
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
Rise of the Empress, Book 1
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $24.75
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Kim Mai Guest
-
By:
-
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...
-
A Magic Steeped in Poison
- The Book of Tea, Book 1
- By: Judy I. Lin
- Narrated by: Carolyn Kang
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her - the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu. When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi - masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making - she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life.
-
-
Left a lot to be desired
- By jill on 06-02-24
By: Judy I. Lin
-
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
- By: Axie Oh
- Narrated by: Rosa Escoda
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.
-
-
Terrible Narration
- By Kitty on 03-12-22
By: Axie Oh
-
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
- A Novel
- By: Sue Lynn Tan
- Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
-
-
Yawn. Unable to Complete this Snoozer.
- By Patrick Egry on 01-17-22
By: Sue Lynn Tan
-
Her Radiant Curse
- By: Elizabeth Lim
- Narrated by: Mirai
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Channi was not born a monster. But when her own father offers her in sacrifice to the Demon Witch, she is forever changed. Cursed with a serpent’s face, Channi is the exact opposite of her beautiful sister, Vanna—the only person in the village who looks at Channi and doesn’t see a monster. The only person she loves and trusts. Now at seventeen, Vanna is to be married off in a vulgar contest that will enrich the coffers of the village leaders.
-
-
beautifully written & heartbreaking
- By Healani Johnson on 11-05-24
By: Elizabeth Lim
-
Shadow of the Fox
- By: Julie Kagawa
- Narrated by: Joy Osmanski, Emily Woo Zeller, Brian Nishii
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish - and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos. Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn.
-
-
Mediocre narration of a mediocre story
- By Ashley on 07-23-19
By: Julie Kagawa
-
She Who Became the Sun
- By: Shelley Parker-Chan
- Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.
-
-
Almost great.
- By stacey on 09-13-21
-
A Magic Steeped in Poison
- The Book of Tea, Book 1
- By: Judy I. Lin
- Narrated by: Carolyn Kang
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her - the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu. When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi - masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making - she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life.
-
-
Left a lot to be desired
- By jill on 06-02-24
By: Judy I. Lin
-
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
- By: Axie Oh
- Narrated by: Rosa Escoda
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.
-
-
Terrible Narration
- By Kitty on 03-12-22
By: Axie Oh
-
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
- A Novel
- By: Sue Lynn Tan
- Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
-
-
Yawn. Unable to Complete this Snoozer.
- By Patrick Egry on 01-17-22
By: Sue Lynn Tan
-
Her Radiant Curse
- By: Elizabeth Lim
- Narrated by: Mirai
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Channi was not born a monster. But when her own father offers her in sacrifice to the Demon Witch, she is forever changed. Cursed with a serpent’s face, Channi is the exact opposite of her beautiful sister, Vanna—the only person in the village who looks at Channi and doesn’t see a monster. The only person she loves and trusts. Now at seventeen, Vanna is to be married off in a vulgar contest that will enrich the coffers of the village leaders.
-
-
beautifully written & heartbreaking
- By Healani Johnson on 11-05-24
By: Elizabeth Lim
-
Shadow of the Fox
- By: Julie Kagawa
- Narrated by: Joy Osmanski, Emily Woo Zeller, Brian Nishii
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish - and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos. Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn.
-
-
Mediocre narration of a mediocre story
- By Ashley on 07-23-19
By: Julie Kagawa
-
She Who Became the Sun
- By: Shelley Parker-Chan
- Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.
-
-
Almost great.
- By stacey on 09-13-21
-
We Hunt the Flame
- Sands of Arawiya, Book 1
- By: Hafsah Faizal
- Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham, Steve West
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya - but neither wants to be.
-
-
Every Arabic word is mangled.
- By Faiza Ambah on 05-15-19
By: Hafsah Faizal
-
Violet Made of Thorns
- By: Gina Chen
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it. But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus's love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride.
-
-
boring
- By Dee on 06-01-23
By: Gina Chen
-
Black Water Sister
- By: Zen Cho
- Narrated by: Catherine Ho
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jessamyn Teoh is closeted, broke, and moving back to Malaysia, a country she left when she was a toddler. So when Jess starts hearing voices, she chalks it up to stress. But there's only one voice in her head, and it claims to be the ghost of her estranged grandmother, Ah Ma. In life Ah Ma was a spirit medium, the avatar of a mysterious deity called the Black Water Sister. Now she's determined to settle a score against a gang boss who has offended the god - and she's decided Jess is going to help her do it.
