In The Empress, the first installment of Kristin Cast's new tarot-inspired fantasy series, readers are thrust into a captivating realm that blends romance, danger, and magic. Cast, a bestselling author known for her immersive storytelling, introduces us to a dark and alluring world where the Arcana—figures from tarot decks—are not mere symbols but living, breathing entities with the power to shape destinies.

The chemistry between the two characters is electric, as they grapple with their forced partnership amidst palpable tension and growing attraction. The stakes are high; failure to convince the Kingdom of Pentacles of their marriage could spell doom for both of them. Cast expertly weaves themes of trust, survival, and the complexities of love in a world where nothing is as it seems.

The pacing is brisk, drawing readers into a whirlwind of events that keep the heart racing. The enchanting yet treacherous world of Towerfall is richly depicted, making it easy to get lost in its spellbinding beauty and lurking dangers. From the moment the protagonist is thrust into this new reality, readers are kept on the edge of their seats, eager to uncover the mysteries that lie within.

The Empress is a tantalizing start to a new series that blends high-stakes romance with fantasy in a way that is both seductive and thrilling. Kristin Cast has crafted a tale that will resonate with fans of whimsical yet intense narratives. For those who enjoy a blend of fantasy and romance, this book promises to leave you eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Towerfall.

I was looking forward to this book based on the blurb. Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations and I struggled to finish it.

What initially drew me to the book was it was a romantasy based on Tarot however, aside from the card that brings the Hannah, the main character to Towerfall, the magic system isn't really explained and has absolutely nothing to do with Tarot.

The world building was nothing to speak of. The political intrigue wasn't delved into. There was no real, discernible motivations explained for the characters. Hannah, the FMC is wholly unlikeable. She has severe self-doubt and zero self-confidence and instead of being endearing, or a vehicle for character growth, she remains sort of a husk of a person. Any tangible details we derive about her are contradicted throughout the story.

This isn't a book I would recommend or purchase, unfortunately.

I do appreciate the opportunity to read this. Thank you NetGalley, Bloom Books and Kristin Cast!

3.5 rounded up to 4

Hannah's life isn't what she thought it would be. She's living in a tiny studio apartment, barely making ends meet. She just lost a promotion at work when her rival swooped in and wowed the client. And it turns out her boyfriend didn't think they were exclusive. Just when she's feeling her worst, Hannah finds herself transported to another realm by a tarot card and greeted with cries of "witch!" Saved by the brooding knight Kane, she finds herself agreeing to help him gain access to the castle, hoping that she can find the tarot card and go home. All she has to do is pretend to be his wife.

Read if you like:
-Magical Travel across Realms
-Fish out of Water
-Brooding Hero
-Swoon-worthy nicknames
-Pretending to be married
-Elain Archeron (ACOTAR)

If you like Elain Archeron and/or ship Elriel, then The Empress has the vibes you are looking for. Hannah is a fish out of water who played a supporting role in her own life before she met Kane. And Kane is a dark, brooding, dangerous warrior with a horse named Shadow (whom he talks to). He calls Hannah 'Fawn.' Need I go on?

I really enjoyed Hannah's journey to finding her backbone and deciding where she wants to be. The book was a little long, but I was willing to overlook that. And it was more spice than romance. I would have liked to see Kane woo her a bit more. But other than that, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something a little different. It was a good mix of contemporary and fantasy romance.

If you like books where the fmc is thrown into a fantasy world then this is for you. The main character Hannah’s life isn’t going the way she would hope so after reading a self-help book she decides to go to a tarot card reading and while there she is given a card that eventually transports her to another world where she learns that she has been sent there to save the kingdom. She ends up in a fake marriage with a warrior in this new world as a way to get into the palace.

When reading the description for this book I was so excited I love romantasy books and the the concept of the tarot cards sounded really interesting but it kind of fell short for me. I didn’t really feel connected to the characters or their relationship. I also felt that Hannah’s actions were too impulsive causing her to make the worst decisions. One thing that I did enjoy in the book was the descriptions of the fantasy world especially the castle and its different rooms.

