A courtier is called to seduce the younger emperor. An innkeeper helps a visitor but unleashes a terror. In modern LA, a student meets a stranger and feel a sense of deja vu. Six stories but all intertwined...

A book worth the time to read! Terrific characters and terrific plot. Really enjoy the historical portion especially.. I like the subtle romance throughout the book. An interesting book...

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Thank you to Netgalley and Justinian Huang for my ARC copy,

This book introduces us to six men across three lifetimes and three historical periods, all repeating the same love story. In Han Dynasty China, a courtier navigates a tumultuous royal court while growing closer to his king. In 1700s Chine, an innkeeper navigates an encounter with a beautiful, mysterious man who is a nine-tailed fox. And in modern Los Angeles, a previously straight-laced medical student goes on a surreal adventure, falling in love with a mysterious foreign stranger.

I would best describe this book as being Cloud Atlas meets Song of Achilles, with strong themes of Chinese mythology and queer Asian identity. Would definitely recommend it to fans of authors like Xiran Jay Zhao (Iron Widow), and Nghi Vo (The Empress of Salt and Fortune), Shelley Parker-Chan (She Who Became the Sun) and Natasha Pulley (The Kingdoms). I loved watching the different timelines converge, and the way the author gave little pieces of information at different points give the reader clues. My favorite POVs were River's and the Han dynasty setting. I think that this was a really great debut for Justinian Huang and I am looking forward to future books.