I vowed to myself to not buy more than one edition of a book until I’ve at least read it to see if I absolutely loved it. Thankfully I didn’t have that rule last year and got these beauties because they are unbelievably pretty to look at and the stories are beautiful too!

“The viper is only as venomous as its fangs.“

If you have not read this duo yet, book 2 just released and let me tell you - you will not be able to put these down. You’ll easily be immersed into the vibrant, lush Asian culture that’s full of magic and danger on every page.

“She had given her heart to a boy. And he had given his soul to a demon.”

The struggles our two MCs face are brutal and heavy but that’s what makes you connect with them so much more is how they overcome it and persevere. Their romance isn’t an easy one and I love how relatable it is. The side characters are amazing as well - Amelie does such a flawless job with her writing and it shows with how beautiful her stories turn out to be.

“In every life, whether in this one or the next or ten thousand more, Zen would jump with her.”

Thank you @tbrbeyondtours for having me be a part of this tour!

A fantastic sequel to Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, this book picks up where book 1 left us and continues Lan’s and Zen’s respective journeys. Things start out on a bit of an uneven note due to *circumstances*, and it’s a bit of a dance as Lan and Zen learn to be around one another again. It doesn’t take long though, and soon they’re back on even footing in their quest to take back what’s theirs. With higher stakes, more to lose, more action, badder bad guys, and a fully recognized romantic subplot, this book had everything. I adored book 1 so much, but I loved this one even more. The ending brought a satisfying conclusion, and I’m happy with where our characters end up. 4.5 stars.

𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘈𝘴𝘩 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 follows Lan and Zen on their final adventure of righting the histories erased and overcoming the demons that surround them.

- ~ -

Hmmm... this felt a little lackluster in comparison to the first book.

Lan and Zen's character development fell flat this time around. I'd hoped Lan's sass would thrive but the characters seemed too preoccupied and for good reason but it all made me feel detached.

3.73 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I’ve read a few books by this author, and she never fails to hold me spellbound. The first book in this duology earned an easy five stars from me, and I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this sequel. My review will be brief in order to avoid spoilers.

This novel begins where the other left off. Lan and Zen are separated due to the choices they made. Lan is determined to complete the mission her mother started before her death – destroy the Demon Gods. Zen chose a Demon God over Lan when he sold his soul to the Black Tortoise in an effort to save the Kingdom. They both have the same end goal in mind, but it takes them a while to figure that out.

I’m still a fan of Lan and Zen. Emotions are heavy – guilt, sadness, love, disappointment, betrayal – but they continue on their individual journeys. When their paths cross again, initial encounters are awkward and a little violent, but they eventually relearn how to work together and trust each other. I adored Dilaya as a supporting character in the first book, and she still owns every scene she’s in.

Pacing is slower initially but picks up considerably around the 50% mark. The ending is perfect in my opinion. Other reviewers mentioned the need for tissues, but I smiled throughout those last pages at the beautiful way the author chose to wrap up this compelling duology.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

If you liked the first book, then you will really enjoy the second in this series. This book begins off right where the first book ends. I found the beginning a little slow, but it picked up by the second half of the book. I really enjoyed Lan and Zen’s journey and their growth throughout the book. I felt that the action and the romance had a good balance in this book. The ending was both sad and beautiful. It was a perfect way to end this duology.

Easily 5 stars.

What an explosive ending to this duology. I was not expecting the places this book went, it definitely hit the feels for sure. If you are a fan at all of Chinese mythology or martial arts style fables, I think this series will just hit the spot for you. While it is Young Adult, which many people feel they have grown out of, I think it doesn't fall into any of the early 2000's-feeling YA people are usually more familiar with. It will sweep you up in the story and never let you and I cannot recommend it enough. Such cool magic with different variations, Chinese gods among us wreaking havoc, a romance subplot with such twists and turns in the development....it is just so GOOOD. You should read it already.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

thank you to the publisher for my arc!


This book hurt me as i knew it would. I loved this duology so much and didn't want to say goodbye to these characters who i've come to love so much

Please note: The following review may contain spoilers for the first book in the Song of the Last Kingdom duology, SONG OF SILVER, FLAME LIKE NIGHT. Continue reading at your own discretion.

After making a deal with the Demon God known as the Black Tortoise and betraying Lan’s trust, Zen finds himself on a journey back to his ancestral home to find the answers he seeks to destroying the Elantians. He knows that he will need more than just a singular Demon God to save the Kingdom (and the girl he loves) and he finds that in the undead army his great grandfather once commanded.

Lan, heartbroken and lost after Zen’s betrayal, sets off to find the answers to destroying the Demon Gods once and for all. She will stop at nothing to complete the mission her mother set out on years ago, even if it means sacrificing the only man she’s ever loved.

