Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
Rise of the Empress, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Kim Mai Guest
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By:
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Julie C. Dao
About this listen
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 LibraryListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"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)
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Story
In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to 17-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans is a safe haven after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent in the middle of the carnival season, Celine is quickly enraptured by the vibrant city, from its music to its fancy soirées and even its danger. She becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's enigmatic leader, Sébastien Saint Germain.
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Need to up the speed of 2nd narrator
- By Anna on 11-28-19
By: Renée Ahdieh
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Dragon's Child
- The King Arthur Trilogy, Book 1
- By: M. K. Hume
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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The future of Britain is at stake. In the turbulent times of the Dark Ages, the despotic Uther Pendragon, High King of Celtic Britain, is nearing death, and his kingdom is being torn apart by the squabbling of minor kings. But only one man can bring the Celts together as a nation and restore peace - King Arthur. Artorex (Arthur) doesn't yet seem like the great man he will grow into. We meet him as a shy, subservient twelve-year-old living in the foster home of Lord Ector, who took in Artorex as a babe to protect him from murderous kin.
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A Dry, Dull Tale, Marred in "Realism"
- By Steven on 09-21-15
By: M. K. Hume
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Black Wolves
- By: Kate Elliott
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 28 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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He lost his honor long ago. Captain Kellas was lauded as the king's most faithful servant until the day he failed in his duty. Dismissed from service, his elite regiment disbanded, he left the royal palace and took up another life. Now a battle brews within the palace that threatens to reveal deadly secrets and spill over into open war. The king needs a loyal soldier to protect him. Can a disgraced man ever be trusted?"
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Very engaging. Can't wait for book 2
- By Claudia Alderman on 01-15-16
By: Kate Elliott
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No Man of Woman Born
- Rewoven Tales
- By: Ana Mardoll
- Narrated by: Cori Samuel
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
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From the author of the Earthside series and the Rewoven Tales novels, No Man of Woman Born is a collection of seven fantasy stories in which transgender and nonbinary characters subvert and fulfill gendered prophecies. These prophecies recognize and acknowledge each character's gender, even when others do not.
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Not What I expected
- By Customer on 07-27-18
By: Ana Mardoll
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The Wrath and the Dawn
- By: Renee Ahdieh
- Narrated by: Ariana Delawari
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the 18-year-old caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when 16-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch.
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Great story horrible narrator
- By connie on 04-26-16
By: Renee Ahdieh
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The Emperor's Knife
- Book One of the Tower and Knife Trilogy
- By: Mazarkis Williams
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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There is a cancer at the heart of the mighty Cerani Empire: a plague that marks each victim with a fragment of a greater design. Geometric patterns spread across the skin, until the victim dies in agony or becomes a Carrier, doing the bidding of an evil intelligence. The lost prince Sarmin, the emperor's only surviving brother, lies locked in a hidden room. As the pattern draws closer to the palace he is at last remembered: now he awaits a bride, Mesema, a Windreader from the northern plains.
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Unable to listen
- By T Rao on 09-28-15
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The Bone Doll's Twin
- Tamir Triad, Book 1
- By: Lynn Flewelling
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine, Lynn Flewelling
- Length: 16 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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As people start to recall the Oracle's prophecy, Erius begins to quietly kill off his female relatives who pose the only threat to his monarchy. Constantly in fear for her life, Princess Ariani the King's sister, gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. But Ariani is married to Lord Rhius, the patron of the powerful wizard Iya, and Iya has sinister plans for the babes.
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Not a bad beginning, but . . .
- By bluestatereader on 12-29-10
By: Lynn Flewelling
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Rhapsody
- Child of Blood
- By: Elizabeth Haydon
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 30 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Rhapsody is a woman, a singer of some talent who is swept up into events of world-shattering import. On the run from an old romantic interest who won't take no for an answer, Rhapsody literally bumps into a couple of shady characters: half breeds who come to her rescue in the nick of time. Only the rescue turns into an abduction, and Rhapsody soon finds herself dragged along on an epic voyage--one that spans centuries and ranges across a wonder-filled fantasy world.
