by Shen Tao
First published 2026
Yin Wei sees opportunity when cruel Crown Prince Terren seeks new concubines. Her starving family needs salvation, and the palace offers escape from poverty. She enters the Azalea Palace expecting luxury but finds thirty women locked in deadly competition. They use poison and schemes to eliminate rivals, each fighting to become the next empress. A secret succession war rages beyond the palace walls while Wei navigates the treacherous court. Prince Terren chooses her as his bride, trapping her in an impossible position. He tortures her daily while she searches for escape. Wei discovers the Heart Soul Poem, a forbidden magic that could destroy Terren and save the kingdom from war and famine. The spell demands a terrible price. She must genuinely love the person she intends to kill. Wei faces an agonizing choice between survival and salvation, knowing she must somehow find love for the man who breaks her spirit each day.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, fantasy, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, impossible-choice
Setting: Azalea Palace
432 pages · Paperback · Gollancz
Content warnings: abuse, torture