The Poet Empress

*THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* *A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK* 'This is a five star read for real' ROBIN HOBB 'An impressive debut with real psychological depth' THE GUARDIAN 'Richly imagined and politically driven' THE I PAPER 'In a class of its own' THE DAILY MAIL 'It now holds a standard for fantasy standalones' GRIMDARK MAGAZINE 'An epic world of literomancy and magical dynasty' SFX 'This dark fantasy stands out among the plethora of romantasy' BOOKLIST 'Vicious, gorgeous, and fiercely haunting' CHLOE GONG 'Sublime' AMELIE WEN ZHAO 'Enthralling' ANDREA STEWART 'Astounding' CHELSEA ABDULLAH 'Fantasy at its best' VAISHNAVI PATEL TO KILL A MONSTER, SHE MUST BECOME ONE . . . As the emperor lays dying, the once-great Azalea Dynasty plunges towards civil war. While its princes plot for power, a more hidden war - to become the next empress - occupies the imperial court. Wei Yin - peasant girl turned concubine to the cruel Prince Terren - has already endured unimaginable suffering. Ripped from her family, she has no title, no allies, and no escape. But she does have a secret . . . In the shadows of the palace, surrounded by enemies, she is learning a skill forbidden to women. Because when words are weapons and poetry holds an ancient magic, the fate of a girl - and a nation - can both be rewritten. All she has to do is compose the perfect poem - a tale so powerful, it can kill any man, even the next emperor. The epic political arena of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang meets the intimate tragedy of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller in this internationally bestselling debut novel by visionary new talent Shen Tao, unmissable for veteran genre fans as well as readers of literary fiction looking to make their first foray into fantasy.

*THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* *A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK* 'This is a five star read for real' ROBIN HOBB 'An impressive debut with real psychological depth' THE GUARDIAN 'Richly imagined and politically driven' THE I PAPER 'In a class of its own' THE DAILY MAIL 'It now holds a standard for fantasy standalones' GRIMDARK MAGAZINE 'An epic world of literomancy and magical dynasty' SFX 'This dark fantasy stands out among the plethora of romantasy' BOOKLIST 'Vicious, gorgeous, and fiercely haunting' CHLOE GONG 'Sublime' AMELIE WEN ZHAO 'Enthralling' ANDREA STEWART 'Astounding' CHELSEA ABDULLAH 'Fantasy at its best' VAISHNAVI PATEL TO KILL A MONSTER, SHE MUST BECOME ONE . . . As the emperor lays dying, the once-great Azalea Dynasty plunges towards civil war. While its princes plot for power, a more hidden war - to become the next empress - occupies the imperial court. Wei Yin - peasant girl turned concubine to the cruel Prince Terren - has already endured unimaginable suffering. Ripped from her family, she has no title, no allies, and no escape. But she does have a secret . . . In the shadows of the palace, surrounded by enemies, she is learning a skill forbidden to women. Because when words are weapons and poetry holds an ancient magic, the fate of a girl - and a nation - can both be rewritten. All she has to do is compose the perfect poem - a tale so powerful, it can kill any man, even the next emperor. The epic political arena of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang meets the intimate tragedy of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller in this internationally bestselling debut novel by visionary new talent Shen Tao, unmissable for veteran genre fans as well as readers of literary fiction looking to make their first foray into fantasy.

*THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* *A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK* 'This is a five star read for real' ROBIN HOBB 'An impressive debut with real psychological depth' THE GUARDIAN 'Richly imagined and politically driven' THE I PAPER 'In a class of its own' THE DAILY MAIL 'A novel of great power and force' LOCUS 'It now holds a standard for fantasy standalones' GRIMDARK MAGAZINE 'This dark fantasy stands out among the plethora of romantasy' BOOKLIST 'Vicious, gorgeous, and fiercely haunting' CHLOE GONG 'Sublime' AMELIE WEN ZHAO 'Enthralling' ANDREA STEWART 'Astounding' CHELSEA ABDULLAH 'Fantasy at its best' VAISHNAVI PATEL TO KILL A MONSTER, SHE MUST BECOME ONE . . . As the emperor lays dying, the once-great Azalea Dynasty plunges towards civil war. While its princes plot for power, a more hidden war - to become the next empress - occupies the imperial court. Wei Yin - peasant girl turned concubine to the cruel Prince Terren - has already endured unimaginable suffering. Ripped from her family, she has no title, no allies, and no escape. But she does have a secret . . . In the shadows of the palace, surrounded by enemies, she is learning a skill forbidden to women. Because when words are weapons and poetry holds an ancient magic, the fate of a girl - and a nation - can both be rewritten. All she has to do is compose the perfect poem - a tale so powerful, it can kill any man, even the next emperor. The epic political arena of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang meets the intimate tragedy of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller in this internationally bestselling debut novel by visionary new voice Shen Tao, unmissable for veteran genre fans as well as readers of literary fiction looking to make their first foray into fantasy.

*THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* *A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK* 'This is a five star read for real' ROBIN HOBB 'An impressive debut with real psychological depth' THE GUARDIAN 'Richly imagined and politically driven' THE I PAPER 'In a class of its own' THE DAILY MAIL 'A novel of great power and force' LOCUS 'It now holds a standard for fantasy standalones' GRIMDARK MAGAZINE 'This dark fantasy stands out among the plethora of romantasy' BOOKLIST 'Vicious, gorgeous, and fiercely haunting' CHLOE GONG 'Sublime' AMELIE WEN ZHAO 'Enthralling' ANDREA STEWART 'Astounding' CHELSEA ABDULLAH 'Fantasy at its best' VAISHNAVI PATEL TO KILL A MONSTER, SHE MUST BECOME ONE . . . As the emperor lays dying, the once-great Azalea Dynasty plunges towards civil war. While its princes plot for power, a more hidden war - to become the next empress - occupies the imperial court. Wei Yin - peasant girl turned concubine to the cruel Prince Terren - has already endured unimaginable suffering. Ripped from her family, she has no title, no allies, and no escape. But she does have a secret . . . In the shadows of the palace, surrounded by enemies, she is learning a skill forbidden to women. Because when words are weapons and poetry holds an ancient magic, the fate of a girl - and a nation - can both be rewritten. All she has to do is compose the perfect poem - a tale so powerful, it can kill any man, even the next emperor. The epic political arena of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang meets the intimate tragedy of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller in this internationally bestselling debut novel by visionary new voice Shen Tao, unmissable for veteran genre fans as well as readers of literary fiction looking to make their first foray into fantasy.

*THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* *A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK* 'This is a five star read for real' ROBIN HOBB 'An impressive debut with real psychological depth' THE GUARDIAN 'Richly imagined and politically driven' THE I PAPER 'In a class of its own' THE DAILY MAIL 'A novel of great power and force' LOCUS 'It now holds a standard for fantasy standalones' GRIMDARK MAGAZINE 'This dark fantasy stands out among the plethora of romantasy' BOOKLIST 'Vicious, gorgeous, and fiercely haunting' CHLOE GONG 'Sublime' AMELIE WEN ZHAO 'Enthralling' ANDREA STEWART 'Astounding' CHELSEA ABDULLAH 'Fantasy at its best' VAISHNAVI PATEL TO KILL A MONSTER, SHE MUST BECOME ONE . . . As the emperor lays dying, the once-great Azalea Dynasty plunges towards civil war. While its princes plot for power, a more hidden war - to become the next empress - occupies the imperial court. Wei Yin - peasant girl turned concubine to the cruel Prince Terren - has already endured unimaginable suffering. Ripped from her family, she has no title, no allies, and no escape. But she does have a secret . . . In the shadows of the palace, surrounded by enemies, she is learning a skill forbidden to women. Because when words are weapons and poetry holds an ancient magic, the fate of a girl - and a nation - can both be rewritten. All she has to do is compose the perfect poem - a tale so powerful, it can kill any man, even the next emperor. The epic political arena of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang meets the intimate tragedy of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller in this internationally bestselling debut novel by visionary new voice Shen Tao, unmissable for veteran genre fans as well as readers of literary fiction looking to make their first foray into fantasy.

*THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* *A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK* 'This is a five star read for real' ROBIN HOBB 'An impressive debut with real psychological depth' THE GUARDIAN 'Richly imagined and politically driven' THE I PAPER 'In a class of its own' THE DAILY MAIL 'A novel of great power and force' LOCUS 'It now holds a standard for fantasy standalones' GRIMDARK MAGAZINE 'This dark fantasy stands out among the plethora of romantasy' BOOKLIST 'Vicious, gorgeous, and fiercely haunting' CHLOE GONG 'Sublime' AMELIE WEN ZHAO 'Enthralling' ANDREA STEWART 'Astounding' CHELSEA ABDULLAH 'Fantasy at its best' VAISHNAVI PATEL TO KILL A MONSTER, SHE MUST BECOME ONE . . . As the emperor lays dying, the once-great Azalea Dynasty plunges towards civil war. While its princes plot for power, a more hidden war - to become the next empress - occupies the imperial court. Wei Yin - peasant girl turned concubine to the cruel Prince Terren - has already endured unimaginable suffering. Ripped from her family, she has no title, no allies, and no escape. But she does have a secret . . . In the shadows of the palace, surrounded by enemies, she is learning a skill forbidden to women. Because when words are weapons and poetry holds an ancient magic, the fate of a girl - and a nation - can both be rewritten. All she has to do is compose the perfect poem - a tale so powerful, it can kill any man, even the next emperor. The epic political arena of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang meets the intimate tragedy of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller in this internationally bestselling debut novel by visionary new voice Shen Tao, unmissable for veteran genre fans as well as readers of literary fiction looking to make their first foray into fantasy.

A LIBRARY READS PICK! DELUXE EDITION―featuring gorgeous gilded edges, detailed endpapers, and beautiful case art under the book jacket! Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers 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. 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, dissolute heir of the blood-gutted Azalea House--where poetry magic is power, but women are forbidden to read. But in a twist of fate, the palace now stands on the knife-edge of civil war, with Wei trapped in its center. . . with a violent prince. To save herself and the nation, she must survive the dangers of court, learn to read in secret, and compose the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of love. . . and death. The Poet Empress is an epic fantasy that explores darker themes, subjects, and scenes that may not be suitable for all readers. Please see the author's content note at the beginning of the book.

A LIBRARY READS PICK! DELUXE EDITION―featuring gorgeous gilded edges, detailed endpapers, and beautiful case art under the book jacket! Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers 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. 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, dissolute heir of the blood-gutted Azalea House--where poetry magic is power, but women are forbidden to read. But in a twist of fate, the palace now stands on the knife-edge of civil war, with Wei trapped in its center. . . with a violent prince. To save herself and the nation, she must survive the dangers of court, learn to read in secret, and compose the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of love. . . and death. The Poet Empress is an epic fantasy that explores darker themes, subjects, and scenes that may not be suitable for all readers. Please see the author's content note at the beginning of the book.