Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is an East Asian retelling of the story of the Evil Queen from Snow White. Xifeng is a beautiful 18-year-old who, through the urging of her abusive aunt, schemes her way onto the Imperial Court. Her aunt has always told her that greatness is in her destiny and if she grasps it, she will become Empress of Feng Lu. But greatness comes at a steep price, which Xifeng learns as she gets closer to her destiny.
It was a little hard for me to settle on the rating for this book. It starts out really slowly, with Xifeng obsessing over her own beauty and being jealous of other women's looks. She also seems confused about what she wants from Wei, the boy who has loved her since they were kids. She's constantly pushing him away while being hurt if he doesn't pay attention to her. That was pretty much the first 100 pages, and I almost gave up on the book at that point.
But then the story started moving along, and before I knew it, I was immersed in the tale. It's great fun to cheer for the evil heroine, wondering what wicked thing she will do next. And she does so much wickedness, all the while justifying it to herself. The world in the book is beautifully portrayed with lush vibrant colors and landscapes, reminding me of a Zhang Yimou movie. It's not a deep book at all, but it's enjoyable and a bit shocking, and before I knew it, I had finished the book!
After the initial slow start, I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the book, so I'm giving it 4 stars. This is the first in a series, and I can't wait for more. I hope Dao doesn't take too long to write the next one!
Readaroo Rating: 4 stars
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