I really enjoyed this book but I felt that the marketing was not well executed and probably left some readers underwhelmed or that they picked up the wrong book. With that being said I feel the author executed this romantic thriller across time in a way that kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next.

A multi-timeline multi-POV darkly erotic achillean fated mates romance with elements of fantasy, historical fiction, mystery,

While a brilliant concept, I feel like either the execution fell short or genre bending books just aren't for me. There seemed to be just so much going on all the time that the actual foundation of this book, the romance between two souls that have been reincarnated so many times just fell completely flat. While I have read primarily spicy books, I usually know that going in but in this case there was an abundance of sex that pushed character development and growth of the romance firmly to the side. Coupled with the fact that the two individuals who are reincarnated time and again is left a mystery for the majority of the book, I really just didn't but into them being soulmates.

However, the prose and imagery was really pretty. I also enjoyed the beautiful Chinese culture presented through time. That one dark spicy scene with the emperor - wow! As a someone who enjoys dark romance, that scene was a really fun surprise lol

(+) speech disability rep, secondary character with prosthetic leg

DNF

For me this writing just did not work at all. I wanted to love it and kept trying again and again but had no luck with this sticking.

A reincarnation love story that spans lifetimes, this ambitious tale of connection and destiny and a true feeling follows three iterations of two men who are reborn over and over with a pull between them that cannot be denied. In the year 4 BCE, a young courtier is directed to seduce an emperor, and the two find that, despite the machinations that brought them together, they share something greater. In 1740, an innkeeper in a rural province helps a mysterious visitor, inadvertently releasing a supernatural power. In present day Los Angeles, a college student discovering his identity meets a beautiful stranger that he is inexplicably drawn to. Spanning centuries and settings (palaces, the wilderness, underground raves), these lovers find and re-find each other, always looking for a different ending and to finally be fully together.

What a refreshing romantasy! This new subgenre has really been pigeonholed into a certain type of story by the publishing/marketing industry, and I loved this breath of something new/different from that higher industry level. As for me, no matter what the marketing for it was, I simply loved it. It totally lived up to the hype I had built for it. The writing was great, in general. More specifically, the three individual stories were interwoven in a way that allowed them to swell and drop in unison, creating a grand scale show of the lasting-ness of this romance, while remaining completely unique and separate in their own character developments and plots. I’m very impressed with the way Huang was able to do both, simultaneously, without sacrificing one aspect in favor of the other.

I have to mention the sex. 🙂 It’s a correctly-marketed romantasy, so…there was, predictably, a lot of it. It was great. Such a variety and jumping right in from the start! It was transactional, with deep emotional connection, casual, under the influence (a variety of them, across the stories), with a goal/aim, brash, manipulated, shy/hesitant, transcendent, and the kind that is deeply satisfying because it comes after longing for it through almost the whole book. Oh, and lest I forget, there was some terrifying sex – I have read a lot, but I have never before read a razor blade blow job! Eeek! Anyhoo, hats off to Huang for this aspect as well.

And finally, I *must* highlight the overall vibes. This is like, take angst and bittersweet torment and make it romantic and literary with a splash of the divine. The anguish was just….so good. And ever present in the best way. And the ending!! I don’t know what I was anticipating, necessarily, but this was not it…it was so much more! It subverted *all* tropes and exceeded my expectations; drawing out that sweet agony (for eternity, maybe?!), but still somehow so satisfying! Perfect for the vibes of this story (these stories).

Oh, and the audiobook narration was a full cast (three narrators for the three stories interwoven) and each was chosen perfectly. Loved that.

This was just such a mystical reading experience. The reincarnations were so different from each other, which made for a compelling and fast set of narratives. And they were all otherworldly and sublime in their own ways. I kinda loved them all and was left both fulfilled and yearning for more. So, basically, I can’t speak enough about how much I loved Huang’s debut and I recommend it so hard!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"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?"

I really enjoyed how this book had three different timelines, two of which are period pieces. Each one was fully developed and I never felt like one of the timelines was lacking. The author did a phenomenal job at weaving the three story lines together and filling the book with beautiful representation of the gay community, both addressing the bright and darker side of the community.

I liked how this book was very sex positive and didn't shy away from talking about that aspect of gay relationships. The longing these characters felt was also beautiful. I can't wait to read more by this author in the future.

I REALLy really wanted to love this. However, I ended up DNFing at 60%. I really enjoyed parts of this book, the prose was wonderful and the worldbuilding was so interesting, but I kept waiting to find the "thing" that I love about it that keeps me hooked, and i just couldnt find it. I'm sure this book is so lovely for so many people, and I can see the good parts about it, but it just wasn't for me.

This is a sort of reincarnation love story that spreads across three timelines. The emperor and his lover are the subjects of the original timeline. Their love does not end well. They go on to seek each other across time. It took me awhile to get into this story.

I really really wanted to LOVE this book but I ended up feeling pretty ambivalent towards it. While the story was somewhat engaging and it was a really cool concept (the idea of these couples throughout the centuries) some of the writing was quite jarring to me and I wasn’t expecting it to be that sexually graphic. Now, that’s not a bad thing, but it did draw me out of the story when it just happened out of nowhere. I would try something again by this author but this particular book wasn’t it for me.

