[ 4🌟 ]

Netgalley provided an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I was so happy when I found out that I had been approved to review Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean! I have been making a conscious effort to read more diversely, particularly those stories that are written by Asian authors and features Asian main characters!

I read Empress of All Seasons for BookTubeAThon 2018, so I was able to finish Empress in a few hours! What initially struck me was the inclusion of so many STRONG WOMEN in this novel!! Mari, the main protagonist, is a strong character in her own way as she is more than her ability to fight. 

I particularly liked the concept of this novel! It was a nice twist on the storyline of princes competing for the princess's hand. I loved the addition of the Animal Wives; they gave the novel a fresh dynamic. Mari, although she is an Animal Wife, is different from the rest; thus, she is an outsider among them.

Empress does have a bit of a love triangle, which I am not always a fan of, but this novel had an unexpected twist to this cliché that made me cackle just *a little bit*. On the topic of romance, the main pairing seemed a bit rushed and undeveloped. For me, it felt shallow, but, then again, that might have been the point.
Now for the ending: a lot happened in a very short period of time. I wish that these scenes could have been expanded and allowed readers become immersed in the action that way we could really be able to connect to the characters and the chaos.

It would have been interesting to split this book into two (yay duologies!!) in order to draw out the tension and to further develop the characters. It felt, for me, like I was watching these chapters from a distant (to be more specific, a bird's eye view). I would have loved to feel like I was part of these last few scenes, which have particularly high-stakes. Things worked out too easily, in my opinion. But there are still many unexpected twists and turns in Empress! They definitely kept me on my toes at all times.

If you are not sure about this book, please read it for its quality quotes (I wish I could write them all, but spoilers). THEY ARE AMAZING. Tons of just pure mic drops. My notes on my kindle are filled with ***, !!!!!, and lots of YESSS!!! Honestly, though, I highlighted so many lines, it got kind of ridiculous. (ahhh I can't share my favorites because major spoilers!!)

[ well, maybe I can share one of them ] 

"'We've been pushed around and forced into quiet rooms our whole lives. Nobody's ever asked us what we wanted. The prize isn't the prince. It's the power.'"

Emiko Jean draws on Japanese mythology, and those stories are intermingled with Mari, Taro, and Akira's, adding another element to Empress of All Seasons. If you love to read high-stakes fantasy novels and are on the lookout for stories featuring POC written by POC, then Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean is the book for you!

Empress of All Seasons will be released on November 6, 2018!

*Keep an eye on my blog, Lyrical Reads, for an interview with Emiko Jean closer to the publication date of Empress!