The beautiful cover, and the the premise for this what called to me, a romantasy series starter in a world based on the tarot? Sign me up.

Hannah, the FMC, was painfully, oh so painfully, annoying in parts, and this does read as pretty YA, but since it was categorized as “new adult”, I did my best to remain mindful of that during my reading.

However, this fell flat for me.

My issues:
*the publisher synopsis didn’t deliver and what’s left is a story where the characters and plot aren’t developed enough to make for a satisfying read
*insta-insta-insta love
*the writing wasn’t for me

While other readers may appreciate this one more; I wasn’t the reader for this.



Thank you to Bloom Books and NetGalley for the DRC

From the blurb, I kind of expected a little more of a true fantasy, but this was a bit lighter in tone than I expected. So I went in prepared for a bit more gravitas and ended up with something between a fantasy and a romcom. I definitely see the appeal, and honestly I would probably enjoy it more if I went in with no expectations. It started off funny, and the writing is fun too, just not quite what I expected! I didn't finish because it's just not quite what I need to read at the moment, but I do plan to return to it in a different reading mood. Based on what I read and flipped through, this is about a 3.5-4 star read for me. I've enjoyed other Cast books in the past, so I think this is just me being cranky 🤣

Thank you to Netgalley, Kristin Cast, and Bloom Books for the arc! This is my own review.

The Empress is a captivating fantasy story. The story follows a young woman stepping into her newfound power and facing challenges that test her courage and heart. It is a story about embracing your true strength and self-discovery. It explores themes of courage, identity, and the struggle to embrace one’s true self, making it not only an entertaining read but also an inspiring one. Although I did find the story interesting and enjoyed the book, the pacing of the story made me feel as some parts were rushed while others dragged on a bit which affected the plot. The main character was very well written, but some of the side characters felt a little undeveloped.

Arc from NetGalley-all thoughts are my own. 3.5 stars, solid series starter. Enemies to loves, forced proximity and tarot cards?? Sign me up. Kind of reminded me of a Disney adventure but like a grown up version. I’m excited to see where the series goes!

I first found and loved Kristin when I came across the House of Night Series written with her mother P.C.

This is Kristin's adult solo debut.

I really wanted to love this book. A favorite author, adult, romance, fantasy, interesting blurb and a lovely cover.

However, it fell short for me.

Hannah drove me bonkers. She's trying but failing in work and love. She blew her chance at a promotion and walked in on her boyfriend in bed with another woman. When trying to make her way home, she misses a bus, slips on the snow/ice and suddenly she's falling down like an Alice in Wonderland moment. (Though I did like that part)
She's now in this new realm where the Empress herself chose her to heal the realms.

Meantime, she's rescued by Kane. He was cast out of the palace and looking to find his way back into the palace in its good graces. Until then he and Hannah are in a cabin where Kane tends to her and heals her.
Hanna was too immature for me the entire time. The constant scenarios she thinks off comes off too immature and the constant doing things without thinking. I just could not get myself to like her at all.

Overall, I had a hard time with this book. Mainly due to Hannah and the story at times sounding more YA than adult. I do love the author so I pushed through and it was at the halfway mark when the book finally gained my interested to get me through it.

I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it either. It has the potential to a series I could love. The overall idea of this world is great but Hannah needs to come off more as an adult and the story written in a more adult format and just really fine tune the next book. I do want to read the next book and hope that it redeems this series for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. In the past I haven't minded books written by this author, but this one didn't sit well with me. It didn't pull me in and make me want to keep reading until it was done. I didn't quite care for the two main characters, but I enjoyed the secondary characters. I don't know, it just didn't click with me. But I hope those who enjoy this kind of book, enjoys this particular one.

I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of The Empress from NetGalley, and it was a MAGICAL experience for sure!
To start, I loved Hannah and her rock bottom. Figuring out how this all was woven together was so different than most romantic fantasy books I’ve read in the past. I loved that she remained confused, originally being baffled by the world she’s in and leaning on Kane to save her life, it makes perfect sense that she would be irate. At first I was like, why would you react like that?! And than realized that of course she’d be so confused.

Kane was a cookie cutter morally gray MMC. I felt like I walked away with a few unanswered questions in his regard: why was he the protector? How did he end up in the original bedroom? How did he know ahead of time she was coming?

There were a few other small things that I felt were confusing or skirted over which resulted in the four stars - most of all, it’s specific to like the unrest in the kingdom. A lot of it was not specifically addressed - how did four end up where he did? What happened with the magic? Why did the empress come from a tarot card but there were no other cards?

