A very marvelous read that I enjoyed every minute of. This was one of my anticipated releases for 2023 so I was over the moon when I saw that I was approved for an arc. I am always a tad fearful that a anticipated read will disappoint me but this did NOT. It was just so good: the characters were wonderful, the pace for the most part was perfect, and the imagery was to die for! I can’t wait to see what the other books will bring.

“In a fallen kingdom, one girl carries the key to discovering the secrets of her nation’s past—and unleashing the demons that sleep at its heart.”

first, a massive thank you to netgalley & random house publishing for gifting me an eARC for an honest review.

song of silver, flame like night is a beautiful and harrowing tribute to chinese history, heritage and folklore. Zhao has created an enchanting tale within her ancient china; a qì based magic system, yin and yang dynamics, and characters who are real and flawed and tangled in moral dilemmas.

if you like demon bargains, the set up for redemption arcs and star-crossed lovers with opposing destinies, then i cannot recommend this enough.

Loved this! Didn't know if I'd like it or continue to read it around 25% into it. But I got hooked and oh man I couldn't hardly put it down, excellent story telling and very well wrote characters. I'm shook right now over this book

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an e-arc to read and review.

This book tore apart my soul in the best way possible. I have only read one other book by this author (Blood Heir) and this one is leaps and bounds better in terms of character development and writing.

Mild spoilers may be included below (but I mostly kept it a high level story summary):

This story follows Lan, an orphan working at a teahouse in a city that has been completely taken over by the Elantians. Her people, the Hin, are oppressed and mostly destroyed. Individuals have lost their identities, being forced to take on monosyllabic names instead of their true names. They are punished brutally for not following the Elantian rules and requirements. Part of the Hin history is the use of magic. The Elantian ruling only allows magic if it is for the support of the emperor. Lan, however, has a secret, and her life is about to change forever as she works to unveil her mother's legacy and the hidden meaning behind a scar that was left on her arm. She comes across a handsome young man named Zen who becomes a critical part of her journey. As magic begins to make it's way into Lan's life she has to make difficult decisions about how to wield it and what it means for her future.

Non spoilery:
I fell DEEPLY in love with the characters in this story. As we work to unveil the mystery of the Hin people, I began to truly feel for their struggles. I won't lie. I cried a few times while reading this and I can't wait to see what Amelie Wen Zhao brings to the table next. This book is a work of art! I highly recommend you read it if you love fantastical elements, adventure, magic, and great character development entwined with beautiful writing.

Thank you, @netgalley & @randomhousepublishing, for kindly gifting me an eARC for an honest review.

Stars: 5 stars ++++
Quote: Power is always borrowed, never created.

Have you ever encountered a book where that was everything you wanted and never knew?

Well, this book is it for me! This book speaks to the little Chinese girl in me, the one that grew up watching all these Wuxi and Xianxia Chinese dramas, the one that learned about love, sacrifice, familial bonds, my heart and the essential core of my values and beliefs. So much so that I can heavily relate to the characters as they speak to my heart and my heritage.

It’s hard to put what I have read into words, but I will try. I was curious about this book when I heard about it and did add it to my tbr. What turned the tide for me was when I saw the beautiful art Amelie created to bring her characters to life. Naturally, I knew I had to read it.

The novel is set in the post-conquerer era, akin to the post-Opium Wars, where it starts with Lan, a songgirl working in the teahouse at the outpost of Haak’Gong, where she searches for clues to the mysterious symbol etched on her skin by her mum before passing while defending her when the Elantians invaded her kingdom, The Last Kingdom of Hin, 12 cycles ago. Circumstances bring her to meet Zen, a mysterious boy who wields (Qi) magic, which was assumed to have been extinct in old ages past. He saves her and brings her to the last hidden school of partitioning magic. There, she learns the art of magic and unlocks the secret to her past while battling against the further invasion of the Elantians.

I adore both the main leads, Lan and Zen. Lan is a trickster at heart, with a mischievous nature and a strong will to survive. Zen, on the other hand, can be stoic, with a strait-laced personality leading to Lan calling him the honorific term of “Mister” even though they are similar in age. I also adore their first meeting, where she assumed he was a foe and proceeded to slam a teapot and teacup into Zen. To date, Zen doesn’t hold a grudge and still teases her about this occasion. Their interactions, banter, their words and unsaid glances are just perfection.

I love how Amélie’s writing style made a note of a lot of the Chinese cultural terms we use, such as “court dog,” which is generally a note when one turns traitor for the enemy, the use of a bamboo hat, how Lan equates the beliefs of gods as being a big bowl of turd - LOL! The beautiful world-building and haunting and lyrical writing style make this an enjoyable read.

I was laughing, crying and sending DM’s to my fellow bookstagrammers about my reactions that, looking back now, are hilarious. Kudos to Amélie for invoking all these emotions when I read this book. It’s been a while since I felt this way toward a book. I’m off to take a reading break since I need to recover from this book hangover. I am also DYING for the next book with the state ends. Amélie, how could you do this?!!!!

