<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.

If you enjoyed The Book of Tea Duology, The Celestial Kingdom Duology, or Song of the Last Kingdom Series then this is an excellent addition to your reading list. A standalone novel, this book has a lot to take in. Personally, I felt overwhelmed by everything happeneing and would have been far happier with this book if it was split into two and gone into more detail about the vibrant Six Realms and the gorgeous imagary that should go with each. I wanted more of the characters, more the of the realms, and more of the magic held within the immortal realms. It all felt too short, too quick, and too much. However, having read other chinese mythology based fantasy, I was able to fill in the gaps with my imagination. I am not sure I would have rated this book as highly if I didn't have a fondness for chinese fantasy authors and their work, so I urge readers to keep that in mind when choosing this book. It is not my favorite book or series that touches on the celestial realm, but it is an excellent companion.

I absolutely adored Song of the Six Realms! Incredible world building, enthralling writing style, and a romance that is so incredibly beautiful. This book touched my soul and left its mark. I will absolutely read this over and over again.

A lush, gothic fantasy. I wish we got a little more about Xue's background before she wound up with her uncle, but really enjoyed the rest of the worldbuilding.

This book was absolutely beautiful. The writing style was different. At first, the writing reminded me a little of This Woven Kingdom; but it wasn't really like that at all. It was gentle, the words sprung from a memory, the details fuzzy but precious. They were the words of a heart and soul changed and strummed as the cords of the qín by its master.

Guxue and Jinglang were woven in a love that was quiet yet strong. The unfolding of the story was a veil slowly lifting.

This book, simply put, was a calming tonic to my soul. Perhaps it will be so for you as well.

Content: slaughtered horse, wild animals mauling people

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written, and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

Oh my goodness. This is perhaps my favorite book of the year thus far - utterly enchanting, engrossing, and emotional. I loved every second of this story, and took my time really reading it closely so I could linger in the world just a bit longer. The romance was slow and tragic and oh, how I hated to say goodbye to these characters! Read this book! Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy of this book!!! I had a lot of fun with this book. I wish I knew more of the back story behind the main character, but at the same time this would be a perfect standalone title. The power of music being a powerful communicator. If you want a quick lovely little read please pick up this book when it comes out.

This would be FANTASTIC as a C-Drama (yup, the kind with flying boys, magical bamboo forests and at least 60 episodes), but was way too overwhelming as a book.

✨ The world-building was this book's greatest strength, but also its greatest flaw. The author focused on this too much, highlighting details about all these Celestial beings, giving them uniaue stories and whatnot... just to have them be irrelevant to the actual story. A reason why it took me so long to read this was because I was telling myself that I needed to understand everything before moving on, only to be disappointed that I didn't actually need all that information. I appreciated it, though. Everything was definitely amazingly fleshed out for a standalone.

✨ I felt very detached from the characters. Don't get me wrong — they're not badly written by any means. Xue's both curious and courageous, which are both traits I love in a main character. I think the writing style just made it hard for me to really empathize with her. I also kind of found it hilarious how the male lead was always sick/knocked out and therefore absent??? 😭 (He’s a sweetheart, though.)

✨ I'm personally not into very flowery writing, but if you want vibes, this book will deliver. This book definitely had a very Ghibli feeling (it reminded me of Spirited Away, in particular) with the dark-but-magical energy and the insane food descriptions. I definitely felt like I was floating (I'm making wavy arm motions right now) while reading this.

✨ There was definitely a plot in there. Again, due to the aforementioned intense world-building, I didn't really feel like there was enough going on until maybe the last 30% of the book, but once we had some weapons out, I was satisfied with how things ended up playing out. I don't want to spoil the ending, but I was oddly okay with it. I feel like ending it any other way would have been wrong. (If you've read this, let me know what you thought of it!)

This is not a bad book by any means. I probably would’ve enjoyed it more if I was in a different headspace. Anyway, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something incredibly whimsical, adventourous, and hunger-inducing.

I need this book filtered into an I.V., constantly pumping in my veins, because I LIVED for this book. Such gorgeous prose and amazing world building made this a book I didn’t want to put down. In fact, I couldn’t put this one down, reading it in one long session. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know..

Song of the Six Realms is incredibly rich in mythology and folklore and is a gothic romance at its core. Truly a mysterious yet whimsical story about love, grief, and family. The writing was absolutely stunning and the worldbuilding was so done so well. I loved learning about the Celestial Realm. My only complaint is that this book is a standalone because I need a sequel. Seriously I want to stay in this world longer.

the worldbuilding in this was so good!! It took a bit to understand, but overall very easy to follow. Crazy interesting world to get lost in, can’t wait for a physical copy and to recommend it to others

I was a bit hesitant to try this book, since I didn't really enjoy Lin's previous book, A Magic Steeped in Poison. But I'm so glad I gave Song of the Six Realms a try, because I loved it! The romance was so sweet, the worldbuilding was excellent, and the entire book reminded me of a fairy tale. I loved the relationship between Xue and her uncle, as well. All of the side characters were developed so well, and I really liked the way the ending wrapped up. I'll definitely be picking up Lin's next book.

Song of the Six Realms is a beautiful tale inspired by Chinese mythology, culture, folk lore. It begins in the mortal realm with Xue, a talented musician, apprenticing with one of the bigger, more important entertainment houses. Her qin (and she) attracts the attention of a mysterious noble which leads her in the path of discovery, the truth of her beloved uncle’s death, who she is, and what it will take to stop an impending war. A lush world filled with the beauty and spectacular world with interesting and defined characters fill Judy I Lin’s latest tale.