Empress of All Seasons is a fast paced YA fantasy tale that follows Mari, a young yōkai who has been trained all her life to take part in a deadly competition to choose the next Empress of Honoku. To succeed she must survive all the rooms, however, yōkai are forbidden from entering and so she must hide who she truly is. If she succeeds she can steal the Emperor’s fortune and return to her village a hero. Meanwhile Prince Taro wants nothing to do with the competition that will choose who his wife will be, instead preferring to spend time with his mechanical creations. When he has a chance encounter with Mari things begin to change and Taro begins to fight for what he believes in.

Empress of All Seasons is a book that I thought had a really intriguing concept but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me in terms of execution. The story is very very fast paced. I wanted more time to explore the season rooms and understand the different yōkai creatures. The romance also develops very quickly so it didn’t feel like there was much time to really get to know and root for the characters. I am also not a big fan of love triangles and that features in this book. As a standalone the story works quite well, but I would have liked it to be maybe a hundred pages longer in order to fully flesh things out.

I found the Japanese mythology really fascinating in the book and it was this aspect that interested me most. The characters were fine but I didn’t really connect with them. Akira was probably the character that interested me most and I enjoyed his POV as he becomes a warrior. I really enjoy competitions in stories and so the first half of the book that featured the competition gripped me a lot more than the latter half. If you enjoy fast paced YA fantasy this could be just the book for you but sadly didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I had heard a lot of good things about this book, but unfortunately I think it was just trying to do too much at once - the seasonal element alongside the 'yokai' species under the backdrop of this tournament led to confusion.

I loved this book based on Japanese mythology. The 3 main characters were so interesting and this was beautifully written. I enjoyed the setting and it was so descriptive throughout.

I think it is an excellent story for many readers. The cover is beautiful and the influence of Japanese culture was amazing the best part for me was the intro as it was so well written, engaging, and intriguing. I would highly recommend giving it a go.

I had really high hopes for this one, but I'm sad to
say this left me kinda disappointed. I originally wanted to give this 3 stars but had to lower it to 2 after I wrote this all down.
I feel like this book was too short to convey everything it wanted to. I feel like this could have really benefited from being a duology instead of just a standalone.

The premise sounded so wonderful, but I feel like the execution wasn't there. I love the whole Japanese-themed fantasy world, but the seasonal rooms felt very rushed and not a very important part of the story the way you expect them to be from the blurb.

Due to the constant character switching, I didn't feel anything for any of them, and I didn't feel anything for the pairings and love-lines either. And don't get me started on that super rushed and frankly kind of disappointing ending..

Read October 2020

This was a beautifully written, well-plotted book for the most part. I loved the mythology behind the story, the Yokai and the deities stories placed at various intervals throughout the novel. The idea of the competition through the seasons was really interesting and unique.

The characters were all well-rounded with decent voice distinction. Mari, our main narrator and Animal Wife Yokai, was easily the best. Akira, Mari's haf-Yokai best friend, was a bit of a lovestruck idiot to start with who didn't like accepting her no. He did grow as a character though which I really appreciated. Taro was just a bit of a jerk. He fell in instalove with Mari just because she didn't immediately know he was the prince. The interest in metalwork seemed to be an attempt to humanise him which failed as he was just as bad as his father and everyone else.

My biggest problem with this book by a long way was the pacing. We end a chapter with Mari and Taro meeting after she gets lost but then the next chapter opens with all the girls gathered for the competition and no explantion as to how Mari found her way. A bit more of a build up, getting ready etc would have been nice.

However that was nothing compared to the ending! All this build up and tension and setting up a rebellion that goes throughout the novel and I presumed setting up for a sequel and then... Not a lot. We'll kill off a main character for shock factor, reverse it with magic, get a few paragraphs that everything is fixed and everyone is happy the end. It was such a let down and took a 4-5 star book to a 2-3 star. I am still so peeved!

2.5 stars

I really liked the premise of "Empress of All Seasons", but this book was, unfortunately, a big disappointment.

The characters were all underdeveloped, the plot was really rushed towards the end, the resolution was laughably easy and didn't even make sense.

Empress Of All Seasons is a very enjoyable ownvoices Japanese Fantasy novel, that stood out through its intricate world building and strong characters.

After abandoning my ARC for entirely too long, I decided to get the audiobook from the library and consume this book via audio. Hanako Footman's narration was very good but it did give me a little bit of trouble with keeping apart the different points of views. As far as the writing goes, I thought that the three POVs were very easy to tell apart, it was just a struggle as it was all the same voice for three different perspectives. Once I really got to know the characters, I no longer had issues with this though. I just thought it was important to mention as it did hinder my enjoyment of the first fifth or so. But again, overall Footman's narration was very well done.