My only regret is not having a physical copy as I annotated this book so much that it’s full of my notes and reactions - I guess I’ll have to go back for a re-read when the book comes out on 3rd January 2023.

Read this if you want:
- Intricate world-building of a Chinese Dynasty
- Xianxia: the mystical realms of the Chinese spiritual dimension
- A nod to historical themes, particularly the foreign invasion or colonization of an empire
- A play on mystical Chinese Gods of Direction, Fate and Destiny
- Multi-dimension characters
- Love angst (star crossed)
- The haunting and elegant writing style

A beautiful homage to Chinese culture and mythology! Amélie Wen Zhao weaves an enchanting and heartbreaking tale while tackling themes of colonialism, survival, and enduring love.

In her reader’s note Wen Zhao writes, “But I’m tired of Chinese girls being portrayed as beautiful, fragile flowers. I want to be a blade.” Lan is the ultimate MC. She’s strong, determined, and fearless. Despite the atrocities committed against her, she is still somehow capable of trust, compassion, and love. Lan shows that while the Elantians may have conquered The Last Kingdom, they can never break the spirit of its people.

Song of Silver, Flame like Night is one fantasy adventure you don’t want to miss!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic fantasy novel! I loved the incorporation of Chinese mythology throughout the story. Magical realism that involves folklore is always my favorite! I loved this book, and I think if you enjoy fast-paced plot and morally gray characters, you would too!

Lan and Zen are incredible characters that help bring Zhao's stunning Chinese inspired world to life. I fell in love with the world building pretty much from the start, and seeing it through the eyes of Lan gave its fantastical elements a grounding that surprised me. The plot is quick, well-paced, the characters have such incredible chemistry and play off of each other so well, and the prose is lyrical and sumptuous reminiscent of Anne Rice at her descriptive best. I am so ready for the sequel!!

DNF at 40%.

I really wanted to like this book. But unfortunately the writing style forced me to put it down. I am not a fan of exposition. There was so much telling instead of showing that after about 40% in, I threw in the towel because I was bored.

It was an interesting premise, and the first few chapters were strongest. However, it seemed to set up for a darker story than we were actually getting. The main character was also unrealistically lackadaisical about everything, which seemed at odds with her character early on in the story. My first impression was that she was cunning and observant, but it felt like we lost both of those things going into act 2 and she became more like a punk teenager who served as a sounding board for everyone else to explain their world to. I got no sense of an internal struggle from her, no doubts, fears, ambitions, or even anger, so there was essentially no third rail powering the story. I also felt none of the chemistry that was supposed to be there for the love interest.

However, these are also the same reasons I did not finish These Violent Delights. So this may be for you if you enjoyed that one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC.

While the bones of the story were solid, everything fell a bit flat for me. Despite a strong start, inconsistent pacing was probably my biggest issue with the book. The parts I found most interested were really rushed through or glazed over and then there were other parts that just really dragged on. Lan and Zen had the potential to be great characters, but I found them to be lacking as individuals. The romance was disappointing, too, and just felt a bit forced. For a 500+ page book, I just expected a bit more. Chinese mythology inspired fantasy is usually such a win for me and I was so sure I’d love this one so I can’t help but be let down. When it all comes down to it, I rank my overall enjoyment based on one simple question: do I actually feel like reading this book? And the answer was no, not really. I had to push myself to pick this one up and it took me longer than usual to read it. I do love the concept so I’ll likely give the next book a chance. On a positive note, I’m absolutely obsessed with this cover and need it in a t-shirt immediately. I also loved the philosophical quotes at the beginning of every chapter. The last few chapters and epilogue were really good so I’m intrigued enough to continue on with the series. I have a feeling the rest of the books are going to be really good now that the story got going.

This is far from a bad book. I didn’t personally love it, but I think it’s more of a me issue than anything else. I’ve seen glowing reviews for it and know others will love it so take my review with a grain of salt!

3.5 ⭐️

Wow this story was like A LOT! HIGH IN TW and there's a tinge of romance but that's not the main focus. However for my romance fans, I would say that the romance here is sweet. The story gets better compared to her previous books and I think this is my fav! The dual pov of zan and len gave a full picture of the emotions of the characters which I loved!

**Review will be posted and shared on my sites, Jan. 3rd, 2023**

PROGRESSIVELY BETTER.

This lived up to a lot of hope I had for a new series starter.

An amazingly well crafted story unveiled itself over 500 pages (where I hardly noticed it was that long to begin with). I loved the writing style and most of the pacing worked well too. There’s a good balance of learning moments, action, and even a bit of romance.

My one issue was the info dumping. It was scattered throughout, but noticeable when you hit it. There were MANY explanations of the magic system, history of the world and political dynamics. All fine and dandy but I think it could have been spread out more effectively.

I loved the complexity of the magic system and yin vs. yang. Good vs. evil. It added a morally grey level that I am always here for as characters struggled to decide what kind of power they wanted to wield. I love dynamic characters who struggle and learn and grow and those arcs are definitely starting here.

