*THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*
*A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK*

'An impressive debut with real psychological depth' THE GUARDIAN
'Richly imagined and politically driven' THE I PAPER
'In a class of its own' THE DAILY MAIL
'It now holds a standard for fantasy standalones' GRIMDARK MAGAZINE
'An epic world of literomancy and magical dynasty' SFX
'Tao's prose gleams with poetic precision' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
'Full of page-turning suspense' KIRKUS
'An intricate study of court politics' LIBRARY JOURNAL
'This dark fantasy stands out among the plethora of romantasy' BOOKLIST
'Vicious, gorgeous, and fiercely haunting' CHLOE GONG
'Sublime' AMELIE WEN ZHAO
'Enthralling' ANDREA STEWART
'Astounding' CHELSEA ABDULLAH
'Lyrical' K. X. SONG
'Devastating' KRITIKA H. RAO
'Fantasy at its best' VAISHNAVI PATEL

TO KILL A MONSTER, SHE MUST BECOME ONE . . .

As the emperor lays dying, the once-great Azalea Dynasty plunges towards civil war. While its princes plot for power, a more hidden war - to become the next empress - occupies the imperial court.

Wei Yin - peasant girl turned concubine to the cruel Prince Terren - has already endured unimaginable suffering. Ripped from her family, she has no title, no allies, and no escape. But she does have a secret . . .

In the shadows of the palace, surrounded by enemies, she is learning a skill forbidden to women. Because when words are weapons and poetry holds an ancient magic, the fate of a girl - and a nation - can both be rewritten. All she has to do is compose the perfect poem - a tale so powerful, it can kill any man, even the next emperor.

The epic political arena of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang meets the intimate tragedy and luscious language of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller in this sensational debut novel by visionary new talent Shen Tao, unmissable for die-hard genre fans as well as readers of literary fiction looking to make their first foray into fantasy.