Book Review: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Author: Julie C. Dao

Series: Yes - Book #1 in Rise of the Empress series. 

Cover: I believe there are two official covers for this book but the one down below is the one that I had. I love the cover. The cover fits so well with the story and not only is it elegant but also charming. Not to mention, I also love the title of this book. 

Rating: 3/5 This score was very hard for me to decide on. There were some chapters that I absolutely adored and other chapters where I got bored with the book. It wasn't the greatest book I've read this year and it wasn't the worst either. Overall, an average book.

Review: As usual, the second half of my review will be full of spoilers. So, if you want to read this book later, skip the second half. If you want to read spoilers, then go for it. Honestly, I was very excited to read this book. Rarely do I read YA books where there is an Asian protagonist, especially in a fantasy series, but this book was just alright for me. The lore and story were wonderful, but I could not get behind the protagonist.

In summary, this book takes place in ancient East-Asia. The protagonist's name is Xifeng and she is the MOST beautiful woman in the entire continent. Ever since she was young, her aunt has told her of her great future of being the Empress. Her one and only goal is the become Empress of the most powerful nation in the world. She will stop at nothing to achieve her future. The question she deals with is if the crown is worth it.

Now, I will tell you this, Xifeng is a different type of protagonist compared to many YA books I've read. She is not the hero of the story, but more of the antihero. I don't think the author intended for the readers to LIKE her. She is definitely an acquired taste for certain readers and unfortunately, Xifeng was not the protagonist for me. I hope in book #2, she'll mature more because in this book we start at her being 18 and ends with her being 22-23. 

I do have to say, if you are easily repulsed by physical abuse or do not wish to read about it, this is NOT the book for you. The story does feature a lot of abuse towards the main character and the main character still loves her abuser. I personally did not get offended by this because I understand that it was the norm during ancient East-Asia. There is also verbal abuse towards the protagonist as well. Overall, this is a dark book.

There is also a lot of gore and twisted imagery in this book as well. I'm personally fine with this but if you have a weak stomach, you might have to skip over some parts. There is a broad range of characters with different personalities and majority of them you'll probably won't like. This is a very hard book for me to love. It maybe not a book for me, but it may suit you!

!!!!!!!!!! MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD !!!!!!!!!!

I really really hated Xifeng. I know that it is what the author wanted, but still... She is probably the most conceited and vain character I've read about. I understand that in this time, the best way for a woman to move up in society is through physical traits and not their skills. Still, Xifeng expects everything for her. She wanted to keep Wei AND Jun at the same time and gets mad when she has to choose between the two.

Another annoying thing about Xifeng is that her beauty is her only skill. She is "smart" I guess, but there hasn't been an instance where it shows how cunning she is. In all honesty, she is just a well-spoken girl with a pretty face. I also don't like how she kills creatures to keep her pretty face. But the author did say that her face is all she is and her only weapon.

It also makes me sad that the minor characters we're not much more than one dimensional stereotypes. We have the super-hot, best friend, and first love stereotype from Wei. Then there is the ugly step mother, Guma. Lastly, we have the crazy woman that would do anything so that no one touches her man, Lady Sun. Could the characters be elaborated on? Sure, but with how fast pace this story is, I don't think it'll happen.

What I did enjoy about this book is the story of a woman climbing into power. Sure, Xifeng is cruel in her methods to achieve it, but at the end of the day, she still made it to the top. In a sense, this is a story of women empowerment. She uses everything at her disposal to get what she wants. She doesn't even stop for the love of her life. Her dreams > everything.

I have a feeling that it is going to be intense in book #2. The ending seemed more of a "beginning" to a story more than an end. Overall, I feel like the book was okay. It isn't a book that I would buy and add to my collection, but I don't regret reading it. Let's see what the next book hold.

Favorite Line: 

"You knew. You knew I wouldn't say yes."

"I knew."

"And you still asked me."

"I'm done. You're free."

Top 3 Favorite Characters 

I had a really tough time deciding my favorite characters. I felt "meh" towards everyone. If anything, I felt more pity towards the people that came in contact with Xifeng. I hope book #2 will bring more interesting characters to the story. Hopefully, a character that I'll love.

Shiro - This guy is probably the only character with a "good" ending. He has suffered throughout his life and as Xifeng's only friend, I am glad he found a happy ending. He is literally my only favorite character in the book.

Empress Lihua - This poor woman. She lost her first husband and then had to marry another man. Only to have this man take on two more concubines. All she wants is a daughter and a happy life, but Xifeng came in and decided to throw all of that down the drain.

 Crowned Prince - Again, poor guy. Born to the crown and doesn't even want the crown. His family is literally torn to shreds. All because he let a poor common girl into the Imperial grounds.

Well, that is all everyone! Man, I am tired. It is finals week for me and I graduate in 10 days. I'm finishing all my exams and what not and I start work in two weeks. I hope I will get more time to read in the future. If you've read Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, let me know what you thought of it in the comments below!

If you'd like to buy this book, buy it through my link! <3

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Rise of the Empress)