I wanted to wait until after pub to offer feedback. Unfortunately this was a DNF after 25%. I had some pretty major issues with the two main characters that I just couldn't get past. I was really hopeful for this story, but the writing felt very immature overall.

In this unique and fascinating tarot-inspired fantasy series, readers follow Hannah when she leaves her familiar life behind for the high-fantasy world of Towerfall and the Kingdom of Pentacles where intrigue and danger lurk around every corner of the ostentatious castle. When she runs into Kane, who helps her hide and heal, and discovers his agenda, the two must trick the entire court into believing their marriage in this high-stakes and spicy new novel. A fantastic start to this brand-new series, the characters’ tension and chemistry is absolutely perfect and matches the drama and intensity of Towerfall. Brought to life in incredible detail and drawing on the Arcana figures in tarot decks, the magic system in this brilliant new romantasy novel really allows Hannah and Kane’s independent story arcs and character development (both together and individually) to evolve over the course of the novel. With the great world-building and the fantastic characters, the novel is immersive, engaging, and incredibly detailed, while the high stakes and intensity of Kane and Hannah’s plans really pull readers into the story. Brilliantly written, entertaining, and steamy, this is an incredibly strong start to Kristin Cast’s new fantasy series that romantasy fans and magic lovers will definitely enjoy.

DNF @ 40%

This was just so….childish? Maybe it’s just me but this read very juvenile like considering it’s supposed to be an adult fantasy? While the premise sounded amazing and the fmc being thrust into an alternate tarot inspired universe was really interesting at first, for 40% of the book the fmc was complaining over and over again and when she wasn’t it felt like her attraction to the mc was forced. This just wasn’t for me unfortunately, I felt like I had to make myself continue (on audio as well with a narrator I really love) and couldn’t do it anymore.

Unfortunately this one wasn’t really for me! I was super excited for the initial premise but the characters didn’t really draw me in.

I really wanted to like this but was left feeling a bit meh about the characters and the story line, I sadly ended up dnfing this one.

Disappointing and Frustrating

I really wanted to enjoy The Empress because I’ve been a fan of Kristen Cast’s previous work, but this book just didn’t do it for me. The characters felt flat, and the plot was predictable at best. I couldn’t connect with the protagonist, and her decisions often seemed unrealistic or out of character. The pacing was slow, and there were too many moments where it felt like filler rather than advancing the story.

While I appreciate the world-building, it wasn’t enough to carry the book. The romance felt forced, and at times, the writing was awkward and repetitive. I was hoping for a deeper exploration of the world and characters, but instead, I found myself bored and frustrated. Overall, this book didn’t live up to my expectations, and I’m not sure I’ll be continuing the series.

1.5 stars because there were some moments of potential, but they were far too few

The concept of this sounded so fun. A world where tarot cards come alive? Count me in! However the execution was poor. The FMC felt insufferable and this fantasy kingdom lacked detail.

Interesting book with some interesting characters. Hannah is having a hard time in her life and nothing seems to be going well at all (most of us have been there before). She gets a tarot card that shows the Empress and gets portaled to other realm (Towerfall). Here she meets Kane who saves her. To get back she has to help Towerfall with something but she isn’t sure what it is. This is a fantasy romance for someone who enjoys low fantasy and pretending to be married. It was enjoyable for me.

I could not get this book to download properly, yet it is counting against my rating percentage. I was able to read SOME of it in the shelf app, and it was promising, but I could not read the entire thing, as the shelf app is only on my phone which my eyes cannot read on long term. Normally I read the epubs on an eink screen.

I personally enjoyed the story! The whole Tarot card aspect was especially interesting considering I don’t know much about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

I continue to love everything that Kristin Cast writes, and am also really into the "living tarot card" trend that seems to be happening in recent years. Super interesting every time it's done, I seriously can't get enough and this book is no exception! I can't wait to see where this series goes.

