A quick, easy read, this one wasn't anything memorable for me. I enjoyed the music elements and the mythology interspersed throughout. The world building was lackluster, the characters weren't very engaging, and the plot didn't really seem to pick up until about 70% in.

All that said, I did enjoy the story itself and would've really been enamored if it had just dove into the action a bit sooner.

Overall: 3 stars (I liked it)

I'll tell my students about: LGBT+, parental death, violence/gore, supernatural, trauma,

**Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for the gifted ARC!

Xue is a talented musician left with no family and no patron when Duke Meng steps in with an offer for her to serve as a musician in his manor for a year and receive freedom after. An irresistable offer, Xue accepts, but starts to question Duke Meng's motives when nightmarish creatures come to play and they head to the Celestial Realm.

I am an absolute SUCKER for music magic and dreamwalking and SONG OF THE SIX REALMS delivered on both of those fronts. Xue has a tragic backstory, but her prolifity for playing the qín puts her on a trajectory toward hope and independence. I loved the dynamic Xue and Duke Meng, and the simple world-building of the realms and power structure. The lyrical and descriptive writing pulled me right in, and I absolutely loved reading it!

When I first started to read this book, I thought it was just going to be a type of Beauty and the Beast retelling, but it quickly became evident that this story was so much more than that. I was immersed in this world and it's characters. The imagery was vivid and at times I felt I could see how the author imagined it to be, and could hear the music being played. I loved this author's first duology, and I'm so happy to report that this one is just as good!

This book was so good! With the way it ended, I am hoping for a sequel 🤞🏼🤞🏼

Here was a twist and the climax battle was a unique way to have a battle of the Six Realms, as well as the transformations of the ravagers and other beings. This was a fun world to be in. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I wanted to give this book a try after reading the author’s debut duology. It was good and I like how she weaves mythology.

The book is told from Xue’s perspective. I was very intrigued by her story from the beginning. She lost everything, including her last family member, and still didn’t let that get her down. She is a great musician and loves poetry. I enjoy reading stories with these present. It’s very different than the usual.

The problem with this story for me was that it started to drag eventually. It didn’t hold my attention because there wasn’t much going on. There would be bits here and there but nothing to grasp and hold onto. I just needed something more from the plot, especially with the romance.

Although I did enjoy the mythology and the overall idea of the story, the execution just missed the mark for me.

I really enjoyed this. Such a lush world, and Judy I. Lin's writing is beautiful (as always). I thought the characters were compelling and engaging, and I can't wait to add this to my classroom library.

I'm a sucker for Asian-inspired fantasy, and I absolutely enjoyed this one. It was easy to follow, the descriptions of the world (and FOOD!) were amazing! It was fast-paced for the most part, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story line.

Xue is an outcast, an orphan whose parents lost their rights to citizenship, in a society where such a loss is inherited by children. Adopted by her uncle, who recognized her musical talent and found her an apprenticeship in the House of Flowing Water, a facility dedicated to training performers. As a societal outcast, with a contract to the House for her training and upkeep, Xue has little to look forward to other than a life in the House she has come to love - until one day, a scholar, possibly the son of a noble line, appears at the House of Flowing Water and offers her an option: perform at his house for three years, and he’ll pay off her indenture. But all is not as it seems, and the scholar’s house is not what Xue expects.

Based on Chinese mythology, Song of Sic Realms is a complex fantasy full of intrigue and mystery. Xue finds herself at the center of a conflict that she may be able to help end, but it could also lead to war. Hopefully, there will be a sequel, because a plot twist at the end of this volume left it feeling unfinished. Recommended for readers ages middle school to adult.

I voluntarily read and reviewed and advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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