I love the atmosphere and world that Huang has created here. Beautifully written, it instantly drew me in. I’m looking forward to seeing more from this author!

Justinian Huang's debut novel is a masterful tapestry of love's endurance through the ages. The narrative takes us on a journey across different timelines, from ancient China to modern-day Los Angeles, weaving a complex story of romance, betrayal, and destiny.

In 4 BCE China, we meet a low-ranking clerk whose life takes a dramatic turn when he is chosen to capture the young emperor's attention. This marks the beginning of an epic saga that traverses centuries, highlighting the immutable force of love. Huang's portrayal of this era is rich with historical detail, immersing readers in a world where duty and desire collide. A favorite trope, I must admit.

The story then shifts to 1740 China, where an innkeeper's mundane existence is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious young man and his grandmother. The ensuing events draw the innkeeper into a web of intrigue, requiring the aid of a past lover. A tribute to Pu Songling, of course. Huang skillfully uses this narrative strand to explore themes of isolation and the human yearning for connection.

In present-day Los Angeles, a college student's life is forever changed when he encounters a mysterious artist who seems to have captured his likeness across time. This strand of the story delves into the complexities of identity and the search for belonging in a world that often feels alienating.

Huang's ability to toggle between these periods with ease is a testament to his storytelling prowess. The characters' struggles and triumphs resonate deeply, as they are reborn and rediscovered in each other's arms, lifetime after lifetime. Every interaction is like a mirage, at once familiar, and yet, unique. The novel is a celebration of queer love, transcending the boundaries of time and space.

Drawing from Chinese history and mythology, Huang creates a central couple that embodies the power and beauty of love. The novel's scope is ambitious, yet Huang manages to deliver a narrative that is lyrical, intimate, and grand. I was enthralled.

When I read the description and synopsis for this book I was incredibly intrigued. The line that specifically drew me in was “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?”

Weaving through 3 separate timelines, one in 4 BC, one in 1740, and the other in current day, we’re told a tale of two men being reborn and finding each other in each life, recognizing the other as a true connection.

This book is promoted as a “genre-bending historical romantasy”, which is mostly true. The history is told in a way that is vivid and alive. You really feel like you’re standing in 4BC and 1740s China. The fantasy element is definitely there through spirits and dark magic. The way in which each timeline is told and how it’s woven together is really unique and captivating. It draws you in and keeps you invested. And there are some twists you absolutely do not expect that suddenly throw you for a loop, which makes you want to get to the end to know how it all unfolds.

All-in-all, really beautifully done.

The one part that I felt misleading was the romance. I may just be used to HEA endings, but this felt more tragedy than romance to me. There is a romance plot, so to speak, but it’s not what you think it’s going to be from how it’s promoted, and I think that part left me wanting in the end. The spice was definitely there, though! 🍑

However, this book is really beautifully told, and I definitely recommend it. I probably would have enjoyed it even more if it had been marketed a bit differently! But overall, a beautiful debut novel for Justinian Huang. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Books for the ARC!

Giving this book a 4 out of 5. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

TW non-consensual sexual acts

It was refreshing to see the re-incarnation trope in a Western style fiction book (as an avid Danmei reader!). I absolutely adored following the main characters through the different timelines. They each reflected different aspects of Asian culture throughout history and you could tell the distinct differences in the language used and the environments presented. The twists presenting kept me on my toes and I was guessing how things were going to resolve right up to the last chapter. The erotica caught me off guard at first, but after learning more about the characters I was better able to understand its relevance to the plot.

This book is difficult to put a category on outside of fantasy. I agree with several other reviewers that I would market this not as a romance, because at the end of the day this is a story about breaking the cycle of said romance. Especially in the modern timeline, it is about a young gay Asian man learning about himself and how he fits into the world. It is especially about how he takes agency in his own life and doesn't let others or fate decide things for him.

Overall I really enjoyed this read and want to get a physical copy for my collection!

Reincarnation, living thousands of lives in love with the same person, and messing it up every time. Fantastic. It's a different kind of angst, it's inevitable that it will all go wrong but for thousands of year they still keep trying. Elaborating any further on the specific romantic situations will be extremely spoilery, so I'll just say I loved the dynamics between characters, romantic and otherwise, it really worked for me.

The brief scene with the origin of the term 'cutsleeve'!

I spent much of this book confused and most readers probably will until the very end but I enjoyed the heck out of it. The confusion and trying to keep track of all the moving pieces was actually fun and kept me invested.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

I was given an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang is an erotic contemporary and historical fantasy with three timelines. Following the POVs of Dong Xian in 4 BCE, He Shican in 1740, and River in the present day, the love story of two souls across time is explored. Dong Xian was a lower level scholar commissioned to seduce the Emperor by the Dowager Empress, He Shican’s story is intertwined with a fox spirit and a doctor, and River is a young man who gets the attention of an artist that is already attached to another man.

