DNFed at 35%

I really wanted to love this book. The concept and description is something I really would enjoy. The authors descriptions of the world were really great but what fell flat was the two main characters.

The FMC is a little annoying and while I would love to see her confidence grow, I could not get past this stage in her evolution. The MMC is roguish and fun but he lacks a lot of depth. It’s possible it’s something I would see continuing with the book but if I can’t enjoy the main characters quickly, it’s hard to root for them. I found their banter awkward and it mismatched. He was overtly sexual while her banter was to be annoyed. I normally love the use of cute nicknames but I was going to throw the book if he called her Fawn one more time.

I really do appreciate where this story was going and the authors descriptions but I just could not get past the main characters and them lacking substance and being annoying.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC

I wanted to give this book a higher rating but I just had a really hard time with the FMC for majority of the book. She just came off as really young and immature for me and that alone makes it hard for me to like the book.

So, I had only read Kristin Cast's House of Nights, which she co-wrote, and which I have read many years ago. So I had general expectations from had read and was just really curious to read this book, since it was quite an interesting concept. Yet, I was left with very mixed feelings about this book. I think that overall, it was an okay book. I mean, it had potential, but it didn't live up to the expectations I had.

So, first, I wasn't a big fan of our main character Hannah. I thought she came across as very childish, and it felt like she was quite dumb about so many things, which annoyed me at time. They we had Kane, with who there is pretty much insta-lust/love. I was not really rooting for them, because it felt really superficial. And I got the impression from the get go that it would be the kind of book that would have spicy scenes just to kind of have spicy scenes, which I don't mind if around that there is a strongly built story, but it wasn't that strong for me.

Finally, the other thing I wasn't sure about was how certain things just seemed to have very little explanations, and we were just supposed to take it as just what it is. I mean, it felt like this should have been a book that was developed into a longer story, rather than this shorter romantasy that seemed to be more interested in giving us spice than explaining the world and magick it works with.

The Empress by Kristin Cast is an intriguing blend of dark fantasy and gripping drama that dives into the complexities of power, loyalty, and destiny. The story follows the fierce heroine, chosen to protect her people, as she grapples with her responsibilities and inner demons. Cast’s vivid world-building and emotionally charged prose create a captivating narrative, though some pacing issues and predictable plot points may detract for some readers. Having read the novella Bound by Shadows, I already knew I was going to love this. The book’s compelling characters and high stakes solidified it as a worthwhile read for fans of strong female protagonists and richly woven fantasy worlds.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kristin Cast for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Plot:
Hannah has just blown a huge opportunity at work and is looking for a change, leading to her walking into a magic shop. This is where The Empress card chooses her and sends her through a portal into Towerfall. Enter Kane, fallen warrior fighting his way back to the king's side where he belongs when he comes across Hannah. He knows the The Empress has chosen her to help save the kingdom, but is she too stubborn to help?

My Thoughts:
I love this author and her other YA books. What happened here?
I am obsessed with the House of Night series and I've kept up with every book that each author has published since. She normally goes a great job at creating characters with depth along with settings that you can feel and visualize, yet I had the hardest time with this book.
I wanted to put this one down early, but stuck through because of the other books. I felt that the main character was too unlikable for me. She was too stubborn and felt like one of the "woe is me" type. I also found it difficult to understand the MMC. He was written more 2D and was purely just there for the lust storyline. I understand wanting to get out of the YA genre, but that doesn't mean just adding R-rated scenes in. The main characters acted like they were still in high school and I had a hard time imagining them as adults.

I really, really wanted to love this book and I was so excited that I was accepted for the ARC, but it just wasn't it for me. I hope Book 2 can turn it around.

**𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘** 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 (𝑻𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 #1) 𝒃𝒚 𝑲𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏 𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒕

Release Date: January 7, 2025

4⭐️4🌶

Hannah is just a normal girl trying to make it in the cut throat world of fashion and publishing world. However, she's not assertive enough to beat out her co-workers. She's made a list for herself to try and spice up her life. Including visiting a tarot card reader, as "doing something spontaneous." The tarot card reader goes into a trance and forces her to take a blank tarot card. That doesn't stay blank forever...

She loses a big deal with a client, and then has a very unpleasant encounter with her current boyfriend, when she slips on the ice at a bus stop and smacks her head. When she wakes up, she seems to be in a full scale medieval village like from a movie set...except it isn't a movie set. A dark hooded figure whisks her away to safety when the villagers proclaim her as a "WITCH!".