Overall, I enjoyed the read. I enjoyed the magic of it, I enjoyed how it was different than most fantasy books. I wish it had been fleshed out a bit more thoroughly but overall I enjoyed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. The Empress felt like an adult take on Once Upon a Broken Heart/Caraval, but with some different twists. I enjoyed the premise, but I can't say I loved the main character, and that really impacted my enjoyment honestly. I found her annoying, and there were so many comments that felt out of place and took me out of the moment. I liked it, but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would.

I could not stand the FMC. I wanted to like this book, and based on the genre and description, I should have, but the FMC was so annoying. I DNFed at 37%. At every turn up to that point, Hannah (the FMC) was constantly making me cringe. She’s being considered for a promotion at work, but can’t handle a single pitch to her bosses. She spent a few paragraphs going on about how much she missed/needed her phone. She was warned as they were entering the palace (basically enemy territory) to listen more than she speaks, and almost immediately started blabbering on to the steward about needing a “nice scrub-a-dub-dub”. This book was just not one I was able to enjoy, based solely on the characters. I will say I was enjoying the plot; my annoyance with the FMC was just stronger than my enjoyment.

I really liked the premise of this book and was excited to read it, but the description is misleading. The book really is about a young woman that finds herself in a different realm kind of trying to get home but also trying to save the new realm she has fallen into. The first third of the book is pretty cringy. The main female character is very awkward and finds herself in situations that blow up her life in Chicago. She then finds herself in this new realm via the tarot card and find herself lusting after the first man she sees with no real character building or relationship build up.

I kept reading and really enjoyed the middle part of the book. Some great world, plot and character development. But then the ending feels very rushed. If different decisions were made at the end it would set this series up for the next book, but nothing was left out there to be resolved or answered.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kristin Cast and SOURCEBOOKS/Bloom Books for my free ebook ARC copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Spicy Romantasy? It's all in here.

There is no shortage of Romantasy out there and I'm afraid that I might be getting a little Romantasy-fatigue.

And then I came across The Empress. What makes this one stand apart? Well, I have been wishing for a book where there is fantasy that is still tied to our modern world aka City of Bones or even Outlander. So, I'm glad to say that this book delivered!

Hannah is a modern girl dealing with modern problems and she is very reminiscent of Bridget Jones’s Diary. Life is not going her way and that's before she is given a tarot reading and thrown out of the shop with a warning and a card showing The Empress.

Soon, she finds herself in another realm confused and accused of being a witch when a handsome stranger whisks her out of danger and into the forest.

And thus begins Hannah and Kane's not meet cute and their mutual need of each other to fulfill specific missions to get into the castle in the Kingdom of Pentacles for their own reasons.

Throw in a faked marriage, hidden witches, the multiverse and some spice and you're in for a treat! I really appreciated Hannah and her dropping modern references/pop culture inside jokes and the contrast of our time and the realm she was transported to.

And since this is a series we get to see what else is in the cards for Hannah. Stay tuned...

This was a DNF for me. Personally, I did not enjoy the writing, pacing, or the characters too much. That being said, I think that there will be a lot of readers out there who will enjoy this one. I will not be opposed to recommending this book to readers looking for a new adventure romantasy. I can see fans of ACOTAR and Fourth Wing enjoying this book

Could not finish. Story was trite and main character was dumb as a box of rocks. I love fantasy but this was thin and the main character was not relatable.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC. I’m truly grateful.

I read the description of this book and just HAD to read it. A book based on Tarot cards? Sign me up! It is such a unique concept, and it did not disappoint.

The good: I loved the story overall. I loved the tarot card concept and the use of it throughout the story, showing the author’s research and knowledge on it. I’ve tried teaching myself tarot reading and let me tell you it is complicated. Right from chapter 1 I was hooked. It had me thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading it, and I couldn’t wait to see where the story went. Without giving any spoilers, as I continued to read, I was tempted to skip to the last couple of chapters and read ahead because I was worried it was going to end a certain way, and if it was going to end that way I was going to be so upset. However, it didn’t go that route, and I was very happy it! I totally related to Hannah and her luck, or lack of it. I teared up a few times thinking to myself “Oh my god, I feel you girl.” I loved the morally-gray, enemies to lovers’ relationship between Kane and Hannah and I loved the friendship between Hannah and Marion. A friendship everyone only wishes to have, that doesn’t always happen in our lifetime. I even loved the part McDougall and Highgate played. Both roles written perfectly for the story. All of the characters were actually perfect, and I loved the way the characters were written/represented in both worlds.