This book had incredibly intricate and fascinating world building and that was for sure my favourite part of this book, especially interwoven with the Japanese mythology. The different challenge rooms the main character had to go through were so interesting and easy to imagine. I also love the writing a lot, which I often won't notice much if I listen to audiobooks but it was so beautiful that it stood out to me anyway and there were many parts that I would've highlighted if I had read a physical copy.
And this had very strong themes of feminism and oppression that were handled very well.

My biggest criticism of this book is the insta-love. I am someone who often times doesn't really mind this trope but in this case there was so much potential for this to be an incredibly well done romance and it was just such a wasted opportunity. This absolutely could've been a five star read for me if the romance had just been a little bit more slow burn. But these characters were at a really intense point in their relationship entirely to quickly.
The characters in and of itself were all really fantastic though and I truly loved reading from their perspectives. And apart from the main romantic storyline, this had a lot of great, complex relationships that I very much enjoyed reading. Hanako ended up being my favourite character and I wish we could've read so much more about her.

Overall this was a really enjoyable read. The ending left me wanting more but it seems like there won't be a sequel, which definitely makes me sad as I would've loved to read more from these characters. This would've been a very promising first instalment in a series and I hope one day we can maybe at least get more stories from this world.

This story lives up to its interesting premise. I love the world building and fantasy setting. However, this story failed to keep me gripped the whole way through. I prefer my books to have strong characters, while Empress of all Seasons is more focused on plot. That's simply personal preference though, and as you can see many other have loved it.

I was blown by this book. This story swallow you whole. Empress of All Seasons is set in a Japanese-inspired world where every time the prince is in need of a wife, competitions to the death are held for all women—except yōkai.

“Do not let your fear decide your fate.”

You know a book is going to be popular when you receive several copies from different sources. Luckily Empress of all Seasons lived and surpassed my expectations.I feel like I've read a lot of books based on Japanese mythology and each and every single one has got better and better. Empress of all Seasons will immerse you in that world and drag you into the battle of humans vs yokai. Basically this is a bloody battle to win a prince's hand by competing in four magical seasonal rooms where not everyone makes it out alive.Mari is a yokai, and part of the animal wives clan. All her life she has been surrounded by beautiful women, who ensnare rich men for their husbands. Now Mari, the outcast of the group has the biggest prize to catch - the hand of the crown prince.Taro is her target- the crown prince and emperor in waiting. A disappointment to his father and someone who eludes a cold exterior. Someone more interested in making things than being in control like his cruel father.  One thing about Taro is that I loved him but towards the end I felt like he was slightly unbelievable. I wish that he had been portrayed better, as I feel like he was delivered a cruel blow.There is also Akira - The Son of Nightmares and Hanako - Weapons Master. Both have significant roles in the story and are determined to stop the enslavement of the yokai.This was an enthralling read and had me gripped. I loved the story of the yokai and the introduction of different clans.  I honestly cannot wait to see what Emiko brings next to the book world.

Every generation the empress of Honoku is chosen through a competition - to win the prince, the girls must survive the four enchanted seasonal rooms in the palace.
The competition is open to all except the supernatural creatures called the yokai, who are enslaved by the emperor.
Mira has trained for years to become the next empress, but she has a secret that could ruin her chance of marrying the prince - Mira is a yokai with the ability to turn into a terrible monster.

The blurb of Empress of all Seasons really intrigued me.
Mira and Taro were interesting characters, but I wasn't that fond of Akira or the Weapons Master (who I found particularly annoying).
The setting was interesting and I liked the idea of seasonal rooms and the yokai, especially the Animal Wives.
I wasn't a big fan of the romance - it seemed a bit rushed to me but I can see why the two of them would be so drawn to each other.
Up until two thirds of the way through this was a 3.5 star read, but then everything fell apart - there was some odd wording and some conversations that were a bit jarring.
The plot was good overall, but the competition didn't last as long as I thought it would. There were a couple of times where I thought that things that happened were convenient. For example, I was really surprised that the emperor didn't have all the girls tested to check that they weren't yokai seeing as he was so anti-yokai.
I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more. I feel like it didn't quite live up to its potential.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

I really wanted to love this book but despite a promising start and the odd brilliant moment I’m afraid this was more of an okay read rather than something special. I’m starting to think that YA fantasy just doesn’t work as a standalone and if this had been developed into a series it could have been so much better. As a single book, and not a particularly long one, there’s just not enough space for everything the author tries to do. Characters are under developed and rather flat, the action feels rushed at times and there’s a general lack of emotion throughout which left me feeling unsatisfied and occasionally confused.

