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unsure's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
I highly recommend. All of the characters are well written and complex, but still likeable. The villain and the main character act as foils to each other, but both of their motives are easily understood.
This is such a good look into the impact of power on a person's character, and the importance of choice and freedom.
This is such a good look into the impact of power on a person's character, and the importance of choice and freedom.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, and War
pagelikebooks's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Abandonment
Moderate: Colonisation and War
Minor: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Transphobia
leahb88's review against another edition
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
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
5.0
A THOUSAND STEPS INTO NIGHT features a girl who begins turning into a demon, abruptly unmooring her from the misogynistic confines of her ordinary life.
I enjoyed Miuko's rapport with the bird spirit, their friendship provided a lot of levity in otherwise stressful moments. The various spirits and demons felt a bit numerous sometimes (especially when I have trouble keeping track of character names), but this felt very accommodating of my inability to keep track of them and I didn't get lost.
The worldbuilding is wonderful, Miuko sometimes pauses to explain something, but it's always right when it's needed. This is generally free of anything resembling infodumps, as the explanations are a natural part of Miuko processing what's happening around her. I enjoyed the audiobook immensely, the narrator did an excellent job and really helped the story flow.
One of my favorite things about this is how it's a story about identity, empowerment, and the difference between an aspect of identity being bad versus it being someone else's excuse to be exploitative or cruel. This is explicitly bound up in how the book approaches gender, but that general idea applies to other aspects as well. Miuko is a cis character (as best as I can tell) who explores her gender presentation a bit with various necessary disguises, and is driven at first to make things safer and better for girls. There's a recurring bit where someone asks what she is and when she says she's a girl they retort that (because she's slowly turning into a demon) she can't be a girl, she must be something else. Early on she thinks there used to be non-cis people but maybe not any more, and when she finds out that the people in power making being trans or third gender difficult socially didn't make them go away, she adjusts her goals to make sure her solution is better for everyone.
The plot flowed and circled back to previously encountered characters in a way that made it easy to follow. I love the kind of reveal midway through the book as to why the plot kicked off in the first place. I don't want to spoil it, but the second half explains why a bunch of things in the first half even happened, and it works very well. I love the ending, it fits the world and the characters and really lets things feel settled.
I enjoyed Miuko's rapport with the bird spirit, their friendship provided a lot of levity in otherwise stressful moments. The various spirits and demons felt a bit numerous sometimes (especially when I have trouble keeping track of character names), but this felt very accommodating of my inability to keep track of them and I didn't get lost.
The worldbuilding is wonderful, Miuko sometimes pauses to explain something, but it's always right when it's needed. This is generally free of anything resembling infodumps, as the explanations are a natural part of Miuko processing what's happening around her. I enjoyed the audiobook immensely, the narrator did an excellent job and really helped the story flow.
One of my favorite things about this is how it's a story about identity, empowerment, and the difference between an aspect of identity being bad versus it being someone else's excuse to be exploitative or cruel. This is explicitly bound up in how the book approaches gender, but that general idea applies to other aspects as well. Miuko is a cis character (as best as I can tell) who explores her gender presentation a bit with various necessary disguises, and is driven at first to make things safer and better for girls. There's a recurring bit where someone asks what she is and when she says she's a girl they retort that (because she's slowly turning into a demon) she can't be a girl, she must be something else. Early on she thinks there used to be non-cis people but maybe not any more, and when she finds out that the people in power making being trans or third gender difficult socially didn't make them go away, she adjusts her goals to make sure her solution is better for everyone.
The plot flowed and circled back to previously encountered characters in a way that made it easy to follow. I love the kind of reveal midway through the book as to why the plot kicked off in the first place. I don't want to spoil it, but the second half explains why a bunch of things in the first half even happened, and it works very well. I love the ending, it fits the world and the characters and really lets things feel settled.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury
kkenna7's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I. Loved. This. BOOK!!!
The writing is lovely, the characters are absolutely charming and endearing. The feminist motifs are incredible and alongside the comedy that’s sprinkled throughout, I had the best time reading this. I can’t say enough. I loved it so much.
The writing is lovely, the characters are absolutely charming and endearing. The feminist motifs are incredible and alongside the comedy that’s sprinkled throughout, I had the best time reading this. I can’t say enough. I loved it so much.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Fire/Fire injury
meadowlarks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Violence
Moderate: Death and Domestic abuse
purplepenning's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
Miuko: "Come on. There is so much more out there than this."
Senara (eyes glittering with tears, or perhaps excitement): "For a girl?"
Miuko: "For anyone brave enough to look."
This was both exceptional and not quite for me. It felt a little disjointed and repetitive at times, but I often feel that way about fairytales and quest adventures. So much of the action seems to unfold and redirect on the go that it can feel like being in a pinball machine. Not that this wasn't brilliantly plotted — it obviously was — with interesting characters, a fascinating mid-story shift, a take down of patriarchal oppression, and a girl finding the strength to make mistakes and try again and again as she fights the demons around and within her.
