Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of "A Song to Drown River" by Ann Liang. This novel has a release date of October 1, 2024. I have never heard of the legend of Xishi, but I learned enough in this beautiful, tragic novel based on Asian mythology. Xishi was a beauty from the village of Yue, who Fanli trained to use her beauty as a weapon. Xishi's task was to make Fancai, presented as immoral the King of Wue, fall in love with her while gathering intel for the Yue kingdom. The writing is beautiful, and the characters are well-fleshed out. I enjoyed the intricate and intriguing relationships Xishi had with Zhengdan, Fanchai, the concubine, the ambassadors of Wue, the king of Yue, and especially Fanli. You could sense the love and respect between them.

"A Song to Drown Rivers" is a saga of intrigue, revenge, deception, heartbreak, wisdom, treachery, betrayal, and, most of all, love and loyalty. The powerful conclusion took me by surprise—wow!! Ann Liang has written an engaging narrative that draws the reader into Xishi's transformative journey from the village of Yue to the Kingdom of Wue. I highly recommend this beautiful, lyrical, and haunting novel.


4.5/5 stars

There is beauty within sacrifice. Xishu's life is wrought with danger, but that doesn't stop her from saving a little girl's life at the riverbank. This act doesn't go unnoticed, and it sets Xishu on a path where beauty is her weapon and revenge is the goal. She is accompanied by a dear friend into enemy territory where she hopes her skills will be enough to bring down an empire. Through first love, sacrifice, loss, and betrayal, Xishu has to decide if this path is ultimately worth the cost. The author did her job if the ending punches you in the gut.

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang was an absolutely stunning.
A beautifully written historical fiction story about revenge, war, power and betrayal.
These characters were absolutely extraordinary. They were well-developed and intriguing.
This is one book I’m going to scream about!
It had me in tears by the time I was done!

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel.

This story is about a love that transcends in many ways, but it is not a traditional historical romance. Xishi is a stunning beauty in an impoverished warstruck nation. Conquered, subjugated and terrorized by the powerful Wu kingdom, the people of neighbouring Yue struggle. Their subjugated king, Goujian, can do little more than appease the ruthless Wu king, Fuchai, known for the fierce punishment he metes out to all he believes to have faltered in the worship he demands. This includes even the members of his opulent household, from lowly servants and concubines to his highest ranked advisors. He is fickle, impulsive, quick-tempered and brutal. He has no interest in the Yue aside from what Wu exploitation can provide.

Ann Liang writes in a spare yet evocative style, herself transcending the borders of a short novel by drawing on Chinese myth, legend and tradition, as she learned from her parents and grandparents in childhood. Her story does not focus on the enmity between the kings. Goujian is an important catalyst, but he is mostly off-stage. The real drama centres on the relationship between the peasant girl Xishie and his highest strategic advisor and closest friend, the handsome, brilliant and austere warrior Fanli. When Fanli devises a plan to send the fiefdom’s most beautiful woman as a gift to Fuchai, he personally overseas her transformation into a enticing concubine who uses her every skill to win over the king. What ensues are events both hoped for and unexpected. Xishi has been warned since earliest childhood that great beauty brings power but also danger. In the Wu court, she finds both in extraordinary measure. Despite a fine ending, I really wanted the tale to continue.

── "...if for some reason, I cannot see you again, then I shall suffer either way.”

we love a man who is desperate for the woman he desires ! ann liang’s brain is a beautiful, magical place. the romance she writes always hits for me, and xishi and fanli were no different. liang has such a dreamy style of writing. she manages to articulate words in a way that makes them feel like they r so full of life. u can tell that she genuinely has a lot of love and care for the stories, characters, and relationships she creates.

i LOVED xishi and fanli. the tension btw these two throughout the book was so scrumptious omg. i was going insane over their scenes.

