I want book two now! This story had so much of everything: found family, mystery, magic. I want to know what happens to the characters and how they will move through the next phase in the story.

Zhao did a great job of weaving in the mystery behind the magical powers set in this world. I want to know what happens with the main character and if we'll find out more about her past in the next book.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this.
It had everything I love in a story and was beautifully written.

Lan is the main character who starts the book off by looking for answers about a seal on her arm that has been there since her mother died. She's struggling for answers and soon begins to piece things together when she meets Zen.

This book wove magic, intrigue and a few twists that I didn't see coming, together so well.

I ended up buying this book in a physical hardback edition just because I like the cover. I am reading it after my current read so the review for the ebook arc is soon to come!

DNF @54%

SONG has a premise that picked my interest: a practitioner's seal, uncanny connection to qui, undeniable bond between master and student (practitioner school), lost magic, buried secrets and Xianxia vibes.

Unfortunately it didn't really work for me. The pacing was slow (I usually don't mind because of world building) but halfway through and I was still expecting something to effectively happen. Some parts were boring and I cared less for the characters (okay, perhaps I liked a bit the male lead). The writing is fluffy and I would have loved more substance.

Marketed as Xianxia, don't expect these vibes - it was quite disappointing (I would recommend 'Celestial Kingdom' duology instead). That being said, I love reading the Chinese mythological aspects.

Maybe I would give this series another try.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review~

3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars

Character - 7/10
While really enjoyed how the characters interacted together, at the end of the day, I don't feel like we really got to learn all that much about anyone. They all seemed a little surface level. It's very possible this will be addressed in the sequel though, which I have high hopes for. I do like Zen and Lan as a dynamic duo. And I liked how Lan and Dilaya's relationship changes as the book progresses, it was a bit of a feel-good moment towards the end.

Atmosphere - 7/10
I like this setting quite a lot, but without the map it would have been very confusing. If someone asked me to explain with any detail, anything about any of the locations.. I would struggle. Although, it isn't super essential to know your way around each of the areas.

Writing - 6/10
I enjoyed Amelie's writing, especially knowing this is a YA fantasy. The writing is a little more elementary, but that's to be expected. It kept me engaged and there were no drastic flow issues with the story.

Plot - 7/10
While the plot isn't entirely unique, this book reminded me a lot of The Keeper of Night, but with Chinese folklore versus Japanese. Amelie kept me on my toes as I really wasn't able to guess what could happen next. Zen's story arc was about the only thing that I had a feeling about. Ya just can't trust these boys to tell you the truth, I swear!

Intrigue - 5/10
I was able to be immersed while I was reading it, but I didn't have any strong compulsions to pick it up when I had free time. I will most likely be picking up the second one in the series, solely because of the twists at the end.

Logic/World Building - 8/10
I think the "magic" system in the book was probably the most fully comprehensible part of the book. While the Demon Gods and their pacts were a bit confusing, I think they really added a different element to the story. And being able to incorporate their weapons to work with qi was a fun touch.

Enjoyment - 7/10
At the end of the day, I'm glad I read this book. While I won't be shouting from the rooftops about it, I will recommend it to anyone that likes stories with a lot of twists and turns and characters you love to hate

Total Score 6.71/10 or 3.5/5 stars!

I was so excited for this one! It sounded absolutely amazing, but sadly I was not a fan. I was so confused in the beginning and I feel like I was trying to play catch up the whole time. I also couldn't stand the characters. They were so flat and annoying to me. Overall not the best book I've read, but I think my students would enjoy it.

A very in-depth world with influences from Chinese mythology and a complex magical system.

For a YA fantasy, it was too slow for my tastes with too many info dumps and lengthy explanations. I did enjoy the school setting and training in the first half of the book. But after we venture into the world with our protagonist, Lan, it was a change that felt disjointed. Lan is the typical YA fantasy strong main character and not super unique. Overall, I loved the bargaining with demons, hidden magical powers, and the romance with a certain magician.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is the story of a conquered people. Those who survived the initial invasion faced the destruction of their culture and banishment of their language. Even their names have been lost. A few find ways to take advantage of the upheaval, but most keep their heads down, doing what they must to stay alive.

