Wow, this is one stellar fantasy. The world-building is just too-notch (rich and full of detail). Plus there’s something so beautiful about a strong yet vulnerable heroine.

This story goes far beyond the “competition” fantasy trope. There’s deep meaning and nuanced undertones here.

Don’t miss it!

I thought this was a great fantasy read. I loved the world building and characters. I will absolutely be reading more by this author.

Goodreads says I read this and gave it 4 stars but I truly do not remember anything about it. I own a physical copy and will keep it and maybe reread it in the future.

I was incredibly intrigued from the start! I loved the concept and the plot and the twists! There is insta love, so reader beware

Full of references to feudal Japan and traditional Japanese mythology, Empress of All Seasons is about one woman’s quest to overcome adversity in order to become the most powerful woman in existence. But the question is, can she hide the monster within for long enough to defeat the monsters who hold her life in their hands?

2.8 stars

It took me a while to finish this book and review it because I wanted to give it a higher rating. I kept feeling that the fact I wasn't truly connecting with it was me and not the book. I kept thinking I was not in the mood for it.

I really liked the world and the fact that was based on Japanese mythology and I learned about Japanese Culture and the strong female character and the exploration of her sexuality. However, I really couldn't connect with her!

Also, event though it was an action packed story I found the pace and plot lacking.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles.
I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

This was SO COOL. I really loved the way Mari's "secret" was used to guide the narrative and set up some deliciously fraught moments in the story. Mari was an empowered lead who was taking control of her life and not just being led around by the story itself!

This was so different than what I was expecting! It had some hunger games vibes and some avatar vibes, while also doing its own thing implementing Japanese folklore. I also loved the feminist themes and the unexpected ending! Didn't see that one coming!

Really cool world building and highly cinematic. Would have liked more connection to the characters, though admittedly the single narrator for three (3rd person) POVs didn't help in the audiobook.

Are you into non-traditional fairy tales? Ready to read a fantasy book with all the longevity of a series yet saliently ensconced in one book? You will find this and more in the lovely written Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean.

Empress of All Seasons has all the standard hallmarks of a fairy tale: a beleaguered hero ostracized by society, a young royal ready to live outside the traditional boundaries, an overlooked best friend who wants more, and parents who never seem to understand. Yet, in this story, the outsider is Mari, an animal wife from a remote village in the mountains of the Honoku kingdom. Animal wives are beautiful women who can transform into fearsome creatures. Their primary modus operandi is to venture into townships once they have come of age, marry a man, then steal his fortune after becoming pregnant. Of this matriarchal community, Mari’s mother is leader, yet this power holds no satisfaction for either mother or daughter, as Mari is born without their standard of beauty or ability to fully transform. As a consequence, Mari’s mother trains her in extensive combat, raising her to compete in the ultimate competition against young women from throughout the Honoku to become empress of all seasons.

In the palacial city, where the women will converge to beat each of the four enchanted seasonal rooms, beings with beastial powers like Mari’s, the yōkai, are collared from using the full force of their powers by the Emperor. Mari knows that to reveal her powers under these circumstances would lead to her eminent demise. Unbeknownst to her, her best friend Akira has followed her to the city and becomes involved in a yōkai resistance that leads directly into the competition to become the next empress. The competition is further complicated by a prince who does not wish to be won – a prince that would rather continue engineering his gadgets and fleeing his royal life altogether. Somehow Mari must battle her homesickness as well as her competitors, figure out how to hide her true form while also being true to herself, and make her village proud by becoming empress of all seasons, stealing the emperor’s riches, and returning home. Throughout her time in the palace, she must also navigate her way through the intricacies of anti-yōkai policies and intrigue within the court while also determining what her heart truly wants.

Empress of All Seasons is a book that would charm anyone who identifies with fighting for what they want, even when they may not know what exactly it is. I found the charm of the book enthralling enough for me to read in two sittings, with a plot full of twists and turns that stay true to character ideals. I was most compelled by the trajectory of Mari’s relationship with her mother. Mari goes from suspecting that her mother has no love for her and that nothing she does will ever satisfy her or the women of her village to realizing that she must find her own path and learn how her love can shape her home. I recommend this book to any lover of the YA or fairytale retelling genres.

Unfortunately I found this one to be very boring and dry and was unable to complete it. I was initially very excited to read it as it seemed like a fantastic premise, but found myself being let down half way through. This was definitely very disappointing, as I wanted to enjoy it.