I have waited a year for this sequel and it did not disappoint! Even with not remembering all the little details, Zhao was able to provide enough backstory in an organic way to remind readers what happens in the first book and where our characters are now. I was immediately pulled back into this beautifully written Chinese mythology inspired world.

Zhao has a way of writing that fully sucks you into the story and make time pass in a flash. Even in the slower moments of travel, I felt like I couldn’t read fast enough, anxious to find out what happens next. Each moment builds upon the last and edges the reader closer to the explosive climax that is the last battle to end all last battles.

Even in the midst of action and battle, Zhao was expertly able to weave in a romance for the ages. I found myself highlighting so many lines that just took my breath away with how romantic they are. The conclusion to the book—as well as the duology and love story—masterfully blends together heartbreak and hope in a way that will continue to live with me for a long time to come.

I predicted last year that I wouldn't want to leave this world when it ends and I'm happy (and a little sad) to report that I was absolutely correct.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

It’s somewhere between a 4 and a 4.5 I guess.

I just read the first book of this duology last month and it immediately made it to my top favorites of 2023 list because that’s how much I loved the book. So, I was very eager to get to this sequel, especially in the audiobook format, and as expected, I finished this in just two days.

What I was surprised was how much more world building we got here, which I didn’t think would happen in this conclusion. We get to know more of the lore behind the existence of the Demon Gods, how they came to be and what their purpose is; at the same time, we also get to know the real truth of the imperial clan and how their penchant for power destroyed the many clans across the Last Kingdom - wiping not just their peoples but also their cultures and histories, forcing any remaining survivors to feel that painful disconnect with their ancestors. I thought the author does an interesting job showing how both the imperial clan and the colonizers use their powers for subjugation and not for the benefit of the common populace, ultimately one defeating the other as well.

As I loved the writing in the first book, it remains equally gorgeously descriptive and imaginative here as well, easily making up the scenes in my head. The plot though, took directions that I totally did not see coming after what happened at the end of book one. I had it in my head that this book would be much more action packed, and while everything builds up to a very explosive ending, the journey to get there is more about finding one’s truth and history and purpose, and gathering the resources for the final fight. This made it feel like the pacing was slow for almost half of the book but I didn’t mind it too much.

The author really writes yearning between our two main characters very well - which is definitely a key component of any xianxia. Lan has finally discovered one major secret about her mother and herself and has decided to fulfill the task for which her parents sacrificed their lives. At the same time, she is also reeling from the betrayal by Zen, just clinging onto her purpose so that she doesn’t let herself give into their heartbreak. Zen on the other hand is determined to save everyone he loves and the people even if he destroys himself in the process. Even though they seem like they are on opposite paths, their red string of fate keeps bringing them together time and again, giving us all the angst. Even though there was some repetition in them meeting and separating, I really liked how the author developed their characters individually as well as their relationship.

My slight disappointment though was with the other characters of the book. We get a new character introduced here (which I kinda guessed) who we have to figure out if he is a friend or a foe, but we don’t really get enough time with him to start caring about his actions. We hardly get any Shanjun or Cho Tai scenes which was sad. The only person who maybe had a bit of a presence was Dilaya and I really didn’t think I could come to like her. Our main villain from book one also kind of takes a backseat for most of the book which surprised me a lot.

Overall, I feel like this conclusion was very well written, with even better lore and world building, great main character dynamics, but slightly disappointing with the rest of the cast. But it does end in a very explosive way, all bittersweet emotions making me tear up, but also in a very satisfactory manner. That was the perfect end I could have asked for this series.

Rating: 3/5 ☀️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC, which was given in exchange for an unbiased review.

Happy pub day! This has been one of my most anticipated reads for the past year after I read Song of Silver, Flame Like Night. It took me much longer than I wish it had for me to finally read this sequel even though I had the ARC sitting around for a while, but I wanted to take the time to revisit the first book before I got into this one.

There were things that this book did great, and what originally drew me to the series to begin with were well-executed, so I feel compelled to at least rate this a three. The themes from the first book of yin and yang, creation and destruction, power and balance were carried through spectacularly, and I loved how it concluded with the final battle. The expansion of this installment’s worldbuilding was also very strong, and the writing continued to be beautifully crafted.

Song Lian and Xan Temurezen as the main characters continued to be as amazing as they were in the first book. They were well-defined and evocative with amazing character arcs and growth. And their relationship continued to be such a highlight. I was looking forward to every single one of their interactions. Their ending was fitting, but it absolutely tore me apart.

At the same time, there were a lot of elements that fell short, and the story as a whole did suffer for it. Lan and Zen’s relationship arc started off strong with her anger at him, but they reunited as a couple and got married so quickly when it didn’t feel like they were quite there yet in their development. (I don’t think he even found out that by killing his shifu, he also killed her father?) The Elantians as antagonists also faded to the background for a while as a good part of the middle focused on introducing Hong’yi. The secondary character development also fell short, and I really wish we had gotten Dilaya’s perspective more often beyond the one chapter during the climax. I also can’t remember if we ever received answers about the demon face that Zen had been seeing.