When Lan is first introduced, she’s working as a song girl, a job that provides meals and shelter, but little else. In the book's first pages, she shows herself as a scrappy risk-taker, a fighter who still has hope.

I loved Lan and this world of spirits, ghosts, and soul-consuming demons. Zhao has a talent for world building. Each setting was rendered in vivid detail. I could feel the oppression of the city, the creepiness of an abandoned town, and the peaceful freedom within the School of the White Pines.

The author has also developed two different magic systems. Hin magic draws from the world’s natural energies, and its practitioners value balance. Elantian magic draws from metals, taking a natural element and twisting it into something unnatural and monstrous.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night joins other recent books in its criticism of colonization and forced assimilation. But it also examines the influence of national and personal histories on present-day actions. Both main characters, Lan and Zen, must decide what they owe their ancestors. Have their destinies been passed on to them by previous generations? Must they follow the path their families have set forth?

With so much of the world and the characters already strongly established, I suspect that the story’s pace will pick up in the next book. And I can’t wait!

Thank you to Delacorte Press, Random House Children’s Books, and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for my review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was anticipating this so much, I actually ended up with physical and digital arc copies of this book. Thankfully, I was not disappointed!! I saw the amazing Amélie Wen Zhao doing a panel and I knew I had to get my hands on this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, the complexities of the qi/magic they use, the journey they take to try and save their kingdom, and Lan's quest to find out her history.

The writing and the imagery that was created was so good and while I don't know much about Chinese mythology (yet), I enjoyed learning some of it through this story.

The problem I have is that I now have to wait for the sequel. WHY?!

I'd give this a 4-4.5.

2.5 stars

This book starts out quite slow, but picks up in the last 150-200 pages. Overall, I admire the ambition, but I don't think Song of Silver lives up to its potential. Part of this is because I find Amelie's writing style to be over-descriptive of sensory details, slow-paced and also more plot-centric than character-centric. The other part is that I feel the book spends too much time overexplaining (to the extent it feels like hand-holding) simple concepts repeatedly rather than focusing on the unique aspects of the fantasy world (the Si Xiang/four mythological beasts as demons that must be sealed).

It's understandable that some readers might not be familiar with qi and cultivation or xianxia and wuxia genre conventions. But like HALF the book felt like paragraphs about yin and yang and qi and balance.

Positives:
- Shanjun is best boy and I hope he ain't gone. Wish we had more of him and Tai. DILAYA IS MY QUEEN.

- Once we actually got to demon god lore the book actually made sense. I don't really mind that the Si Xiang are ~demons~ in this universe because at least it made me pay attention to the plot after not caring for approximately 300 pages.

- I really got on board when master Nan had their "this is the land of Ten Thousand Flowers" speech about unity and blah blah. It was a very touching scene. I wish the beginning of the book weren't so disconnected from it because it felt like a huge slog until the unity vibes and "SHIFU I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU" feels paid off.

- I think this book definitely has some serious Zutara vibes based on Lan's backstory.

Negatives
Regarding the pacing and character writing:
Most of the characters don't break their archetypal mold (or it takes a long time to get there). I get that after finishing the book the character arcs for Lan and Zen are actually very slow burn. The first 60-70% of the book honestly felt like filler because Lan and Zen were so boring. I think Song of Silver took too long in the beginning to set up their character arcs that it felt like filler. When the plot finally starts rolling at a break-neck speed, it can feel like whiplash because suddenly the book wants to convince you there was a character arc for 500 pages when really it was more like 300 of running from Elantians and eating pork buns and then like 150 pages of character development at the end.

On the treatment of Dilaya:
I don't know why Lan is constantly antagonizing Dilaya because Dilaya is so cool??? I get annoyed when reviews complain about "omg the girls are fighting this is misogyny" beacuse the girls don't have to like or agree with each other BUT I found Lan's attitude towards Dilaya soooo annoying. Ulara and Dilaya would be so cool if they weren't assigned haughty mean girl mom and daughter duo. They're good guys in the end so yay. Lan's attitude here felt so unnecessary.

Worldbuilding:
As I said previously, there is so much overexplaining of qi, yin and yang energy and cultivation, etc. ad nauseum for the worldbuilding. To me, it was super stereotypical and eyeroll-inducing. (Also pet peeve "yin" being evil??? Nah, even the book itself contradicts that explicitly but idk why some passages say yin and yang are evil and good respectively etc etc). Once the story shifted focus to the 4 demon gods, things got more tolerable in this department.

