Drawing on Chinese mythology, this tension- filled fable pits brother against brother, throne against famine, and adds a dragon. THE POET EMPRESS carries an inherent contradiction, because women are kept illiterate by the haughty Azalea Dynasty.

Knowing that the emperor is dying, Wei Yin, daughter of a rice farmer in a poor province, brings her little brother to the New Year festival in the town of Guishan. Here, they see a visit by young Prince Isan, whose magic makes peach trees fruit in the cobbled streets. Each of the Imperial princes carries a unique magic. Officials announce a selection process for girls as concubines to the crown prince. Wei has no hope at all. But her family would prosper if she gained a seat at court. She decides to attend.

This isn’t the first story I’ve read about a girl gaining access to the palaces, courts, corruptions and intrigues of empire. Wei carries the disadvantage of poverty with no lofty connections. But surprisingly, this seems suitable for rogue Prince Terren. The tale, already burdened with deaths from privation, becomes darker as Terren tries out his magic of blades on the scared farmer’s daughter. She won’t be missed if anything goes wrong. He has curing spells as well, and he threatens her family, so nobody else knows. Wei makes up her mind to get even with Terren, which won’t be easy. Even the servants are fearful.  

As women are forbidden to read, they are excluded from the magic system of literomancy, which means writing poetry and casting spells. Secretly becoming literate is the most rebellious act Wei can take, so of course, she does. The court intrigue sees her in the way of other women who want to be Empress someday. This fantasy continues to become darker as brothers Prince Terren, Prince Isan and Prince Maro, whose talent builds roads and bridges, jostle for power.

I find this fable extremely well-written, as along with Wei, we experience careless cruelty and neglect, knowing it’s wrong. The royal households each live in a separate palace, insulated from famine and warlike enemies. Factions choose their own at the expense of the people, and the poor are ignored by those who have – and waste – too much. The red dragon, emblem of the Azalea House, doesn’t act until the end, when an heir has to challenge him to gain the throne. Shen Tao, who now lives in Canada, has created a starkly beautiful fantasy in her first novel, THE POET EMPRESS, which is not for the nervous.