Ultimately, the story ended up being rather rushed, and I think it would have benefitted from being a trilogy as opposed to a duology and properly developing the various antagonists while drawing out Lan and Zen’s relationship more. It was kind of a disappointment after I had loved the first book so much and I really don't know what happened, but I still really admire Amelie Wen Zhao’s writing in this. I often think I have outgrown YA fantasy as a genre but series like this still make me want to stick around.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White concludes Amelie Wen Zhao's Song of the Last Kingdom duology, which follows main characters Zen and Lan as they grapple with the demons in their world, and the demons in themselves.

Written in Amelie Wen Zhao's beautiful lyrical voice, Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White is a stunning conclusion to a story that swept me off my feet in book 1. It felt an overall fitting conclusion, deliciously tense but beautifully played out in the end. I definitely think that this is a new favorite duology of mine.

Following the events of book one we find Lan and Zen on different paths to the same goal: save their people from the Elantians. Unfortunately for our heroes this means separating and breaking their own hearts while attempting to do so. With Zen bound to the Black Tortoise and the Silver Dragon residing in Lan, will they be able to fulfill their mission or will they end up destroyed along with the entirety of their people?

This was an FANTASTIC conclusion to the first book! A world of magic and an epic journey to save the world? All with an Asian mythology and magical spin? This was beyond my wildest dreams and was sooo good!

Happy Wednesday y’all and happy 2024! I’m so excited about all of the things that 2024 has in store for us- especially all of the books! We’re starting 2024 off strong with my stop on the TBR and Beyond Tours tour for Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White. This is the second book in the Song of the Last Kingdom series, and is a perfect sequel to the first book! Thank you so much to TBR and Beyond Tours for having me as a part of this tour and I cannot wait for y’all to read this one since it came out on the 2nd!

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White 4/5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:

The epic sequel to the book Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, is a fast-paced, riveting YA fantasy inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.

Years ago, the Elantian colonizers invaded Lan’s homeland and killed her mother in their search to uncover the Last Kingdom’s greatest the location of its legendary four Demon Gods. Lan’s mother devoted her life to destroying the Demon Gods, and Lan is determined to finish her mission. Yet, there are others searching for the gods, too.

Zen knew his soul was forfeit the moment he made a deal with the Demon God known as the Black Tortoise, but he’s willing to lose himself if it means saving the Kingdom–and the girl–he loves. But to crush the colonizers who have invaded his land he needs more power than even a single Demon God can provide. He needs an army. And he knows exactly where he can find it–in the undead army his great grandfather lead decades ago.

The Elantians may have stolen their throne, but the battle for the Last Kingdom has only begun.

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White (man, that’s a long title, it’s going to be Dark from now on) was such a hefty book- so many things happened, so many people moved around, we saw so many battles, all four demon gods were in one place, and it was amazing. I really enjoyed how plot heavy the book was. There were some times where I felt as though the pacing was a little off, but that’s because I was so excited about all of the action that I didn’t want to read the lore, that admittedly is super important to understanding the action. Zen and Lan were so cute, as usual- I loved them as main characters. Having to battle morality and saving the world with being with the person you love is so hard, but they did it so well and sometimes when authors write characters like them, one comes off as whiny or childish, but I thought that both Zen and Lan were so well grounded. I also really liked how all of the secondary characters were written and how they reacted to everything going on around them. The addition of extra villains in this book made it even better. The last 20% of the book were probably my favorite part of both of the books in this series and the epilogue was both heart wrenching and amazing at the same time. I cannot wait for everyone to read this book! Grab it today! Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White is the sequel to Song of Silver, Flame Like Night completing Amélie Wen Zhao’s Song of the Last Kingdom duology.

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White is very much in keeping with its predecessor in that it’s full of rich world-building and character development. Zhao’s prose is comfortable and confident, allowing you to slip back into her intricately conceived world.

The story unfolds from the dual perspectives of Lan and Zen. These alternating chapters give a more expansive view of the story and provide readers with an up-close view of the characters’ — especially Zen — struggles.

It does take a while for Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White to get going — there’s a lot of catching up from before and setting up for later, but if you stick with it, you’ll be rewarded. It’s a strong fantasy that is full of complexities.

In Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White we continue the saga of Lan and Xen as they both try to go about their own way to save their land from the Elantians. For a while their paths will lead them in separate directions, but like two halves of a coin they're never really that far apart from each other.

If you enjoyed Zhao's prose in book one then you'll love it just as much in book two, and be charmed by the eastern metaphors and other quality of life touches (such as naming systems for buildings, weapons, etc).

