This turned out to be nothing like I expected...and honestly, it was even better! The characters felt so authentic, and the conflicts and politics were impressively nuanced. While I’ve read many stories about a beautiful girl seducing a king to bring down his kingdom, this one set itself apart. It’s less a romance and more a profound exploration of the will of kings, making Xishi’s journey all the more powerful and resonant! I need more!!

This book went back and forth for me - for the most part it was interesting and enjoyable, but there were many other parts that seemed forced, or from another story. The writing is beautiful, the characters interesting, but I felt like the plot was somewhat scattered. And there was a twist that will make you either love or hate the story.

Regardless, I am glad I read it as the imagery was well done.

Thank you Net Galley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. It was a really interesting premise and overall it was quite a fun read. However, I wish that the romance was developed a little more.

OMG IF YOU LOVE BETRAYAL AND TWISTS, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. Oh I love when a woman gets her revenge! Oh, I ate this book UP. I received it as an ARC in March, but I didn’t pick it up until a few days before it was published. This book is crazy - I love a powerful woman’s story finally being told. UGH. If you love stories about women being spies and enacting their revenge, if you are a die-hard Mulan girlie (similarly set in China, a strong woman saves her kingdom but is shamed for being a woman.) this is THE book to read. omg loved it!!!

This book GAGGED me. If you haven’t picked it up from the library or your nearest bookstore, you have to immediately! It had so many twists and turns, suspense, and a gut-wrenching romance! If you love stories about women having their stories finally told, please read this book!

**Features:**
- Retelling of the legend of Xishi
- Court intrigue, deception, and a complicated love triangle
- Set in a fantasy version of ancient China
- Explores themes around revenge, sacrifice, and beauty

**Summary**

Beauty is a blessing. Beauty is a curse. Beauty is a weapon. Xishi is said to be so beautiful that nature itself is humbled by her presence. However, in a time of war where the Wu are a constant threat, Xishi remains hidden in her tiny village, away from any great fortune she once would have been fated to bring to her family. However, when she is discovered by Fanli, one of the Yue king’s advisors, it seems that fate might have its hand after all. But instead of the happily ever after everyone had envisioned, Xishi’s beauty will become the weapon that will take down the Wu from within.

**Thoughts**

Wow! This retelling of the legend of Xishi had me hooked from the start! I was somewhat familiar with the original Chinese legend before picking up this book and it seems to follow it pretty closely. Despite that, I found this rendition captivating and tragic with some twists I wasn’t quite expecting and it is worth picking up whether this story is new to you or not. Though Xishi is really only made interesting by the situation she is trying to navigate, the characters that surround her all stand out in their unique ways. Though Liang’s previous books have been romcoms and the synopsis makes it sound like this story will take a similar approach, don’t be fooled! This story quickly becomes a complicated and sad tale of deception and revenge that is only enhanced by the love triangle at its center. If you are unfamiliar with the legend of Xishi, know before going in that this is a tragic tale. This is the first book I have read by Liang and unless I had looked it up, I would not have known from this book that romcoms have been her bread and butter up until now. That alone deserves a round of applause!

What really made this book a stand out read for me was the writing itself. The story is written with poetic prose that feels appropriate for a ‘legend’ story and rarely feels overdone. You really feel transported to the time and place that this story is unfolding and are truly allowed to experience the world through the characters rather than sitting through bouts of long exhibition. Even with the rich world and storytelling that this book contains, it remains extremely accessible and never gets bogged down with details. There are definitely some slower parts of the story, but it never overstays its welcome and just feels like a natural part of the storytelling. This phenomenal read came just at the right time for me even though the ending left me in tears and I would highly recommend it!

Ann Liang's <i>A Song to Drown Rivers</i> has so much potential. The story is good; it is clear Liang's vision of the characters is clears; the setting is, theoretically, quite promising. However, the world building just isn't quite there and it throws the pacing off from the jump. It ends up feeling like the work of a much less mature/experience author.

A Song to Drown Rivers is a tragic love story that has some unexpected twists that will leave you reeling. The story was beautifully written with a unique story; however, the relationship among the characters does fall flat at time. I wish there would have been more development between the main love interests’ relationship. The relationship has a great start, but kind of fizzles out during his absence for most of the book. Also, there could have been more depth to the characters as well. Oftentimes, they were written with this one dimensional almost robotic feel. Although this is a beautifully written story that provides moments you do not always see coming, there are elements of it that could be improved to truly make it a great story. Overall, I would recommend this to readers who want a quick, romantic read with a more young adult feel to it.

I loved this so much. To be honest I didn't know what to expect going into it. But I loved the characters and the plot was perfect!

Based on a legend, this fantasy story is multifaceted and entertaining. Xishi is a woman known for her beauty but also demonstrates intelligence, quick thinking, passion and loyalty. She persists in her role as a spy against the enemy of her people in spite of the odds against her. I really enjoyed the personality of Xishi and felt like the author did a great job with development of her character. She faced impossible situations but found ways to fulfill her role. Of course, the relationship between her and the king was unrealistic but the book is a fantasy and I found Xishi’s vacillation between tenderness and hatred towards the king really added depth to the story. This book really delivered with strong female characters who used both wit and strength to help defeat the enemy. The tragic love story between Xishi and Fanli added another dimension but did not make it an overwhelming romance novel.

