Sunday, June 7, 2009

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Category: YA, fantasy, romance
Published: 2007
Review: 4/5 stars
After I finished reading this book I felt stupid when I read the book description on the inside of the jacket cover. It describes the book as a retelling of a Grimms fairy tale "reimagined and reset on the central Asian steppes." Duh! I had spent the first chapters imagining the characters as blond-haired and blue eyed. Then even when there were some sketches of people who looked Asian I had a hard time changing what was in my head. But I should have known from the beginning when it referred to the leaders of the people with the title of Khan that this story was set somewhere like Mongolia long ago. It also calls some areas of the land "the steppes." I think I would have enjoyed this book a little more if I'd had the right pictures in my mind.
I know a lot of people have loved this book and although I enjoyed it a lot, I didn't love it. I think I expected too much because I had heard so many great things about it. I do recommend it but it didn't grab me like I wanted it to.
Rating: 2.2.1 There were a couple of places with nudity that I thought were a little weird. Maybe I'm such a prude that I can't even read about nudity without feeling a little uncomfortable.

7 comments:

Des said...

I enjoyed Book of A Thousand Days. I listened to it, though. The reader had a great voice. Maybe that made it a little better. That's funny about the nudity. :) I don't even recall that at all.

Laura H said...

Big debate in my book club. All the ladies like this book better than Princess Academy. And like you I liked but didnt love it. I actually didnt even like Goose Girl at all. To me Princess Academy is my favorite Shannon Hale book.

Shelley said...

I liked this one, but I don't remember it as my favorite. I just love her writing and the worlds she creates. Her books make me feel happy.

Jenn said...

I love Shannon Hale, she is one of my favorite authors. but I do have to say that this one is my least favorite of hers besides the one she wrote for adults I couldn't even finish that one! but I do like this book, I just like the other ones better.

KT said...

This is probably my least favorite Shannon Hale, though I still enjoyed it.

Irish said...

I loved this book !!! ........ And it is my favourite of all her books so far ....... It is great thought to get different peoples views of the same book !!!

Haiku Amy said...

I guess I don't remember the nudity in this book. I really liked this book, even more than the Bayern books. It's about a toss up between this one and The Princess Academy, but I like all of Shannon Hale's, even the adult books.