This was a dnf for me. However The dnf was not because of the book, but because of me. I think this book was to complicated for me, there are multiple time lines and it was hard for me to keep up and not be confused. This isnt a typical book for me but i was intrigued by the description and cover. This is marketed as a romance but I didn't see it, perhaps ita further on in the book

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the arc

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!

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

3.5 -⭐⭐⭐💫

The Emperor and the Endless Palace is an adult fantasy with romance following the the lives of two souls bound together through the consuming nature of love.

In the 1st century bc we follow a courtier seeking to gain status and receive the opportunity to pursue the young emperor. In the 18th century we follow an innkeeper who receives a visitor in desperate need rare medicine. And, finally, in the present day we follow a college medical student who, while exploring his sexuality, find himself drawn to a beautiful stranger that he can't help but believe he has met before.

Okay so I feel this book wasn't marketed well to me and that largely comes from this idea of what I feel romance is. If you are looking for a chance to see how loves conquers all and everything is happy happy joy joy, this will not be what you expect.

Instead, Justinian crafts a rich fantasy world of the nature and obsession love can lead to. I enjoyed how each story build into the other. I like how this story kept me guessing every time. I felt the writing was incredibly easy to fall into and I was able to devour this in one setting. This is one of those books that you really feel like the character as you navigate things. I mean I had some ideas but other I did not anticipate at all but when they all fell together I was satisfied.

The characters in this book are incredibly flawed and you see the impact and consequences it has. I sometimes struggled to like them and I feel like that is the point. I also noted I wished other characters had more of a chance to shine - for example I didn't really get to explore that emperor as much as I wanted; he felt a little one dimensional at times. I also felt the one big twist was interesting but I wish the one character had given us a bit more tension leading up because I didn't get the emotional angst of the moment to make it hit the way it was meant to (but something later down the line did work much better).

This book does contain spice. I would say 3 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. Honestly the spice is a little cheesy at times and I think it stems from the author recognizing he couldn't use modern day vernacular in the historical period which meant for some interesting new phrases I honestly had never heard to describe a dick. The spice isn't incredibly detailed but it does happen throughout the novel.

Overall, I think this story has a fascinating premise and I liked the message it did ultimately explore. It just isn't my kind of romance and I struggled to support the couples. I would definitely pick up another Justinian Huang book but go in with a different expectation - more fantasy fiction than romance.

Thank you so much Harlequin for the arc!

What a fascinating and well-executed debut! I was impressed by so much of this book - the entirely Asian cast, the alternating POVs, the lush and beautiful worldbuilding. I really enjoyed the adaptation of the legend of the cut sleeve, because as much as I've heard about it over the years, I never really sat down and learned about the history behind the legend. Now I really want to learn more!

I also am not usually the type of person that likes multiple stories being told simultaneously, but the way THE EMPEROR AND THE ENDLESS PALACE pulls it off and ties everything together at the end was extremely well done. The disparate perspectives told in disparate timelines don't make much sense at first, but as the story moves along and you begin to notice the patterns, it's super fun and very rewarding.

This book felt like a warm hug; a nonjudgmental celebration of being queer. More than that, it's a love story that transcends gender in a way I don't usually see written in queer romance - not once did I feel like these two characters were having to justify their love for one another. Definitely mind the tags if you haven't already, because the erotica tag is definitely well-earned! But I am very glad I picked this one up, and can't wait to see it on shelves.

A titillating examination of the intersection between lust and love, definitely more love/revenge story than romance, set against the compelling backdrop of the most effusive gay emperor of the Han dynasty. I'm a sucker for folk tales (especially queer Asian ones, let there be more) and enjoyed the lyrical prose that chronicled the emperor and innkeeper narratives.

My main gripe was that this writing style didn't translate too well to the present-day story, which didn't really feel like it went anywhere or pushed the boundaries of the overall conceit of reincarnation. Can a book have plot twists if it doesn't quite have a plot? I'm not sure, and it felt like the present-day story was building toward a reveal that never happened, perhaps with Calvin.

I still enjoyed the book overall, just more as a character study than as a novel. I'd read more from this author!

This is a mind trip of a story set in three timelines with 3 different men, Dong Xian in 4 BCE a simple but ambitious man, Shican in 1740 an innkeeper who is kind to possibly the wrong person, and River in present day Los Angeles who is newly out and gets caught up in a crazy situation. The connections between the three timelines develop as you read and the characters are not necessarily loveable, but deeply flawed men whose love is complicated.

There is a lot of spiciness of the male/male variety and also a great deal of the characters are acting under the influence (in all three timelines). Because of this, there are several dubious consent situations and a scene where consent is not given (it is interrupted). This book is marketed as romantasy, but I would put it squarely under fantasy with romantic plotlines.

