Unfortunately at 70 pages this was a DNF the writing was fine but for ever sex scene (and there was a bunch in those 70 pages) the language used was too flowery and full of euphemisms that just felt like it was too much
For example "influence" was used instead of dick and "magic little node" for prostate as we as a bunch others but I don't wanna get too graphic.
The story could be very interesting but it felt like the author was trying to hard with flowery sexual prose

well. damn. i'm not sure what i was expecting but it wasn't that ending. i'm going scream forever about joey and river though. THEY DESERVED THEIR HAPPY ENDING.

Content Warnings: Drug Use, Dubious Consent (Power Dynamic, Drugging)

Unfortunately, this book was not a favorite for me. I admit that I'm not a fan of soul mates and one-true-love in general as tropes, but I was intrigued by the idea of following connected souls in multiple points of time. I think in this regard, the book was actually successful. I was surprised by a major plot point (that, in hindsight should have been obvious), and looking at the manifestations of a "cursed" one-true-love was different enough to keep my attention. The overall plot -- reading the book as a whole -- I think was pretty successful.

However, when you tell a tale in three settings, with 'reincarnations' that are nevertheless different characters, you always run the risk of one or more settings or characters being favored by readers. For me that, I felt that intensely in this book. Of the three mini-stories, the 1749 one was far and away my favorite. It had the best pacing, the most interesting characters and hook with the mythology and mysticism, and the most fitting emotionally resonating resolution of "cursed love" -- for me. Others may hate that one.

Similarly, the modern-day story was by far my least favorite. The characters felt underdeveloped, had very little of interest to hook me, and the resolution -- while working for the entire book -- didn't feel satisfying for that particular story. I admit that plot line was the one I was tempted to skim because I felt no engagement with it and wanted to read the other two plot lines.

The 4 BCE story was somewhere between the two. The historical setting was interesting enough to keep my attention, and I was interested in how it tied into the 1740 story. However, this setting suffered the most from having a lot of sex scenes and not-so-much character interaction. Most of these sex scenes were fine, but there is a level of voyeurism and dubious consent around a eunuch who has no choice but to have sex with the narrator (who is himself drugged) that may cause readers discomfort.

All this said, I do think some people will like this book, particularly fans of Chinese romance dramas. The writing is overall pretty good, and I did find the overall plot thread uniting the three sub-stories to be well done.

A romance several lifetimes in the making, The Emperor and the Endless Palance, is a treasure trove of historical settings, folklore, political machinations, and that one true love spanning several ages to the present day. Referencing tales of nine tail foxes, the passion of the cut sleeve, magic, art, and modern day tech, this is a colorful tale of the love of an emperor and his favorite. The settings are well described and the characters are fully fleshed out. The chapters hopping timelines giving the reader a glimpse through time as the story unfolds. Highly recommend this title for lovers of Chinese history, folklore, and gay romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This one was not quite it for me. The writing was very good and I think I would have enjoyed the story more if I wasn’t hit almost right away with insta-lust. Love a good spicy scene but I personally need some build up and character development to get into the story first. That wasn’t the case here.

This one is not for me sadly. I did enjoy the way the author wrote, but didn't enjoying reading any of the characters. This is a shorter book, so it could have benefited from more substance with our characters and less insta-lust sex.

I don't think it's being marketed properly but will probably be enjoyed by its actual target audience.

Rated 3 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

4 Stars! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC!

Knowing this is Huang's debut novel, I am looking forward to his future work. The plot of two (three?) people meeting over and over again throughout multiple lifetimes is a trope I will always love. I will say, it did get a little confusing at the end, but I think I would enjoy rereading this to catch things I missed the first time around.

River/Joey, Dong Xian/Liu Xin, Huang Jiulang/He Shican. All of their stories had their own beginning, middle, and end and it was heartbreaking and exhilarating to take this journey with them. I don't know if Huang has plans to expand this story and make it a series, but if he does, I'll be there. I almost prefer it to stay the open-ended ending that it is. It makes it seem like maybe they do just continue meeting over and over again and again. Maybe they never get it right. They're doomed to continue this cycle. And poor Calvin! I'd love a story about him! Even if I did find his character a tad Much at times. He deserves his own happily ever after that's not subject to the two MCs.

But what if they weren't. What if they finally do figure it out and end the curse or end the cycle. I feel like the ending was a bit rushed and could have been expanded.

The few things I was not a fan of for the story was the sex scenes. Pink plum. Blanketing me with his meat. Friend. Let's leave those phrases out of the next book.

Vibes: angst, reincarnation, flirting with edginess, obsession

Heat Index: 8/10

Across three different timelines--4 BCE, the eighteenth century, and modern Los Angeles--two men are continuously reincarnated and brought into each other's lives, with erotic, romantic, and toxic results.

