The Emperor and the Endless Palace was a book that left me feeling conflicted. While the concept of soulmates reconnecting across different timelines was intriguing, I found the execution to be confusing and disjointed. The shifting timelines and multiple perspectives made it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story, and I often found myself struggling to keep track of the characters and their relationships. Additionally, the author's writing style was overly flowery and melodramatic, which detracted from the emotional impact of the love story.
One aspect of the book that I did appreciate was the diverse representation of queer romance. The relationships portrayed were complex and multi-faceted, defying traditional gender norms and expectations. I also enjoyed the lush descriptions of the various settings, from the ancient palace to the modern-day rave scenes. However, these highlights were ultimately overshadowed by the book's convoluted plot and lack of coherence.
Overall, The Emperor and the Endless Palace was a disappointing read for me. While I can see the potential for a compelling story in the concept of soulmates transcending time, the execution fell flat for me. If you enjoy romantic fantasy with a heavy dose of drama and intrigue, you may find something to appreciate in this book. However, if you prefer a more straightforward and cohesive narrative, you may want to give this one a pass.
a solid 3/5 STARS!

Oh wow. I couldn't put this down. I pretty much read this in one sitting. This whole notion of love throughout time and recognizing your love in different lives was a fascinating notion to explore in this book. The the different timelines told almost in parallel feel risky but it was paced in a way that made you want to continue and get pulled in deeper. There were various twists to the story which culminated in an ending that still has me puzzling over a day later. I wanted more of the characters in the various time periods as we never get full closure... Just some inferences and I suppose that's meant to be the point of it... I can't wait for whatever comes next from Justinian Huang.

Steam: 🔥🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️❤️

A love story across lifetimes. I love the idea of this book. The concept of finding your soul mate again and again is so good. I loved the chemistry between the lovers. I am not one who reads a book for the spice since I tend to find it cringey. This spice was very well done though. I liked how the story unfolded with a different timeline nearly every chapter. It is an art to make all the stories come together in a way that is thoughtful and makes sense. The pace I found a little slow at times but needing to know how it was going to connect kept me coming back.

Told through three narratives: the Chinese imperial court in 4 BCE; a village in 1740; and LA in the present day, this book truly had it all. Past lives, Chinese folklore, a hint of magic, billionaires, palaces with hidden rooms and INTRIGUE. Everything about this book screamed my name. And that cover! Gorgeous.

I did enjoy this a lot but it is not the star-crossed-lovers romantasy novel the TikTok girlies will be led to believe it is. This is capital-M MESSY, heavy drug use (not all of it consensual), lots of sex (definitely not all of it consensual), toxic relationships, a spiral of obsession that spans millennia, there's not a happy ending here. Still, I found myself hooked and truly couldn't put this one down.

Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. 
I really enjoyed this book. I’m an avid C-Drama fan, and it’s the only thing I can think to compare it to, and it doesn’t just give us bromance, it gives us the gay. I will say the marketing for this one feels a little off. This is a love story, but like most C-Dramas is more tragedy than romance. I think marketing it as a Romantsy is going to give a lot of readers the wrong idea on what to expect from this book.
I really enjoyed each of the timelines, and I felt they were interwoven really well so that I didn’t want to skip any of the chapters to get to the exciting one. Each one was revealing information the reader needed to put together what was going on. That said I was confused about the initial curse. How was it started? We get a brief memory in a later timeline, but nothing that explains the why and how. It feels linked to the seal and Fu, but there weren’t enough clues to piece together a full explanation. I also did not know the historical aspect of Emperor Ai, and while I had no problem looking that up myself after, it didn’t help explain the curse. I think I needed another two chapters in that first timeline for everything to make better sense.
I also really struggled with Dong Xian’s character. I don’t mind characters who are promiscuous, but he honestly felt like two different people at times like the author shoehorned different aspects of his character together. Other than in his opening chapter, there was nothing else that showed us that aspect of his character, so that it felt almost out of character for him when mentioned. Without that first chapter, I wouldn’t have pegged Xian as a player the story tried to make him out to be, it just felt like an inconsistency. You don’t necessarily have to be a player to fall for two people. Though his relationship with JunJun was not something I rooted for, I did see it coming. I also feel like the synopsis does a disservice not mentioning three of them are reincarnated—it’s a little less romantic.
I enjoyed the ending. I like that River chose himself and walked away from a painful cycle that hadn’t ended. It wasn’t the romantic choice, but the brave one.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and couldn’t put it down. I did not find the sex to be over done like many reviewers have, and it was refreshing to read a gay fantasy written by a gay author. I think the reincarnation aspect was fun and cleverly written with an unexpected ending. I look forward to seeing what the author writes next.