The romance was sweet! I wish there had been a bit more build to the relationship, but I see the potential for continued intricacies over the series. The dual POV’s between Lan and Zen worked great for keeping the story moving and understanding multiple angles to the story.

I enjoyed multiple reveals and found that the book only got better and better. I can’t wait for the next one!!

Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy + Romance
- Language: a little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: mass loss of life, loss of parents, battle themes, torture, possession, assault

Amélie Wen Zhao does a masterful job of mixing an ancient mystical world with a haunted present in Song of Silver, Flame of Night.

When they first collide, Lan and Zen couldn’t be more different — but with time, that begins to change. The power to wield magic, or qì, being just one of the things they have in common. Dangerous secrets being another.

This book is stunning and heartbreaking and fantastical. It carries several societal messages embedded within it — like the entire storyline about the oppression of the Elantian regime — and I loved it all.

As far as I’m concerned, Zhao can do no wrong. Read this.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

My biggest critique of this book is the title, as for some reason, for the life of me, I can never remember it correctly. But that's more of a me problem than anything (its me, hi.)

Everything else about this book is simply amazing. Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is rich with Chinese folklore and culture, right down to the pork buns and demon gods. The magic system is qi-based and rightly reflects the need for balance in life--as do the main characters, Lan and Zen. Both characters have very similar beginnings but take very opposite paths. The way each develop as their friendship does, is done quite wonderfully.

I also greatly enjoyed how colonialism, assimilation and appropriation are woven/reflected throughout the story. AWZ does an excellent job creating commentary on these topics in a way that allows us to relate to her characters and emotional trauma they've had to endure due to the colonizers.

I look forward to the sequel, as well as picking more of Zhao's books. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Steeped in Chinese folklore, this book is a rich YA fantasy about colonialism, family secrets, and the sacrifices we are willing to make to protect those we love. I completely adored this novel. The magic system is based on the balance of Yin and Yang—light and dark—and the inclusion of spirits and demons derived from classic Chinese folklore creates a lush fantasy setting. The story is told in dual POV, alternating between Lan and Zen. Lan has a mysterious seal burned into her arm that was left by her mother when she died. She wants answers to what the seal is hiding, and when she discovers that she can use magic, she must choose what path she will take. Zen is an equally interesting character. He has a dark past he still struggles to reconcile with but agrees to help Lan with her search for answers. The only issue I had with the book was the pacing. Some parts lagged, and some parts felt rushed, especially the romance between Lan and Zen. However, overall this is a fantastic read.

Song of silver flame like fire 5 🌟
By @ameliewenzhao

Thank you to the publisher and author for access to this ARC. This book is an absolute masterpiece. There is little I can say about how amazing it is without spoiling it so let me just say.

🌟 phenomenal world building
🌟 characters I am in love with
🌟 deep storyline
🌟 plot twists
🌟 set up perfectly for book two

#arc #asongofsilverflamelikenight #advancedreadercopy #booktok #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #bookstagramfriends #bookreview #bookrecomendations

I absolutely love stories inspired by mythology and folklore. This book does an amazing job of introducing Chinese mythology to those who have never experienced it, and puts a great twist on it for those familiar! Zhao's writing is lyrical and pleasurable to read as you follow along on this fantastic tale. If you're a big fan of dragons, mysteries, and unique magic systems, this is a great read to put on your list.

This was the whirlwind of adventure I was hoping for! I couldn't have adored this book more 5/5. I can't wait to grab this in print and devour it again.

An engrossing, lush tale of adventure, loss, heartache, and finding home.

I was absolutely spellbound by the author. Her writing is perfection, and I loved nearly everything about this novel.

I will say this is a slow start, but my, oh my, once things get going it is non-stop! Our main character, Lan, is fantastic. She is silly, endearing, and struggles to find the correct path. Zen, our other MC, is a little harder to describe but he is equally as likeable?! as Lan. I’m going to say he’s my favorite. The way he’s written is so good, it’s hard to explain without spoiling!

Though there are many times that I could guess, or straight up knew what was to come, I still could not put this book down. It is consuming. The writing is perfection, poised yet catastrophic (to my heart). Author, I bow to you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early edition in exchange for an honest review.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a thrilling new YA Fantasy based heavily on Chinese mythology and the wuxia/martial arts genre, featuring themes of colonialism and tribalism.

The story follows a young woman, Lan, who discovers a hidden past and must choose her path amidst enemies and internal conflict. Zhao's writing is incredibly descriptive and lush, and was a highlight of the book for me in addition to the cultural authenticity. Some parts I thought were weak; a lot happens in this book, and as a result the pacing is rushed, especially when Lan enters the school. I also found the romance rushed and forced. There were some occasional editing oddities I noticed too - for example, the grandmaster gets called "shizu" later in the book, only for a page.

This is the first Chinese-inspired fantasy book I've read that featured accented pinyin, and I absolutely loved that inclusion, as well as characters from different ethnic minorities within China.

Minor comments aside, the mythology, magic systems, and lyrical writing made this a really solid YA read!

Thank you Delacorte Press/Random House for the eARC.