-
-
5 Stars across the board!
- By Rori Song on 05-30-21
By: Zen Cho
-
Empire of Sand
- The Books of Ambha
- By: Tasha Suri
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 17 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited. When Mehr's power comes to the attention of the Emperor's most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda. Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance.
-
-
Fantastic listen!
- By superstardrifter on 01-25-19
By: Tasha Suri
-
The Merciful Crow
- By: Margaret Owen
- Narrated by: Amy Landon
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fie abides by one rule: Look after your own. Her Crow caste of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when they’re called to collect royal dead, she’s hoping they’ll find the payout of a lifetime. When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses - and perhaps his throat. But he offers a wager that she can’t refuse: Protect him from a ruthless queen, and he’ll protect the Crows when he reigns.
-
-
Worth the read/listen
- By Shannon on 09-13-19
By: Margaret Owen
-
The City of Brass
- A Novel
- By: S. A. Chakraborty
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 20 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th-century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trades she uses to get by - palm readings, zars, and a mysterious gift for healing - are all tricks, both the means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles and a reliable way to survive. But when Nahri accidentally summons Dara, an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior, to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to reconsider her beliefs.
-
-
it's a love/hate thing
- By Zahai on 02-28-18
-
Demon in the Wood
- A Shadow and Bone Graphic Novel
- By: Leigh Bardugo
- Narrated by: Ben Barnes, Benjamin Valic, Cassandra Morris, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before he led Ravka’s Second Army, before he created the Fold, and long before he became the Darkling, he was just a lonely boy burdened by an extraordinary power. Eryk and his mother, Lena, have spent their lives on the run. But they will never find a safe haven. They are not only Grisha—they are the deadliest and rarest of their kind.
-
-
Too short
- By Julie D on 12-12-22
By: Leigh Bardugo
-
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night
- Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, Book 1
- By: Amélie Wen Zhao
- Narrated by: Annie Q
- Length: 15 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lan spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong, a city transformed by the Elantian colonizers. Her days are consumed by the search for knowledge about the strange mark—an untranslatable Hin character—burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died. Zen is a practitioner—one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom. He’s never seen anything like Lan’s mark, but he knows that if there are answers, they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom, with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime.
-
-
Skip This One, Seriously
- By K on 02-22-23
By: Amélie Wen Zhao
-
The Book of Gothel
- By: Mary McMyne
- Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson
- Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Haelewise has always lived under the shadow of her mother, Hedda—a woman who will do anything to keep her daughter protected. For with her strange black eyes and even stranger fainting spells, Haelewise is shunned by her village, and her only solace lies in the stories her mother tells of child-stealing witches, of princes in wolf-skins, of an ancient tower cloaked in mist, where women will find shelter if they are brave enough to seek it. Then, Hedda dies, and Haelewise is left unmoored.
-
-
A well-told tale, beautifully narrated
- By Carolyn Davis on 07-27-22
By: Mary McMyne
-
Happily Ever After: Companion to the Selection Series
- By: Kiera Cass
- Narrated by: Amy Rubinate, Rachel F. Hirsch, Nick Podehl
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before Amberly came to the palace, she was a four in love with a one. Before Maxon met the girl of his dreams, he was the boy of someone else's.
-
-
Disappointing!
- By Janice on 10-17-15
By: Kiera Cass
-
Flame in the Mist
- By: Renée Ahdieh
- Narrated by: Nancy Wu
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Very Good
- By Ingrid on 07-15-17
By: Renée Ahdieh
-
Kaikeyi
- A Novel
- By: Vaishnavi Patel
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
So begins Kaikeyi’s story. The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on legends of the gods: how they churned the vast ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality, how they vanquish evil and ensure the land of Bharat prospers, and how they offer powerful boons to the devout and the wise. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, listens as her own worth is reduced to how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear.
-
-
Good effort but dissappointing
- By Purva on 08-17-22
By: Vaishnavi Patel
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)
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Heartless
- By: Marissa Meyer
- Narrated by: Rebecca Soler
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Long before she was the terror of Wonderland, she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen. Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker.
-
-
A truly miserable story
- By Anna Allison on 01-07-17
By: Marissa Meyer
-
Dorothy Must Die Stories
- By: Danielle Paige
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Amy McFadden, Luke Daniels
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Long before Amy Gumm got swept away from a Kansas trailer park...Dorothy Gale received a package on the night of her 16th birthday: a pair of red high-heeled shoes. "Dear Dorothy," the note read. "I thought about silver to match the ones you lost, but in the end I decided that red was more your color. I think you know what to do with them."