She finds out that she's been transported to a parallel world and landed in the Kingdom of Pentacles. Where she's needed to overcome the evil in order to be transported back to her own world, with the help of her broody male sidekick who seems to know way to much about magick.

Themes/Tropes:
🍁Alice in Wonderland
🍁Time Travel
🍁Modern Girl in Medieval Times
🍁Grumpy-Sunshine
🍁Fake dating/marriage
🍁Shadow Daddy
🍁Dark Broody MMC

TW:
✨Cheating
✨Murder
✨Fighting with swords/knives
✨Betrayal

I think the idea of the book was solid but I had so many questions and none of them were answered 🥲 both main characters to me weren’t likeable. I think this might be someone else’s jam but it just wasn’t mine. I wanted to like this so bad.

4/5 stars
2/5 peppers
0.5/5 buzz buzz

Listen, Kristin Cast was one of my favorite authors in high school when I read the House of Night Series. And now she's written a new word that brings me back to love of all things magical and mystical.

Hannah is a woman that claims to be a "hot mess express" which I can relate to, all she wants is a successful job and a loving partner, but life hits her hard and when one reading from a psychic turns into a path she never wanted to be one, it will take surviving and the word of a handsome stranger in another realm to reveal her destiny.

Kane is a man of his word, meaning that he would do whatever it takes to protect the kingdom and the people he cares about. Even it means saving the life of a "helpless" woman that is in strange clothing. He has a secret and it takes a lot for him to open up.

When Hannah and Kane get themselves immersed in court life only to play on their plans; for Hannah to go home, for Kane to bring truth to the kingdom. It takes the tension between them to and keeping up appearances to stay live.

The chemistry between them is undeniable, Hannah is just too stubborn while Kane is "I'm here when you're ready... which won't be long."

The world is immersive and pulls you in. The banter between Kane and Hannah was hilarious and the inner thoughts of Hannah I thought were funny because I won't lie I would have reacted the same way.

Going into this book, I expected a lot; I read the House of Night series in high school and loved so I had high expectations. I was a little let down, but I think that's because this had "first book syndrome," where the authors trying to introduce everyone and everything about this new world while also having an engaging story, and that made the pacing a little bit off. It has great moments, and some not-so-great moments. While I love the characters, I felt it could have been edited a bit better. I'm still looking forward to more from this author!

DNF @ 53%

I LOVED the house of night series, it's why I wanted to take this on as I also find Tarot very interesting. It was just, too juvenile and hard for me to enjoy as I felt the characters were extremely boring/problematic.

Being a YA rom-com-antasy, I'm sure this book will do well with the right audience, unfortunately, it's just not myself.

I'm not sure what to say about Kristin Casts' THE EMPRESS, because the story premise and plotting are good, but the actual storytelling is inconsistent, veering from well-told to clunky. I loved the premise of parallel worlds, tarot cards brought to life, magick in all its guises, but the dialogue, both spoken and the inner narrative of the seemingly hapless and erratic Fawn and her fake husband, powerful Kane are often overwrought, amateur craftsmanship. Their dangers and dilemmas held such promise that did not deliver. Overall, a decent first draft of what could have been an incredible romp in fantasy and romance. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

What a very interesting book I like how she went back and forth in time the woman had problems in the present with her boyfriend named Chad as she was leaving his apartment she found a tort card in the snow this left her journey back to the past it was very interesting when she went there because it was medieval times she meant a man who had a very bad past but they pretend they were married to help the kingdom she went back to the present eventually but this has a weird ending to it too this reminds me of a Mark Twain book called in Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloom for this ARC!

Nothing is working for Hannah. Work romance, family, life in general. Shes failing. Everything seems to be going wrong, when suddenly she is transported to s new realm and a new life that seems to just fall into her lap. But this new world is not without its challenges. Hannah will discover what it means to seize knes purpose and make a place for herself.

I have to mention here that I have never read anything from this author so I cannot compare this to any of her previous books. This book was an easy fast read that felt like a good intro to fantasy novel. Nothing was too complex and everything felt well explained.

I was very annoyed with Hannah, our FMC, for most of the book. I hate when MCs don't listen or try to run away when they end up in a new world or a new role. Like girl, everything was awful just go with this! But I know this is how the general trope goes so okay. In the last bit of the book she really embraced herself and her role and it was amazing. The romance in the book is spicey insta lust to love which I enjoy so no complaints. Overall the book was enjoyable without being too complex.

