“The Poet Empress” explores resilience, the power of art, and the making of monsters

Shen Tao’s fantasy debut The Poet Empress begins with a premise built on a compelling, contradictory mission: Wei Yin, a village girl seeking to escape the prison of her engagement to a cruel prince, must learn to love him if she is to craft the spell that will kill him. It’s a period of famine, and for Wei, her golden opportunity to provide for her family comes during a ceremony where concubines for the second prince of the nation of Tensha are being selected. Against all odds, Wei is among the chosen, but quickly finds herself at the mercy of the violent, sociopathic prince Terren. To survive, she must contend with the bloody world of the palace’s inner court and its shadowy political schemes. Her lifeline comes in the form of poetry magic, which the princes command, while women in Tensha are not taught to be literate. When Wei begins to teach herself how to read and write, she learns about a forbidden love poem. Writing it will allow its caster to kill the person they love.

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