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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Rape, Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Alcohol
The rape is a short-lived attempt, ending in moderate-to-graphic violence towards(and the violent death of ) the perpetrator.
"The Emperor and the Endless Palace" by Justinian Huang intertwines the romantic lives of two men across three distinct time periods in a romantasy novel that diverges from traditional romance conventions. In 4 BCE, a palace clerk becomes embroiled in palace intrigue by being enlisted to seduce the young emperor. Then in 1740 CE, an innkeeper is sought out to aid a young man on a quest for a mystical medicine. Finally, in the present day, the narrative explores the experiences of a newly-out young man in Los Angeles and a mysterious artist connected to a powerful billionaire.
The novel unfolds with an intriguing premise of these men being destined to fall in love in each lifetime, creating a cycle of undying love and heartbreak across centuries of time that challenges the norms of romantasy as a genre. However, despite the ambitious concept, the execution falls short of expectations. The story takes time to engage the reader, and while it is clear the narratives are connected in some way, these connections between the three timelines don't begin to click until about a third of the way into the novel.
The explicit sexual content, while not inherently problematic, feels detached due to underdeveloped character connections. The lack of emotional investment in these characters made the erotic scenes feel voyeuristic rather than an opportunity for the reader to engage sympathetically with the characters’ emotions. Additionally, the novel's ending was unsatisfying; it lacks the necessary emotional weight for the intended resolution.
The plot would have benefitted from more “show, not tell” and world-building to anchor the fantasy elements in the real-world setting readers are familiar with. The supporting characters, like Calvin, also demand more development to give them more purpose within the narrative. The villainous characters, such as the Dowager Empress Fu, Commander Jujun, and Winston Chow, likewise lack the necessary threat level to elevate the stakes, and their motivations are not sufficiently explored.
While "The Emperor and the Endless Palace" offers an interesting concept, its execution suffers from underdeveloped characters and a plot that fails to provide sufficient reasons for the reader to care about the unfolding events. As a debut novel, there is potential for the author's writing skills to evolve with time, and future works may benefit from a more refined approach to character development and plot intricacies.
NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing provided an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The novel unfolds with an intriguing premise of these men being destined to fall in love in each lifetime, creating a cycle of undying love and heartbreak across centuries of time that challenges the norms of romantasy as a genre. However, despite the ambitious concept, the execution falls short of expectations. The story takes time to engage the reader, and while it is clear the narratives are connected in some way, these connections between the three timelines don't begin to click until about a third of the way into the novel.
The explicit sexual content, while not inherently problematic, feels detached due to underdeveloped character connections. The lack of emotional investment in these characters made the erotic scenes feel voyeuristic rather than an opportunity for the reader to engage sympathetically with the characters’ emotions. Additionally, the novel's ending was unsatisfying; it lacks the necessary emotional weight for the intended resolution.
The plot would have benefitted from more “show, not tell” and world-building to anchor the fantasy elements in the real-world setting readers are familiar with. The supporting characters, like Calvin, also demand more development to give them more purpose within the narrative. The villainous characters, such as the Dowager Empress Fu, Commander Jujun, and Winston Chow, likewise lack the necessary threat level to elevate the stakes, and their motivations are not sufficiently explored.
While "The Emperor and the Endless Palace" offers an interesting concept, its execution suffers from underdeveloped characters and a plot that fails to provide sufficient reasons for the reader to care about the unfolding events. As a debut novel, there is potential for the author's writing skills to evolve with time, and future works may benefit from a more refined approach to character development and plot intricacies.
NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing provided an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll admit, I discovered this book because of the apology video on tik tok about it being so SPICY. And yes, that’s what led me to read it (and it IS spicy, and I live for it!) But what really grabbed me through this story was the dramatic tumble through time and space with two lovers who fate continues to bring together again and again. The narrative was so period appropriate wether you were in ancient china or modern day LA, and each of the three timelines wound together in such a tantalizing way that kept me wanting to find out what happens next in each story. My only regret is that I read it so fast. I don’t know if Justinian plans on writing a sequel or not, but I will eagerly look forward to whatever he has to offer in the future.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The publisher did a real disservice in the marketing of this book. Should have been marketed as queer fantasy fiction, not Romantasy. Also would have been a stronger book, imho, had it been a duet or a serial, something that allowed more room for the relationships to breathe and truly come to life. Calvin, for example, was a hook-up declaring that he loved River as much as his dead fiancé after just a single 24 hour period? Were we supposed to believe River had the fox-spirit power still to explain it? Then why wasn’t he chased after by every man, woman, and child his whole life? It was disappointing how fantastic so much of this novel was but then other aspects were a let down. I’d spent a lot of the book thinking it would be a 4.75 read but the final pages made me drop it to a 4, because it just felt like a cop out. I didn’t drop it to less than 4 because this really was a singular read—the authorial voice is unique and special, the concept excellent (even if execution left much to be desired), the writing itself was lovely and poetic, and I was even onboard for the message that obsessive love (lust?) of this kind doesn’t conquer all, but consistently damages and destroys, but it just didn’t paint the full picture the way it could have and should have. Anyway, it’s the kind of book I probably won’t forget, despite my disappointment, and the first one in over a year that prompted me to actually write a review. So…4 stars, but this coulda been a winner without the length restrictions and more appropriate marketing to manage expectations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape