Justinian Huang is debuting as a novelist with The Emperor and the Endless Palace, which will be published on March 26.
As Huang describes it, this genre-bending spicy “romantasy” novel tells the story of two lovers who find each other across different lifetimes – from the Han Dynasty in 4 BCE to the mid-1700s to present-day Los Angeles. Per the synopsis:
“Across these seemingly unrelated timelines woven together only by the twists and turns of fate, two men are reborn, lifetime after lifetime. Within the treacherous walls of an ancient palace and the boundless forests of the Asian wilderness to the heart-pounding cement floors of underground rave scenes, our lovers are inexplicably drawn to each other, constantly tested by the worlds around them.
As their many lives intertwine, they begin to realize the power of their undying love—a power that transcends time itself…but one that might consume them both.”
The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a novel that includes AAPI and LGBTQ representation and has received several positive reviews. Booklist described it as “a sweeping triumph in queer romance,” while Publishers Weekly deemed it a “mesmerizing debut” not to be missed.
Huang is the son of immigrants and grew up in California. Before becoming a novelist, he was a career film executive, working at Sony Pictures Animation and DreamWorks Pearl in Shanghai. Among the major films he worked on were Kung Fu Panda 3, Abominable, and Academy Award-nominated Over the Moon.