This was a really wonderful unique story. Ive never read anything like this before. I really enjoyed it and would recommend reading this.

This had so much potential and just ultimately fell flat. I enjoyed the world, but the plot itself felt disjointed and had too many loose threads for my liking.

This was a nicely realized book about love and the idea that love is a form of recognition in another person. The idea that these souls kept meeting and falling in love and trying to destroy each other throughout history, was interesting if not new. The queer take on these characters made it feel fresh. The link to Chinese history and mythology was interesting. For me though the best part was the modern story. It was exciting and quick and sexy. It also did the best job of demonstrating who really matters in the end, who really is deserving of our love and attention. Enjoyable read.

I loved this whimsical novel that spans time and countries. This love story is magical and full of twist and turns. This MM reincarnation romance is based party on Chinese history. It features morally grey lovers that connect across difference times and different characters. The three stories interconnect to creat a romantasy that will keep you hooked.

I throughly enjoyed this book. The writing, the characters, the cover, it was amazing well done and something I couldn’t help but read in a single sitting.

I liked the idea of this book a lot, and thought the execution was well done. I think if I knew more about the stories/people that inspired the past characters this book may have had more of an impact on me? But as it is, the story is bittersweet and an interesting twist on the reincarnated lovers trope. It was just missing something to really grab me, so this is probably a case of a me-thing than the book thing.

If this had been more accurately marketed as erotic historical fantasy instead of m/m romantasy, this would have worked better for me; however, as a result I spent the book wishing this were something it weren't. I do love the reincarnation trope and the various timelines, as it makes the story more engaging (especially the suspense in the Fox Spirit timeline), but there are threads that are dropped and ideas that should have been more deeply explored.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgallery for this ARC. This was one of my most anticipated books for 2024, but unfortunately, I could not get into the story. It might be one of those “it's not you, it's me” situations. I went in with very difference expectations about the story, the characters, and the romance. I don't think it's a bad book, it's just not what I thought it would be. I struggled with the time jumps and didn't feel invested in the romance. I ended up skimming many chapters, so it just wasn't for me. But I think others will enjoy it!

The concept of a three timeline story felt intimidating to me at first, but Justinian Huang does an excellent job of inviting the reader in. Told in a 1-2-3, 1-2-3 repeat, it felt like learning the waltz again in my grandma's living room. Even if I wasn't sure what was happening, I knew I could rely on the count to keep me on track. The build up of each storyline was perfect, as the suspense would build in one, we would get answers to other questions in the next. Not once did I feel the "I don't care about this perspective, how many pages are left?" feeling while reading this WHICH IS A FEAT. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in fantasy, but finds the genre intimidating. The blend of 4 BCE East Asia, 1740s Chinese country villages, and present day LA and Thailand were done so well. The work done to create the atmosphere for the 4 BCE and 1740s timelines was done so well, I don't remember any info dumping and at times it was really easy for me to picture. Each timelines atmosphere felt like an additional character that I was looking forward to. Well done!

This was such a unique read. I enjoyed the different timelines and connections. It was definitely smuttier than I expected, but enjoyable.

The gorgeous cover of this book made me want to read it before I even read the description, but the unique premise and poetic prose kept me reading. This book was more erotic than I typically go for, but the writing was so poetic and beautiful that I kept going anyways. This was like mythology, historical fiction, fantasy, and romance all wrapped up in a beautiful package. It's difficult to think of a similar read or genre, because it's so different from other books I have read. It's wonderful to read a gay love story that doesn't focus on the oppression of the gay people (although those stories are so important too). I bought my own copy of this book when it came out because of how memorable and gorgeous it is.

A mesmerizing dance between history, romance, and betrayal, Huang transports readers across epochs, where love's flame burns eternal amidst the chaos of changing worlds.

The narrative's structure, which shifts between three distinct time periods, left me feeling frequently disjointed. The transitions from historical settings to modern-day billionaire parties felt jarring and out of place, detracting from the overall cohesion of the story. My least favorite time period, the most modern, also appeared to be the author's weakest, lacking the depth of emotion present in the other two narratives. While the historical perspectives exuded love, adoration, and betrayal, the modern storyline seemed to falter in comparison, diminishing the overall impact of the novel.

The abundance of explicit content within the book was a significant drawback for me. While I understand the character-driven motivations behind these encounters, the overtly explicit nature of the content felt gratuitous and detracted from the storytelling. A more subtle approach or a reduction in the frequency of such encounters could have maintained the novel's effectiveness without compromising its thematic elements. However, it's important to note that 'The Emperor and the Endless Palace' falls within the romantasy genre, where explicit content is often expected. While it may not align with my personal preferences, I recognize its significance within the genre. Additionally, the scarcity of achillian romantasies makes this novel a pioneering effort, potentially paving the way for more diverse narratives in the future. It's essential to acknowledge that this is an adult novel, catering to a specific audience seeking themes of love, passion, and intrigue in a fantastical setting.

'The Emperor and the Endless Palace' remains an epic fantasy debut with substantial strengths in both writing and storytelling. While I was disappointed by certain aspects of the book, I am eager to see what future works the author produces, hoping for a more refined and cohesive narrative in their upcoming endeavors.