DNF @ 34%

I loved the premise and the idea of tarot card magic but everything else kind of fell flat for me. The writing isn't for me and I feel like the fmc is more of comedic relief at how much of a mess she is. I'm all about character growth and sticking with it for them to have that arc but combined with the writing and the insta-love/lust she has with the mmc right after the Chad situation, this just isn't for me.

Soft DNF @32%.

A modern corporate girlie falls through a portal into a different realm ruled by tarot figures. This premise is ridiculously cool. However, it’s not what I was expecting and unfortunately reads very flat. This was a highly anticipated read for me, but I just can’t push through more, sadly.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

This was a little slow for me to get into in the beginning but once it got going it was a fun and easygoing read. Thank you for the ARC and I’m interested to read more

thanks to netgalley for providing me an e-arc!

this was... confusing. i didn't hate it, but it certainly didn't deliver on the premise that i thought it was going to. i wish that the tarot cards had more to with the story, but i found the fake marriage and the quick pace interesting enough to keep me going. it was instalove, but that didn't bother me much. generally, it's fun, but not as high fantasy as the description might lead you to believe.

I was really excited going into this book. The cover is absolutely stunning. Overall, it fell a bit flat. I don't think people are wrong that it reads YA. I wanted more from the writing and plot but it didn't deliver. I think I'll give this authors future work a try but not sure I'd recommend this one.

3.75/5 stars (rounded up to 4)

Thank you Netgalley and SOUCEBOOKS Bloom Books for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Empress by Kristin Cast is the first book in a new fantasy romance series that transports readers (and our unwilling heroine) to the world of Towerfall where tarot comes to life. The story follows Hannah, a down-on-her-luck woman as she is thrust from the mundane life she knows into a whole new world steeped in magic that is desperate for her help.

I was really intrigued by the prospect of an entire world and magic system based around tarot, but I felt as though the execution was not the best. I would have liked to have seen the concept fleshed out a bit more. It seemed quite superficial. When the synopsis said that the tarot cards come to life, I was expecting just that. I thought that Hannah would have to deal with the personification of the cards, but instead there was only one character that seemed to be named after a card, and the different courts were named after the different minor arcana. The concept of a tarot-inspired world and magic system has so much potential, and I would love to see it fleshed out more in the upcoming sequels.

That being said, I did love the character's. Having the fake marriage trope combined with a morally grey male love interest was so much fun. I really enjoyed seeing both Hannah and Kane grow throughout the story. While Hannah's modern sensibilities crashed quite often with the medieval setting and grated on my nerves at times, I felt that her overall arc was quite earnest and she really did grow to care about the world and those in it.

While The Empress wasn't ground-breaking, the flirtatious banter and fast-paced action kept me flipping through the pages, and I really did enjoy the time I spent reading it. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a face-paced romantasy with a touch of tarot.

certainly, this is a book that exists. i shouldn’t be shocked as i haven’t liked most of cast’s previous books, but i was expecting something… more. and found little to show for it. this book is a confusing mixture of tropes being thrown together, hoping one of them will look good when it sticks. furthermore, the main character is just… there. there’s little anything for her, she’s just a caricature.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The premise was interesting, but the execution ultimately fell short. I would have liked to see a bit more world building and character development throughout.

Even though it's marketed as an adult novel, the writing itself felt very YA. I read through the first 50 pages and unfortunately had to skim through the rest.

Thank you for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review

This was just okay for me, no regrets, but it felt unfinished a bit. The tone was a bit our of place, it reads much more like a YA novel most of the time, except there are some shoehorned in spicy scenes that I frankly could do without to keep a consistent tone (and I am not a spice hater!). I also found the magic system to be under developed. I've been enjoying the rise in books using tarot-based magic systems, but this one didn't grab me. Finally some of the dialogue slipped into bad/cringey territory. It entertained, but I'm not sure I'd pursue any further books in this series, may have even been better as a stand alone.