The twists and turns that this story takes is crazy and is not for everyone (but no book is). This book is very much rooted in Chinese myths and history and reads a lot like the epic mind trip movies that came out of China in the 1990's. I really enjoyed it, but I can see that the style of writing is very different than most American/European centric fantasies and could be very off putting for readers. If you like the cultivation genre (xianxia fantasy) books that have been coming out in English recently but wanted something that moved faster, then this book could be for you.

Thank you to Harlequin/MIRA for the review copy, all opinions are my own. My physical copy is on it's way.

This book is truly one of a kind. I can't think of anything else that's like it - reincarnated lovers rooted in the legend of the Cut-Sleeve Emperor mixed with the mythos of fox spirits, plus all the layers that are built on top of the premise. For those looking for a HEA, please be warned: this is not genre romance. The book centers the romance, but it doesn't follow the guiding tenet of the romance genre. The book is bittersweet, as many Sino-based stories are. I appreciate the author for being true to his vision and letting the story be what it is.

That said, I really enjoyed all the drama, the magic, and the historical fantasy vibes. It's not often we get to see the LA gay scene as a setting for fantasy, and the book delivers. I did not think there was too much sex, and I didn't think it was that graphic. The idea of reincarnation, of walking the same paths over and over again, threads through the book, tying the ending back to the beginning. Time is an infinite loop, and so are these two lovers.

Imgur link goes to Instagram graphic scheduled for March 30th (will likely be featured very soon afterwards because of physical pre-order arriving as well)
Blog Post goes love March 27th
Will be featured on March Reads Pt 2

**TL;DR**: No HEA - so perhaps not for everyone but I loved this fantastical romance through the ages.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a unique and deeply magical story of two men, trapped in a loop of reincarnation. Over 2000 years they find and loose each other and over the course of this novel we watch them through three lifetimes to find out how and why. There is no HEA here, so for my more traditional romance readers, I don’t recommend going in for one. The ending is bittersweet but also holds promise - I would most definitely read a sequel but I’m also happy with where this ended.

Current day we follow River as he goes out after a one night stand, to a club where he meets Joey. The two have a magnetic attraction, and seem unable to escape each others orbit. Meanwhile we follow two other timelines, two other lives of River and Joey. One is the story of a young man and the Emperor of the Endless Palace in Ancient China, the other is the story of a young fox spirit and an innkeeper in China during the 18th century. These stories always end similarly, with death or loss, but are also filled with love as River and Joey seek, loose, and find each other over the course of our present day story.

I also have to warn that this one is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of sexual content, very casually. Drug use is common in two timelines, and attempted sexual attempt happens at least once. In addition there is some very graphic infidelity on page which may make others uncomfortable. For all that, I loved this story. Nothing felt wasted or used poorly. Everything served a purpose and was needed for the story. I highly recommend it for my more adventurous romance reading friends, I loved it so much I can’t wait to have my hands on my pre-order.

5 out of 5 peaches

A love so strong it lasts for lifetimes.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang is his debut novel and is a twisty love story. This story follows the various lives of a man who inevitably meets the love of his life. Death and being reborn doesn’t stop their love, but is there something that can?

I really like the concept of an endless love that continues over lifetimes! Like, no matter what, you end up finding each other one way or another and it could be in any form. This was my first time reading a MM romance and at some points I couldn’t get into it, but as a whole I liked it.

I don’t think this subgenre of romance is going to be my go to any time soon, but I appreciate a fresh take on romance and relationships. Another thing that stuck out to me and that I loved is the historical aspects. The fact that it’s multiple time periods and they all express not only different times but also places in Asia. That’s always a super fun read!

Sometimes it did get a little confusing while keeping up with each timeline and flipping between them, but as a whole it’s laid out very well.

If you are looking for a MM Asian romantasy that’s super extra spicy, then this is perfect for you! There’s also historical aspects, bipoc characters, multiple timelines, a bit of a thrill and mystery in the mix as well as fated love and mythical creatures.

Other books like it: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, The God and the Gumiho

*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of The Emperor and the Endless Palace from Justinian Huang via NetGalley

The Emperor and the Endless Palace is one of the strangest books I’ve read, not fitting neatly into any one box, and in all honesty, it’s a bit hard to decide how I feel about it. It’s certainly fascinating and has a particular vibe, even if everything transpired differently than I might have expected.

Between the three different timelines, each has a distinct feeling to it. In 4 BCE, following the courtier Dong Xian, everything becomes more and more surreal as time progresses. It’s almost absurd what’s going on, in a decidedly uncomfortable and creepy way. The chapters set in 1740, with innkeeper He Shican, are more straight-forward in the fantasy genre, with a fox spirit and an unusual medicine to be procured. Things unfold surprisingly, but it doesn’t have the same darkness. Then the parts following River in present-day Los Angeles feel more like a work of noir. He’s attending raves (circuits?) and going to parties hosted by a billionaire and seeing really weird statues. There are drugs and nighttime activities and a general feeling of unease.

