Forget your sourdough starter, Hannah's about to bake up some serious trouble!

From the moment Hannah, our delightfully relatable heroine, stumbles into a medieval mirror realm with the immortal plea, "I can't die," I deliriously mumble. "I haven't even grown my own sourdough starter," I was HOOKED. That line alone? Pure gold. It's the perfect blend of modern wit and utter bewilderment, setting the stage for a wild ride.

Imagine: you're just trying to live your life, maybe perfect your sourdough, and BAM! You're thrust into a world of ruthless warriors and hidden secrets, forced to play wife to the enigmatic Kane. And let's be real, who hasn't felt like Hannah – the girl who fades into the background, the one everyone forgets? Her journey is a glorious, empowering transformation, a middle finger to invisibility, and I was cheering her on every step of the way.

And speaking of cheering, let's talk about Kane. This man is a walking enigma, a warrior cloaked in secrets, and the chemistry between him and Hannah? Explosive. The tension crackles, the plot twists keep you guessing, and the spice? 🔥🔥🔥 Let's just say, it elevates the story, adding fuel to the already roaring fire, without sacrificing a single ounce of plot. This isn't just mindless heat; it's a vital ingredient in a deliciously complex story.

The narrative is a masterclass in suspense, keeping you on the edge of your seat, desperate to know what happens next. And that mean girl? Her comeuppance is chef's kiss satisfying.

This book isn't just a good read; it's an experience. It's the perfect blend of fantasy, romance, and pure, unadulterated entertainment. If you're looking for a book that will transport you to another world, make you laugh, make you swoon, and leave you breathless, look no further.

My first full book of 2025? It's set the bar impossibly high. Do yourself a favor and dive in – you won't regret it!

This was an unfortunate DNF @ 43% for me.

The first 10% of this book started out with a bang and I was hooked, which is where the 2 stars comes from. The premise was unique and interesting. And then it all went downhill....fast. Hannah was a character I desperately wanted to root for, I just couldn't find myself liking as time went on. She is stuck in a very woe-is-me lifecycle that continually repeats and, even when presented with new challenges, doesn't even seem capable of stepping out of.

Once she's transported through the portal thanks to the magical tarot card, we're dropped into somewhere non-descript with Kane, our MMC that is, for lack of a better word, a shadowed cardboard cutout. I felt nothing toward him. He was bland, lifeless. He called her Fawn so many times I was convinced he never listened to her name at all. Their romance/attraction felt robotic, stiff, and I didn't believe it at all.

I never really felt immersed in the world. The Tarot references weren't as interesting or important as I had hoped. And I also never truly understood the stakes here. I'm just sad because the premise + beginning were so incredibly promising. I think maybe going in with different expectations could make for a better experience? I'm not sure.

Thank you to Towerfall & Bloom Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

Didn't really liked the writing or the MC that much :// the book was kind of depressing from the start (from the MC's pov), and never did seem to get better?

When i first saw this book, I was very intrigued by the concept of a tarot card based fantasy. I was also very interested in reading something by Kristin Cast as I hadn't read anything by her since the beloved House of Night series. Saying that I REALLY struggled to get into the book, and once I started listening to the audiobook as well (in a tandem read effort to get through the book) I realized it was very..... awkward? The main character was so awkward and uncomfortable. I found myself continually cringing throughout the first five chapters. I ended up DNFing the book lest I fall into a reading slump.

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.