Review Detail

Okay, let me admit right off the bat that I actually requested a copy of this book. I hardly ever request books anymore, since I get so many, but a few people had submitted reader reviews to the site and I found the premise intriguing. Im really glad it caught my eye, because I really loved this one.

Based on an obscure Brothers Grimm fairy tale re-imagined and set in the central Asian steppes (think Mongolia), the Book of a Thousand Days does have a fairy tale-feel to it, but it is also grounded in the every day making it a good read for those looking for either romance or fantasy.

Dashti is a new ladys maid recently come down into the city from the steppes. On her first day on the job as the maid to Lady Saren, a princess, she finds out she is to be shut up with her new mistress in a tower for seven years because of Lady Sarens refusal to wed the man her father wants her to marry. You might think this would cause Dashti to despair, but to her, the idea of 7 years worth of food and a stable place to live doesnt actually sound that bad. Lady Saren, of course, has different ideas.

Lady Saren, in fact, is not much better than a spoiled, frightened rabbit for the first part of her captivity. She even makes Dashti pretend to be her when her suitors come (the bad one and the good one). Dashti continues to care for her nonetheless and does her best to make the time pass. A cat given to her by the good suitor (Khan Tegus) helps immensely, as do her own healing songs, taught to her by her mother.

Ultimately, they do escape the tower, only to find that the danger they were in is now greater than they imagined. I hate to give too much of this away as the joy is in the discovery, but suffice it to say that they do meet up again with Khan Tegus and that Dashtis life (and Lady Sarens) is forever altered by what Dashti finds the courage to do.

Wow, I feel like Im leaving lots of details out, but I really dont want to ruin this for you. I found this book to be a real gem and I read it in one sitting. And I hate to tell you Prize Bucket trawlers&this one is going to stay on my bookshelf. Im not giving it up.

Recommended for readers aged 12 and up, especially fantasy lovers, but also those looking for romance and adventure and a strong female lead character (Dashti is a wonderful character, with pluck and resourcefulness -- you will definitely find yourself rooting for her and even for Lady Saren).