This book is a debut, that is incredible to think about. This book is a dark fantasy and I think people should take that into consideration prior to starting this. This story made me realize that I am a very big fan of tragic antagonists. The twist at the end of this caught my breath and brought tears to my eyes. The story is about love, grief, someone being more than the circumstances of their upbringing. Chinese fantasy remains top tier.

"Goodnight, Terren."

I really enjoyed The Poet Empress by Shen Tao overall. The story, the court politics, and the themes around power and poetry kept me invested the whole time, and there were definitely some memorable moments and lines throughout the book.

My main issue was with the characters. The writing sometimes felt a bit abrupt emotionally, so I struggled to fully connect with them. I also wish we had gotten more depth from the main character because she had a lot of potential, but I never felt like we fully explored her inner world.

Still, this was a strong and engaging read that I’m glad I picked up.

4.5/5