Review by Booklist Review
Huang's debut novel is a sweeping triumph in queer romance. Mixing aspects of historical fiction, folklore, erotica, and fantasy, this reincarnation romance beautifully weaves together three stories across three time lines, from ancient China to modern-day Los Angeles. At first, the stories are seemingly unrelated. A lascivious courtier in 4 BCE is hired to seduce the emperor. An innkeeper in the eighteenth century is haunted by spirits. A medical school student has finally come out and is exploring his sexuality. Each engrossing time line propels readers forward as the pieces slowly fall into place and the connections across time are revealed. The first of a planned trilogy, The Emperor and the Endless Palace is an M/M romance with a unique style that is both lyrical and contemporary, and that perfectly conveys the themes of love, power, betrayal, and loyalty that resonate throughout.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
At once page-turning and deeply thoughtful, Huang's excellent debut conjures a sweeping gay love story that unfolds across multiple timelines. In 4 BCE China, a low-ranking clerk is tasked with capturing the young emperor's attention. The assignment initiates a story of love and betrayal, destined to echo through centuries. In 1740 China, an isolated and curious innkeeper is drawn to assist an intriguing young man and his grandmother, which requires bringing in the help of a former lover. Finally, present-day L.A. sees a semi-closeted college student drawn into queer high society by a mysterious artist who has, somehow, captured the student's face over the ages. As Huang toggles between periods, these seemingly unrelated narratives intricately weave together, revealing a powerful story of romance reincarnated that feels impressively epic in scope, given the limited page count. Drawing deeply from Chinese history and myth to create a central couple readers will have no choice but to root for, this mesmerizing debut is not to be missed. Agent: Dan Milaschewski, UTA. (Mar.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT In the year 4 BCE, during the Han dynasty, a lowly but ambitious court clerk is manipulated by the Grand Empress Dowager into seducing her grandson, the emperor. Calculated seduction turns into true love, but their relationship may not survive court politics. In 1740, an innkeeper unknowingly hosts a fox spirit in human form who is searching for a rare medicine. The innkeeper agrees to help find this medicine and in the process discovers the mutable line between love and betrayal. In present-day Los Angeles, a medical student meets a gorgeous artist at a circuit party. They're complete strangers, and yet something between them feels familiar and true. Each timeline is well developed, although three plots in a short novel means that the ending roars up quite suddenly and all at once. VERDICT Huang's opulent debut novel is a queer m/m reimagining of Chinese folklore that tells a mystical story of star-crossed lovers who chase true love and atonement across thousands of lifetimes.--Maria Martin
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