Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that highlights pre-publication/upcoming releases that readers cannot wait to get their hands on. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.
Title: Empress of All Seasons
Author: Emiko Jean
Publication date: November 6, 2018
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Synopsis
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 yōkai, 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 yōkai 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-yōkai 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 fantasy.
rants and raves of a bibliophile 
This sounds incredible. I love the idea of the setting and I’m always down for a book that revolves around competition of some sort. I’ll be sure to keep this one on my radar!
Yay! I just discovered the book through Goodreads last week, and was like WHOA, I need this book!
Oh, this one sounds right up my alley!
Only a few more months until it releases…EKKK!