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The Poet Empress

by Shen Tao

Length 15 hours 43 minutes

Language English

Narrators Eric Yang & Katharine Chin

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Bookseller recommendation

“Beautifully written and deeply tragic, The Poet Empress follows Wei as she learns how to survive a cruel prince and the constant political danger surrounding her. Going in, I expected more magic since this is a fantasy novel. However, because the story is told from Wei’s POV and she wasn’t even supposed to know how to read, it makes sense that magic isn’t front and center. This is very much a slower-paced, character-driven story rather than an action-packed fantasy but I was engrossed from start to finish. Wei is such a strong and resilient character, she had to learn quickly how to survive in her new world against unimaginable odds and with no one in her corner. I rooted for her every step of the way You might see this tagged as romantasy, but it really isn’t IMO. If you enjoy historical fantasy, epic fantasy and/or dark fantasy (and this one gets very dark at times), you should absolutely pick it up. The characters have so much depth, and the ending left me completely gobsmacked. What a phenomenal debut!! Narrators Eric Yang, and Katharine Chin were fantastic.”
— Brandy • The End Bookstore

Bookseller recommendation

“I was not expecting such a heartrending story. Shen Tao wrote such a beautiful, magical, tragically violent story that culminated in love and forgiveness. My heart was racing the entire time, from anger one moment to sadness and excitement the next. The setting was beautiful and the prose felt poetic and calm. It was all perfection! this is a must read! I will be adding it to my indie bookshop and hope other readers find it just as captivating as I did.”
— Melly • Casa Luna Books

Bookseller recommendation

“The Poet Empress by Shen Tao is a dark romantasy. If you loved A Magic Steeped in Poison but want something more adult, this one is for you. No one is all good, but they're not all bad either, and the exploration into how childhood trauma shapes a person is fascinating. I loved every minute of it. ”
— Anna • Katy Budget Books

Bookseller recommendation

“I’m shocked this is a debut. Deeply layered and flawed characters riddle this magically political world. The depth of emotion unleashed on the reader is phenomenal; hunger, longing, sadness, hatred, powerlessness, vengeance, the list goes on. While this is not a novel I would recommend to every reader, it IS one I recommend to those with tougher skin and a penchant for great literature.”
— Ashley • Whale’s Tale Books & Gifts

Bookseller recommendation

“The power of literacy and the written word are exemplified in this debut novel. A world where poetry is magic, and it is illegal for women to learn to read and write. Still, when a starving village girl sees an opportunity to support her family by becoming an evil Prince's concubine, she does not hesitate. As famine is decimating the country, violence and political games are ruling the court, and Wei Yin must learn the secret ways to power if she wants to survive. Full of betrayal and twists and turns - I never knew who to trust and did NOT see the ending coming. A book that will keep you on your toes the whole time. ”
— Elizabeth G. • Charter Books

Bookseller recommendation

“The Poet Empress by Wen Tao is a stunning debut that weaves immersive world-building with a unique magic system rooted in the written word. Quietly powerful and beautifully unexpected, this story follows Wei, an unforgettable protagonist whose strength unfolds with precision and depth. Lyrical, surprising, and deeply compelling, this is a novel that stays with you long after the final page.”
— Erika • Righton Books

Bookseller recommendation

“I’m shocked this is a debut. Deeply layered and flawed characters riddle this magically political world. The depth of emotion unleashed on the reader is phenomenal; hunger, longing, sadness, hatred, powerlessness, vengeance, the list goes on. While this is not a novel I would recommend to every reader, it IS one I recommend to those with tougher skin and a penchant for great literature. ”
— Ashley • Whale’s Tale Books & Gifts

Summary
About the author
About the narrators

#40 in Bestselling Romance Audiobooks

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.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

Fiction Romance Fantasy

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 Empress is her first book.

Eric Yang is a stage, screen, and voice actor based in Brooklyn. He has narrated more than 30 audiobooks across a wide range of genres and is particularly adept with character voices and dialects. He is also fluent in Mandarin. As a child, Eric spent countless afternoons lying on the couch, completely absorbed in books: he hopes his audiobook performances can transport listeners in the same way.

Katharine Chin is a Taiwanese American actor and producer based in New York. She trained as an actor at UC San Diego, Steppenwolf West, and received her MFA in acting at The New School. Katharine has recorded over 75 audiobooks for publishers like Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, and more. She is a three-time Audie Awards finalist and has received three AudioFile Earphones Awards.

As an actor, Katharine has performed on stages and screens in California and New York. As a producer, Katharine develops films, audio fiction, and theatre; she is co-artistic director of The Nobodies Collective, a new works development group in New York City. Across all her work, Katharine is drawn to stories that are delightful, subtly subversive, and in dogged pursuit of our shared humanity. She draws inspiration for her narration from nature, reading (science, current affairs, literary, comedy, are favorite genres), and by carving out time for being human (taking the kids to school, walking around town to do small errands but also to people watch and potentially bump into friends).

Katharine’s narration style bends and stretches across genres, but the undercurrent is always grounded, deeply felt, and emotionally truthful.