The formatting of this book didn’t work so I cannot review it unfortunately. I’ve given a neutral rating in this case.

I enjoyed this #ownvoices YA fantasy inspired by Japanese folklore! Mari was an interesting character who was competitive and ready to become a triumphant yokai (Japanese monster) and empress.

I appreciated the plot twist near the end and Jean's subversion of a popular romance trope near the end, and deliver successful results without a Prince needed. With that said, the plot was exceptionally slow for the majority of the book and felt like a set-up for all the twists near the end, when everything really picked up. Because of this painful pace, it was difficult for me to remain interested (it also didn't help that it was a standalone with so many points introduced). The book was bursting with potential and didn't execute them all the way.

However, Mari was a strong character that really highlighted feminist overtones in the story. The other POV's (Taro - who was super privileged and Akira - who was a total simp) weren't as impressive, but Mari's character kept the story going for me.

Empress of All Seasons is a love letter to Japanese culture that boasts a unique storyline and beautiful world-building. Plot-driven and full of empowering themes, Emiko Jean’s fantasy novel is a must-read for lovers of asian folklore.

THINGS THAT GREW ON ME:

•The world’s beautiful mythology was shared in bits and pieces throughout the novel, starting with a magical prologue that draws clear inspiration from the Japanese creation myth of Izanagi and Izanami. The folklore of the mythical land of Honoku is well-crafted and ties in wonderfully to the main story.

•The first two-thirds of the novel were slow, but once I hit that last stretch, BAM! So much heart-racing action and plenty of surprise twists! The ending delivers an empowering message about the far-reaching influence women can have and that happily ever after doesn’t always have to include a Prince. The conclusion thawed my Arendelle-frozen heart and turned it all cute-fuzzy-kittens warm.

THINGS THAT WERE HOT:

•The Japanese Representation was 🔥🔥🔥. The world that Emiko Jean crafts is rich and colorful and oh so wonderfully Japanese – it made me want to go eat sushi, read manga, wear a kimono, and visit my local Shinto shrine ALL AT THE SAME TIME. (Side Note: Can you feel patriotic for a country that technically isn’t your own? BECAUSE JAPAN, I LOVE YOUUUUUUU!!!!)

•In most fairy tales, the knight must win the hand of the princess by completing some herculean task. Slaying a dragon. Procuring a golden apple. Solving an impossible riddle. You get the idea. However, in Empress of All Seasons, it’s the girl who must capture the heart of the prince and I adored this fresh gender reversal. It definitely lends itself to the feminist themes interwoven throughout the novel.

THINGS THAT FELL FLAT:

•I cared for the three main characters about as much as the warm side of my pillow – which is to say, not that much. Empress of All Seasons is told from three rotating points of view: Mari, Taro, and Akira. Mari is a yōkai who has been training all her life to conquer the Seasonal Rooms and become the next Empress. So, basically, she is a walking weapon. Touch her, and she’ll lob your hand off with her naginata. Out of the three, I liked her perspective the best.

•Imagine one of those big, buff club bouncers with a soft, cinnamon roll heart and a love of little animatronic butterflies and you’ve got Taro. Taro is a smol prince who has no desire to become the next Emperor. He gives off some major Princess Jasmine vibes. Initially, he was my favorite POV out of the three because he was such a unique contradiction and there was potential for an incredible character arc. BUT THEN he met Mari (Hint: IT WAS INSTALOVE) and it all went downhill from there. I shall wear black and mourn the character he could have been.

•Akira is a half-human, half-yōkai outcast who is in love with Mari and I found his POV to be about as necessary as a warning label on cookie dough (Come on FDA, you know we’re gonna eat it raw even if you tell us not to). Sure, the concept of his character was intriguing, but he didn’t play a vital role in the plot. Take him out, and the story would function.

THINGS THAT WERE NOT COOL:

•The competition described in the book blurb was what made Empress of All Seasons my single most anticipated read of the entire year. Having to survive four magical rooms that embodied the seasons? HECK YES I WANNA READ THAT. But the first 30% of the book was all set up; the competition didn’t start for what felt like forever. Then I blinked and missed the whole thing. The author rushed through it, which is too bad because the competition is the most important part of the whole plot.

