3.5 stars. I enjoyed this story. I liked how the author combined Chinese history, mythology and magic. The characters were all multi-dimensional, except may the big baddie. He is only after one thing and is also incredibly powerful, and of course all he wants is more power.

I liked the magic system. It was easy to understand and was based on the concept of Yin and Yang. I’ve read other books based on Chinese folklore so I was already familiar with the concept of qi, but even if I wasn’t, the author did a good job explaining it.

The book was a little long and there were just a couple of pacing issues, but overall, the story kept me engaged. The multilayered concept of power, good and evil, balance and imbalance, was the best thing about this book in my opinion. I thought it was so interesting that this fight against power had already begun before the Elantians invaded, and now there is a need for power, but still a need to destroy that power.

I’m looking forward to the next book, even though this one just came out. This was definitely a first book in the series type book, but it has set up everything for the next book very well.

***Thank you to the author and to Underlined for this ARC. All opinions are my own. ***

Zhao does such a beautiful job of incorporating Chinese folklore in this magical story that is also filled with wonderful characters and an exciting plot. I could not put this book down, and am already counting down until I can read the sequel.

This is the perfect book to read if you've been watching C Dramas and it's gotten you in the mood to read something similar!

This was a stunningly original fantasy, and I’m super excited to read the rest of this series. There was no aspect of this story that wasn’t phenomenal—the magic system, the setting, the characters. I enjoyed this ARC so much that I immediately ordered a physical copy after finishing it. It was definitely written as the first book in the series, as there was a lot of exposition, but I was interested enough that this wasn’t the negative it would usually be. The characters, while annoying at times, were very human in their flaws and I appreciated that a lot. I really do love the elements of Chinese folklore and the magical system. I found this book very refreshing.

The world building is incredible in Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, as are the details weaved throughout that incorporate folklore and mythology that de-centers Western fantasy. The magic system was intriguing and both Lan and Zen are very memorable characters. Sometimes the writing style felt like Chinese words were being overexplained. For example, in the first chapter we get words such as dǒu’lì, yā’tou, Tiān’jīng, and Lián’ér. With context, the words were recognizable to myself as a Chinese speaker and the pauses to explain each Chinese word slowed down the pace for me personally. I imagine these moments of defining words are useful to those who don’t read or speak Chinese.

Overall, I really applaud the use of Chinese folklore & history! There is a lot of heart and soul in this book.

I highly recommend this book to those who enjoyed titles such as R. F. Kuang’s The Poppy War, Judy I. Lin’s A Magic Steeped in Poison, Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow, and Shelley Parker-Chan’s She Who Became the Sun.

First off, I picked this book because that cover is simply gorgeous. Next, this was a good fantasy read with an interesting world. I enjoyed the characters and all the magic. However, it was a bit slow which made it difficult to get into. And although the characters were interesting , I could never really immerse myself into their stories.

I really enjoyed this book however I think it should be marketed more towards young adult than for kids. I will definitely be picking up the sequel when it's released.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of one of my most anticipated books of 2023!

I finished this book SO fast, and while the middle part did drag a bit, the ending was very much worth the wait and I can't wait for the next book in this series.

First, let me start off with the writing. This story was beautiful and it just flowed so nicely. While names and ideas were inspired from a culture that I am unfortunately ignorant too, I never felt lost in the book or that I had to skim passages where I didn't know what was going on. The writing is so effortless, and even in the sections heavy on description or where the plot may have dragged a bit, Amelie Wen Zhao's writing and imagination never left me bored. This was my first book by this author, but I do own her other trilogy and this book has definitely made me want to bump those up on my TBR.

The characters did seem a bit young for me personally as a reader but I feel like they made up for that in depth and back story. Where I often times recently have found young adult to no longer be a genre that I gravitate towards, these characters (it may be from the fact that they are both a bit morally grey which is something that always intrigues me in fantasy books) were fun to follow their journey. Yes, at times Lan seems whiny and like she thinks she's so smart and such a badass which is a bit annoying. And yes, Zen is a bit too standoffish to make it easy to root for him. With that being said though, I was so immersed in the story as a whole to even care about the times that the main characters made me roll my eyes.

