This one is a no for me.

I had such high expectations for this book, and to say I was let down is an understatement. That being said, I did sadly DNF this book at the 20% mark. I wasn't able to connect to it at all, and I wasn't invested in the story. I found all the alluding and unique phrasing during the "spice" extremely annoying and personally, if you can't call it what it is, don't put it in the story. There just wasn't anything about this book that made me want to keep reading. I'm sad that I didn't like this like I thought I would.

I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: DNF'd

4 BCE - an ambitious courtier has a secret mission; 1740 - a lonely innkeeper seeks a rare medicine to help a mysterious visitor; present-day LA - a college student has a familiar feeling when meeting a stranger.

Rumors, magic, scheming,... Huang plunges one into the alluring world driven by equally engaging POVs and infused with the nine-tailed fox tale that helps flavor the story. These are flawed men, whose soul collides through lifetimes, trying to reach the ultimate destination. The characters' life are inextricably tied to the turns of fate and in a journey of finding themselves, their unsaid feelings are fed by ambition and devotion.

There is plenty of court drama that will please lovers of Chinese historical dramas 宮廷劇 (like myself) and elements of Chinese culture/history such as medicine, artifact, Han dynasty and ancient texts (iconic Chinese poems) offer a plot with great capacity to fascinate. The author doesn't hold back at giving jarring moments by boldly tackling on the concept of 'cut sleeve' 斷袖. The slow pacing (until 50%) will demand readers' patience and undivided attention to figure out the character's connection, which I thought it is the immersive aspect of this book. The amount of sex scenes that seems to build up the romance can feel 'distracting' for some and the ending is well-done, even if some questions remain (I would recommend buddy read this book).

With captivating prose that easily transports readers, THE EMPEROR AND THE ENDLESS PALACE is a queer love story about people trying to find their way back to each other. This book is a genre-bending debut about true love that invites one to have a fun reading experience.

Following 3 timelines across millennia, an emperor & his courtier, a lonely innkeeper & his mysterious visitor, and a college student & a beautiful artist, ENDLESS explores the meaning of soulmates and the time-transcendent nature of all-consuming love.

ENDLESS is an entertaining read with a slower start. Due to the alternating timelines, the first half is mostly world/character-building, while the last half picks up speed and moves quickly. I wasn't sure where the story was going, but I was on the edge of my seat towards the end.

The twists completely surprised me, and I had a lot of fun reading ENDLESS. While the blurb made it sound serious, there are plenty of LOL moments. At times, I feel the emotions between the various MMCs are sacrificed for drug & sex scenes. For those looking for a fun time with unexpected twists, ENDLESS will surely deliver!

This book was a VERY spicy fantasy read. I struggle to label it as a romance, due to the moral ambiguity and complex relationship dynamic. I do think readers that enjoy "love stories" just as a much as the conventional HEA romance story will like this book - but the traditional romance readers might not. I am of the first camp, so this book was intriguing to me. You don't always love the characters or the decisions they make, but their dramatics keep you coming back for more!

I very rarely like time-centric plot points (such as time travel, groundhog day, and reincarnation) but this book incorporated it in a way that kept me engaged despite my usual disdain for it. I will be recommending this to a specific kind of reader, rather than a wide "romantasy" audience.

I am currently DNFing at page 41. I unfortunately am just not connecting with any of the characters as much as my heart and mind would love to because I am struggling with forming a connection it's really hard to lock into the story that is being created. There is a lot of spice scenes just from what I read, but it's not really flushed out so despite their being a lot from what I read it was giving at most 2 peppers on my personal scale which just means it's bordering lights off type of spice. I think for me to have really been enraptured by the story would be spending more time with the characters before we swap over to a different period of time. I felt like I wasn't learning much about them or having the proper time to form the connection like I would have liked before the jump.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this novel.

Before I review this book, I think it is important to know that this was not the book I thought it was. I was expecting an epic fantasy with romance elements. What I got was erotic fantasy. Had I known that's what this book was, I probably would have skipped it. That being said, there were some things that I enjoyed. I liked the different timelines and the idea of these souls existing throughout time. I also love that the romance in this novel is male male. I really liked the idea of this book. Unfortunately the execution wasn't quite there for me. I don't mind sex scenes in books, but they happened a lot in this one. The way some things were described made me so uncomfortable, and the author used the same descriptions over and over. I found myself trying to skim to the end of the sex scenes because they were just really difficult to read. While I liked the three timelines, I also found myself getting a little confused about what was happening when. I had a hard time following the plot and knowing what was going on.

I ended up being pretty disappointed. I was really looking forward to reading this book, but unfortunately it just didn't work for me.

A lush & beautifully written folkloric fantasy! I enjoyed the twist on "I'd find you in any universe".

I’m really conflicted with this one. I did DNF this early on, but the writing was excellent.

Despite this being marketed as a romantasy, as so many books are these days, I was not expected a spicy scene so soon in the first chapter.

The thing I want most at the beginning of any book is a character I can connect with on some level. I did not get that feeling here, and so I decided to put this down after a few chapters.