A recurring theme between the three timelines is of sex as power. This comes up the most strongly and frequently in the parts set in 4 BCE. Yes, there are numerous scenes depicting sexual encounters, always between men. However, it’s not shown via a glamorous or romantic lens. Instead, it usually comes across as unsettling and uncomfortable. It’s voyeuristic, about power, and sometimes escalates to assault or rape. It’s not fun!

Even so, there is a sort of love story at play here. It feels like a spoiler to say it, but it’s in the official summary, so I guess it’s fair game: There is a theme of reincarnation and fate. Deciphering who’s who might be a challenge, and there’s an antagonist thrown into the mix. But even with this ill-fated love story, I wouldn’t call The Emperor and the Endless Palace a romance. It’s been marketed as a romantasy, but… it just doesn’t have the right elements to qualify as a romance in my opinion. It’s too dark, it has totally different beats, and it doesn’t have the most conventional ending for that genre.

And speaking of the ending (don’t worry, no spoilers)… I need someone who’s read the book to talk to, because I have complicated feelings about it. Is it a satisfying ending? Is it what I wanted? What I expected? I couldn’t say, but I could use a book club to discuss this with!

The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a genre-defying novel that achieves a very particular vibe throughout. It’s creepy, and it has recurring themes and symbols throughout (like peaches and jade), but it also highlights gay men in historical China and in present-day Los Angeles. It’s engrossing, if unsettling. It’s worth the read, but don’t expect an HEA romantasy!

The Emperor And The Endless Palace by Justinian Wuang it’s just like Christmas 1984 when I wanted a Cabbage Patch doll so badly and then something happened and I thought I was going to get it and whind up getting a doll called the flower pot doll basically the same but bad in so many ways after reading the summary for this book I could not wait to read it it was so good yesterday it was finally the day to get to it and within the first 10 pages I will sadly contemplating DNFing this book. They have phrases in the spot I never want to hear again nor do I think will I be eating plums. I love a great romance and I don’t care if it’s between two women a man and a woman or a man and a man because love is sweet in any color but OMG… OMG that was way too many sex scenes in the book. Usually I will skim past the sex scenes but when doing that I would land on… the next sex scene not to mention they make the guys in the book some of them seem almost predatory but I won’t waste much time giving a review for this but I didn’t like it… Well I didn’t like all the sex scenes and that is mainly what makes up the book. I tried so hard to get through it but sadly it is a Knogo I think next time maybe put that this is fantasy erotica because nowhere in the summary does it say that. Just like in Christmas of 84 when I opened up the very last present and it was Christina my Cabbage Patch doll who I loved for years I’m going to go and open up another book and hopefully it will be the love story it says it is. I do want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This cover was misleading...but also not? I didn’t expect this book to be downright filthy (an interesting surprise but not one I’m mad at lol). How Justinian Huang managed to write a true-to-history, historical, reincarnation-based, queer romance, AND it’s smutty??? I will never understand. But I couldn’t put it down.

A few of my friends and I all were lucky enough to receive advanced copies, and when I tell you that we were rabid, texting each other while reading and FaceTiming while we. poured over academic articles to check the timelines and learn more about a history we hadn’t known... It’s a masterful skill to be able to write a love story that makes you want to research just to have a fuller grasp or one last look at the characters you learned to love. I haven’t done so since I read Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller--when I was researching Patroclus and Achilles in Greek mythos. And before that, when I researched the sapphic history of vampires because of Carmilla.

The story itself was beautiful and well-detailed for a shorter novel, and I’m excited to see the author grow in his craft as he creates new stories. I definitely think he’s one to watch!

Thank you for the ARC of this book!

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC. I had a absolute awesome time reading this book. The writing was absolutely beautiful. This book is a erotic fantasy written in beautiful prose that is a love letter to gay Asian men. This book is very GAY AND I LOVE IT! This is a reincarnation romance as well with an amnesia aspect tied in as well. The spicy bits are definitely diet dark romance with a sprinkle of dubcon. I highly recommend this book, it kept me engaged the entire time, the historical aspect is based on a true story of Emperor Ai from the Han Dynasty as well. I finished this book in 2 days and just absolutely loved it.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Justinian Huang for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me. After picking it up and putting it down over the course of a few weeks I decided to DNF it.

I was excited to read this book because the plot seemed so interesting. It’s marketed as a romantasy but unfortunately I don’t think thats what it is. I wish there was more fantasy aspects woven in aside from the fated lover being reincarnating and finding each other again across three different time periods. The folklore was interesting but it was just taking too long for it to actually dive into it. I wouldn’t say this book is romance, more lust filled and toxicity (which I wouldn’t mind if the characters were at least interesting).

