Book of a Thousand Days (Paperback)
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.
"Hale delivers another winning fantasy. . . Readers will be riveted as Dashti and Saren escape and flee to the Khan's realm where, through a series of deceptions, contrivances, and a riotously triumphant climax, the tale spins out a thoroughly satisfying ending." - starred review, Publishers Weekly
"Hale has created a richly imagined, mythical land. . . A highly successful romance." - starred review, School Library Journal
"[A] mix of exotic, fully realized setting; thrilling, enchanted adventure; and heart-melting romance." - Booklist
"A rousing, even spellbinding tale." - Kirkus Reviews
"This newest tale takes proud place among Hale's growing shelf-full of folk-fantasy adventures whose protagonists give "spunk" a good name." - Horn Book