4.25. If I were rating this purely on vibes, it would be very close to a full five stars. It held my attention from beginning to end, surprised me with its twists, and somehow managed to tell a fresh, tightly woven fantasy story in just 400 pages. The longer I sat with it afterward, though, the more I started noticing both major and minor flaws.

First of all, I’m glad I went into this knowing very little, because marketing it as a romantasy is almost criminal. Relationships are absolutely at the heart of the story, but they revolve around almost every kind of love except romantic love. The title The Poet Empress is also rather misleading, as the story ultimately spends surprisingly little time on either poetry or the supposed female "main" character. A different title, and perhaps a different POV character, would have made for a much stronger package.

My second issue is that it’s incredibly difficult to build a compelling political fantasy in only 400 pages. As a result, the politics often have to be simplified, or the many promising story threads end up fading into the background. The novel introduces a vast, divided world and countless side characters, but in the end many of them have very little impact on the story. Considering that the book initially seems to approach its themes through a feminist lens, I also found it odd that it never really explores the reasons behind the royal family's heavily skewed gender balance. Honestly, I’m not sure why this had to be a standalone when it so clearly had enough material for a trilogy.

That said, I do think the novel handles its central themes and characters well. As a 400-page debut, it’s an impressively ambitious achievement, and I’d definitely be interested in reading whatever this author writes next!

A very short but beautifully written story that feels almost like a fairy tale, and one that left me unexpectedly emotional by the end. What truly elevated this book for me, though, is its phenomenal audiobook. It brought the story and its songs to life in a way that the text alone simply couldn’t, even though the illustrations in the physical edition are absolutely gorgeous as well.

Compared to more traditional fantasy, and given its length, I did find myself wishing for a bit more depth in the world and the characters. Then again, I’m not sure this is the kind of book that should be measured against traditional fantasy in the first place. That said, I know that the audiobook format raised my rating by at least half a star, if not a full one. I highly recommend experiencing it that way!

Charming in its simplicity and a perfect summer read. The story immediately transports you to a small Irish village in the 1960s, introduces a wonderfully eccentric cast of characters, and ties everything together beautifully by the end.

There isn’t much suspense to be found here, but there are plenty of moments that will make you smile and relax.