"She that he chose of us would be a hero. 
 She would give the others life." 
 The writing style in A THOUSAND NIGHTS is completely original and unlike anything else I've read. No one is named in this novel except for Lo-Melkhiin and it works. Johnston is an excellent storyteller and her writing reads very elegantly and is a little magical in and of its own right. This story feels more like a tale you would hear being passed around a fire; it is very imaginative yet traditionally told. 
 However, this style of writing and storytelling will not be for everyone. Because the writing is so descriptive, it could come off as tedious and slow down the pacing. I caught myself a few times when I began to get impatient and reminded myself that this is a story that was not meant to be rushed through, but one to immerse yourself in. 
 "If you listen long enough to the whispers, you will hear the truth." 
 I haven't read the original One Thousand and One Nights but I know the concept behind it was that the main character lives due to the stories she tells and intrigues the king with. I wish we had been privy to more of the stories that were being told, as not many details were really given to this aspect of the story in A THOUSAND NIGHTS. 
 This one has been compared to THE WRATH AND THE DAWN and having read and enjoyed both for completely different reasons, I have to say that these stories could not be more different. All they have in common is being based off the original One Thousand and One Nights. So if you are hesitating on this one due to that I would definitely push you into giving this one a try anyway. 
 It almost seems as if I'm alone in this, but I didn't see any romance here at all. Lo-Melkhiin is a cruel man and although the main character sees flashes of good in him and does not fear him, her feelings are far from love. (view spoiler)[I believe after the ending when Lo-Melkhiin is actually Lo-Melkhiin they could grow to love each other, but nothing really hinted that she was in love with him. Lo-Melkhiin the demon wanted her power, and she stayed with him after he was cured because she felt the qasr was her home now and she loved the people there. Prior to the ending, she stayed because she was afraid that he would just go out and marry and kill another girl. She even says she let him live for the benefit of all the people, so they would never have to deal with the chaos of not having a king. (hide spoiler)] 
 If you're looking for beautiful writing and a unique story that you can stroll rather than race through, A THOUSAND NIGHTS is worth checking out. 
 Quotes are from an ARC and should be checked against a finished copy. 
 This review was originally posted on Readers in Wonderland.