š āFor that is the way of the world, Gumaās voice echoed. Some are given a rope to the moon, and others claw up the sky.ā - Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by @juliecdao ā¢ Rating: š²š²š².5/5 ā¢ āļø#qotd: Do you write reviews for all the books you read? ā¢ šA of JAFās (insta)review: I had a review set up for this, and then it got deleted so thatās fun. š Where was I? Oh yes, basically, if youāre looking for a diverse retelling/origin story of the Evil Queen set in a fantasy world inspired by Ancient China, look no further. Despite its slow start, and in-spite of the fact that we all know the outcome, you canāt help but root for and sympathize with Xifeng (or titular Empress who shall be rising). Even as she makes choices that push her closer to the dark point of no return, you want her to succeed. There are multiple points where you want to shake sense into her, but that doesnāt make your heart hurt any less when you see the future Evil Empress get manipulated, abused, or otherwise mistreated. Thereās a good mix of vivid scenery/description, character development (especially when it comes to Xifengās mental deterioration/madness), and magic. Some characters seemed to exist purely to act as obstacles in Xifengās way, and othersā purposes are unclear (I assume this is because theyāll play a larger role later in the series), but overall, if you can get over the slightly dragging set up of the story youāll love the mixture of magic and court intrigue in this Snow White-inspired first book. ā¢ Bookstagram Challenges: #lilthisorthat: days 26 - YA or NA (YA all the way) @lifeinlit & @beccasbookishlife #fanaticalbirdjan: day 26 - least fave trope (insta-love or Love triangles) @fanatical.fantasy & @littleliterarybird ā¢ #qotd #bookstagramchallenge #bookstagram #bookdragon #bookworm #abudhabireads #dubaireads #uaereads #bookstagramuae #unitedbookstagram #jafinkreads #jafinkreviews #bookishabudhabi #bookishdubai #qotd #minibackdrops #bookreview #ipreview @preview.app #riseoftheempress #forestofathousandlanterns #juliecdao @philomelbooks #philomelbooks (at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
