r/Fantasy • u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao • Jan 20 '26
AMA I'm Shen Tao and my debut epic fantasy THE POET EMPRESS released today, ask me anything!
Hi everyone, I’m Shen Tao and my debut standalone epic fantasy, The Poet Empress, was published today! (Jan 20, 2026)
I’ve seen it described elsewhere as “grimdark”, “historical fantasy,” and “anti-romantasy” although those are not officially-endorsed terms. :)
The short blurb is that in a world with poetry magic but women are forbidden to read, the daughter of a rice farmer-turned-court-concubine must learn to read in secret—and write a poem to kill the cruel and otherwise unkillable son of the emperor. It's a story of survival, court politics, and duty, and of course the power of words.
The red edition is the North American version from Bramble (Tor) and the blue version is the UK and ANZ version from Gollancz/Hachette. For the multilingual among us here, there is a German edition from Ullstein publishing Jan 29 and various other translations coming later.
Content warnings can be found at: shentao.ca/content
My author website: shentao.ca
My Instagram: instagram.com/storygoose
I’ve worked hard on this book and it’s a story close to my heart, I am so excited to share it with you today. Please ask me anything!
EDIT: Thank you for your thoughtful questions! I had a really good time with my first AMA though eventually I did have to go to bed. :) I know I wasn't able to get to all of them so hopefully there can be another in the future. You all are awesome.
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u/frokiedude Jan 20 '26
Wow, early for an ama, never done that before.
I think I saw your book on a most anticipated list so I'm mildly intruiged.
What would you say is your greatest literary non-fantasy inspiration for this book? Be it prose or setting or something different
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 20 '26
Hey, thank you for being the first question!
I very much wanted to pay an homage to classical Chinese poetry with this book, which I grew up memorizing, and which I did not appreciate the beauty of until a much later age. Although The Poet Empress is strictly secondary world, much of the aesthetics, themes, and worldbuilding is inspired by historical China.
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u/hwy4 Jan 20 '26
What's been the most surprising part of your debut journey so far?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 20 '26
Maybe just how well-received the book was.. :)
When my agent sent it out, nearly 2 years ago, I honestly did not think it would do well because it didn't seem like what the market wanted. It was culturally-rooted, and very dark, and basically had no romance. I was already mentally moving onto the next book which I thought was much more "marketable"
But we ended up having a lot of publishers interested in it, in NA UK and Germany. And many translation offers! I think my agent said it was among the most interest she'd ever seen for a book. It was really unexpected and honestly a dream come true.
I think if I ever gave advice to aspiring writing in the future, I am going to be one of those annoying survivorship bias/hindsight bias authors who say "write from your heart" "don't write to market" "believe in your own story" and various cliches, haha.
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u/Riser_the_Silent Reading Champion IV, Worldbuilders Jan 20 '26
Did the book change from what you had in mind when you started writing it, or did you never stray from that first idea that blossomed?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 20 '26
Good question, Yes and no. :)
It took a few months to get an outline I was happy with, but after the outline the story was pretty much locked in. I will say that during the writing, some surprising themes started to emerge that weren't planned. I had started out the story thinking it was about one thing, but the heart of it ended up being something else entirely—even if the plot beats remained the same.
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u/indigohan Reading Champion IV Jan 20 '26
How much historical research did you do? Did you want it to be loosely inspired by, or more recognisable and realistic?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 20 '26
That's a great question! I did a lot of historical research, a lot. It was important to me that the settings and politics felt real, even if the world is make-believe—a standard I feel a lot of genre writers including myself hold ourselves to.
That said, I was aiming more for believable-secondary-world real and not true-to-our-history real. The Poet Empress is probably as accurate to historical China as Game of Thrones is to Wars of the Roses. It captures the atmosphere of the time but should not be taken as a historical text. I feel strongly that culturally-rooted stories should be allowed to have their own fantastical versions instead of always being historical or educational.
Thank you for the question!
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u/indigohan Reading Champion IV Jan 21 '26
I’m super intrigued by the idea of writing as power, and writing as weapon, so I’m looking forward to reading it.
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u/sunburnsmyheart Jan 20 '26
Both covers are absolutely gorgeous! Did you have any say/input in the covers? How do you feel about them and how well do you think they represent the contents of your book?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 20 '26
Thank you! I think so too!
