The Storyteller's Daughter: A Retelling of ''The Arabian Nights'' (Once upon a Time Series)

Highly Recommended!

"The Storyteller's Daughter" is a fun and brisk retelling of the class "Arabian Nights." Having read about this classic before, I thought that a modern twist of this story would be refreshing as it was interesting, and indeed it was! For this story, a king named Shahrayar is betrayed by his wife, who was revealed to be unfaithful. He then becomes a completely different man, one who makes a rash decision that he shall take a new wife every full moon, but then execute her to avoid heartbreak / betrayal. The blind daughter of the storyteller, Sharazad then takes a chance, risking her life by marrying him. This story is found to be both moving and gradual, boiling up to the surprising climax later found in the story. The love that can be found between both Shahrayar and Sharazad, is not the typical "fairytale" fantasy. Their love grows as the story continues on with his frustration of not knowing who he truly is and what is in his heart. With the help of Sharazad and her magical words though, his barriers slowly break down and with a strong king and queen, the kingdom thrives . happily ever after! The story has a strong theme of confusion, betrayal, but love does conquer all. Dokey does a wonderful job of retelling this classic, and she cultivates the personalities of each character - Shahrayar, a kind man inside but one who has been burned by his wife, Sharazad, a gentle-hearted woman who has her mother's talent of storytelling which saves her from execution from Shahrayar who was ultimately intrigued by them. Down to the Sharazad's half sister, father, and many more. This story is a must read, so get your rear off the chair, and grab a copy.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Mystifying take on "The Arabian Nights"

I've recently finished all of the books and so I've decided to review each of them in the following categories: story, characters, and my final comments. (Warning: Spoiler Alert on this whole review) (Story): This book is a retelling of the classic "Arabian Nights" story. In this version, a Persian king named Shahrayar is betrayed by his wife, allowing her betrayal to turn him from a righteous ruler to a bitter and angry man. He then sends out a decree that at every full moon, he will take on a new wife, but then execute her the following morning so she can't betray him. His subjects are horrified, until seventeen-year old Shahrazad steps forward to marry Shahrayar, with a plan to soften his heart up her sleeve. I'd heard of "The Arabian Nights" but haven't read anything based on it. To me, Dokey wrote it in a way that made it seem exotic and adventurous, but there were also moments that were subtle and moving. I also loved the romance between Shahrazad and Shahrayar in that it took time for their relationship to build which made it more realistic. I read it in only two days and each page kept me wanting to know what happens next. (Characters): The main character in the story is Shahrazad, whose story in a way reminds me of Queen Esther in that she's willing to die to save her people from slaughter. She's a storyteller rumored to become the greatest of her time, but she had to work her way to the top, which to me makes her more human. She also loves her father and half-sister and would do anything for them, which makes her mature for her age. Shahrayar is the male lead and I find him to be an interesting character, because by the end of the story he realizes the big mistake he's made and how it's affected him and his people's love for him. (Final Comments): All in all, I thought this book was captivating and I would highly recommend it to any young adult reader.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

...

When I bought this book, I was doing research on the different styles of writing, and chose this tale to study. My original purpose was for that study, but in reading it I became drawn into the story. This fresh view of A Thousand and One Nights was enchanting. Her switch between the story of Shahrazad, and the King's special story, was an entirely different style of writing, and brought a new flavor to the tale. This was the first of the Once Upon A Time collection I read, and so far remains my favorite. It too, is sitting on my shelf.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Story tellers daughter

Good book should make into a movie

very beautiful story.

very beautiful story.

Charming

I am a great lover of fairy tales, and while I have not read an original version of this story, I knew the premise before I delved into the Storyteller's Daughter. I was not disappointed. The book is a quick read, and as enchanting as you would hope. The suspense of whether or not Shahirazad will live to see another day, and more importantly, whether you will get to hear the end of her story, is well done, and the characters, in a short amount of time, will worm their way into your affections. The Storyteller's daughter will leave you with a smile and a sudden desire to go purchase a copy of A Thousand and One Nights.

Amazing read!

I found this book while searching around and it is AWESOME! I have started reading the series of books and it's really fun to read because it doesn't matter which book you start on! Cameron Dokey is now one of my favorite authors. She spins a lovely tale that hooked me from the start. I think Cameron could be a storyteller's daughter herself!

it was great

i loved the way it was told

Indescribably good

I never read "Arabian nights",which is probably why I found this story good. I thought this was a great story, and it orvides a link between fantasy and history.

This book is an epic fail

This book stunk because it was boring. It didnt keep my attention, and i love to read. It was a waste of my life, and i was only 100 pages into it. DO NOT read this book.

