Blog Tour and Giveaway: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Welcome to the blog tour for Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao! This is a reimagining story of The Evil Queen, set in an East Asian world. You do not want to miss this dark and intense debut. Check out some of my favorite quotes below!

About the Book:

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Book One of the Rise of the Empress series

Publisher: Philomel Books

Publication Date: October 10, 2017

Summary (from Goodreads):

An East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl's quest to become Empress--and the darkness she must unleash to achieve her destiny.

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.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository | The Ivy Bookshop

About the Author:

Julie C. Dao (www.juliedao.com) is a proud Vietnamese-American who was born in upstate New York. She studied medicine in college, but came to realize blood and needles were her Kryptonite. By day, she worked in science news and research; by night, she wrote books about heroines unafraid to fight for their dreams, which inspired her to follow her passion of becoming a published author. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is her debut novel. Julie lives in New England. Follow her on Twitter @jules_writes. 

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

My Favorite Quotes:

"For one breathtaking moment, she thought she could see her own face and that of Guma in the waters of the pond, side by side among the stars. But when she blinked, the images vanished, leaving nothing but a mirror of the sky."

- ARC, page 78

"Isn't it better to give up a fraction of your freedom to gain tenfold in happiness, even for a short time?"

- ARC, page 116

"She would wrap her coils around him in tender confinement and be not his captive, but his captor."

- ARC, page 128

"She would bloom where she was planted and let her roots close around the throats of her enemies."

- ARC, page 229

"She closed her eyes and saw vivid images behind her lids: scented spirals of incense; a pool of silent, heartless women; a card depicting a girl in disguise, her foot hovering over the edge of a cliff. And lanterns, one thousand lanterns blazing in the forest, just out of reach."

- ARC, page 289

"She knew her own worth. She would seize her destiny with all the strength and spirit within her, and bend them all to her will: every man kneeling and every woman overshadowed."

- ARC, page 309 

"She was a monster, a bride of the darkness, and she rose to face her destiny as thought it were the blood-red sunrise of a new day."

- ARC, page 329

The Giveaway:

Enter for a chance to be one (1) of three (3) winners to receive a hardcover copy of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie Dao. (ARV: $18.99 each).

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on October 2, 2017 and 12:00 AM on October 27, 2017.  Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about October 30, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour:

Week One:
October 2 – Alexa Loves Books – Author Guest Post | Inspiration Behind FOATL
October 3 – No BS Book Reviews – Review
October 4 – The Young Folks – 10 Reasons to Read FOATL
October 5 – Chasing Faerytales – Author Guest Post | On Villains & Backstories: What Makes Them So Interesting?
October 6 – Arctic Books – Favorite Villains & Anti-Heroes

Week Two:
October 9 – NovelKnight – Review
October 10 – The Book’s Buzz – Author Q&A
October 11 – Across the Words – Author Q&A
October 12 – What Sarah Read – FOATL Mood Board
October 13 – One Way or an Author – Tour of the World of FOATL

Week Three:
October 16 – MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It Book Reviews – Review
October 17 – Twirling Pages – Author Guest Post | Julie’s Writing Starter Pack (aka items that got her through writing FOREST)
October 18 – Mundie Moms – Review
October 19 – Book Nerd Addicts – Author Q&A
October 20 – Little Lillie Reads – Review & Playlist

Week Four:
October 23 – Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Author Guest Post | Julie’s Dream Cast 
October 24 – The Eater of Books! – Favorite FOATL Quotes
October 25 – A Page With a View – Author Q&A
October 26 – A Perfection Called Books – Review & Mood Board
October 27 – Xpresso Reads – Author Guest Post | Talk about anything fun/bizarre she discovered while writing the book.