A Thousand Steps Into Night by Traci Chee
A Thousand Steps Into Night by Traci Chee is set in a Japanese-inspired fantasy world called Arawa filled with wrathful demons, trickster spirits, and a period-typical oppressive traditional society. Miuku, the main character, must navigate a path through all of these obstacles after she gets cursed by a demon one eventful night. After her father and village cast her out, she makes friends with a magpie spirit named Geiki and they embark on a journey together. Their goal is to reach a temple filled with priests who may be able to stop her curse before she turns into a demon completely. However, her travels are interrupted by the vengeance demon Tujiyazai, who wreaks havoc as he tries to compel her into losing her humanity and submitting to her demonic nature. The main pillars of the book revolve around feminism, folklore, and what the meaning of a ‘monster’ truly is. It features a fun cast of characters, with deep roots in Japanese folklore. The references are easy to understand through the footnotes.
I would recommend this book to people in grades 6-10. It is a fun read, with strong moral messaging about acceptance of diversity and overcoming patriarchal expectations. The plot focused on friendship, rather than romance, which was refreshing. However, I did feel as if the messaging was a little blunt at times, and I wished that the characters had more depth and nuance to them. There was a fun twist halfway through the novel, where Miuko realizes she traveled back in time to give the demon curse to herself, which I thought made the story a lot more interesting.
In summary: A Japanese folklore coming-of-age novel filled with demons, spirits, gods, and good friends. I would recommend this for middle grade to young adult readers.
Reviewed by Teen Volunteer, 1/14/2026.