The weaving in of real historical figures and exploring their relationships with each other was one of my favorite parts. There was a richness added to the prose by poetry particularly in Shican's POV.

My favorite POV chapters were Dong Xian’s because of how the Dowager Empress’ villainy manifested. The political moves and how she presented information to Dong Xian is everything I love about villains who know that they are the villain in someone's story.

The charm of River’s chapters really lay in his interactions with others, especially with his sister, Garden, and his friend, Calvin.

I would recommend this to fans of multi-timeline fantasy, readers looking for love stories focusing on Queer Asian men in a historical setting that is not genre Romance, and those looking for books featuring fox spirits from East Asian folklore.

While there was stilted language at times, which I trust has been fixed in the final version of this book, it was so beautifully written. It keeps the reader engaged as they read each storyline, a feat that is not easy when switching between stories.
The characters were serious little sluts, and I love them for it.

I am LOVING this book, and greatly appreciate the chance to read it in advance! I have posted a video regarding the book on my TikTok (kimmmberlycrain) as well as shared to Instagram. What a great book! Happy release!!

What a delightful read! I have a full review coming here and on my blog in the upcoming week but my mental health has been real bad. You know what’s helped with my mental health? This book. 🤓

I received an ARC, of which I am so thankful, and I am so happy to have experienced a book that caught me off guard in a great way. The relationship had layers (time-focused ones) that I wasn’t aware would exist until I starting reading, and while I normally don’t enjoy time-focused stories, I had a fun time with this one!

I’ll go more in detail soon but overall? 3.75 rounded up to 4! Definitely give this one a shot if it’s something you had your eye on!

Rated: 3.5 stars, rounded up

I really enjoyed how this was written. The woven storylines leave you with just enough information to be curious about the rest. However, I think I was marketed this book as a love story, and I don’t think that’s the best descriptor for this book. While it is about love, it’s not necessarily a “love story”, it’s about breaking cycles.

I went into this expecting something else, so I think that’s why I rated it the way I did. I still enjoyed it and I am looking forward to more things by Huang!

I liked the love across time and synchronization of the characters in their past lives. That being said, the modern "river" and "joey" failed to be nearly as interesting and I felt myself wanting much more of the past lives. The ending felt rushed and like nothing was actually accomplished. I was left confused and felt that many things were left unexplained.

This was such a wonderful read about finding your ‘soulmate’ and the lengths people will go to do that. I really enjoyed reading this, the storylines were all very interesting and well thought out, and I especially loved how they were all brought together.
It is kind of hard to categorize this book but I will say whatever it is doing, it’s doing it right.
The premise of this book is about soulmates and the idea that your soul is always seeking out that one person, regardless of what life you are living at that moment. I thought the author did a wonderful job of showing us how we’ve evolved as humans and how we view relationships with one another, especially queer relationships.
There is magic, time jumping, love, sex, obsession, and so many explorations of culture, this book really had it all.

This is one of the most unique novels I've read so far in 2024! Woven across centuries, The Emperor and the Endless Palace follows three main characters in 4 BCE, where an ambitious courtier is called upon to seduce the young emperor; in 1740, where a lonely innkeeper agrees to help a mysterious visitor procure a rare medicine, only to unleash an otherworldly terror instead; and in present-day Los Angeles, where a college student meets a beautiful stranger and cannot shake the feeling they’ve met before.

Each of these seemingly unrelated plotlines are woven together by the twists and turns of fate, as two men are reborn, lifetime after lifetime. Drawn together by forces more powerful than fate, this book explores fate, love, and power.

While I was drawn to the story as a queer romantasy novel, my expectations were a little unfulfilled as the book is definitely light on an actual romance plot. However, the book is fresh, erotic, and full of unexpected twists. Take care by reading the content warnings, as there are explicit scenes and some dubious consent scenes.

This book is a mix of many genres; it’s hard to put it into one box. It’s a fantasy, a romance, an erotica, a mystery, a folklore, lgbt contemporary - and yet also historical fiction. I really enjoyed this story, I thought I knew exactly what was going on and then was thrown through a loop; I liked that. I found this book to be one of the most unique things I’ve read. I do think it could have been longer; there is a chunk of storyline at the end that I want to know more about/think there should be more about. This book made me hopeful, and then sad, haha, but that’s life - and I do respect that real life element, even in a fantastical setting.

