Review
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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
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
"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 e 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
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About the Author
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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.
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