Translation of CN terms
The inconsistent translation/pinyin of Chinese terms. Probably only bugs me because there are so many "cha is tea" moments when it comes to how pinyin is used. I didn't need to have every title (nainai, jiejie, shifu, ge, etc.) stated and then immediately repeated for translation. On the other hand, the book uses "stupid egg" as a literal translation of ben dan (= idiot) and "dog fart" as a literal translation for gou pi (= bullshit) which I don't think most Anglo readers would catch on to and it's just an awkward way to convey that this story is ~Chinese~. There's no way to please everyone when it comes to translation choices, so it's really at the author's discretion how she wants to approach things. The way it is in Song of Silver kinda of distracts from the rest of the story because you'll get paragraphs upon paragraphs overexplaining yin and yang and dao that more or less communicate the same thing every time.

Random pet peeves:
I'm sorry but you could do without the "I am your father" moment with Dezi.

I've recently been devouring Chinese Mythology inspired stories. I can't get enough, and this was no exception! I loved the morally gray characters, and the magic system. The world building was fantastic, and I can't wait to get the next book!!

The hype around Amélie Wen Zhao is well deserved.

The writing is beautiful and the content is intriguing. Overall the execution is solid and all I want is for the next book to be in my hands.

A gorgeous piece of fantasy, inspired by Chinese mythology. When the story starts, protagonist Lan is a songgirl, forced to spend her nights singing for and catering to the whims of the Elantians, those who invaded and conquered her homeland twelve years before. Her life is drastically changed when she meets Zen, a practitioner of magic, a power believed long lost. He opens the door for Lan to discover the truth about her mother's death and the mysterious mark on Lan's arm. What is her connection to this magic? The answer may be the Last Kingdoms' salvation, or its ruin.
The world that this author has created is beautiful. I love that the basis to the world and the magic system therein are rooted in Chinese mythology. The love story between Lan and Zen was fantastic; watching their relationship form and develop was so sweet. The ending will leave you wanting more. Can't wait for the sequel!

I really enjoyed this Chinese inspired fantasy. The pacing in the beginning is somewhat slow as there is a lot to cover with the qì based magic system and history that were all central to the story. The last third of the book really picks up and I had to force myself to put it down (to sleep! Lol). I liked Lan (FMC) with her determination, eagerness to learn and sarcasm. I really liked Zen as the mysterious MMC whose morality goes from high to questionable. I would have liked a little bit more from his POV especially towards the end as his decisions felt somewhat sudden. I really felt the connection between the two and was rooting for them the whole time. I will definitely be picking up the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the egalley in exchange for my feedback.

I'm bad at reviews and I don't know how to review this one.
But if you liked shadow of the fox, spin the dawn, and this other authors books you'll like this.

My Thoughts:
This beautiful cover is powerful because as the story of Lan and Zen pulled me in, I forgot about this huge clue that is the cover. By the time I got to the clue, I was not only hooked on the story, but it was nearing the end of book 1.

This is a story of two very broken characters, Lan and Zen. They have lost their families to the Elantian colonizers. They carry scars and power that they either don't know about or that they are struggling to control. They are both very practitioners from long clan lines of practitioners. They are both the last in their line. On their way to try to outrun the winter magician and the large army of Elantian soldiers, the two young people are directly or indirectly responsible for hundreds of deaths, even some of the innocents that they are supposed to be protecting. Carve out time to finish this book. At 467 pages, you will need more than just a night.

This story is complicated because the two characters live on to fight another day, but there is no happy ending in sight. Perhaps that is the key to book 1s, which is to crush hope and bring readers back.

If so, I'm reluctantly in.

From the Publisher:
Once, Lan had a different name. Now she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom, killed her mother, and outlawed her people’s magic. She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong, a city transformed by the conquerors, and her days scavenging for what she can find of the past. Anything to understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died.

The mark is mysterious—an untranslatable Hin character—and no one but Lan can see it. Until the night a boy appears at her teahouse and saves her life.

Zen is a practitioner—one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom. Their magic was rumored to have been drawn from the demons they communed with. Magic believed to be long lost. Now it must be hidden from the Elantians at all costs.

