This book was not for me, it was a little too light on the fantasy and a little too heavy on the fated romance. I also felt it read very YA if not for the spicy scenes. I did not like the characters and the tarot barely played into the story. I really liked the concept of this book but it just fell a little flat for me. If you are a fan of YA or romance set in a fantasy world but really doesn’t get too heavy you might enjoy this. Unfortunately I was just not a fan. I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Thank you to Kristin Cast, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books | Bloom Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Hannah is having maybe the worst day in her life. A failed job presentation, finding out her boyfriend is cheating on her, it feels like her whole life is falling apart. Before her job presentation she had gone into a fortune shop to get some guidance on how to not be her. There she received The Empress, a tarot card. She is then pulled into an entirely different world where she is expected to be save the reality and restore balance.

I was concerned when I received this ARC and saw that so many reviewers DNF'd it. I have read some of Kristin Cast's work with other writers before so I was interested in diving in to some of her own fiction.

For me, The Empress feels like any other romantasy. I did enjoy the magick system alluded to with the tarot cards but we don't see much of that in this book which was a bit disappointing. I also did not particularly care for the romance aspect here because it felt rushed and I am becoming more and more a slow burn romance type of girlie.

I did enjoy the character's for the most part because they were relatable. Our main character is a little whiny but if I was in this scenario I probably would be too. And I bet everyone's got their own 'Stephanie' to deal with at work.

I did like how the book wrapped up because it gave a complete feeling but also left a little to continue with the series. I was worried we were about to get a cliffhanger but we didn't thankfully.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy the romantasy genre and a little bit of spice. Books I would compare to this one would be Powerless, Quicksilver and Lore of the Wilds.

What a disappointment.

I received this as an ARC and I had such high hopes because it sounded like such an interesting idea but it just wasn’t to my liking. I would have DNFed if it wasn’t an arc.

I feel like the narration and writing style lends more to a YA kind of approach when this is marketed as adult fantasy.

Hannah is a miserable character. She hates her life she constantly makes bad decisions and her inner thoughts contradict all her actions. Supposedly she shows character growth and becomes a strong woman by the end but she didn’t actually do anything to grow. Apparently she just decided one day that she was now strong and able to get over herself.

Kane is boring. He’s supposed to be a dark and mysterious hottie but he’s just kind of flat. Like very little insights into why he is supposed to be a super tough and skilled fighter.

The two together feels fake? Like they don’t actually go together because there is no relationship development at all. One day she acknowledges that he is attractive even if she doesn’t want him to be and then the next he makes some suggestive comment and she decides to get over that?

The world building barely exists. I thought there would be more to explain the tarot stuff or anything else but there just isn’t anything.

I feel like I don’t have very high standards when it comes to enjoying books but I had to force myself to finish this one because it just fell very flat.

Rating: 3.5 stars

The Empress, the first book in the Towerfall series, is a captivating fantasy romance that whisks readers away to a world inspired by tarot cards. Hannah, a dissatisfied modern-day woman, finds herself transported to the mystical realm of Towerfall after a tarot reading gone wrong.

In Towerfall, Hannah meets Kane, a brooding loner who saves her life and becomes her unlikely ally. Together, they pose as a married couple to infiltrate the kingdom of Pentacles and uncover the secrets of Towerfall. As they navigate the treacherous landscape, they must confront their own demons and the deadly threats surrounding them.

The romance between Hannah and Kane is steamy and intense, with a slow-burning tension that builds throughout the story. Their dynamic is engaging, with Kane's dark, protective nature contrasting nicely with Hannah's determination and outspoken personality.

The world-building in The Empress is unique and fascinating, with a tarot-inspired setting that adds a rich layer of depth to the story. The themes of women's empowerment and class stratification are well-explored, and the regency-esque setting with fantasy elements is a delightful touch.

While the pacing can be slow at times, and Hannah's character development is somewhat uneven, the story ultimately comes together in a satisfying and thrilling conclusion. Overall, The Empress is a steamy, high-stakes fantasy romance that will appeal to fans of tarot-inspired fiction, portal fantasy, and intense romance.

I was excited to read this e-ARC of "The Empress" by Kristin Cast because I thought the premise for it was so intriguing. It is loosely based on the Tarot as the name and cover art imply. But it is an interesting mix of romance, portal fantasy, and intrigue.

The story begins with main character, Hannah, at a long point in her life. She botches a big opportunity at work, finds out that her current boyfriend is cheating on her, and is constantly bombarded by texts from her mom trying to set her up with men who still live with their parents. But all of this changes when a mysterious Tarot card she's given turns into a magical portal into another world. A magic filled, medieval kingdom on the brink of collapse. Hannah finds out that she has been sent here by the Empress, the Arcane symbol on the card that whisked her to Towerfall. Not only that, but according to legend, she is the woman prophesied to save the kingdom. Despite her heavy skepticism, Hannah can't help but be swept up in what's happening in this new and foreign realm, and be swept away by the handsome stranger who saves her soon after her arrival, Kane.