That’s not to say it’s bad, I think a lot of readers will enjoy it (for the most part I did). The start of the story is wonderful, I loved the diversity in the characters, I loved the Japanese influences and the way the author weaved mythology through the story. The world building is also very well done and the characters likeable. I just feel like the story tries to be too big and ends up a little lacking. If the author had kept it simpler or expanded it to develop the characters and the relationships between them I think it would have worked so much better. I never felt emotionally invested and while there are many scenes which should have been big and powerful, they're over so quickly I didn't feel them. And don't even get me started on the ending.

I do think the author shows promise and I'll definitely look out for whatever she writes next but I'm afraid this story was a bit disappointing.

I thought that this was a very well plotted novel that did some great world building in a short amount of time. It tells the story of Mari as she prepares to compete in a tournament to win the hand of the prince. Firstly, I like tournaments, so I was also going to be sold on this format. There is a real video game feel to some of the action as Mari must fight her way through various levels/rooms, but the writing never feels light and the tone is always serious. The world that Jean has constructed here is really well realised and I loved the different yokai abilities. The characters are a little one dimensional at times, but this is very much a plot driven narrative and the story is compelling throughout. All in all, this was a really enjoyable book and I will look forward to reading more from Jean in the future.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I love how much Asian YA I'm seeing at the moment! 2018 and 2019 have been great for diverse books and I hope that trend grows and grows. This was a great read, very atmospheric. I only wished there was more of a focus on the trials, which were the most intriguing part of the summary for me.

The Empress of All Seasons has given me some big feelings. I do not understand why there is not more hype surrounding this book, it’s fantastic! Finishing this book made my heart feel so full. I mean towards the end I feel like I was tabbing empowering quotes every other page. Seriously, I did not realise how much I needed this book in my life until I read it.

The story is told across three points of view. The first, Mari is a young yōkai who is on a dangerous mission to enter a dangerous competition, the winner marries the prince, and becomes Empress, but if she is discovered, her life will be forfeit. Mari has never fit in amongst her own kind, and feels a pressure to prove herself. I really enjoyed her chapters, I love an interesting heroine, and Mari is such a complicated and well-developed character. The second perspective is that of Taro, the prince whose wife will be decided by the competition. He has no desire to become the Emperor, and would much rather spend his time inventing things. Finally there is Akira, Mari’s friend, a half yōkai outcast, who follows Mari to the capital, and stumbles upon a group of yōkai rebels.

One of my favourite things about this book is the way all the story-lines and perspectives came together. This story is really well crafted, and the result is a book that I had a lot of trouble putting down. The world was rich and beautifully developed, I didn’t want to leave it behind when the book ended. This is a book that has stayed with me in the weeks since finishing it, and I would definitely recommend picking it up if you enjoy the fantasy genre.

🌷 I really came to love all the characters. We get a lot of insight into them and all of them had their flaws and vulnerabilities. Mari is a yokai Animal wife who has never fit in, as she’s not as pretty as the other women of her tribe and especially her mother is incredibly hard on her. However, she has been trained in weapons instead and now plans to secure the position of empress for them, even though yokai are forbidden from participating in the competition. I liked seeing her struggles and how strong she was becoming. Taro is even more flawed, he is not the man his father wanted him to be – he likes to build things and is considered too emotional. He might seem like he’s better than his yokai hating father, but there’s a difference between having good intentions and carrying out. His character got especially interesting the end of the book! Akira also really grew on me as well. He was such a loyal friend, struggling a lot with his self-worth, something I could easily relate to. The Son of Nightmares never had the best life and still is not as in control, as his title would suggest. He sets out to prove himself worthy and finds himself there!

🌷 The relationships were very well handled. There was a bit of a love triangle, but this was one of the rare times it was actually done well, because it’s not the focus of the story at all and doesn’t revolve around any drama, jealous or the main character having to choose. Mari is very clear on her feelings and we certainly know that she does not have feelings for her childhood friends like he’d want to. They are both still close and share a special bond, just not romantic. It’s true that Akira wants to prove he’s worth of her, but he doesn’t get magically paired up with someone else, but instead learns to recognize his own self-worth and find something to fight for. Mari and Taro’s relationship was very interesting indeed, but also incredibly flawed due to their different natures, meaning it changed quite a lot, but was also realistic as they did not know the other as well after all. The only thing that bothered me was the insta-love between the two of them, as it was so unrealistic. Taro literally changes his entire plans when he randomly meets Mari, which made no sense. His convictions run so deep it should have taken something huge to change his goals, so his sudden change of mind had no strong reason.

