Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is the evil queen retelling I never knew I needed! The story follows Xifeng, an extremely beautiful girl from a poor village in Feng Lu. She may be poor, but her fate holds power: she is to be the Empress of all Feng Lu.

Now let's take a quick look at the things I liked:

 The world building. The danger with fantasy books is how the author will present the world; how do you familiarise the reader with a whole new system and ways of living? Authors take note from Mrs Dao, because she did it perfectly. It was not info dump-y at all; on the contrary you learned about the world gradually alongside the heroine. This made me appreciate and understand the magic as well as the political system of this new world.

 The descriptions. Her writing style is not exactly THE best, but she sure does descriptions so well. I felt like I was literally seeing in front of me all the things she described, it was so vivid and clear: the Great Forest, the tapestries, the palace, the characters.

 Xifeng. You know a villain is done well, when you can't help yourself from rooting for them, and that's exactly what happened to me with Xifeng. I know who she will be, I know she is selfish and manipulative but there were times in the book that I couldn't help myself from wanting her to get the throne and succeed in her scheming. Here is a quote that perfectly describes her:

."..the path she preferred would always place her own happiness"
 The political scheming. There was so much plotting in this palace I couldn't keep track. If you know me, you know I love a good political fantasy, so it is a given really I like this part of the story.

 The east asian inspired elements. !!!!!! This is an own voices novel and it shows. I loved learning little things about clothing or food or even the general way of living. Definitely one of my favourite aspects of the novel! FOATL made me crave more asian inspired fantasies!

Things I disliked:

 There's not much I did not like, apart from the fact that it did not hold my interest equally throughout the story. What do I mean: in the beginning I was ALL in (even though most people say this has a slow start). Then around 40% I started losing a little interest, then it became awesome again. The ending was a little anti-climactic and lacked that BOOM factor, but I understand that it couldn't have happened any other way since there will be a sequel (THANK GOD).

General Thoughts: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a dark retelling of Snow White's Evil Queen. We follow Xifeng as she leaves behind the good parts of herself and fully embraces evil. Warning: you will find yourself rooting for her but don't be alarmed.

Trigger Warning: abuse, gore.

*I received this e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I can't help myself, I love reading villains's origin stories.

At the beginning of the book, Xifeng is a beautiful girl from the countryside but from the very first page we can see that she wants to leave to fulfil her destiny, becoming Empress of Feng Lu. I loved how she's never been truly innocent, she's always been jealous and somewhat cruel, and that makes her fall to the dark side more realistic and believable.

I must admit that it was difficult to get through the first part of the book (when Xifeng hasn't yet reached the Emperor's court), I found it a bit boring, in fact it took me almost a month to finish reading, usually I'm done in a week.
But once she reached the court I was hooked and I couldn't put the book down, I loved seeing Xifeng becoming more and more dark, sacrificing love and peace of mind to fulfil a destiny she can't let go of. I also didn't guess the last plot twist!

First things first: this review is long overdue. I received a digital copy of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns on the day of its release, and then had a lot of technical issues with the e-reader, which often ended with me having a migraine. Still, I think this book is worth the effort.

One of the things I loved most was the world-building. This world was both lush and gritty, full of wonders and yet it's also riddled with the same issues we face in real life: hunger, war, strife. I thought the prose was wonderful, too. I love how the author wove magic and mysticism into the most mundane details. I also enjoyed how morally gray the characters were. Given, this was an evil queen re-imagining, I really thought the author did a great job in building Xi Feng's character, as well as the rest of the cast. This book reminds me of Renee Ahdieh's Flame in the Mist, which I enjoyed thoroughly.

A lovely 4 stars for this wonderful debut. :)

Truthfully, this book started better than it finished. But I think I feel that way because the protagonist sort of embodies the negatives we never admit to... she is utterly ruthless in her quest to become empress and she is seemingly soulless in her drive. It would seem to be based on that which is out of her control, but it also makes it hard to root for her. I’ll be interested by what follows.

It took me a long time to finish Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, but overall, this book turned out to be a solid story. Julie C. Dao's writing is beautiful and poetic--the perfect voice for a tale such as this one!

What I Liked:

I love fairytale retellings and even more from the point of view of the future antagonist! Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a retelling of The Evil Queen (Snow White) and I enjoyed when pieces of this enigmatic figure came up at certain points in the story. Xifeng, the main character, battles with herself for the most part of the story, torn between wanting a simple life with the man she loves (or thinks she loves) to the life of an Empress she believes she is destined to have. Choosing to follow what she believes is her fate, she becomes ruthless and even eats the hearts of those that stand in her way, believing she is doing them a favor to live on within her.

Xifeng is not the most likeable character (for obvious reasons), but she has a certain charm. It's not often when I get to read books with an anti-heroine and I do like them a lot. It's entertaining to read how their minds work, how they transform and change throughout the novel from good to bad and vice-versa, just like Xifeng does in this story. Can't say I root for her, but I certainly want to see how far she goes.