-
-
Needs to be longer
- By Emily on 06-24-15
By: Danielle Paige
-
The Wrath and the Dawn
- By: Renee Ahdieh
- Narrated by: Ariana Delawari
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Great story horrible narrator
- By connie on 04-26-16
By: Renee Ahdieh
-
Uprooted
- By: Naomi Novik
- Narrated by: Julia Emelin
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
-
-
Great story, hard to listen to.
- By Rej on 05-21-15
By: Naomi Novik
-
A Deadly Education
- A Novel (The Scholomance, Book 1)
- By: Naomi Novik
- Narrated by: Anisha Dadia
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life. Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone else, that is. Far as I’m concerned, he can keep his flashy combat magic to himself. I’m not joining his pack of adoring fans. I don’t need help surviving the Scholomance, even if they do. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts; I’m probably the most dangerous thing in the place. Just give me a chance and I’ll level mountains and kill untold millions, making myself the dark queen of the world.
-
-
Intersting concept, way too much self pity
- By Rune on 10-13-20
By: Naomi Novik
-
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz Bundle (Annotated)
- By: Lyman Frank Baum
- Narrated by: Whitney Gardner
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Book 1: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, better known and loved today as simply The Wizard of Oz, is a tale that has been cherished by readers and listeners throughout the years. This timeless story has inspired Broadway shows, cartoon series, and many films over the past few generations. I hope that this book has inspired your sense of creativity and wonder as much as it has mine.
By: Lyman Frank Baum
-
Heartless
- By: Marissa Meyer
- Narrated by: Rebecca Soler
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Long before she was the terror of Wonderland, she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen. Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker.
-
-
A truly miserable story
- By Anna Allison on 01-07-17
By: Marissa Meyer
-
Dorothy Must Die Stories
- By: Danielle Paige
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Amy McFadden, Luke Daniels
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Long before Amy Gumm got swept away from a Kansas trailer park...Dorothy Gale received a package on the night of her 16th birthday: a pair of red high-heeled shoes. "Dear Dorothy," the note read. "I thought about silver to match the ones you lost, but in the end I decided that red was more your color. I think you know what to do with them."
-
-
Needs to be longer
- By Emily on 06-24-15
By: Danielle Paige
-
The Wrath and the Dawn
- By: Renee Ahdieh
- Narrated by: Ariana Delawari
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Great story horrible narrator
- By connie on 04-26-16
By: Renee Ahdieh
-
Uprooted
- By: Naomi Novik
- Narrated by: Julia Emelin
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
-
-
Great story, hard to listen to.
- By Rej on 05-21-15
By: Naomi Novik
-
A Deadly Education
- A Novel (The Scholomance, Book 1)
- By: Naomi Novik
- Narrated by: Anisha Dadia
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life. Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone else, that is. Far as I’m concerned, he can keep his flashy combat magic to himself. I’m not joining his pack of adoring fans. I don’t need help surviving the Scholomance, even if they do. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts; I’m probably the most dangerous thing in the place. Just give me a chance and I’ll level mountains and kill untold millions, making myself the dark queen of the world.
-
-
Intersting concept, way too much self pity
- By Rune on 10-13-20
By: Naomi Novik
-
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz Bundle (Annotated)
- By: Lyman Frank Baum
- Narrated by: Whitney Gardner
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Book 1: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, better known and loved today as simply The Wizard of Oz, is a tale that has been cherished by readers and listeners throughout the years. This timeless story has inspired Broadway shows, cartoon series, and many films over the past few generations. I hope that this book has inspired your sense of creativity and wonder as much as it has mine.
By: Lyman Frank Baum
What listeners say about Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Natalie Cole
- 11-27-17
A Different Take on an Evil Queen Retelling
I'm a little divided on how I feel about this book. On one hand, I enjoyed it. On another, I found some parts just to slow. I felt a little angry with Xifeng because she was so hung up on her beauty and what her "aunt" made her believe was her destiny. I loved the East Asian setting a lot though. This story was ok, but not as great as I had hoped.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- KaitheShopper
- 09-22-18
Wow...
I had my doubts and the story started out pretty slow but it was as terrifying and brilliant as the reviews said. I was wondering which fairy tale this would be and now I know without a doubt... I'm still reeling and wondering if I should even get the next book since I know the story well, but I'm sure curiosity will get the better of me eventually...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful