A Thousand Steps into Night: Cursed with a deadly touch, innkeeper's daughter Miuko journeys through a Japanese-mythology realm of gods and demons to reclaim her fate

Longlisted for the National Book Award

From bestselling and award-winning author Traci Chee comes a fantasy perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli. When a girl who's never longed for adventure is hit with a curse that begins to transform her into a demon, she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life, but along the way is forced to confront her true power within.

In the realm of Awara, where gods, monsters, and humans exist side by side, Miuko is an ordinary girl resigned to a safe, if uneventful, existence as an innkeeper's daughter.

But when Miuko is cursed and begins to transform into a demon with a deadly touch, she embarks on a quest to reverse the curse and return to her normal life. Aided by a thieving magpie spirit and continuously thwarted by a demon prince, Miuko must outfox tricksters, escape demon hunters, and negotiate with feral gods if she wants to make it home again.

With her transformation comes power and freedom she never even dreamed of, and she'll have to decide if saving her soul is worth trying to cram herself back into an ordinary life that no longer fits her… and perhaps never did.

• A Cursed Heroine: Ordinary innkeeper’s daughter Miuko wants a safe, normal life. But when a mysterious curse begins to transform her into a demon with a deadly touch, her old life may be lost forever.
• Inspired by Japanese Mythology: Journey through the realm of Awara, a rich fantasy world perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli, where Miuko must outfox tricksters and negotiate with feral gods to survive.
• Unlikely Allies: Aided by a thieving magpie spirit and continuously thwarted by a demon prince, Miuko must learn who to trust on a journey where no one is what they seem.
• A Powerful Coming of Age Story: With her transformation comes freedom Miuko never dreamed of, forcing her to decide if saving her soul is worth trying to cram herself back into an ordinary life that no longer fits.

Traci Chee’s novels include the New York Times bestselling Reader Trilogy and the National Book Award finalist and Printz honoree We Are Not Free. An all-around word geek, she loves book arts and art books, poetry and paper crafts, though she also dabbles at egg painting, gardening, and hosting game nights for family and friends. She lives in California.