However, I can say that I fell more for her traveling companions and Wei, her small-town lover. If there's one character I wish to read more about is him! He's not a perfect person, but he certainly fought for Xifeng, believing he could get her free from her aunt's clutches, not knowing he's also fighting Xifeng's own desires.

What Left Me Wanting More:

Although Julie C. Dao's writing is beautiful and lyrical (could probably lose myself in her vivid descriptions), this book left me wanting more dialogue and action. More showing rather than telling. Xifeng's thoughts were interesting, but there came a time when it got too repetitive and made it harder for me to keep reading and not pick up another read.

With the above in mind, there were also some secrets revealed within this book without any form of reaction from Xifeng or other characters, which in turn made it duller for me as a reader. Perhaps this is a reflection of Xifeng's emotional state, but I do wish to have seen a bit of internal conflict. Especially with Guma, her aunt.

Final Verdict:

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a nice retelling about the Evil Queen and her rise to the throne before facing Snow-White. It is set in East Asia so there's beautifully imagery involved, but I do wish we could have explored more of it. There's always the sequel though!

In this book we do not find any hero figure, but the figure of a so-called villain as a protagonist. Xifeng actually may seem like a normal girl in love at the beginning, who wants to pursue the future that her aunt predicted for her, even though her Guma has always been very strict towards the girl.

But soon her will is altered by the obscure suggestions of the demon that hosts within her body. She will end up killing and plotting against people who are close to her to become empress, thus conquering the emperor's heart and exterminating all her rivals.

I sincerely believed that in the end she chose the prince heir to the throne, but apparently he left to go and save his brother, but without knowing he was killed. We do not know what happens, but he does not come back. I was totally misled by the way the plot took at the end.

The first half of the book is normal, explanatory I would dare to say, because we do not encounter many mysteries as in the second part, the part where everything really happens. For the second book I do not know what to expect. The first ends with the realization of her goals, but I'm almost sure that Julie has very clear ideas since on instagram many times she posts photos of her progress for Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix (title of the sequel).

And as if having a book in which the protagonist is a real badass was not enough, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is one of the few books in which there is a guide to the pronunciation of the characters, which, as an addition in a book, together with maps, it's something that I love a lot.

For me this book deserves 4.5 stars, but I'll get to 5 for the beautiful cover, the plot that comes out from the usual lines, and the content.

I didn't know this was an anti-heroine protagonist, so when she turned to the darkness, I was pretty surprised. But it was so well-written, and I enjoyed that turn. I am really looking forward to the next installment.

I did not realize that this was an anti-heroine protagonist, at first, so when she turned to the darkness, I was surprised. But it was so well-written, that I enjoyed that turn. I am really looking forward to the next one.

I really wanted to love this book. It's so popular right now. Unfortunately, I dnf'd it around a third of the way through. The writing was beautiful and I was really interested in the main character's evil side, but the plot was too slow paced for me. It started out great, slowed down more during their journey and the attack in the forest, but by the time they reached the city, I was struggling to stay interested. Maybe it was just me, I know a lot of others loved this book!

I finally, finally, finished it and I couldn’t put it down for at least the first half of the book. I loved the take on the Evil Queen from Snow White in an Asian fantasy setting a lot and Julie C. Dao’s writing style creates the perfect atmosphere for it. What I forget to keep in mind was that we don’t have the usual heroine in this novel.
Xifeng, the main character, annoyed me more and more with her behaviour and actions throughout the book and this character development makes a lot of sense when one remembers that she is in fact an anti-hero. I’m quite intrigued to see how all of this will play out in the second book.

This was a wonderful dark eastern retelling of Snow White with a complicated and difficult MC. I loved the fact that we are brought in on an anti hetoine's journey and actually get to watch real character development. We have so few starring female anti heroes and they usually end up changing to fit thebparameters of niceness or being punishef. Full marks to the author for letting the character go free on that. A beautiful book

This East Asian retelling of The Evil Queen legend gives the reader exactly what it advertises - a ruthless girl & her story of rising to power. It’s Gone Girl but with infinitely more magic and more blood & killings as well.

It all revolves around Xifeng. She’s eighteen when we meet her, from a tiny village in the middle of nowhere and the fairest of them all. What’s so intoxicating about this character, is that she’s fully fleshed out and surprises you from the very beginning. She has a clear goal in her mind and she’s determined to achieve it, yes. But she doesn’t start her adventure as the flat-out black character. There’s still some small part of her striving for the light. She’s struggling with that side of herself and that makes the reader feel closer to her, it makes us so ready to love her because it’s such a painfully human trait.

