The Poet Empress

By: Shen Tao

Narrated by: Eric Yang, Katharine Chin

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER!

Debut author Shen Tao introduces listeners to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun.

"Narrators Katharine Chin and Eric Yang create an immersive fantasy setting for this powerful story about legacy, hierarchy, power, and politics.” — Kirkus

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.

The Poet Empress is an epic fantasy that explores darker themes, subjects, and scenes that may not be suitable for all listeners.

A Macmillan Audio production from Bramble Books

Critic reviews

Praise for The Poet Empress:


'The Poet Empress is a hidden knife, one that cuts so deeply and cleanly that it excises your heart and makes you like it. I have rarely had such a breathless reading experience, where each page reveals the ways in which humanity’s beauty and ugliness run lockstep with one another. Terrifying and enthralling!'--Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter

This book was epic! Couldn’t stop reading.

The story line, the heartbreak, the trauma and the ending were just too good. I loved it.

Wow, amazing debut book

This book is written so well you would never know this was from a debut author. Beautiful prose, thought out storyline and crazy twists at the end. I kept thinking I knew where this story would lead me and I was very, very wrong. A wonderful epic fantasy.

The story is set in magical 5th century China, during the Azalea dynasty. It is illegal by pain of death for women to learn to read and write. In a land starving from famine, a poor farmers daughter is picked as one of the 2nd sons concubines who is heir to the throne. He is cruel, hurting her horrifically and then mending her almost every single night. She learns to read and write and use literomancy (creating magic through poetry) to create a love poem to kill her wicked betrothed.

A masterpiece

This book was really clever in the way that the interactions between the characters were weaved. Without spoiling anything, I fell for the characters the same way the main character did and I couldn’t figure out what decisions would be made within the story until they were, and I couldn’t stop listening to the book until it was done. All the characters have depth and soul, and the book makes you pause and think of how you would have to navigate those same situations.

I am desperate for the next book by Shen Tao.

An absolute masterpiece!

One of the best political intrigue fantasy books I’ve ever read. THE best standalone political intrigue fantasy book I’ve read.

Incredibly well written and empathetic, while still not turning away from cruelty and evil and the needs to oppose them however possible.

My comps would be Empress of Salt and Fortune, A Betrayal in Winter, and especially Tigana, but it outdoes all of them, with far more depth than the first, more warmth than the second, and more truth than the third.

A genuine masterpiece.

Captivating

This is one of the most brilliantly captivating stories I’ve ever read or listened too. I generally read a lot of fantasy novels and while this one has some light fantasy elements it’s not the backbone of the story. The depiction of the characters and how you get invested in their story is fantastic. It is the most unique story I’ve read in years and finished it in two days. I could not recommend this more.