
Member Reviews

Rating rounded from 3.5 stars.
A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang is a beautifully written novel inspired by the legend of Xishi. It is about the cost of war, the dangers of beauty, and what it takes to bring a nation -- and a king -- to it's knees.
I would be remiss if I didn't talk about just how much I enjoyed the writing of this novel. Ann Liang has a beautiful style, and the prose had me captivated from the very start. As someone who was unfamiliar with the legend of Xishi, I also found the story's premise quite intriguing. That being said, there are three main things that I did not like: the romance, the pacing, and the marketing.
For the marketing: This book was not in the least what I expected, because it was sold to me as a fantasy romance... which I do not agree with. It is not romantasy. It is historical fiction. Marketing this book as romantasy in any capacity is setting it up for failure -- especially in an age now where romantasy has been so clearly (re?)defined by series like ACOTAR and Fourth Wing. Again, this is a beautiful book, but it is a beautiful historical fiction novel.
That being said, the romance was a miss for me. Don't get me wrong, the longing is written so phenomenally, but I just... didn't care. Fanli is the main love interest, but he appears in like... 15% of the book? I'm not sure how I am supposed to develop an attachment for the connection between Fanli and Xishi when we don't even see much interaction between them.
Finally, I just felt that the pacing was off. I don't usually say this, but this book could have benefited from being longer. It felt like the ending was rushed, with most of the climactic events happening within the last 50 pages. I was left wanting more!
Overall, I did really enjoy the book. Ann Liang won me over with her writing style, and I look forward to reading more of her novels in the future.

4.75 stars A story about one of the Four Great Beauties of China caught my attention. If one is a fan of C Dramas A Song to Drown Rivers is going to make you very happy. As a fan myself, this read like a movie playing in one's head. You could see what was happening and understood what was going on even off-stage. The ending was tragically beautiful and I would recommend this to anyone who wants a bit of history and fantasy.

love this author so much, it was interesting that she took a full dive into fantasy but i think i just enjoy her magical realism more

I was surprised by how much I loved A Song to Drown Rivers Quietly. It was beautiful, delicate and brutal. There are indications that it will be bleak, but it still hits pretty hard.

Xishi is so pick-me I could cry, if I gave more than -5 shits about this book. Her ill health is mentioned at the beginning of the book, Violet Sorrengail-style, and then not again until the very end.
Fanli is supposed to be an emotionally repressed, but beautiful sadboi you're supposed to fall for, and obviously Xishi does, but he was so boring I just didn't care.
Xishi, uneducated country girl that washes raw silk for a living, can now describe poetry. Can we collectively vomit?
"Wisps of clouds moving over a full moon. The silence of solitude. An empty room, dust motes floating in a slant of pale sunlight. Regret for something you cannot take back. Happiness for somebody you cannot have."
Even more unbelievable than all that, we're supposed to believe that in ten weeks, Xishi, yes, that same uneducated country girl, can be trained enough to become a rival king's prized concubine, and use her wiles to seduce him and dismantle his country from the inside out.
The evil king everyone keeps complaining about seems less evil and just sad. Fuchai amuses in a way that Fanli never could. I'm not one for love triangles, but this could've made things interesting. Things remain uninteresting.
Then there's a time skip. Those always go well. We're supposed to believe that in all this time, Fuchai's obsession with Xishi grows, even as she never sleeps with him. Truly, have you met a man? How long do you think he could possibly last?
I'm diverging, as I nearly always do. I'm not a doctor, and my soy allergy may make me biased, but please explain this? It doesn't seem sanitary?
I tipped a few drops of soy sauce onto his wound and rubbed it in, then bandaged it up carefully.
Well, since we're diverging. This made me laugh. Most Americans will keep this dog and ruin entire relationships over it. r/TalesFromTheDogHouse
"And no owner will keep a dog that tries to bite them, time and time again."
+1 for Fuchai, the only interesting character in this book
+1 for nobody having jade green eyes
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press

First off, I was sent this book from NetGalley and publishers.
I normally get sent romance fantasy, and while I read the synopsis I was not prepared wholly for what I got into when reading this. I have been utterly heartbroken.
I have not had a book wrench my stomach like this.. in a long time.
This is a romantic tragedy to the fullest extent, NOT a romantasy. It had me questioning who was right? Who was wrong? Is all of this necessary? Is this truly for the greater cause?
I was a jumble of emotions, and cried on three separate occasions, from MY BELLY. SOBBING.
There’s intense pining/longing, vivid imagery, and poetic prose.
It reads on the slower side, so I can see some people getting bored if they’re not into the slower poetic prose.
As the reader, I could have never guessed the ending.
My review will not do this book justice, it was truly beautiful and heart wrenching.
Thank you, NetGalley and publisher for sending me this e-arc. As always, all opinions are my own.