•This book is clearly a standalone. While I appreciate that the author was trying to keep this novel self-contained and not give in to the hype surrounding trilogies (because so many of those could and should have been just one book), I wish this had been a series. There is so much going on, so much that the author wants to tell us, and all of those things would have benefitted from at least one more book. The many complaints I have about characters and pacing could have been fixed if they simply had more time to develop. The ending would have been more impactful – less jarring and rushed – if it there had been more opportunity to build up to it.

DNF @ 37%

I tried with this book but finally gave up on it. I couldn't connect with the characters and the pacing was too slow to keep me engaged for very long. I set it aside several times and finally stopped trying. I think it may be in part to my mood at the time of reading so I may return to it in the future and give it another try, but for now it's a pass.

In this supernatural fantasy world, the new empress is found through a series of trials. The one who survives is able to marry the emperor. Mari has spent her entire life training to overcome these trials. As a member of a female demon group, it is in her nature to romance/wed a man, take all of his money, and abandon him bringing the riches back to her demon family. Mari is tasked with the most difficult con ever, but she is determined to see it through. When Mari arrives at the capital, typical court politics come into play. Taro, the future emperor, doesn't even want to rule. However, as others jockey for power, Mari will have to make difficult choices about her connection with Taro and the survival of her family.

This book was dry for me. It took time for me to become invested in the characters and story. I do not plan to read the next book in the series. However, this novel may appeal to manga readers based on the interwoven quests and characters.

I love that it’s Asian inspired.. I live Japanese folk lore.. the half human half yokai thing I used to watch in anime is not something I can read about..
Its a bit slow from the start but it definitely got better for me.. the subtle hint of romance.. the love triangle and me having the second man lead syndrome is not new.. I love the characters especially the strong fierce female lead.. I just hope they made the finale a bit complex I guess..
But then its still a four star read for me

Thank you netgalley

I've been reading a fair amount of Asian fantasy YA lately. This book was fine, but did not stand out.

What I liked: the idea of the yokai was interesting. I'm not especially familiar with Japanese folklore, although I know about kappa and fox spirits, so I enjoyed reading about spider women and animal wives. The ending was a bit different than I expected, as well.

What I didn't like: Mari didn't make much sense as a character. On the one hand, she's supposed to be a deadly warrior. On the other, she's never actually killed anybody, and somehow this secret has never come out. Disbelieve, especially when she has a supernatural mom keeping track of her every move. Also, didn't care about the mom-daughter drama at all.
There's a sort of love triangle, and I didn't care for it at all. There's the prince, who becomes infatuated with Mari because of her... sassiness? And then there's her friend the Son of Nightmares who has loved her since they both were children. It didn't seem like there needed to be so much relationship drama- couldn't Mari and her Nightmare friend just have been good friends?

I both liked and disliked the gender-flipping of the idea of winning the princess through feats of derring-do. It's not really any better when a prince is forced to marry the winner of a contest instead of a princess, but the idea at least, was interesting and the Prince's coldness made sense. Mari has to succeed in guessing riddles and winning scrolls through the magical rooms of the Four Seasons at the palace. Although monsters are frowned upon, magic is apparently just fine when humans practice it. I was ready for some death cage-match action, but the girls are told that they cannot hurt each other. And then when this rule is broken nothing comes of it.

The actual rooms could have had a lot more atmosphere. Each room has an incredibly simple riddle for the girls to solve so that they can search successfully for the scroll- the riddles were so simple that the fact that the girls didn't solve them instantly made me worry for their intellects. There were monsters to fight and challenges to overcome, and I had a hard time knowing what to expect of each contestant. How good are these girls supposed to be at fighting? Should they be able to fend off ogres? Wolves? It seemed that the author had set up the four rooms contest as the heart of the story, but then didn't spend long enough in any of the rooms.

Some of the Japanese folktales that I've read have been extremely bloody, and this book lives up to that tradition. There's lots of death, and I honestly didn't know how to feel about a lot of the deaths, again because of the issue of scale. Should I care about these characters or not? Is the prince a jerk or a tragic hero or both? Did the author edge too close to the trope of "the guy who is too pretty is probably gay and also probably the bad guy?" I thought so.

While some parts of the book had a lot of depth and time was spent on building the world, like when Mari was in the palace awaiting her contests, others had no depth at all, like the actual contest and some battle scenes. It made for a weirdly uneven book, especially at the end.

Would I read another book by this author? Possibly. There was some good writing here, even though a lot of the book seemed rough and the pacing was off.

Thank you Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group and Netgalley for the review copy.

DNF for now. Think I'll come back to it when I'm more in the mood for fantasy again.