The Poet Empress

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao was easily one of my favorite reads of 2025. It can be described as historical fantasy/dark fantasy. Do not be deceived by the cover or the book's title, it is NOT romantasy. The author has written a note and trigger warnings for a reason. The book's themes are very dark. I held my breath at many points in the story. There was so much tension. I cannot believe this is a debut novel! It is beautifully written. I loved the magic system. Literacy is the key to the magic system, and writing poems releases the magic (but women were kept illiterate).

I listened to the early audio version of the book. Eric Yang and Katherine Chin deliver excellent performances that richly elevate the text and add different dimensions. Most of the narration is delivered by Katherine Chin, who does a fantastic job of helping the listener imagine the scenes as they unfold. It was easy to get lost in the book, listening to Chin as Wei Yin.

Wei Yin is a seventeen-year-old girl from a poor rice-farming community currently experiencing famine. At the beginning of the book, she has already buried five siblings. She decides to offer herself as a concubine to the prince of the Azalea dynasty, giving her family and community a chance at a better life. She knows she is unlikely to be chosen, but she tries nonetheless. She ends up moving to the Imperial Palace, into the house reserved for the prince's concubines. There, she learns more than she ever wanted to know about treachery, jealousy, and scheming. The prince is known for his malicious/dark nature, and in person, he is even darker and more disturbing than the rumors suggest. Wei soon learns how twisted Prince Terren is when he chooses her as his empress-in-waiting. The things that happen to Wei under Terren's hand are painful and excruciating. The author slowly (sometimes painfully) helps the reader understand why Terren is the way he is, and therefore, it was difficult to dislike him. There was such sadness in these revelations, and throughout the book.

This is a gorgeous novel. It takes patience. I think listening to the audio was the better choice for me with this book, as it is more character-driven, and I felt more in Wei Yin’s mind while listening. She spends a lot of time in her mind in the story, and it is mostly told through her perspective. Just wow, the book was mind-opening. To say this book gutted me would be an understatement. It was epic, tragic, and beautiful. It’s one of those endings where you wish something else could have happened, but you know in your mind, it had to be that way. The Poet Empress is a hard look at life, in all its beauty and brutality. It’s one of those books that makes you want to hold your children and your family close and tell them how much you love them - after you stop staring blankly at the wall. This one gets five mad, teary, loving, respectful dragons (stars) from me.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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.

Happy publication day for The Poet Empress!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This is one roller coaster of a book! There were plenty of times that filled me with rage, others times had me crying, and throughout I was reflective on the main character’s choices and growth. It is beautifully written and deeply layered. I enjoyed the fact that the author examines the theme of power- who has it and who doesn’t, and how power can be used for good just as much as it can be used for evil.

*Warning: Please check trigger warnings as this book is very violent and deals with dark themes/content.

**Also! This is by no means a romance! No matter what Goodreads says. Please don’t pick this up thinking that’s what you will get!

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 !