Veronica 🦦
Written on Mar 28, 2020
Review to come.
Eighteen-year-old Xifeng (pronounced She-fung) 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 greatness too high? To claim her place beside the Emperor, Xifeng must cast aside Wei, the young man who has longed to marry her since childhood. And darker still, she will have to embrace the callous magic that runs through her veins - magic 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 complete. 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 Stealing Snow, Red Queen, and The Wrath and the Dawn will devour this stunning debut.
- ISBN13 9781524741686
- Publish Date 2 January 2018 (first published 10 October 2017)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 9 August 2023
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Penguin Putnam Inc
- Imprint Philomel Books,U.S.
- Format Paperback
- Language English
Reviews
Review to come.
Jo
Written on May 8, 2019
I've wanted to read Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao for such a long time! An East Asian inspired high fantasy prequel retelling of Snow White, giving us the Evil Queen's origin story? It sounded absolutely right up my street! However, I finished with mixed feelings regarding the story overall, and uncomfortable and angry over a number of problematic elements.
Had I not known this was an origin story for the Evil Queen, I think I might have enjoyed it more. Because of what I've read in the past, when it comes to villain origin stories, I expect either a really emotional, heartbreaking story that is the cause of the villain becoming villainous, or a really dark story, where the villain is naturally cruel. Forest of a Thousand Teeth is kind of neither? Xifeng is abused emotionally and physically by her aunt, Guma, at the very start of the story (which I will come back to later), and everything she does over the course of the story is influenced by what Guma has drilled into her about her fate and who she must be, and while this is terrible, it's actually only a small part of the story overall, and things quickly move on, so it's horrible, but it doesn't have quite the emotional impact. And as for being very dark... Forest of a Thousand Lanterns has it's moments, but they're just that - moments. In the great scheme of things, not a huge deal actually happens for a lot of the book. She's travelling, then she's a lady-in-waiting at the palace, and made to do awful things by Lady Sun, one of the Emperor's favoured concubines, who treats her awfully. Xifeng spends her time doing a lot of thinking and planning, but in regards to action or significant events, they're few and far between. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's a quieter high fantasy story, and one I think a lot of people will enjoy (and going by the reviews, have enjoyed), I just think I was expecting more, so feel disappointed. And unfortunately, I didn't really connect with the characters, and so I didn't really care much? I also don't think it really works as a stand alone; while there is a companion novel, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix, it's told from the perspective of the Snow White character, Princess Jade, and I feel like maybe Forest of a Thousand Lanterns should have been longer, in order to see the darkness that we witness at the end of the book play out a bit.
There were aspects of the story I did like, though. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is actually a fairly feminist story. Xifeng is selfish, but it's a selfishness that comes from partly having her destiny hammered into her with abuse by Guma, and part the world they live in. Xifeng longs to be seen as more than just her beauty, and yet she is constantly told that her beauty is all that she has going for her, so it's a tool for her to use to get what she wants. She has learnt to both dislike the attention her looks get her, but also that it's her ticket to something more. And something more is not only her destiny, but also something she wants. This isn't a world that treats women born into poverty well, nor a world where women have much power, compared with men. There aren't many choices, so why shouldn't she try for something for herself? Why shouldn't she use her beauty to get herself into a position of power?
This is wonderfully addressed in her relationship with Wei, Xifeng's lover. Wei dreams of escaping the town they live in, getting married, her staying at home looking after babies, while he works and keeps her. He doesn't understand why this isn't enough for Xifeng; why does she want more? What more could she want? We, the readers, know she wants to become Empress - and, ergo, marry another man - but Wei doesn't. So as far as he's concerned, she doesn't want to stay at home, raising babies and looking after their home, she wants a job. He takes it as a personal insult that she wants more, that she is ambitious and has drive, as if he and the life he wants isn't enough for her. His fury and disbelief that she is refusing this life is something to behold. But Xifeng doesn't want to be controlled.
'"Tell me, what more can I do to deserve you?" He yanked his arm from her reach. "Maybe you're too busy missing your Guma's beatings to see what's in front of you, so I'll tell you. I'm a good man, Xifeng. I let you have your own way and speak your mind . . ."
"You think I don't know that? That I'm so blind and stupid?"
"Yes, I do!" he shouted, his face bright red. "I offer you the world . . ."
"Yes, the world as you see it!"
"I saved you from that evil woman!"
