I enjoyed this Chinese-inspired fantasy. The plot moved along at a good pace, and it wasn't a super-challenging read. I liked the romance aspect, and it was nice to read a standalone fantasy for once! Good for fans of Strike the Zither or someone who is interested in Fourth Wing but maybe with less explicit content.

I really enjoyed Lin's debut novel so I was interested in seeing what her next project was going to be. I was pleasantly surprised to find a standalone to be the next fantasy that she released as I often wish that there were more standalone novels. However, this could have used a sequel. There was a lot going on in terms of world-building that really hampered both the plot development and the character relationships. If you're an all the vibes reader, you may still enjoy this, but I am primarily a character first reader and if the characters don't have enough time to develop, I don't get attached. If I don't get attached, I question why I am reading it in the first place. I enjoyed Xue, but I wanted more from her relationships with the other characters. I should have been bawling my eyes out by the end of this and I just wasn't.

I don't want to sound like there wasn't anything that I didn't enjoy from this. I enjoyed the food descriptions. They actually made me a little sad because I knew that I wouldn't be finding any Chinese food as good as the food I had in China while reading this. I also enjoyed the parts talking about poetry and music. I actually started to learn how to play the qin while I was living in Hangzhou and I wish now that I had had a better work/life balance that allowed me to do more with that at the time. Also, the cover is gorgeous. Beautiful. I want to buy a copy to put on my shelf just to look at it. I do it occasionally with her first two novels so...

Overall, I would recommend this for fans of her first two books, readers who enjoy slower moving books with an almost dreamlike quality, books with a mystery element, and fans of C-dramas.

Song of the Six Realms is beautifully written with deep threads of Chinese mythology. The world Judy Lin has set is amazingly well developed for a standalone novel, and I will be holding out hope for companion books set in the same world.

We readers get everything I love in Chinese-inspired fantasy: mortals, celestials, and demons, magic in a number of different forms, betrayal and sacrifice, and nods to mythology. I loved it!

I would label this as strictly fantasy, not romantasy, as the romance elements were scarce. For my personal reading tastes, that’s not a bad thing, but if you’re looking for strong romance in your fantasy, this is not it for you.

The last thing I need to point out is that the cover is absolutely stunning. I can’t wait to have this on my shelf.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eArc of this title to read.

Song of the Six Realms was a lovely story that combines music, magic, and the politics of the gods. Xue was easy to root for as she tried to make her way in a world that wouldn't look out for her.

I'd like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a turn at this book.

This cover is gorgeous. It has a mysterious edge, along with a 'dreamy' / 'romantic' look. For me, I was pulled in by the 'gothic' angle, which is a bit of a new thing for Chinese fantasy or fiction (but I welcome it with open arms). Giving me Rebecca vibes, along with shades of some of my favorite fantasies as of late - Can Lan Jue and Legend of Shen Li.

Finishing the book, I feel sad that I didn't enjoy it that much. The fault, I think was that there wasn't any real 'depth' to the characters. It started off awfully strong, but by the time she was taken away to the Duke's house, I could picture nothing anymore. I felt as - yay, this is the time to get to know the both of them, watch him romance her, they fight? they have sexual tension? something from her past clashes with his hidden secrets... something!

Unfortunately there was none of that. They never really announced their feelings for one another. Not a sliver of actual 'romance'.

The plot was the strongest bit, but the way that the use of the quin and the Duke and his family were involved felt underdeveloped and squashed to the halfway mark.

The author is good at coming up with interesting plots. I just seem to never really feel like the characters come off the page as their own selves, just shadows or outlines that seem to move through the story.

I really enjoyed Xue's journey as she is swept into the world of the Duke of Dreams in hopes to figure out the mystery of who killed her uncle and the Duke's mentor. The world building was excellent with the different realms and the mixture of gods and magical beings. The only thing I did not like was the ending and I hope there will be a sequel. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

I enjoyed the book very much it feels more classic in prose style than modern. It's definitely the sort to appeal to softer fantasies like Howl or classic children's voices. I would say it's a lot like Elizabeth Lim in prose style. Both of these authors lean into a more omniscient, less voicey pov.

The journey for the main character is well done. I loved the story overall, if you're a fan of Chinese fantasy in other mediums the world building will be easy to slip into. I like that not everything is left tidy. It's very much a slice into one characters life in this world. Would recommend!

A beautiful Chinese mythology inspired story. Revolving around the qin musician. It has heart, mystery, challenges, and a sweet love story.

Although this was a slow book, the premise was strong, and I enjoyed the weaving together of mythology, music, and our story. Our main character wasn’t incredibly compelling, and could have used some more development (as a character), and some more personality. The mythology was fascinating, and I was excited to see where the book would take me, but I felt like it fell a bit apart near the end. The last conflict was rushed, came from out of nowhere and was poorly explained. The plot device of all of these mysteries being revealed during her time in the tower felt almost lazy, especially when coupled with how rushed the last few scenes were. I felt like I had no idea what was happening towards the end. Overall, I liked the book, but felt like it could have used more care in shaping the conclusion. This was compelling, but Lin’s original duology was much stronger.

