[Review] Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Series: Rise of the Empress #1

Rating: 5 stars

Published: October 10th 2017

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

FANTASTIC. Evil Queen retelling that has all the right levels of evilness. I love multifaceted characters, and even more so antiheroines/villains with so much depth to them.

Xifeng has been trained since birth to be the next Empress; however there are many factors holding her back. She has this dark power within her that she must use in order to fulfill her destiny.

[Review] Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

Series: Grace and Fury #1

Rating: 4 stars 

Published: July 31st 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a world where women have no rights, sisters Serina and Nomi Tessaro face two very different fates: one in the palace, the other in prison.
Serina has been groomed her whole life to become a Grace - someone to stand by the heir to the throne as a shining, subjugated example of the perfect woman. But when her headstrong and rebellious younger sister, Nomi, catches the heir's eye, it's Serina who takes the fall for the dangerous secret that Nomi has been hiding.
Now trapped in a life she never wanted, Nomi has only one way to save Serina: surrender to her role as a Grace until she can use her position to release her sister. This is easier said than done. A traitor walks the halls of the palace, and deception lurks in every corner. But Serina is running out of time, imprisoned on an island where she must fight to the death to survive and one wrong move could cost her everything.

Grace and Fury was a fast-paced read! It certainly was a page turner.

Serina and Nomi Tessaro are sisters in the kingdom of Viridia. Their land is one where women are considered second-class and have no rights whatsoever. In order to have some say in their lives, Serina trains to become a Grace, one of the concubines of the next ruler, the Heir, Malachi. Nomi refuses to subjugate herself to this, but untimely ends up becoming one of the Graces in her sister's stead. Serina is instead sent to Mount Ruin as punishment, keeping her sister's secret with her to the end.

[Review] A Touch of Gold by Anne Sullivan

A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan

Series: A Touch of Gold #1

Rating: 3 stars 

Format: ARC

Published: August 14th 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

King Midas once had the ability to turn all he touched into gold. But after his gift—or curse—almost killed his daughter, Midas relinquished The Touch forever. Ten years later, Princess Kora still bears the consequences of her father’s wish: her skin shines golden, rumors follow her everywhere she goes, and she harbors secret powers that are getting harder to hide.
Kora spends her days locked in the palace, concealed behind gloves and veils, trying to ignore the stares and gossip of courtiers. It isn’t until a charming young duke arrives that Kora realizes there may be someone out there who doesn’t fear her or her curse. But their courtship is disrupted when a thief steals precious items from the kingdom, leaving the treasury depleted and King Midas vulnerable. Thanks to her unique ability to sense gold, Kora is the only one who can track the thief down. As she sails off on her quest, Kora learns that not everything is what it seems—not thieves, not pirates, and not even curses. She quickly discovers that gold—and the power it brings—is more dangerous than she’d ever believed.
Midas learned his lesson at a price. What will Kora’s journey cost?

The premise of A Touch of Gold sounds really cool - a retelling of King Midas? Never heard of that before.

Everyone knows the story of King Midas - well here, as he was turning everything he touched to gold, the first to fall victim to his powers was his daughter, Kora. He begged the god Dionysius to save her, but the gods have a way of convoluting their wishes. Now ten years later, Kora still has her gold skin and a secret.

[Review] Light Years by Kass Morgan

Light Years by Kass Morgan

Series: Light Years #1

Rating: 4 stars

Published: October 9th 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

Reeling from the latest attack by a mysterious enemy, the Quatra Fleet Academy is finally admitting students from every planet in the solar system after centuries of exclusivity.
Hotshot pilot Vesper, an ambitious Tridian citizen, dreams of becoming a captain - but when she loses her spot to a brilliant, wisecracking boy from the wrong side of the asteroid belt, it makes her question everything she thought she knew. Growing up on the toxic planet Deva, Cormak will take any chance he can get to escape his dead-end life and join the Academy - even if he has to steal someone's identity to do it. Arran was always considered an outsider on icy Chetire, always dreaming of something more than a life working in the mines. Now an incoming cadet, Arran is looking for a place to belong - he just never thought that place would be in the arms of a Tridian boy. And Orelia is hiding a dark secret - she's infiltrated the Academy to complete a mission, one that threatens the security of everyone there. But if anyone finds out who she really is, it'll be her life on the line.
These cadets will have to put their differences aside and become a team to defend their world from a cunning enemy - but the danger might be lurking closer to home than they think... 

This was actually super cute and light and fluffy to read. It's the much lighter Ender's Game and Red Rising. The premise is very similar to these two - scifi set in a space school that has underlying political undertones. It's told from four POVs. Cormak takes the spot of his recently deceased brother Rex and becomes the Captain of Squadron 20. Vesper, the daughter of Admiral Haze, is the pilot, and must do everything she can to stay in the Academy, or face her mother's wrath. Arran, a super genius who has never been noticed by anyone until now - he's gotten the attention of the son of a politician who doesn't agree with the Academy's new 'open doors to all' policy. Orelia, who disguises herself to be an average Academy student, is actually the Academy's worse enemy - a Specter.

[Review] Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith

Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith

Series: Bloodleaf #1

Rating: 3 stars

Format: ARC

Goodreads Synopsis:

Aurelia is the first princess born to the Renalten crown in two hundred years, destined to fulfill a treaty by journeying to marry Valentin, the prince of Achelva – Renalt’s greatest enemy. Rumors of an unwell, cruel prince abound, and the only thing that eclipses Aurelia’s apprehension of her impending marriage is her fear of those who’d kill her to prevent it.
When an assassination attempt forces Aurelia to use forbidden magic to save a stranger, she is driven from Renalt by the witch-hunting Tribunal and a mob out for blood. But before she can claim asylum in the court of her betrothed, her travel party turns on her, forcing her to trade places with her treacherous lady-in-waiting, Lisette.
Now penniless in Achleva and bereft of her identity, Aurelia must decide if she wants to surrender to her new life or fight for her old one, all while navigating the complicated ties binding her to the enigmatic prince, the unquiet ghost of an ancient queen, and a poisonous plant called bloodleaf.
Aurelia is a pawn in a centuries-long game of love, power, and war— and if she can’t extricate herself from it before Lisette marries Valentin in her stead, she may face losses far more devastating than her crown.

I decided to do a group read with my friends for this book. This was... an interesting read, to say the least.

Princess Aurelia is from Renalta, a land that hates blood magic. So to keep her safe, she's whisked away to a neighboring country, Achleva, to marry Prince Valentin. However, trouble and danger is at every corner, and she must disguise herself as a commoner in order to be safe. But once in Achleva, she uncovers a traitorous plot that would bring destruction on both countries. Aurelia and her newfound allies must work together to stop such a catastrophe from occurring.