Summary: Mari is not conventionally pretty so her mother trains her to be a warrior instead. She is
an animal wife yokai whose sole purpose in life is to make a man fall in love her. Once she has his
heart, she steals his riches and abandons him. Her mother has trained her for the ultimate prize:
winning the heart of the prince. Mari is clever and strong but her status as a yokai puts her at risk.
The Emperor despises the yokai and seeks their complete annihilation. Mari must survive the
competition that takes her through the rooms of the Palace of Illusions. Each room corresponds with
a season: Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring, and is filled with deadly monsters and traps. She must
not only survive but beat the rest of the competitors to become Empress. Mari must maintain the
illusion she is in an ordinary girl or risk certain death. She focuses her attention on winning and
returning home to her village with the spoils. Complicating matters, Mari develops strong romantic
feelings for Taro the “cold prince.” Her friend from the village, Akira has her back but he worries
about Mari’s shifting loyalties.
Straight Talk for Librarians: The mark of an excellent book is the deep desire of the reader to
savor it. I slowed the pace of my reading and reread passages that spoke to me. I am absolutely
floored by the brilliance of this novel. The interwoven stories of Mari, Akira, and Taro create a
compelling tale of love, loyalty and fate. The various plot lines are strong and the pacing is spot on. The writing has a beautiful, lyrical quality rarely seen in young adult novels. Even the minor
characters are memorable. Empress of All Seasons contains some darker moments and deeper
themes that might be difficult for younger readers to process. Jean masterfully combines Japanese
Mythology, romance and adventure into an incredible novel. It's a YA masterpiece. My only regret
was finishing it.
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