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A LibraryReads pick!
DELUXE EDITIONfeaturing gorgeous gilded edges, detailed endpapers, and beautiful case art under the book jacket!
Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world ofThe Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans ofThe Serpent & the Wings of Night,The Song of AchillesandShe 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 Housewhere 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 Empressis 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.
Shen Tao immigrated to Canada at an early age, and grew up inspired by both Chinese and Western stories. She has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember.
The Poet Empressis her first book.
Praise for The Poet Empress:
Taos debut is an intricate study of court politics and what a young woman will do to survive. Library Journal, starred review
The many political threads become fascinatingly tangled, Taos prose gleams with poetic precision, and climactic revelations strike with devastating inevitability. Publisher's Weekly, starred review
Shen Tao creates a world both terrible and wonderful in
![The Poet Empress [Hardcover]](/itemImage/2/7/5/9/2_6947361.jpg "The Poet Empress [Hardcover]")