Thank you Sourcebooks Bloom and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Hannah’s lack of confidence in her own self leads to her downfall in her career and romantic life. An attempt to change her path sends her to an alternate realm with familiar faces and lots of intrigue

✨𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕞𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤 - 𝕋𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝟙 - ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨✨

Author: Kristin Cast

Couple: Hannah & Kane

Tropes:
✨Romantasy
✨“Little Fawn”
✨Fake marriage
✨Broody MMC
✨He ties her up
✨Tarot Card inspired

Review: Kristin Cast gives us a new romantsy to swoon about in 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕞𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤 and if you have read anything by her in the past then you are NOT ready for this new realm of magic and fantasy brought to life! This book was on the lighter side of book from Kristin in my opinion and focuses on Tarot Cards and the influence they have in a parallel universe filled with magic, mayhem and mischief. Kristin captivated me with the world she set up in this book and the story she told in this first step into Towerfall.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕞𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤 is a “city girl” meets the past while also being thrown into a new world story that had me giggling from the first meet-lust/hate that Kane and Hannah share. Kristin was able to balance the influence the Tarot Cards had within the parallel world Hannah finds herself in perfectly with the tension and angst she had Kane shared but also somehow managed to also keep the mystery and intensity of the magical system alive. I really enjoyed her spin on Tarot and the different cards - in relation to each character - especially as we get deeper into this first book and begin to learn secrets and hidden messages.

While this is more of an adult romance compared to her past series, 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕞𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤 is not overboard in the spice level - which I appreciated since the magic and the plot captured my attention the most! Hannah and Kane are almost a study in opposites and the fake marriage they embark on had me cackling all the way through - even if they fell a little fast for me. The way they learned to push each other was 5 stars in my opinion and I really enjoyed how Hannah grew into her own and FINALLY began accepting her Fate and her Destined Path by the end. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕞𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤 was a wonderful change of past from classic romatasy books and seeing the MFC - Hannah - begin to come into her own by the end has me anxious for more!

Rating: 5/5; 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕞𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤 had me second guessing and shouting my theories from the rooftops as Hannah finally finds her found in this first book of the series!

Thank you Kristin for the eARC!

The Empress follows Hannah, a down on her luck, unsure of herself, modern day woman. Through an interaction with The Empress tarot card, she finds herself in a different realm and in the Kingdom of Pentacles. Understandably, she wants to go home but when she meets the mysterious Kane Blackthorne…things are going to be a bit complicated.

This book was not for me. When I first saw it, I was really excited and I really looked forward to reading it. I grew up reading the House of Night series and was excited to see what adventures I would go on. Yes, there is magic; fantasy; romance; a MMC (Kane 💙) who is brooding, has a secret, mysterious, and can wield a sword very well…basically checks the boxes for what I would be looking for in a book like this.

Hannah’s character is the one thing I have a bit of trouble with. I tried to be patient and understanding that someone who is used to 21st century amenities and a lifestyle in the 21st century is being portaled to unknown lands, but something about her was immediately off-putting to me. There are at least a couple points where she grows up (?) but her overall attitude is lacking for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Bloom Books, and Kristin Cast for gifting me the opportunity to read this ARC! All opinions are my own.

I loved the premise of the tarots being kingdoms, and I will always be a sucker for a good portal fantasy. I really had fun reading this story, I liked Hannah's character and thought that her naivety and desperation was well written and relatable. I loved the idea of the mirror people and the way that that played into the main plot. Kane was a proper book boyfriend and even with the slight miscommunication I was rooting for the romance in this the whole book through. There is a myriad of secondary cast that I absolutely loved and those that I loved to hate. I enjoyed the story line and I when the action picked up I could not put the book down. I am really keen to see where the rest of the series goes.

After Hannah visits a tarot card fortune teller, she finds herself transported into another realm and on a mission to save a Kingdom. I found the beginning of the story to be hysterical, but Hannah changed as the story went on and her hilarious personality dimmed a bit. This book reminded me of Bridgerton mixed with Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan. Decent fantasy with some truly comedic moments.

What I Liked:
*There were a few great bits of description.
*The symbolism of Four catching the King's crown when it falls off his head.
*The joke about Chad being a festering asshole.
*Golden scars

What I Didn't Like:
*The magic system is never really explored or explained, and it has nothing to do with Tarot outside of the card that brings Hannah to Towerfall.
*The goals and motivations of the antagonists were really unclear. I understood what they were doing and that it was bad, but I didn't understand why they were doing it.
*Hannah is a miserable shell of a character with no discernible goals or passions. What little we are told about her is contradicted constantly.
*Pretty much every plan Hannah comes up with is impulsive and poorly thought out, bordering on nonsensical.
*Girl hate, insulting men for being short, and shaming/vilifying a specific kink (in a kinky romance!).
*Middling sex scenes that seemed to be written by rote and a romance with no organic tension or chemistry.
*Worldbuilding and politics felt very shallow; mostly just an aesthetic.
*Overall, a very forgettable book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Bloom Books for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am so sad to say that this book did not work for me. I thought the pacing was all over the places, the romance was too instalovey for me and I could not stand the main girl 😭 I will not be continuing on in this series

2⭐️
DNF @25%

I was really excited about this book. I read a tarot based urban fantasy years ago and loved it and I don’t think read anything tarot based since.

