A Thousand Steps into Night

Longlisted for the National Book AwardFrom bestselling and award-winning author Traci Chee comes a fantasy perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli. When a girl who’s never longed for adventure is hit with a curse that begins to transform her into a demon | she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life | but along the way is forced to confront her true power within. In the realm of Awara | where gods | monsters | and humans exist side by side | Miuko is an ordinary girl resigned to a safe | if uneventful | existence as an innkeeper’s daughter.But when Miuko is cursed and begins to transform into a demon with a deadly touch | she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life. Aided by a thieving magpie spirit and continuously thwarted by a demon prince | Miuko must outfox tricksters | escape demon hunters | and negotiate with feral gods if she wants to make it home again.With her transformation comes power and freedom she never even dreamed of | and she’ll have to decide if saving her soul is worth trying to cram herself back into an ordinary life that no longer fits her… and perhaps never did.