Fantastic! The writing and story are great but the characters really stand out. Our main characters are Lan, a girl with a secret, and Zen, a boy fascinated by her and her secrets. Amélie Wen Zhao does an excellent job of mixing plot and character development, so much so that I found myself eagerly turning pages because I was so immersed in the story. Her writing style is also so appealing, there's a real storyteller vibe to it. I think I will be getting the audiobook to experience it again.

This has been recommended to fans of The Untamed (agreed!) but I think it would also be good for fans of Jeannie Lin (though her content is a tad more mature). The intrigue and mystery mixed with the fantasy elements is incredibly enjoyable and leaves me desperate for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by Amelie Wen Zhao and it will not be my last. I was completely enamored by the writing, the story, the characters, and the world that she has built in this beautiful YA fantasy story! If you're a fan of shows like Love Between Fairy and Devil, then this might be the perfect one for you!

The world building here is fantastic. I love that this is set in almost a dystopian-like fantasy world where colonists have taken over and the traditions of this world are compromised by their influence. Instead of the characters fighting against the imperial/royal family (like in many fantasy stories I read), this is about how the royal family has fallen and colonists threaten their history, tradition, and culture. That goes double for people like Zen who practice a forbidden type of magic that the colonists have outlawed and also hunt down. Using qi energy, practitioners are able to connect with magical demons who provide them with power. Zen is one of those people.

It also follows Lan, a young song girl working in a brothel with a big secret she doesn't remember. All she has is a scar on her left wrist and the memory of her mother putting it there. Throughout the story, you see Lan really grow. I mean, it was a little fast for me, but I love her growth since she goes from a weak songstress to an amateur warrior working to fight for those she loved. Lan was probably my favorite character, but I also can't overlook Zen who was fighting his own demons and the choices he made for power.

And of course, there's romance. I feel like you can't write a C-drama style story without there being a bit of romance and Lan and Zen's little love just really hit me in the feels. It was delicate and sweet and while in some ways felt a bit rushed, I did love watching them come together.

I felt like the development of each characters could have been written out a bit more, but it didn't take away too much from the story. Overall, this is the fantastic beginning of a beautifully written and utterly breathtaking world that will pull you in and keep you company while you look for your next C-drama to devour.

4.5 stars

I read this book pretty quickly, while stuck in a van for a day and a half driving to a convention and then back home. Actually I read quite a few books during the drive, which was awesome. It felt nice to be reading. That has been a reoccurring theme with me this year…I don’t read for a while, or I struggle to read for a while, and then I’ll just have basically a couple days where I read like a dozen books…and then it’s back to a slump again. Honestly it has been quite frustrating.

Anyway, this book was absolutely not a slog. I was intrigued by the world and the magic and the characters. And the more I got to know the characters, and the deeper I got into the story, the more drawn in I became. I wanted to know more. I needed to keep reading. Honestly I had to dig for the charging cord for my NOOK because it was about to die and I wanted to keep reading.

The only reason I knocked this story down a half-star is because there were some elements that were a bit too predictable, and honestly because I wanted to see more time spent with even more worldbuilding. Now, obviously, there was a good amount of world building and magic system exploration, and Lan learning to use her magical abilities, but I wanted more. But I’m someone who really really enjoys those sorts of things, getting deep into the world and the history and the magic and the lore.

But I can absolutely say that I thoroughly enjoy the fact that we are getting more fantasy books with their roots in Asian and African myths and lore and culture. Not to say that there isn’t a richness from the European or American focused fantasies BUT there is this wonderful different building of worlds with the depth and breadth of new content, and I am absolutely here for it.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night gives us a world based on Chinese myth and lore, that also features peoples who have been beaten down and suppressed by colonizers, and I feel like we need more of that. We get a magic martial art system, which I find fascinating. We get a different set up of worldview and outlook and seeing where cultures intersect or clash or blend together. It’s stories like this that make me want to do more research into more world history that I don’t know about…you know, because the American school system picks and chooses what it thinks is relevant for students to focus on. I did get to learn a bunch of new things when I went to college, and honestly, I like continuing my education and broadening my understanding even now.