But unfortunately book just isn’t for me. I believe this was marketed as an adult book but Hannah the FMC was just so immature, unprofessional and frankly pathetic. She acted more like a sulky teenager than an adult making this feel more like a high schooler’s daydream fantasy.

I officially made it 25% in but skipped ahead a few times and then to the end. The writing felt disjointed. There would be abrupt scene and location changes leaving me feeling confused. Add to that some OW drama which I detested almost as much as Hannah’s response to the discovery further solidified my belief that this book really wasn’t for me.

Hannah’s life isn’t going so great. She bombed the promotion and found out her boyfriend didn’t have the same idea as she did. After visiting a woman and getting a weird tarot card, she isn’t sure what to do. Until she falls into another world. The Empress card apparently sent her to Towerfall and she doesn’t want to be there. After meeting Kane, she needs a way home and back into the palace and Kane needs a way in to help save the kingdom. So they agree to pretend to be a married couple. Can Hannah make people believe she is an aristocrat and find her way back home? Can she also ignore this growing attraction towards Kane?

I loved this book. The spice was great. The storyline was fun. I love tarot cards and find them fascinating. So the fact Kristin Cast was able to take that and make this story is amazing. Hannah is a quirky character who I feel for. Kane is a strong male lead and I wish we could have gotten his POV. Overall this is a fun first book into a new world. I can’t wait to see what the author and this world has in store.

Thank you Bloom Books & NetGalley for a chance to read this ARC!

Ok before I go any further, this book was… fine! It’s an okay book. It kept me wanting to see it through to the end. And the cover is gorgeous! THAT BEING SAID - there are definitely some uhhh development areas!

This is very much a BookTok book; the writing in a bit juvenile, some of the dialogue had me saying “huh?”, and I felt ultimately no real connection between the 2 MCs. It’s a long book that simultaneously felt a bit underdeveloped.

I also want to put out a PSA. Listen.. I know some people like a “good girl” moment. I’m personally not one of them, but I understand the appeal. This book had WAAAAAAY too many “good girl”s thrown all over the place, like it became gratuitous 😭 Quality over quantity!!!

So again, overall- this was ✨fine✨

What a great plot for a book!!

Hannah is tired of always losing. When her boyfriend breaks her heart and her work nemesis steals her promotion she feels as though she has hit rock bottom. That is until she receives a tarot card that sends her to another world.

She meets Kane who is an exiled knight hellbent on saving the kingdom from the evil second in command, Four. Can Hannah get over her shock of falling into a world with no internet or cars and help Kane save his kingdom?

I found Hannah to be exactly what I imagine someone would be like if they fell from our world into a magical world. A little awed, a little annoying, and getting into constant trouble. Kane is great. I loved his character, though I do wish it was a little less love at first sight on his part.

I did find some of the reading to be a bit of a word salad so I found myself skimming the description paragraphs. But I thought the author did a great job of building an interesting world and characters! I very much enjoyed the story. The little spice was a plus and well written.

Wake up babe, a new ground-breaking fantasy book just dropped!

Thankyou netgalley for the arc. All opinions are my own!

#TheEmpress #Netgalley

This magical story was everything I needed. I loved the banter between the MMC and FMC. I loved the world building, I could see myself in the hall with the glass dragonflies, and I loved the detail of Towerfall. The magic system was unique, using a tarot card to move through the realms. The kingdoms are all represented by the suits in a tarot deck, I’m excited to see what comes next. My favorite quote: "My feelings for you, what we have, that is not a lie. Every moment we shared, every touch, every word, it was all real. You make me want to be better, to fight harder, to do everything I can to protect this kingdom, protect us. Hannah, I” said by Kane.

I read a lot of the House of Night books many years ago and really enjoyed them, so I was excited when I got approved for the ARC of this book by one of the authors of those books. I got worried when I saw the reviews though, but started reading anyway. And I'm glad I did. This is a good book with a great little fantasy story.