The plot and story itself was definitely a win for me personally. The ending especially was so packed with action that I flew through the last fifteen percent of the book so quickly. Do I think this book leans heavy on The Poppy Wars and even Mistborn inspiration? Absolutely. But I do think it's well done and entertaining enough that it's similarities are enough to overlook and make me more that willing to pick up the next book in this series.

Do I have complaints and things that I wish would have been done differently? Of course. And do I think that there are some things that definitely don't make sense? YES. Which unfortunately, because of spoilers I can't get into, but there is just a huge twist that kind of ruins things for me personally for this couple as a reader, but it's just ignored, and I hate that. Overall though, this book is wonderful and I can't wait to get a special edition of it :)

Lots to like here. It’s YA in the best way: without the protagonists angsting too much or making (many) eye-rollingly thoughtless decisions, and with all of the heart and courage and determination that made me want to work young adults.

This was, I think, my first exposure to the xianxia (gods, demons, and ghosts influenced by Taoism, Buddhism, and Chinese folklore) and wuxia (martial arts) genres, which I really enjoyed and look forward to reading more of.

The plot is evidently inspired in large part by China’s history and I appreciated the use of Mandarin terms throughout — I can’t get enough of own voices fantasy deeply rooted in non-Western cultures.

What I didn’t like: the plot was fairly slow-paced for the first half of the book. The invading conquerors had European-sounding names (Lishabeth, Alessander, Jonasson, etc.), which kept pulling me out of the story. And the story was just missing something ineffable that kept me from loving it.

I ended up DNFing this book at ~20%. It is very much written as a YA, which is fine, but it felt a little more YA to me than most, and thus I did not personally get very invested. The worldbuilding is extremely complex and feels very info-dump-y, which made me feel very confused. I could not keep the characters straight (was Zen the Winter Magician? Or was that someone else?), which felt odd to me since there were only about five named characters at the time. It was an overall interesting concept, just not for me.

I'll admit - this was a bit of a rough start for me. I think it was just my mood at the time but I found myself struggling to get through the first couple of chapters. There is a lot of information given to the reader at once and I felt a little overwhelmed. However, it only took a few more chapters for me to 'settle' into the world and characters Amélie Wen Zhao has created - and then by the halfway point, I fell in love! The magic system was absolutely incredible and the highlight of the book for me. I enjoyed the characters and am excited to see what comes next in the sequel for all of them. (Also, I have to say that cover is just GORGEOUS!) All in all, while not a new favorite book, I can't wait to see what comes next.

I am speechless after finishing this book, AWZ did such an amazing job making me feel so connected to the story. The story and characters are out of this world, and it really was hard to put down at times. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this, but if you are into folklore and fantasy, with a unique magic system this is one of the most epically enthralling adventures I’ve ever read. You need to pick this book up, it made me feel so many emotions. I will be purchasing soon, because I’d love to have this in my collection so I can reread it again. 5 Star!

Thank you so much to Amélie Wen Zhao, Random House Children's, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The characters are developed and layered with history to explain their choices. I loved following Lan and watching her discover who she really is. The world building is fantastic, again with a deep history. It is a bit slow in parts but the prose that draws you in and keeps your attention. I thought it was well done and I look forward to the second installment!

4 stars

This book was so good! I loved the epic scope of the story and the way the author wove that so well with the characterization so that it wasn't overshadowed but instead enhanced.

Speaking of characterization, the character arcs were handled so well! Even though they were dramatic character arcs, they were believable and compelling. My favorite kind of character arcs, lol!

And even though this book had some very dark moments, I really liked that there was always a thread of hope.

I really can't wait to see what happens next in this story and am eagerly awaiting the next book!

Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Power is always borrowed, never created.”