I did like the development of the relationship between Lan and Zen, as traveling companions, as practitioners of magic, and okay, yes, as romantic partners. Man, was all of that a roller coaster ride of an experience. There would be ups and then there would be downs, and then as the story neared the climax and final conflicts, it got pretty breakneck and twisty-turny. Again, not to say that the twists and turns were surprises or anything. Some were surprises, but others were fairly predictable.

But that doesn’t matter so much to me. I don’t mind if I can see a plot twist coming, or if I can predict a secret or truth coming to light that will change the game for the characters. As long as the story is executed well, and the characters are true to themselves, then I am perfectly happy with a story.

Honestly, I’m already excited for the sequel. And that is the downside of getting to read a book early…the wait for the next book is even longer. Oh well, I guess. There’s plenty of other books around to distract me until then.

If you're a fan of the xianxia/wuxia genre then this book may be a great fit for you! The characters are well-nuanced, the world-building is amazing, and this book leaves you wanting more.

A more detailed review will be coming after a re-read! I was too excited to get down my thoughts.


Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for providing an eArc for my Honest Review.

The fantasy world that Zhao builds in Song of Silver, Flame like Night is unlike any other world i have red recently. It is absolutely magical in both writing and world building. I disappeared into this world of flawed characters, lyrical descriptions and an immersive well thought-out and created world.

Lan and Zen are two amazing characters, their struggles, mistrust, and heart help keep the story believable even when they are off to search for Demon Gods and Magic.

Immediately after I finished this book I Preordered the physical book, it is one that i will want to dive into again and again. Now i have to wait for the second book.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the way the writer built the world, and the magic within it. This book is a high fantasy but at the same time, it's easy to read and easy to understand the world the author is creating. The characters are all flawed and secretive, which just grabs you, since you're trying to understand why somebody is doing what they're doing, or you're trying to guess why the character is the way they are. I enjoyed the magic system, and the talk of balance, the ying vs yang, and Qi and how it's all fluid. I think the author's weaving of these concepts with the magic and the characters, helps understand the decision and actions of the characters better, and helps the reader connect to them better. Overall, the story moved at a decent pace, the action/conflict scenes were intense, and had me at the edge of my seat, hoping the "good" guys would come out alright. This book made me have all kinds of emotional reactions, from anger, to sadness, to joy, to adrenaline rushes, and everything in between, it truly grabbed me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this Advanced Reader Copy*

This is a great first book to a new series! It really grabs the reader and brings them on a magical adventure. It was very different from anything I’ve read before, and includes a lot elements of Chinese folklore along with some traditional young adult/fantasy tropes.

The MC is a bit frustrating but I definitely came around to her by the end of the story. Overall I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to continuing it with the sequel!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night picks up some themes from Amelie Wen Zhao’s Blood Heir trilogy, such as fallen empires. In this book, the enemies are Elantians, and they rule over the Hin through force with a metal fist. This foundation touches on the core tenet from Zhao’s prior books: seeking power for the sake of power always leads to imbalance. Corruption. Zhao again touches on the sparks that ignite the fires of revolution. Although some central beliefs are the same as those in Blood Heir, this is no rehash of the same story. We’re introduced to a different magic system and follow the orphan Lan as she tries to understand the invisible seal on her wrist and survive as a subject in an occupied land.

The Hin are victims of the Elantians and their biases and mistakes from the past. They’re also hindered by effective disinformation campaigns that keep them from understanding and embracing their heritage. The layers of misunderstandings of past events are part of what Lan struggles with as she attempts to understand why her mother died, and what her mother wanted her to do.

The story touches on loss from the opening pages, and it’s a theme that persists throughout. It also touches on acceptance and rejection, and how that influences the choices people make.

The book doesn’t move at a breakneck pace, but that doesn’t mean that it’s slow. Zhao takes her time building this world, introducing the magic system, and developing the relationships. And the pace steadily builds to a jaw-dropping final act that sets the stage for the continuation.