There's a lot of books lately all over the book-toks and bookstagrams, the HUGE fantasy romance ones, we've all seen them and I'm sure most of you have read them or the giant series of them. Everyone is obsessed with them! That's not my thing. I like a good fantasy with a little romance, sure, but I'm not making it through something that's 700+ pages...in just the first book in a series that probably hasn't even ended yet. This book is the lite version of one of those. There's a fantasy world but we're not getting a ton of descriptions about that world. There's kingdoms based on the tarot cards and there's magic, what more do you need? Oh, maybe some quick "it's just sex, but someone's totally going to catch feelings" spice? There's definitely some of that too.

Hannah is the main character, she's having a rough time, her job isn't going great, her bank account is pretty slim, and now she's caught her "boyfriend" with another woman. Of course, right before all this falls apart on her, she'd gone to see a tarot card reader and walked in on some pretty interesting backroom action 👀 She is given a card that looks blank...until she looks at it later and it tells her to "step through the door". She assumes that it means she'll do well with her business pitch the next day, but she bombs that and then the boyfriend thing happens. She's sad and out in the cold city streets when she looks at the card again to see The Empress, and things turn all Alice In Wonderland like as she falls into a different realm. There she is saved by Kane, who is vaguely hot. Nothing is super descriptive in this book and that includes our MMC. But Hannah can't help but notice he's very very hot. So they team up, not exactly willingly, to save the kingdom because that's why the card sent her there 🤷‍♀️ And of course they're going to do that pretending to be married royals from another kingdom.

It was hard to put this book down and then halfway through when things really started picking up there was no way I could stop reading. The characters aren't horribly deep, but they're sturdy. There's some feminism kinda stuff and a lot of saving the lower class and making everything more equal. But again, that's not super deep. The castle and grounds is toured and described a bit, but we're not building a whole new world in this one book. Modern girl in fantasy kingdom is pretty much exactly what it is, but it's a fun ride, beginning to end. And the ending is so good, a little predictable though, but what romatasy or rom-com isn't. It even leaves things open for more books.

I definitely recommend this book. The bad reviews are people wanting all the deep, crazy fantasy worlds they're seeing in so many other books now. But sometimes you just need a light, easy, low stakes read. It reminds me of the old Red Dress Ink books from the early to mid 00's, a little magic, a little romance, and just easy to read and enjoy.

There were things I liked about this. I enjoyed it the premise, because who hasn't wanted to slip out of a bad day and into another world?

I found it pretty entertaining and amusing, but I'm not sure if it was supposed to be as funny as I found it. Hannah is a caricature of a hot mess, technology addicted, young person struggling to make it among her more successful peers. I really enjoyed that when she was plopped into another world she wasn't immediately perfect and amazing at everything, but she was able to muddle along and grow and use the skills she already had to make an impact.

Our mmc Kane doesn't really stand out much, he's more a vehicle for Hannah to get where she needs to go. It felt like he wasn't completely developed as a character.

All in all this story had what I expected from it, and I'd probably be interested in reading the next book in the series. Thank you to netgalley and bloom books for the eArc!

⭐️⭐️

**"The Empress" by Kristin Cast** follows the story of a young woman thrust into a world of political intrigue, power struggles, and dangerous secrets. Set in a futuristic society, the protagonist must navigate a web of alliances and betrayals to uncover the truth about her destiny and the empire she is destined to rule. With themes of identity, leadership, and sacrifice, the book attempts to deliver a gripping tale of self-discovery and empowerment.

The concept of Tarot cards coming to life was incredibly intriguing and had so much potential, but unfortunately, it fell flat in execution. While the premise is creative, the world-building feels underdeveloped, leaving the setting and the magical elements feeling shallow. The protagonist, in particular, felt very immature—more like a YA character than someone tasked with navigating the complexities of ruling an empire. This immaturity made it difficult to connect with her or fully invest in her journey. Additionally, the pacing is uneven, with the story dragging in places and rushing key moments of character development and plot resolution.

Though *The Empress* has flashes of potential, it ultimately fails to deliver a compelling narrative or fully realized world. The predictable twists, lack of emotional depth, and underwhelming execution of its unique ideas make it a struggle to stay engaged.

**Rating:** ★★ (2/5)

Despite its ambitious premise and the fascinating idea of Tarot cards coming to life, *The Empress* falls short of its promise. Fans of political intrigue and futuristic settings may find some enjoyment, but the protagonist’s immaturity and the lackluster execution of intriguing concepts may leave many readers disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.