This book will take you on an emotional journey where you're crying at first about how Lan and Xen split, but cheering for them in the latter half of the book, and then crying in a peaceful way at the end of it.

It's a good book, it's a good second half of a story, and I hope you love it the way I did.

With the foundation laid in the first book, "Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White" hits the ground running. I very much enjoyed Zen and Lian's intertwining journeys and the clash of their personal philosophies in a world under siege. Zhao expands upon her East Asian-inspired fantasy world and takes us on a delightful journey, all while balancing the character arcs of our two protagonists.

The moral questions of empire and colonialism were handled with greater nuance here than in her first trilogy, something I very much appreciate. Excited to see where Zhao goes next!

I really enjoyed this book. It's book 2 in the series and this series captivated me. I really like the different magic users/practitioners. The different journeys the two main characters go through not just the struggles of the outside world but their inner turmoil with the demon Gods that are latched to them. I definitely want to read more books from this author. The details she provides painted a detailed picture in my mind of what was happening in the story.

This was a great ending to the Song of the Last Kingdom duology. It was filled with tender moments, action, and mystical world lore. The storyline explores themes of power, balance and corruption as your learn of the dark history of this mythical kingdom through the exploration of the two main characters. The two characters are enemies trying to figure out how to overcome colonizer rule in their own way.

The reader will get to explore more of this mystical fantasy world that feels like a Chinese period drama as the characters journey across the country. I had such a hard time putting this book down as I felt like there was a lot happening and being uncovered.

I enjoyed learning more of the magic system in this world and how the same magic can be manipulated differently. The book had some good twists and turns but nothing too jaw dropping for me. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a new adult high fantasy series with magic.

I thought the story wrapped up well and in a satisfactory way but be prepared to go through the emotional wringer. If you enjoyed Daughter of the Moon Goddess or The Poppy War I think you’ll enjoy this one too!

Thank you to Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book for my honest review!

Writing a follow-up to an enticing and exciting fantasy debut is not easy. There are a plethora of other talented writers out there spinning fantastical stories with bigger, badder and more epic stakes making it hard to stand out. Amelie Wen Zhao meanwhile, continues to quietly carve out a unique slice of the fantasy pie with Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White the hotly anticipated follow-up to last year's Song Of Silver, Flame Like Night.

Zhao cleverly weaves a prologue and the opening chapters in such a way that if you've forgotten the main threads of the first book, you'll instantly be thrown back into the world like you never left. However, this is also a double-edged sword. If you've only just finished reading the first, or know the story well, the first quarter of this book is going to feel very sluggish and laborious. 

With the battle of Skies End over, the fate of the Kingdom hangs in the balance. Zen has chosen to embrace his Demon God, the Black Tortoise, and while his intentions may be good, his actions are anything but. Countless people have died at his hands and the Demon's influence is only growing.

Meanwhile, Lan is off in the desert with her ragged bang of survivors, with the only hope now being to find the mythical weapon capable of destroying the Demon Gods - the Godslayer.

Naturally, she's not the only one looking for this and the two other Demon Gods. The Elantian soldiers are hot on their heels and Lan finds herself quickly in over her head as both her and Zen's journeys bring them to the same city, Shaklahira. This is the former stronghold of the Imperial Court that vanished without a trace when the Elantians invaded. 

After a rather subdued and slow first half, the second act of this book whiplashes into action, with plenty of skirmishes, big battle with Gods, and the fate of the world ultimately decided by Lan and Zen. Will everyone make it out in one piece? Or will there be bitter, difficult sacrifices along the way in order to restore peace?

To give much more away would be a disservice to the story but suffice to say, this one does have a good ending. The story itself is arguably not as strong as the first though, with a lot of time dedicated to planning and trying to formulate a plot. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially after the big battle at the end of the first book, but it does feel a little laborious through a few chapters.

The focus this time shifts back and forth between Zen and Lan in alternate chapters, although Zen arguably has the stronger character arc here he also has the most laborious chapters. As the Black Tortoise's influence grows, he finds himself wrestling with his purpose and sanity. This does make for a fascinating read, but it also drags on a bit too much at times.

However, that's not a deal-breaker because the main plotline, and how it weaves the Four Demon Gods together, is ultimately the strongest point of the story. The climax in particular is spectacular and you really get a feel for the scope and scale of this fight - and how the world hangs in the balance.

The prose is good overall, the world fleshed out beautifully and the main story nicely wrapped up. It's a shame then that it takes so long to get going because there's actually a solid, enjoyable fantasy thriller in here. If you can get past the first half (which basically serves as a catch-up and set-up of sorts) then Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White delivers a rip-roaring conclusion to this fantasy epic.

7/10

Thank you NetGalley for an arc

Absolutely AMAZING! This series deserves so much hype. This was a beautiful conclusion to the story. I highly recommend it. It has an amazing flow from the ending of book one. I was once again hooked on the story since page one.