When Zen comes across Lan, he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm. He’s never seen anything like it—but he knows that if there are answers, they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom, with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime.

Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep within—secrets they must hide from others, and secrets that they themselves have yet to discover. Fate has connected them, but their destiny remains unwritten. Both hold the power to liberate their land. And both hold the power to destroy the world.

Now the battle for the Last Kingdom begins.

Publication information:
Author: Amélie Wen Zao

Publisher: Delacorte Press (January 3, 2023)

Alright, bookworms Behold! As I give you a book with the magic of Fullmetal Alchemist and Mistborn, and the answer to, "What if Kitay had been the one to get corrupted by power?"
You know it's going to be a good book when it keeps surprising you despite using familiar tropes.

5 REASONS YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!
1. the world-building and immersive writing gave studio ghibli
One of the most striking things about this book was the extremely thoroughly done worldbuilding. Be it the generation-long history of the country or the beautiful descriptions of the surroundings- it almost seemed lyrical. There is a lot of emphasis on the play of light and colors in the writing, like a stunning watercolor painting, is being described to you

So when that combination of excellent world-building and beautiful writing came together in this story, I was floored. This was one of the rare times that I didn't want to just skim through the descriptions, because this time I wanted to really take my time visualizing everything the author was trying to show the reader. It made for such a good reading experience.
As a writer, I really appreciated the metaphors, some of the clever turns of phrases, and the way the setting just captures the attention of the reader just as much as the plot or the characters.

Quote- "The Elantians spoke with the slow, unhurried slur of a people drunk on power."

2. the setting!!!!!!

The setting where the story takes place is also a plus point because we explore so many different kinds of locations in this world. We see sprawling grasslands and gorgeous lakes, waterfalls, a prison, an extraordinary magical school, and the dark, bustling streets of a colonized city.

Quote'-"This was where the illusion of the Last Kingdom ended and the reality of a conquered land began. Here the cobblestone streets carefully constructed by the Elantians after the Conquest faded to dust; the elegantly renovated facades and shiny glass windows gave way to buildings crumbling from disrepair."

It pulls quite a lot from Chinese mythology and folktales, such as the concept of yin and yang is central to the magic system, the four Demon Gods, and other kinds of magical creatures.
Listen, I am not kidding with that Studio Ghibli comparison. It genuinely feels like it makes for such an incredible animated movie, specifically with the whimsical and magical art style that Ghibli has.


3. the magic systems (yes, plural)

So in this world, there are two magic systems- one based on nature, and the other on the use of different metals. The first one, based on the use of energy or "qi" pulled from nature is used by the Hin people, that is, from whom our protagonists belong. And the metal-based magic system is used by the Elantians, who are the colonizing forces that have invaded the Hin land and now rule them.
In the beginning, I compared it to Fullmetal Alchemist because the philosophy and idea behind the qi magic are a little reminiscent of the former, with the focus on balance and equal give and take- and come to think of it, even a little Star Wars. Throughout the story, it is the question of how to use the magic and to what lengths can we use that, to create the thematic components of the story. The themes mainly concern themselves with these issues of magic and power.


Quote- "Everyone is born with qi inside them and around them- qi is the makeup of this world. It is the flow of water, the gusting of wind, the roar of fire and the steadiness of the earth. It is sun and moon and life and death. Some people have an affinity for channeling qi and weaving different strands of it into Seals. With training, they can cultivate their ability and become practitioners."

It matters a lot how is the magic used and where it is pulled from. It is incredibly fascinating and even though we really explore only one of these magic systems quite deeply, the other magic system that the Elantians use is one that I think we'll get to know more about in the second book.

4. hero corruption arc
The one thing- THE thing, imo, that I had no idea about going in this book, and the one that has made the most long-lasting impact on me- is this plotline. Because when I say I want character development, this is what I mean. Either a villain redemption arc or a hero embracing the dark side- give me any of these two in a book and I eat. it. up.
The character arcs are so well-executed, and the themes just fuel them forward. Even though it seems like quite a sad turn of events in a sense, it just made me so happy.
The themes of how power corrupts, and how much violence is justified are explored throughout the story. These come into play more in the second half, as the stakes get higher and we get closer to the breaking point of our character's resolves- that point where all their ideals and principles are shattered.

