Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC of this book!

The title and the cover is what drew me to this book, and the synopsis made it a must read for me. It's an action packed YA epic fantasy based on mythology and folklore of China. I was immediately rooting for Lan and her mysterious powers as she navigates a kingdom full of Elantian colonizers who have outlawed her people's magic. She meets a magician named Zen who helps her on her journey to discover what the strange mark on her arm is and why her mother was killed. This was a very thrilling start to the new series, and I look forward to see where it goes because the cliffhanger was brutal.

I loved reading this book so much, and there was actually one scene in particular that made me bawl like a baby. (If you’ve read it and are wondering which scene I’m talking about, it’s one of the scenes between Lan and the Grandmaster).

I’ve been a fan of pretty much every Chinese inspired fantasy story that I’ve read so far, and this one has been no different. I adore the setting, the characters, and the qi based magic system so much, I’m so excited for the sequel! I also enjoyed how colonialism and fighting back against your oppressors was so ingrained in the plot and the history of this world was pretty impressive.

As much as Lan and Zen make terrible choices (constantly) I adored them and they’re such complex characters who go through so much together. They’ve been hurt so many times and have lost pretty much all of their loved ones, so you can’t really blame them for the choices they make if it means getting revenge on the people who took everything away from them. I also really enjoyed their relationship with each other, and while it developed quickly it was easy to see how they pulled each other in even while they were both so different.

Honestly, this book is pretty complex, and every little detail plays a role in the plot and the current timeline, from the characters ancestors to the magic system, even to the landscape of this kingdom. I don’t even know where I could begin with how DETAILED everything was and I absolutely ate it all up!

I felt so many emotions while reading this book, especially in the last 30% or so. This is definitely a strong start to a new series, and I’m eagerly waiting for news of the second book!

This book was everything it was made out to be. Daring adventure, beautiful storytelling, hidden plot and just a joy to read. I enjoyed every second of this story, felt that everywhere it took me was comprehensible and loved the pacing of it. You can feel that Amelie put her entire being into this story.
All elements mentioned are important. And even if you overlook them in the beginning, they all play a part. It took me until the final page to understand why the title is what it is (at least in my interpretation) this story was a gem to read. I cannot wait for the sequel

<b> Haak'gong's heartbeat was the clink of coin, its lifeblood the flow of trade, its bones the wooden stalls of marketplaces. it was a place of survival. </b>

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night was a magical read, lush with description (not too much) and sometimes soft and sometimes biting prose that kept me pulled in close to the magic and demons and tender-footed feelings throughout.

<b> Whatever she had been about to say vanished from her mind, for at that moment, Zen smiled. It was slow, and small, a slight curving of his mouth that crinkled his eyes and dimpled his cheeks, cracking the facade of stern rigidity to his features and giving a glimpse of a boy who might have been. A night of black clouds, parting to reveal a bright moon </b>

This was my first dive into Chinese folklore and it did NOT disappoint; I can't wait to explore the lore further through Amelie, who will no doubt write another sweep-you-away book, and other's.

<b>" You made a bargain with a demon," Lan said. Simple, as though she'd said, <i> You bought sweet potatoes at the market today </i>. He closed his eyes. Nodded.

Although SoSFLN was a fantastic debut and a beautifully written book with connectable characters, my rating remains a 4, as there were some dense spots. The magic is a lot to lay down, and while it was balanced well throughout most of the story, it did feel heavy at times and I was tempted to skim.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a sweeping, epic, Asian-inspired YA fantasy. Although the pages will fly by with action, the author artfully is still able to create two pillars that elevate this novel into a higher class of fantasy. First, there is a well-developed world and magic system that holds together pretty well without a lot of gaps. Second, the two protagonists have deep souls and each are given almost equal weight throughout the novel–which is refreshing. Lan is a little bit spunky and scrappy, which fits her background. Zen’s soul is so beautiful it is impossible to not be drawn to him as a reader, but this makes his journey achingly painful at the same time.

The title actually doesn’t resonate until the end of the book when a lot is pulled together. The first book in a series, this is a fresh, must-read recommendation for YA fantasy lovers, and it will be hard to wait for the next installment.

