Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix

by Julie C. Dao

Overview

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, #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 of stories 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 new . . . 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. Dao’s 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

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781524738341
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	09/17/2019
Series:	Rise of the Empress Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	691,098
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	870L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

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.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1

The messenger came at dawn, riding up to the gates with a scroll in his hand.

Jade tensed as his looming black-robed figure emerged from the wintry forest mists, thinking at once of the bandits who had tried to attack the monastery three nights ago. They had been hungry and desperate enough to attempt to rob the monks of what little they had, and even after Abbess Lin had chased them away, the women lived in fear that they would return. Jade tightened her grip on her bucket of animal feed, wondering if it would be heavy enough to disarm him so she could sound the alarm.

But her fear turned into curiosity as the man approached. Not only was he by himself, but he rode an elegant black horse and his robes were trimmed with gold.

Auntie Ang hurried past with a lantern in her hand, breath emerging in the frigid air, her glance at Jade both reassuring and apprehensive as she approached him. “May I help you, sir?”

“I have two letters to deliver. One is for the abbess,” he told her in a deep, strident voice, passing the scroll through the gate. “She will know for whom the other is meant.”

The middle-aged monk accepted the missive, her eyes widening at something she saw upon it. “My goodness. This is from . . .”

Jade craned her neck. In the dim lantern light, she could see only a large black circle on the thick roll of paper. There could be nothing shocking in a seal. Abbess Lin had an entire shelf of rusty-red wax sticks in her quarters for correspondence.

But the messenger seemed to understand Auntie Ang’s awe. “See that it is delivered immediately.” As the monk bowed and left, the man caught sight of Jade standing in the shadows and went still. Even his horse held its breath; the little columns of smoke puffing from its nostrils disappeared. Something gold gleamed on his chest, an emblem that looked strangely familiar. It was clear he served someone of great importance.

Jade tried to remember her manners, but couldn’t find her voice and bowed instead. In one fluid motion, the messenger swung off his horse and returned the bow, much more deeply than hers. He wore a black hood that hid all but his eyes. “Princess,” he murmured, before climbing back on his horse and disappearing once more into the trees.

Princess.

Now, there was a word she knew well.

There was often a princess in the children’s tales Amah still insisted on telling her, even though she was almost eighteen. It was a word meant for old stories and faded texts, a word that belonged to the outside world. It lived in the shaded leaves and branches of the Great Forest. It did not fit into her life, into the rough robes she wore or the sound of the morning’s first gong, waking the monks for prayer and meditation.

Jade pressed her face against the gate, watching the treetops shiver in the icy wind. Everything outside the monastery, from prowling bandits to cold-eyed messengers, seemed like a realm apart she was content to know only through Amah’s fables. She let out a slow sigh, wrapping her fingers around the bars that protected her.

Still, the coming of the messenger and the word he had uttered unnerved her.

Princess.

It was as though the Great Forest had reached through the gates with branches like eager hands . . . as though that other world had, at last, found her.

Editorial Reviews

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, #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 of stories 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 new—a 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. Dao’s 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 for Forest 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, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites

★ "A masterful reimagining of the early life of Snow White’s 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 for tantalizing reading. 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 will satisfy ‘Game of Thrones’ fans."—School Library Journal

“A stunning reimagining of the Evil Queen. Filled with treachero's courtesans, dark magic, terrible choices, and bloody hearts, Julie Dao’s exquisite take on this classic villain rises far above the average retelling.”—Stephanie Garber, New York Times bestselling author of Caraval
 
"Dark, lush, and intense, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns draws you into a world filled with mystery and intrigue, led by a heroine determined to grasp her destiny. A stunning debut!"—Cindy Pon, author of WANT and Serpentine

“An enchanting debut with a powerful and ambitious lead. Vivid and seductive, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is one of the best debuts of the year.”—Zoraida Córdova, award-winning author of Labyrinth Lost

"Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is 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 of Outrun the Moon

“Magnetic, seductive, and alluring, Dao’s Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a lush, captivating read about desire and the lengths to which we will go to find our true destiny.”—S. Jae-Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Wintersong

"Beautiful, lush, and stunningly intricate, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is this year's must-read fantasy!"—Sandhya Menon, New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi

"Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is 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 wants—she takes it. This book is dangerous; you should read it."—Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling coauthor of My Lady Jane

