--- product_id: 97930469 title: "Book of a Thousand Days" brand: "shannon hale" price: "£7.60" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/97930469-book-of-a-thousand-days store_origin: GB region: Great Britain --- # Book of a Thousand Days **Brand:** shannon hale **Price:** £7.60 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Book of a Thousand Days by shannon hale - **How much does it cost?** £7.60 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/97930469-book-of-a-thousand-days) ## Best For - shannon hale enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted shannon hale brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Book of a Thousand Days - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91LejaCR3ZL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Maid Maleen Retelling *by D***A on Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2020* Fifteen-year-old Dashti, sworn to obey her sixteen-year-old mistress, the Lady Saren, shares Saren's years of punishment locked in a tower, then brings her safely to the lands of her true love, where both must hide who they are as they work as kitchen maids.My copy is coming in a couple of days and I just can't wait!! I loved The Princess Academy and The Goose Girl!! I am sure this will be just as good! Both covers are so good, but I guess mine is more suitable.This book is based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Maid Maleen, and what a book it is! I really love Shannon Hale's writing style. You would think that staying locked in a tower would be dull and claustrophobic, but for Dashti and Lady Saren it's better than being outside in range of Lord Khaser.I really feel sorry for Dashti, she is full of life and positive energy and to be locked with someone so broken, dramatic and boring is just unfair!This is a story about loyalty and self-sacrifice and true love... it's honest, beautiful, brutal and it teaches how important is work, that the pen is mightier than the sword, that a small mucker girl could be a princess by the way she acts. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Everything you could want in a Standalone fantasy *by L***G on Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2016* Book of a Thousand Days is loosely based around the little known Brothers Grimm fairy tale called 'Maid Maleen'. Like the original tale a young girl is locked in a tower for 7 years by her father and when released finds her kingdom gone to marauders. Hale recaptures the essence of the story perfectly, while also doing what she does best; she re-conjures the tale as a story for young girls to read and find strength in.From the handmaiden Dashti's journal we see the events unfold that not only lead her Lady Saren to the tower, but also Dashti. Determined to keep an accurate recounting of their seven long years in the Tower, Dashti reports vary from the mundane ("My Lady doesn't recall squinting." pg. 24) to the frightening. Each entry is marked by the number of days they have been stuck inside the tower and Hale does an excellent job of communicating both Dashti's hope that things will work out and her despair that they will never see the sky again.The book is separated into two parts. There is the first part, which speaks of their time in the Tower and the second part, which talks of the after. In the first part Saren does little more than complain, moan and make Dashti's life more difficult then it already is. The moments of peace that descend are too far between and by the end of the second year even Dashti is becoming sick of Saren's whining. The second part Saren becomes slightly less of a burden. She spends much of the first half of the second part still whining and scared, but a gift from Dashti and a job she is good at lifts her spirits a lot. I liked her better for the job, though what she continually asks of Dashti is beyond the pale.The villain, Khasar, is despicable and terrifying. He sold his soul for a dark power that gives him an advantage, but makes him as inhuman as possible. How Dashti's deals with him is fitting. Saren's beau, Khan Tegus, is both flawed and perfect at the same time. He breaks his promise to Dashti and Saren, but when the true history between him and Saren is revealed is understandable.The novel has a distinctly asian flair to it--from the pictures that 'Dashti' draws in her journals to the belief system, but it fits quite appropriately. There is a number of ironic twists, but this is basically a story driven by characters. Like every day life not everything that happens to Dashti is 'adventurous' or 'amazing'. We are basically reading her diary and like any other diary there are mundane things that are important to her, but not necessarily life shattering.Book of a Thousand Days is a wonderful, amusing and thoughtful book that promotes a protagonist who isn't beautiful, but relies on her wits and her inherent good nature to survive. Dashti really epitomizes the old saying 'do good unto others' because proves it daily. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ elegant *by D***C on Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2015* Reader thoughts:OK. I absolutely loved this book (yay for full-cast-audio), and it would the BEST ever except for this one scene I didn't like (the way Dashti defeated the bad guy, but at least it worked). That's me, picky.This book reminded me of Ella Enchanted in the sense that both authors use a lot of emotions to further the plot and side-characters that wreak havoc and the main character's love is in the dark about protagonist's biggest secret. SH, though, had a bigger overall plot involving countries, while GCL's was more compressed on a smaller scale within her own household (stepmother troubles and all that).Oh, and I loved the worldbuilding here. What other fantasy story mentions a pet yak? The kingdom is ruled not by a king but a Kahn! Also, even the religious system is believable and well developed. The traditions, superstitions, history, and music are all well put together and just make the story even better. And the songs are simple but perfect.Usually, I don't like journal stories, but SH pulled it off quite well. It's even better than The Goose Girl.Writer thoughtsWhy did journalling work as a medium for this story, but it doesn't work for other stories? Here are my guesses.1, a lot of the conflicts lasted longer than one day. So, none of the danger was over when Dashti was penning the day's activities. She and Saren were still stuck in the tower, still starving. Sometimes Dashti even wrote in her journal while something was happening, and she would pause or sketch or wait in fear in the dark. This made the action feel real.2, inner dialogue and reflections. Dashti often added her own commentary later. Things like, "I shouldn't have thought that about my lady; ancestors, forgive me!" or "Why didn't I say/do this?" or "I'll never forget the way he smells." It's delightful to read. We experience all her joy and regret with her.3, the journal was a plot point. First, she's chronicling her days in the tower, and the journal would be there to explain why two female corpses are locked in a tower. Later, she's lying about everything, and the journal would get her killed if someone found it. So, it is important. It's like the reader gets to hold a piece of the world. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/97930469-book-of-a-thousand-days](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/97930469-book-of-a-thousand-days) --- *Product available on Desertcart Great Britain* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-04-22*