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.

I only made it to chapter nine. The main character was unbearable, plot was confusing, vague, and slow.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review

A catchy premise, Hannah, unfulfilled with her life, attempts to change her circumstances. This results in a pesky Empress tarot card, and a trip to a realm that has never been heard of. Painted as an arranged-marriage romantasy with tarot worldbuilding.

I'm going to sound critical, but the cover evoked the sense that it would be a more serious fantasy romance, where there are more magical elements. Boy I was wrong, and the first flag should have been when the main love interest's name is Kane and is the dark, broody, morally ambiguous shadow warrior that is loyal to his kingdom to a fault. Unfortunately, this felt like a writing practice rather than a complete novel. I am in agreement with the other reviews, Hannah was always in a moment where the reader (me) constantly asks "Why did you do that?". It's frustrating. Their chemistry is on a shaky foundation of attraction, especially with Hannah's viewpoint. The progression of their romance consists of just stronger attraction, that once the balloon pops, that was it, romance complete. There was no resolution with their miscommunication.

Hannah herself has had that life change she was hoping for, however, the character ARC and the modern values in medieval times did not have the consequences that there should have been. Disappointed with the world-building, since it is almost always the criteria that I look for. I wish it was more in-depth, instead of an offhand reference.

Good for a mood read

2.5⭐ (3⭐ rounded up for Netgalley and Goodreads)
🌶️🌶️

I picked this up because the blurb sounded super promising, especially as someone who’s lightly into tarot. The worldbuilding here is awesome—so detailed and vivid that it was easy to picture myself in the Land of Pentacles. The originality of the story definitely pulled me in.

That said, the writing felt overly wordy. While the worldbuilding was great, it kind of took over, leaving the pacing and character development a bit lacking. The characters themselves were just okay, but the phrase “good girl” was used so many times I wanted to chuck my Kindle across the room. I already don’t love that phrase, but after the fifth time? Nope.

Hannah herself started to wear on me. She leaned hard into the “pick-me” vibes—constantly putting herself down and relying way too much on Kane to swoop in and save her. The romance between them? Insta-lust city. There was zero real connection, and Hannah objectifying Kane didn’t help at all.

Unfortunately this one is a DNF for me. I wanted to read it because I loved the house of night series in high school and I think I would’ve liked this better in high school as well. Adult me had issues with the writing and characters.

I thought this book had a great concept, very creative, and some powerful messaging. But overall the execution fell flat for me. The characters were not likable and did not have much chemistry, the magic system was barely explaining, and the relationship to tarot was barely there.

unfortunately i dnf this book after 25%. the writing and the fmc weren’t for me, i think there is a perfect audience for this book and i don’t think im that audience. The premise was very intriguing and seemed like something i would love. i'm a romantasy fan and the concept of a magical world based on tarot sounded original and unlike anything i've read before. unfortunately, the execution is poor. i had to force myself to keep reading and after a certain point i couldn't take it anymore and had to stop.

This book was not for me, it was a little too light on the fantasy and a little too heavy on the fated romance. I also felt it read very YA if not for the spicy scenes. I did not like the characters and the tarot barely played into the story. I really liked the concept of this book but it just fell a little flat for me. If you are a fan of YA or romance set in a fantasy world but really doesn’t get too heavy you might enjoy this. Unfortunately I was just not a fan. I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Thank you to Kristin Cast, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books | Bloom Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Hannah is having maybe the worst day in her life. A failed job presentation, finding out her boyfriend is cheating on her, it feels like her whole life is falling apart. Before her job presentation she had gone into a fortune shop to get some guidance on how to not be her. There she received The Empress, a tarot card. She is then pulled into an entirely different world where she is expected to be save the reality and restore balance.

I was concerned when I received this ARC and saw that so many reviewers DNF'd it. I have read some of Kristin Cast's work with other writers before so I was interested in diving in to some of her own fiction.

For me, The Empress feels like any other romantasy. I did enjoy the magick system alluded to with the tarot cards but we don't see much of that in this book which was a bit disappointing. I also did not particularly care for the romance aspect here because it felt rushed and I am becoming more and more a slow burn romance type of girlie.

I did enjoy the character's for the most part because they were relatable. Our main character is a little whiny but if I was in this scenario I probably would be too. And I bet everyone's got their own 'Stephanie' to deal with at work.