I 100% forgot I had an ARC of this, and I ended up getting another copy and absolutely DEVOURING it a couple days after it was released. This is magical and mesmerizing from page one, and is a perfectly crafted story that will pull you into the pages and wrap around you until you forget you are part of this world, not the one formed by Amelie Wen Zhao.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night was published on January 3, 2023. Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, NetGalley and the author for the advanced digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ebook arc!!

Lan is a girl from an invaded kingdom. After her mother is killed when she was a child, she grows into a woman who works as a song girl. She spends her time searching for information on the mark burned into her arm.

Zen is a practitioner -- a type of magician. When he and Lan cross paths it's clear Lan also has a similar power. He brings her to be trained and assists her in her search.

I really did enjoy this story overall. The atmosphere and feel of the prose is beautiful and have a flow to it that very much fits the locations the story portrays. The plot held my attention and the pacing stayed fairly quick despite minor world/character-building slow parts. I enjoyed Lan's humor and the trouble she finds herself in and felt that Lan and Zen were fairly flushed-out characters.

Zen's dark past definitely made me more curious about his past and what had happened to him. I found his character very interesting and was always curious about his history.



SPOILERS

I was a little disappointed at some of the plot points later in the story however they kept me coming back awaiting the next part of the story. Also, There were parts that reminded me of Anakin Skywalker or Kylo Ren. I'm not sure if that is a specific trope but it was a bit predictable. That said, I also enjoyed the trope it just didn't get executed exactly in the way I expected. The end of the book came much faster than I expected. I thought that this was going to be a stand-alone and as I flew through the last few chapters I was surprised that it ended on a cliffhanger. Lan's character surprised me in the end and I am very curious as to what is about to happen next.

Wow. In her novel, Zhao weaves a shocking, icy, emotional tale of a country destroyed by war, magic, and demon gods. Zen is a powerful magic practitioner who stumbles upon Lan, a song girl at a capital tea house. Zen and Lan are the last of their clans, all of their family murdered before their eyes by the dangerous metal magic wielders of the West who occupy their country through fear and blood.

Thrown into one another’s path by the red threads of fate, the two learn to love again while fighting against the hold of demon gods, long-kept secrets, and sadistic magicians. Zen wishes to destroy while Lan wishes for balance.

Zhao did a great job with the folklore in this novel. The rich, beautiful history of China intermingles with the feeling of grief from death, destruction, and loss of culture. I think the novel is beautifully written- easily one of the best I’ve read. But, there was little to no release of tension throughout the novel. If I were to add a critique of any kind, it would be that need.

Thank you Netgalley, for giving me the chance to read such wonderful book. The entire magic system that Zhao presented in this read is absolutely amazing, alongside the world building. I very much enjoyed the characters and their development throughout the book. The plot twists kept me on edge, especially towards the end of the story. The story was beautiful, I very much enjoyed the Chinese mythology and lore. I cannot wait for the next! Four star read.

Book Summary:

Lan remembers a time when she had a different name. A time before the colonizers came to her land and changed everything – their culture, their magic, even their names. Not content to live with this new life handed to her, Lan delves into her people's past. And she finds the most intriguing things – a strange mark that ties directly to her people's history—a mark left behind by her mother.

Zen is one of the Last Kingdom's fabled magicians. Quite possibly one of the last. So he knows precisely what Lan is and what the mark on her arm means. Together, they may just have what it takes to change the destiny of their kingdom.

My Review:

Oh wow. I knew that Song of Silver, Flame Like Night would be fantastic – any book written by Amelia Wen Zhao is sure to impress. And boy, I was not disappointed here! This novel is magical, fantastical, and certain to capture your imagination.

Best of all are the very real foundations found within this story and their connection to mythology. It's all so perfectly balanced. Again, if you've read anything else by Amelie Wen Zhao, you've probably come to expect that!

The worldbuilding is superb, the characters compelling, and the story rich and complex. In other words, it's the perfect novel to pick up. In fact, I'm already highly tempted to dive back in and do a second reading!

