krowkid 's review for:

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

4.25

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What if I told you that the feeling we call love is actually the feeling of metaphysical recognition, when your soul remembers someone from a previous life? How would that change the way you look at each stranger, knowing that they could be the epic romance across all of your lifetimes?

This book weaves three timelines into a tragic love story full of lust, secrets, and betrayal. While the romance is marketed as epic, it often feels like fate or coincidence is doing all the work, and when the lovers do come together, it is obsessive and destructive. The mix of Chinese history, folklore, and a modern setting kept me hooked, even if the structure felt uneven and the ending a little rushed. Despite some rough edges, it is sexy, queer, packed with Asian pride, and genuinely lingers in your mind. I cannot wait to see what this author does next.