I did like how the book wrapped up because it gave a complete feeling but also left a little to continue with the series. I was worried we were about to get a cliffhanger but we didn't thankfully.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy the romantasy genre and a little bit of spice. Books I would compare to this one would be Powerless, Quicksilver and Lore of the Wilds.

What a disappointment.

I received this as an ARC and I had such high hopes because it sounded like such an interesting idea but it just wasn’t to my liking. I would have DNFed if it wasn’t an arc.

I feel like the narration and writing style lends more to a YA kind of approach when this is marketed as adult fantasy.

Hannah is a miserable character. She hates her life she constantly makes bad decisions and her inner thoughts contradict all her actions. Supposedly she shows character growth and becomes a strong woman by the end but she didn’t actually do anything to grow. Apparently she just decided one day that she was now strong and able to get over herself.

Kane is boring. He’s supposed to be a dark and mysterious hottie but he’s just kind of flat. Like very little insights into why he is supposed to be a super tough and skilled fighter.

The two together feels fake? Like they don’t actually go together because there is no relationship development at all. One day she acknowledges that he is attractive even if she doesn’t want him to be and then the next he makes some suggestive comment and she decides to get over that?

The world building barely exists. I thought there would be more to explain the tarot stuff or anything else but there just isn’t anything.

I feel like I don’t have very high standards when it comes to enjoying books but I had to force myself to finish this one because it just fell very flat.

Rating: 3.5 stars

The Empress, the first book in the Towerfall series, is a captivating fantasy romance that whisks readers away to a world inspired by tarot cards. Hannah, a dissatisfied modern-day woman, finds herself transported to the mystical realm of Towerfall after a tarot reading gone wrong.

In Towerfall, Hannah meets Kane, a brooding loner who saves her life and becomes her unlikely ally. Together, they pose as a married couple to infiltrate the kingdom of Pentacles and uncover the secrets of Towerfall. As they navigate the treacherous landscape, they must confront their own demons and the deadly threats surrounding them.

The romance between Hannah and Kane is steamy and intense, with a slow-burning tension that builds throughout the story. Their dynamic is engaging, with Kane's dark, protective nature contrasting nicely with Hannah's determination and outspoken personality.

The world-building in The Empress is unique and fascinating, with a tarot-inspired setting that adds a rich layer of depth to the story. The themes of women's empowerment and class stratification are well-explored, and the regency-esque setting with fantasy elements is a delightful touch.

While the pacing can be slow at times, and Hannah's character development is somewhat uneven, the story ultimately comes together in a satisfying and thrilling conclusion. Overall, The Empress is a steamy, high-stakes fantasy romance that will appeal to fans of tarot-inspired fiction, portal fantasy, and intense romance.

I was excited to read this e-ARC of "The Empress" by Kristin Cast because I thought the premise for it was so intriguing. It is loosely based on the Tarot as the name and cover art imply. But it is an interesting mix of romance, portal fantasy, and intrigue.

The story begins with main character, Hannah, at a long point in her life. She botches a big opportunity at work, finds out that her current boyfriend is cheating on her, and is constantly bombarded by texts from her mom trying to set her up with men who still live with their parents. But all of this changes when a mysterious Tarot card she's given turns into a magical portal into another world. A magic filled, medieval kingdom on the brink of collapse. Hannah finds out that she has been sent here by the Empress, the Arcane symbol on the card that whisked her to Towerfall. Not only that, but according to legend, she is the woman prophesied to save the kingdom. Despite her heavy skepticism, Hannah can't help but be swept up in what's happening in this new and foreign realm, and be swept away by the handsome stranger who saves her soon after her arrival, Kane.