The prose here is lovely, the story is compelling, and as a literary novel (which is what I think it leans towards) it touches on issues that are both emotional and intellectual. Like--and I mean this as a compliment--this is definitely the kind of novel where you could sit back and get stoned and think about the concept and really... go somewhere.

However.

This is not a romance novel, and I think that some of the negative reviews I've seen for it are rooted in the fact that this was put in the Romance category in NetGalley, published by Harlequin Trade (which, regardless of its intention, is something a lot of people do still associate with romance) and advertised as Romantasy. Which kind of links back to the issues with the Romantasy label. Is this breaking any rules when it's pushed as romantasy? Not really, because there aren't any rules. But a lot of people still think that romantasy is going to adhere to romance rules.

While I wouldn't say this was necessarily for me, I do think it's a good book, and it's a book I would recommend to people looking for a fantasy, reincarnation-based novel that isn't at all rooted in a western perspective (as most mainstream fantasy is). There is a love story, and it's complex and ugly in a very intentional way. It is erotic, though I would not call it erotica by any means. Sex is a big part of the story. Sex is not THEEE story, and I wouldn't say the sex scenes are as crrraaaazy as some claim. I also wonder about whether or not some people would be as up in arms about the sex scenes if they were m/f, but that's another discussion for another day.

Conclusion: good book, not a romance novel, and I think the way it's being presented may confuse some readers and lead to a more negative reception than it's deserved. If you want to read some beautiful prose with really cool gray morality and a fantastical erotic lens... I'd say go for this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and MIRA for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 stars rounded up

Mixed feelings on this one, but it's a very specific sort of book. Erotic, gay fantasy romance with a reincarnation element? Although I would say it's definitely heavier on the sex than the romance and while I found elements of the book to be interesting I can't say I was ever rooting for a romantic pairing.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a novel that spans three timelines, reaching from the distant past into the modern day. There is court intrigue, betrayal, magic, and lots of sex and drugs. The idea is a cursed love that extends across many lifetimes, between very toxic people who are kind of immature, aren't good at being faithful to a relationship, and are sometimes abusive and manipulative. So...if I think of this as a "romance" it's not really a success for me, but as a partially historical erotic fantasy novel, it's more interesting. There's tons of drama and I think the right reader will love this. It was certainly an experience! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace is not the book it sold to me as. The blurb promises a love story told across reincarnations. However, I think it is borderline irresponsible to sell this story as a love story given the incredibly toxic relationship and the repeated use of sexual assault scenes to further the plot.

In reality, The Emperor and the Endless Palace follows the reincarnation of four souls caught in a toxic tangle of lust, greed, and power. I think this concept has a lot of potential and I might have enjoyed it more if I had gone in with the right expectations. There is no believable romance or emotional intimacy in this story. There are more sex scenes than plot and they rarely further the relationship between the main characters. These scenes are filled with cringe writing and ridiculous metaphors. As I felt no emotional investment in the characters, I found the sex scenes took away from the story.

This story covers three timelines in three very different time periods. I appreciate the innovative idea of telling a story across reincarnations. However, the historical timelines were far more interesting and developed. I really struggled to connect with the modern time period and I felt that Huang's writing suited the historical timelines much more. Furthermore, the connection between the characters in each timeline was often unclear. I question the decision to tell one timeline from the point of view of one character and the other two from the perspective of the other main character. I feel like the story would have been stronger if it had focused solely on properly developing the characters and the plot in the Endless Palace timeline.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace fails to capitalize on its unique premise instead delivering an erotic yet emotionless story of one-dimensional characters that I found myself rooting against.

This one was wild!!! I adored the adultness of it, loved the world, the two love interests, etc. what’s. Good debut!!!

Listen, I am not opposed to spice, but without proper character development or angst, it just doesn't work for me. And it's unfortunate that this book relies on so many explicit sex scenes to move the character relationships forward. I'm not a fan of the soulmate trope in general, but this made me really dislike it. I just don't think this book is for me (and if I have to read about someone calling his dick "my influence" again I will vomit).

The Emperor and the Endless Palace" by Justinian Huang weaves a complex tale of romance across three distinct timelines, delivering an epic romantasy with a unique narrative structure. Despite its ambitious concept, the execution falls short, taking time to engage the reader, with connections between timelines clicking only a third of the way into the novel. For a debut novel the writing was amazing but fell short on the plot for me a little.

The explicit sexual content, while not inherently problematic, feels detached due to underdeveloped character connections, diminishing the emotional impact of erotic scenes. The ending lacks the necessary emotional weight for a satisfying resolution, leaving readers wanting more.

The plot could benefit from more "show, not tell" and improved world-building to anchor the fantasy elements. Supporting characters like Calvin demand more development, and the villainous characters lack the necessary threat level and exploration of motivations.

While the novel presents an interesting concept, its execution suffers from underdeveloped characters and a plot that struggles to evoke reader investment. As a debut, there is potential for the author's writing skills to evolve, but this book may be more suitable for readers seeking a specific type of romantasy.