Um 3.5 stars? Maybe?

I'm not even sure how to write a review for this. I'll try some bullet points and see if that works.

What I liked;
Descriptions of the music, the food, and the poetry and songs
The house that Xue is taken to
The vibes were great; mysterious, yet beautiful, tinged with longing

What was just ok:
I figured out several of the twists or reveals early on
I liked the potential of the romance, but I don't feel like it was developed enough

What I wanted to be better:
I just didn't feel an emotional connection to the characters. My heart should have been in my throat and I should have been crying at the end. But I wasn't
The ending. Look, I want a more definitive ending than what we got. What we get is potentially hopeful? But I wanted more

Overall, I think I just unfortunately felt kind of cold about this book. The cover is so beautiful, and I think it had potential. There was a big ol' mess of things going on at the end, and yet none had a real emotional resonance.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

Xue, a gifted young musician with a mysterious past, is taken in by her uncle after being orphaned. He arranges an apprenticeship for her at one of the kingdom’s best entertainment houses, the House of Flowing Water. Her uncle’s tragic death leaves her with no familial ties, facing a lifetime of servitude. When she’s unexpectedly summoned by a Duke, she receives a tempting offer: a year of musical service in exchange for freedom from her indenture. As she delves into the Duke’s world, she discovers he is the Duke of Dreams, a divine ruler of the Celestial Realm. Now, with the Six Realms in peril, Xue must unlock her forgotten memories to avert an impending war, all while becoming a target of every monster in the realm.

The world-building, magic system, characters, and romance were everything I needed—a dreamy gothic romance that kept me on my toes with every page. Jinglang and Xue’s relationship was so tender, filled with respect and love, and it had me kicking my feet and giggling for them. This story exceeded my expectations, and I sincerely hope we get to see more of this world in another book because I absolutely adored it. And yes, I sobbed at the ending.

Song of the Six Realms is a beautiful story that had everything I wanted in romantic fantasy. Judy I. Lin crafted a breathtaking narrative with amazing writing, this has become one of my favorite books!

“I care for you and I am afraid” 🧎🏻‍♀️Biggest thanks to netgalley and macmillan for this eARC, so grateful.

My Thoughts:

I think there is a whole club of Asian American female authors, like Judy I. Lin, Xiran Jay Zhao, Joan He and Elizabeth Lim, who are able to tap into the mythology and classic stories of their culture to then create YA fantasy/romance/adventure stories with strong female protagonists. This book is definitely another book to add to that girl power book club. Following Lin’s successful duology, A Magic Steeped in Poison and A Venom Dark and Sweet about young tea maker Ning, we are introduced to another artisan, Xue who is a musical prodigy of the qin. Although she is orphaned and her family name has been stricken from the books, she is well cared for by her uncle who makes sure she continues her playing. She is accepted into an entertainment house where she meets a mysterious patron who takes her back to his estate. She goes through trials, disappointments, mysteries, demonic attacks, jealousy, distrust. . .all the hurdles and nail biting for a true heroine. In addition, there is her patron/duke who seems like he needs to be saved by Xue. His weakness and his timing for saving her and then overexerting himself into illness is kind of charming. He is very different from the usual strong hero of the western tropes. It is refreshing and perhaps a trope for the Asian American fantasy books?

Finally, what makes this stand out is that there are so many mysteries that are left open and weaving through this standalone novel. I’m not sure all the questions were answered. I will need to read this again.

From the Publisher:

Xue, a talented young musician, has no past and probably no future. Orphaned at a young age, her kindly poet uncle took her in and arranged for an apprenticeship at one of the most esteemed entertainment houses in the kingdom. She doesn’t remember much from before entering the House of Flowing Water, and when her uncle is suddenly killed in a bandit attack, she is devastated to lose her last connection to a life outside of her indenture contract.

With no family and no patron, Xue is facing the possibility of a lifetime of servitude playing the qin for nobles that praise her talent with one breath and sneer at her lowly social status with the next. Then one night she is unexpectedly called to the garden to put on a private performance for the enigmatic Duke Meng. For a young man of nobility, he is strangely kind and awkward, and surprises Xue further with an irresistible offer: serve as a musician in residence at his manor for one year, and he’ll set her free of her indenture.

But the Duke’s motives become increasingly more suspect when he and Xue barely survive an attack by a nightmarish monster, and when he whisks her away to his estate, she discovers he’s not just some country noble: He’s the Duke of Dreams, one of the divine rulers of the Celestial Realm. There she learns the Six Realms are on the brink of disaster, and incursions by demonic beasts are growing more frequent.

