Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Genre: Young adult (fantasy)
Publisher, Year: Bloomsbury, 2007
Other Works: The Goose Girl, Austenland
Rating: A or Great Read
Challenge: Fairy Tales, Library
Premise: Dashti, a young lady's maid, is locked away in a tower with her mistress for seven years. But when hunger and outside dangers threaten their safety, Dashti must find a way to survive.

With this book, I am officially in love with Shannon Hale--platonically of course. =) I can’t exaggerate with her books. This is the third one I’ve read, and it once again exceeded my expectations: the lyrical language, sweeping descriptions, lively characters. I just can’t get enough.

This one is yet another fairy tale re-telling, since I have a really hard time getting away from those lately. They are just too much fun. The fairy tale Hale wrote about in this book is a rather obscure one called Maid Maleen. So, it was in effect like reading a regular novel in some ways because I wasn’t at all familiar with the fairy tale, but it still had all those great qualities that fairy tales have: intrigue, mistaken identity, adventure, and, of course, getting the girl. +/-

Dashti is a lady’s maid and a mucker, she knows how to sing away pain. She works for a princess, Saren, who has been sentenced to be imprisoned in a tower for seven years because she wouldn’t marry the man her father picked for her, the evil Lord Khasar. Saren is a shrinking violet and becomes more reclusive from this cruel treatment. It is up to Dashti, who will also be imprisoned with her lady, to take care of Saren and, eventually, to find a way out. Once the two girls have broken free, however, their elation comes crashing down when they find the world they left has changed beyond recognition.

Hale’s created another cast of unforgettable characters. Dashti is a sweet and accepting girl; she tries to do the right thing though her life is full of conflict, to which her culture gives no right answer. And the adoration induced by Tegus, a khan with a cool smile and simple laugh, is matched by the opposite feeling in Lord Khasar. Hale takes the reader to the brink, showing how the devotion, integrity, and courage of one woman can become a tipping point. Overall a winner in my estimation: compelling story, memorable characters, and a dash of mystery. A great page-turner.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Genre: General fiction, classical twist
Publisher, Year: Bloomsbury, 2007
Other Works: The Goose Girl, Princess Academy
Rating: A+ or Must Read Now!
Challenge: Countdown
Premise: Unlucky in love, Jane Hayes is looking for a modern Mr. Darcy to jump from the BBC into her life. To get over her unhealthy obsession with one last hurrah, Jane spends three weeks in Regency England. Will she find her own Regency gentleman, or will she finally wake up and smell the stark scent of reality?

I was skeptical going into this book because I’ve been burned by other “modern-day” Austenesque books in the past. But, I still had some confidence because I’ve been wowed by Shannon Hale before. I thought, if anyone can pull this off, it would be her. I’m so happy to report that I was right! If you’re a Jane Austen fan and you haven’t picked this book up yet, don’t delay! Or even if you’ve only seen Austen movies or just heard of Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy, you will be able to love this book. It was a dream from page one! This book is screaming to be made into a screenplay—any takers? +/-

Jane is your typical disillusioned thirty-something, tired of love and tired of men. However, there’s something a little different about her: she’s head over heels for a fictional character of the Austen conjuring, an obsession that’s bordering on neurosis. In other words, Mr. Darcy is taking over her life. If she doesn’t act fast, she’s going to turn into a puddle of longing remorse. Luckily, Jane’s got an observant great aunt who just happens to leave her the chance of a lifetime in her will—a chance to step into a real-life Regency existence.

Pure gold. Seriously. I loved every minute. Somehow Hale is able to take those contrived moments, those catch phrases, and turn them into something new and fun. It was like being swept away in the “Regency” experience without being completely immersed—something that can never happen when “playing” at something. And yet, the experience beings out real parts of Jane and changes her in real ways. The reality versus the illusion: that classic battle.

Nearing the end, I was so hoping for a twist, but I was totally unable to see where one could possibly come from. And then BAM! it shows up—Emeril style. And I had the urge to immediately start reading from the beginning all over again! It was absolute perfection. Perfection, I tell you! This is a must read. It will not disappoint! I polished it off in two sittings. A great read for a day off!

If You Liked: The Goose Girl

Then You'll Also Like
Graceling by Kristen Cashore

This may seem like a strange choice, since The Goose Girl is a fairy tale retelling and Graceling is a unique fantasy. But, upon closer inspection, I think you may find many similarities here. And if you've enjoyed The Goose Girl, I could almost guarantee that you will also enjoy Graceling. Both stories involve a girl, gifted with certain abilities that tie her down. Ani doesn't quite fit in with her royal family, where as Katsa also has a burden to bear under an oppressive king. Both women, through tough circumstances, find the way to their destinies. Both are young girls who grow into strong women through experience, learning to come to terms with their faults by necessity--Ani, shy and reserved, and Katsa, skeptical and introverted.

I also found Cashore's and Hale's writing styles to be fairly similar, although not entirely the same. They both are able to paint breathtakingly beautiful pictures with words. I was carried away by both of these novels, and I think, if you give them a try, you won't be able to help it either.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

I really loved Beauty by Robin McKinley, so when I discovered that The Goose Girl was also a retelling of a fairy tale, I was intrigued. And I’m so glad I picked it up!

The goose girl was not a fairy tale I was familiar with, so it was fun to read it for the first time from the author’s interpretation. Ani, a young princess from Kildenree, is betrothed to a prince in a far away land, Bayern. She is a shy child and learns to speak to swans and other birds. Although her family does not value this ability, her aunt teaches Ani how to develop it. Ani is the Crown Princess, and so is the next in line to take the throne; however, her mother feels her brother has more of the stuff that leaders are made of. Instead of taking the throne in Kildenree, Ani’s mother makes a peace treaty with Bayern, with Ani as the proof in the pudding. Ani, an awkward and insecure teenager, is upset by this, but goes along with the deal. Her lady-in-waiting, Selia, and several guards go with her as well as her trusty steed, Falada, with whom she can communicate in her thoughts. +/-

Soon, things begin to change during their long journey, as Selia and many of the guards start acting strange around Ani. Finally, they strike, and their plan is revealed: they will have Selia take Ani’s place as the princess and she will marry the prince in Bayern. Ani barely escapes certain death and eventually finds her way into the city. There, she becomes one of the tenders of the king’s geese and earns her nickname because of her special way with the birds. She disguises herself, learns the local dialect, and makes friends with the other servants. Ani has many close scraps with her old guards and lives in almost constant fear of discovery—all the while trying to figure out how to restore her true identity before Selia and her friends destroy any hope of setting things right.

The language was absolutely lovely, poetic really. Hale has an amazing way with words. I enjoyed the pictures she painted, and I felt like I could really imagine the city and the people the way she described them. I felt enveloped in this story and completely enchanted (which is fitting, considering), and by the time I was about a third the way through, I couldn’t put it down. This book is going straight to my “must read” list.