Song of the Crimson Flower

By: Julie C. Dao

Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest

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?

In this fantastical tale of darkness and love, some magical bonds are stronger than blood.

*Includes a PDF of the cast of characters.

Critic reviews

Praise for Song of the Crimson Flower:

"Dao's latest fuses beats of Cyrano de Bergerac with elements from her Rise of the Empress duology to create an East Asian–influenced tale of love, greed, politics, addiction, and found family." --Publishers Weekly

"Powered by quiet, satisfying prose and a sense of magic and wonder, this will appeal to lovers of fairy-tale retellings and new fantasy worlds." --SLJ

"It hits all the notes for a romantic fantasy that is enjoyable and appropriate for both younger and older readers." --VOYA

"The perfect choice for readers who love a fairy tale fantasy but are looking to move past conventional Western fare." --BCCB