The Poet Empress

Shen Tao's first novel is an obsessive read. Once you start, you will not want to put it down. Prepare to clear your calendar and settle in for an exceptional read.

This is maybe the best book of 2026, so far for me. It’s characters are so wonderfully crafted to where you will feel every emotion. It is all the rage, female rage. And it really needs to be a movie.

i finished this one the same day as snake eater but i need space in between reviews (spoiler: it is indeed, a banger of a book). -
here's my review finally! (i had the urge to play tomb raider again i'm back now hehe)

This is a beautiful beautiful book. It has very graphic scenes and heavy subjects, which i thought were handled so well but still do check content warnings to stay safe <3

I was afraid of where the book was going, how it would reconcile the premise with the journey we were on and i was not disappointed in the least.
I deeply appreciate how our main character Wei's focus was challenged. It allowed for such a detailed nuanced deeply personal exploration of our characters, these siblings' story, while still reflecting with as much dedication on the political and social questions the book centers.

Each character felt so real and essential because of how broad the stakes are. As for the prose it is captivating, simple in a sense (direct might be a better word?) yet beautiful.
I didn't get the same emotional experience as a lot of people whose review i saw in passing seem to have, but oh my it was still such a beautiful one if less intense. Because it absolutely didn't lessen the impact this book had on me.

I highly recommend trying this out if you can !

If I could give this infinity stars, I would. This book is devastating and beautiful and sad and hopeful. It is sad happy. Its deals with themes of succession, political intrigue, family dynamics. Its fantasy but so much more than that. In part it answers the question, are monsters born or made? What you think you would do in Wei's place is not what you might do by the end. I was torn. It felt like the right answer and the wrong answer. I dont think i can do this book justice with a description. I'll forever be thinking about the following words from this book: "That timid and affectionate child, the one who wanted to heal and protect everything—nobody had loved him back. Not his mother, certainly not his father—and, at the end of it all, not even his brother." “I’m the only one who gets to take your life.” It might have been the most romantic thing he’d ever said to me, and I was startled into bitter, self-pitying laughter. I think everyone should experience this book

I thought I had found my favorite book of January and then I read this. The Poet Empress is a beautifully composed story with phenomenal writing, style, and formatting that had me wanting to never put it down. Shen Tao has easily become a new favorite Author of mine.

The Poet Empress is a story of Wei, a village girl, that navigates the Inner Palace for survival, but does much more than that. This story is filled with heartbreak, trauma, turmoil, lies, betrayal, abandonment, decisions, and at the end love and hope.

There is a love story hidden amongst these pages. But it is not the romantic love you would have between lovers. It is a loss, questioning, and gain of Philautia, Pragma, Philia, Storge, Agape are all forms heavily presented in this novel. Many who come to read this might not enjoy that. I, however, adored it greatly.