"Only to trap me yourself." She watched him turn away and run a trembling hand over his head. "I was Guma's, and now you want me to be yours. I have my own soul and my own destiny, and I'm tired of belonging to someone else."' (p125)
The fact that she wants more for herself - wants her own life, her own dreams, her own ambitions - leads to Wei calling her '"unnatural."' (p126). It's subtle, but Forest of a Thousand Lanterns echos what I've read in other female villain origin stories; if a woman wants to break free of the box men put her in - if they want more, if they have ambition, if they endeavour to be greater than who men decide they are - they're wrong, they're unnatural, they're bad. A woman who strives for her own agency is automatically a villian, and/or the only way for a woman to take ownership of her own agency is through villainous acts.
But then we come to the aspects of the book I found to be problematic. Firstly, ableism. One of the characters Xifeng meets and becomes friends with over the course of the story is Shiro, the ambassador for the king of Kamatsu, who has dwarfism. Xifeng describes him as a "dwarf", which in and of itself isn't necessarily ableism; I've asked, and it's a case of some people with dwarfism find it offensive, but others don't. However, what really bothers me is how Dao has Xifeng think of him in her narration. Obviously, it's clunky writing to constantly repeat a character's name - "Shiro said," "Shiro shrugged," "Shiro laughed." But there are other options Dao could have used - "the ambassador, for example, or even "he," But on occassion, when Shiro speaks or does something, Shiro is referred to as "the dwarf." It might not sound like a huge deal, but Dao is reducing Shrio to his disability each time Xifeng thinks this. When you know someone's name, you wouldn't then think, "the Asian" or "the lesbian," because people are more than their marginalisations. And Shiro is more than his disability. It's just not ok.
And then there's discussion of how Shiro's wife - who was a daughter of the Kamatsu's king, anb became Shiro's wife through a marriage arranged by the king and Shiro's father, the king's chief adviser - died by suicide because she couldn't bear to be married to him. I know that's a character's ableism, but it made me really uncomfortable. Suicide is such a serious subject, and I can understand how being forced into an unwanted marriage might affect someone, and they may end up with depression, especially in a world where women are kind of considered to belong to the men in their family (fathers, husbands), and I don't doubt such marriages could lead to someone thinking that suicide is the only way out. But for the sole reason given for her dying by suicide is that her husband is disabled? For this to be just a conversation, the only time this woman is mentioned, and it's to say she couldn't bear the shame of being married to someone with dwarfism... I feel it was unnecessary, and really problematic. It just really doesn't sit right with me. It's one small mention in a longer conversation, but I just found it really, really shocking. There are other ways of showing the ableism Shiro would have experienced, but this just seemed too far.
And then he says that, "Some of us must rely on friends to see the best within us." (p115) And while I get that's what Shiro might think in the context of his world and his experiences, it still implies that he's somehow lesser for being disabled, for having dwarfism; that his friends see the good in him despite his disability. It's less, "It's what inside that counts," and more implies his disability is a problem, and that people have to see past that, to Shrio the person, to treat him well. And it's not challenged. Xifeng does say he deserves better, but she doesn't contradict the idea that his disability is an issue. I just don't like it. I honestly believe that Dao didn't intend to be ableist, and it just wasn't thought through well enough, but that doesn't excuse it. This should have been picked up. They're tiny things in the overall story, but it matters. Disabled people matter.
I also want to touch on the abuse Xifeng experiences at the hands of Guma. As I said earlier, it's a small part of the book in regards to what we see on page - literally only 38 pages at the beginning. But Xifeng is heavily influenced by what Guma thought, what she taught her, what she wanted for her, what she expects of her. And I don't want to spoil things, but I do want to mention that Xifeng discovers that there's a reason Guma treated her the way she did, and that this was her showing her love. No. This is completely not ok. This is such a harmful idea. There is no excuse for abuse, there is no-way abusing someone is showing love. This is incredibly problematic. Can you just imagine a person who has been abused reading this and them reading someone experiencing what they have, and being told it was out of love? This is just a major red flag, and that no-one seems to have questioned it, that it made it's way through to the final copy. Well, of course it did, because - again, no spoilers - the discovery and everything it comes with is actually a major plot point. But in that case, there shouldn't have been any abuse in this story at all. It's actually just horrific that this is part of this story, and really inexcusable.
So, the book overall wasn't my cup of tea, and yes, there were elements to the story I liked, but due to it's problematic issues, this isn't a book I can recommend in good conscience.
ccbookwitch
Written on Dec 7, 2018
Okay, obviously I have some THOUGHTS about Julie C. Dao’s utterly FANTASTICAMAZINGFANTABULOUS 2017 debut, FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS. Here are some of them:
Why in the name of *#(@)!(#)_)(@$$!!!! did I wait until 2018, a whole YEAR after this book was published, to read this freaking book?
Seriously, WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME??
Would it be acceptable to write an entire review in caps?
Because this book is EVERYTHING
Even though it completely destroyed me and I am dead hi I’m a ghost now
I can’t even form coherent thoughts about this book what am I am I even still a human??
