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A Thousand Nights
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"A folkloric tour de force." —School Library Journal (starred review)
In the mold of Arabian Nights, this groundbreaking YA anthology—featuring sixteen Muslim women writers—links together fantastical stories that a group of refugees tell one another within a riveting frame story.
On her way across the desert, fleeing the soldiers who have destroyed all she knows, one refugee meets another. And another and another. As they travel together, on a journey in search of safety, they take turns telling one another stories—stories woven in the imagination; tales with echoes of the reality they face now. Tales of young people stolen away by jinn and tales of siblings rescuing one another; tales of lands encroached on by settlers and abandoned by rain; tales of magic found in caves, deserts, mountains, lakes, and, above all, in people, community, and faith. With a frame story written by Nafiza Azad and Intisar Khanani interwoven with stories from fifteen additional authors of various backgrounds, drawing on the mythologies and legends of their cultures, this extraordinary collection will appeal to lovers of fantasy and to those looking for books that center refugees and diverse narratives.
Stories contributed by:
Hanna Alkaf
Sara Sharaf Beg
Loretta Chefchaouni
Heba Helmy
Zeyneb Holdridge
Ausma Zehanat Khan
Diana Ma
Ardo Omer
Haneen Oriqat
Sarah Mughal Rana
Farah Naz Rishi
Laila Sabreen
Zeba Shahnaz
Ream Shukairy
Zaynah Qutubuddin
In the mold of Arabian Nights, this groundbreaking YA anthology—featuring sixteen Muslim women writers—links together fantastical stories that a group of refugees tell one another within a riveting frame story.
On her way across the desert, fleeing the soldiers who have destroyed all she knows, one refugee meets another. And another and another. As they travel together, on a journey in search of safety, they take turns telling one another stories—stories woven in the imagination; tales with echoes of the reality they face now. Tales of young people stolen away by jinn and tales of siblings rescuing one another; tales of lands encroached on by settlers and abandoned by rain; tales of magic found in caves, deserts, mountains, lakes, and, above all, in people, community, and faith. With a frame story written by Nafiza Azad and Intisar Khanani interwoven with stories from fifteen additional authors of various backgrounds, drawing on the mythologies and legends of their cultures, this extraordinary collection will appeal to lovers of fantasy and to those looking for books that center refugees and diverse narratives.
Stories contributed by:
Hanna Alkaf
Sara Sharaf Beg
Loretta Chefchaouni
Heba Helmy
Zeyneb Holdridge
Ausma Zehanat Khan
Diana Ma
Ardo Omer
Haneen Oriqat
Sarah Mughal Rana
Farah Naz Rishi
Laila Sabreen
Zeba Shahnaz
Ream Shukairy
Zaynah Qutubuddin
496 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 8, 2026
About the author
Nafiza Azad
8 books1,287 followersNafiza Azad is a self-identified island girl. She has hurricanes in her blood and dreams of a time she can exist solely on mangoes and pineapple. Born in Lautoka, Fiji, she currently resides in BC, Canada where she reads too many books, watches too many Kdramas and writes stories about girls taking over the world. Her debut YA fantasy, THE CANDLE AND THE FLAME, was released by Scholastic in 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
thoughts
April 9, 2026the cover is gorgeous
Want to Read
February 11, 2026An excellent lineup of authors, I'm super excited to read it
Review of advance copy received from Author
The book opens with a girl running across the desert, fleeing soldiers who destroyed her home. Along the way she meets other refugees, all heading somewhere safe. To get through the hard journey, they take turns telling each other stories, stories about jinn, sibling quests, lands being taken over, and magic everywhere, in caves, deserts, mountains, but most of all in each other. These are not just idle tales, they are fables rooted in the myths and legends of the authors’ diverse cultures, echoing the loss, hope, and struggle they face in the real world.
What makes this book stand out from every other anthology I’ve picked up is how tightly it is woven together. Most anthologies feel like separate pieces placed together, but here, every tale is actually connected and builds into one beautiful whole. It’s a structure I’ve never seen done this way before and I loved it so much!
Mind you, these stories are rich, layered, and carry more weight than most YA fantasy. While written for teen readers, it is not a light, quick, or purely entertaining read. If you’re someone who loves to dive deep, explore new voices, and welcome stories that ask more from you than just fun, this will feel like finding something precious. But if you're the kind of person who loves something breezy to pass the time, this may not be the book for you.