Not so much the bad, but the noticeable: The book was advertised as adult, but it seemed to be written very YA. Hannah acts more like she is 16, than she does as an adult. It feels like it is written more for the Gen Z, Gen A audience that I feel are both considered the Digital Age. There were a few annoying times throughout the book related to that, but nothing that completely ruined it for me. I understand how confusing it probably was for her, but in my head I was thinking “C’mon, don’t be dumb” or “C’mon, don’t just stand there.” I’m going to say that is because I’m always aware of my surroundings and train in self-defense and Hannah to an extent sounds more like a girly girl, so I’ll let it slide (haha). One other thing I was iffy about, and again without spoiling anything, was the explanation to her world and the time difference (I’m probably overthinking it, but I don’t know if it adds up). I’m not sure how that would pan out in the real world, but I honestly couldn’t think of another way to write that in.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. It made me smile and it was a feel-good book. There are a bunch of questions I have, but I’m hoping these are intentional questions that get answered in the next book, which I am very excited for.

Thank you again for giving me this opportunity!

This reminded me of A CURSE FOR TRUE LOVE and CARAVAL's second/third books mixed with a few popular romance hits of this year. This was so much fun, I loved the fantasy and tarot card aspect, and I can't wait to read more from this series!

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars!

He's a ruthless, battle-scarred warrior with a dark past, and she's stuck pretending to be his wife to save a fantasy kingdom.

I've been dying to read this author for a while, so when I came across this book, I couldn't resist diving in.

When we first meet up with Hannah, she's having the worst day of her life. Anything and everything that could go wrong has. Just when Hannah thinks things couldn't possibly get worse, she finds herself transported to a fantastical world and cruel world. Her only hope of returning home lies with the mysterious Kane...

Overall, I thought this book was wholly unique and entertaining. I love when authors write about the Tarot deck and I could tell that Kristin Cast definitely did her research prior to writing this story. I liked the premise of the world of Towerfall and looked forward to experiencing more of it.

As far as characters go, I thought Hannah and Kane were really great. I found Hannah was easy to relate to and felt bad that so many terrible things had happened to her. That being said, Hannah was not without her faults and did present as immature at times. Despite those moments of immaturity, I couldn't help but root for things to turn a corner for her. I personally think that meeting Kane was one of the best things to happen to her. At first glance, Kane is mysterious and leaves you wondering if he's got the best intentions. However, I quickly discovered that he had a possessive and protective side and I really enjoyed watching his relationship with Hannah grow.

Speaking of Hannah and Kane's relationship, the sparks definitely flew when it came to those two. I enjoyed watching their chemistry build and thoroughly enjoyed all of the will they/won't they moments.

All in all, I thought this book was an enjoyable read. Yes, it wasn't without its faults or quirks, but for an author's first stab at a more mature age grouping, I thought she did really well. I can't wait to check out more from this author in the future.

This was a really cool, unique concept. I enjoyed it, but would have loved to have more development of the characters and the relationship. It felt too fast to be believable to me.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley.

I was given an advanced copy in exchange for my review, this is my honest opinion I am given voluntarily. I went into this book completely blind. I knew the premise of kingdoms being based off a tarot deck and that’s all I knew. Going into it blind I feel really helped me get into the book more, since I had no expectations for it. Personally to me the FMC came off as someone with no confidence in the modern world. She is unhappy and stuck in her life she just didn’t want to admit it. Going on this adventure forces her to face hard choices and a much more cruel world than she was used to and it made her panic into some decisions. In this I felt she was very relatable, also her humor was relatable. Making jokes to change the topic? Everyone does it and they don’t even realize. The slow burn killed me, obviously there was insta lust (because hello, a dark mysterious man who flirts constantly? Your lying to yourself if you said you wouldn’t be weak in the knees) there is obviously build up and world building so getting into it is slow, but the world building comes in small doses so it’s not overwhelming. I would highly recommend this and I’m excited to see where this goes in the rest of the series!

Sadly I had to DNF this book. The tone of this felt pretty juvenile and it’s got a few of my biggest pet peeves as a reader, the “quirky” FMC trope and references to pop culture which never age well.

I’m sure this will thrill some readers but it wasn’t for me.

"The Empress" by Kristin Cast is a fun read from start to finish! This book offers a blend of fantasy, romance, and suspense that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. The premise is unique, with tarot-inspired elements woven into an enchanting world. I loved the chemistry between the main characters—Kane, the warrior with a mysterious past, and our heroine, Hannah, who’s suddenly thrust into a world she doesn't understand. Their fake marriage adds a fun twist that’s equal parts tension and swoon-worthy moments.

The world-building, while not overly detailed, is still immersive, and the plot is straightforward and easy to follow, making it a quick, enjoyable read.
However, despite the SPICE(!) that’s clearly aimed at an adult audience, Hannah often felt immature, with a YA vibe that left me a bit frustrated at times. Additionally, the pacing, particularly in the first 10 chapters, could be uneven, with a few slower parts that interrupted the otherwise steady flow of the story.

I also wish the tarot element had been explored more deeply!

Overall I really enjoyed this dive into the world of Towerfall!