This book took a lot to get thru. I understood what the author was trying to do with a 21st century girl traveling back in time or rather across time. Unfortunately, this made the female main character grate on my nerves because there is no way she could be this clueless in all aspects of her life. Also who is working an internship for more then one year unpaid or whatever. Everything she did in the first few chapters irked me so bad that by the time she fell thru the tarot card, I thought of course that's what would happen. Your life is terrible in one world, lets make it terrible in another.

Hannah is living a normal life but she‘s struggling recently and neither her job nor her boyfriend are treating her well. She immediately had my sympathy from the start, and I absolutely loved the beginning. One day she comes across a tarot card and that catapults her into a different world to Towerfall.

First I want to say that I am a huge fan of Tarot myself, so once I saw that this book throws in pieces of Tarot I was already ready to continue reading. I loved how the author right at the beginning of the book gives you a glimpse of a Towerfall spread that you yourself can do with a description of what place each card can mean.

We follow Hannah who don't really know the inner workings of the world that this takes place in. Then we have Kane who I won't lie is very intriguing. Without giving in too much detail, Kane nonetheless becomes a protector of Hannah, which leads them into a fake marriage. I won't lie u felt like that happened WAY to quickly in my opinion, I am one who likes quickness in stories but truthfully I also like when it gets dragged a bit (not like slow-burn dragging though!) The little spicy scenes was good, not the greatest giving Kane's and Hannahs relationship.

So, I will say if you enjoy tarot give this book a chance. It's cute. Story in itself is a bit meh but a good read!

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc. in exchange for an honest review!)

The Empress by Kristin Cast is the first book in the Towerfall Series. This is Hannah and Kane‘s story.
 
Hannah is living a normal life but she‘s struggling recently and neither her job nor her boyfriend are treating her well. She immediately had my sympathy from the start, and I absolutely loved the beginning. One day she comes across a tarot card and that catapults her into a different world to Towerfall.
 
The concept of this book was really cool and I liked seeing Towerfall but I was always grasping for more because you only get Hannah‘s perspective and she has no idea about the inner workings of this world. She has a hard time adjusting to her new reality and at the same time her actions become naive and reckless.
 
This is only made better by Kane who is such an intriguing character. He is very morally gray, and it always seems like he has some greater motivation that you don’t get to see. He is super charming and hot, but I never felt like he was trustworthy.
 
Kane becomes the protector of Hannah and sees her as a salvation, and they enter a fake-marriage-relationship. But that happened way too quickly, and I felt like so much was skipped, and you never really see them getting to know each other. The spicy scenes were nice, but they needed to be balanced out more with the development of their relationship.
 
Overall, The Empress has such a cool concept, but the story fell flat for me in certain parts. 3 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

As a fan of fantasy romance, I was intrigued by the premise—a tarot card transporting the protagonist into a magical realm called Towerfall, where she has to navigate danger and pretend to be married to the brooding warrior, Kane. The setup felt like it had all the makings of a thrilling, romantic adventure.

While the book had its moments of charm—especially the chemistry between the leads—I found it hard to connect with the pacing. Some parts felt rushed, especially when it came to world-building. I wanted to immerse myself in Towerfall, but the details of this intriguing world didn’t feel fully fleshed out. The characters, while likable, sometimes lacked depth, and I found myself wanting more growth or complexity in their arcs.

That said, the book’s tone leans toward a light-hearted fantasy rom-com, which might appeal to readers looking for something breezy and fun rather than deeply intricate. The romance was sweet, and I could see fans of Kristin Cast enjoying the playful dynamic between the characters.

Overall, The Empress didn’t entirely live up to my expectations, but it has potential. I’m curious to see where the series goes and whether the world and characters will deepen as the story continues.

Thanks again to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for letting me explore this unique take on fantasy romance!

This is such a wonderful book to enjoy.

I loved the way that the author mixed in tarot and even included a tarot spread in the front of the book. This is a great fantasy with romance and there is spice that I wasn't expecting! This is a great read for someone who wants to get into romantasy that is also in the historical setting.

Absolutely love!

Thank you to NetGalley, the Author, and the publisher for the eARC.

It was refreshing to see the FMC come from a modern, urban world and then, literally, freak out when she realizes she’s been thrown into a magical one. Like yeah girl, most people would freak out about that too. Thank you for not just immediately being cool about it. 😂

Writing is similar to the style of Assistant to the Villain in my opinion. Magic system is loosely based off Tarot cards, it’s simple and easy to understand. We don’t get much background about our MMC, but he still checks those dark and broody boxes.