Senara (eyes glittering with tears, or perhaps excitement): "For a girl?"
Miuko: "For anyone brave enough to look."
This was both exceptional and not quite for me. It felt a little disjointed and repetitive at times, but I often feel that way about fairytales and quest adventures. So much of the action seems to unfold and redirect on the go that it can feel like being in a pinball machine. Not that this wasn't brilliantly plotted — it obviously was — with interesting characters, a fascinating mid-story shift, a take down of patriarchal oppression, and a girl finding the strength to make mistakes and try again and again as she fights the demons around and within her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Transphobia
mandkips's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping and Murder
Minor: Animal death and Confinement
elleisntabell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
3.75
Oh baby do I have mixed feelings.
I'm just going to come out and say it: the feminist messaging in this book is heavy-handed. Sometimes to its own detriment.
I hate saying that. The book being so feminist should be a good thing. It is a good thing in a lot of ways. It's just,, it often got in the way of the plot. The plot needed more detail for it to reach its potential. But the book wasted time hammering in its obvious message. A message the reader already understood. We didn't need in hamfisted. We need more time to understand the villain, who was supposed to be sympathetic, but instead, his motivation made little sense because WE NEVER SPENT MORE THAN FIVE SECONDS FOCUSING ON HIM before we're back to hammering in the fact that women are treated like objects in this world. WE got it. Okay. I understand.
The world that was set up makes sense. It's good for a feminist tale like this. I like what Chee was going for. I did NOT need it shoved done my throat repeatedly while I was trying to figure out the plot. I understood that Miuko traveling as she did, being as loud as she was, was seen as improper and that's bad. YOu didn't have to explain it to me EVERY GODDAMN TIME.
But I still enjoyed the plot for what it was. And the world Chee created is like, really cool. And all the spirits and demons and gods. SO cool. And Geiki is such a fun character. And Miuko is too. She's great. The book as described by its summery fricken slaps. I'm just sad it never got to be that good.
I swear I liked this book though my dude. A solid 3.75.
I'm just going to come out and say it: the feminist messaging in this book is heavy-handed. Sometimes to its own detriment.
I hate saying that. The book being so feminist should be a good thing. It is a good thing in a lot of ways. It's just,, it often got in the way of the plot. The plot needed more detail for it to reach its potential. But the book wasted time hammering in its obvious message. A message the reader already understood. We didn't need in hamfisted. We need more time to understand the villain, who was supposed to be sympathetic, but instead, his motivation made little sense because WE NEVER SPENT MORE THAN FIVE SECONDS FOCUSING ON HIM before we're back to hammering in the fact that women are treated like objects in this world. WE got it. Okay. I understand.
The world that was set up makes sense. It's good for a feminist tale like this. I like what Chee was going for. I did NOT need it shoved done my throat repeatedly while I was trying to figure out the plot. I understood that Miuko traveling as she did, being as loud as she was, was seen as improper and that's bad. YOu didn't have to explain it to me EVERY GODDAMN TIME.
But I still enjoyed the plot for what it was. And the world Chee created is like, really cool. And all the spirits and demons and gods. SO cool. And Geiki is such a fun character. And Miuko is too. She's great. The book as described by its summery fricken slaps. I'm just sad it never got to be that good.
I swear I liked this book though my dude. A solid 3.75.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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
4.0
Thanks to Clarion Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! I feel like I've been reading a lot of Asian-inspired fantasy books lately, and I am here for it. Plus, teens seem to love this kind of story, so I can't wait for the library to get this one!
First, if Japanese-inspired mytholoyg is your thing, you'll love this book. Chee infused this book with many different elements of Japanese mythology, and it feels incredibly authentic. The story-telling style of the writing also lends itself to the mythology aspects of the book. From the beginning, this fantasy almost feels like something you'd read in a mythology class. Throughout, Chee included footnotes to help provide context, which I actually really enjoyed as well.
In addition to the great mythology, A Thousand Steps Into Night also has an excellent cast of characters. Miuko is a fully realized character, with flaws and a sense of purpose thorughout. It's through her character that we see the patriarchal oppression. Her journey is one of realization, one of knowledge. Miuko doesn't want to reliquinsh the power she's gained, and for good reason. Overall, her character arc felt realistic and authentic.
However, Geiki, the magpie spirit who becomes sort of a guide, is one of my favorites. He's easily distracted and makes for some fun asides throughout some of the darker aspects of the story. Seriously, you might want to read this just for him!
All in all, this was a great mythological adventure from start to finish. Definitely check it out when it comes out next week!
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Magical storytelling, great characters, an adventure feel. This book has so many great things going for it! Stay tuned for a full review later this week.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Kidnapping, and Murder