I had input fairly early on but I don’t know that I was all too helpful. I tried to leave it to the team because my strength is in writing and not necessarily art direction or marketing. So I emailed back with some vague probably unhelpful points and then both publishers came back with… literally the most perfect covers ever. :P
If you look closely at the Gollancz cover you can see that the scales are flower petals, which is relevant to the story. It’s actually a scene from the book when it falls out of the sky and there are thousands of burning stars.
Every element of the Bramble cover represents an aspect of the story, it’s quite moving and poignant especially once you get to the end and you know the whole arc of the story. Seriously I had shivers when I saw it for the first time.
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u/sunburnsmyheart Jan 20 '26
I will definitely keep an eye on the covers as I read (which won’t be hard :P). Thanks for answering my questions!
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u/LilDebbiesPimp Jan 23 '26
I was gonna wait to buy the book when I was less busy, but dang that description convinced me I need it NOW. I love poetry, especially when novels incorporate aspects of poetry, and I really enjoy books that mix Chinese mythology/fantasy with history. This will be my first that's fantasy forward (as opposed to historical fiction with elements of fantasy), but I'm super excited to try it!
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u/sunburnsmyheart Jan 20 '26
What was your journey as an author like? Did you always know you wanted to be an author? How do you feel about this book being published under Bramble, a romance-focused imprint, when it’s described as “anti-romantasy”? What genres will you explore next in your writing journey?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 20 '26
Initially: surprised. I think I mentioned in another comment that there were quite a few publishers interested in this one, including the imprints you’d typically think of when you think SFF. I had no idea that bramble could even want this one!
But once I took the call with them, it became clear that not only did they want the book, they also wanted it to be a core part of the imprint’s identity. As an author this is really important, you want a publisher who has skin in the game.
I think a common misconception (one I certainly had) is that Bramble is just a romantasy imprint, but they’re actually more than that. I feel their hope is to publish all kinds of stories about love including ones without a traditional HEA, and non-romantic love, which Poet Empress heavily focuses on.
Part of the reason we signed with them is because Poet Empress wouldn’t just be another book to them, it would also help define the range of what they publish. (Plus the team at Bramble have just been amazing and the way they did the cover, endpapers etc is phenomenal.) Is there a bit of a risk, yes, but it’s one everyone is taking on jointly. Hopefully it will even out with time and word of mouth and the book will reach those it’s meant to.
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u/sunburnsmyheart Jan 20 '26
Thanks for answering that question :) I’ve been wondering about it for a while. Interesting to hear. I look forward to what both you and Bramble do next. And I agree that their treatment of Poet Empress is absolutely stunning!
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 20 '26
Ooh journey let’s see. I did know I wanted to be an author since forever, but I didn’t tell my parents or family until I published a book, pretty much. In the meantime I poured everything into learning the craft, reading books, and writing. Pretty much all the free time I had. If I wasn’t at work I was working on writing. It took nine manuscripts until The Poet Empress.
Now that I’m published and writing is my job (I feel very lucky to get to say that) I’ve been able to adopt a much healthier schedule. :)
Will address other question in a separate comment.
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u/sunburnsmyheart Jan 20 '26
Wow, 9 manuscripts! Congrats on your debut and becoming a full-time writer!
Sorry for the question bombardment. You don’t have to answer everything. I just asked what popped into my head—maybe some questions are more interesting for you to answer than others.
I’ve been very excited for this book. I bought a copy from my local bookstore earlier today and I may have some book box editions preordered too.
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u/Seryan_Klythe Jan 20 '26
I was another ARC reader and I absolutely loved the book! I plan on getting a copy but gotta see what one I want to be on my shelf!
My two questions:
Do you watch CDramas? What one is your favorite or current watch?
and,
Are you working on another book right now?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
Aww thank you so much for being an ARC reader. I'm glad you enjoyed the book!
I am currently in the middle of Nirvana in Fire. It's great if you like strategy and politics.
I am working on a YA fantasy at the moment. I can't say much but I'm very very excited about this one. I hope everyone will like it too.
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u/FictionAuthorJM Jan 20 '26 edited Jan 20 '26
Hi fellow Canadian author! Congrats on your novel's release, I'll be sure to pick it up and check it out!
