Book Review: The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

“It is true, he has suffered, but if everyone who suffered became monsters, the world would be overrun with them.”

Shen Tao, The Poet Empress

Review:

Anyone who has been following my reviews understands my complicated relationship with the fantasy genre. Outside of the Chronicles of Narnia and One Piece, I have finally found a fantasy book that has completely captured my attention. 

After she and her family suffer the consequences of a drawn-out famine, Wei Yin risks sacrificing her life to become one of Prince Terren’s concubines. Terren is ruthless, sadistic, and happy to torment Wei, the unlikely candidate to be his concubine, and one he knows he can manipulate solely on her upbringing. But Wei is the one with the upper hand. She is determined to make a change in the kingdom so that her little brother may survive, even if it means breaking the laws set for women. 

I went into this book fully expecting not to finish it. I wanted to give it a try because it was selected as a book club read, and I’m so glad I did. Although it’s being labeled as a romantasy, this was far from a romance, which is what I liked so much about it. The writing was strong, the characters complex, and it maintained an air of suspense throughout. I did struggle with the darker moments of the story, especially with how Terren treats Wei (along with other scenes), and I would strongly urge readers to look up the content warnings before picking up this book if they feel it is necessary. 

What I enjoyed most about the book is that it was so different from what I usually read. I can’t compare it to other books in the genre, so I couldn’t knowledgeably say it’s a unique concept, but it was refreshing for me personally. If I can find more fantasy books with a similar tone as this, I’ll have finally found what I’m looking for in this genre. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Romance was not a focus.
• Twisty with constant action (including psychological).

What I didn’t like:

• Some scenes felt way too unnecessary (like the bamboo scene).

Afterthoughts:

This was the throneofpages May book club read!

Where to buy the book: