Review: A thousand steps into night

By Peggy Weng, 2025

Published 9/19/22

A Thousand Steps into Night is a magical fantasy full of gods, spirits, demons, and humans. It tells a long but beautiful story about a young Japanese girl who finds herself not fitting into the world she was confined to. As the story moves along, she is more and more desperate to be herself rather than let anyone change her. As a feminist fighting the old traditions that take away freedom for women, she is able to bring change into her world.

With every chapter brimming with action and adventure, I'm sure it will not disappoint anyone who loves books with endless and restless quests. The whole novel is like a rollercoaster with rising intensity followed by relief after the drop. As a person who doesn't enjoy books without conflicts or dilemmas, this perfectly satisfied my desire for something thrilling. Once I started reading, I never wanted to put it down. I was drawn in by the smooth and charming language. There I sat for a whole afternoon, continuously reading chapter after chapter, anxiously waiting to know what would happen next. There is no such thing as a "boring chapter" in this novel. All are equally interesting and leave off on an open end. The open ends are what drive me to keep going to figure out the next step in the long journey.

The thing is that this book does not tie up loose threads until the very end. SPOILER ALERT: There is a happy ending! For all the feminists and people who identify as LGBTQ+ out there like me, I felt empowered and energized to be the girl I want to be. I also felt honored that Asian traditions are represented. As an Asian, I want the world to learn about our underrepresented culture. A fantastic fantasy read that is meant for teens and young adults I would definitely recommend it to everyone.