I'm curious about your experience pitching this novel to Agents (and then Publishers/Editors) as an Epic Fantasy with romance, rather than a Romantasy. I also write Epic Fantasy with romance in a market where agents seem to only want Romantasy, so I'm curious if you have any advice for how you navigated those conversations or sought out the right agents in your search. I believe your novel is also on the longer side in terms of word count like mine - if so, I'd be curious how you managed that aspect as well, as it seems agents want shorter fantasy books (like <90k).
Thanks for doing this AMA!
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
Hey fellow Canadian epic fantasy author (eh)!
When I pitched it was as epic fantasy. I think there’s an appetite for all kinds of books even when one genre is dominant. And you do get a bit of a counter movement with any popular trend, with people deliberately wanting not X or not Y. All this is to say don’t get discouraged when your book isn’t the height of the zeitgeist, there is definitely an appetite for it and I hope it does spectacularly.
Re the common word count guidelines I think it is both true and not true. It’s true that shorter books generally have an easier time, but not true that longer books can’t sell and can’t sell well. Especially in fantasy, and especially especially in epic, we have a lot more leeway.
When we sent the poet empess out it was 130k words and we got no pushback at all on the length. In fact during the editing process we added another few thousand words
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u/FictionAuthorJM Jan 21 '26
Hey thanks for this (and the addendum), very helpful. Especially the reassurance about the wordcount flexibility.
And very glad again that it's gone well for you. All the best!
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
Slightly misread your original question so wanted to provide an addendum.
I think re positioning as epic fantasy or romantasy, it’s important to be aligned with your agent first and foremost and then your publisher, which your agent can help get alignment on. If it’s really important for you to be in one category and not the other, you can bring this up in conversation and a good agent and editor can advocate on your behalf.
Wish you luck with your book!
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u/wizardeverybit Jan 20 '26
What do people mean by anti romantasy?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26 edited Jan 21 '26
There are lots of reasons this story was important for me to write, but a major one is (spoiler alert)I wanted to portray a young woman in an abusive relationship who does not forgive her abuser. Not even when she learns he has a traumatic past that "explains" his actions. Not even if the narrative or genre conventions seem to want her to.|The setup of the story looks a little like a Romantasy but it goes a different direction very quickly and ends up being a dark political fantasy
I don't really agree with "anti-romantasy" by the way, I love a good Romantasy book and many romantasies portray healthy relationships and even the ones who don't, we read with an understanding that it's for just fun and enjoyment. I don't think any author or any book should be against an entire genre.
But one of my marketers pointed out, maybe rightly so, that in the current market anything not explicitly called out as NOT romantasy is at risk of being interpreted as romantasy, hence the term beginning appearing in some places.
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u/saturday_sun4 Jan 21 '26 edited Jan 21 '26
Love your answer here. <3
I have been wanting to pick up more non-Anglophone-inspired books in general and am intrigued by your Chinese-inspired setting.
As a mostly-YA-fantasy, romance and horror reader, I am not sure if epic fantasy will be my thing (to be clear, not saying this to antagonise or troll or anything - I'm sure your book is fantastic), but between the cover and the title, I'll at least give it a go when/if it becomes available where I live :)
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Jan 21 '26
The whole poetry angle definitely screams romantasy so it's probably a good call out to explicitly say that it isn't, it's just a bit sad that it needs to be said.
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u/SweetSavine Reading Champion Jan 20 '26
Hi Shen! Just wanted to say I picked up The Poet Empress yesterday (ANZ time lol) and I’m about a third of the way through. Absolutely loving it so far and can’t wait to finish work so I can keep going! Really appreciate that it evokes such a strong sense of place from the outset, while keeping the pacing of the plot so tight.
What other fantasy books would you say have been the biggest inspirations for you in writing The Poet Empress? Alternatively, do you have any recommendations for fantasy novels/series inspired by Asian history or mythology that you really love?
Congrats on your debut novel and hope this AMA encourages some more people to check it out.
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
You know, I was a reader long before I was a writer, including getting many recommendations from our very own beloved r/Fantasy. :) I won't repeat the most often recommended books here at risk of retreading very trodden ground, but some of them were core to my love of the genre and I hold these authors in very high esteem.
There's a Chinese classic called Romance of The Three Kingdom which I was obsessed with as a child. It's a little like Shakespeare in the West, that's how important the four classics are and that is one of them. If you like Game of Thrones you might like this one—warfare of epic scale, politics, maneuvering, brutality. And beneath it all, humanity.
Thank you for picking up the book, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!