I was also not expecting dual timelines between 17th century China and modern day Los Angeles. It felt like such an abrupt change to go back and forth between these times/eras.

Again, I really liked the writing style but the opening did not catch me.

Huang delivers a sensual love affair that spans across lifetimes, "The Emperor and the Endless Palace" inflames as much as it entertains.

The story opens into three timelines: The emperor and a clerk in the ancient Endless Palace in China, the innkeeper and the fox spirit in a small rural town in 1700's China, and a newly out med student and mysterious artist in modern day L.A. The historical timelines set the bulk of the story up as the modern day timeline converges into the conclusion. I both loved and wanted to be done this book.

The novel is highly unique with its narration fitting the eras they were set in. I simply cannot stand when there is modern prose being used in a historical fantasy, it takes me right out of the story. I found Huang writes a compelling fantastic storyline where I was really engrossed in the action and political intrigue. I was never quite sure where the story was going to end up by the end of each timeline section but didn't find myself wanting to rush back to any particular storyline either.

With its intriguing premise, I was quite tired of the spice. The repetitive and ornate language used within the sex scenes had me skimming and off-put. I never want to hear a penis being referred to as "my influence" ever again. There is no shortage on the market of synonyms to describe genitals and pleasure, this is where I took off the most ratings. Where it also lost me were the loose ends of side characters that were clearly reincarnated throughout the protagonists lifetime, what happened to them? Are we setting up for a sequel? The conclusion felt highly lackluster for the B-plot that was plowing ahead full steam. Infuriating as a reader to be left in the lurch in favour of a uninspiring conclusion.

That being said, I had fun with this read and look forward to seeing more from this author. 3.9/5 Stars.

Unfortunately at 70 pages this was a DNF the writing was fine but for ever sex scene (and there was a bunch in those 70 pages) the language used was too flowery and full of euphemisms that just felt like it was too much
For example "influence" was used instead of dick and "magic little node" for prostate as we as a bunch others but I don't wanna get too graphic.
The story could be very interesting but it felt like the author was trying to hard with flowery sexual prose

well. damn. i'm not sure what i was expecting but it wasn't that ending. i'm going scream forever about joey and river though. THEY DESERVED THEIR HAPPY ENDING.

Content Warnings: Drug Use, Dubious Consent (Power Dynamic, Drugging)

Unfortunately, this book was not a favorite for me. I admit that I'm not a fan of soul mates and one-true-love in general as tropes, but I was intrigued by the idea of following connected souls in multiple points of time. I think in this regard, the book was actually successful. I was surprised by a major plot point (that, in hindsight should have been obvious), and looking at the manifestations of a "cursed" one-true-love was different enough to keep my attention. The overall plot -- reading the book as a whole -- I think was pretty successful.

However, when you tell a tale in three settings, with 'reincarnations' that are nevertheless different characters, you always run the risk of one or more settings or characters being favored by readers. For me that, I felt that intensely in this book. Of the three mini-stories, the 1749 one was far and away my favorite. It had the best pacing, the most interesting characters and hook with the mythology and mysticism, and the most fitting emotionally resonating resolution of "cursed love" -- for me. Others may hate that one.

Similarly, the modern-day story was by far my least favorite. The characters felt underdeveloped, had very little of interest to hook me, and the resolution -- while working for the entire book -- didn't feel satisfying for that particular story. I admit that plot line was the one I was tempted to skim because I felt no engagement with it and wanted to read the other two plot lines.

The 4 BCE story was somewhere between the two. The historical setting was interesting enough to keep my attention, and I was interested in how it tied into the 1740 story. However, this setting suffered the most from having a lot of sex scenes and not-so-much character interaction. Most of these sex scenes were fine, but there is a level of voyeurism and dubious consent around a eunuch who has no choice but to have sex with the narrator (who is himself drugged) that may cause readers discomfort.

All this said, I do think some people will like this book, particularly fans of Chinese romance dramas. The writing is overall pretty good, and I did find the overall plot thread uniting the three sub-stories to be well done.

A romance several lifetimes in the making, The Emperor and the Endless Palance, is a treasure trove of historical settings, folklore, political machinations, and that one true love spanning several ages to the present day. Referencing tales of nine tail foxes, the passion of the cut sleeve, magic, art, and modern day tech, this is a colorful tale of the love of an emperor and his favorite. The settings are well described and the characters are fully fleshed out. The chapters hopping timelines giving the reader a glimpse through time as the story unfolds. Highly recommend this title for lovers of Chinese history, folklore, and gay romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This one was not quite it for me. The writing was very good and I think I would have enjoyed the story more if I wasn’t hit almost right away with insta-lust. Love a good spicy scene but I personally need some build up and character development to get into the story first. That wasn’t the case here.

This one is not for me sadly. I did enjoy the way the author wrote, but didn't enjoying reading any of the characters. This is a shorter book, so it could have benefited from more substance with our characters and less insta-lust sex.

I don't think it's being marketed properly but will probably be enjoyed by its actual target audience.