Highlights:
Asian literature
Dragons!
Mythology
Coming of Age meets Fantasy

Trigger Warnings:
Death of parents
Loss of autonomy
Racism/colonialism
War/genocide

Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the publishers.

What a beautiful start to what promises to be a gorgeous series.
Steeped in so much culture, language, and folklore this is a truly immersive tale of a young girl named Lan, who is on an unexpected journey to discover who she is, who her mother was, and the key that she holds for the future of her people. Circling around her is another practitioner Zen, who holds many secrets of his own and could heavily influence the path Lan must follow.

I have always been a sucker for stories built around the rich Chinese culture, and this tale spins together the beauty of Chinese folklore, magic, and a unique world and history building. I could not be more in love with the complex story of the demon gods, the lost arts of practitioner and so much more!
I can not wait for the next book!

~ 2.5 Stars ~

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an ecopy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Now on to the review portion.

This book’s summary was magical and enthralling. More and more books are introducing readers to folklore and cultures from the Asian continent that are not only important for understanding today’s world, but to also appreciate the collective world histories we all share as citizens of this planet. To only know one continent’s cultures or histories is really to be deprived a wealth of knowledge. I was looking forward to seeing a take on Western colonization from the perspective of those being colonized and the subjugation of a people where the majority had lived and remembered their country and clans had been prior to this foreign invasion.

At many points, the MC’s of this text point back to the differences of the here and now, and their pasts and what these invaders had cost them, and it definitely a main driving factor throughout this book. The prose is beautiful and whimsical, however I feel it’s a bit dense for teens and YA. It very much read closer to Adult fantasy fiction with regards to verbiage as well as violence and loss of life. The themes are very heavy, mainly due to the MC’s basically being in constant danger from the moment this book starts. That being said, while there is a lot going on in this travel epic, it’s quite a slow read. It’s at about 60% into this book that the story really starts to gain traction and momentum. I was very close to DNF-ing this book because it just was not hooking me. I felt so aloof and disconnected to the characters’ struggles, partially due to the third person narration, but also due to the fact that it is a travel epic with no clearly stated timeline. Days and weeks could’ve passed, and all I would know is they spent a lot of time walking or running. How much, I could never tell you. I believe at one point the FMC references that she’s been at the school for almost a full moon cycle (aka month), except that month happened maybe in two chapters..?

I think the major plot of finding the Demon Gods and wiping out the invaders on a hero’s journey is awesome! BUT the ineffectual martyrdoms and savior complexes that seem to happen to every single character just killed the ending for me. And I do mean INEFFECTUAL. Just when a dagger pierces the heart and you think it’s all over, the character resurrects and then does the same thing 5 more times. And because one character playing savior isn’t enough, a bunch of them hop on board. I believe the intended effect was to lend nobility and honor to these characters, but in the long term plot wise, just really dragged the plot on and on and made the act of possible sacrifice, disingenuous. This was about 100-150 pages too long, especially considering that this is going to be a series. The way it was laying out the plot, I was SURE this was going to be a standalone. So much was shoved into this first book, there was no way it could continue on… but it’s going to.

Lastly, the romance. I was really loving the innocence the our two MC’s and having them fall for each other because they admire the way the other survives, and the difficulties they’ve endured both together and separately. Then the tides turned when the MMC decides that he has to sacrifice it all and metaphorically “turn to the dark side”. It was like a flash of Padme pleading for Anakin Skywalker to not “go down a path” she can’t follow. It gave me Jon Snow stabbing Daenerys in the heart with his dagger… literally. It was star crossed lovers like Romeo and Juliet, except there’s not real outcome from any of it. No one’s dead, no one’s sworn the other off, they just are existing together, and then they just exist apart again, not for lack of trying to sacrifice themselves or the other.

I am disappointed, because overall, I think the bones of this story are incredibly epic. But in execution this really fell flat. I most likely will not be reading the rest of this series due to all the aforementioned issues.