E. K. Johnston is a forensic archaeologist by training, a bookseller and author by trade, and a grammarian by nature. In A Thousand Nights (Disney-Hyperion), Johnston tells the dazzling tale of a brave teen who the murderous Lo-Melkhiin takes as his wife. He takes a wife in each town, and kills each of them in turn, but in this retelling of the classic Scheherzade story Arabian Nights, the strong heroine captivates her husband enough to stay alive, day after day. Each tale she tells brings her more power, and she dreams of becoming strong enough to put an end to a monstrous reign once and for all. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews writes, “Detailed and quiet, beautifully written with a literary rhythm that evokes a sense of oral tale-telling, this unexpected fantasy should not be missed.”