First of all thank you Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have no words. This book shocked me in the best way possible. The characters, the world, the plot, the writing we’re all so beautiful!! I felt like I was in the story and living alongside Lan and Zen through their adventures. I cannot wait to read the next book and will be counting down the days!

All of you need to read this book when it comes out!!

I would like to thank Delacorte Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

I wanted to enjoy this book, but it didn't really work for me. The first part of the book has some info dumping issues, but it isn't too bad. Once you get into the story it starts to take off. However, I never came to enjoy any of the characters. I think this book has some great themes to it for the major themes in the book. Some of the smaller themes could have been pushed a bit further, but the major themes were great. I overall just could not get into the character or the world, but I do think that there are many readers who would enjoy this book.

This book is like Mistborn x The Poppy War but not in an enjoyable way. The way Amélie talk about this book is like TPW didn't exist and it irked me so much.

(from the author's foreword) 
"I’m tired of Chinese girls being portrayed as beautiful, fragile flowers. I want to be a blade. So in my book, I gave my girl magic—the power of shamans and prophetic lore and demon gods sings in her blood." ok? Fang Runin said hello.
"Welcome to the Last Kingdom." The Final Empire??

I'm also disappointed to see that this book is casually marketed as ✨️enemies as lovers✨️ (go check the author's IG it's literally on all her posts) which took the element of surprise. I wouldn't suspect it otherwise. and when the moment came it wasn't grand or anything at all. not that the romance was great either, in fact I didn't get their chemistry

I noticed that Amélie poured her heart so much into this book. Each word is selected with love to make sure everything's perfect, to the point that it's overly written. The descriptions are excessive and make the plot dragging. There's even a historical timeline at the beginning of the book that I don't think necessary.

So yeah. In short, I don't like this book. but there's SO MUCH positive 4-5⭐️ ratings out there so don't take my rant personally.

That's all for now. Wiill add more if I remember something later.

I ended up really adoring this book. I wasn't sure I would since, while I liked Blood Heir, I thought the author's last trilogy as a whole was lacking that something special. But Lan and Zen in this book were everything and I cannot WAIT to keep reading their story.

This was a very interesting fantasy story. It has a unique magic system and I really enjoyed the Chinese mythology influences. There were times where it felt like I was reading non-fiction (when the main character was learning how the magic system works). I would have preferred more show and less tell for the school lessons (though fans of Harry Potter might appreciate the lessons aspect).

I liked the side characters more than the main characters. Dilaya for example was far more interesting than Yan. And the romance between Tai and Shan'jun was more believable than Yan and Zen.

I thought the pacing of the book was off. Something would be hinted at and then almost immediately it would come true or be revealed. I think this book could have been improved by allowing more time in between the major events... allow the reader to wonder how things will resolve before resolving them. For example, (spoiler ahead) when the two main characters are captured by the villains, they escape within the same chapter. To me, it would have been more interesting to be stuck for some time and have the characters struggle to escape.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

That. Gorgeous. Cover.

I really wanted to love this. I really, really did. It's one of my most highly anticipated releases and I was so happy when I got a copy to read in advance. Unfortunately, I have to put it in the back-burner for now.

dnf

Song of Silver, Flame like Night was a beautifully written fantasy novel full of mysterious magic and twists that will leave you floundering for more. This book was an adventure of itself and is for sure the type of book that will have you rereading it to relive the story but to also wrap your head around that ending. I am thoroughly looking forward to the sequel and might have to read some of Amelie’s other books.

Wow this book! I can’t put into words the way I enjoyed this book even though it constantly ripped my heart out and stomped on it. I felt so much joy then all of sudden pain endless pain. However I really loved this book, I love Lan and Zen so much. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I don’t want to wait over a year for the next one I need it!

I’ve been curious about this one ever since I first laid eyes on the cover. I love the dragon on it! I also have read her first series, liked it for the most part, and I think that’s another reason I wanted to read this one. It is a good start to a new series about Chinese Folklore, but I wasn’t able to fall in love with it.