"Searing and intense, Dao's debut is an outstanding character 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 Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen 

"Julie C. Dao's Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is delicious, 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 of The Belles and the Tiny Pretty Things series

"Readers will appreciate the sweeping fantasy saga lifted from East Asian dynasties and endearing characters 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

“This captivating, enchanting YA fantasy revolves around an anti-hero's journey and is nearly impossible to set down.”—Buzzfeed
 
“Julie C. Dao has created a dark, East Asian, fantasy fairy tale that will completely captivate you…a lush twist on the Evil Queen origin story from Snow White, and thankfully 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 of Snow White's evil queen.”—io9
 
“Julie C. Dao’s lush debut Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a dark fairy tale that explores the divide between fate and choice…magic, love, destiny and the lure of power all plays roles in Xifeng’s journey, inspired by that of the evil queen in Snow White and buttressed by the detailed scene-building in ancient Asia.”—The Austin American-Statesman
 
“A beautiful, lush, dark fantasy YA novel…breathing freely with a haunting Brothers Grimm severity and the magical mystery of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books.”—SyFy 
 
“If you’ve 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 evil’s seductive call, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is absolutely the novel for you.”—Newsweek’s Player One
 
“Fantasy (and Disney) fans rejoice! Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is an East-Asian reimagining of the Evil Queen from Snow White. It’s filled with everything a dark fairy tale needs: deception, dark magic, and bloody hearts.”—Hello Giggles 
 
“Listen up, fantasy addicts: Get ready to dive headfirst into a gorgeous, dark, and mysterious new world.”—PureWow 
 
“Spellbinding…This 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 more…with wonderfully descriptive writing and prose worthy of a movie, this is one book that you’ll want to check out.”—RT Book Reviews

From the Publisher

★ 10/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—Whereas Forest of a Thousand Lanterns ended in a crescendo of betrayal and horror, with Xifeng having successfully usurped the throne and the Kingdom of the Great Forest by murdering Empress Lihua with the aid of the notorious Serpent God, this satisfying end to the duology begins in a serene monastery, where Jade, daughter of Empress Lihua, has quietly grown up for the last 15 years. When Xifeng summons Jade to court, she quickly sees through Xifeng's manipulations, recognizes the dire impact of this hateful leadership on the people of Feng Lu, and sets out on a quest with new friends (including a love interest) to reclaim the throne as the rightful heir. Dao's world-building is stunning; Jade's dive into the mouth of an enormous carp, in which the entirety of Feng Lu is replicated in miniature, is unforgettably imaginative. The emphasis on the importance of storytelling and of family, biological and chosen, will resonate deeply with readers, as will Dao's excellent examination of the ways in which women can fail other women and the effects of internalized misogyny. Jade's encounter with the elusive Crimson Army, an all-women band of fearsome warriors, is an illuminating and pivotal scene that contains many truths applicable to the real world. The surprising return of a few significant characters from the first installment and a truly epic final battle conclude this stirring work. VERDICT A top purchase for most fantasy collections, especially where the previous volume is popular.—Della Farrell, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

2018-08-20

A young princess finds the courage to usurp an evil queen.

Upon Empress Xifeng's dark and violent rise to power, Princess Jade was sent to a monastery to be raised in meditative simplicity. Pure-hearted Jade is the daughter of Emperor Jun's first wife and a descendant of the Dragon King—in other words, a constant threat to her evil stepmother's rule—and is summoned back to the Imperial City for her 18th birthday celebration. Jade quickly discovers her stepmother's plot to poison the emperor and murder Jade using blood magic from the sinister Serpent God. Disguised as a commoner, Jade escapes with the help of her beloved Amah (nursemaid) and a handful of servants still loyal to the true heir. Thus begins a quest to save the kingdoms of Feng Lu, following crumbs from Amah's moral tales and a legend that prophesies that "the one who reunites the relics will bring peace to Feng Lu once more." In this sequel to A Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (2017), Dao marries Chinese history with Western folklore, which will entrance some readers, but the well-trodden paths involving forbidden poisoned apples, legendary swords, and magic invisibility cloaks will frustrate those who enjoyed the rich characterizations in Book 1, Xifeng's descent into villainy in particular.

A grand adventure for fans of fairy tales, fables, and legends coupled with the vibrant history of Chinese dynasties. (Fantasy. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews