It was… meh. Fell into a tarot card world, got a hot but toxic fake‑husband, and sat through a lot of whining. Fun idea, not great execution. One‑and‑done read.

This was an interesting book, with a unique feel! I loved the characters and the storyline Wes fun! I would recommend this book to everyone!

The Empress is like stepping into a tarot card and finding yourself in a fantasy soap opera—with extra spice. It kicks off with Hannah, a modern woman stuck in a rut, who gets yanked into a magickal realm after a tarot reading goes sideways. Suddenly she’s dodging palace intrigue, unlocking hidden powers, and sparring (and swooning) with Kane, a broody warrior who’s basically the human embodiment of “trouble.” The worldbuilding is lush and tarot-inspired, with a dash of Bridgerton glam and Outlander-style time-slip drama. It’s got fake marriage, morally gray love interests, and enough romantic tension to fog up your Kindle screen.

That said, it’s not without bumps. Hannah makes some head-scratching choices, and Kane’s alpha energy can feel a bit overcooked. But if you’re here for escapism, drama, and a heroine learning to wield her own power, it delivers. The cliffhanger ending sets up the series nicely, and while it won’t be everyone’s cup of enchanted tea, fans of romantasy with high heat and high stakes will probably devour it. Think of it as a guilty pleasure with a magickal twist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for this fun ARC!

I really wanted to like this book! The premise was so interesting, and I usually love books surrounding Tarot/Tarot magic systems. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into this book as I didn't love the romance or the main character, and ended up DNF'ing this book around halfway through.

This was such a promising read at first but I was disappointed by the wishy-washy romance between the main characters and the lack of detailed world building beyond the basics.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Empress is a light, spicy romantasy adventure with magic, tarot, and a broody hero that’s just the right amount of trouble. The love story was okay for me, but the playful humor, entertaining adventures, and easily digestible writing made it fun to read. It’s not super deep or heavy, but if you’re looking for something lighthearted, steamy, and a little magical, this hits the spot!

It was a good fantasy type book. I liked the plot the characters and the writing . I was invested in the world. I want to read more .

this has all the makings of your typical romantasy book. so if you love the genre, this is for you. i just had some issues with the plot. orrrrr maybe i'm just nitpicking bcuz romantasy doesn't hit as good as it used to for me. fake marriage? cool. time travelling? fun! instant attraction? eh. tension? yes, please! it has the touch her & d*e though, which... we all love, right?!

personally, it just was an okay read. but as we all know, reading is subjective. maybe i just wasn't the target audience. i'm sure there are others out there who'll enjoy it more than i did.

The Empress by Kristin Cast
2.5 Stars

Okay, confession time: I’m late finishing this ARC, and that’s partially because I needed to hit pause and return when I was in more of a casual reading mood. I didn’t DNF entirely, but I definitely soft DNF’d and had to circle back.

I wanted to love this one. The premise had all the potential for a fun escape, but it didn’t quite land for me. The blend of Renaissance-style fantasy with modern slang, cell phones, and social media references left me feeling disconnected. It’s not that I hated it, I just didn’t find myself itching to see what happened next. The pacing felt disjointed, the mission was a bit too low-stakes for me, and the insta-lust romance didn’t hit.

BUT....That said, I think there is a reader for this book.

If you’re someone who primarily reads contemporary romance and want to dip a toe into fantasy, this might be a good gateway. It’s a breezy read with familiar vibes dressed up in a fantastical setting.

Tropes and Themes:
One horse
One bed
Hidden identities
Solving a mystery
Lusty, fast-burn romance
Modern meets medieval

Would I recommend this book?
For me, it’s a no. But for a reader looking for low-stakes fantasy with romance at the center and some modern flair, this might be exactly the soft fantasy escape they’re craving.

Thank you to Sourcebooks | Bloom Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review. I offer my sincere apologies for the late review.

The moment you pick the book up, you get a tarot deck and a full explanation that leads into the lore and magic. It’s wild. I’ve never read anything quite like this. The tarot sold me right away though, and I think it would absolutely rank up there for a lot of romantasy readers. It’s beautifully written and has those hints of darkness that I always devour. Cast can do no wrong, yet again.

Well, I totally requested this from NetGalley because it was set with/around tarot, and I love that, without really reading too much more…and perhaps I should have given it more research. Or at least read some other reviews... Because this one just was not for me.

