Definitely a 4.5 and I’m happily rounding up.

I actually got the arc of this one when it released very early in the year 2023 but it also coincided with my first trimester, so I just kept it aside for a later and better time. And I don’t regret waiting because I was able to focus on it nicely this time (especially with the audiobook) and had a grand time throughout.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve gotten obsessed with cdramas - wuxia and xianxia in particular - and have enjoyed reading quite a few translated books too. Which means I’ve also tried to learn atleast some of the most common mandarin words or phrases used in the dramas, and feeling giddy when I actually understand something. And this book gave me that exact giddy feeling. It’s literally a cdrama in book form and I really couldn’t have asked for anything better to end this year with. The writing is absolutely gorgeous, firing up my imagination and bringing the scenes to life in my head like they were shot in Hengdian. The plot is interesting, with the perfect pace, giving us just enough foreshadowing and twists that we never feel like anything comes out of left field.

It’s still the world building though that impressed me so much. I love the little inspirations from Chinese history though I’m sure I didn’t recognize many of the little hints. The themes of colonization, forced assimilation, destroying of indigenous cultures and traditions and promoting homogeneity - all felt very close to our real world and these hit me as a reader pretty hard, and they also form the main beating heart of the story. The mythological aspects and magic system are intricately woven into the plot, making for some very cool and awwww moments. I loved that I didn’t need a huge learning curve for understanding the qi based magic system, especially the Light Arts and Seals form of practitioning - while the qinggong was like any wuxia drama, the Seals reminded me so much of the arrays and talismans in the MDZS donghua. I was delighted that the supernatural creatures and their lore, and Demon Gods present in the narrative are all ones I’m familiar with and I love how they were incorporated into this exciting tale.

There are just so many characters to love in this too. Lan’s childhood was destroyed when her mother was brutally murdered and she was forced to become a song girl to survive, but when presented with the chance to get some freedom, she is full of determination to gain power and protect her loved ones. Despite her dire circumstances though, she is still funny and sassy and enjoys the little things in life like her favorite pork buns and her music. She is immensely troubled by all the knowledge of her lineage and history that she has lost, and it’s so heartening to see her discover bits and pieces of it as the story goes on. Even when she gains power, she grapples with many questions about how to make the best use of it - whether for the common good or for personal revenge or rebellion against the colonial powers.

On the other hand, we do get Zen’s pov but he is an enigma even when we are following him. It’s obvious that he has experienced deep trauma which influences his decisions, and he is constantly fighting between his need for revenge vs the people he loves. His dynamic with Lan is a delicious slow burn where distrust turns to reluctant allies to friends to something more - and it’s a matter of time to see what happens to their red string of fate.

There are also many excellent supporting characters and I loved every one of them - even when they came across as annoying, I came to like them eventually. Shanjun is an absolute sweetheart and such a caring friend, and his relationship with the broody mysterious Cho Tai is so sweet and heartwarming. Dilaya and her mother Ulara are very hard to like but they are bound by duty and family legacy, and will not bring disgrace to their ancestors. The masters at the School of White Pines are an ensemble of eccentric characters and I only wish we had more time with them, because they are all so brave and determined to do the right thing. The villains among the colonizers were a hateful bunch and there’s more I want to talk about but don’t wanna spoil the story.

Overall, this is a beautifully written, fantastically woven world full of magic, mysteries and monsters, with a whole host of brilliant characters. The audiobook is also superbly narrated by Annie Q, and I adored her different voices for everyone. I immensely enjoyed this series starter and can’t wait to read the imminently releasing sequel soon. And if you are cdrama obsessed like me or have an inclination towards Chinese history or mythology, then this series is absolutely perfect for you.

In the enchanting realms of "Song of Silver, Flame-Like Night," Lan's journey unfolds like a lyrical dance, blending Chinese folklore, a mesmerizing qi-based magical system, and a rich tapestry of cultural assimilation. This YA fantasy, the inaugural installment of a promising series, masterfully navigates the treacherous waters of colonialism, weaving in elements of Chinese mythology with finesse.

Meet Lan, a complex protagonist with a mysterious past and a destiny waiting to unfurl. From a beggar on the streets of Haakgong to a Song Girl at Madam Meng's Teahouse, Lan's life takes a compelling twist when she discovers a cryptic mark on her arm, a silent testament to her mother's tragic fate at the hands of Elantian colonizers. Her path crosses with Zen, a practitioner of formidable skills, and their destinies intertwine in a tale of power, destiny, and a kingdom on the brink.

The worldbuilding here is a triumph, transporting readers into a vividly detailed universe where every spice, every breath of wind, and every twist of fate is meticulously crafted. Lan and Zen's perspectives offer a balanced view, and while the romance echoes with poignancy, the narrative's strength lies in its meticulous character development and riveting pacing.

The narrative unfolds with layers of history, myths, and the dance of qi energy, captivating readers with its intricate construction. While the echoes of archetypal characters resonate, Lan and Zen's journey transcends tropes, pulling readers into a world where the line between history and fantasy blurs.

