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  • Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

  • Rise of the Empress, Book 1
  • Written by: Julie C. Dao
  • Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest
  • Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (5 ratings)

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Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

Written by: Julie C. Dao
Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest
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Publisher's Summary

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.

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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2017 Julie C. Dao (P)2017 Listening Library

What the critics say

"A richly developed fantasy world... Julie C. Dao is a talent to watch." (Marie Lu, number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Young Elites)

"A masterful reimagining of the early life of Snow White's Evil Queen." (Booklist)

"Lushly written...tantalizing reading." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Kind of Disappointed

The story was missing the darkness I was looking forward to. Maybe book 2 will be better.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great Fantasy Read

I loved this book! The world building was so subtle and emersive. The story is loosely based off of Snow White but it was kind of more like an Origin story of the Queen instead.

I loved the dynamics of good vs evil and how destiny and fate affect our decisions and motives. Can't wait to start book 2!

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