Book Review: The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

TL;DR Review: Daughter of Empire meets Iron Widow. A fascinating look at the making of a sociopath.

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.

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.

I had no idea what to expect from The Poet Empress, save that it would involve poetry and someone becoming an empress. But what I got…well, that was beyond my wildest expectations!

The Poet Empress follows Wei, the daughter of a poor farmer who is determined to become concubine to Prince Terren, the future Emperor. Never mind that Prince Terren is legendary for his cruelty to everyone around him—enemies, allies, servants, even animals—and his short fuse. If it means saving her family from starvation, she will do whatever it takes.

The cost turns out to be higher than she realizes. On the first night she spends with the Prince, he uses his sword-controlling magic to torture her, then heal her so no one knows what he’s done. Every night after that, it is more torment and mistreatment, more abuse and agony. There is no doubt that he is among the cruelest of antagonists I’ve read all year long!

Wei learns that there is only one way to kill the magically protected prince: she must write a “heart-poem”, a poem of true love that will strike his heart. But how can she possibly love her abuser and tormentor? She cannot, but perhaps those who knew him best before he became the sociopathic monster and sadist do, and she can use their love to write her poem.

She begins interviewing all of those around Prince Terren: his faithful eunuch, Hesin; his older brother, Prince Maro; the Empress herself, who knew Prince Terren’s mother before her death; and many others. Slowly, Wei begins to piece together the picture of who Prince Terren was—and is shocked to learn he was a generous, kind, soft-hearted young man.

And this is where The Poet Empress does something truly special. We’re taken on this journey into Prince Terren’s history to learn what made him the way he is. It’s quite literally a look at all the terrible circumstances, mistreatments, and abuses that could break a good child’s spirit and make him into a monster—the creation of a sociopath.

Make no mistake: this is a grim, gritty, and unapologetically uncomfortable book. Wei suffers terribly, and no excuses are made for what the Prince does to her. But the more we come to understand the Prince’s backstory, the more we come to realize that he is also a victim, in a way. Victim to the burdens of rule, the pressures of learning magic, the poisonous atmosphere of the Imperial Palace, and above all, victim of the cruelty of those around him.

By the end of this journey, you’ve come to understand—if not empathize—with the Prince, a fascinating outcome I could never have expected when diving into this story. Though it’s set through Wei’s eyes and is very much her story, you see her emotional and moral struggles mirroring everything the Prince had to endure. The ending is…well, let’s say it’s not what I expected, but it’s one I found immensely satisfying, given all she had suffered.

The Poet Empress shocked and delighted me, with a character that had the resilience of Mara of the Acoma (from Daughter of the Empire) and the bone-deep rage of Zetian (from Iron Widow). Though the story is never pleasant, there’s a gorgeous artistry to the writing and a depth to the characters—all of them, not just our heroine—that makes it a singular work of art. For a truly intriguing and insightful emotional journey, I cannot recommend this book highly enough!