
Shen Tao
The Poet Empress: Meet the epic fantasy debut of 2026
This item is available for PRE-ORDER only and will not be dispatched until official release date.
Please note: Regular and Pre-order items cannot be purchased at the same time. These will need to be ordered separately.
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This item is available for PRE-ORDER only and will not be dispatched until official release date.
Please note: Regular and Pre-order items cannot be purchased at the same time. These will need to be ordered separately.
This item is available for PRE-ORDER only and will not be dispatched until official release date.
Please note: Regular and Pre-order items cannot be purchased at the same time. These will need to be ordered separately.
'Gorgeous' CHLOE GONG
'Sublime' AMELIE WEN ZHAO
'Enthralling' ANDREA STEWART
'Astounding' CHELSEA ABDULLAH
'Devastating' KRITIKA H. RAO
House of the azalea, where thorn meets bud;
Brother betrays brother, blood forgets blood.
Young rice farmer Yin Wei was forced to become concubine to Prince Guan Terren - a monstrous wielder of poetry magic, and heir to the Azalea throne - to save her family from the famine blighting the land of Tensha.
Now confined to the imperial court, Terren's cruelty is not the only danger Wei faces. He and his honourable older brother are locked in a deadly succession war, while Terren's thirty concubines are fighting a war of their own, for the position of future empress.
To survive, Wei must harden her heart, rely on her wit, and become dangerous herself - even if it means learning the one forbidden poem that can kill Terren and save both herself and the nation.
But there's a problem - for the spell to work against a man she hates, it must be written with love.
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.
Author: Shen Tao
Publication Date: 20-01-2026
Format: Paperback / softback
Pages: 400
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
How long until I get my preorder?
Please note that when purchasing a preorder book, it will only be dispatched after the release date stated on the description above.
Preorders within the Republic of Ireland are usually processed, dispatched and delivered within 2-3 working days of the book’s release date.*
Preorders going to Northern Ireland and Great Britain are usually processed, dispatched and delivered within 3-8 working days of the book’s release date.*
For timelines on international deliveries, please refer to our Shipping & Delivery Page.
*Please note that during peak trade times this timeline may increase.
Why can’t I buy a preorder with any other item?
We work to process orders as soon as they’re placed so that you get your delivery as quickly as possible in one go.
Preorders are not immediately dispatched as they are delivered upon the respective release date. This means there will be a wait between placing your order and receiving your order.
If you need to add more items to your basket, we recommend placing a separate order for this. We will send out all the items in your order in one delivery and preorder items will always arrive just after their respective release date.
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Once your order is shipped and physically in transit, we can no longer offer any amendments to your order.
How much is delivery?
We offer FREE delivery on all orders over €10 within the Republic of Ireland.
Delivery is just €3.95 for under under €10
Delivery starts from just €9 for orders to Northern Ireland and Great Britain
For international rates, please refer to our Shipping & Delivery Page.
Do you provide tracking for my order?
We provide a Tracking Reference for all orders placed online as standard.
Once your order is dispatched, you will receive an email with a custom An Post link to track your delivery every step of the way.
Can I cancel/amend my order once it’s placed?
Once your order is placed we work as quickly as possible to dispatch your order to you so we cannot promise this is always possible.
However, if you’ve made a mistake on your order and you’d like to change it, please contact our online team at customercare@bookstation.ie and we will try to fix this for you before your order is dispatched.
Once an order is shipped and in transit, we can no longer offer any amendments to your order.
SHIPPING
FREE delivery on all orders over €10* ✅
Orders dispatched within 2 working days ✅
An Post Tracking provided on all orders ✅
Republic of Ireland
*FREE on all orders over €10
€3.95 for orders under €10
UK & Northern Ireland
Shipping from just €7
*Republic of Ireland only.
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
Europe - Shipping from just €9
USA - Shipping from just €17
Canada - Shipping from just €16
Australia - Shipping from just €31.50
New Zealand - Shipping from just €26
RETURNS
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Don’t worry - at Bookstation you can return your order for a full refund within 14 days of delivery providing:
The item is in re-saleable condition ✅
It’s within the 14 day Return Period ✅
You have a valid proof of purchase ✅