There were many elements I enjoyed about this novel. I was invested early on in Hannah's predicament and was almost relieved after she falls into Towerfall. Her life was becoming a dumpster fire and getting sent to another realm seemed like an improvement, even when she encounters the local villagers and almost gets herself killed. Kane manages to save her and reluctantly agrees to help her return to where she arrived in Towerfall, the royal palace, so she can try to get back home. I read a few reviews of what some readers called insta-love for these two characters. But I didn't find that to be the case at all. Hannah is understandably frightened when she realizes she's fallen into another realm, one without indoor plumbing, or antibiotics. She is also leery of trusting men, even one's who save her life. So, she is not instantly in love with Kane. In fact, despite being attracted to him, with good reason, based on his description, he sounds like a hunk, she does not trust him and absolutely does not believe him when he tells her she's in Towerfall to save the kingdom. For his part, Kane comes across as a natural hero who will help those in need however he can and wants nothing more than to help save the kingdom he has faithfully served his whole life, even when said kingdom turns its back on him. He does want to help Hannah, mainly because Kane thinks she's the key to helping him achieve his goals, but after recently being betrayed by someone he thought he loved, Kane is not interested in giving away his heart to anyone else. So, I would say that while there is insta-attraction on both their parts, Kane and Hannah do not fall in love right away. They spend several days together, many of which Hannah is recuperating from a life-threatening injury and the two are at odds on their goals from the start. I found all of this to be very plausible for the story and relatable in terms of their character development. I also loved the fact that from the start of the story we get lots of action. However, once Hannah and Kane enact their plan and get back into the palace, the action slows from the middle of the book until the last quarter.

That is one reason I gave this one three stars out of five. While I enjoyed the descriptions of the palace and some of the characters they meet there, I began to feel bogged down by it later after Hannah and Kane have been in the palace awhile. I also was a bit perplexed at the beginning of the book about why Kane was where he was at the start of the story when Hannah first arrives in Towerfall. We learn soon after he sweeps her to safety that he has been banished from the kingdom for some reason. But he is in the palace when they first meet. No explanation as to why he was there and what makes him so eager to help Hannah right away was ever really given. I would have liked a little more backstory about Kane and more development for him earlier on than we get it in the story. I also found some of the dialogue during the love scenes a bit off-putting. Kane keeps asking her if she is "his good girl" every time he sets out to seduce her and during their lovemaking. I think for some that could be triggering and I did not find that appealing. It bordered on him requiring her to submit to him rather than making it seem like they were two consenting adults enjoying being together. That is my personal opinion. Others might not find that a problem, but it is something to consider when choosing to read this novel.

All in all, I did enjoy this story and I found the ending to be a satisfying one overall. If you enjoy a fun and easy romantasy, with portal magic in it, you will likely enjoy this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read a free e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

╭ ✦ •
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 ⊹
╰ ✦ •

I haven’t read something from Kristin Cast since House of Night days (when I was in high school), so when I stumbled across ARC sign-ups I couldn’t resist!

I understand why this has a low rating at the moment, but it’s also just the first book in the series, serving primarily as a setup for the rest of the series, even though this did end in a HEA with an epilogue.

────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────

The Empress by Kristin Cast is a fantasy romance that transports readers from the real world to the magical realm of Towerfall, a place steeped in tarot magic and in need of a reluctant heroine. The story follows Hannah, a reluctant heroine, as she’s thrust from her ordinary life into the magical realm of Towerfall—a world in desperate need of saving. The premise of incorporating tarot lore into the story was both unique and intriguing, even for someone like me with little knowledge of tarot. It was fascinating to see how it tied into both Towerfall and Hannah’s real-world life.

The worldbuilding was imaginative, and the descriptions of Towerfall were immersive, drawing clear contrasts between the realms Hannah, the protagonist, experiences. The secondary characters added humor and heart to the story, with Shadow being a standout for me. And then there’s Kane, mysterious, protective, and undeniably compelling. I really liked Hannah and Kane. Their chemistry and dynamic was definitely one of the highlights of the book.

As much as I was enjoying it, the pacing and character development left me feeling conflicted. Hannah, while relatable in her struggle to simply survive, often felt immature. Her reluctance to embrace her role in Towerfall made it hard to connect with her, but I still found myself rooting for her! The pacing of the story was one of the strangest aspects and I don’t even know how to describe it. It felt both fast-paced and slow at the same time, with a lot of filler that didn’t seem to drive the plot forward. By the time I was halfway through the book, nothing of real significance had happened. Also, I feel like a lot of the plot wasn’t explained. Hannah is supposed to be someone who’s supposed to save Towerfall but that plotline kind of fell off.