Zhao's writing is a marvel, capturing the essence of each setting with breathtaking precision. The novel's emotional core is a testament to the author's ability to balance a sweeping story with characters bearing histories, legacies, and the weight of their world.

Despite the book's fantastical elements, it delves into profound themes of colonialism, personal growth, and the echoes of the past that shape the present. This YA fantasy is a symphony of emotions, a kaleidoscope of cultures, and a promise of more enchanting tales to come. "Song of Silver, Flame-Like Night" is a must-read, leaving readers eager for the next magical chapter in Lan and Zen's entwined destinies.

Huge thank you Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press and NetGalley for sharing this captivating digital review copy, a portal to a world where silver notes meet the flames of destiny.

4 Stars

I really wanted to love this story, unfortunately I did not. The story is very predictable, and the writing is extremely slow.

This was not one of my favorites. Not sure if I just wasn't in the mood for this kind of book when I started it or what. It was honestly a DNF for me.

DNF at 10%. Nothing wrong with the book, but I couldn't get into it. The magic system and premise were intriguing, but I'm just not in the mood for epic fantasy right now!

Lan has always had a strange mark burned into her arm by her dying mother - a mark that only she can see, until one night, a boy who saves her, can see it; Zen. Zen’s a practitioner - one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom. Their magic is rumored to have been drawn from the demons they communed with and now must be hidden from the Elantians at all costs.

Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep - ones they must hide from others and ones they must still discover themselves. Both hold the power to liberate their land - or to destroy the world.

I originally tried reading this a while ago and couldn’t get into it right then - it's a heavy fantasy, with an a-mazing world building. When I first read it, I couldn’t place myself in the world. Quite a few months later, I was able to get ahold of the audiobook from my library and listen to it. That’s where I fell into the world fast.

This book reads, to me, like an epic movie. I could see all the fight scenes perfectly, the mood was easily set and understandable. But, again, this may be a series where I listen to the audiobooks of them because there was so much info dump to get you set into the world and the scenes that, to me, I was able to visualize a little better when I heard it, rather than when I saw it.

This is the first book of a series though, so it gets to have the info dumps. I’m still excited to read the second book in the series and have already put a hold of it at the library.

Overall, this is a wonderful fantasy book based in Chinese Folklore and Mythology that I can see a great deal of readers enjoying - especially those who really like to get dropped into a world totally unlike ours currently.

*Thank you Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I mean.. it was fine.... for another version of the same story I've ready dozens of times before. The ordinary looking girl finds our that she's the special-est and must now travel across her war torn country... attend a school for a few weeks... suddenly be the best practitioner ever and save the world.
Sigh.
It was beautifully written. But redundant in the world in Ya fantasy,

Song of Silver Flame tells the story of a magical girl who tries to defeat an evil empire. I really loved the characters. Lab is a very strong and complex heroine. I also liked Zen, the brooding love interest. There is a lot of action in the novel that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat! I also love the mythology and the world-building is breathtaking! I thought the novel was beautifully written! I recommend this for fans of Julie C. Dao, Sue Lynn Tan, and Elizabeth Lim! I’m excited to read the sequel!

I was beyond honoured and excited to have been given an ARC of this title. Song Of Silver Flame Like Night was a most anticipated release for me and it did not let me down. From the first chapter I was engrossed with the beautiful storytelling and characters. The heartbreak and pain was so clear from not only the main characters, but for the world around them. Everything felt so real like I wasn’t reading a fictional story it felt like a historical book, one filled with magic and fantastical creatures. Characters were written just as beautifully as the premise, Amelie has such a poetic way with her words that makes you forget everything around you. This book made me smile and it made me cry it is such a stunning book and I can always get lost in the story.
Thank you to the publisher for this E ARC. It was truly a honor to read it before it release.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night has both folklore and mythology in it. It has a slower pace. The characters are likable.

Amélie is so talented and writing these wholly encompassing stories that are so, so stunning. I'm already excited for the sequel

All that Lan has left of her mother is a stranger mark on her arm. No one else can see this mark but her. One evening, she runs into Zen, a young man who can also see the mark. Hungry for answers, Lan follows Zen in hopes of getting answers. As both their secrets are threatening to come out, what are the answers going to cost?

The cover for this is absolutely gorgeous, so I was drawn to this book immediately. I also love reading about mythology and folklore from other cultures, so I was thrilled to dive into this and see what it was all about. Plus, the promise of magic and secrets? I was sucked in! While at the beginning, I was involved, that did end up falling out to the point where I debated if I should DNF.

I do think this started well. I was gripped and curious about Lan and Zen, Lan especially. Her background and had me curious as to how she was going to get out of that and grow from the environment that she was in. Zen just had this mysterious energy that I wanted to know more about him. But, after the introduction, it felt like things fell apart for me.

A lot of world building is required for stories like this and while I do think that there was world building here and some was left for the sequel, it was presented in such a way that I struggled to digest. The information came in in info dumps. A lot of info dumps. There times when the reader gets one batch of information and then a little later gets that same bunch of information just a little reworded. I struggled with this a lot. It pulled me out of the story and it took me a while to get back into it each time as the information didn’t feel like it came from a more organic spot.

