Name: The Poet Empress
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Shen Tao
Publisher: Bramble
Format: Kindle / Hardback
Genres: Adult, Historical Fantasy, Romance
🌶️: Not particularly, but it’s referenced 🌶️
😭: Not ashamed to admit I sobbed
Rating:
Synopsis: Goodreads
In the waning years of the Azalea Dynasty, the emperor is dying, the land consumed by famine, and poetry magic lost to all except the powerful.
Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves.
Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel heir of the beautiful and brutal Azalea House.
But in a twist of fate, the palace stands on the knife-edge of civil war with Wei trapped in its center…at the side of a violent prince.
To survive, Wei must harden her heart, rely on her wit, and become dangerous herself. Even if it means becoming a poet in a world where women are forbidden to read—and composing the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of death…and love.
Review:
I did not know much going into The Poet Empress – it was a book club book that I had really wanted to pick up after it seemed like everyone in the book space was raving about this book. I did miss the book club on it, but after finally managing to get my hands on the US edition of this (and then it going on sale on Kindle in the UK…) I was finally able to read it!
It’s a stand alone about a girl who becomes a concubine to a Crown Prince, hoping that she can aid her family and her village… and somehow somewhere along the way she decides that she is going to learn a forbidden (to women) magic and kill the Crown Prince.
Looking at it, that kind of seems like I’m going into the book knowing so much but after coming out the other side of this one, I can confirm I did not know much going in. We’re following Wei as she begs to be thrust into a world she has no idea how to survive in just for the chance of being able to send aid to her loved ones… even if it will cost her her own life to do so. That Crown Prince? Not known for being kind. So she knows she is taking a risk doing this, but she does it anyway…
I loved the way this story was written, as Wei is trying to uncover enough information to enact her plan, we’re also very slowly learning about the truth of what has happened in this ruling family. But Shen Tao writes in such a way that she can be telling you what happened and you still don’t know what can be trusted and what can’t be. I was 100% gaslit into thinking everything was exactly as it seemed, I figured I knew exactly how the book was going to end at like 60% and still, STILL, Shen Tao tricked me.
I love her for it. Did I mention this is a DEBUT NOVEL! I don’t feel like it’s very often that you read a debut and you’re immediate response upon finishing it is 5 FREAKING STARS WHEN CAN I REREAD? But that was my reaction. I had to stop myself from going back to the first page so I could read it again. Not because I was wondering if there were hints along the way for the true story, but because I loved the characters, the magic and the writing so much that I was willing to go on that journey again…
Even though I sobbed. For I think 10 chapters straight. And then after that when I thought I was okay, the tears didn’t really stop. They just silently fell down my face instead. This was a heartbreaking story, but it was beautfiul too. I think this is going to be 2026’s Blood Over Bright Haven… this is the book I’m going to be begging everyone to read.
“…don’t you know? Sometimes fiction is more important than the truth.”
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