Lan is saucy and it’s easy to warm to her spirit. Zen is, in many respects, a guarded soul who’s suffered under the weight of decisions made as a child. Both Lan and Zen lost everything in their youth, and they wrestle with internal and external demons, adding layers to this story and depth to the characters. They also deal with the conflict between their desires and the sense of a higher calling, to free their people from Elantian rule and restore balance. Some revelations weren’t surprises, while others stunned, and that produced a compelling read. 4.5 stars.

A whimsical debut from Zhao and a beautifully crafted tale of love, magic, intrigue and DRAGONS! Two people trying to find who they are and what they mean to each other and it's just utterly brilliant! Really looking forward to more from this author!

Last year there were a plethora of fantasy novels and series launched with their roots set in the myths, legends, and folklore of East Asia. Some of them were great (I personally loved “The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea), and some simply missed the mark. No matter how well each book was received, I was simply overjoyed to see all these books bringing these beautiful stories, some of which have never been heard by readers in far-flung countries, brought to life in their own way by Asian authors or authors of Asian descent.

“Song of Silver, Flame Like Night”, is my first fantasy read of 2023, and I enjoyed it more than I have any East Asian mythology retelling novel in many months. It was nearly 500 pages, but it was 500 pages worth of time well spent steeped in a world that not only reminded me of some of my favorite epic animes like Inuyasha, but also of Wuxia films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, and House of Flying Daggers. It even, in a cheeky way, reminded me just a tiny bit of Kung-Fu Panda. (I tried not to go there, folks, but I couldn’t help it). I know that the blurb mentions that readers who like “The Untamed” might like this, but I’ve never read the books or seen the show (though I have a friend who’s a superfan, so I do know the basics, and I can see where the appeal would lay).

I knew this book was going to be good when it took off right away interchanging worldbuilding and character building for our female protagonist in between weaving incredibly vivid imagery of the surroundings and sprinkling in exhibitionism in the form of show and not tell. It was as if Zhao was tap dancing in these fast-moving opening scenes, masterfully trying to show us her world, her character, what everything looks and feels like, and also sneaking in the “why” of it all anytime there was a chance. I kept trying to highlight and note in my Kindle so I could come back, but by the time we got to what most “Hero’s Journey” devotees would call “The Point of No Return”, I had completely forgotten about taking notes and highlighting because the story had swept me away. And it kept me swept away with its clever dialogue, hypnotizing stories within the story, colonizing, sadistic, conquering villains, complex and unique supporting characters, and our female protagonist’s male love interest, who’s story is sad and heavy and fills him with a weighty self-fulfilling prophecy.

Even knowing this is the first book in a series, Zhao wasn’t unkind when writing the ending of this book and decides to leave us grounded, even if it is a bit rocky. It’s sure better than a cliffhanger. A lot of plates are spinning and a lot of balls are in the air, but at least most loose ends that could’ve been left loose for readers to wonder about until the next book in the series is released were tied up so we can be just hungry enough when the next installment comes to shelves.

NetGalley and Delacorte Press provided me with access to this title. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Reads/YA Fantasy/Myth Retellings/Fantasy Series/Coming of Age/Fantasy Romance/Historical Fantasy/Myth Retellings/YA Book Series/YA Fantasy/YA Fantasy Romance

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night was a tragic and complex fantasy read. I really enjoyed the complexity of the characters Lan and Zen and felt like they were a good match for this story. I also felt like the magic system was done really well and I enjoyed the Chinese mythology and folklore. This story kept a good pace and kept me on my toes, however there were often so many details about every little thing I had a hard time focusing at times. This is definitely a complex book that requires a lot of focus!

This was an amazing start to a duology fantasy series. Lan is gutsy and resilient. Zen is an equally interesting character. The plot was violently brutal in the beginning but even the slower paced parts were compelling. The magic system and mythology was really cool, and the prose was a great balance of immersive without being too wordy. Highly recommend and am looking forward to reading the next book. Thank you to the publisher and author for a digital arc!

