Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix

(Paperback)

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Description

This fairy tale retelling lives in a mystical world inspired by the Far East, where the Dragon Lord and the Serpent God battle for control of the earthly realm; it is here that the flawed heroine of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns finally meets her match. An epic fantasy finale to that breathtaking and dazzling story. This fairy tale retelling lives in a mystical world inspired by the Far East, where the Dragon Lord and the Serpent God battle for control of the earthly realm; it is here that the flawed heroine of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns finally meets her match. An epic fantasy finale to that breathtaking and dazzling story. Princess Jade has grown up in exile, hidden away in a monastery while her stepmother, the ruthless Xifeng, rules as Empress of Feng Lu. But the empire is in distress and its people are sinking into poverty and despair. Even though Jade doesn't want the crown, she knows she is the only one who can dethrone the Empress and set the world right. Ready to reclaim her place as rightful heir, Jade embarks on a quest to raise the Dragon Lords and defeat Xifeng and the Serpent God once and for all. But will the same darkness that took Xifeng take Jade, too Or will she find the strength within to save herself, her friends, and her empire Set in an East Asian-inspired fantasy world filled with breathtaking pain and beauty, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix is filled with dazzling magic, powerful prose, and characters readers won't soon forget. Fans of Stealing Snow, Red Queen, and The Wrath and the Dawn will hungrily devour this page-turning read. Praise for Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix- "There aren't many authors who could so precisely undo their first book with their second, but it is this clever unweaving that shows Dao's brilliance and skill. With heart-stopping action and wonderful new characters, this is not a sequel to be missed." -EK Johnston, #1New York Timesbestselling author "A lush, enchanting tale of magic, myth, and absolute courage. At once gorgeously woven and deliciously gruesome,Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenixis a thrilling end to a series that feels like a classic in its own right." -Natalie Mae, author ofThe Kinder Poison "Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenixis the stunning counterpoint toForest of a Thousand Lanterns. A refreshing take on the classic heroine, and an adventure ofstories nestled within stories, this is a book fairytale lovers will tuck among their most beloved treasures." -Emily X.R. Pan,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Astonishing Color of After "Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenixbroke my heart and filled it, all at once. In the process, Julie C. Dao has turned a well-worn tale into something thrilling and new. Ornate, tender, and magical. I could not put this book down." -Tochi Onyebuchi, author ofBeasts Made of NightandCrown of Thunder "Beautifully written and masterfully told,Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenixfeels at once timeless and entirely new . . . I loved it with my whole heart." -Margaret Rogerson,New York Timesbestselling author ofAn Enchantment of Ravens "Utterly brilliant in every way,Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenixis the perfect follow-up to Julie C. Dao's debut. This is the dark fantasy I've been waiting for, and I can't get enough!" -Beth Revis,New York Timesbestselling author ofGive the Dark My Love "A grand adventure for fans of fairy tales, fables, and legends coupled with the vibrant history of Chinese dynasties."-Kirkus Reviews * "A top purchase for most fantasy collections." --School Library Journal, starred review

Reviews

Praise for Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix:

There arent many authors who could so precisely undo their first book with their second, but it is this clever unweaving that shows Daos brilliance and skill. With heart-stopping action and wonderful new characters, this is not a sequel to be missed. EK Johnston, #1 New York Times bestselling author

A lush, enchanting tale of magic, myth, and absolute courage. At once gorgeously woven and deliciously gruesome, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix is a thrilling end to a series that feels like a classic in its own right. Natalie Mae, author of The Kinder Poison

Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix is the stunning counterpoint to Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. A refreshing take on the classic heroine, and an adventure ofstories nestled within stories, this is a book fairytale lovers will tuck among their most beloved treasures. Emily X.R. Pan, New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Color of After

Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix broke my heart and filled it, all at once. In the process, Julie C. Dao has turned a well-worn tale into something thrilling and new. Ornate, tender, and magical. I could not put this book down. Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder

Beautifully written and masterfully told, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix feels at once timeless and entirely newa cherished classic, destined to be savored for years to come. I loved it with my whole heart. Margaret Rogerson, New York Times bestselling author of An Enchantment of Ravens

Utterly brilliant in every way, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix is the perfect follow-up to Julie C. Daos debut. This is the dark fantasy I've been waiting for, and I can't get enough! Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author of Give the Dark My Love

"A grand adventure for fans of fairy tales, fables, and legends coupled with the vibrant history of Chinese dynasties."Kirkus Reviews

* "A top purchase for most fantasy collections." --School Library Journal, starred review

"Dao's characters are complex and intriguing . . . Dao brings this richly embroidered saga to asatisfying close." --Booklist

Praise forForest of a Thousand Lanterns:

A Junior Library Guild Selection

A New York Public Library - Best Book for Teens 2017

"A richly developed fantasy world coupled with an ambitious anti-heroine of complex agency, this story shines and surprises at every turn.Julie C. Dao is a talent to watch."Marie Lu, #1New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Young Elites

"Amasterfulreimagining of the early life of Snow Whites Evil Queen. Subverting the all-too-white world of fairy tales, this novel will trap readers in a lush, dangerously dark, and often beautiful world from which they will want no escape. Xifeng is . . . richly drawn, complicated, and, at times, vulnerable; her relentless pursuit of power a welcome contrast to princesses of the past who seldom had the confidence or strength to determine their own destinies."Booklist, starred review

