Shen Tao
The Poet Empress: The hotly anticipated standalone fantasy debut perfect for fans of R.F. Kuang and Madeline Miller
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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.
Free, fast & tracked delivery over €10
Ireland's best value books. Why pay more?
Same great price online and in-store
Proudly Irish and family-run since 1989
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.
Free, fast & tracked delivery over €10
Ireland's best value books. Why pay more?
Same great price online and in-store
Proudly Irish and family-run since 1989
'Vicious, gorgeous, and fiercely haunting' CHLOE GONG
'Sublime' AMELIE WEN ZHAO
'Enthralling' ANDREA STEWART
'Astounding' CHELSEA ABDULLAH
'Lyrical' K. X. SONG
'Devastating' KRITIKA H. RAO
'Fantasy at its best' VAISHNAVI PATEL
TO KILL A MONSTER, SHE MUST BECOME ONE . . .
As the emperor lays dying, the once-great Azalea Dynasty plunges towards civil war. While its princes plot for power, a more hidden war - to become the next empress - occupies the imperial court.
Wei Yin - peasant girl turned concubine to the cruel Prince Terren - has already endured unimaginable suffering. Ripped from her family, she has no title, no allies, and no escape. But she does have a secret . . .
In the shadows of the palace, surrounded by enemies, she is learning a skill forbidden to women. Because when words are weapons and poetry holds an ancient magic, the fate of a girl - and a nation - can both be rewritten. All she has to do is compose the perfect poem - a tale so powerful, it can kill any man, even the next emperor.
The epic political arena of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang meets the intimate tragedy and luscious language of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller in this sensational debut novel by visionary new talent Shen Tao, unmissable for die-hard genre fans as well as readers of literary fiction looking to make their first foray into fantasy.
Author: Shen Tao
Publication Date: 20-01-2026
Format: Paperback / softback
Pages: 400
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
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