Brilliant!
I was captivated by Xifeng’s struggle to claim her destiny as Empress of Feng Lu in Julie C Dao’s debut novel. Dao weaves her narrative masterfully in a dark, vivid and alluring world of mysticism and magic. Xifeng is a complex and compelling character – hero or villain? That’s left to you, dear reader, to decide.
This book has a well-paced and intriguing plot laced with beautifully lyrical depictions of people and places. And I was left pondering the themes in this novel long after I the final page. Ambition and sacrifice. Love and loss. Destiny and belief. Poverty and privilege. Power and magic. Choice and consequence. Good and evil.
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is going on my ‘Classics’ shelf. It’s a story that leaves its mark and begs to be read again.
5 stars