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aprilius_maximus's review against another edition
4.0
"Do not let fear decide your fate."
representation: own voices Japanese inspired world and characters, f/f side relationship.
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
★★★★
This was so different than what I was expecting! It had some hunger games vibes and some avatar vibes, while also doing its own thing implementing Japanese folklore. I also loved the feminist themes and the unexpected ending! Didn't see that one coming!
trigger warnings: violence, sexism, terrible parents, animal death, sacrificial deaths of newborn babies, loss of a parent (in the past due to childbirth), snakes, spiders, cyclone, death of a queer character, drowning, murder, gore, fire, explosions.
representation: own voices Japanese inspired world and characters, f/f side relationship.
[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]
★★★★
This was so different than what I was expecting! It had some hunger games vibes and some avatar vibes, while also doing its own thing implementing Japanese folklore. I also loved the feminist themes and the unexpected ending! Didn't see that one coming!
trigger warnings: violence, sexism, terrible parents, animal death, sacrificial deaths of newborn babies, loss of a parent (in the past due to childbirth), snakes, spiders, cyclone, death of a queer character, drowning, murder, gore, fire, explosions.
sprinklesofdreams's review against another edition
2.0
“Not everyone is all good or all bad.”
Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a spot on the blog tour and promotion of the book.
cat_brewsandreviews's review against another edition
3.0
Okay, so there were things I really liked about this book, like the different yokai and the setting, and I'll admit, I am a bit of a sucker for a competition. Though I really can't stand the love story where the guy thinks the girl's betrayed him and then turns into everything she thought he wouldn't be storyline. It's so tropey and I hate it. Saying that, the ending saved the book for me and left the story on a better note. So, in conclusion, good beginning, shaky middle-to-end and a potentially redeeming ending. So, a solid three stars from me.
theuncorkedlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Empress Of All Seasons by Emiko Jean is a new YA feminist fantasy novel featuring much needed diversity in teen fiction. Pairing Japanese folklore with dystopian adventure, follow along with Animal Wife Mari as she fights to become Empress of all Seasons. Love, betrayal, prejudice, war–Empress Of All Seasons has it all. See the full review on The Uncorked Librarian: https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com/empress-of-all-seasons/
the_leaving_moon's review against another edition
3.0
(We received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
In Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean, Mari’s world is split into two kinds of people—magical creatures and spirits called Yokai, and the humans who oppress and enslave them. Although she is a yokai, Mari has trained her whole life to conquer the four seasons and become the empress, hiding her identity. But leaving her safe mountain town for the capital city has shown her how harsh life truly is for the other yokai, and the prince shows a tenderness that gives her hope for the future. Can Mari conquer the seasons, and if she does, can she betray the prince she’s come to care for?
We reviewed this book on our 11/09 ep. of the YA Café Podcast.
Some highlights from our non-spoiler section:
*1:00 Fans of The Hunger Games and The Selection will enjoy this book
*1:55 We loved the folklore inspiration
*5:24 Mari’s secret identity
Be sure to check out the rest of the episode!
In Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean, Mari’s world is split into two kinds of people—magical creatures and spirits called Yokai, and the humans who oppress and enslave them. Although she is a yokai, Mari has trained her whole life to conquer the four seasons and become the empress, hiding her identity. But leaving her safe mountain town for the capital city has shown her how harsh life truly is for the other yokai, and the prince shows a tenderness that gives her hope for the future. Can Mari conquer the seasons, and if she does, can she betray the prince she’s come to care for?
We reviewed this book on our 11/09 ep. of the YA Café Podcast.
Some highlights from our non-spoiler section:
*1:00 Fans of The Hunger Games and The Selection will enjoy this book
*1:55 We loved the folklore inspiration
*5:24 Mari’s secret identity
Be sure to check out the rest of the episode!
ashley1901's review against another edition
3.0
I feel meh about this book. I listened on audio and it was hard to keep up with the different POVs which might affect my feelings for the book. I thought it was okay.
doggonebookaddict's review against another edition
2.5
2.5/5 stars
I was really unimpressed with this book. When I started, I was intrigued with the world and the rules in the society our main characters came from. It almost felt like a mix between The Hunger Games and The Selection.