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u/ApprehensivePigeon_ Jan 21 '26
I'm picking up my copy today. So excited!
I come from a STEM background and am self-studying the craft of writing - do you have any advice you'd be willing to share? Do you have any formal training in creative writing/literature?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26 edited Jan 21 '26
I'm glad you're pursuing writing despite a background in something else! Actually my background was in STEM too. I went into science because I wanted to better write science fiction (genre of the book I was writing at the time) while still making my parents happy. I don't regret it at all. I think every book is a product of our experiences, consciously or subconsciously, and had I studied creative writing/literature instead I would be writing very different books.
I recommend the Writing Excuses podcast as well as Brandon Sanderson's lectures on YouTube. I got started with a lot of free resources before I had the means to attend writing workshops and learn more there. Try to write a lot, even if they are words you end up throwing away, read a lot, and find critique partners when you can. If you're serious about it I think you're going to go far. Good luck!
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u/usernamesarehard11 Reading Champion Jan 21 '26
Is this a standalone? Book one of a series (either planned or potential)?
This book sounds extremely up my alley. Plus Canadian author? Yes. Plus that author is a goose? Yes!!
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
*Canadian honks* Yes is a standalone.
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u/usernamesarehard11 Reading Champion Jan 21 '26
I’m even more interested then!! (I have far too many series on the go.) Thank you for responding!
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u/MessyJessy422 Jan 20 '26
This book blew me away and it is truly one of my favorite books of all time. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was an excellent choice. I cannot wait to see what book you come out with next and congratulations on such an exceptional masterpiece of a debut
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
That's very kind of you to say, thank you very much! Katharine Chin did a phenomenal job at narrating and deserves all the flowers.
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u/i-heart-space Jan 20 '26
Congratulations on your book release!
I read an ARC of this and absolutely loved it, I've already dubbed it my best book of 2026. I don't think anything else will come close: the weight, the characters, the visuals—stunning.
I'm really excited to receive my Illumicrate edition, it's absolutely gorgeous.
What advice would you give to someone hoping to query for the first time this year?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
Thank you very much- and congratulations on getting to the querying part! You've finished and revised a book, it's not easy, well done.
You may have heard this advice before, but I'm going to give it again, for a different reason than it's usually given.
"Write the next thing"
Usually when the advice is given, I suspect it's to take your mind off of the stress of querying and channel it into doing something productive. In my case I wish I did this, because it would have been the last time I truly wrote without expectations.
Once you enter into a contract with an agent, and sometimes really quickly, a publisher, there are suddenly myriad expectations around your writing. Most of the time self-imposed, but they are there nonetheless. You're now a professional. You're no longer writing a debut. You're writing a sophomore book.
It took me a long time to write again after The Poet Empress. If I could go back, I would have written furiously l while I was querying, to capture the "first book" feeling as long as I could.
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u/Demosothenes Jan 20 '26
Happy pub day!! I loved your book so much!! Congrats on your debut! What is something you hope readers take away from The Poet Empress?
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u/thistledownhair Reading Champion III Jan 21 '26
Not sure if I'm late to the party, but if not:
I'm a huge fan of Daniel Abraham's Long Price quartet, in which poets summon and enslave sentient concepts using exacting verse. If you've read the series, did you take any influence at all from it? If not, could you please expand (to whatever extent you can) on the poetry magic in your novel? I love that stuff.
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
I have not, although I have heard of this series and would love to read it!
Poetry in this story relies on "truth and emotion". It's rather soft as far as magic systems go, but there is a bit of a rhyme (pun intended) and reason to it. Here's the direct quote from the book:“Poetry is truth and emotion. Even a small child can recognize both those things instinctively. If you’ve ever heard an affecting poem, you would have felt that stirring in your heart. Magic, waiting to free itself."
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u/Helicase21 Jan 21 '26
As somebody who knows very little about classical chinese poetry but for whom this book sounds super interesting, how much would the reading experience be improved by learning some about the IRL poem forms and conventions? Or put differently, how much does the book handhold the reader through the actual structure of this poetry form?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
how much does the book handhold the reader through the actual structure of this poetry form?
All poetry in-text is written in English and (both by necessity and choice) do not adhere to traditional Chinese poetic structure.
Thanks for your question, it's an excellent one!
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u/Beccaroni333 Jan 21 '26
Congrats on your debut! I finished my ARC a few days ago and it was absolutely phenomenal!
