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The Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace's enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. All are eligible to compete--all except yokai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy. Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a yokai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit. As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari's fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yokai outcast. Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, the choices of Mari, Taro, and Akira will decide the fate of Honoku in this beautifully written, edge-of-your-seat YA...
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A Thief in the Night by KJ Charles (Gentle Art World #1)

Toby never meant to be a highway robber, but needs must. He didn’t plan to impersonate a top London valet either, but when the chance comes to present himself as the earl of Arvon’s new gentleman's gentleman, he grabs it. Unfortunately, the earl is the man he seduced and robbed on the road to get here. Oops.

Miles, Lord Arvon, is not impressed. But he’s faced with a tumbledown home and lost family fortune, and desperate times call for desperate measures. Toby—shameless, practical, and definitely desperate—may be just the man he needs.

To steal back a priceless bracelet, that is. What else were you thinking?

COVER ARTIST: Elizabeth Turner Stokes
PUBLISHER: KJC Books
YEAR: 2022
LENGTH: 91 pages
AGE: Adult
GENRE: Historical, Romance
RECOMMENDED: Yes

Queer Rep Summary: Gay/Achillean Main Character(s), Bi/Pan Main Character(s), Trans Minor Character(s).

A THIEF IN THE NIGHT follows the older brother of the protagonist from THE GENTLE ART OF FORTUNE HUNTING. For me, it was a pretty light read, though it does touch on themes of war and addiction that take place off-page. There's very little time between the initial incident where Toby tricks Miles by stealing his watch, and when they meet again. I read this pretty quickly and had a great time, though I'm looking forward to the more substantial entries in the main series, as this is definitely a companion to the first book rather than a full sequel on its own. It's clearly meant to be just that, and it's a testament to KJ Charles' writing that I so consistently enjoy her work.

This is pretty complete as a novella, with room for some complexity, but not a ton of depth. As a kind of sequel, this addresses a loose end from THE GENTLE ART OF FORTUNE HUNTING. Rob and his sister have an older brother who they haven't seen in years. That brother turns out to be one half of the main couple in this book. Other than the family connection, this storyline in A THIEF IN THE NIGHT is completely new and separate from the first book. The issue of Miles' inheritance is introduced and resolved, and I am eager for the possibility of a sibling reunion in a future volume of the main series. As for the reading order, I think this could be read interchangeably with the first book, but both should be read before THE DUKE AT HAZARD.

If you like this you may like:

  • One Night in Hartswood by Emma Denny

Moderate CW for alcohol, sexual content.

Minor CW for homophobia, neglect, child abuse, war, death.

Fantastic Fiction

Two men in a moonlit room, one is dressed in a waistcoat and shirt, holding a pocket watch behind his back. The other is more formally dressed in a red coat, reaching behind the first man to try and grab the watch.


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