₊˚.༄ in conclusion, a song to drown rivers was such a great read! it is definitely not my favorite ann liang book, but it is an enjoyable historical fiction romance fantasy. i highly recommend!

my goodreads review ! : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6229333490?book_show_action=false

Back on the Ann Liang book train, all aboard!

A Song To Drown Rivers is a book that fits into a few genres: Historical, romance, and mythology.
It is full of suspense and lyrical descriptions that left me highlighting multiple times a page.

This story follows Xishi in ancient China who is known for being an extraordinary beauty in her hometown. She gets plucked from her life to be a spy, specially trained to seduce the enemy King and distract him as her country plans to invade.

I was apprehensive about starting a book set in a time and land that I had no prior knowledge about but Ann Liang made it an enjoyable experience.

I fell into the story as easily as one may fall into a river: immediately immersed and engaged.

The way Liang writes is so beautifully poetic that I have to take a breath sometimes to pause and fully take in the vibrant world she wove together.
May it be joyous and full of celebration in the small comforts of life, delectable imagery of mouth watering dishes and desserts, or a painful tapestry of all the horror of war, painted red with the blood of pawns flicked over the board by ruthless kings.

She crafted memorable characters.

Xishi, grounded and passionate, yet dutiful.

Zhengdan, strong and a great friend.

Fanli, beautiful and self-controlled (my favorite character).

Fuchai, bright and vibrant, yet lonely.

And even Wu Zixu! Dedication and loyalty all the way.

There’s room for improvement, sure. The middle felt like it needed something more but I still flipped through pages in the middle of the night, heart pumping, sweating, praying that Xishi will make it out alive.

Ending thoughts… Definitely read the book. I think it’s great.
The book is worth it for the descriptions and Fanli alone, but you’ll stay for so much more.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this gorgeous book. What an honor!

I am not familiar with the source material for "A Song to Drown Rivers", which probably contributed to my enjoyment as it didn't feel over done. But it was significantly hindered by Xishi's lack of personality and the 2000s era YA feeling of her introduction, which focused on such superficial troubles it failed to properly set stakes. In addition to this the writing itself was not engaging and lacked complexity, which makes it feel like this book would be more suited to a YA market and may have been mis-marketed as adult.

This story is so beautiful and well written. It has a depth of emotion that is heartbreaking and hopeful. The characters are complex and interesting. I would recommend this book.

I wasn’t familiar with the legend of Xishi before and I wish I still wasn’t so I could’ve saved myself a lot of tears. I feel personally obligated to rate any book that made me cry this much 5 stars; however, I do believe that there are a few elements to this story that should have been further developed:

Xishi’s heart pain– happens at significant times (and eases when Fanli is near), but we never really know why, nor does it reach any sort of culmination.
The red string of fate bracelets– never reappear for some reason. This is a Chekov’s gun situation for sure, because how do these characters really give each other a fate bracelet and then never wear them or bring them out again??
What happens at Fuchai’s palace– almost right after Xishi arrives, we skip forward a whole year. Like…is she okay? Is the plan working? Has the king done anything to her? I definitely would have liked to see how she settled in and began applying her training during this time (and more of her training in general, honestly).

Looking back through the quotes I highlighted, Xishi sure does think about rivers…a lot…which is fine…and not deeply upsetting at all!! I really did love this story, and everything Xishi shows us about the cruel nature of fate, how nobody truly wins in war, and how the power and love of one woman can affect the destiny of an entire nation. A Song to Drown Rivers is the ultimate romantic tragedy.

This is a beautiful story about a young lady whose beauty could bring about the end of a king. During her training she finds that the person she truly wants to be with is Fanli, yet she knows that she still needs to go through with her mission. This book is beautiful, tragic, and powerful. I think readers will be swept up in the world that Xishi weaves. I love how she wraps the king around her fingers.
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

This book was really good, I loved the historical fiction and mythology. I felt at times I could not put this down and really felt the tension, when those moments happened I loved Xishie and rose the highs and lows of this story. But at times I felt it was difficult to connect and the story felt a little slow. I think it’s a good book and worth the read but it’s definitely more historical than fantasy. I give it 4/4.5 stars.

“𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔—𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇.”

ARC Review
Rating: 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I feel sick and I feel like I’m going to puke. This was the most hauntingly beautiful and the most heartbreaking book I’ve ever read. I devoured this book in one sitting. When Ann Liang writes something then I will absolutely binge read it in one day. I took my time with this arc because I wanted to devote my full attention and time to anything she writes so after exams were over I binged this. Let me tell you I went into this fully knowing that it will break my heart, gut me, and wreck my entire emotional and physical state. I could not breathe and I could not fully function and string together a thought after finishing this. I needed a few hours to recover from what I just read and let me tell you I already want to reread this even though I just finished it today.
This felt like the cdramas “My Journey to You” and “Till the End of the Moon” came together and created this masterpiece. Ann Liang’s ability to story tell, world build, and string together a story of events that flowed together so well truly managed to captivate me over and over again every time she wrote her books. I loved each and every one of her characters, Fanli and Xishi you will forever be loved by me and Fuchai you will always be adored by me. The characters were flawed and had their own share of problems but I couldn’t help but love them after everything they’ve been through. The tragic love story and the fates that were bestowed upon them I couldn’t help but love each and every one of them despite everything that went down between all of them. The villain became my favorite in this book and yes I need to seek help but I just couldn’t help but adore him because he was so precious. He would do anything for her, and even go to great lengths to sacrifice everything in his life for her. This truly felt like I was watching a cdrama and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Xishi is the most beautiful woman in the Yue kingdom, but even beauty can destroy. When Fanli - the Yue King's most dutiful minister - finds her and recruits her as a double agent to bring down the Wu kingdom, Xishi can't deny her own needs for revenge. With Fanli's training, Xishi hones her beauty into the most deadly weapon.

I will always fall for plot lines that involve women taking advantage of men and their tendency to underestimate beautiful women while also coveting it the most. However, there's a line where beauty becomes one-dimensional and leave the characters and their motives unquestioned. I would say A Song to Drown Rivers comes very close to walking that line. While Xishi herself is an interesting character and the situation she's in definitely makes for an intriguing story, there's something lacking in the underlying storytelling that left everything feeling vague and unfulfilled.

I will say, this story held my attention from beginning to end, and I think Ann Liang displays great artistry and understanding in how to build a burn. The slow burn in the first 20% was so well-written, and then it's ripped away from Xishi and instead she's thrown into a very sociopolitical world herself, and throughout her time behind enemy lines, her personality comes through a bit more. A big conflict throughout the storyline is between duty and desire, and it plays out differently for each of the characters we meet, Xishi most of all. There are layers of complexity when she's constantly teased by desire, and then forced to draw back into duty, all of which is further complicated the longer she spends in Fuchai's bed.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. There were parts/characters I would've wanted more from to feel like a more complete story, but I think the bones were good.

Firstly, I would just like to say that this is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a romance. No, I will not take any alternative opinions at this time. The two MCs barely get any time together, the FMC spends years wooing the enemy but never has a physical or emotional relationship with him (so we don't even get an inkling of enemies to lovers on that side of things), and the ending...I wanted to throw the dang book. While NetGalley did its job by not labeling it as a romance, all the hype I was seeing was how amazing this author's YA romance books are, so naturally, I just assumed this would be a romance as well. BOY WAS I WRONG.

This review will have SPOILERS, so proceed at your own risk. I'm spilling all the tea.