However, the pacing of this story was way too rushed! Each room for the seasons only lasted one chapter, maybe two for one of them, and I feel like we didn’t get enough details on what was happening.
Honestly, I felt like this should have been split and made a duology, only so that maybe we could have gotten full details and been able to delve into the characters a bit more, as I felt like none of them were particularly fleshed out.
What started out as interesting became a rushed bit of craziness that didn’t always make sense. I’m very sad I disliked it.
I was really unimpressed with this book. When I started, I was intrigued with the world and the rules in the society our main characters came from. It almost felt like a mix between The Hunger Games and The Selection.
However, the pacing of this story was way too rushed! Each room for the seasons only lasted one chapter, maybe two for one of them, and I feel like we didn’t get enough details on what was happening.
Honestly, I felt like this should have been split and made a duology, only so that maybe we could have gotten full details and been able to delve into the characters a bit more, as I felt like none of them were particularly fleshed out.
What started out as interesting became a rushed bit of craziness that didn’t always make sense. I’m very sad I disliked it.
gothpanda's review against another edition
3.0
There's a lot to like in this Japanese-inspired fantasy epic: the unique and lush setting, the struggle of subjugated monsters against their human oppressors, a strong female protagonist who makes her way by fighting instead of through more traditional feminine ways.
Unfortunately, there were also a few places where the novel didn't quite hit the mark. The pace is incredibly quick, especially toward the end, leaving me feeling like this was meant to be a trilogy that hot squished into one novel. The prose itself is practical to the point of being choppy and off-putting, with little poetry. Between the fast pace and the choppy writing, I had a hard time caring about the characters or believing their emotional arcs. Akira manages to become a skilled ninja overnight. Taro and Mari fall in love--and out of it again--in a matter of a few pages, so quickly I got mental whiplash.
And while the story itself has some admirable themes, nothing is left to subtext, leaving me feeling like the author was writing down to her YA audience. I hope Emiko Jean's next novel will make better use of her skills in world building and character creation, both of which are strong.
Unfortunately, there were also a few places where the novel didn't quite hit the mark. The pace is incredibly quick, especially toward the end, leaving me feeling like this was meant to be a trilogy that hot squished into one novel. The prose itself is practical to the point of being choppy and off-putting, with little poetry. Between the fast pace and the choppy writing, I had a hard time caring about the characters or believing their emotional arcs. Akira manages to become a skilled ninja overnight. Taro and Mari fall in love--and out of it again--in a matter of a few pages, so quickly I got mental whiplash.
And while the story itself has some admirable themes, nothing is left to subtext, leaving me feeling like the author was writing down to her YA audience. I hope Emiko Jean's next novel will make better use of her skills in world building and character creation, both of which are strong.
laceanddaggerbooks's review against another edition
1.0
I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I try to never DNF ARCs because I want to give a full honest review. But where e-books take me little time, I've been dragging through this one for days. At 64% I give up.
I love that this is a Japanese fantasy novel by a Japanese person. I love all the yokai and finding out varieties I've never heard of before. I loved Hanako. I even enjoyed the gods sections.
But everything else was so dull.
I didn't feel for Mari, like Akira or trust Taro. So much about this book felt fast and predictable. I wanna have more good things to say but I just kept rolling my eyes.
This book wasn't for me but if you're looking for first steps into some Japanese fantasy then I would recommend checking this out. It opens your eyes to the yokai and that was awesome.
It's just a shame I didn't love the rest.
I try to never DNF ARCs because I want to give a full honest review. But where e-books take me little time, I've been dragging through this one for days. At 64% I give up.
I love that this is a Japanese fantasy novel by a Japanese person. I love all the yokai and finding out varieties I've never heard of before. I loved Hanako. I even enjoyed the gods sections.
But everything else was so dull.
I didn't feel for Mari, like Akira or trust Taro. So much about this book felt fast and predictable. I wanna have more good things to say but I just kept rolling my eyes.
This book wasn't for me but if you're looking for first steps into some Japanese fantasy then I would recommend checking this out. It opens your eyes to the yokai and that was awesome.
It's just a shame I didn't love the rest.