The Duke needs Xue’s help to unlock memories from her past that could hold the answers to how to stop the impending war… but first Xue will need to survive being the target of every monster and deity in the Six Realms.

Publication Information:

Author: Judy I. Lin

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends (April 23, 2024)

Print length: 400 pages

<i>First, a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.</i>

I saw another review on here that basically said the vibes were great, the execution… a bit lacking.

I have to say, I really agree with that. I had a very hard time connecting with and caring about literally all the characters in this book; I feel like maybe this was on purpose to better reflect traditional folklore about the gods and how they are talked about? But it just made it hard for me to really get “into” this book.

I definitely preferred [book:A Magic Steeped in Poison|56978089] and [book:A Venom Dark and Sweet|48506393], so I had high hopes for this book… And while it was <i>interesting</i>, sure, I leave this book not feeling strongly one way or the other.

The cover art is simply stunning, though!

Magical, romantic, and musical. The world is rich and striking, filled with mysteries.

[NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, my NetGalley feedback is not a blurb or endorsement. If a publisher wishes to use any part of my comments for promotional purposes, please contact me or my agent via email. I would prefer not to include star ratings but NetGalley won't let me post without one, so all will be 5 stars.]

I watch a lot of Wuxia and C-Drama, so the mythology and pantheon were very familiar and was easy for me to recognize and follow. Love Between Fairy and Devil felt like it was represented as part of the lore in this story, but also same vibes overall.

I'm a total sucker for gothics, this checked all my boxes. Tragedy, heartbreak, hope, reclamation, empowerment, and a soft close with loose ends tied to hope.

Xue is believably capable and heartening, Jinglang is not the typical brooding gothic interest (refreshing!), side characters are wonderfully complex albeit a little transparent at times, queerness is normalized and not shunned or forbidden, the magic is ethereal, the mystery and intrigue are multifaceted.

I was so excited to read this, and was not disappointed!

Thank you Netgalley for approving me for an ARC in return for an honest review!

I was excited to receive this ARC as I thoroughly enjoyed Judy Lin's Magic Steeped in Poison series. Her world building and character building are always so beautiful. The same is true for Song of the Six Realms. This is a strong fantasy story, aided by the list of realms and gods at the very start. The story follows a mortal girl Xue, who excels in her musicianship. Having no real family, she is freed from a contract at an entertainment house by a young Duke who lives far away at a manor and asked to live with him to complete a task. To describe what happens in the second half of the book would be to give spoilers, but the world building is very strong as are the elements of music, folklore, and fantasy. There are some action scenes as well as mythical creatures and other storytelling. I did find the book paced a little off and at times the characters were hard to follow, so I had to keep relying on the list at the start of the book. I imagine the book may be hard to follow for some teen readers, but fantasy readers should enjoy it. Many thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for the arc.

I DNFed this book at 50% and am absolutely distraught. To be clear, this is no shade to Judy I. Lin - I love her writing style. It just felt so slow and for a YA fantasy (or really any fantasy book), I'd want to see some action by then! I think this would be great for someone more interested in historical fiction or who's okay with slower pacing.

It took a while for me to get into the book, but I did enjoy the world building. The descriptions were lush and rich, and it helped bring the images to my mind. Definitely a book with promise, and this will be a happy addition to the collection.

This book just wasn’t for me. I really loved the beginning and the worldbuilding, but once the main characters traveled to the other realm, I just didn’t really like where the story went. The book is marketed as gothic but it never felt very creepy/gothic to me. Overall I really like this author’s writing and I loved her first book, so I’m definitely willing to give her another try in the future.

An elegant, musical fantasy that is as melodic as the qin the main character plays. This is a gorgeously intricate fantasy with quite a bit of world-building and some truly vibrant storytelling.

I really loved the main character; she was soft and nervous and though very little of herself, but still didn't back down when necessary, and she grew throughout the story into someone who was able to acknowledge her own worth. Some may feel the narrative is a bit slow and ponderous, but I found it really relaxing. There was a lot of narrative and explanation, but it was in such a way that it really did feel like I was being told a grand epic around a campfire or from the stage of an entertainment house like the one Xue is from, perhaps accompanied by the strumming of an instrument. I highly recommend looking up a playlist of guqin music to listen to this story with, as it really elevates the whole experience.

The romance is also quite soft and gentle, which I admit I'm a big fan of romantic subplots where the characters are generally predisposed to each other from the beginning, and it's the plot rather than their personalities that keep them from coming together right away. I don't know if there is a sequel planned for this one; it feels like it could be a duology or a standalone quite easily. Either way, I feel satisfied, and if there's more story later, I'll be glad to read it, but if there isn't, I think I still got a pretty good deal with this one.