Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Rise of the Empress)

With its richly imagined world and wonderfully diabolic antihero, FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS is a haunting debut that readers won't soon forget. This novel is unlike anything I've ever read before and is certainly one of my favorite books I've read this year. I adore a complex and unreliable main character, and Xifeng beautifully embodies those characteristics. Dao did such a wonderful job of showing Xifeng's backstory, motivations, and human characteristics as well as the darkness lurking inside her. Xifeng might not always be a likable character, but she is an unfailingly fascinating one. Being inside her mind was such a darkly captivating experience, and I am just itching to find out what happens next in her story. The world-building in this novel is quite frankly stunning. From the richly imagined legends and mythology to the lush setting, the world of a FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS is entirely immersive and an absolute joy to read about. The plot of the story itself is very character-driven. This is truly a story of Xifeng's transformation from a naive and driven girl to a darkly powerful young woman. While there are several jaw-dropping and intense moments in the story, it isn't as action-packed as many YA fantasy novels. Instead we get focus more on the political maneuverings and character/world development. While that does mean the plot moves more slowly, Dao's writing is so decadent and provocative, I was absolutely addicted to it. There are some beautiful and heart-pounding romance scenes in this novel. These make for some lovely scenes in the story, without overpowering the overall plot. They are a part of Xifeng's character arc, but they are not the main motivation behind it, and I really appreciated that. Though Xifeng's motivations were far from pure, it was wonderful to see a female protagonist pursuing her dreams and ambitions and prioritizing those above romance. I was truly blown away by this story and by Xifeng herself. I would highly recommend this to any reader. This is such a unique story, and it truly stands out amongst the many YA fantasy novels I've read this year. I will most eagerly be anticipating the next book in the series.

What the hell. This book was brutal and terrifying in how easily it is for someone to slip so completely into evil deeds and yet, because of how well it was done, I'm cool with whatever the MC does. Also I love retellings so much, and this one was especially good at it. Xifeng is beautiful, and destined for greatness, at least that is what her abusive aunt tells her. She is to be the Empress of their kingdom, and the most beautiful of them all. To get her destiny, she has to throw away true love and embrace the dark magic inside her that is fueled by consuming hearts. The price of greatness is high and can Xifeng afford to pay it? This book was insane. At times I had hoped that it could turn around and Xifeng could redeem herself (wishful thinking okay, I knew that she wasn't the heroine of this story) but nah. Her rise to power is absolute and the journey to it was nice to follow. Obviously Xifeng is an awful character- and that's okay. She's vain, entitled, and she comes from nothing and yet expects everyone to give her everything without working for it. It's hard to sympathize with her but I still rooted for her because I love villains, and I love seeing them become slowly more corrupted than they began. To read through her POV was kind of fascinating because I don't know if I would have hated certain characters if not for Xifeng expressing how bad they were, just because they were in her way. What did some characters do because fight to keep their place of power? There was a lot of girl hate in this book too. While that is normally not something I will stand anymore in YA, I understood it 100% in Xifeng and it furthered showing her, frankly, mean ass nature. Still cheered for her taking what she wanted though. Ahh the romance. Some things are honestly just too pure for certain books and Wei is one of them. He is kind and cares about Xifeng and wants her to be free from her abusive aunt. He has put up with her (mostly) lack of love for him for years but it would take almost anything for him to walk away. He wants a future and if only Xifeng could just accept his love, her future wouldn't be as great but at least she would be happy with him. One thing I'm still unsure of is how much Xifeng was begging Wei to stay anytime he tried to leave- it did not seem like she liked him at ALL so I just don't understand. The world and a certain God were really interesting. The fact that this was East Asian-inspired was even better. I haven't read many books with that setting but it was really rich and a good change from the fantasy worlds I keep seeing that are all the same. This book should really have had a map though. Different kingdoms and locations were mentioned so often, where was my map? Then there is the fact that this is a retelling! It's such a good one actually. Most of the book, you forget how it's a Snow White evil queen retelling until it starts slowly mentioning and adding elements from the original story. As Xifeng spirals more into becoming the evil queen, so does the story seem more and more familiar. Also lots of surprising twists and turns. Really enjoyed it and can't wait for the sequel!

The book arrived without any damages and came earlier than expected! The weird thing is I got a signed copy!?!?!!!! I‘m really happy about that :) Also can’t wait to read it

I'm no critic, so I won't be able to dig into the book like some wish. However, I absolutely loved it. People were talking about it on tumblr, and just from one post alone I decided to purchase the ebook and give it a read. I wasn't let down. It's beautifully written! And the characters are wonderful. It is definitely a novel I'll recommend to others for years.

Good read

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a truly captivating read.Filled with engrossing twists and turns and climax, it's hard to put down. A must read.

great book