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Good story! Terrible narration.
- By CharmY2K on 04-30-15
By: Elizabeth Haydon
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Markswoman
- Asiana, Book 1
- By: Rati Mehrotra
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Kyra is the youngest Markswoman in the Order of Kali, a highly trained sisterhood of elite warriors armed with telepathic blades. Guided by a strict code of conduct, Kyra and the other Orders are sworn to protect the people of Asiana. But to be a Markswoman, an acolyte must repudiate her former life completely. Kyra has pledged to do so, yet she secretly harbors a fierce desire to avenge her dead family. When Kyra's beloved mentor dies in mysterious circumstances, and Tamsyn, the dangerous Mistress of Mental Arts, assumes control, Kyra is forced on the run.
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Everything I look for in a fantasy series!
- By Shawscribbles on 02-11-18
By: Rati Mehrotra
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Flame in the Mist
- By: Renée Ahdieh
- Narrated by: Nancy Wu
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Wrath and the Dawn comes a sweeping, action-packed YA adventure set against the backdrop of feudal Japan, where Mulan meets Tamora Pierce.
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Very Good
- By Ingrid on 07-15-17
By: Renée Ahdieh
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Falling Kingdoms
- Falling Kingdoms, Book 1
- By: Morgan Rhodes
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power - brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined.
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Surprisingly good!
- By Sarah Turner on 12-13-12
By: Morgan Rhodes
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Cleopatra's Moon
- By: Vicky A. Shecter
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Princess of Egypt.... Cleopatra Selene is the only daughter of the brilliant Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and General Marcus Antonius of Rome. She’s grown up with jewels on her arms, servants at her feet, and all the pleasures of a palace at her command, and she wants only to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a great and powerful queen. Prisoner of Rome.... Then the Roman ruler Octavianus, who has always wanted Egypt’s wealth, launches a war that destroys all Selene has ever known.
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Great Book
- By Linda on 08-07-11
By: Vicky A. Shecter
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Curse of Shadows and Thorns
- The Broken Kingdoms, Book 1
- By: LJ Andrews
- Narrated by: Stina Nielsen
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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As niece of the king, Elise Lysander cares about two things: sneaking into gambling dens, and avoiding an advantageous marriage at all costs. When her uncle holds the life of her deathly ill father over her head, reluctantly, Elise puts her fate into the hands of Legion Grey, the handsome and mysterious dowry negotiator. He may be arrogant and infuriating, but soon Legion incites a blistering, forbidden passion she can’t ignore.
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Great concept, poor execution on the writing side
- By Kel on 11-24-22
By: LJ Andrews
What listeners say about Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Samantha Yi
- 06-14-18
Great if you love political climbing stories!
If you love stories about people scraping their way through the political machinations of a monarchy, this is wonder. Beautifully written and told. Set in a Chinese influenced nation with rich folklore and mythological beings playing into the main action. This story is ultimately not my cup of tea, but that is no knock on the quality of this story. The performance is fantastic and i really enjoyed the reader.
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- The Lady L
- 03-22-18
Wow. Just wow.
Such a massively entertaining story. Based (?) on Snow White, it was fun trying to see which characters would be which and Ms. Dao does a fantastic job of investing you in every single character even with all the twists and turns and even after you figure out who the "bad" guys are.
I so cannot wait for the sequel.
The narrator does a great job with all the different characters. Even tho she doesn't have even close to a "masculine" voice she pulls off every character with just inflection and great character acting.
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- Zippy
- 05-29-18
Can't wait for book 2!!!!
I loved this book. The story slowly unfolds and reveals the twisted underbelly of what greed can do a person's soul.
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- P.D. Pabst
- 01-18-19
Gripping, Dark, and Lovely!
The best flawed character that I couldn't stop rooting for. Then, I felt guilty that I rooted for her and wanted someone to stop her. And then I thought, yes this is her destiny, let her succeed. And then... Yes, this was a story that had my emotions all over the place. Gripping. Dark. And lovely...indeed!