‘But Lan knew, with cunning clarity, that there were no gods in this world. Only monsters in the form of men.’ This story delivered. I was instantly transported into this world that described the harsh reality of imperialism/colonization of China. The magic-system of qi and the world building had me instantly hooked. On top of the beautiful story-telling, the C-drama vibes were immaculate. Did I shed some tears? YES. Amélie is now an auto-buy author for me :)

Thanks NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hmmm this is a really difficult review to write. I really enjoyed the Chinese mythology and Chinese folklore. It definitely had xianxia vibes and felt like a sweeping fantasy. I think for me it just comes down to personal preferences and I didn’t click with this book.

My biggest complaint with this book and what ruined the story for me was the way the author wrote about one of the main characters. They have a cleft lip scar. The author had the other main character stare at it every time they walked in and repeated called it “rabbit lips” and “harelips” I found this super uncomfortable for me and hurtful considering it’s just a cosmetic scar. I understand there was/ is a problematic prejudice in the book that was part of the character’s backstory. But to constantly be calling it out and mentioning it by slurs just felt so very unnecessary and cruel. I think the author could have included the character having a scar and saying this is why they have a scar and there is an unfortunate bias that comes with those scars without the rude name calling. It was very poor representation considering another character has an arm and eye injury that is never called out by slurs.

The main character Lan is an interesting character. She is definitely that angry girl trope acquired taste personality. I don’t think I’ve read the word fart this much since I was in middle school. Dog fart, rat fart, old fart, young farts you name it this book has all the farts and then some. It felt a bit disjointed from the ancient Chinese mythology feel.

I think the magic system and the qí was done really well. I loved the four demon gods and the seal/ practitioner magic. The story at times felt like like a mashup up some of my favorite fandoms. It had Legend of Zelda vibes and lots of Star Wars references.

The plot and the pace was decent and there were many action scenes but it did sometimes feel very much like that first book push. The beginning was a big info dump and it felt like it had to get all of the world building and major plot points in before the last half of the book where the majority of the action happened so you’d want to continue the story. It made it a bit confusing at first and slow to start.

Overall I would be interested but hesitant to read the next book because this one just felt so disappointing. I wanted to love it because as a Chinese reader I love the rep but I couldn’t connect with this story.

Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC

The story follows Lan, a songgirl with a mysterious invisible mark left on her by her mother as she lay dying during the Elantian invasion of the Last (Hin) Kingdom 12 years ago, and Zen, a practitioner (Hin magician) who recognizes what the mark is and agrees to help Lan solve the mystery behind it. But Zen isn’t the only one who knows about Lan’s mark. She is also being sought after by the Elantian soldiers. Lan and Zen set off to uncover the mystery of Lan’s mark at Zen’s school, one of the last few practitioning schools in existence, hidden away in the forest and thought to be something of legends to Lan. A story full of suspense, magic, action, and a touch of love, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a great start to what I know will be a beautiful and exciting trilogy!

I really enjoyed the plot and development of the book, but it could be a bit repetitive at times, which would slow down the pacing of the story. Other than that, I felt the world building and history that we learned of the Kingdom was captivating (but not too complex). The magic system in this book was very interesting, being based of qi (yin and yang), with the Elantians having a different magic system where they manipulate metals. Overall a pretty intriguing plot and world!

The two main characters are fascinating and develop a romantic interest over time. I thought this was well done for a YA book and both characters had some great growth throughout the story. I also appreciated how we saw elements of good and bad in many characters and that it wasn’t all black and white. There were a lot of fun side characters in this story as well!

I really enjoyed the start to this trilogy, and am excited to continue to read more in this series!

I received a copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

ⓡⓔⓐⓓ ⓘⓕ ⓨⓞⓤ ⓛⓘⓚⓔ
- Chinese Folklore & Mythology
- Qi Based Magic Systems
- Intricate World Building
- Sassy, Street Smart FMC
- Uncovering Secrets
- Adventure and (Light) Romance

"'What would you give for that power?' He recognized the sly edge to the demon's voice, but it did nothing to stop his answer.
'Anything' A small price, he thought, for one who had nothing left"

This story is based on Chinese folklore, continuing the wonderful increase in eastern mythology in YA and adult fantasy, and the magic system is qi based and quite fascinating. Lan is an orphan working as a songgirl in a tea house (the book is YA so this doesn't get investigated super far, but certainly carries implications in the book), with a strong connection to qi. Zen is a practitioner of Hin magic, disguising himself as a servant of the Elantian colonizers. This story combines stories about the impact of western colonization with a really complex magic system and folklore, and what comes out of it is just gorgeous.

