When I saw that I got this ARC I was so excited! One of the first book series I fell in love with back in my early teen years was House of Night. This book is vastly different from that series, but still a great read. I enjoyed the world building, the fast paced plot, and the character development throughout the story. The epilogue was done so well I felt emotional seeing how it all came together. Well done!

This was a fun story. I do wish it was slightly more complex and had more tarot card involvement. But it was face paced and kept my attention. I loved the back and forth between the two main characters. I think their bickering was well done and I'm looking forward to book two with new characters

1.5 stars
This read was a bit all over the place and questionable. It’s interesting that Kristin’s writing has not evolved since her co-writing days with PC on the House of Night series. This felt very… early 2000’s to me.

This installment delves deeper into the world of vampyres, magic, and the complexities of power and relationships.
The book follows the protagonist, who is navigating her role as a leader while facing various challenges, including betrayal, love, and the responsibilities that come with her position. The themes of friendship, loyalty, and self-discovery are prominent throughout the book, as characters confront their pasts and make choices that will shape their futures.
It is easy to appreciate the rich world-building and character development that the Casts are known for. The writing style is engaging, with a mix of action, romance, and emotional depth that keeps readers invested in the characters' journeys.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sorry to say that I DNF'ed this book at about 6%. I found the beginning of the story to be so jarring, but not in a good way. The characterization of the few characters that are introduced was grating to me, and I found the language used to describe them a little frustrating. The main character has a very woe-is-me attitude, and it's very clear that this character is going to have a glow-up a la every girl in a 90s rom-com. I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I just couldn't handle it.

I seriously didn't love or even like this book. No notes. Not continuing the series. The main character was so unlikeable and immature, and the plot was all over the place. And don't even get me started on the love interest. Zero personality.

While I loved how creative the magic system was in this world, the book lacked emotional depth, especially when it came to the romance between the two characters. While it was a fun read, I honestly am struggling to remember details of it now and I feel like that’s rather telling.

The concept and synopsis had me HOOKED! I was very excited to read more about how Cast would utilize tarot in this fantasy. I’m heartbroken to say that I wasn’t very impressed with what I read. Things felt rushed and the FMC got on my last nerves.

Kristin Cast enthralls the reader with the romantic fantasy The Empress. The Empress is a figure in the Arcana Tarot cards, but in The Empress sge is a real power. Hannah finds the Empress card in our world and it pulls her into Kane's world of magic. In the Kingdom of Pentacles magic is forbidden and Kane the protector of the realm is banished for his magic. Hannah and Kane meet up and they have to figure out their relationship and how to rescue the kingdom. What could go wrong? More than goes right. Read this enchanting story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This felt rushed. It needed more editing for sure. The main character was INSUFFERABLE. Her internal monologue and her behavior; I spent the entire book ANNOYED with her and her thought process. YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU WERE TRANSPORTED TO ANOTHER MAGICAL WORLD AND YOU CHOSE TO COME BACK TO BORING REAL LIFE PAYING BILLS AND SHIT???? AFTER DOING NOTHING BUT WHINE AND COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW YOU HATED THAT REAL LIFE AND HOW ONLY BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU?????? WHAT IN THE WORLD???? The worldbuilding could have been better; the plot could have been better. I was expecting so much more and this was just LACKLUSTER.

I was really excited for this title loving some of Kristin's past work that I had read as a teen. Unfortunately this feels like it was written for a teen audience. DNF about 20% through. Both main characters are insufferable. The kingdoms and ideas are unique.

This was such a fun wild ride of a read! The aspect of tarot cards was executed so well and it was such an intriguing magic system. Kane is definitely swoon worthy whenever he gained control. Plus the nickname little fawn? I was so here for it! The beginning of the story definitely catches your interest and then how everything quickly falls apart for Hannah. I loved her character progression throughout the book! Thank you so much to the author for allowing me to read an ARC, The Empress is now available to read!
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One of my fav quotes:
“I nearly lost you.” His voice is a rough whisper as he undoes the pins from my hair with deliberate slowness. “And without tasting you first.” He fists my long braid in his hand and pulls it down until my face tilts up. “A mistake I will not make again.”

A new Kristin Cast book? I signed up immediately!

I was SO excited for this one. It had a great premise, reeling me in with the mention of romantasy and a gruff mmc. Execution wise? It missed the mark. HARD.

The pacing was so ... off. As a series opener, this should have hooked its claws into me and not let go. But I was bored, practically falling asleep with my e-reader in my hands, eventually falling on my nose (it hurt so bad, y'all). It took me a month to finish this and I powered through it, but honestly I should have DNF'd 50% in, but I had hopes it would get better.

I think fans of Cast's work will like this, but new readers may not be impressed.

Everything about this book had me intrigued!!

If you’re looking for something fast paced, full of tension, and a new magical realm to explore… well, this is the book for you.
Kristen Cast has written one of the most interesting concepts I’ve ever read. While this is a fun romantasy, there’s a twist on the usage of tarot cards. It’s honestly epic. I absolutely love Hannah and Kane and am looking forward to the second installment in the series!!

Also, the banter and tension was so top notch it deserved its own section. It was truly magical, and I’m obsessed with these characters.

DNF @ 35%. I really wanted to love this one, and I'm beyond sad that I didn't. This was marketed as adult but is way too juvenile to actually be for adults. I think if they changed the marketing and paced it better it would do great on the YA market.

The striking cover and the premise of this book captivated me immediately but I'm not quite sure that the book lived up to the spectacular premise.

I wanted to love this. It has everything I could have been interested in rolled into one plot: tarot cards, a whimsical almost Alice in Wonderland kind of world, and a grumpy knight sworn to protect the kingdom. But something about this fell flat. I can honestly say that I'm not even 100% sure what it was about this that I wasn't into. Maybe the writing style? The beginning of the book is certainly a little confusing, but I think it's meant to be because we're taking this journey with our FMC. I wish I had more to say, but it was just kind of "eh" for me.

This was a fun Romantasy read! I did have a bit of a hard time getting into the romance and feeling that romantic tension between them, but it did pick up! I really like the world in this but I do feel like the magic was lacking. There just wasn’t enough of it. I wanted more and I wanted more with the tarot cards.

This is a tough one because I think I’m pretty easy to please. This book was easy to read but I got bored and didn’t want to finish it. Plus I hate cheating… like I never want to continue reading when cheating is involved. There were also a few other senses I didn’t like but the plot had promise…. Just maybe needed a different set of eyes on it.

This book has potential—interesting premises and world building. The prose was fine, good even. It’s another girl-falls-into-an-alternate-reality book where she’s the chosen one to save the realm, but it had a unique twist in the way that each kingdom of the alternate world encompassed a different suit of tarot (in this first book, pentacles). My issues were with the characters and the “romance." They were annoying and misogynistic and just instalove no buildup.