The characters just seemed to all blend in together, from the main characters to the background characters they just fell a little flat for me. It was nothing about their personalities that made me care about them or helped me get invested into the story.

The world building is done well. The author is definitely able to set a scene and I could visualize everything described. The amount of spice in this story took me by surprise and while I love me a spicy scene I just wish it was intertwined with more romance.

My favorite time line was within the palace walls with the politics at play but once we were transported to the other ones I just completely lost interest.

While this wasn’t for me I will still recommend people give it a try. If you like time jumps, spice and don’t mind the fantasy being on the lower side and the romance being more lust driven then it may be for you.

So not only is the cover one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, but I had a blast reading this book. It was something new from what I have read previously, but I just had a delight reading it. It is heavier on the sex than the romance, but knowing that going in it is not much of an issue.

Know that this is heavy on the sex and light on the romance. Set over three timelines, it's all about finding a soul mate and, to be honest, deeply toxic relationships. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. It wasn't what I thought it would be and while it wasn't for me, I'm sure there's an audience that will enjoy it greatly.

I gave this one 3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

I really had to sit with this one for a while to see exactly how I would rate it. I really enjoyed a lot of the elements of it, the doomed romance, the three timelines, the idea of reincarnation and souls finding each other again. I liked the characters and their dynamics with each other and the way that despite each timeline being its own unique thing - the story transcended that. (Which I know is the point but I liked how it was done here.) I found myself when I was taking breaks from reading, or had to stop that I was thinking about it quite a bit while I was not reading it. And while it was "sex forward" I didn't honestly think it was in excess. (I have read some of the things smuttok recommends, if you would like my credentials.)

Each timeline felt episodic, and when I would hit the end of one chapter, I was immediately right back into another timeline, without having to catch up or trying to figure out or remember what was going on. It was like braiding three different colored strands together, unique strands, seamless flow.

I found that my favorite timelines were the ones in the past, while I least connected with the modern day timeline. There was also a twist later in the book (I don't want to give away spoilers) That while very unexpected, was hard to un-train my brain from thinking in the assumptions I had previously for more than 75% of the novel. --but that may just be a me thing.

Being a cis/het white woman, I do not presume to know the male BIPOC queer experience, but I recognize the vast importance of representation in promoted works. And this was the first entirely Asian represented queer novel that I have personally read. And I hope to see a lot more publicized from that arena (at least here in the U.S.)

Thank you, thank you to the publisher for the free physical ARC of this book, it was fun to read, and all of my opinions are my own!

In 4 BCE, an ambitious courtier seduces the young emperor. In 1740, an innkeeper agrees to help a mysterious visitor get a rare medicine, unleashing an otherworldly terror. In present-day Los Angeles, a college student meets a beautiful stranger and cannot shake the feeling they’ve met before. These two men meet across different lifetimes, reborn to meet again. Each time, they're tested by the worlds around them. Eventually, they realize their love can transcend time but could consume them as well.

The book opens with tales on how fox spirits can gain immortality alongside how He Shican discovered he is of the cut-sleeve persuasion. (From historical tales of the noble that cut his sleeve to leave bed rather than wake his lover.) We meet the couples in each timeline: Dong Xian is the courtier in the Endless Palace asking about a new potential influence on the Emperor even though the country's beloved princess was told to kill herself for crossing the Dowager Empress. He Shican built a new inn out of the way of most traffic and offers to help introduce Jiuliang to a renowned doctor. Med student hopeful River meets Joey at a rave when ecstasy doesn't agree with him.

The three lifetimes in this novel are interconnected, progressing alongside each other. We think we know who River is from the first set of lovers, and what the relationship is going to be within the second. The connections between the men shift and change with the different lifetimes, as well as who Remembers the past. They're trying to break the cycle of mistakes made in the past, where obsessive love ultimately destroyed the relationship. It's a story within a story within a story, about love and family and connections everywhere. It definitely tugged at my heart as I read; these disaster boys love each other so much, enough to defy convention, yet it isn't enough to dull the capacity to hurt each other, too. Very lyrical and beautifully written, with side characters that also enhance the drama in each lifetime.

This pleasantly surprised me! I also flew it was super fast paced. Once I got into the three different time periods I was super intrigued by the characters and their stories!! Also a few things caught me off guard which I always enjoy in a book! The ending was a little ambiguous which was my only complaint haha but I did receive this as an arc so the final copy may be different!

First off, I really want to thank Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Second, I unfortunately have to say that I DNFed this book at 44% and I feel terrible about giving it a 2 star rating because I know that a lot of work went into this story. However, I honestly thought about it sooner but there is so much potential and the concept is really cool. It is definitely a fated mates trope and uses 3 different settings throughout history. The part that I couldn’t do is the questionable consent/potential SA that was occurring in the book, specifically at the point that I stopped. I really would have liked to finish it because I liked how the story was going, but it was kind of unsettling to read for me personally.