Happy Wednesday, friends!

I apologize for being MIA, but I'm back now and wanted to share this fantastic debut with you all!

I recently finished The Poet Empress by Shen Tao as one of my AAPI Month reads, and listen, this book was so incredibly done! While reading, it definitely brought up some connections to Game of Thrones for me, specifically the Ramsey Bolton of it all, but this book also stands on its own as a powerhouse of a story. I don't think I'd classify this as a "romantasy," but it does fit the category of being a dark fantasy.

This one features characteristics of a story that work well, like:

-an oppressed demographic - The women in this world are not allowed to read/learn to read.

-a multifaceted protagonist - Wei comes to us as someone who is clearly on the margins and wants to help her family and others, hence her sacrifice in the beginning. What happens to her while she is court is a fantastic example of a character arc where she learns to both create and take power.

-lack of romance - I know this one might not be popular, but I think the absence of romance in this story is what makes it work so much better and sets it on its own path towards greatness.

This is beautifully written and probably one of my favorite reads for the year.

If you haven't read this one yet, make sure to add it to your TBR!

If you have, drop what you liked the most about it below!