Hmmm, from 75% on it felt like it flew by in seconds; it felt like a race to tie up loose ends, leaving me craving more depth and exploration of Towerfall and its lore.

Overall, The Empress had a lot of potential, it was a solid and enjoyable read. I’d be interested to see more of Towerfall in the future, as the world and concept hold so much promise.

────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────

⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹

❥Broody MMC
❥Fake Marriage
❥He ties her up
❥Tarot Card-inspired
❥”Little Fawn”
❥Romantasy
❥Transported into a new world

Thank you for the ARC, Kristin♡

As a longtime fan of Kristin Cast, I was thrilled to see her explore a new realm of fantasy. The characters, story, and the overall concept were captivating and held so much potential. However, I couldn’t help but feel that the book was a bit rushed. In a world where readers are more than willing to dive into 600-page epics, I believe the storyline could have been developed further to fully immerse us in this fascinating world. That being said, I’m excited to see where the series goes and can’t wait to dive into future installments!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

The Empress is an adult romantasy which follows Hannah, who is yanked from her modern world into the world of Towerfall by a mysterious tarot card.

As someone who is generally pretty cautious about romantasy -- I tend to prefer fantasy with a romance than a romance with fantasy elements -- I thought The Empress was fine. Cast made some interesting choices tonally, with having a modern character narrate in modern prose about your typical vaguely-medieval-inspired fantasy kingdom. It was unsettling to adjust to, because it was different from what I expected, however ultimately I think this tonal choice went a long way in helping me suspend my disbelief over the more absurd elements (like when Hannah removes her wig AND her contacts to reveal her true identity). There was spice, for those readers for whom spice matters, and it was pretty standard in my opinion. Once I got used to Hannah as a narrator, I didn't mind her, but she did take some warming up to.

I think this will receive better reception from younger romantasy readers, or those romance readers who prefer a lighter read than some Serious Romantasy offers. The tropes were troping, the snark was snarking, and the vibes were pretty chill. I'm definitely interested in seeing how this series develops.

Before I get to my review, I had more to add that I didn’t want to put on socials in case the author read it. I hate to say it but this will probably be one of my worst reads of 2025. It could possibly be just because I couldn’t connect with the FMC, but I found her extremely annoying and I was ready to DNF at page 37 but I trudged along. She has no friends, she didn’t get the promotion, she just got cheated on, and she wants adventure and the second she gets it she almost gets herself killed on multiple occasions to get back home to her boring life. Then in the blink of an eye she changes her tune and wants to stay, and then she gets butt hurt and goes back to her realm and then goes back again.
At one point when she gets back to her home she says “ I should feel relieved to be back but this isn’t the warm welcome I imagined.” Well what did you expect when you have no friends and your boyfriend cheated on you? And a job you’re failing at??
There was just no way for me to connect with her.

Now this is my review that I’m leaving on instagram and goodreads.

Thanks to @netgalley I was able to read The Empress by Kristin Cast. I first saw this book scrolling through Instagram and I was super excited when I saw it listed on NetGalley and even more stoked when I got approved.
The premise of the book seemed different FMC goes to get a tarot reading because she wants to take charge with her life and wants to know if she’s going to ace her meeting, ends up getting a tarot card instead that takes her to a mirror realm where she’s now on a quest to save this realm. Kane, our hunky MMC is a giant cinnamon roll who would do anything to save our FMC Hannah. There was quite a few innuendos that made me giggle. It was a fun read and ended with a happily ever after.
The reason I’m giving it 2 stars is because it is listed as adult probably because of the 🌶️🌶️, but the FMC definitely felt like a young teenager. I also could not connect or relate to the FMC at all which is where I struggled with the most, and the romance just felt way to rushed

I honestly wasn’t sure about this book at first. For an adult fiction, it really felt more YA at times. Hannah is very relatable as a FMC, but sometimes the way she spoke/reacted came off childish. Kane was a great MMC. I loved the world, it was such a nice blend of Regency era England, and sort of Marie Antoinette France. So opulent and rich. Once I got about 40% through, things picked up and I couldn’t put the book down. The ending was so lovely, everything was wrapped up nicely in the end.