Quote- "This was the consequence of refusing power. This was the damnation of rejecting the idea of becoming gods: you became ruled by newer, crueler, merciless gods."

And then how we get to that point is also really interesting, because the path to corruption stems from this tremendous feeling of helplessness and powerlessness towards the inability of not being able to protect the people they love. And that then leads to this question "Is it justified to use whatever means of power necessary to fight against oppression?" In the qi magic system, the characters can use what is called the dark magic version of it (yin energies?), and the temptation of utilizing the incredible power that comes with it- despite however good the intentions are- is another one of the themes.

THIS is what actually adds that extra punch to the corruption arc- the very realistic and impactful questions behind that even make us the reader think that you know, if we had been in that situation with those choices same choices, maybe we would've made the same choices.

Quote- 'Strength without restraint and power without balance are akin to a path into darkness without light.

5. grumpy x sunshine (so, technically the characters)
We follow the story through the lens of our two main protagonists, Lan and Zen.
Lan (Lián’ér) is a young girl struggling to make a living in the streets of Haak'gong, and the only thing she fights for those days is protecting her friend at her place of work, and finding what a mark on her arm left by her mother means. She is stubborn and brave and playful. Not really 'sunshine' in the exact sense, since she is grieving and the place where she works is a traumatic experience in itself- but she's playful and funny and easy-going.

Quote-"Lan preferred not to believe that her fortunes lay in the hands of some invisible old farts in the skies—no matter how powerful they were meant to be".

Definitely a ray of sunshine, compared to our other main character Zen, who is a practitioner. He also has gone through an extremely traumatic experience in his past, and there is so much weight of that that he still carries today. As we slowly unravel his backstory, we see how so many of his decisions are informed by the things that happened to him when he was a kid. He is pragmatic, a complete stickler for the rules and laws. He reminded me a lot of Kitay from The Poppy War- really smart and principled but also so full of rage and sadness because of the oppression and loss that they've seen.
The dynamic between them is so enjoyable because they complement each other really well. They connect with each other because of their pasts, but they differ in how process and deal with things.

This book has potential to turn into a fantastic series. Going in, I was not familiar with much Chinese mythology, so this opened new doors for me. In this book we follow an orphaned girl who is searching for answers about the strange scarring on her wrist. It appears to be some kind of seal. In her journey, she meats Zen, who is on his own journey. We see them forge a path to find answers. As they learn more, we see the story moving though many emotions - love, revenge, and courage. Overall, a good first book to a series. I'd recommend it for YA and adults who like fantasy.

The newest series by the author of the Blood Heir trilogy, Song of the Last Kingdom, opens with Song of Silver, Flame Like Night. A YA fantasy rich with magic and history, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, tells the story of Lan, a young Hin songgirl in a land conquered by the Elantian colonizers. Forced to perform for her oppressors, Lan's life is a tapestry of loss and resilience. She has only one reminder of the mother who was killed by Elantian soldiers 12 years ago - a scar in the shape of a Hin character no one has ever seen. When her path crosses with a young practitioner - a man who channels qi to create what Elantians call magic - he recognizes her as containing a specific signature of qi that speaks of demonic energy. The two escape to the wilderness and agree to work together to unravel the message left behind by Lan's mother in her scar and to train Lan in the art of practitioning.

What follows is a painful, hopeful meditation on power and on whether or not the ends ever justify the means. A heartbreaking war story reminiscent of The Poppy War, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, is a gut-wrenching, stunning start to a duology. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Thanks so much to Amélie Wen Zhao and Random House Children's for this ARC through NetGalley.

a powerful start to a new duology.

<i>song of silver, flame like night</i> is a deft exploration of choice and the loss of culture and history under colonialism set against the backdrop of a lush, vibrant fantasy world, but the plot itself relies too heavily on predictable YA fantasy tropes.

the world-building, while unique and intricate, is often presented in a rather clunky way. i felt like i was being spoonfed information, and it was so repetitive at times—yes, i remember what happened a few pages ago! in spite of that, i was invested in lan and zen’s journeys (and appreciated their alternating POVs) and the last 25% redeemed the book for me. it was WILD.