"A Song to Drown Rivers" was an interesting and enjoyable story. Xishi makes a great protagonist. She is a woman of uncommon beauty, but she is also humble about her beauty. She does not take advantage of her beauty to make her life easier or to avoid unpleasant tasks. When presented with the opportunity to use her beauty as a weapon to help the Yue Kingdom take revenge on the Wu Kingdom, whose recent invasion had brought devastation on the Yue Kingdom, with the deaths of many innocents, including Xishi's young sister, Xishi is reluctant, not believing herself up to the task -- which involves becomes the concubine and possibly bride of King Fuchai of the Wu Kingdom. However, she also feels an obligation to take on this role. Xishi will undergo extensive training for the role. When she finally takes her place in King Fuchai's palace, she finds her mission both easier and harder than expected. The king's top advisers are wary of her, and it takes a while for Xishi to gain King Fuchai's attention and trust; she cannot seem too eager or succumb to his advances too easily or he will grow bored of her, but she cannot delay so long that she loses his interest that way either. In many ways, King Fuchai is the tyrant that Xishi expected. But Xishi is able to connect with him in a way that shows a hidden gentleness and almost child-like innocence to him. This will complicate the task of betraying him. In the end, Xishi's beauty will prove to be both a great asset and a great curse.

I thought this story was beautifully told, but I can't lie; the ending ruined it for me. I won't spoil anything, but after everything *someone* went through, why did that have to happen? Devastating. I had to deduct a star for that alone. I read too many happy ever afters to endure that. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC. I was drawn to the description of this book and wanted very much to love it. The story had so much potential but I don’t feel it fully delivered. I wanted more of Xishi and Fanli - I could appreciate the longing and pining but felt like they didn’t get enough page time together. Many things were easily skipped over - Xishi’s initial training, year long timeline jumps later on in the story, what exactly was she doing while waiting for a palace to be built? I am also still confused about the extent of Xishi and Fuchai’s relationship despite finishing the story. While I appreciate that the author was trying to portray a softer side to Fuchai, we are left with a limited picture of his brutality and why exactly he should be hated. Overall, I would rate it 3/5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. This book had a lot of potential! I loved the writing and the characters. The intrigue of the story was so good and I loved it. Xishi is a great main character and she grows a lot throughout the story. Unfortunately the romance in the end fell very flat for me. I didn’t really feel chemistry? Like there was more chemistry between her and the king than her and the main love interest which I was confused by. The pacing was a bit off and everything at the end happened very fast. The ending was….. well read it for yourself to find out. I always try and keep spoiler free reviews. I’m just sad this didn’t live up to my expectations ☹️ Now I will continue to read all of Ann Liang’s books because I love her and this time it’s real is adorable.

A Song to Drown Rivers was a tragic tale inspired by the Chinese legend of Xishi which had me somber, yet satisfied by the end of the story.
Xishi (pronounced closer to “shisur”) is known for her striking beauty, but doesn’t feel adequate for much besides making silk or being married to a man she doesn’t like, neither she wishes to do. She also carries pain from her illness and losing her younger sister years earlier. When she crosses paths with a military advisor, everything changes as she’s pulled into a dangerous mission to change the tide of the war. I did appreciate that Xishi used her smarts in order to get things done, as she was not the most physically fit. It was a breath of fresh air in a sense. People do underestimate her, but she gets it done, though she doesn’t have her doubts, so she’s not invincible, no, far from it. Yet in the midst of all of this, she dwells on the consequences of her acts. A well developed character in my eyes.
I also loved our secondary characters. Zhengdan, Xishi’s childhood friend and companion, was probably my favorite for her fierce attitude toward everything and not liking society’s restrictions. Nearly all of our characters, even the antagonists, are compelling, fleshed out with their own motivations. While there was a love triangle, it was done in a way that didn’t bother me, and loved how it was resolved.
The description of the lands was amazing and immersive, and I felt like I was right in the middle of each location. Also, while this is a fantasy, there’s not too much magical aspects until much later. This prose was lyrical, emotional, and breath taking throughout, and not overdone, as it transported me to this war-torn land inspired by ancient China.
The themes are probably what makes this the most tragic. it deconstructs war into it’s more horrible consequences, examines world leaders’ nobility, and womanhood as well as gender roles are explored. Sacrifice is also common throughout. Each are elaborated with care as the story continues. I have to say, the final chapters were emotionally gutting to me.
Check this one out if you don’t mind a beautiful tragedy to your Chinese-inspired fantasy tales.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.
Book Review:
I recently finished “A Song to Drown Rivers” by Ann Liang, and it was a delightful read! The plot is intriguing and kept me engaged throughout. The characters are well-crafted and relatable, making it easy to get invested in their stories. Ann Liang’s writing style is smooth and captivating, which made the book hard to put down. There were a few slow moments, but overall, it was a very enjoyable experience. If you’re looking for a fresh and unique story, this book is definitely worth picking up!
Audiobook Review:
I listened to the audiobook version in tandem, and it was a great experience! The narrator did an excellent job bringing the characters to life with distinct voices and emotions. It added an extra layer of immersion to the story. The pacing was just right, making it easy to follow along. There were a couple of instances where the narration felt a bit rushed, but it didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment. If you enjoy audiobooks, this one is definitely worth a listen!
4 stars
#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #macmillianaudio #ltbreaderteam #asongtodrownrivers #annliang #smpinfluencers

**Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC. This in no way changed my rating**
I really liked the narrator on the audiobook and I think Liang's writing is very atmospheric. This is the first of her books I've read and I'd be willing to try another one. Overall, I think the ending was unsatisfying and I think people should go in expecting this to be a book full of political machinations more so than Xishi doing a bunch of things inside the palace. I liked the characters, especially Zhengdan. The smaller characters shine as much as the main characters. I also think Liang did a nice job of highlighting that "hero" and "monster" can be interchangeable depending on who is doing the describing. Overall, it's a book I could see recommending to a specific person, but it's not a new favorite for me.
3.5 rounded up to a 4 for GR.

(2.5 stars)
I am one of an apparent minority on this book since it’s been chosen as a Good Morning America Book Club Pick, an Indie Next pick and a LibraryReads pick for October 2024. But it just did nothing for me.
The story is based on a Chinese legend about Xishi, a famous beauty from centuries ago. This should be promoted as historical fiction, but seems to be marketed as fantasy. The only fantastical element came at the very end and it was pretty small, not impacting the rest of the tale at all. It also felt very YA to me.
There were a lot of descriptions of flowers and scenery but I never got the feel of really being in ancient China. The characters were pretty stereotypical and flat. I didn’t find it believable that a country bumpkin, no matter how pretty, could be trained to be a super spy concubine in a matter of ten weeks. (We only read about her learning to play an instrument and learning to school her facial expressions.) The love interest was barely there. There was very little court intrigue explained on the page and that could’ve made the story more interesting. Xishi has some sort of heart problem that is never explained and never becomes important to the plot, so why include it? I could go on.
Although I bounced between the ebook and the audiobook, I mostly listened to the audiobook and that was an excellent choice. Natalie Naudus did a beautiful job with the voices and (I assume) the Chinese pronunciations. Because I was so bored, I did speed it up a lot, though.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity listen to a review copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Despite its promising premise of espionage and romance inspired by the legend of Xishi, it felt like it fell a little short of delivering the emotional impact its epic historical fantasy setting suggests. While there was a lot of potential, the plot moves at a languid pace that undermines the stakes of its spy narrative. Perhaps this author is not my style.

Completely captivating! Xishi's story tugged on my emotions in so many ways. Ann Liang's writing is gorgeous, and I was completely enthralled by the story.
I wasn't familiar with the story of Xishi before this, but this was an absolutely beautiful retelling.
I can see myself rereading this over and over just to enjoy the beautiful story.

I am not sure there is anything wrong with the story itself. Maybe it was my expectations but this book felt extremely YA and I have yet to find a retelling I enjoy. If you enjoy a YA vibe and retelling this may be a perfect book for you.

This didn’t live up to its hype as I hoped it would. I was looking forward to story brimming with romance and fantasy centering around Chinese mythology but there was none to be found. There was zero fantasy elements and for the protagonist being a lover/concubine, there were barely any scenes that displayed love.

A Song to Drown Rivers is a story of sacrifice, war, a woman’s power and love.
At the center of the story is Xishi, a beauty so unparalleled that her looks alone can change the fate of country. But Xishi is more than just a pretty face. She’s smart and cunning and driven. Xishi knows the power of love and loss and harnesses that to achieve her goal. There’s a lot of morally grey stuff here, but Xishi remains a sympathetic character.
Author Ann Liang perfectly paints her picture, giving readers an emotional hook even before introducing her well-realized world. You care about Xishi almost from the first page, and eagerly anticipate her path.
A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic romantasy contained in a stand alone novel. Liang’s pacing is strong and her story even better. And unlike many novels written in this genre, it’s less about sexual encounters and more about the characters. It could easily be classified as a slow-burn read.

Wow. Absolutely stunning and heart shattering.
The character development and the world building.. *chefs kiss*
I was not familiar with the legend of Xishi or the Four Beauties of Ancient China before reading this. Now I have completely gone down the rabbit hole of reading more about these legends.