I was very excited for this book, but unfortunately I did not have a good time. The premise of this book sounded so excellent and epic, but the execution felt so stale! It's been marketed as a romantasy, but where is the romance!? I think because the idea of this book is like fated love the author didn't spend as much time building up the chemistry between the couples and making their romance feel believable. It was like reading about strangers who we are told "love each other" or have this incredible attraction and then that's it, from their we are expected to believe it. I wish the author had spent more time really building a connection between the characters. Actual romance is more present in one of the timelines, and I definitely enjoyed Don Xian and Liu Xin's timeline the connection between them was developed more.

Also, speaking of timelines, this book features three timelines that are supposed to be interwoven resulting in a love transcends time (this is from the official summary so no spoilers!). This love transcending time was what drew me to the book in the first place, but again the execution was poor in my opinion. The interconnectedness of the timelines is very obvious early on and I felt that took away from any sense of wonder for the reader. There is also very little world-building so you have to do a lot of creation as the reader to imagine the unique aspects of each timeline.

This next criticism is very unique to me, but the marketing of this book as "genre-bending" and "challenging what we know about true love" created an expectation in my mind of this truly epic, eternal romance, but the tone of this book actually is very silly and not very serious and in my opinion didn't match with the way it was described. The tone also didn't really match what I think the book was trying to do, and it made it a bit confusing trying to understand exactly what we're supposed to be taking away from this story. I'm not sure what about this book challenged anything about true love. And finally, the characters themselves were not well developed. I wish we had more time in the heads of all of the characters, I think that would have helped us understand who they are more and make us more invested in their romances! I wish this had happened with all of the main characters, but particularly Dong Xian because that would have helped understand his choices. There were so many instances in this book where I felt that things were just happening randomly, and characters were making completely random decisions, but I think more time developing the characters would have helped give more weight and meaning to some aspects of the plot and the conflicts.

Overall I feel like this book took on a plot too large that it wasn't able to fully realize. I hope that the finished copy is better edited and the plot is more aligned. This book honestly felt like reading a first draft attempt before someone went back and tied everything together. It was kind of a mess and unfortunately was a disappointment for me.

A retelling of the Chinese short story "Huang Jiulang" and the cut sleeve tale of Emperor Ai's relationship with Dong XIan, it adds a third reincarnation of those characters in the modern day. I enjoyed the threads individually, but I'm not sure they fully came together.

This book is being marketed very differently than it should be, in my humble opinion. The fantasy element is rich, complex, and dominates the story. It’s rich in folklore, full of emotion, and deeply original.

While it definitely contains erotic elements, the scenes are short and spread out and don’t dominate the plot. I will also give a CW that there is a non-consensual moment that is central to the plot (this is generally a no from me- I’m thinking maybe I didn’t fully grasp what was happening?) The relationships did feel more developed in some timelines than others and I did find myself wanting more chemistry between the two outside of the physical.

However - I do think the timeline hopping was well done and not difficult to follow, the magic systems and folk magic were clear throughout, and the reincarnation element was so fresh.

No, the question is not whether fox spirits exist. The question is: If one comes for you, can you resist it?

The Emperor and the Endless Palace was a drug and sex fueled Cloud Atlas like story woven from Chinese fables, mythology, and historical fiction. Following three timelines from individual point-of-views, Dong Xian 4 BCE, He Shican 1740, and River Present day, the reader is taken on a reincarnation journey as three souls are forever intertwined.

“To put it as simply as possible, our souls are caught in an endless loop. No matter how many lifetimes we endure, we will not be released from an ancient curse. And once upon a lifetime, I made a promise to you that I would break it.”

As the reader travels in and out of each time period, commonalities are revealed and a picture of tangled love and a magical force working to interfere becomes apparent. What is not always so apparent is which reincarnated soul belongs to whom and who are the souls that truly belong together. There's some initial good vs. evil going on but I liked how as the story went on, it does murky up some of that conventional thinking and shows the battles of temptations and freedom of will playing their part.

Dong Xian, this whole time you thought that you were playing the game, only to realize you are the game.

Each timeline, whether it was Dong trying to strategize for power and influence in the Emperor's Palace against the Emperor's grandmother and cousin, He Shican trying to find where he fits in life and escaping his father's disappointment and unrequited from a doctor who took care of him, or River exploring his sexuality and living out for the first time, provided inner workings and deeper layers into these souls. I thought Dong Xian's timeline was the most thought out and worked the best, He Shican's was the most fantastical and River's looped and jumped around a bit too much creating a “does this all make sense?”.

And I don’t know how else to describe a bittersweet feeling inside me— in this moment that I meet him, I realize I might be lonely for the rest of my life.
His name is Joey.