She changes throughout the book though. And it’s incredibly refreshing to read a story like this. Because in the end, Xifeng is so unapologetically cold-blooded!! Make no mistake about it, she is the villain of the story. She’s The Evil Queen in the making and it’s very clear she enjoys her journey. And we enjoy it just as much! She doesn’t apologise for what she most desires and she takes every road necessary to achieve her ends. So rarely do we see girls in literature being allowed to do just that! To grab what they want & not have a single care for others! And to still have the sympathy of the readers…

Because it’s simply impossible not to like Xifeng & not to root for her. We meet her as something of an abused girl, a delicate thing that might need protecting and our love for her stays with us. Even when she does things that could land her in prison in real life. She’s your typical “bad boy”, only instead of a leather jacket she wears blood-red silk & she’s actually bad. And still, you want her to succeed. She’s vain and selfish, and has a giant ego - and yet, she’s the main character!

Xifeng isn’t the only reason you should read Forest of a Thousand Lanterns though. Her journey & all of its twists are mesmerising for sure but it’s worth it just for the world-building itself. The story takes places in a fantasy land, based on the countries of East Asia, and it draws from the culture & mythology of those. Dao weaves together a beautiful, rich world and it’s a true joy to explore it together with Xifeng!

I’m in love with both the story & the main character herself (even if I’m also terrified of her) and frankly, I cannot! wait! to read the second installment and see what other dark deeds our ruthless Evil Queen has in store.

The premise of this book sounded so, so amazing! It was one of my most anticipated books, but I just couldn't get into it. I DNFed it at 51%. I really tried to power through, but there was lots of brooding and no action. The MC was unlikable and uninteresting. I also felt no connection with the romance. This one was a big disappointment for me, but I know so many others loved it.

All in all, Forest of A Thousand Lantern is a strong series opener. With its lush world building, ancient magical power being at work, and an anti-hero as the main character, this book is definitely a page-turner and I’m intrigued of how Xifeng’s story would end. If you’re looking for a fairytale retellings, specifically about The Evil Queen, this book is for you.

A fairy tale retelling with East Asian influences sounded the perfect concoction and I, initially, was sure I was going to love this. Whilst it delivered exactly what it said it would my issues lay in the beginning segment, which was at a slower pace than I had anticipated. I found that whilst my interest piqued as the story-line continued, I was still feeling a little flat from the beginning and was, unfortunately, unable to fully immerse myself in the tale.

The idea and premise is so intriguing and sounded so perfect for me. It is entertaining with a rich world and lyrical writing. The intricately thought out main character is an anti-heroine which made a refreshing read.
The usual likes and dislikes, relating to the star rating 3/5:

+1 | idea
+1 | writing
+1 | world
- 1 | characters
- 1 | pace

Xifeng has been told since childhood that she is destined to be the Empress. Beautiful, her Aunt Guma has taught her to heal herself and maintain her beauty by eating the hearts of those she has killed. Xifeng leaves her village and travels to the city, where she catches the eye of the Emperor's son. Taken into the court, she finds that in order to gain power, she must embrace the darkness within herself.

This was an interesting and unexpected story. It was certainly a different twist to the classic fairy tale genre. Some of the secondary characters came across as shallow and stereotypical. I would be interested in reading a sequel.

This is an amazing Evil Queen origin story!! I love retellings and fairy tales. I'd heard nothing but amazing things about this story and I was not disappointed. The setting and culture were beautifully vivid and lush. I also thought the writing was fantastic.

This is a lush, beautifully written anti-heroine fantasy. The Asian-inspired world is wonderfully built, the characters complex, all in all, a wonderful ride!

Honestly, I'm a little bit breathless with awe as I write this review. I just finished the novel, and I am still reeling from how much I wanted Xifeng's path to change, all the while knowing where it was headed.

That's the beauty of the writing in this novel, I suppose. Despite knowing exactly where and how this story ends, I was desperately wishing for something different. I had grown that attached to Xifeng's character.

She is a complex character. I don't think I've ever read a novel whereby the main character is an anti-heroine destined to be a villain in someone else's story, but it has definitely set a very high bar for such stories. There were moments where I was repulsed by her actions, and moments where I was so sad for her, and moments where I was hoping against hope that she would make a different choice and choose love for herself. Her arc was handled so well, and I cannot wait to see how the familiar story grows from here.

The writing in the story was so vivid at times that when I started it, I had nightmares for a bit. I found myself having to take breaks and unable to read it before I slept, because it painted such stark pictures. At the same time, I was loathe to stop reading because the story just sucked me right in.

And the imagery! The culture and the influences were rife in the whole novel. It was like stepping into the ancient China I've only seen in the dramas and movies I used to catch on TV, like seeing the few old Chinese myths and legends I've heard of come alive on the words of this story. I am so fascinated by the lore in this story.

The Serpent God is a chilling shadowy character that I am a little terrified of, and his hold on Xifeng is going to lead to both their downfalls. On the other hand, I find myself questioning where the Dragon King is in all of this, and why he has not intervened yet when his own line has been all but extinguished.

I think this is one of the best written novels I've ever read, and I cannot wait to read more from the author and about these characters.