I heard such great things about this book, and I truly believe that it had great potential. The concept was amazing. The book is three separate timelines, all of which involve a pair of soulmates in different reincarnations. A queer speculative fiction romance? Hell yeah, count me in.

First and foremost, this book has quite a few sexually explicit scenes right from the get go. They were very explicit, but it wasn't written in a way that felt like erotica. There was a lack of feeling to these interactions (some of which were intentional, others felt... not so much) and it felt like the author was almost observing the experiences rather than helping the reader to feel them. These scenes did add to the plot a bit but it felt like the author took a weird middle-of-the-road approach. The sex could have been less explicit and would have worked, or could have been more erotic (and the book advertised as such!) and it would have worked. This just felt weird. I think the lack of advertising as spicy added to my shock to these scenes, as well. Plus a lot of them happen in the beginning, when you're not as connected to the characters.

The characters. These were a bit difficult to follow as the three different stories are not *really* connected other than the "souls" across time. I had to struggle to remember who was who, since I would spend two chapters away before coming back to a story. So even by the end, I didn't feel that connected to them, and the sex still felt distant, even though this was supposed to be star-crossed lovers reuniting again.

The plot was... weird. There was a plot, but it felt like an after thought. Because the two main characters were soul mates, it was incredibly insta-love, with character A seeing character B and instantly knowing they would have to connect. When they did connect, it didn't feel like there was anything to their love other than it being a soul-mate connection. The plot (which mainly occurred in the last 30-25%) felt like a mere way to get the soul-mates to connect again, and it was very unsatisfying.

Overall this book just was not that enjoyable for me. I struggled through the middle 30%, and when the plot finally picked up I was really unsatisfied with the conclusion. People talk about this being an incredible romance but it just did not work for me at all. The concept was amazing, and the writing was good (lots of themes repeated across the different stories), and I think this author has potential. This one just wasn't the best for me.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4 stars!

Thank you to Justinian Huang and MIRA for an ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

This is such a unique book. Somehow it fulfills everything it claims to be and yet it was not what I expected. I loved the historical element, particularly historical depictions of queer characters (in this case based on real historical figures) has really been doing it for me recently. The way the perspectives were split up and the ways in which they paralleled one another was done really well especially considering that this is a debut. The fantasy elements were largely great although the presence of the fox spirit in He Shican's perspective was a little confusing in terms of its implications for the other perspectives. It was weird, it was romantic, it was sexy in a campy way that I appreciated although I don't think the smut in particular will work for everyone.

This strange, complex, body-glitter speckled book is absolutely worth your time and super addicting, I look forward to reading anything Huang writes in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book had the bones of something that could have been an interesting exploration on love, sex, and the intersection of obsession. There could have been a discussion on sexuality as a weapon, as a means of gaining and using power.

Instead I got bad erotica (may the phrase "pink plum" never be used again), questionable dialogue, and a lot of dubious consent I was not expecting. Nothing was fleshed out enough for it to really make sense. Why was there a curse. Why did the third person (avoiding spoilers) have some magical claim/power.

I don't know if it's just that I am not the audience for this, or if I'm missing something, but I mostly finished the book out of spite.

2/5 because it wasn't nothing.

