Humans & Demons

The newly published book was categorized as 'YA', my most-feared genre. Still, I gave the story a shot in its 9-hour audio format. It's Traci Chee's 'A Thousand Steps Into the Night' (March 2022), narrated by Grace Rolek. (Reviews here, here and here.)

We go to the book's newly-built realm of Awara, where 17-year-old Miuko lives in a small male-dominated village of Nihaoi. She is born of the serving class and is expected to be a traditional woman to take over her father's ailing inn. However, she's not at all docile or submissive or without an opinion. By the end of the story, Miuko no longer cares about fitting into any society. She longs to explore the world.

After being cursed by a demon to become a demon of Death (a Shaoha), Miuko sets out on an adventure to reach a fabled temple to find a cure in order to revert to being human. She doesn't want conform to what's expected of being a demon either — to hurt people and be violent. In her thousand-step journey to said temple, she is aided in her quest by a magpie spirit named Geiki, and unexpected allies such as a grouchy forest god Nogadishao. Geiki is like her BFF and he's supportive, humorous and snarky.  

It's a surprisingly enjoyable little read. It's based on Japanese folklore and yokai, but there's nothing very Japanese about it. So many holes in the plot. BUT. The author's world-building skills are pretty good. She has managed to create a world where all these mythical creatures and characters belong, and weave in scathing criticism of the patriarchal society and oppression of women, and how Miuko overcomes every obstacle thrown in her way. In this fantastical tale where a new world, religion and even language have been built, along with Miuko, we meet more demons, ghosts, spirits, little folks, and priests.

Readers could go all into class consciousness, morality, feminism, being powerful versus being powerless, and whatever else. I wasn't going to do that. It'd be too heavy for my little brain processing an audiobook. I'm not an auditory learner — that's the worst way I absorb information. I'm kinesthetic learner. This book was particularly hard to listen to, and keep track of all the names and what's going on in the side plots. I couldn't really spell all the names in the book since I was on audio. Hahahah. I'm also not bothered to find the e-book to re-read it or cross reference. 

Grinning, Miuko climbed onto Geiki's back, and they took off into the cool twilight air, over the wild blue countryside, they flew, like a pair of heroes from some ancient tale, or a constellation living in stars, and not once did she look, nor did she need to, for she had the support of the loved ones behind her, and the big beautiful world ahead.