Empress of All Seasons

September 15, 2018
A contest to choose the next empress of Honoku has three characters making decisions that will shape the empire and the fate of an enslaved people.The empress of Honoku has always been chosen from among human women, through a contest of surviving the elements and demon yokai of the seasonal rooms of the imperial palace. Mari is from the clan of Animal Wife yokai, strikingly beautiful women who appear human but who also have a monstrous yokai form. They marry human men and abscond with their possessions to support the clan. Because Mari is plain, she is trained in combat from an early age to enter the competition and steal the imperial fortune--a huge risk, as many of the contestants die, and if her true identity is discovered, death is certain. Since the death of the empress, yokai have been hunted down, killed, and enslaved with impunity. Akira, son of a ghost-yokai and foreign human father, and in love with Mari, follows her to the city and is recruited into the yokai resistance. Despite his resentment in being a prize, prince Taro also finds himself drawn to Mari. The author uses Japanese folklore elements to effectively craft an engaging story that also questions the power structures of heaven and earth, male and female, human and yokai.A narrative that will engage fans of the genre with a much-needed non-Western setting. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-18)

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October 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-This fantasy is steeped in Japanese folklore that offers readers an exciting, plot-driven, anime-style tale. Mari, a yõkai, a supernatural monster and spirit, is trained from childhood by her mother to compete to become Empress of Honoku. Mari's clan is the Animal Wives, which consists of cunning, beautiful, and cold yõkai that enchant human men, marry them, and rob them, then return to their village with their husbands' riches. During the competition, all except yõkai are eligible to compete. As Mari competes to survive the palace's enchanted seasonal winter rooms (winter, spring, summer, and fall) in order to marry the Prince, she struggles to keep her identity a secret as she is torn between duty and love. Jean presents a story written from three points of view: Mari, the main character; Akira, her best friend; and Taro, the future emperor. Snippets of tales from the legends of the gods who created the yõkai and humans are interwoven to enrich the events within the narrative. This well-written fantasy will keep teens engaged. VERDICT Recommended for fans of Victoria Aveyard's "Red Queen" series and Cindy Pon's Serpentine. A strong purchase for YA shelves.-Angelina Bair, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, OH

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August 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 The story within the pages of this truly magical book reads like a fairy tale and centers around Mari, a member of a remote, all-female village of animal wives?yokai (shape-shifting) women who survive by transforming into monsters and stealing men's hearts and treasure. Mari's life plan has always been to win the competition to marry the prince of Honoku and become empress. To do so, she must conquer four enchanted seasonal rooms, while hiding her yokai nature. Jean's incredible world building reflects her Japanese heritage, from the richly described landscapes of the animal wives' home to the city of Honoku to the seasonal rooms. Action, romance, family, and self-discovery are all parts of Mari's journey, and she is not alone in her complexity. Indeed, Prince Taro and members of his family are all intricate characters. One of the most appealing attributes of this novel is its singularity. In a genre that is quick to make trilogies and quartets, this is laudable as a standalone that fully tells its story within a single volume. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)