I found myself binging through this one quite quickly! I was really intrigued by the 3 timelines this book follows. You go into it knowing there’s reincarnation and fated lovers, but there’s definitely mystery involved as you see how these characters find each other each time. I thought all 3 storylines were compelling and honestly, it felt less like a typical romance, but rather a story about all-consuming love and fate. You’ve probably heard that there is indeed a lot of sex in here- and often not under *romantic* circumstances. The frequency didn’t bother me terribly but a part of me wishes it was more between the main love interests but that’s personal preference! The euphemisms for certain body parts were…a choice 😅 If you’re not into frequent 🌶️ (or dark romance) this book probably isn’t for you. If you’re also expecting a sweet, cuddly romance, probably isn’t for you 😅

In the end, I still had some questions about events and I wish I could have gotten more interactions between the main characters. The prose wasn’t my favorite but I did enjoy learning that this book has a lot of real history woven in. Learning about the Emperor Ai, the Cut-Sleeve movement and the short story Huang Jiulang afterwards definitely helped me appreciate the story more. Even if it wasn’t a fav, it was certainly bingeable.

Thank you @htpbooks @htp_hive for the E-ARC in exchange for a review! The cover art is so beautiful !

content warnings: sexual assault, dubious consent, drug use (sometimes without full consent), exploitation of power, fantasy violence, blood, infidelity

First and foremost, marketing this book as romantasy is deeply disingenuous. The bulk of my issues with the book are likely the result of expectation disparities. The marketing is doing this book a disservice. The book does not hit traditional romance beats, and its core relationship—these cursed soulmates—appears to be more due to outside forces’ orchestration than actual “true feeling” connection. It’s toxic, obsessive, and more warning than aspiration. The narrative is cruel, with several plot-integral sexual assaults, some of which are twisted into consent because “welp I’m aroused, so might as well I guess.” Which… ???

SA scenes aside, even some of the consensual scenes gave me the ick. Not only did they often suffer from ridiculous word choices and bonkers tone changes that contrasted with the rest of the book and took me out of the story, they were overshadowed by a looming toxicity. In the moment, the early scenes feel gratuitous, and my initial impression of the book was that it was more genre fantasy with random erotica-esque bits thrown in. After finishing the book, I would not classify it as erotica either, as I don’t find this particular brand of lubeless sex to be erotic, even when consensual. Overall, to me, the consensual sex scenes did not meaningfully or uniquely further the plot or character development.

The relationship elements fall flat for me as well. It’s hard to trust that the characters have what they call “a true feeling” when there’s so much manipulation, chaos, and overall Problems with these two together. It felt like the worst example of “show don’t tell” as the telling was contradicted by the showing. The emphasis on revenge and political machinations makes the book feel more cautionary folklore rather than romantasy. Which is fine, but maybe don’t market it as romantasy.

I am always dubious of reviews that focus on character rather than ~what the book means~, and I do worry that I’m so bogged down in ThE pUbLiShEr DeCeIvEd Me that I’m missing the point of the book. Perhaps the point is that we must write our own stories rather than failing to learn from the past, “yearning [for the] splendor of these old love songs.” It could be that lust is not love. Maybe it’s that “many truths in this world are dangerous.” But when the epigraph is “Let me lose my mind. It’s the only way to love”, I’m not sure that the book says anything beyond “obsessing to the point of toxicity is love.” And I just fundamentally disagree.

Nevertheless, this book is technically quite good for a debut. The prose is, in spots, beautiful. Referring to their past lives as “many fractured reflections” is fucking art. The metaphors and motifs are on point (with exceptions for “pink plum”s that sent me running for the hills). There are some editorial and proofreading issues that I’d expect to be worked out between ARC and publication, but the three disparate narratives are woven together well enough. I think it’s hard to tell a tragic tale thrice over without exhausting your readers, and this book skirts the line between interest and enervation. The structure shines when one chapter from Timeline A segues pristinely into the next chapter in Timeline B. Those moments ameliorated the frustration I had with every chapter ending on a cliffhanger only for the book to yeet me 1000 years into the future.

