Never Hollowed By The Stare

Emperor’s Assassin: Betrothed To The Emperor – Kai Butler

I was born to kill the emperor, but first, I must marry him.

I trained as an assassin while my twin sister trained to be the empress. My life will be forfeit once I murder the most powerful man on the continent, but I have no choice. If I fail, the Imperium will consume our nation and anyone who rises against them.

Too soon, we walk into the glittering imperial court, each step taking us closer to the dangerous man on the black throne, my sister’s future husband, the newly crowned Emperor of the Southern Imperium. Emperor Tallu has more spies than fish in the sea. He poisoned his own father to secure the golden crown.

When his sharp eyes skim over us, they don’t catch on my sister. They land on me, his killer.

“I choose you, Prince Airón of the Northern Kingdom. You will be my consort.” Tallu’s smile is mirthless. “Or I will reduce your entire nation to ashes.”

Betrothed to the Emperor ends with more story to tell, but the characters end on a HFN.

Betrothed To The Emperor opens Kai Butler’s epic Emperor’s Assassin series with a riveting blend of court intrigue, assassination plots, and enemies-to-lovers romance

Prince Airon and his twin sister arrive at the Southern Imperium intending for the princess to wed Emperor Tallu. Instead, Tallu shocks them by choosing Airon. Trained from birth as an assassin, Airon suddenly finds himself betrothed to his target. Yet Tallu proves far more complex than expected, revealing secrets that upend Airon’s mission.

I dove in blind—simply because Michael Ferraiuolo was narrating—and devoured the entire audiobook in one sitting. I was so engrossed I even listened while working (don’t tell my boss).

Fantasy is a tough read for my lazy reader brain because I have to deal with clunky descriptions. Here, the world-building seamlessly set the customs, culture, dress, and court of the Southern Imperium in the narrative with minimal info-dump.

The Southern Imperium is vaguely Chinese-inspired, the court brimming with ritual gestures of respect. Magic is present, and mages from the imperium, including the emperor, are able to generate lightning, which they use for combat. Other lands that the imperium has conquered have air mages and other types of magic exist.

Airon is from the Northern Kingdom, a snow-covered land reminiscent of Siberia. The Northerners fought hard for their independence, and their fighting style is designed to counter the electromages of the South.

The story is in Airon POV and seeing the court through his perspective heightens the intrigue. There is a constant feeling of anticipation and a sense of mystery. His conflicted attraction to Tallu fueled the tension, while court politics and the emperor’s hidden motives kept me guessing.

I love seemingly cold characters showing subtle hints of feelings that run deep. Tallu himself is an enigma—aloof yet quietly tender to Airon, his rare gestures carrying squee-tastic Mariana Trench–level depth. I loved the emperor so much! He absolutely made the book for me!

One of my favorites is during the wedding preparation, where Airon’s maids were arranging his hair. It’s a Southern Imperium custom for the groom to give his intended jewels for their hair, the number of pieces reflecting the feelings. Tallu giving Airon an entire jewelry box full of gems for his hair hit me straight in the kokoro!

“Because what you are is valuable. You are a treasure… and I am Emperor of the Southern Imperium. I know how to treat treasure.”

Though attraction sparks instantly, the romance simmers, teasing us with a delicious will-they-or-won’t-they dance. The slow burn perfectly amplifies the chemistry, making each revelation more impactful. They might be born enemies but I loved how they are at their best when they are together, an alliance that will change the fate of the world.

The book ends with a cliffhanger. Kai Butler did a spectacular job introducing Tallu and Airon and giving us exciting threads to follow for the next installments. Grabbing Book 2 now!

Overall, Betrothed To The Emperor is a story of known enemies and unlikely allies. The gripping plot, the captivating, hella swoony romance, the characters I rooted hard for, and the fact that I couldn’t put the book down made this a solid 5 imperial stars!

Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfect

Soundtrack: Risk
Artist: Deftones
Album: Diamond Eyes

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