This book had a really interesting premiss and it could have been really amazing, but it fell a little short for me. It was difficult to follow three story lines, especially since the through-line didn't show up until almost 70%. I think if this was written by someone who had more experience with writing fantasy or just writing in general, it could have been amazing.

I think I had different expectations going into this book. I'm sure people will love it; however, it just wasn't for me. I wanted more yearning and a little less lust, but that is just a preference.

dnf at 73%

Honestly, I just want to throw up from what I just read.

From the description, I thought I was getting a cute and spicy story about two souls that meet again and again through the cycle of life. I was looking for "our lovers to be inexplicably drawn to each other". I was expecting sneaking glances, secret moments, stolen kisses, and sizzling sex. I don't think my expectations were unrealistic based on the description on the back of the book. I wanted to see these souls fall in love with each other, over and over and over again. I got exactly none of that and what I did get horrified me. My expectations were not even close to the plot.

A proper description of this book would be pointing out that we're following four souls. There's a "love triangle"* involving three gay men and the fourth soul is an evil female spirit. Everyone except the POV soul is scheming to kill each other, obtain control, and has no limits on what they'll do. I don't see any of that in the description. I read books with significant political intrigue, but The Emperor and the Endless Palace has none of that. The plot advances through sex and knives. There's no character development, no brain cells, no development of any relationships. The Emperor and the Endless Palace is ultimately one very long graphic eroitca with violence.
*a love triangle implies consent, very little of which is present in this book.

There's also a significant amount of sexual assault in this book. I can't use the Sexual Violence in SFF Database for an ARC, but I primarily check the database for older works.* Sexual assault is used as plot parsley in The Emperor and the Endless Palace, which is completely unacceptable. I thought publishing as an industry was recognizing the harm sexual assault has on real people and not using it as plot parsley anymore. Sexual assault is used as just another turn-on with no consideration regarding a victim-centric approach or the real harm caused to real people by sexual assault. This is especially concerning given that The Emperor and the Endless Palace focuses on the gay Asian community, who have additional layers of trauma regarding sexual assault. There's three graphic on-screen rape scenes, four relationships featuring power imbalances where victim is trapped and in danger, and it just makes me want to throw up.
*I have completed the submission form for The Emperor and the Endless Palace to the database.

I know publishing is rushing to fill the void discovered by Fourth Wing, but this is not it. Go read the comments of On Dead Dogs and Other Reading Dealbreakers for books that don't feature sexual assault and read one of them instead.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace utilizes three different timelines to weave together a time-bending tale of longing and love. Justinian Huang navigates these timelines beautifully as each one is interesting and engaging. As you read this novel you will begin to connect the themes, but some twists left me surprised. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy their romance with bits of fantasy and historical facts.

Let me start by saying that I have to give kudos to Justinian Hung for doing something as huge as he did in his debut book. With that being said, The Emperor and the Endless Palace is told in three different timelines with one following an Emperor and his friend, an innkeeper who gets entangled by a fox spirit, and two men who meet under some unlikely circumstances.

While I don’t want to give too much away about this book, I will share that it is truly an epic romance to the very last page. In a way, it feels like you’re reading 3 different romances which all connect in such a unique way. I don’t know how Justinian Hung did it because there was so much to follow.

Even so, this book was so captivating as you’re following these three different storylines, hoping for a happy ending and wanting some answers. By the time we start getting answers, it feels like everything is impossible, and in a way, the book leaves you wanting more in the best way.

My only complaint was my general confusion at the beginning and then wanting more from one perspective as it shifted. Then again, that’s the mark of solid storytelling which makes me even more excited to see what this author does next. I can imagine him completely changing tones and writing a contemporary but we’ll see.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a story told from multiple perspectives at different points in time bouncing from 4 BCE, to the mid 1700's to present day. It's a story filled with historical characters, reincarnation, (extra) spicy romance, deceit and destiny.

When I posted an Instagram story that I was starting The Emperor and the Endless Palace, Justinian Huang replied, "Buckle up!". So, I strapped in and got ready for the ride...

The book is beautifully written. The first few lines on page one had me hooked:

“What if I told you that the feeling
we call love is actually the
feeling of metaphysical
recognition, when your soul
remembers someone from a
previous life?”

The captivating writing, the constant guessing of who's who among the reincarnations and the beautiful story kept me up til the early hours of the morning. I could not put it down! I'll definitely be picking up a copy (and hiding it from my kids til they're at least 18!) on pub day for the collection.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Mira Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book. Opinions are my own.

*Received as a free ARC*
I can acknowledge that this is well written, and the premise is interesting. But the relationships are toxic and there is so much focus on sex for the sake of money and power. Not what I thought I was getting into and very much not my thing. But for the right reader, I'm sure this would be the perfect book.