Rated 3 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

4 Stars! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC!

Knowing this is Huang's debut novel, I am looking forward to his future work. The plot of two (three?) people meeting over and over again throughout multiple lifetimes is a trope I will always love. I will say, it did get a little confusing at the end, but I think I would enjoy rereading this to catch things I missed the first time around.

River/Joey, Dong Xian/Liu Xin, Huang Jiulang/He Shican. All of their stories had their own beginning, middle, and end and it was heartbreaking and exhilarating to take this journey with them. I don't know if Huang has plans to expand this story and make it a series, but if he does, I'll be there. I almost prefer it to stay the open-ended ending that it is. It makes it seem like maybe they do just continue meeting over and over again and again. Maybe they never get it right. They're doomed to continue this cycle. And poor Calvin! I'd love a story about him! Even if I did find his character a tad Much at times. He deserves his own happily ever after that's not subject to the two MCs.

But what if they weren't. What if they finally do figure it out and end the curse or end the cycle. I feel like the ending was a bit rushed and could have been expanded.

The few things I was not a fan of for the story was the sex scenes. Pink plum. Blanketing me with his meat. Friend. Let's leave those phrases out of the next book.

Vibes: angst, reincarnation, flirting with edginess, obsession

Heat Index: 8/10

Across three different timelines--4 BCE, the eighteenth century, and modern Los Angeles--two men are continuously reincarnated and brought into each other's lives, with erotic, romantic, and toxic results.

The prose here is lovely, the story is compelling, and as a literary novel (which is what I think it leans towards) it touches on issues that are both emotional and intellectual. Like--and I mean this as a compliment--this is definitely the kind of novel where you could sit back and get stoned and think about the concept and really... go somewhere.

However.

This is not a romance novel, and I think that some of the negative reviews I've seen for it are rooted in the fact that this was put in the Romance category in NetGalley, published by Harlequin Trade (which, regardless of its intention, is something a lot of people do still associate with romance) and advertised as Romantasy. Which kind of links back to the issues with the Romantasy label. Is this breaking any rules when it's pushed as romantasy? Not really, because there aren't any rules. But a lot of people still think that romantasy is going to adhere to romance rules.

While I wouldn't say this was necessarily for me, I do think it's a good book, and it's a book I would recommend to people looking for a fantasy, reincarnation-based novel that isn't at all rooted in a western perspective (as most mainstream fantasy is). There is a love story, and it's complex and ugly in a very intentional way. It is erotic, though I would not call it erotica by any means. Sex is a big part of the story. Sex is not THEEE story, and I wouldn't say the sex scenes are as crrraaaazy as some claim. I also wonder about whether or not some people would be as up in arms about the sex scenes if they were m/f, but that's another discussion for another day.

Conclusion: good book, not a romance novel, and I think the way it's being presented may confuse some readers and lead to a more negative reception than it's deserved. If you want to read some beautiful prose with really cool gray morality and a fantastical erotic lens... I'd say go for this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and MIRA for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 stars rounded up

Mixed feelings on this one, but it's a very specific sort of book. Erotic, gay fantasy romance with a reincarnation element? Although I would say it's definitely heavier on the sex than the romance and while I found elements of the book to be interesting I can't say I was ever rooting for a romantic pairing.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a novel that spans three timelines, reaching from the distant past into the modern day. There is court intrigue, betrayal, magic, and lots of sex and drugs. The idea is a cursed love that extends across many lifetimes, between very toxic people who are kind of immature, aren't good at being faithful to a relationship, and are sometimes abusive and manipulative. So...if I think of this as a "romance" it's not really a success for me, but as a partially historical erotic fantasy novel, it's more interesting. There's tons of drama and I think the right reader will love this. It was certainly an experience! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace is not the book it sold to me as. The blurb promises a love story told across reincarnations. However, I think it is borderline irresponsible to sell this story as a love story given the incredibly toxic relationship and the repeated use of sexual assault scenes to further the plot.

In reality, The Emperor and the Endless Palace follows the reincarnation of four souls caught in a toxic tangle of lust, greed, and power. I think this concept has a lot of potential and I might have enjoyed it more if I had gone in with the right expectations. There is no believable romance or emotional intimacy in this story. There are more sex scenes than plot and they rarely further the relationship between the main characters. These scenes are filled with cringe writing and ridiculous metaphors. As I felt no emotional investment in the characters, I found the sex scenes took away from the story.

This story covers three timelines in three very different time periods. I appreciate the innovative idea of telling a story across reincarnations. However, the historical timelines were far more interesting and developed. I really struggled to connect with the modern time period and I felt that Huang's writing suited the historical timelines much more. Furthermore, the connection between the characters in each timeline was often unclear. I question the decision to tell one timeline from the point of view of one character and the other two from the perspective of the other main character. I feel like the story would have been stronger if it had focused solely on properly developing the characters and the plot in the Endless Palace timeline.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace fails to capitalize on its unique premise instead delivering an erotic yet emotionless story of one-dimensional characters that I found myself rooting against.

This one was wild!!! I adored the adultness of it, loved the world, the two love interests, etc. what’s. Good debut!!!