In part due to the info dumping, the pacing of the story felt off. As mentioned previously, I do think it started out well. I was interested in the characters and curious as to where everything was going. Then it massively slowed down and didn’t pick up until the end which with a book as long as this one, was a long time.

This is a more nitpicky thing, but I hated how the use of Chinese words were including with the translation of it immediately following. I wish there was a chance for the readers to use context clues to figure it out or the translation would have been included in a footnote instead.

While I did enjoy the beginning of this and even had some moments where I had a good laugh, I’m not entirely sure how much of this book was for me. I’m even torn on if I’ll pick up the sequel. I might just out of curiosity and hope that there is less info dumps that pull me out of the story, but right now I’m not sure.

A lot of other people have enjoyed this, so if it sounds interesting, give it a chance and see if it’s for you.

Beautifully written, readers of fantasy will enjoy this first novel in a duology! Based on Chinese folklore and the painful history of colonialism, Zhao conjures strong protagonists and heart-racing action. Breathtaking narratives and world building buttresses slow burn romance and sincere emotion.

The last 20% almost made this worth it.

The beginning was so good, I was anticipating this being an easy 5 stars. But after a short while, I couldn't figure out the point of anything and was so confused by the characters.

Some decisions felt so off because the characters were acting in a way to move the plot rather than a way that was true to their personalities. The romance wasn't very believable.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A sweeping story filled with prose, adventure and characters you can relate to. The writing flows and the pacing is good.

This book is fabulous! The world building was well thought out and detailed but not too detailed. I really enjoyed the story as well. This deserves to be widely read.

I very much enjoyed Amelie's debut Blood Heir trilogy, so I was excited to dive into her new series. Amelie really hits her stride with Song of Silver, Flame Like Night. It's clear as a reader that she's passionate about her storytelling. The prose is beautiful and the magic is fascinating. I'm looking forward to the next installment!

This book is excellent for fans of Daughter of the Moon Goddess or A Magic Steeped in Poison. Or even fans who are trying to find more Asian historical-fantasy type books. This book delivers on melding Chinese history and culture with unique world building rich in magic. Creating fantasy that also draws on history and culture is its own unique category of fantasy for me, similar to how steampunk encapsulates the industrial age and fantasy all in one.

I am in love with this series and highly recommend it as a new light-fantasy read, a BIPOC read, or a YA read.

I almost gave up on this one so many times. But then I'd be like, no, it's not so bad, maybe I just have to give it another chance...

This is... all right? The characters are flat as pancakes and the writing is definitely not my favorite. The fact that this is an audiobook helps gloss over the awkward writing in places. Every time I think I'm going to give up and Dnf I get just barely interested enough in the plot to keep listening. I can't decide whether I like the plot or not. But at around 60% in, right when some drama happened and they were fighting for their lives, i switched to another book which is telling...

Finally I've let myself DNF at 70%.

This book just isn't for me. I need more character development and I need characters to have at least a little bit of personality and depth. The only characters I was really interested in - the medical one and the seeing spirits one - were only on page for a tiny amount of time. I also need the plot to be more than just a series of events strung together. I don't even know if that makes sense but it just felt like plot points on a string.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing an early copy for review.

"magical in every way possible" is one quote I would use to describe this book. AWZ has masterfully crafted a story that is powerful, writing that is lyrical, a plot that is adventurous, and characters that are heartfelt. I'm obsessed with the vivid mythology and tangible soul of this story. However there are a couple aspects that could use some work. AWZ has already written a pretty successful series before, however I am hopeful that this is going to be a series that will make her a well-known author. I feel she deserves a ton of attention and praise for this book. Overall, I would give this book 3.75 stars and I want to say a big thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC! Here’s a few of my pro's and con's, except I'm having a hard time deciding if they are pro's or con's:

Lan: I would say she’s most definitely an acquired taste. She's either the character you're going to love, or hate. I can imagine seeing a lot of readers enjoying her, but also a lot of readers not liking her. She doesn't make the best decisions but she grows on you and I liked her by the time I finished the book.

Zen: I feel like Zen spoke similar to that of a robot half the time, I enjoyed what he brought to the story, however he definitely needs to see a therapist ASAP.

Plot: Girl has no idea how to wield the insane power she has but she must save the Universe. I never know how to feel about these kinds of plots. Sometimes they have the tendency to be solid outlines, but they also have the capacity to be mediocre or possibly forgettable books. I truly enjoyed the author's previous trilogy so much so that I had hope that the end would pick up. One positive thing that I did enjoy was that there were more than the two “good” and “bad” sides. I would say the book picks up around 75-80%. This leads me to pacing.

Pacing: This book was written as a first book in the series, which it is in fact and I sincerely appreciate that the story was thought out and sectioned into different books. However, the entire book felt like exposition! Yes, I now really want to know what will happen in book two, but at what cost.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting strong world-building, fantasy, and powerful female MC. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.