Shannon Hale

Fifteen-year-old Dashti, sworn to obey her sixteen-year-old mistress, the Lady Saren, shares Saren's years of punishment locked in a tower, then brings her safely to the lands of her true love, where both must hide who they are as they work as kitchen maids.

Book of a Thousand Days

Book of a Thousand Days [Library]

Sarah Sammis

Told in diary form, Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale follows the life and times of Dashti, ex mucker turned lady in waiting to Lady Saren. It begins with their imprisonment in a sealed tower, through their escape and settlement in Khan Tegus's estate.

The world Dashti lives in is a mixture of western China, Mongolia, Tibet, European, and Native American cultures. The landscape itself seems to be a blend of the steppes and deserts of western China and the mountains and valleys of Utah. It's a fictional realm with its own history and geographic demarcations but it draws the landscape features of those places.

There's a fantasy element to Book of a Thousand Days beyond it's imaginary landscape and mythology. The villain, Lord Khasar, is able to over run cities and armies with some magical help. The how and what he does is a big part of the book. There is also the power of healing power of song, something that Dashti excels at through her mucker upbringing.

As everything is narrated through Dashti's point of view, the strength of the book rests on her voice. In print, her voice is perhaps a bit too earnest in places but is otherwise credible. In the audio done by Full Cast Audio, Dashti's performance is over the top to the point that it cuts into the enjoyment of the book.

The book is a retelling of the Grimms' "Maid Maleen" which I have not read.

Book of a thousand days

Shannon Leigh Williams

I LOVE this book!! :D I thoroughly enjoyed it through and through... Let me explain with some of the key points that make me love it so.
1. This book is WONDERFULLY written. Shannon Hale has been one of my favorite authors since I was only eight, and her writing style is just so witty and clever yet funny and exciting.
2. The plot of this book unfolded quite unpredictably and I enjoyed the plot twists so much!! I was kept on my toes the entire time wondering how it would unfold. I also loved that as readers, we got to know Dashti as a person, without a guy, before we got to know her with a guy.
3. JOURNAL ENTRIES. I am somebody who writes in a journal each day and was pleased to find that the format was epistolary in a journal kind of way.
Overall, this book was just incredible!! I definitely recommend it to anybody who loves royalty, romance, and lots of character development! :)

Andrada D

Oh, God, I loved, LOVED this retelling.

Mood for this


First of all, kudos to Shannon for choosing a less popular tale. I love the more mainstream ones as well but to bring to light such little gems was an acquired taste. 

Then, the depth of the characters surprised me. Dashti starts as a rather naive, plain servant and grows into a true heroine: brave, witty, smart, loyal, through a personal journey which actually makes sense, instead of an overnight transformation. As she faces more obstacles she learns from each one of them and grows under our very eyes, which is why her evolution is so satisfying. Her struggles to stay faithful to her position, her determination to live, her spirit of sacrifice, they all make her so, so very easy to love and root for.

I also appreciated how, unlike in the classic fairytale approach, the book refuses to play into the instalove trope. The feelings between the protagonists feel genuine because they slowly develop. There is no instant attraction, but a relationship in which both characters invest time and trust, giving their very best to make it work.

The language is top notch. While preserving the antique flair of the myth, Shannon Hale has a gift for words, transporting you to illo tempore, where words help build a world of legend.

All in all, I wish there were more books like this. I know none so I will probably just cherish this one forever.

Gabriela Roxana 

"You're better than seven years of food. You're better than windows. You're even better than the sky.

When a beautiful princess refuses to marry the prince her father has chosen, her father is furious and locks her in a tower. She has seven long years of solitude to think about her insolence. But the princess is not entirely alone - she has her maid, Dashti. Petulant and spoilt, the princess eats the food in their meagre store as if she were still at court, and Dashti soon realises they must either escape or slowly starve. But during their captivity, resourceful Dashti discovers that there is something far more sinister behind her princess's fears of marrying the prince, and when they do break free from the tower, they find a land laid to waste and the kingdom destroyed. They were safe in the tower, now they are at the mercy of the evil prince with a terrible secret. Thrilling, captivating, and a masterful example of storytelling at its best. The princess's maid is a feisty and thoroughly modern heroine, in this wonderfully timeless story.

Bridget Howard

I loved this book it was so cute :) It was also a really fast read

Ellen Ivey

This beloved romantic fantasy from award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Shannon Hale celebrates its 10th anniversary with a gorgeous new cover. When Lady Saren refuses to marry a man she fears, she and her maid, Dashti, are locked in a tower with just a tiny flap open to the outside world. As food runs low and the weather changes from broiling hot to unbearably cold, it is all Dashti can do to make them comfortable in their dark prison. Not long after their confinement begins, Saren's suitors arrive--one welcome, the other less so-and she orders Dashti to speak to them. Impersonating Lady Saren is a crime punishable by death, but Dashti will have to play the role many times if she is to save them both from the tower and the dangers outside. As she takes control of their desperate situation, Dashti begins to understand her own astonishing talents and believe that even a low-born maid can find true love. Master storyteller Shannon Hale's beloved Book of a Thousand Days is equal parts fantastical and romantic, with an unforgettable protagonist to root for at its center.

Book of a Thousand Days

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