The book is told from multiple point-of-views, Lan and Zen. They come into contact with one another and realize that in some way, shape, or form they are connected with certain goals that align. I did like learning about both of them and their pasts. Lan is coming with a lot of baggage that deals with her mother and it’s hard for her to deal with because of what she had seen. It comes into play a lot and I don’t blame her for her actions because of it. Zen is a bit of a harder shell to crack and I think that describes his personality well. He has a soft side but doesn’t show it very much. I would say that these two characters stood out the most and the minor ones were fine but I don’t feel like I ever got to know some of them well.

There is a lot of info dump in this book, especially in the beginning, and it did take me out of the story. It felt like paragraphs on top of paragraphs. There is a lot about politics and the magic system. This could have easily been why it felt like it was slower paced. The book does pick up further in.

I will say that this author’s writer has definitely improved from her first series.

Overall, this one was kind of a mixed bag for me. There are some great elements to it but not enough for me to continue on. I do think that others will enjoy it and I’d definitely recommend for those who enjoy the YA Fantasy genre.

If you are into folklore (especially Chinese), action/adventure, YA fantasy with strong characters that make questionable decisions, and lots of mystery, then you definitely need to pick up Song of Silver, Flame Like Night. Lan is an orphan girl who works as a songgirl, who has a mark on her arm that only she can see, with no idea what it means. She's been trying to figure it out, when suddenly Zen bursts into her life one evening and saves her from a man-the man who killed Lan's mother. Zen is a practitioner who uses qi, and once Lan finds that out, she wants to be trained too, because this path seems like it will take her closer to solving her mystery.

I know this is the first book in a series, but I totally would have been happy with even more in this first book. There's a lot going on constantly, and it kept me pretty invested the whole time. The plot twists had me surprised, and I was so into it that I really felt like I, myself, got betrayed at one point. It was a wild ride. Very much looking forward to seeing how this story continues, because I have no idea where it is going!

Thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the e-ARC!

A great way to start the New Year off right, I highly recommend "Song of Silver, Flame Like Night".

Fans of "Girls of Paper and Fire" will enjoy this quick read.

Could not put the book down and already ready for book two despite this book not technically being out for release yet. On that note, shoutout to NetGalley.com for this free copy. I will be buying two copies on it's release date, one for my personal collection and one for a friend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book early! As a huge fan of the xianxia (Chinese martial arts fantasy) genre already, I was so excited to hear about this book and then to read it. I love the idea of this book helping to introduce the genre to more international readers. Just like in any classic xianxia, this book included so many of the best tropes of the genre but then subverts them in surprising, interesting, and exceptional ways. In addition, I have yet to read a xianxia inspired fantasy taking place during the colonial period, as it is historically placed in ancient history. So, I loved the discussion of cultural heritage and efforts to preserve it despite all colonial efforts to erase it.
Lan is such an interesting character and I loved being able to experience her character growth as she investigated the mysterious legacy that has surrounded her since the occupation. I was pulled into her story quickly and I could hardly put the book down. At the beginning, I thought Zen’s chapters to be a bit slower, especially before I understood his motivations and how everything intersects.
I want to see more characters like Lan in future books. She is fierce and courageous in a quiet way when her only motivation was to survive, and even when she comes into her own, she never loses that side—and her independence—of her.
This is such a fantastic book and I can’t wait to recommend it anyone I know following its publication. I would recommend this to fans of the xianxia genre, but also those of The Poppy War Trilogy.

song of silver, flame like night was absolutely brilliant, well paced and impressive in lore and worldbuilding for being the first in its series. with the depth of the kingdom’s decades of history and intricate magic system of qì energy cannot express how immediately captivated i was into this book. in addition to once the story’s action and pace hit early on, it never slowed down for too long before picking right back up. to be honest though, i might be a bit biased as this book truly got me out of a long reading slump as this was a fantasy i very much enjoyed and had me on the edge of my seat to see where it would all go. like sure there's some of the usual young adult fantasy archetypes, but on personal preferences and being a mood reader it can be easily still entertaining for what i needed at this moment.