So clearly I LOVED this book, and I am sorry that my thoughts are extremely gushy and not at all coherent in any way. So let’s try to take a look at some of the things I loved about this book and put them into real words:
CHARACTERS
The thing that stuck out for me the most about this story was the amazing, A++++ character development. Every single character (except maybe Wei) was nuanced and complex and well-rounded and fully explored and just…my heart wept for each and every one of them. Nobody had just one face (except maybe Wei, sorry, he just wasn’t that interesting), and Dao did a fantastic job of revealing their layers one by one as the story unfolded. The first twist about a character? I did NOT see that coming, and I usually see EVERYTHING coming in YA.
XIFENG
Xifeng’s descent into madness and power hungry-ness and utter darkness can only possibly be rivaled by Mara Dyer. My heart just broke and became crushed as Xifeng let go of every last piece of her old self and her humanity as she struggled in pursuit of the destiny that Guma foretold for her. I’ve never read a more well-written power-hungry character like Xifeng, and I was totally drawn into and consumed by her story and her obsession with fulfilling her destiny.
THE WORLDBUILDING
Everything about the building of the Feng Lu world was so vivid and sumptuous and lush and just…oh, it was perfect. I didn’t even get confused by the politics between the different continents/lands/territories like I usually do in fantasies because it was so well done. I loved the mythological aspects as well as the legends that were put into the book; Julie Dao obviously really thought about how to build this world and make it seem real for the reader.
THE MAGIC
This magic is wayyyyy darker than the magic in most fantasies I’ve read, and I LIVED for it. I mean…she eats the hearts of small animals, and also…no, no spoilers. I didn’t fully understand who the creature really was, but I expect it will clear itself up in book two. I also liked the use of the cards, which of course reminded me of tarot cards like I’ve been learning. The magic was just generally so creepy and mysterious and atmospheric and everything you could want in a fantasy.
***
Yes, so basically, I loved almost everything about this book, with the exception of Wei’s character, who I found boring and dull and definitely not worthy of Xifeng even though they were childhood sweethearts which is a precious, soft trope. This book is dark and kinda gorey and twisty and will suck out your soul and probably make you realize you’re secretly a sadist because you’ll still root for Xifeng even when she starts doing terrible things. I have been totally blown over by this book and cannot wait to go out and immediately buy KINGDOM OF THE BLAZING PHOENIX.
emruth13
Written on Oct 23, 2018
Kat @ Novels & Waffles
Written on Jul 9, 2018
3.5. When I first started reading this book, I didn't realize that it was an Evil Queen retelling. Not knowing this, I struggled to connect with the slow pacing of the story and the extremely vain Xifeng, the book's main character. Once I understood that this was the whole point – you aren't supposed to like the Evil Queen, after all – I was much more at peace with the whole thing, though admittedly I still had a hard time with the pacing.
I enjoyed all of the clever nods to the original story; the apple, the mirror, the huntsman, the dwarves, it's all there. And of course, we have the Evil Queen herself, beautiful Xifeng. She is such a deliciously conflicted antiheroine, and it was almost painful to witness her descent into darkness, despite knowing her fate beforehand. I love me a good complex character, and the power-hungry, self-centered Xifeng is about as complex as they come, for good or for bad.
The rich East Asian-inspired setting was one of the more compelling parts of this novel for me. I enjoyed the lore of the Dragon Lords and thought that having the Five Kingdoms mirror the Five Chinese Elements (Wu Xing) was creative. The world-building itself was awkward at times, relying heavily on stilted conversations between characters. More than once I found myself asking, "Why is this guy just spouting history and politics for no apparent reason?" But this is not an uncommon pitfall for many YA Fantasy authors.
Then, of course, we have the romance. On the one hand, we have Xifeng's childhood lover, the strong, muscular, and extremely handsome (because of course he is) Wei. Wei's love for Xifeng is simple and earnest. No matter what she does, Wei somehow always manages to see the good in her. But what is the difference between seeing the best in someone and loving someone who doesn't truly exist? At times, it feels as if Wei only loves the idea of Xifeng and despite being depicted as her True Love, I had to wonder, "Is this really a healthy relationship?"
On the other hand, we have Xifeng's all-consuming desire for control and power, which is embodied by the Emperor of Feng Lu. He is her pathway to notoriety. Xifeng's internal conflict – of Wei versus the Emperor; of the need to be somebody special versus her yearning for a simple life – is balanced so beautifully by the author.
Ultimately, this story is one that explores the dark side of ambition. If you have to like the main character in order to like the story, then maybe this isn't the one for you. But then again, this is retelling told from the villain's perspective, so what else would you expect?