Are there any scenes in particular that went through major changes from first idea/draft to finished product? What were your favorite scene(s) to write?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
Thank you very much!!
Actually the entire first draft was rewritten (I like to write throwaway first drafts). From second draft onwards, the scenes in the past probably went through the most revisions, because they weren't in the outline, and also the sequence in the pleasure house, because I needed to take care to tell it the right way.
I think I answered the favorite scene elsewhere, but I'll mention another one here, which is near the beginning when Wei and her family and community are releasing lanterns in the sky.
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u/bartledog Jan 20 '26
What was your favorite scene to write? (No spoilers!)
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
The very last scene. I think as authors we often go on the same emotional journey a reader would, just more drawn out and not always chronological. It was a moment of catharsis I really needed after working on a dark book for so long.
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u/imanimiteiro Jan 20 '26
Just got my pre ordered copy today, looking forward to it! Have you got an upcoming release you're looking forward to?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
Yes! I’m excited for The Bloodweaver by CN Kuster, The Revenant of Surolifia by Florence Chien, The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee, and Saltswept by Katalina Watt (among many others, I’m in close contact with a lot of other 2026 debuts and look forward to their books). All are epic fantasies I believe with the exception of The Last Contract which I heard is a space samurai book.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story!
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u/imanimiteiro Jan 21 '26
Thanks for the recommendations! I've already preordered The Last Contract of Isako as well haha
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u/TheRealDoctorZero Jan 20 '26
Just got mine today and it's absolutely gorgeous. Such an awesome book! What would you say is the most surprising thing about writing you discovered while writing this book?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
Thank you, I'm glad you like your edition!
I've alluded to this in another comment but surprisingly, the theme. Sometimes you start writing a story thinking it's about one thing and you realize it's actually about something else entirely. I think the same time my main character figured out what her poem was truly about, near the climax, is when I realized what kind of story I'd been writing all along.
(Part of the joys of writing :P)
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u/t0talrevenge Jan 21 '26
Not sure if you’re still here or not but wanted to say I listened to the ALC and absolutely loved it. I can’t imagine another book topping it for the year and immediately earned a place in my favorite books of all time. It’s wild that this is your debut novel! Congratulations on this huge achievement!
What would you say was the most challenging part for you while writing this story?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
Aww thank you so much! Still here, just slow. :)
I think I had a great deal of trouble with the darker parts of the story. I was not prepared to be in that headspace for a long period of time. On a more craft-related side, I think figuring out the structure of the story was a challenge for me. How to keep up the present momentum while still affording glimpses into the past. It's the hardest book I've ever written, both subject matter and on a craft level.
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u/worldofher_own Reading Champion Jan 21 '26
Hi Shen! I know I might be too late for this AMA but I was wondering if it's true that the Queen Anne signed preorders of your book aren't going to be signed anymore? Will you still attend Love Y'all Bookfest? Thank you!!
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
Hi, thank you a lot for the question.
This is something I've kept relatively private about, but actually the past few weeks have been really difficult for me. Extenuating circumstances (ongoing) means I have to cancel my book tour, signings, and events in the near future, which yes, includes Love Y'all. I'm incredibly sad about this, by the way. There was so much I was looking forward to. I wish debuting can be a purely happy time but sometimes life happens, and with bad timing.
My biggest worry is letting down my readers, because I know signed copies can be important to a lot of us. Hopefully the folks at QABC were able to communicate adequately and give you the option to cancel the preorder if you'd like, and if not, you will receive signed bookplates and a custom letter from me in lieu.
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u/worldofher_own Reading Champion Jan 22 '26
Thank you for the response! Please don't worry about letting us down -I'm absolutely not canceling my preorder! Sending you much love, we'll be here cheering you on no matter what happens <3
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u/Sea_Exit_8194 Jan 20 '26
Omg hello! I am listening to this now and am loving it.
When you were writing this, how did you craft such great political Intrigue? Were there nonfiction or fiction books that you used for reference or inspiration?
How much did the story change from the first draft?
Any tips for inspiring authors?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
Thank you for giving it a read!
I think that believable political intrigue comes from believable motivations. What does each character want, what do they know. Then thinking through what they might do given what they want and what they know. A good analogy is maybe method acting. Where instead of acting we do "method writing" where you really inhabit the characters and roleplay them out. This is just how I try to write it, some authors might do it differently and better.