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Good,But A Little Confusing

I found this book to be one of my favorites in the series. I was a little confused at some parts so I had to reread it over again, but I recognized the stlye of writing right away and was able to recover what I had missed. It is easy to love the characters, even the king. Over all the book is a fatastic add to the Once Upon a Time Series.

Nice, if not forgettable

I like Dokey's writing; some of her descriptions are just so rich that one could get lost in her use of language. Dokey included. This tale meanders amongst characters and in and out of stories. Although this story is ostensibly told by Shahrazad, there is no real narrator, and as a result, it was difficult for me to become personally attached to any particular one of them. In addition, the flowery style of the narration takes some adjusting to.

That said, there is real content to this story. Romance and intrigue, sprinkled with a dash of betrayal and revenge make for an exciting page-turner. Even people familiar with this classic tale will find themselves holding their breath in anticipation. Nonetheless, rest assured that there is the perfect happy ending, with all of the story's loose bits and ends tidily wrapped up. If you can get past the few technical difficulties, you will likely enjoy this short interpretation of one of literature's most beloved tales.

Unforgettable

This novel was amazing, and easily my favorite book. Though it's a quick read, theres so much to the story. The characters and the writting suck you in immediatly, and the gradual romance between Shahrazad and Shahrayar is endearing and leaves you with a wonderful feeling.

This retelling of "The One Thousand and One Nights" it's colorful, enchanting and full of unique surprises.

Cover Not Right

I love this book. I would recommend this book, and all the other books in the series, to anyone who likes fairy tale love stories. I bought it, but the cover is different. There are two covers for this book. The one shown here is the second one, I got the first one. And I like the second one better. So if you're thinking about buying it, don't expect a book that has this cover.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

a book lover

This book was recommended to me by my school librarian and i took it reluctantly and not to disappoint my librarian i began reading it and i found that i liked it, even got my sister to read it, and she doesn't usually like reading. And yes she too thought it was an excellent book.

She could do better than that!

I thought her version of the Thousand and One Nights wasnt good. She put too many characters in it. And I was always confused when ever Shahrazad was telling stories because one minute its about her. Then the next minute its about the other characters either in this book or in her stories. Cameron Dokey is not the best writer. The only book she did a good job with is Before Midnight. She needs to not confuse readers or gets lost into her books when she writes them.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Beautiful Rendition of the Arabian Knights Tale

I read the Arabian nights when I was maybe 7 or 8. When I saw this in the bookstore I just had to buy it. I was amazed at how Cameron Dokey's style changed between the book 'How Not To Spend Your Senior Year' and 'The Storyteller's Daughter'. I was really impressed by this book and truly enjoyed reading it.

This book is totally FANTASTIC!!! :)

This book is awesome!!! Exciting, romantic, and passionate, this book is about a man who loses his heart... and the woman who helps him find it. A wonderful retelling of the Arabian Nights, this book has a place on any booklover's shelf. Five stars all the way!

Wow this is amazing

The Storyteller's Daughter is a great book that shows the trouble that love seems to cause and it's not just one story... it's a number of different stories that the king listens too and the more he listens the more he seems to fall in love and the longer Shahrazad lives.

The True Story of Shahrazad

Dokey, Cameron. The Storyteller¿s Daughter. New York: Simon Pulse, 2002. The Storyteller¿s Daughter is the story of Shahrazad, a storyteller¿s daughter, who weds King Shayrayar, who has gone through great turmoil in order to save many lives. He has proclaimed that he will take a new wife each full moon and slay her the next morning unless a woman volunteers to marry him and sees his heart truly, for his first wife had not. Shahrazad tells him a story, a plan that she and her sister have arranged, so he won¿t kill her in the morning. He becomes spellbound with her and decides to spare her life. They eventually fall in love, but do not confess it until they see each other¿s hearts truly in a time of confusion and betrayal. I thought this book was incredible, if only a bit confusing. There was a scene where Shahrazad is telling a story in one chapter, and in the next, the book skips to totally different setting and introduces some brand new characters, the five brothers. This scene also states that this occurrence with the five brothers happens a few days before the previous chapter. Other than this section, however, the book is phenomenal. Dokey uses great descriptive words throughout the entire novel. It also appears that she did a good amount of research on the topic of Shahrazad and the Arabian Nights in which this novel is based on. The characters are the kind who reach out and touch my heart. Shayrayar is confused by what his heart and his mind are telling him. Shahrazad is a gentle-spirited young woman with her mother¿s talent of storytelling who helps Shayrayar see his own heart truly once more. Dokey fully describes the characters in detail. The Storyteller¿s Daughter is a medium level read of mixed emotions containing horrible sadness, joy, and love. The reader won¿t be able to put this one down!