I would consider this at least straddling the erotic line, sex, and drugs, are constantly playing their part. I don't think I could say I felt the, modern conventional, love between the souls but the endlessly drawn to feeling came through. The writing created an easy pace, if not the story always being clear, and I flew through this. If looking for a reincarnation story that plays with temptations and freedom of will, the setting and influence of Chinese fantasy and historical fiction make this an interesting one to pickup.

This is probably my most anticipated debut of the year, and I'm so pleased to say that it exceeded every expectation. I do want to start out the review by saying that I know this is being marketed as a romantasy, and I have to say, I do feel like the marketing of this book is a bit misleading (which is entirely on the publisher, and absolutely no fault of the book or the author whatsoever). I will say straight off the bat that while I believe this is widely marketed as a fantasy romance/romantasy, I would not personally categorize it as a romance at all, seeing as it does not follow the genre conventions of a romance (namely, it does not have a HEA/HFN). It does have fantastical elements, but I would say that it leans more heavily into the folklore vibes than magic fantasy, if that makes sense. Overall, this is a pretty hard book to categorize, and I love that about it, but it does make it difficult for me to try and figure out who exactly I think it's for.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace is, at its core, a love story that follows two people who are connected by the red threads of fate - their connection spans multiple lifespans, and they are re-incarnated and fated to find their way back to each other in every lifetime. We follow this love story through three lifetimes in particular. The first (chronologically), is a re-imagining of the love affair between Emperor Ai and Dong Xian, and a loose retelling of the origin of the term, "cut-sleeve". In the second timeline, we follow an innkeeper who encounters a nine-tailed fox and enlists the help of a doctor. In the present-day timeline, we are following River, a med school student who meets a mysterious stranger at a rave.

There really isn't much of a plot besides just seeing how their love story ends, and how all the different pieces of each timeline comes together, but in my opinion, that is the beauty of this story. It's a quick read, and incredibly captivating. It takes a while to get into the book, but once it gets going (about 60% of the way in), it does not slow down. The book never overstays its welcome, and by the end, I find myself very satisfied with how everything played out.

I don't usually dedicate a whole paragraph to sexual content in my reviews, but I've seen some people describe this as an erotica, and I can't say I agree with that. There is quite a lot of sex in the book, but none of it feels unnecessary, nor is it particularly explicit. Many of the sex scenes are very short (we're talking a few sentences/paragraphs), use mostly euphemisms instead of explicit/direct language, and are not very graphic at all, so I'm just wondering if people calling this erotica have actually, you know, read erotica, or if there is just some sort of higher standard placed on this book because it's so unapologetically queer. Either way, your mileage may vary on this, but I'd personally call this a steamy book, but not necessarly very spicy, if that makes sense at all. All that to say, I don't feel like the sexual content detracts from the book in any way (which seems to be something that other reviewers feel), and I think that calling it an erotica does it a disservice in the sense that someone looking for an erotica will likely be sorely disappointed. That aside, I will say there are instances of sexual abuse/questionable consent, so do keep that in mind in case that is a trigger for you.

I don't really know what else I can say about this book that won't spoil the reading experience for you, because I feel like that was part of the sheer joy that I had coming out of this book. I went in expecting one thing, but got something entirely different, in a way that I never expected but very much needed. I love the way Huang is able to evoke the feeling of being told a folktale, especially in the past timelines, and the writing is honestly just so good.

I guess in the end, I'd say I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes being taken on a ride by the author, and is open to trusting the author to know exactly where to take this story, even if it's not necessarily where you'd anticipate it go. If you enjoy melancholic love stories, folktales, but also a dash of intrigue, I think you should give this a go. I expected a fun fantasy romance, but instead, I got an unapologetically queer, thought-provoking piece of fiction that just truly can't be placed into any closed box, and it's one of those books that reminds me why I love reading.

This was such a fascinating concept! I haven’t had the pleasure of reading any queer fantasy so heavily inspired by Asian folklore and history before, and this book was better than what I’d hoped for (and after reading the synopsis, my hopes were high). I loved switching between the three lifetimes and experiencing these vastly different, yet reminiscent, circumstances, characters and their unique situations. There were ample sex scenes, as that’s something I enjoy when reading a romance, and they were all written incredibly well. My only (minor) qualm I had is with the endings. I loved the heartbreaking breaking of the cycle in River’s story, and found the end of He Chican’s story sad yet satisfying, but I felt like I was missing something with the ending of the original two lovers’ story. It was explained well enough, so I knew what happened, but I would have liked to have SEEN some of that decline before I was TOLD how it ended. Overall, though, I loved this story. I’ve been looking forward to reading this for months, so a HUGE thank you to Harlequin Books for the E-ARC. I cannot recommend this book enough!