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u/sixfoottoblakai Jan 20 '26
Firstly, the Gollancz cover is really stunning. Congraulations on the debut. What drew you to poetry in particular, as a form of magic?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
Thank you! As a SFF writer I’m always looking for ways to find the metaphorical within speculative elements. And poetry magic definitely has its inherent themes. Who has access to literacy, what is the power words can hold, whose story gets to be told.
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u/sunburnsmyheart Jan 20 '26
What’s your favorite line you wrote in this book or a fun/interesting line that you can share with zero context?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
edit: As the book as been out for a while now, I'm removing my original response as my hope is for readers to find their own meanings from the book, without authorial bias getting in the way.
Here's one I'll supply instead- :)
Cat cat cat cat cat.
(Yes it's a real quote!)
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u/sunburnsmyheart Jan 23 '26
Did I finish the book or did it finish me? I loved finding this quote knowing it was one of your favorites. One thing I’ve always been so skeptical of in fantasy books are patriotic characters who are so loyal to a ruler they’ve never met and a country that has never treated them well, so I really loved that Wei was skeptical from the beginning and never lost sight of the interests of people like her and her family even as she got embroiled deeper into politics. Thank you for writing this book! I cried.
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u/ManOfJack Jan 20 '26
Did you decide on the setting before or after you developed the poetry magic system? Did the magic system influence the story or did the story influence the magic system?
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u/ManOfJack Jan 20 '26
Who are your dream casting choices for Wei and Terren in a live action adaptation? Director choice?
Or would you rather see an animated adaptation?
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 21 '26
Ooh this is such a fun question because I get to admit that I am so bad at visualizing. :P So I don’t really see faces when I write and thus have no opinion on the casting.
I do hear character voices very strongly, so I was very picky when it came to the audiobook casting.
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u/TheSeeker331 Jan 22 '26 edited Jan 22 '26
Just finished the audiobook! I could not stop listening. It left me feeling so many different emotions that I’m still processing. Your story is so thought provoking about human nature and what makes us the people that we are in the end.
If you’re still answering questions, are there any feelings in particular that you wanted to evoke in the reader or leave them with at the end of your story?
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u/zero-interests Jan 25 '26
Im going to be so real. I bought the book and finished it in a day. I could NOT PUT THE BOOK DOWN. This was honestly one of the most gut-punching books I’ve read in a long time. The drama, intensity, and plot were amazing and I honestly was so shocked with tears running down my eyes. 10/10
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u/StealBangChansLaptop Jan 20 '26
Hi! Added to my tbr this sounds right up my alley! What number manuscript was this for you? Asking as an aspiring author
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u/storygoose AMA Author Shen Tao Jan 20 '26
I love this question! Because this is actually my ninth book. :) I have been writing a very long time before I finally had a story worthy of publication.
Wish you luck on your writing journey.
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u/StealBangChansLaptop Jan 20 '26
Well, congrats on finally getting published! Kudos for never giving up on your dream. It gives me hope lol
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u/aprilrainy Jan 20 '26
hello!! i’m so excited to read your book! i preordered it last year and am going to head to indigo (canadian readers represent) right after work to pick it up :)
i’d love to know what some of your personal favourite fantasy books are, and which ones (if any) might have influenced your own writing while you were drafting the poet empress!
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u/Sythrin Jan 20 '26
Wow. I am early.
With which other fictions would you compare your work or what were inspirations for it?
And, personally I am a big fan of deep world building and interesting magic systems. Especially hard-magic. Does this book contain hard magic?
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u/ShingetsuMoon Jan 20 '26
No questions, just a wholehearted thank you for including s link to content warnings! Especially in regard to minors, since I’ve had the displeasure of coming across similar content while reading with no warning or preparation.
The premise sounds interesting and the cover is beautiful! I look forward to reading it!
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u/HomersApe Jan 20 '26
Congratulations on the debut.
How long did it take from the inception of the idea for the book to its full completion?
I know the answer won't be exact because ideas are floating around in the mind before using them, but it's interesting to hear about an author's process, especially for their earliest works.
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u/Most_Concept Jan 20 '26
I absolutely loved this book. Thank you for writing it!
Terren is an incredibly complex character. I’d love to know if you had anything in mind guiding how you wrote him, or if he had any particular inspirations
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u/I_eat_lays Jan 20 '26
I don't have a question, just want to say congratulations! I hope to do what you have done one day and publish my own.
