Praise for Forest of a Thousand Lanterns:
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A New York Public Library - Best Book for Teens 2017
"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. Subverting the all-too-white world of fairy tales, this novel will trap readers in a lush, dangerously dark, and often beautiful world from which they will want no escape. Xifeng is . . . richly drawn, complicated, and, at times, vulnerable; her relentless pursuit of power a welcome contrast to princesses of the past who seldom had the confidence or strength to determine their own destinies."—Booklist, starred review
★ "Lushly written . . . The demons [Xifeng] faces are both literal and metaphorical, external and internal, and her tug-of-war with the forces driving her down a dark path makes for tantalizing reading. A fascinating examination of destiny, responsibility, and how choices shape a person."—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 treachero's 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
"Dark, lush, and intense, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns draws you into a world filled with mystery and intrigue, led by a heroine determined to grasp her destiny. A stunning debut!"—Cindy Pon, author of WANT and Serpentine
“An enchanting debut with a powerful and ambitious lead. Vivid and seductive, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is one of the best debuts of the year.”—Zoraida Córdova, award-winning author of Labyrinth Lost
"Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is dark and seductive; beware, this tale will draw you deeper into the forest than you want to go. Disturbingly good."—Stacey Lee, award-winning author of Outrun the Moon
“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
"Beautiful, lush, and stunningly intricate, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is this year's must-read fantasy!"—Sandhya Menon, New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi
"Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a stunning debut, a sort of inside-out fairy tale where beauty is a weapon, ambition is armor, and the empire is the battlefield. Xifeng doesn't ask for what she wants—she takes it. This book is dangerous; you should read it."—Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling coauthor of My Lady Jane
"Searing and intense, Dao's debut is an outstanding character exploration of fairytales' most enduring and enigmatic characters: the Evil Queen. Equal parts lush and devastating, this is a tale that will grab you by the throat."—Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen
"Julie C. Dao's Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is delicious, addicting, and breathtaking; a book you fall into from the first page to the last. Her rich world is thick with wonder, intrigue, and delightful darkness. Readers will root for Xifeng no matter the choices she must make; we want her to win."—Dhonielle Clayton, author of The Belles and the Tiny Pretty Things series
"Readers will appreciate the sweeping fantasy saga lifted from East Asian dynasties and endearing characters that are beautifully rendered."—Kirkus Reviews
"Readers will be drawn into the lush, fully realized world of Feng Lu and be intrigued by the sinister forces that awaken within and around Xifeng."—BCCB
“This captivating, enchanting YA fantasy revolves around an anti-hero's journey and is nearly impossible to set down.”—Buzzfeed
“Julie C. Dao has created a dark, East Asian, fantasy fairy tale that will completely captivate you…a lush twist on the Evil Queen origin story from Snow White, and thankfully it's just book one of Dao's series.”—Bustle
“A beautiful teenager with a royal destiny is haunted by dark magic in this East Asian fairy tale, a debut novel that offers a rich retake on the origin story of Snow White's evil queen.”—io9
“Julie C. Dao’s lush debut Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a dark fairy tale that explores the divide between fate and choice…magic, love, destiny and the lure of power all plays roles in Xifeng’s journey, inspired by that of the evil queen in Snow White and buttressed by the detailed scene-building in ancient Asia.”—The Austin American-Statesman
“A beautiful, lush, dark fantasy YA novel…breathing freely with a haunting Brothers Grimm severity and the magical mystery of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books.”—SyFy
“If you’ve ever read a story, watched a movie, or played a game where the protagonist struggles with their dark side and secretly rooted for them to give into evil’s seductive call, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is absolutely the novel for you.”—Newsweek’s Player One
“Fantasy (and Disney) fans rejoice! Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is an East-Asian reimagining of the Evil Queen from Snow White. It’s filled with everything a dark fairy tale needs: deception, dark magic, and bloody hearts.”—Hello Giggles
“Listen up, fantasy addicts: Get ready to dive headfirst into a gorgeous, dark, and mysterious new world.”—PureWow
“Spellbinding…This novel is sure to be a hit with lovers of dark fairytales and anti-heroines."—Bookish
“This is a book filled with turmoil and drama that will leave you wanting more…with wonderfully descriptive writing and prose worthy of a movie, this is one book that you’ll want to check out.”—RT Book Reviews
★ 08/21/2017
Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is destined to become the empress of Feng Lu, and although she is initially uncertain about this foretold fate, the power it promises becomes too much to resist. Demons and bloody magic keep Xifeng’s face preternaturally beautiful and help her harness the power of her rivals in debut author Dao’s lushly written first book in the Rise of the Empress series, set in an East Asian fantasy landscape and inspired by Snow White’s evil queen. Inhabiting a role usually reserved for the villain, Xifeng schemes her way into the palace, losing her lover Wei in the process. The demons she faces are both literal and metaphorical, external and internal, and her tug-of-war with the forces driving her down a dark path makes for tantalizing reading. As she strives for wealth and becomes well versed in betrayal and politics, part of her longs for a simple life like the one she left behind, brutal though it often was. A fascinating examination of destiny, responsibility, and how choices shape a person. Ages 14–up. Agent: Tamar Rydzinski, Laura Dail Literary. (Oct.)
09/01/2017
Gr 10 Up—The first volume in the "Rise of the Empress" series, Dao builds the world of Feng Lu, five kingdoms ruled by the Dragon Lords through their earthly descendants. Xifeng is raised by her aunt Guma in desolate poverty. Guma instills in the child that she's meant for greater things than being a simple peasant. Xifeng has courtly manners and an education that will enable her rise to rule the kingdoms. Guma practices dark magic and welcomes the Serpent God who will lead Xifeng to greatness. The girl leaves her village for a life in the palace and must learn to balance cruelty with intelligence. Rich in detail and full of gore and blood, this dark novel will satisfy "Game of Thrones" fans. The magical elements are few and slow to develop in the beginning; the setting and unfolding of the plot is based in East Asian storytelling and drama. Uneven writing is confusing in chapters, but the reimagining of the Evil Queen story will entice fans of antiheroine journeys. VERDICT Violent and gory descriptions place this strong choice on high school crossover to adult fantasy shelves.—Pamela Thompson, Col. John O. Ensor Middle School, El Paso, TX
2017-08-02
Xifeng, a poor, beautiful village girl, dares to fulfill her destiny to become the Empress of Feng Lu.Guma raised her sister's bastard daughter with aspirations lifted from card readings and smoky, incense-filled visions. Xifeng is taught history and classic verse to prepare for a fate that "lies in the Imperial Palace," but at 18 she escapes Guma's abusive love and runs away with Wei, her childhood friend and lover. Together, they embark on a journey through the Great Forest and discover friendship with Kamatsu's ambassador, a little person, and fierce warnings from the queen of the tengaru, "the demon guardians of the forest." At the end of their journey, Xifeng must enter the palace alone, as lady-in-waiting to Empress Lihua, and learn to navigate the intrigue and treachery endemic among the eunuchs and concubines of Emperor Jun's court. With every step marked with both violence and poetry, will Xifeng sacrifice love and her own humanity to gain ultimate power? Readers will appreciate the sweeping fantasy saga lifted from East Asian dynasties and endearing characters that are beautifully rendered, but elements of the far-reaching storyline don't fully intertwine and satisfy. As the story leaves Xifeng poised for Book 2, they will hope it follows through. A dark and savage fairy-tale epic with all the trappings of imperial Asia. (Fantasy. 14-18)