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- Kathryn Martin
- 05-18-19
Wicked Women
It's pretty rare that I read a book from a villain's point of view in which they aren't framed as really being the hero all along. Xifeng is a complex, interesting woman who has a choice about whom to become. There's a lot about fate/destiny in this book, but at no point was it framed in a way that made it seem as if she couldn't have easily chosen a different path than the one she ultimately made.
I'm glad I listened to the audiobook version of this book because looking at the spelling of Xifeng's name versus how Kim Mai Guest pronounced it, I wouldn't have been able to pronounce any of the names correctly. That being said, it took me some time to get used to Guest's narration style. In the beginning, it sounded far too matter-of-fact, but it became a lot more bearable once I increased the sound speed a little and waited for genuine moments of emotion. As the story progressed, Guest really did a wonderful job of giving the characters emotions and helping me feel what they must be feeling.
The story itself was interesting to me all of the way through. I like political intrigue when it's framed in the right light, and Julie C. Dao did that nicely. I struggled with Xifeng's internalized misogyny a lot. It was never addressed as being a bad thing so much as just-the-way-things-are, and I hate that shit. This book often had some very feminist (like when Xifeng noted how she went from being the property of her Guma to the property of Wei) and very tongue-in-cheek moments (like when one of the concubines - whose name I can't spell because I heard it and did not see it - said she was a protector of women despite treating her maids like trash and harming any woman she viewed at a threat). Obviously, the author wanted this character to seek power in whatever way works best for a woman in a patriarchal setting like this, but by giving her zero female friendships (the one she came closest to was treated as a deception, but half her male friendships she had were genuine and not emotionally treated like a mere tool for her ascension who she could/would betray at any cost). But maybe that was the point. Maybe her lack of real friendships with women could have helped her make better choices. I kind of doubt it, though.
As introspective as Xifeng was about her internal struggle with darkness and light, she maintained that because she wasn't like those dirty, slutty Concubines, she was somehow above them, and I'm exhausted by the treatment of sex workers (especially considering that the youngest one is heavily implied to have not chosen that for herself AT ALL) as being gross and bad. If that's what it had taken for Xifeng to gain power, you better fucking believe she would have done it, too. She just saw a way she preferred and made that work for her. She had her head so far up her ass where other women were concerned she couldn't see she was just like them, maybe even worse. Mighta been the point.
Anyway, four stars for the story and narration. Minus one star for the frustrating treatment of women and those who use their bodies to survive. Coulda been five if the author had addressed it at all.
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- The Fetch
- 02-21-18
Phenomenal
Loved this story and how dark it went, truly devious and need to continue this series for sure! Love the chinese influence and just the whole system of emperors etc.
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- Bruce
- 07-04-22
Not real, real, not real, real
Not rea: a nice girl. Real: the voice within. Not real: the wounds. Real: the heart being chewed. Not real: my interest. Real: Guest’s macabre voice.
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- Tashina
- 05-13-19
Good Story
Good story, it was carefully laid out and the narrator did a great job. I’m looking forward to reading the next one in the series.
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- McKynzee Pivonka
- 10-30-17
I loved this book!
I really enjoyed the narrator.
Xie Fung's characyer development was excellent.
This was great, I highly recommend this to anyone.
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- Lauralee
- 12-10-17
Great Premise! Just Not Executed Well
Would you try another book from Julie C. Dao and/or Kim Mai Guest?
I would definitely try another book by Julie C. Doa. She seems to have potential to be a great author!
What do you think your next listen will be?
Currently, I'm listening to Journey to Star Wars: Leia Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Grey and The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe.
What aspect of Kim Mai Guest’s performance would you have changed?
I would definitely have made her voice more lively. It was monotoned throughout most of the book. She did great in portraying the male characters. However, the female characters sounded the same.
Did Forest of a Thousand Lanterns inspire you to do anything?
It quickly became a chore listening to this audiobook. Many times I contemplated returning it for a new audiobook. However, I forced myself to finish it. It was such a boring listen! The audiobook listens like a long drawn-out prologue. There was not much of a plot, and all the characters are one-dimensional. I will not listen or re-read this book again.
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