The breadcrumbs and foreshadowing are also relatively well done, and the ultimate reveal is pretty clear at the appropriate point. Some moments made my brain go brrr! I just wish the book's marketing would match its contents. People deserve to know going in that a book's plot centers on sexual assault and toxic relationships. Genres come with expectations, and people shouldn't be surprise attacked.

At least the cover is gorgeous! It pulls in so many details from the book, including the cut sleeve, the fox-spirit, and the peaches.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

DNF at 50%.

I found the switches between timelines increadibly jarring and increasingly hard to follow. None of the storylines really captured me although the older ones were more interesting. I also found the dialogue wooden especially in the modern timeline. I’m sure the connection between all 3 would have been interesting but not my style enough to keep me reading to get there.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!


This was an interesting multi-POV book about two men’s unfortunate love over various lifetimes. I liked the concept, and while it took a bit to get into the book, once I did it went by fast. Too fast, because it felt like it just *ended* without much wrapping up with some story lines. I know it talked super super briefly about the relationships of the past in the present POV, but it didn’t feel like enough. We spent the whole book together, and to just get like a line and a half felt like a letdown.

I’ve seen a lot of reviews/feedback about the sex scenes in the book, and want to challenge that because if it were hetero sex scenes, the “spice” would get pepper ratings—so how are these any different? It’s just not between a man and a woman, so some of the pov and descriptions are different, but in essence it was still descriptors of sex, and how it played a dynamic role in their love story.

Maybe the vague ending is setting us up for another book where the curse is finally broken and River is able to love another, and we see how the kingdom fell and the fallouts to that. Who knows, but I would read that too!

E-ARC generously provided by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!

4.5 stars. Weaving three timelines together and examining sex, obsession, and the all-consuming nature of love, Justinian Huang's The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a triumph of a queer Asian fantasy story that is as compelling as it is expansive.

I almost never read reviews before starting to read a book, I choose my reads based on blurb, cover, recommendations, and general vibes. Well, I really should have read the reviews for this book before requesting a copy! A couple reads of the 1 and 2 star reviews would have assured me that this book was not for me. I also see that the author has been very upfront about the contents of the book and I really wish I had looked at those videos before reading. Totally my bad!

But I do also think that the blurb of this book is really doing a disservice to potential readers. I realize that you have to market a book in a certain way but I know that there is an audience for this kind of book and that blurb is not going to draw them all in. And it will definitely pull in readers who are going to leave 1 and 2 star reviews.

In all honesty I did not read this book cover to cover, I read about 50 pages and then skimmed through the rest. But that was enough for me to give this a 3 star review because there were actually some overall things I did like about the book. I liked the alternating timelines and how it felt like a puzzle to see it all come together (I love that kind of complicated plotting), I actually really did like the writing (fruit metaphors aside), and I love the retelling of queer historical figures.

Things that were not for me - pretty much everything else. This book definitely falls into the dark romance/erotica category which is not one I enjoy. (Hence my saying that the blurb is not going to pull in the right readers). I know that plenty of people enjoy this genre so even though it is not for me, this does not make it a bad book. Things like sex outside the main romantic relationship of the story, nonconsensual sex, and just sexual assault in general are not something I enjoy reading about. Be warned, there is a lot of sex in this book! If you don't mind the above in your books and you are intrigued by queer history, twisted relationships, and flawed characters this might be a book for you!

There are so many motifs that are repeated through the three timelines that I think this is really a book that lends itself to multiple reads to catch everything that's going.