"Lushly written. . . The demons [Xifeng] faces are both literal and metaphorical, external and internal, and her tug-of-war with the forces driving her down a dark path makes fortantalizingreading. A fascinating examination of destiny, responsibility, and how choices shape a person."Publishers Weekly,starred review

"Rich in detail and full of gore and blood, this dark novel willsatisfy Game of Thrones fans."School Library Journal

Astunningreimagining of the Evil Queen. Filled with treacherous courtesans, dark magic, terrible choices, and bloody hearts, Julie Daosexquisitetake on this classic villain rises far above the average retelling.Stephanie Garber,New York Timesbestselling author ofCaraval

"Dark, lush, and intense,Forest of a Thousand Lanternsdraws you into a world filled with mystery and intrigue, led by a heroine determined to grasp her destiny.A stunning debut!"Cindy Pon, author ofWANTandSerpentine

An enchanting debut with a powerful and ambitious lead. Vivid and seductive,Forest of a Thousand Lanternsisone of the best debuts of the year.Zoraida Crdova, award-winning author ofLabyrinth Lost

"Forest of a Thousand Lanternsis dark and seductive; beware, this tale will draw you deeper into the forest than you want to go.Disturbingly good."Stacey Lee, award-winning author ofOutrun the Moon

Magnetic, seductive, and alluring, DaosForest of a Thousand Lanternsis a lush, captivating read about desire and the lengths to which we will go to find our true destiny.S. Jae-Jones,New York Timesbestselling author ofWintersong

"Beautiful, lush, and stunningly intricate,Forest of a Thousand Lanternsisthis year's must-read fantasy!"Sandhya Menon,New York Timesbestselling author ofWhen Dimple Met Rishi

"Forest of a Thousand Lanternsis a stunning debut, a sort of inside-out fairy tale where beauty is a weapon, ambition is armor, and the empire is the battlefield. Xifeng doesn't ask for what she wantsshe takes it. This book is dangerous;you should read it."Jodi Meadows,New York Timesbestselling coauthor ofMy Lady Jane

"Searing and intense, Dao's debut is anoutstandingcharacter exploration of fairytales' most enduring and enigmatic characters: the Evil Queen. Equal parts lush and devastating, this is a tale that will grab you by the throat."Roshani Chokshi,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Star-Touched Queen

"Julie C. Dao'sForest of a Thousand Lanternsisdelicious, addicting, and breathtaking; a book you fall into from the first page to the last. Her rich world is thick with wonder, intrigue, and delightful darkness. Readers will root for Xifeng no matter the choices she must make; we want her to win."Dhonielle Clayton, author ofThe Bellesand the Tiny Pretty Things series

"Readers will appreciate the sweeping fantasy saga lifted from East Asian dynasties and endearingcharacters that are beautifully rendered."Kirkus Reviews

"Readers will be drawn into the lush, fully realized world of Feng Lu and be intrigued by the sinister forces that awaken within and around Xifeng."BCCB

Thiscaptivating, enchantingYA fantasy revolves around an anti-hero's journey and isnearly impossible to set down.Buzzfeed

Julie C. Dao has created a dark, East Asian, fantasy fairy tale thatwill completely captivate youa lush twist on the Evil Queen origin story from Snow White, andthankfully it's just book one of Dao's series.Bustle

A beautiful teenager with a royal destiny is haunted by dark magic in this East Asian fairy tale, a debut novel that offers a rich retake on the origin story ofSnow White's evil queen.io9

Julie C. Daos lush debutForest of a Thousand Lanternsis a dark fairy tale that explores the divide between fate and choicemagic, love, destiny and the lure of power all plays rolesin Xifengs journey, inspired by that of the evil queen in Snow White and buttressed by thedetailed scene-building in ancient Asia.The Austin American-Statesman

Abeautiful, lush,dark fantasy YA novelbreathing freely with a haunting Brothers Grimm severity and themagical mystery of J.K. Rowling'sHarry Potterbooks.SyFy

If youve ever read a story, watched a movie, or played a game where the protagonist struggles with their dark side and secretly rooted for them to give into evilsseductivecall,Forest of a Thousand Lanternsis absolutely the novel for you.Newsweeks Player One

Fantasy (and Disney) fans rejoice!Forest of a Thousand Lanternsis an East-Asian reimagining of the Evil Queen from Snow White. Itsfilled with everything a dark fairy tale needs: deception, dark magic, and bloody hearts.Hello Giggles

Listen up, fantasy addicts: Get ready to dive headfirst intoa gorgeous, dark, and mysterious new world.PureWow

SpellbindingThis novel is sure to be a hit with lovers of dark fairytales and anti-heroines."Bookish

This is a book filled with turmoil and drama that will leave you wanting morewith wonderfully descriptive writing and proseworthy of a movie, this is one book that youll want to check out.RT Book Reviews

Author Bio

Julie Dao (www.juledao.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. Her debut book was Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. Julie lives in New England. Follow her on Twitter @jules_writes.