There were many elements I enjoyed about this novel. I was invested early on in Hannah's predicament and was almost relieved after she falls into Towerfall. Her life was becoming a dumpster fire and getting sent to another realm seemed like an improvement, even when she encounters the local villagers and almost gets herself killed. Kane manages to save her and reluctantly agrees to help her return to where she arrived in Towerfall, the royal palace, so she can try to get back home. I read a few reviews of what some readers called insta-love for these two characters. But I didn't find that to be the case at all. Hannah is understandably frightened when she realizes she's fallen into another realm, one without indoor plumbing, or antibiotics. She is also leery of trusting men, even one's who save her life. So, she is not instantly in love with Kane. In fact, despite being attracted to him, with good reason, based on his description, he sounds like a hunk, she does not trust him and absolutely does not believe him when he tells her she's in Towerfall to save the kingdom. For his part, Kane comes across as a natural hero who will help those in need however he can and wants nothing more than to help save the kingdom he has faithfully served his whole life, even when said kingdom turns its back on him. He does want to help Hannah, mainly because Kane thinks she's the key to helping him achieve his goals, but after recently being betrayed by someone he thought he loved, Kane is not interested in giving away his heart to anyone else. So, I would say that while there is insta-attraction on both their parts, Kane and Hannah do not fall in love right away. They spend several days together, many of which Hannah is recuperating from a life-threatening injury and the two are at odds on their goals from the start. I found all of this to be very plausible for the story and relatable in terms of their character development. I also loved the fact that from the start of the story we get lots of action. However, once Hannah and Kane enact their plan and get back into the palace, the action slows from the middle of the book until the last quarter.

That is one reason I gave this one three stars out of five. While I enjoyed the descriptions of the palace and some of the characters they meet there, I began to feel bogged down by it later after Hannah and Kane have been in the palace awhile. I also was a bit perplexed at the beginning of the book about why Kane was where he was at the start of the story when Hannah first arrives in Towerfall. We learn soon after he sweeps her to safety that he has been banished from the kingdom for some reason. But he is in the palace when they first meet. No explanation as to why he was there and what makes him so eager to help Hannah right away was ever really given. I would have liked a little more backstory about Kane and more development for him earlier on than we get it in the story. I also found some of the dialogue during the love scenes a bit off-putting. Kane keeps asking her if she is "his good girl" every time he sets out to seduce her and during their lovemaking. I think for some that could be triggering and I did not find that appealing. It bordered on him requiring her to submit to him rather than making it seem like they were two consenting adults enjoying being together. That is my personal opinion. Others might not find that a problem, but it is something to consider when choosing to read this novel.

All in all, I did enjoy this story and I found the ending to be a satisfying one overall. If you enjoy a fun and easy romantasy, with portal magic in it, you will likely enjoy this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read a free e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

╭ ✦ •
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 ⊹
╰ ✦ •

I haven’t read something from Kristin Cast since House of Night days (when I was in high school), so when I stumbled across ARC sign-ups I couldn’t resist!

I understand why this has a low rating at the moment, but it’s also just the first book in the series, serving primarily as a setup for the rest of the series, even though this did end in a HEA with an epilogue.

────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────

The Empress by Kristin Cast is a fantasy romance that transports readers from the real world to the magical realm of Towerfall, a place steeped in tarot magic and in need of a reluctant heroine. The story follows Hannah, a reluctant heroine, as she’s thrust from her ordinary life into the magical realm of Towerfall—a world in desperate need of saving. The premise of incorporating tarot lore into the story was both unique and intriguing, even for someone like me with little knowledge of tarot. It was fascinating to see how it tied into both Towerfall and Hannah’s real-world life.

The worldbuilding was imaginative, and the descriptions of Towerfall were immersive, drawing clear contrasts between the realms Hannah, the protagonist, experiences. The secondary characters added humor and heart to the story, with Shadow being a standout for me. And then there’s Kane, mysterious, protective, and undeniably compelling. I really liked Hannah and Kane. Their chemistry and dynamic was definitely one of the highlights of the book.

As much as I was enjoying it, the pacing and character development left me feeling conflicted. Hannah, while relatable in her struggle to simply survive, often felt immature. Her reluctance to embrace her role in Towerfall made it hard to connect with her, but I still found myself rooting for her! The pacing of the story was one of the strangest aspects and I don’t even know how to describe it. It felt both fast-paced and slow at the same time, with a lot of filler that didn’t seem to drive the plot forward. By the time I was halfway through the book, nothing of real significance had happened. Also, I feel like a lot of the plot wasn’t explained. Hannah is supposed to be someone who’s supposed to save Towerfall but that plotline kind of fell off.

Hmmm, from 75% on it felt like it flew by in seconds; it felt like a race to tie up loose ends, leaving me craving more depth and exploration of Towerfall and its lore.

Overall, The Empress had a lot of potential, it was a solid and enjoyable read. I’d be interested to see more of Towerfall in the future, as the world and concept hold so much promise.