“The Empress,” by Kristin Cast

Reminded me a little like Alice in Wonderland when she falls through a hole into a new world. It’s a really good book if you like a lot of tension between FMC and MMC in a relationship. This book had a good plot that had action and romance in a balanced way. Not much to say about it that won’t spoil too much but it was pretty good. Can’t wait until book 2 comes out. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Hidden Identity
-Portal Fantasy
-Romantic Tension

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

I started it and immediately got icked by the cringy writing and the romance unfolding. After skimming through it, I realize that unfortunately it does not live up to the premise that had sounded so good :(

I loved this book!!!
I don't wish to spoil the story but this was a fun read. Fast-paced, instant attraction, understandable conflict for our MFC Fawn's personal and MMC Kane. The world was built in such a way that I could see the various rooms and terrain. I enjoyed the banter between Fawn and Kane, I laughed out loud a few times, and I could also appreciate the transformation that took place within the MFC. She began the story crashing out in life, was pulled into this magical world, and eventually gained an understanding of who she was and the power that she held within herself.
The expected spice was nice. It was not cringy and overdone, I appreciated that.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fun romantasy. I would love to read more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books | Bloom Books, and Kristin Cast for providing me with the ARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review without coercion.

This tarot-inspired romantasy features a fake marriage with a brooding MMC, offering a fun and light-hearted escape perfect for cozy winter nights. The author does a great job bringing the setting to life, although I did find myself wishing for a bit more world-building to really get into the story.
Hannah and Kane share undeniable chemistry from the start, but the romance lacked depth—I didn't feel like there was a romantic spark between the characters beyond physical attraction. Kane's personality boiled down to being broody and I wanted more from the MMC in terms of learning about him individually.
The book really leaned towards a light-hearted fantasy rom-com, which might appeal to readers looking for something breezy and fun rather than deeply intricate. While I didn't feel like the couple had spark, I did enjoy their banter and quick responses to each other and those around them.

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for sending me an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was a breath of fresh air and so different from everyone else. I will be reading more from this author. 10 stars. I am truly addicted.

Thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Bloom Books for providing me an e-ARC!

**1 star** As a lover of the House of Night series back when I was in middle school, I was super excited to hear that Kristin Cast is coming out with a new book. But this one unfortunately was not an enjoyable read for me that I had to dnf at 44%.

We follow our protagonist, Hannah, a 20-something year old living her very mundane life as a wallflower. While she preps for an important business pitch, Hannah visits a tarot card reader and is quickly kicked out after her reading. Shortly after, she finds herself a tarot card in the snow and is thrust upon a “ye-olden day” world where she meets the mysterious Kane. Together, they find a way to get Hannah back in her world.

When I first read the book description, it sounded right up my alley. Tarot cards set in a fantastical, Outlander-esque world sound fantastic but I could not get on board with this book. The writing style would have perhaps appealed to me if I was still in middle school but to read about a woman in her 20’s, and have it be written very YA, was very difficult for me to read. There was no emotional depth to these characters, no attention was paid towards the atmosphere and surroundings which was a missed opportunity. With Hannah constantly referring to her new world as “ye-olden days”, there was no distinction between the past and modern speech.

Though this was a dnf for me, this could appeal to a younger audience. It would help if the characters are aged down and it was marketed towards the younger generation.

This might need to be a part of your life if you enjoy books with magic, quirky FMC, broody MMC, banter, court intrigue and fake marriage
When I first saw this book I was unbelievably excited. Any book about Tarot card and I am immediately running, no questions asked. The beginning started out funny, with lots of relatable moments from the FMC that I found myself saying “yes, me too girl, me too” and laughing along to her misadventures. It was an entertaining book, funny, the story was good and moved at a good pace, but in the end it wasn’t fully for me. I think I expected more magic and less of a romance feel to it, and maybe I just wasn't in the right mindset for it, but I can guarantee it will be a good read for so many people. I expect that this would be a good book for a reader who was just getting into the romantasy world.

I wanted to like this and was immediately intrigued by a tarot based magic system. I’m not normally a fan of portal fantasy but thought the fake marriage enemies to lovers and tarot aspects would work. It turned out not to be for me. The FMC didn’t come off as overwhelmed by finding herself in a new world, just immature. Maybe it’s just my specific tastes, but this will likely be a perfect read for someone else.

3.5 ⭐

Reading this book brought back so much nostalgia for why I enjoy Kristin Cast's writing. The way she writes about women and having us follow along as they go on the path to reclaiming their power and finding their strengths, has always drawn me to her books.

While The Empress might not hit for all romantasy readers, I enjoyed reading this book and am curious to see what happens next in the Towerfall series. If you like morally grey love interests, flirtatious banter, spice, and tarot inspired themes, then this book might be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the ST/ARC team for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I was very excited for this book as I was a huge House of Night fan as a teen. I went in expecting more mature characters and adult story lines.
The actual story is very interesting, but the "isekai" genre is so extremely overdone in other media, it's not exactly exciting when it bleeds into other media.
The characters felt more like they are in a soap opera with their reactions. The spice felt like it was a poorly written fan fiction.
Overall it was interesting, I just wish the characters were a bit more mature.