In a YA fantasy landscape that often feels full of the familiar beats these days, A Thousand Nights is a breath of fresh air to me. It is a book that honors the resilience of refugees, the power of cultural heritage, and the truth that we carry our homes with us, wherever we go. For anyone craving fantasy, or just stories in general, that feels both timeless and deep, this is worth reading.
Thank you to Candlewick Press and Nafiza Azad for the opportunity to read and review an advance reader copy (ARC) of this title.
What makes this book stand out from every other anthology I’ve picked up is how tightly it is woven together. Most anthologies feel like separate pieces placed together, but here, every tale is actually connected and builds into one beautiful whole. It’s a structure I’ve never seen done this way before and I loved it so much!
Mind you, these stories are rich, layered, and carry more weight than most YA fantasy. While written for teen readers, it is not a light, quick, or purely entertaining read. If you’re someone who loves to dive deep, explore new voices, and welcome stories that ask more from you than just fun, this will feel like finding something precious. But if you're the kind of person who loves something breezy to pass the time, this may not be the book for you.
In a YA fantasy landscape that often feels full of the familiar beats these days, A Thousand Nights is a breath of fresh air to me. It is a book that honors the resilience of refugees, the power of cultural heritage, and the truth that we carry our homes with us, wherever we go. For anyone craving fantasy, or just stories in general, that feels both timeless and deep, this is worth reading.
Thank you to Candlewick Press and Nafiza Azad for the opportunity to read and review an advance reader copy (ARC) of this title.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A THOUSAND NIGHTS follows a small group of refugee Muslim children crossing the desert toward safety, sustaining one another by taking turns telling stories. Each tale is penned by a different author, offering diverse Muslim fantasy and folk stories about hope and resilience that are richly and beautifully woven.
I'll note that there are many foreign words throughout. Since I read digitally, I had the advantage of long-pressing for definitions and translations on the fly. In print, this might have slowed me down a bit more and taken me out of the fantasy.
The framing story narrative is tense and enthralling, and the young protagonists are instantly lovable and sympathetic. My favorite character? A cat! That's all I'll say without spoilers, except that I exclaimed out loud about said cat more than once.
Reading this during such a grave time in the United States, these stories sparked my imagination toward people and communities who endure far more and still find joy and family where they are. One quote I'm carrying with me:
"I can only know that we must try to be true to who we are and what we have learned from our pain."
This is a gorgeous anthology that reminds us of the power of stories to sustain us through the darkest journeys. Highly recommend for fans of fantasy, folklore, and fiction that centers Muslim voices.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me an advance PDF of this book.
I'll note that there are many foreign words throughout. Since I read digitally, I had the advantage of long-pressing for definitions and translations on the fly. In print, this might have slowed me down a bit more and taken me out of the fantasy.
The framing story narrative is tense and enthralling, and the young protagonists are instantly lovable and sympathetic. My favorite character? A cat! That's all I'll say without spoilers, except that I exclaimed out loud about said cat more than once.
Reading this during such a grave time in the United States, these stories sparked my imagination toward people and communities who endure far more and still find joy and family where they are. One quote I'm carrying with me:
"I can only know that we must try to be true to who we are and what we have learned from our pain."
This is a gorgeous anthology that reminds us of the power of stories to sustain us through the darkest journeys. Highly recommend for fans of fantasy, folklore, and fiction that centers Muslim voices.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me an advance PDF of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I don't think it being marketed toward a YA audience is the most relevant audience. It's on the upper end of YA for sure and even then the intricacies of storytelling, weaving in cultural and fable-like retellings that would also mean advanced prior knowledge, and a lengthy book of short stories that collect into one book overall missed the mark. It would be a hard sell for me in our high school library though the cover appeal and concept had amazing intentions.
The nuanced and deeply-rooted stories are going to lose many readers.
The nuanced and deeply-rooted stories are going to lose many readers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A Thousand Nights is a beautifully written, gut-wrenching, affirming collection of short stories by 15 female Muslim authors, expertly linked by a gorgeous through-story written by editors Nafiza Azad and Intisar Khanani. This collection centers the refugee experience and pulls from diverse and vibrant cultural mythologies and heritages. I cried, I laughed, I LOVED IT. This is the kind of book that stays with you, and given our current political realities, is more important than ever.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
very underwhelming but i think the heart was in the right place
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews