International Blog Tour | Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao

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People make mistakes, Bao thought. Hearts get broken, but somehow we forget the pain. Or choose the chance of happiness in spite of the pain.

– Julie C. Dao, Song of the Crimson Flower

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From the acclaimed author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns comes a fantastical new tale of darkness and love, in which magical bonds are stronger than blood.

Will love break the spell? After cruelly rejecting Bao, the poor physician’s apprentice who loves her, Lan, a wealthy nobleman’s daughter, regrets her actions. So when she finds Bao’s prized flute floating in his boat near her house, she takes it into her care, not knowing that his soul has been trapped inside it by an evil witch, who cursed Bao, telling him that only love will set him free. Though Bao now despises her, Lan vows to make amends and help break the spell.

Together, the two travel across the continent, finding themselves in the presence of greatness in the forms of the Great Forest’s Empress Jade and Commander Wei. They journey with Wei, getting tangled in the webs of war, blood magic, and romance along the way. Will Lan and Bao begin to break the spell that’s been placed upon them? Or will they be doomed to live out their lives with black magic running through their veins?

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BUY-LINKS

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | BookDepository

Add Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao on Goodreads!

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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.

Julie is represented by Tamar Rydzinski of the Laura Dail Literary Agency.

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REVIEW

The story of Empress Jade in Forest of a Thousand Lanterns  and Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix was of epic proportions. With Song of the Crimson Flower, we get a lighter read and a glimpse into the lives of some of the characters we loved in the main series. I would like to thank Raf of The Royal Polar Bear Reads and Erika of The Nocturnal Fey for hosting and letting me join the tour. (I’m so sorry I’m a day late)

As a companion to the Rise of an Empress duology, Song of the Crimson Flower is a lighter read. It is the story of Bao and Lan and how they find themselves and their love for each other while trying to break a curse and helping keep the kingdom from war. There is a very positive feel to the story, and partnered with great word building, it its simply a really enjoyable read.

So the love story was a little cliche’. You’d know from the start that the 2 main characters would end up together. What was so sweet and charming is their journey. Bao is an apprentice Physician and all he has ever wanted was to heal people and of course be with the woman he loves. Lan on the other hand, is the stereotypical daughter of high rank. I love that their characters experience the ugly side of loving someone – with a lot of disappointments and hurt. But they were also given the chance to know their minds and hearts, and actually choose to love.

Since this is a companion book, I still got to read about Empress Jade and her husband Lord Koichi, also Commander Wei who finally finds his heart in the spunky Lady Yen. It was fun reading about strong women and how they go get what they want in a world where they must be silent.

Overall, I loved this book and Julie C. Dao is now an auto-buy author for me. I can’t wait for what she comes up with next.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)

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Soooo…. I was supposed to post this yesterday but my Korean Drama binge is back on and I totally forgot to post it. I watched W and Dr. Stranger in like 4 days straight. I think I’m in love with Lee Jong-suk. I will fight whoever says he isn’t gorgeous.

Anyway..🥰🥰🥰. I hope you liked my review on my stop for Song of the Crimson Flower! Have you read this book yet? Would love to chat in the comments. (About the book or the gorg specimen above. 🤣)