The FMC is insecure and trying to find her place in the world. She uses a lot of modern day/pop culture references. However, I feel like it fits within the story since she comes from a modern day world.

The relationship between the MCs felt a tad instalovey, but I am looking forward to seeing more of Towerfell!

Some favorite quotes:
✨ Healing is more difficult than dying. ✨
✨ This is why women chose the bear. ✨
✨ Someone has to save you for a change. ✨

Tropes:
🖤 Enemies to lovers (kinda)
🖤 Forced proximity
🖤 Fake marriage
🖤 Found Family
🖤 Multiverse

Book Deets 📖
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Emotional Damage:💧
Genre: Fantasy Romance

What an incredibly fun ride & a great read to start the year!

Kristin Cast takes us on a portal jumping adventure with The Empress. Hannah is a 20 something trying to pave her way in the world of marketing in Chicago. In fact, she’s ready to be bold & step into her power, self-help book in hand. But after a big flop professionally and personally, Hannah’s life changes forever when she finds a tarot card in the mushy Chicago snow. With it, a portal opens & Hannah lands in the world of Towerfall. Here she begins her journey to self-love & discovery in a way all the self-help books in the world could never offer her. With the help of the gallant and heroic Kane, Hannah discovers the true power and strength in vulnerability and love.

Going into The Empress it is incredibly important to know what you’re heading into. This book was unlike most of the books I have read, in the best possible way. Hannah’s story blends magical realism, romantasy, romantic comedy, and women’s literature all in one. To understand Hannah you have to place yourself in the shoes of your early 20s self. It’s a time rife with self-discovery, mistakes, blunders, insecurity, relationship issues, & drama. That is exactly where Hannah is when we meet her. While some might find it annoying, it serves as a foundation for her growth. Hannah truly develops from an insecure new adult to a woman steeped in her power. When Hannah reflects to herself, “I’m not special. I wasn’t chosen. There’s nothing I can say, nothing I can do tin this realm that isn’t mine.” Haven’t we all felt the despair of early adulthood when we feel helpless, small, and very much not an adult? Even as a 30-something I feel this way. Cast is urging us to embrace the power of the ordinary, everyday person. I very much appreciated a very realistic view of a 20 year old. I often find myself rolling my eyes a bit at very popular romantasy authors and their projecting of a 40 year old woman’s life lessons and maturity onto a 19 year old. Cast’s writing authentically reflects the cringeworthy time that is new adulthood. Hannah knows her downfalls, she’s just as frustrated as the reader is. She even says, “I can only blame myself for the choices I keep making.” I very much felt like an older sister or best friend of Hannah’s watching her fumble and fly. Yes at times it’s painful & frustrating, but I also loved her and was rooting for her. So, dear reader, hold Hannah’s hand, and let’s get her through this together.

Alongside Hannah for this journey is Kane. He, himself, is living a parallel journey to Hannah, just with more royally old school problems. He’s banished from the kingdom, much like Hannah feels banished from work. He has a delightfully sweet horse who huffs and puffs her way into the readers’ hearts. She is the first ally of our dear, sweet Hannah. He’s quite literally the knight in shining armor. And while it can be a bit excessive how many times he has to save Hannah, it’s also endearing. He’s dark, handsome, hot, & has a gift for caretaking. There is very little build up to Hannah & Kane’s relationship. We are in it from the beginning. I didn’t really mind that because while this appears on its face as a romance book, I very much think it’s more of a self-discovery/commentary on young womanhood. I just appreciated Kane for his consistency, tenderness, and maturity. In fact, that’s very much what most women end up looking for in a partner once they have gotten the wildness out of the way. The intimacy scenes while absolutely open door were not overly descriptive, but plenty steamy. I loved that Kane really just wanted to support Hannah. There was no toxic behavior out of either of them besides a bit of a misunderstanding.

The friendships Hannah found in Towerfall were also so endearing and sweet. I love how Hannah just fit right in with this realm. The tie in with people from our world and the parallel world of Towerfall made it fun to guess who we might see next. It was also a nice way for Hannah to have the friendships she so desperately wanted in her world. This book allows for anyone who has ever fantasized about leaving it all behind and starting over somewhere new & exciting to see how fulfilling that can be for someone. In many ways, Hannah gets to break free from the constraints of modernity & lead a life that feels more on her terms.

Overall, this book was a great first read of the year. I very much look forward to reading the sequel and following the other characters’ journeys as well as continuing on with our old friends.

A huge thank you to Kristin Cast, NetGalley, & Bloom Books for the opportunity to read The Empress in exchange for my honest review!