Mostly, honestly, it was the writing that did it in. It was just...bad. I mean the concept wasn't anything groundbreaking, but it could have been entertaining, reasonably solid, enjoyable, if it had been written better. I don't hate portal fantasies, messy/lost heroine vibes, instalove/lust, all the romantasy tropes...but this fell short on delivering all of them. The tone (Hannah’s narration/dialogue) felt too flippant and cutesy; or trying too hard? And Kane’s sexual innuendo feels anachronistic or out of place in the world that was being "built." And I can’t with the “good little girl shit” - also trying wayyyy too hard. The world-building itself was honestly MEH, like it couldn’t decide whether to be the real world set over a fantasy world, or vice versa, and the half-assed both ended up really disconcerting. Plus, it was just flat. The whole “tarot characters are real” thing that is the basis for this novel is basically one dude being named Four, kingdoms named Pentacles and Cups, and a single card that can do magic…like, what? The characters - their development and motivations and relationships - were also incredibly flat, no believable movement or growth. And oooof in general everything was so repetitive. Kane and Hannah's push-and-pull interactions, Hannah's internal dialogue, the ebb and flow of the "I want to save this world vs I want to get back to my own world," it was so gratingly the same, over and over and over. Another issue: the feminism is too obvious and therefore, does itself a disservice. Finally, the ending. What the heck was that?? It’s unrealistic even for a “romantasy.” This whole novel was surreal and not in a good way. When I finished, I literally said, out loud: "Well, that was a book. And I read it." That's about all I can say.

This one just wasn’t for me. I was really intrigued by the premise and wanted to love it, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the pacing felt uneven. There were moments that caught my attention, but overall it didn’t hold me the way I’d hoped. I can see how some readers might enjoy the worldbuilding or the themes, but it just didn’t quite click for me personally.

I tried to enjoy this book, and it felt like Outlander at time, and I LOVE Outlander so I was hopeful.

It was just a clash of feminism and misogyny, there were moments I chuckled, and there were a couple I cringed at. It took a lot of energy to finish this book, and that’s okay. A lot of missed shots on a plethora of tropes.

Also, I hate Chad SO much.

😡 Brooding MMC
💍 Fake Marriage
🛏️ One Bed
⛓️‍💥 Tying Up
🃏 Tarot Card Inspired
🐇 Alice In Wonderland Inspired

Thank you NetGalley for providing me a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.

This book had so much potential to be a great 5 star read but came up just a tad too short. Before I knitpick lemme breakdown the pros….

I thought that taking concepts from Alice in Wonderland and mixing in elements of Tarot cards with medieval times was an interesting premise. The introduction into the world was whimsical and engaging for me, instantly pulling me into the story and getting wrapped up into the tale.
I loved the cliched and predictable nature of our FMC, Hannah, and MMC, Kane. Their banter and tension was delicious 🤤 Getting the fake marriage trope between these two, along with forced proximity/one bed was just the icing on top!

Now to get into the cons….
I felt as thought this story lacked in intricate storytelling worthy of being classified as a Romantasy. While I loved the whole premise of the story being Hannah’s journey back to her world after falling through the door leading to Kane’s realm, I felt that if we took that out then there would be no other story to tell. The main antagonist was nonexistent till the final 50ish pages and even then there was not much that would’ve classified them as the antagonist. I would’ve also enjoyed reading more about what made this world fantastical and more about the Tarot elements in how the world functions.

I will give the book credit where it’s due and chalk up the lacking points as maybe with it being the first in a series that we will get more world building and character development in the next book. Until then, I anxiously await to hear more about the world of Towerfall in the future.

While the premise seemed really intriguing, especially the tarot-based magic, I had a tough time with this book. I'm not sure if it was the writing or the characters, but I had trouble connecting with this story. The writing and characters actions seemed to skew a bit younger, even though I think this was set as an NA level book. It just fell a little flat for me. It was fast-paced though, and I think would be great for folks who might want a quick read or a lighter romantasy without a lot of heavy worldbuilding or drawn-out epic storytelling.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This unfortunately wasn’t a book for me. I loved the first half of the House of Night series, but that ended up being something I didn’t care to finish. Still I was hopeful about this story and it sounded interesting. The MC was just too annoying for me and I did not care for the love interest at all.

Thank you to Bloom Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest reivew

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f fantasy romance
-portal
-political intrigue
-only one bed

I had a lot of fun with this one

I hate not finishing books, and I tried really hard to push through this one! I made it about 45% through before I had to stop. The beginning was rushed, but I looked past it to try to make a connection with either of the main characters. They were both not-relatable and didn’t have any depth. I was very excited to read a story based on tarot because I’ve never seen any fantasy author do that. As far as I got into the book, tarot elements had nothing to with anything besides being the names of the kingdoms. The writing was overall boring, and I was not at all immersed in the world.

I’m still grateful for the chance to read the eARC thanks to NetGalley and Bloom books!

I love Kristen Cast, and her mom‘s writing! However, this isn’t like their typical books. If you just finished the house a night series or the goddess of sea series; this is definitely a unique read alone as is. I really enjoyed it and hope there is more to come!

What a deliciously witty and hilariously fun time! I can’t believe I waited so long to read this absolute gem! I was giggling like a school girl, Kane had even this seasoned romance reader blushing with his banter. While I will admit Hannah annoyed me at the beginning but she had a brilliant turn around. I loved the creative mix of the modern world and the fantasy realm where tarot came to life. An absolutely fantastic read and I’m certainly going to keep an eye out for more Towerfall novels! Perfect for fans of Assistant to the Villain, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying and Carl the Dungeon Crawler. Also if you prefer audios the duet narration was to die for.