Our FMC, Xishi, is the most beautiful woman on the planet, apparently. Forced to wear a veil over her head to conceal her beauty from prying eyes, she's never even been kissed. She has a tragic backstory after the enemy kingdom killed her sister during the war, and she has hated them and their king ever since. When she is approached by an emissary of her king to pose as a concubine for the enemy king, she doesn't take long to decide this is what she must do, and she leaves to get ten weeks of training on how to be a seductive spy, complete with formal court etiquette and the ability to hide all her emotions. During this time, she falls in love with the emissary, Fanli, who is himself a very beautiful man and one who is completely devoted to serving his king. While they both slowly develop feelings for each other, they don't act on it, and she is subsequently delivered to the enemy king on a silver platter alongside her friend (serving as a palace lady). Lots and lots of time jumps throughout the story show her progress in getting into the king's bed and good graces, but oddly enough, they never do the deed the entire time. The story lost me a bit there with all that was going on, but somehow she never actually has to do a whole lot to keep the king interested. Seemed odd to me! And then...SPOILER...her friend dies by poisoning, as punishment for a theft she was framed for, and then Xishi gets even more enraged at the king and continues to put in place the plan of revenge she was sent there to accomplish. Her king's military arrive, she escapes with the enemy king against her will, and then when they are cornered and he learns she's a spy...he just hands her sword and asks her to kill him, which she does...and then sobs over his body. Which again, I was confused by, because the author doesn't really show us a whole lot about their relationship. AND THEN, when she can finally be with Fanli, she is assassinated by her king, and that's how the book ends. The end. I know, WHAT? WHY? What next?

This book is four stars given that I was thoroughly invested and interested in how it would end...but the writing was quite chaotic with a lot shoved in to a very short period of time. This likely should have been a duology or trilogy, and the least the author could have done was give us a little romance. I don't think that was too much to ask. That death in the end just came out of nowhere, and I really didn't understand the ending. I hope it means there's another book where she's suddenly brought back to life, as it seems to hint at.

4.25 stars!!! This book was absolutely incredible and depicted the more emotional aspects of the fight for justice and the more hidden and darker aspects of rebellion not often spoken about! I absolutely loved every moment in our main characters perspective as she navigates this dangerous undercover situation as well as the complicated feelings that arise throughout her time. I also really enjoyed how this talked about women’s contribution to war and how oftentimes they go unrembered or underappreciated. I think this book is such a fresh take on the war aspect in books and would love to see more of it in books.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

I debated on whether or not to give this book four or five stars. It had a couple of problems, but at the end of the day, I couldn't stop thinking about the book and its characters!

A Song to Drown Rivers is based on an Ancient Chinese legend. A kingdom under attack enlists a beautiful young woman (Xishi) to attract and entrap the warring kingdom's ruler. There she learns the world is not as simple as it seems in her small, remote village. In fact, a character in the end puts into words perfectly what Xishi is feeling. (Being purposefully vague so as to not spoil.)

Strengths:
- Intriguing characters. While I really enjoyed the FMC, some of the side characters were really intriguing and enjoyable to 'see' on the page. (In fact, I kinda wish would could have seen more of some of them.) I wouldn't be upset if we ever got some bonus content from the Wu king's perspective!
- Fun premise/great pacing. I found myself staying up late, reading longer than I should have because I couldn't wait to see what happens next. Was someone going to make a stupid choice? Could a slip of the tongue cost someone their lives? I'm all here for some courtly intrigue!
- The writing was great and flowed really well. It was easy to read longer than planned.

There were two things I think could have made this book stronger:
- I would have liked to have stayed in the training section a bit longer to see Xishi and Fanli's relationship build a bit more. To increase the oh, so lovely tension.
- (Again being vague to avoid spoilers) Near the end, there's a type of magic that appears seemingly out of nowhere. I'd have liked a better explanation for it. Or at least some acknowledgement of it earlier. Some hint or breadcrumb. So while this didn't put me off the book, it made me ask questions, and It think this could have been handled better.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read that I was sad came to an end. I laughed, cried, and winced page after page. If you like books with tension, courtly intrigue, and/or ancient settings, this book is for you! It's a quick read in the best way! This is my first Ann Liang book, and now I can't wait to pick up more of her work!

Many thanks to the publisher for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own. (And yes, I ran and preordered my own copy!)

