#voidbringer
✨Book Review: The Poet Empress by Shen Tao✨
@getcozy.with.vee did me a solid by recommending this book.
The Poet Empress is a dark fantasy set in a world where the written word holds the power to make or break empires. The protagonist, a starving villager, is chosen to compete for a place in the prince’s harem. As she becomes more successful she becomes more and more worried about the village she left behind and the heir prince, whose brutally could mean both victory and ruin. As her own literary talents increase, she must weigh the weight of his soul.
This is not a romance, but a fascinating exploration of what compassion and justice mean. I loved it! 5/5
#bookrecs📚 #darkfantasybooks #bookreviewersofinstagram #fantasybooks #chinesefantasy
If you like intense political intrigue, dark poetry magic, & a vengeful female protagonist… you might want to pick this book up! 👏
The Poet Empress by Shen Tao @storygoose is our February Adult Fantasy book pick & dare we say it’s the Fantasy book of the year.
In the waning years of a powerful dynasty, the emperor is dying. His lands are ravaged by famine, and his people’s powers of poetry magic have been lost to all except the most powerful.
A young woman faces desperation. After losing five siblings and watching her family and village starve, she is willing to sacrifice everything to protect those she loves. This sacrifice leads her into the palace, where she is offered as a concubine to the ruthless heir of a beautiful yet brutal ruling house. But fate is cruel. The court teeters on the brink of civil war, and she is trapped at its center, bound to the side of a violent prince.
To survive, she must steel her heart, sharpen her mind, and learn to become dangerous. In a world where women are forbidden to read, she secretly becomes a poet—all in hopes of crafting the most powerful spell of all: a ballad of death and love.
Our edition features:
🗡️Exclusive dust jacket art by @salmonella_fish with design by @lichen_and_limestone
🐉Reversible dust jacket designed by @rowynnellis
🗡️Hardcover case designed by @toyo.illustration
🐉End pages designed by @gukkhwa
🗡️Gilded edge with a hidden illustration designed by @julie.reinhart_
🐉Signed by the author on a page designed by @divineliterary
🗡️Author letter bound into the book
🐉Bonus content bound into the book
🗡️Ribbon bookmark
🐉Book size: 6 ⅛” x 9 ¼”
Please note that all books included in our Adult Fantasy subscription are recommended for ages 18+ by the publishers.
❗️Our Adult Fantasy Book Only Subscription is currently sold out. Sign up for our WAITLIST now!
Add it to your TBR list now!
#owlcrate #fantasybooks #historicalfantasy #thepoetempress #fantasybookstagram
GORGEOUS little book. You know I love an Asian-inspired (Chinese) fantasy. Only 100 pages left and it’s so good!
#booksbooksbooks #thepoetempress
🌸Chinese Mythology
🌸Betrayal
🌸Forbidden Love
🌸Legendary Creatures
🌸Politics
🌸Rich Worldbuilding
Immortal by @suelynntan
#bookish #booksgram #fantasybooks #bookstagram bookrecommendations
If you like Action Fantasy and Martial Arts mixed with Chinese Mythology this is the novel you’ve been waiting for…
Follow for more Novel Insights and the rising storm 🐉
#NewNovel
#FantasyBooks
#ChineseMythology
#DragonEnergy
#LunarNewYear
Hardcover reveal!
Coming soon (waiting for other proof).
#historicalfantasy #asianfantasybooks #ceyu #stratagemoffatedwinds #blnovel
Here’s a new Asian Fantasy Book Rec that I just got by Indie Author & Artist @tinainqieta ✨🌺
Travel to Neputa in this Eastern Fantasy perfect for Anime lovers. Featuring Wuxia: chinese martial arts
I’ve been an influencer with Tina for two books and barely figured out my dear friend had a book of her own! I’m so excited to start this ! 🤍
#bookstagram #asianfantasy #bookrecommendations📚❣️ #fantasy
Illumicrate January 2026: The Power of Death featuring The Poet Empress by Shen Tao
#illumicrate #illumicratejan2026
📖 The Poet Empress by Shen Tao
Edition: @illumicrate Jan Book 2026
How STUNNING is this Illumicrate redesign edition of this book?! 😍 The way my jaw dropped when I first saw it. I was lost for words at the incredible artwork and love the book was given.
The book itself is an incredible read and will be in my top fav books of the year for sure. I gave it 5⭐️.
Have you had a 5⭐️ book yet this year?
🏷️ #specialedition #booksubscription #illumicrate #bookstagram
🗝️ book haul | special edition | book subscription | book box | Illumicrate | fantasy | dark fantasy | historical fiction | Historical fantasy | Asian literature | bookstagram
Dragons, past lives, fated love & an evil emperor
What more can you ask for??
This is so easy to read, and it definitely left me wanting more....in a good way!
📖 "The Last Dragon of the East" by Katrina Kwan
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#bookstacks #cdrama #readmorebooks #bookrecs #dragonbooks
Moon Witch by Grace Zhu
Girl falls through portal and falls head over heels for the first guy she sees, but when she wants to find a way back home, he doesn't want to let her go...
For fans of Alice in Wonderland and Once Upon a Broken heart, especially if you like any of these tropes:
🕯️ Gaslamp era
🌼Soft girl FMC
🐈 Animal Companion
🌶️Banter & Spice
🥀 Lovers to enemies
🌙 Chosen One
🏘️ Haunted French manor
📸 Photography
#bookstagram #bookrecs #fantasybooks #booksbooksbooks romantasy bookish gothic cozy fantasy
A cover so stunning it will wake the dead! 💀
Deathly Fates is perfect for readers who love:
🍵 Books steeped in Chinese folklore
☀️ The Grumpy x Sunshine trope
✨ C-dramas with magic and mystery
🌸 Eldest Daughter Energy
🌙 Books like Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Six Crimson Cranes
The spellbinding debut by @tesiatsai and gorgeous cover illustrated by @sh0tze
#deathlyfates #tesiatsai #fantasyromancebooks #grumpyxsunshine #EastAsianFantasy