────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────

⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹

❥Broody MMC
❥Fake Marriage
❥He ties her up
❥Tarot Card-inspired
❥”Little Fawn”
❥Romantasy
❥Transported into a new world

Thank you for the ARC, Kristin♡

As a longtime fan of Kristin Cast, I was thrilled to see her explore a new realm of fantasy. The characters, story, and the overall concept were captivating and held so much potential. However, I couldn’t help but feel that the book was a bit rushed. In a world where readers are more than willing to dive into 600-page epics, I believe the storyline could have been developed further to fully immerse us in this fascinating world. That being said, I’m excited to see where the series goes and can’t wait to dive into future installments!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

The Empress is an adult romantasy which follows Hannah, who is yanked from her modern world into the world of Towerfall by a mysterious tarot card.

As someone who is generally pretty cautious about romantasy -- I tend to prefer fantasy with a romance than a romance with fantasy elements -- I thought The Empress was fine. Cast made some interesting choices tonally, with having a modern character narrate in modern prose about your typical vaguely-medieval-inspired fantasy kingdom. It was unsettling to adjust to, because it was different from what I expected, however ultimately I think this tonal choice went a long way in helping me suspend my disbelief over the more absurd elements (like when Hannah removes her wig AND her contacts to reveal her true identity). There was spice, for those readers for whom spice matters, and it was pretty standard in my opinion. Once I got used to Hannah as a narrator, I didn't mind her, but she did take some warming up to.

I think this will receive better reception from younger romantasy readers, or those romance readers who prefer a lighter read than some Serious Romantasy offers. The tropes were troping, the snark was snarking, and the vibes were pretty chill. I'm definitely interested in seeing how this series develops.

Before I get to my review, I had more to add that I didn’t want to put on socials in case the author read it. I hate to say it but this will probably be one of my worst reads of 2025. It could possibly be just because I couldn’t connect with the FMC, but I found her extremely annoying and I was ready to DNF at page 37 but I trudged along. She has no friends, she didn’t get the promotion, she just got cheated on, and she wants adventure and the second she gets it she almost gets herself killed on multiple occasions to get back home to her boring life. Then in the blink of an eye she changes her tune and wants to stay, and then she gets butt hurt and goes back to her realm and then goes back again.
At one point when she gets back to her home she says “ I should feel relieved to be back but this isn’t the warm welcome I imagined.” Well what did you expect when you have no friends and your boyfriend cheated on you? And a job you’re failing at??
There was just no way for me to connect with her.

Now this is my review that I’m leaving on instagram and goodreads.

Thanks to @netgalley I was able to read The Empress by Kristin Cast. I first saw this book scrolling through Instagram and I was super excited when I saw it listed on NetGalley and even more stoked when I got approved.
The premise of the book seemed different FMC goes to get a tarot reading because she wants to take charge with her life and wants to know if she’s going to ace her meeting, ends up getting a tarot card instead that takes her to a mirror realm where she’s now on a quest to save this realm. Kane, our hunky MMC is a giant cinnamon roll who would do anything to save our FMC Hannah. There was quite a few innuendos that made me giggle. It was a fun read and ended with a happily ever after.
The reason I’m giving it 2 stars is because it is listed as adult probably because of the 🌶️🌶️, but the FMC definitely felt like a young teenager. I also could not connect or relate to the FMC at all which is where I struggled with the most, and the romance just felt way to rushed

I honestly wasn’t sure about this book at first. For an adult fiction, it really felt more YA at times. Hannah is very relatable as a FMC, but sometimes the way she spoke/reacted came off childish. Kane was a great MMC. I loved the world, it was such a nice blend of Regency era England, and sort of Marie Antoinette France. So opulent and rich. Once I got about 40% through, things picked up and I couldn’t put the book down. The ending was so lovely, everything was wrapped up nicely in the end.

“The Empress,” by Kristin Cast

Reminded me a little like Alice in Wonderland when she falls through a hole into a new world. It’s a really good book if you like a lot of tension between FMC and MMC in a relationship. This book had a good plot that had action and romance in a balanced way. Not much to say about it that won’t spoil too much but it was pretty good. Can’t wait until book 2 comes out. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Hidden Identity
-Portal Fantasy
-Romantic Tension

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.