this had everything i love in a fantasy for the most part with such an interesting world of the last kingdom with its detailed history and current colonial conflicts, the magic system wielders being called practitioners with a hidden school for young students and secrets to uncover on small journeys that keeps readers attention and the pace consistent. mysterious empathizing backstories for our two mains lan and zen and their dynamic was so amusing with the contrast they had of not just personalities but in their qì energy as well. you can sense that sort of yin and yang between them, of opposite forces yet a shared pull of a bond to another. their emotions and attachment to one another is a bit quick of a whirlwind but keep in mind romance a very small subplot to the bigger plot as i personally think their emotions provided well to their trust in each other and furthering development each other's complex character development and hard decisions to make for the sake of their lives or saving the nation. lan our main character, she is one with goals to figure out her past she vaguely remembers and the legacy left to her, her actions are rather rash but it was compelling to see what of her experiences would affect her belief system and the tough choices ahead of her. along with zen, he's a usual mysterious brooding but fiercely protective though quite literally fighting demons of his past and present, as he seems to be more morally grey struggling with the choices he's given versus what has been taught to him.

but importantly other than our mains and their connections, it well covers themes of effects of colonialism on a nation and figuring out how to fight back without breaking one's ideals along with how history affects the generation to this day seeing things devastatingly repeat. a few other characters like shà’jūn and tài were charming side characters and a bit of affection and angst between them i can't wait to see more of, and there's dilaya who is frustrating to our mains at first but readers come to understand her hostility and see her development as well. there's more particular dynamics that hit my heart, a sort of adoptive father/kid found family and blood relation revelations. subjectively, especially the last 20 percent had me go through such a rollercoaster of emotions of shock and devastation that it emotionally is a 5 star read for me, but as a whole leaning towards a 4.5 star read. consequence of reading and getting invested in a first book of a series as an advanced copy, going to have to wait ages til the sequel. this was a strong, solid start and i have such high hopes and anticipations for the continuation of this series and following how these characters will grow in resolve to face what is next.

I received this eARC from Random House/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first ever piece of work I have read by Amelie and I loved her writing style and the beautiful pictures she can draw with words. In short, she has a way with words. I enjoyed the way she imbibed Chinese culture in storytelling in different aspects. From a person who's country was a colony not long ago, she depicted the Elantians really well. Honestly, none of their behavior was embellished. However, the book fell short on various other fronts.

Lan came off as quite childish which I find surprising given that she had to grow up quick and learn to fend for herself quite early on in life. All Zen did was be good looking and help move the plot forward. Lan looked at him like a piece of meat. There was so much potential with Zen's character, but we don't get to see much. Further, I felt like I was never given a chance to know the side characters given their potential to the story.

The pacing of the book was off. In some instances, it was fast and in other quite slow. There were multiple times I could point out where the author should've taken time and written more for the scene and on the other spectrum scenes where much detail wasn't required.

Will nobody in the book address that the Lan picked up magic so fast and there could've been more to it? Zen mentions it once and then we get the reveal. I feel like more could've been done in that regard. In general, the magic system left much to be desired in the book as well. This book had a lot of potential. I can only hope that the author tries to conquer the shortcomings in the next book.

I don't know if anybody noticed, but this book is uncannily similar to the poppy war, just the male and female lead are swapped.

I do want to continue with the series for the prose and writing style of the author. However, the book could've been done better.

For those anticipating this release, it won’t let you down. If you are a YA fantasy lover and haven’t added this to your TBR yet, do so now.

Song Of Silver, Flame Like Night
By Amelie Wen Zhao
Out January 3rd
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brief synopsis: Lan has lost everything. Her mother was killed and her city was taken over by Elantians. Her world changes suddenly when her life is saved by a stranger, Zen. Lan then sets off on a journey that will teach her about magic, her history, and herself. It may even help her save what’s most important to her.

This book has some plot points that made it feel typical YA fantasy, but the Chinese mythology and unique magic system made it stand out.

I enjoyed this until the end and I’m excited for the next book in the series.