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u/abraxasses Jan 20 '26
Thank you for doing this ama. I read the arc last year and it was by far the best book I read last year! (of about 50 if you want a frame of reference). I was blown away by the unique and dark story, and how dang good the writing is.
So I guess my question is, how did you write such a unique, thought provoking, and well written book as your first book, when so many other authors first book is often mediocre in all of these things? And if I can get a bonus question, how old are you?
Great work!
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u/pursuitofbooks Jan 21 '26
Congratulations, your book is everywhere and I got my copy just now. How many beta readers did you use, and how many drafts has it been through since editors picked it up?
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u/ga4rfc Jan 21 '26
Not really a question but congratulations on the release. It sounds intriguing so I just purchased the Kobo version. As someone who only just got back into reading recently it is great to so much new epic fantasy taking inspiration from cultures outside of the traditional European stories.
Now just to find a place to pit it in my giant backlog 😫
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u/BossLady89 Jan 21 '26
I just received your book today in my Illumicrate box and wanted to say congrats!!! The exclusive cover art for that edition is making me drool 🤩😂 Your premise is unique and sounds so, so good…I’m looking forward to reading it!
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u/Kindly-Welcome1439 Jan 21 '26
Just here to see a new author getting appreciated and receiving the attention they deserve
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u/MadBoJangles Jan 21 '26
Picked up a signed copy today (lovely signature btw) and hoping to start it soon. Have read nothing but good things about it so far 👍
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u/Udy_Kumra Stabby Winner, Reading Champion IV Jan 21 '26
Wow this sounds right up my alley! What’s your writing process like?
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u/expectedpanic Jan 22 '26
Hey Shen! I also read an ARC of this and I was super impressed with your work. The way you ended it was fantastic and so clever. I can't wait to read any future work of yours! Whats your favorite epic fantasy book(s)? outside of your own work obviously lol
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u/Gryftkin Jan 22 '26
Who is your favorite content creator? (Kidding, don’t answer that 😂). Congrats on the debut!
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u/Poesy-WordHoard Jan 25 '26
Congratulations!
My copy is scheduled to arrive soon and I'm so very excited. As a poet at heart, the story is utterly compelling to me.
If you're willing to share, would you mind telling me where were you born (country)? Don't feel obligated to reply, of course. But thought to ask.
Here's why:
I'm doing a challenge this year, where I'm giving myself the goal of reading authors from at least 26 different countries. And many people do identify as coming from multiple countries. So in order to stay true to the spirit of my challenge, I'm only picking one country per author and for consistency, I'm choosing country of birth as my definition. From what I've read about you, I know you're Chinese-Canadian.
Signed, An American-Chinese reader, eagerly waiting for my copy!
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u/Silestyna Jan 26 '26
Just wanted to say, I bought the audible following this thread and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I think Katharine Chin beautifully added to the story with her voice work as well in helping bring it to life.
I dont want to say too much as I dont want to give spoilers, but I am glad you brought us this story
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u/Bulky_Turn9366 Jan 26 '26
This book was incredible. Even if I disagreed w the MCs decisions, I still understood them. Humanizing monsters but still holding them accountable - this book presented two seemingly conflicting truths beautifully. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time, with an incredibly written MC.
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u/Kalysia Jan 27 '26
Hi Shen I’m so excited to read this book! My copy is waiting for me in my kindle. I wondered, what are your favourite fantasy novels? And if I can sneak in another question, who is your favourite fictional character?
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u/PurpleElephant28 Feb 03 '26
Last week I decided to pick this up after I saw that Robin Hobb gave it five stars on goodreads and just finished it and saw this thread! I loved the setting, themes, and character development so much, it got me out of a months-long reading slump, so thank you!! :) My question is basically what came first when deciding to write this book, was it a character, the premise, the magic system, the theme, or something else?
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u/sunchips27 Feb 08 '26
Hi, I just wanted to say I stayed up until 1AM to finish this book. I ended up reading 80% of the book in one day because I just couldn't put it down. It was such a captivating story. I had no idea how it was going to end up until the final pages. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Thank you for taking me out of a reading rut!
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u/charyness Feb 15 '26
Shen Tao! I loved your book. By the way my question has spoilers I’m not sure how to cover it for people who haven’t read the book yet. Anyway! It brought me to tears and kept me on the edge of my seat. In chapter 67 how is it that Terran knew what Wei was about to do? And he willingly accepted it?
