considered her sister lovelier and prettier than she. So by dressing in the most beautiful cloth they possessed, one sewed by her own sister, she tries to shadow her, by catching more attention and gets chosen in her place.
Arrived at the qasr - which is a desert castle, in the Middle East ā she deceives death dawn after dawn and is determined to discover the means of the kingās ā Lo-Melkhiin ā hatred, a man who has been called a good man and a better king years before.
The plot is very heavy so to say, it is deep, and has a lot of logic and information behind. The background, the characters they all have a story behind that supports the plot, which I think is very important in a novel, and most of the time this connection is missing!
The background is well-defined and lovely built/designed by the author. Compared to The Wrath and the Dawn, it is more detailed, it teaches you *the reader* a lot of things about their ways, how they lived and how they acted, and since the author has no *or seems not to have for me!* ancestry in old Islamic worlds, I think the background of this story shows how much documentation she had to do and how passionate she was about writing this novel!
I have to admit before continuing that I really do love The Wrath and The Dawn, it has a lot of drama and love, but they are very different, even though both claim to be retellings! The former is more concerned about showing and inviting you to take part for a short time in a very small part of medieval Islamic realm. It introduces you to servants, family, the qasr, the Skeptics, it shows you a world so different than your own! *especially if you are native European as I am* It is more about the connection between things and people, more about the heroes, or better said heroines, that hide behind a veil but do save the world. It shows you the strength and happiness of normal families, the differences between hierarchic classes.
The latter is so different, lovely none the less, but different! It shows you feelings, love, pain, hatred and anger. It helps you discover hidden things, and teaches you that strength lies in the most unlikely places. It is not so much about the world but mostly about the characters and what they are feeling.
They are both nice reads, I do recommend them both!
The resume of this novel is similar to Arabian Nights *that is why this is a retelling and not a different story duh*. So the plot of this 21st century novel is centered on the heroine which remains anonymous, for she is the one narrating the story, and how she wants to save her sister from dying by stealing her fate. If the mad king would have to choose between the two, our courageous protagonist would not have been chosen, because she considered her sister lovelier and prettier than she. So by dressing in the most beautiful cloth they possessed, one sewed by her own sister, she tries to shadow her, by catching more attention and gets chosen in her place.
Arrived at the qasr - which is a desert castle, in the Middle East ā she deceives death dawn after dawn and is determined to discover the means of the kingās ā Lo-Melkhiin ā hatred, a man who has been called a good man and a better king years before.
The plot is very heavy so to say, it is deep, and has a lot of logic and information behind. The background, the characters they all have a story behind that supports the plot, which I think is very important in a novel, and most of the time this connection is missing!
The background is well-defined and lovely built/designed by the author. Compared to The Wrath and the Dawn, it is more detailed, it teaches you *the reader* a lot of things about their ways, how they lived and how they acted, and since the author has no *or seems not to have for me!* ancestry in old Islamic worlds, I think the background of this story shows how much documentation she had to do and how passionate she was about writing this novel!
I have to admit before continuing that I really do love The Wrath and The Dawn, it has a lot of drama and love, but they are very different, even though both claim to be retellings! The former is more concerned about showing and inviting you to take part for a short time in a very small part of medieval Islamic realm. It introduces you to servants, family, the qasr, the Skeptics, it shows you a world so different than your own! *especially if you are native European as I am* It is more about the connection between things and people, more about the heroes, or better said heroines, that hide behind a veil but do save the world. It shows you the strength and happiness of normal families, the differences between hierarchic classes.
The latter is so different, lovely none the less, but different! It shows you feelings, love, pain, hatred and anger. It helps you discover hidden things, and teaches you that strength lies in the most unlikely places. It is not so much about the world but mostly about the characters and what they are feeling.
They are both nice reads, I do recommend them both!
cassie_books's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
2.5
pipn_t's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Good book, an interesting retelling.
celaenasalvatore123's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a miss for me. I thought I would like it and I liked some parts but most of it was boring. I don't think I will read the second book. I almost DNF'd this one.
cwritesu's review
- Okay, I picked this one up for its gorgeous cover, and because I have a weakness for Djinn tales.
- But, it wasn't for me. The writing felt slow and clunky and the characters didn't inspire any interest.
- I liked the overall concept and plot, but the writing itself didn't work for me. Sorry.