🌷 The worldbuilding was so interesting and refreshing. I really liked how the world was set up and there was so much hidden potential that I think would have made for a fantastic Series, as we have all these characters and abilities! I especially wanted to see even more of the yokai, the ‘monsters’ with their special gifts that are hunted and enslaved by the human society. The book mentioned a lot of the different races, but there were so many mentions that I really would have loved to see a sequel and get to know all of the yokai more in-depth. I definitely liked them as a concept and felt with their struggles of either having to stay hidden or being treated like slaves and bound their entire lives. The world is rich with conflict as there is lots of hatred for those who are different and we see first hand how that can look like. Another thing I liked was of course the Season competition with all the girls trying to conquer the four seasons to win the hand of the prince. That’s what initially drew me in, as I really liked seeing that battle, as it was very tough. It was also portrayed with a healthy dose of realism as a lot of girls died.

🌷 The plotline overall was … intense and pretty wild to be honest. I didn’t have any issue with the beginning of the book being more character-driven and slow-paced, as it set up all the characters and their stakes, making me get to know them and care about their lives. Towards the end the plot definitely got more suspenseful and had me on the edge of my seat, as I had no idea how things would end, it really could have gone either way and that added to the finale of the book being very well done! There was a healthy mix between the Seasons competition and the brewing rebellion of the yokai against their human slavers! My only complaint here is that this book had SO much potential for a sequel, but then wrapped up the entire possible plot for another book in a couple of pages. Oftentimes we wish for Series to end sooner, but this one was a book that DEFINITELY should have gotten sequel, maybe even been a Trilogy! I saw so much potential and I’m a bit sad that all of it got squashed at the end, as the ending felt very much rushed and hurried with so much telling instead of actually giving us more time to explore the rebellion.

IN CONCLUSION: Empress of All Seasons was a fresh, unique fantasy book with many lovable, but flawed characters that I found deeply fascinating and interesting. The world was lush and just what I wanted to read about, dealing with enslavement and what happens when hatred runs free. There are lots of things I appreciated about the book and it had all the potential for a sequel, but sadly that was cut short at the end.

"I want to be brave. I want to be worthy of love. I want to live in the life"

* * *
3 / 5

I think Empress of All Seasons is just unfortunate in that I read it shortly after having read Girls of Paper and Fire which tackles a similar plotline - a girl aiming (or not) to become empress with some peculiar sort of non-human species featured - but was just much more engaging and impressive. Empress is a solid book in its own right, but wasn't particularly surprising. 

"Sometimes words are so much more difficult to form than fists"

Mari is a yokai, a kind of monster despised by society. The Emperor is cruel, power hungry, and he enslaves the yokai. When he hosts a competition to find a wife for his son and heir, Mari is urged by her mother to enter the tournament, win, and pull off the greatest heist her village has ever seen. Taro, son of the emperor, is a brilliant inventor, Too brilliant. His father uses his inventions to enslave and control the yokai populations and is a terrible and cruel parent. 

There's also Akira, a scarred but beautiful boy who follows Mari around. He isn't particularly memorable. But the main point of excitement in this book is the competition: there are hundreds of competitors, beautiful and strong women, who must face four rooms. One for each season, but all designed to push the competitors to their limits and to produce just one winner. But not all of them are as they seem. Amongst the women are members of the yokai resistance, including Weapons Master Hanako. 

"Beloved by nature. Revered by her husband. An Empress of All Seasons."

I loved the competition. I also liked Mari a lot - her people are valued for being beautiful and Mari is not. So she picks up a sword and learns to find a different kind of strength. I liked the aspects of Japanese mythology woven throughout the novel. I wasn't a fan of the love triangle or the seemingly instant infatuation, and my enjoyment suffered from having read a very similar book recently that I thought was more original, adding more twists to the narrative. 

Empress of all Seasons is an enjoyable, action-packed read. It didn't surprise me, but it did entertain me.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of Empress of all Seasons

I adored the mythology in this book. The way in which Emiko Jean has built this fantastical, beautiful world meant that I felt as though I was within the pages! It was truly a magical experience. The characters are diverse and complicated and enthralling. I loved the emotional entanglements and how the author dealt with it. The characters are really what makes this book. I just wanted to read on to get to the personal interactions. I felt invested in the story!

If you love mythology and in depth characters then this is the book for you. Great read.