Thank you, St Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of A Song to Drown Rivers.

Beautiful. Amazing. Heartwarming. Heartwrenching. Madenning. Shocking.
Those are all words that I used at one point or another to describe what I was reading. This novel was inspired by the legend of Xi Shi. I did not look up the Ancient Chinese legend because I didn't want to taint my reading of this novel. I suggest you do the same if you do not know the legend. I was not ready for this one to end. This was the first Ann Liang novel I read, but it will not be the last. The way she made the characters/historical figures come to life off the page and the feelings she invoked in me as I read is what every reader wants when they pick up a novel. This is definitely one of my favorites for the year.

Xishi is the beauty of her village, Yue. While at the river, she catches the eye of a famous military advisor, Fanli. She is exactly what he needs to bring down the neighboring kingdom, Wu. When asked if she's willing to infiltrate the Wu kingdom by becoming a concubine to the king, Xishi jumps at the chance to avenge her sister's murder and help improve the lives of those in her village. The novel follows Xishi's training and her journey in the Wu kingdom. War brings tragedy, and Xishi is no stranger to either. As Xishi makes her place in the king's life and the Wu court, she puts herself at risk of being discovered as a traitor. Will Xishi get the ending that she believes her village deserves or will it all come crashing down around her?

For the most part, this vividly written modern updating of a very old Chinese tale sticks to the plot of the tale. There are a few threads that dangle, but the reader is drawn inexorably toward the tragic ending--as obliquely promised in the title. The characterizations are excellent, and the anti-war message is powerful.

Inspired by an ancient Chinese legend, A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang is a powerful work of historical fiction that highlights one woman’s intelligence, courage, and ultimate sacrifice.

Xishi is born with extraordinary beauty, and as she grows, her mother keeps her veiled to protect her. However, her beauty does not go unnoticed, drawing the attention of a powerful minister. Trained to use her charms as a weapon, Xishi is thrust into a game of thrones where everyone is a pawn. But amid the treachery and intrigue, the question remains—can she save herself?

The legend of Xishi is tragic, and this book masterfully brings it to life. I couldn’t put it down. In a world where women were seen as property, Xishi rises above, wielding power in her own way. Though marketed as fantasy, the book leans more heavily into historical fiction, with only light fantastical elements and minimal romance. Regardless of genre, I found it captivating.

I received a free egalley of this book from the publisher, and all opinions are my own.

An epic historical fantasy meant to be devoured.

“A Song to Drown Rivers” follows Xishi after her beauty draws the attention of a famous young military advisor, Fanli. He presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty to topple the neighboring kingdom of Wu and avenge her sister’s murder. All she has to do is infiltrate the enemy palace as a spy, seduce their immoral king, and weaken them from within. But if she is unmasked as a traitor, she will bring both kingdoms down.

Liang’s adult debut is inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Her atmospheric writing immerses the reader in a world set during Chinese history that has a fantasy feel to it. I really love how Liang’s reimagining characterizes Xishi as someone who is so much more than a beautiful face. She sacrifices her own happiness, draws upon her wit to manipulate men who think her harmless, and never lets her guard down, even in the face of loss and violence—all for the greater good of her kingdom. Her story is one that I find empowering.

Liang creates an interesting dynamic between her characters that is a recipe for tragedy. Xishi is at the center of it all, coveted by Fuchai (the cruel king of Wu that I couldn’t manage to fully hate thanks to Liang) despite her heart belonging to someone else. That someone else happens to be Fanli, who typically doesn’t allow himself to fall victim to selfish desires. The forbidden attraction that sparks between them over the course of the ten weeks they trained together made my heart race! I could practically feel the yearning behind every stolen glance and brush of their fingers. I wanted nothing more than for them to get together.

The ending of this book is devastating. Seeing what little power Xishi possessed be ripped away from her, and the attempted erasure of her from history, permanently damaged my tear ducts I fear. Yet, the final pages leave a lasting impact in the most beautiful way.