Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

Julie C. Dao

Oct 2017 · Rise of the Empress Book 1 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

The Wrath and the Dawn meets Snow White and the Huntsman in this dark and mystical East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl's quest to become Empress.

"A richly developed fantasy world . . . Julie C. Dao is a talent to watch."—Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her.

Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high? Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and  exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins--sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute. 

Set in an East Asian-inspired fantasy world filled with both breathtaking pain and beauty, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns possesses all the hallmarks of masterful fantasy: dazzling magic, heartbreaking romance, and a world that hangs in the balance. Fans of Heartless, Stealing Snow, and Red Queen will devour this stunning debut.

Praise for Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

A Junior Library Guild Selection

"A richly developed fantasy world coupled with an ambitious anti-heroine of complex agency, this story shines and surprises at every turn. Julie C. Dao is a talent to watch."—Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites

★ "A masterful reimagining of the early life of Snow White’s Evil Queen."—Booklist, starred review

★ "Lushly written . . . tantalizing reading."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Rich in detail and full of gore and blood, this dark novel will satisfy ‘Game of Thrones’ fans."—School Library Journal

“A stunning reimagining of the Evil Queen. Filled with treacherous courtesans, dark magic, terrible choices, and bloody hearts, Julie Dao’s exquisite take on this classic villain rises far above the average retelling.”—Stephanie Garber, New York Times bestselling author of Caraval

“Magnetic, seductive, and alluring, Dao’s Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a lush, captivating read about desire and the lengths to which we will go to find our true destiny.”—S. Jae-Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Wintersong

Ratings and reviews

I love Asian fantasy. I especially love it when it is done well. I was reading one of my pulp fantasies when I picked this up. I admit, I had forgotten what excellent writing was. I still love my pulp though! I enjoyed the story. It could have several scenes built out more and some side stories and other characters developed. The ending was a little trite. I felt a bit let down and this is probably because other aspects weren't developed. That said, I am looking forward to the next book.

When I heard people raving about this Diverse Reads book on Twitter, and after reading the synopsis I IMMEDIATELY added to my wish list. Julie Dao is such a sweet person and it just made me want to immerse myself in her world more. In A Few Words: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns was a dark, lush fantasy that will make readers root for an anti-heroine that we grew up hating. It was gorgeous, powerful and filled with diversity. I couldn’t recommend it more. Let’s break it down: WRITING: Julie Dao’s writing was impressive. While the beginning of the story was slow, it was the writing that kept me at it. It wasn’t overly complicated writing, but it still had this gorgeous flow that kept you hooked. In the more intense scenes (no spoilers) that come later in the book, it made me feel what Xifeng felt. Her hopes, her desperation, her need to be something better than everybody else. It’s the kind of writing that makes you believe and it doesn’t get any better than that! IDEA: If you don’t know, this book is a reimagined re-telling of Snow White. I’m not going to spoil anything, but this book IS NOT the tale you heard as a child, hence the word RE-IMAGINED. It was a very dark and different perspective on the story, and since I’m a dark and twisty person always searching for the worst boy and most cunning girl in books, THIS WAS MY CUP OF TEA! PLOT: FoTL started off slowly. I put it down a few times, but I would recommend you to keep at it until Xifeng reaches the capital because THAT’S WHEN IT REALLY PICKS UP. After she enters the palace, and a world filled with romance, politics, betrayal and making it ahead is when the books really picks up. Xifeng is a classic manipulator, plotter both subtle and effective and it was SO GOOD. I loved how destiny, ancient stories and otherworldly powerful beings played a role in this just as much as the Emperor, Empress and other members of the palace. It was SO WELL plotted out, and I’m so excited for the second book. CHARACTERS: I initially didn’t get Xifeng. She seemed to be this oh-so-beautiful girl who wanted to be good and pious but was secretly conspiring to achieve a foretold destiny that would involve her being the OPPOSITE of good and pious. But then, as she accepted that the girl she was trying to be couldn’t exist in the life she wanted to make, I FELL IN LOVE WITH HER. She was ruthless, unafraid to get what she wanted and yet cared so deep. She didn’t want to be just another name forgotten by the sands of time and I RESPECT THAT SO MUCH. I especially loved the ending of her story because GO ANTI HEROINES. Since the whole story was told from Xifeng’s point of view, I didn’t get to know the other characters much but they were ALL stunning secondary characters. I liked Lady Sun’s evil machinations, the Empress and her kind heart and Emperor Jun’s ability to see both brains and beauty. I didn’t like Wei, but then I always knew I wouldn’t. CONCLUSION: If you’re looking for that unpredictable, diverse and dark fantasy book, go throw this book to the TOP of your TBRs and Wish lists. Forest of A Thousand Lanterns will have you spell bound with its intense writing, captivated by its ruthless main character and in love with the world you’ve been transported to.

About the author

Julie C. Dao (www.juliedao.com) is a proud Vietnamese-American who was born in upstate New York. She studied medicine in college, but came to realize blood and needles were her Kryptonite. By day, she worked in science news and research; by night, she wrote books about heroines unafraid to fight for their dreams, which inspired her to follow her passion of becoming a published author. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is her debut novel. Julie lives in New England. Follow her on Twitter @jules_writes.