Lan is a strong character - funny, bold, no nonsense. Zen is a bit more mysterious, and this is definitely on purpose, as the story reveals more of his background as it continues. The beats of this story feel somewhat familiar, especially given some of its similarities to other recently published books, but it's really the magic system that stood out to me. Zhao's descriptions are lyrical without being oversaturated in detail. I felt like I could see what she described perfectly.

By the end of this book I was definitely left wanting more, and I'm really excited for more people to get their hands on this one, out TODAY 1/3 from Delacorte Press (thank you for my egalley!)

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is the first novel in a duology of the same name that immerses the reader in Chinese mythology and folklore. The book begins with a chronology of the history of the world, which set the tone and scene for the reader. It is lyrical in the writing which makes it feel like a movie, so it was easy to picture it in my imagination. The Elantians have taken over the Last Kingdom and there are the legends of the four Demon Gods (Silver Dragon, Crimson Phoenix, Black Tortoise, and Azure Tiger) who loom in the background.

Lan is an orphan who works at a teahouse where she is trying to make sense of her mother’s death and the mysterious mark on her arm. She eventually meets another orphan named Zen who is a descendant of one of the ninety-nine clans from the original Last Kingdom. Lan and Zen are great protagonists as they may make some terrible choices at times, but the reader can understand them given their backstories. The two characters share great chemistry from the moment the two characters met. The two characters go through a lot in this story and their journeys are very complex.

There are some exposition moments and very detailed information written on the page where it does, at times, throw off the pacing. The terminology, while interesting and enjoyable, can make the reader feel a little bogged down, especially if they aren’t familiar with it. There are some predictable elements that come with stories of this genre, but there were also some nice and unexpected twists and turns. There was an enjoyable balance, which is something I look for in this genre. A lot of details are weaved into the story and characters, so it is overwhelming at times, but also has comforting and familiar genre elements. There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered and I greatly look forward to discovering them in the sequel!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read this novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

This book utterly consumed me!!

I went in thinking this was just another red string of fate type of book and was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't! I followed the author on instagram and had seen a quote I liked, requested on netgalley and I knew nothing else about it like the book gods intended. The more I read, the more I was hooked. It was darker than I was expecting from the beginning and as a primarily dark fantasy reader, I was HYPED. This book was so beautifully written, yet so easy to get into and read!

> dark fantasy
> dual POV
> prophecies & secrets
> themes: grief, loss, surviving, legacies, conquests, good AND evil, erasure of history, assimilation
> calling upon the gods
> school like settings
> true slow burn
> supernatural and energy based powers
> and corruption??????

I absolutely adored both POVs from Lan and Zen, learning their respective histories/legacies. AND the story that unfolded!! I also really enjoyed the side characters and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in the next book! I can't wait for the next one, It's a highly anticipated read for me now!! <3

*3.5 stars rounded up
Did I like this book? Totally! Characters were great, plot and world-building were interesting, etc. I only really have two criticisms: one, that the romance really did seem to come out of nowhere. There was chemistry, but so much was just bonding and not actual romantic tension, and the kiss was kind of out of the blue to me. Second, I did think that the beginning was a bit slow and it didn't really motivate me to immediately keep going.
Overall, I thought this was a pretty good book, but it did feel like one of those YA fantasy books where it's a really similar story to others but just with different mythology.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night was a delightful read full of intrigue and fantasy inspired by Asian mythology and folklore. The characters were well-written and the pacing was fairly done well too. I very much enjoyed reading thos book simply because it was different than what I have been reading as of late, so I would recommend this book to others who enjoy fantasy and adventure with a few twists and turns in the plot.