Book of a Thousand Days

Book of a Thousand Days
Author: Shannon Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury (2007)
ISBN: 1599900513

4 (out of 5) STARS

Summary: Dashti swears to protect and serve her mistress, Lady Saren, even though it means being locked up in a tower. Dashti is able to help them escape from the tower and find Lady Saren's true love.

Review:Dashti lost her father, then her brothers and when she was thirteen her mother died. Dashti traveled to the closest town looking for work and a place to live. Dashti was taught how to read and write. She had also learned songs for healing from her mother. She was given a post to serve mistress Saren. Dashti arrived just in time for Lady Saren (And Dashti as well) to be locked up and sealed into a tower for seven years. Dashti starts a journal to record this time in the tower. “A book of thoughts kept by Dashti, a mucher and a lady’s maid. Containing an account of our seven years in a tower and our adventure thereafter.” This book continues on to include rats, a cat named My Lord, a true love (but whose true love?) and an evil conqueror.

Shannon Hale was inspired by a Grimm brothers fairy tale entitled “Maid Maleen” to write this book. Hale says she took many liberties within the story. She created the Eight Realms setting but was inspired in part by medieval Mongolia, which helps explain the illustrations found in the book.

This was a great read and a good introduction to Shannon Hale who has written many other wonderful books.