I think I might have liked this a little more if it hadn't been marketed as a romance. It's definitely a fantasy love story, but I don't think it's a fantasy romance. I read the ending as hopeful, but it's very open to interpretation.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace started off a bit rough for me but thankfully the chapters (each told from a different incarnation's point of view) are fairly short and the beginning and get longer the more the reader gets into the story. I'm not a gay man, but I figured if I've read enough books by straight white men (which I am not) that had awkward attempts at some semblance of romance, I could probably get into this. Huang's imagery in his writing his vibrant, a welcome burst of color in my mind as I read it through a grey winter. While some of the aforementioned awkward books I've read by others before had sex scenes that came off like a needle scratch on a record, Huang's storytelling includes sex scenes in what I mostly imagine are period-appropriate terms adding literary flavor like caramel swirl in ice cream. Still, the romance is at the core of the story, and the characters (as they developed in the book) made it hard for me to root for a singular outcome. TL;DR: This book is a wonderful celebration of love, of cut sleeves, and of living one's best life.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley and publishers.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace will please fans of Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles and Alexander Hemon’s The World and All It Holds. This is a romantasy that blends historical events with modern,real and fantasy, of love and obsession between three tortured souls.

I am not quite sure what this book was, but it was not my cup of tea. First of all, it was way too sexually explicit for me and I did not know that going in so I was not prepared. I heard all about the beautiful, timeless romance, but all I really got out of the book was meaningless sex confused as romance with a heavy side of toxic relationship dynamics and sexual assault. Secondly, it opened so slow and didn’t really ramp up until the last sixty pages. There was good tension during those chapters that kept me reading, but I wanted so much more from the plot. I will say the writing itself was well done, with clean transitions between points of view that each had their own voice, and absolutely beautiful mythology. There was also a great twist I did not see coming and I did find the characters compelling. So when I was just a few chapters from the end I foresaw this being a three star read. But an entire star was lost because of the ending. It felt like the whole plot dissolved, there was no real resolution, and I was just plain confused. So overall, this was not the book for me.

I think there IS a target audience for this book, it’s just not me (and that’s okay). I’m not much of a smut/spice seeker and when I requested this book I wasn’t expecting A LOT of spice. It took me a minute to get my bearings, Justinian’s style of (beautiful) writing and the format of the book. I even had to use the dictionary a few times which is rare for me! Once I did, I enjoyed the story for the most part. I think my biggest issue that was always in the back of my mind was the way that this is being marketed as a Romantasy, with the prognosis hardly mentioning erotica, smut, spice at all. Some of the fellow author review quotes mention it, thankfully. This definitely erotic fantasy with some romance (but mostly lust?). I don’t think it’s fair to the reader to not lead with how sexual the book is. I know the author has been joking on IG about this and there’s NOTHING wrong with how sexual the book is; I just think it needs to be obvious from the start so folks know what they’re getting into. I think this stands for all authors when you’re bordering the line of erotica (and this is far past that line).

So 4 stars for a great story, amazing writing especially for a debut novel, but lack of a star for being mislead. I will definitely keep an eye on this author and would read more of his writing if it was less erotica and more romance and if he never writes that kind of book, that’s okay (you do you, boo!) Wish him lots of success as a queer Asian author. <3

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6326764858

4.5/5 stars
A queer romantasy thriller that follows two men as they reincarnate throughout time, destined (cursed???) to fall in love. The three timelines are 4BCE China, 1740 China, and present day Los Angeles. A reimagining of the "Cut Sleeve" or "Huang Jiulang" short story, each timeline is unique and immerses you in that specific moment.

Some of my thoughts:
- this book is super gay and I loved it. The writing unashamed and not afraid to be exactly what it needs to be.
-There is also a lot of sex but in each time period it is described very differently so I didn't personally feel like it was too much. I think some people are bothered by the particular descriptions or language used (lots of peach puns lol) but to me it felt right.
- Love a tricky fox spirit and the way it and magic were worked into the story
-I was surprised by the thriller aspects of this book! Going in I was expecting more fantasy and romance but as the book went on I started to pick up on the more mysterious and even a bit dark aspects of the story.
-Grand Empress Dowager Fu is crazy!!! but! We support women's rights and most importantly, their wrongs.
I don't have any books I would compare this to but I will say that if you are looking for something fresh and new, full of history and mystery, WITH gay, Asian, and even disability rep then this book is for you.

Finally, in a PR event, I heard the author say "I want young queer kids to see that they are descended from living gods" and I can say (although I am not a young queer kid or Asian) that it is clear the love and attention he put into making that possible in this book.