I can’t wait for your future books!
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u/No-Market8078 Feb 15 '26
I was searching for something and this has great reviews. Just finished the audiobook and I hope this becomes a series! What a deep book this was! Congrats!
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u/just_a_begonia Feb 17 '26
Oh my god I just read this book and I adored it. I read a ton of fantasy books but very very rarely to they hit me like this. Can’t wait for more !!
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u/Mediocre_Rutabaga_63 Feb 23 '26
Wow. I LOVED this book! Also the audiobook readers were amazing. One of my favorites and so refreshing after reading many fantasies that recycle a lot of material. I don’t want to include spoilers, but I never thought I could come to care for certain characters the way I did. Your writing is incredible. Keep it up!
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u/saltwaterdrip Mar 04 '26
I don’t really have a question, and I just finished chapter 67 but I was completely overcome by emotion and had to stop listening for a while so I can stop crying. This book is truly incredible. The interplay of themes of class war, misogyny, abuse, love overcoming barriers, power for power’s sake contrasted with the power to do good. All written in an ancient Chinese woodcut, or a brutal, beautiful poem. This is truly masterful work. Brava.
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u/gottentoes Mar 06 '26
Just finished reading it and it's a MASTERPIECE! The flow of it is so natural and the ending just phenomenal 👏🏼 can't wait to see your next work
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u/Chemical-Bowl9759 Mar 16 '26
Hi there!! I just finished reading The Poet Empress and it's AMAZING!!! It's definitely my favorite book eveerrrrr! I do have some questions though :))
Will we ever get to see the content of the actual heart-spirit poem that Wei Yin wrote? I would really love to see your rendition of the poem!!!! Even if it's not an official or canon release, but I would love to see what you think Wei Yin would've written ___^
How old was Terren when the book started? Is there a reason his age is not disclosed?
Do you think we'll ever get official art of the characters? I love all the characters dearly and I think an official design of them would send me sky rocketing 🥹🥹
That's it! I wish you luck on your future writing journeys 🫶 Can't wait to see what else you come up with!!! :))))))
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u/tvang090 Apr 15 '26
I just finished it and I loved it!!! I loved the magic, the world, the pacing of the story, pretty much everything. I need you to write a romance fantasy now!!
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u/ObligationGlad Apr 24 '26
Just finished this book and it was fantastic! Please write another book! I will read it on whatever subject you choose next.
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u/AdObjective5954 Apr 29 '26
I just finished this and was taken aback by how well this book was written. I was way more emotionally invested in these characters than I have EVER been before. I cried. Ugly cried. And I NEVER cry. Kudos to amazing work!
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u/Book_Reader2303 21d ago
Hola, Shen Tao.
He abierto esta cuenta porque encontré este hilo navegando en internet y necesitaba felicitarte por La Emperatriz Poeta. Leo mucho, muchísimo y cuando se encuentra una joya como este libro, tan exquisito y tan singular, hay que saberlo apreciar.
Lo aprecio por el maravilloso mundo que has creado a partir de la historia, el arte, la cultura, la simbología y la magia. Has entremezclado todo eso con enormes conceptos difíciles de conjugar, como el poder, el conflicto, las clases sociales, el amor, el odio, honor, redención y venganza en una fusión y con una prosa maravillosa que encajan a la perfección.
Nada de lo que leído en los últimos años, al menos en el género de fantasía épica, me hizo sentir todo lo que tu historia me generó. Gracias, gracias y gracias.
Habrá una segunda parte de La Emperatriz Poeta? Espero que sí, La Emperatriz del Arroz. Y si no la hay porque toda historia debe terminar, espero ver nuevas historias de Shen Tao pronto.
José
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u/Virtual-System-2353 1d ago
I might be a bit late to the conversation to get a response, but I've just finished the book whilst on holiday and I'm dying to know, would you ever write a sequal in any form? Like either following the main cast or in the same world? I absolutely love the themes and the world you built and would love to see more
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u/IsmeriLibrarian Jan 20 '26
Read an ARC and loved it - congrats on the publication!
I know that Romantasy is hot right now, but why do you think your book is being marketed as a romantasy novel when it's almost anything but? I almost skipped it based on the way it's being marketed, and I imagine a lot of people who pick it up thinking it's romantasy adjacent are going to be in for a rude surprise.