This book was a lot different than I was expecting it to be, so I needed to take some time to digest it before reading. I loved that it was relatively easy to follow, making it very approachable, which isn’t always the case for me with fantasy or historical reads. The beginning hooked me, the middle had me feeling hmmm I dunno about this, but then the end CRUSHED ME (in the best way).

The story was beautiful overall, but at times I wish I had a little more detail or insight into the characters. There were moments where I felt like I really understood them and then there were others where they felt a little flat. However, the story and overall message was stunning and left me thinking it about it for several days after I finished. With this in mind, I settled on 4 stars.

If you’re going into this, know it’s very light on the fantasy in my opinion. I get that it’s not historical fiction exactly, but the fantasy label didn’t feel quite right to me either. It reads like a story that would be passed down from generation to generation though. And I guess in a way it was! I didn’t realize until after I finished the book that it’s based on a classic - the legends of The Four Beauties of Ancient China! I would be interested in hearing the original story.

Overall, I’d recommend this, but I would keep an open mind as a reader! I did a mix of audiobook and ebook.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my eARC! Opinions are all my own.

It is criminal how good this book was. This story took me completely by surprise in the best way. The way my jaw was dropped and hand covering my mouth towards the last half of the book. So many books follow this formula and I swore I had the plot figured out and let me tell you I definitely didn't. I would not consider this to be a fantasy, in only that it is based on chinese mythology about one of the four beauties of ancient china.

This book gave me the plot driven story I have been craving. The journey that Xishi goes on to get revenge for her kingdom is heartbreakingly beautiful. Being a spy and taking down Fuchai's kingdom is not as black and white as it seems. There were characters that I knew I was supposed to hate but I found myself wanting things to still work out for them. I haven't been this blindsided by a book in a while. I don't know if I just read it at the right time or what but I absolutely loved this story.

Overall, this was a good time. I thought the sentence-level writing was solid, but I wish there was more character development. This book covers a long time period in a relatively average amount of pages, but I think we needed more. A little more time in the book would have helped us see the development of Xishi's skills as a spy or her relationship with Fanli. Instead, we're told that they have an incredible connection, but it didn't feel it.

** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Xishi is one of four beauties in Chinese legend said to have changed history. She was sent by the Yue kingdom as a concubine to the Wu kingdom as a gesture of goodwill, but she was actually a spy tasked with distracting the king from his kingdom.

On the surface this is a great story. We have political intrigue, a forbidden love story, lies, deception, all driven by tragedy—as all good revenge plots are. When you take a second to think about it though, there is so much missing. I wanted more from every aspect of this story.

While, yes, this was a retelling/reimagining of the legend of Xishi, there was a lot of opportunity to imagine what she would have thought or felt. A Song to Drown Rivers stays very surface level, simply retelling the legend. Her convictions are never really felt. She wants to sacrifice herself for her kingdom, but we never really FEEL that. We are simply told that. We are told she and Fanli fall in love, and we see glimpses of this but for me, it was never really that deep. Also, her struggle to reconcile the "monsters of Wu" she always thought them to be, with what she actually experiences was hardly touched on.

Overall I just wanted more. There didn't seem to be a single driving force for any character's actions that anchored the story.

Thank you to NetGalley the publisher and author for an Arc of this book for my honest review.

I didn’t know what to expect from A Song to drown Rivers except that it was labeled a romantasy or in some places an epic fantasy. I think due to the labeling I really expected to see some fantasy which besides a minor ghost feature for basically 0.05% of the book there was no fantasy. There were a couple of mentions of a disease in the book which I thought was going to lead to the fantasy but didn’t and honesty I couldn’t tell what the tie in was.

While I read this very very quickly I think for true romantasy and fantasy readers this will not appeal to them but for fans of the author may lead to some like. I haven’t ever read her before so was in it for the fantasy.

This book was really sad so took me a bit to write my review because I needed to process if my dislike was due to the sadness or what exactly kept me from loving it.

The author did a great job of holding my attention and I think developing a passion for some of the characters.

Overall the book fell a little short for me but could see how others would love it.

This book was a gorgeous expression of longing, This was an epic historical fantasy with really great character development. There were political machinations, "spy-craft", and slow-burn romance, all with great storytelling and pace. The ending was devastating yet beautiful and hopeful,

Xishi is a small town girl. She known for her incredible beauty. Fanli is a renowned warrior who works directly for the king. He must find a way to stop their enemies. Fanli finds Xishi and trains her to be the ultimate weapon. Will their plan succeed? What will the cost be?

This is a tough story to review because I don’t want to give away any critical details and I have mixed feelings about the events in the story. So first my issues, using a young, innocent woman as a weapon. I have seen it done in a way that I enjoyed the story and in a way that I hated it. In this book I was torn in my reaction. In some ways she is the best weapon ever created but the cost of her being chosen are too much. I understand the author is giving a clear message about war and it’s costs but this book left me without a hero or clear bad guy. It’s all just grey. That being said, I think that is exactly what the author was trying to do. This is a book set in the past in a cultural setting that I don’t fully understand so it’s very possible that my reaction stems from that.

Now to the details. Fanli trains Xishi to be a concubine. She turns out to be not only very beautiful but also incredibly intelligent. What she isn’t is conniving. She feels every lie she must tell to complete her assignment. Because of her experiences, she changes a lot as a character. I don’t know what type of person she was at the end but she was no longer the small town girl at the beginning. Fanli is depicted as cold and methodical at the beginning and that is true throughout. The author shows his humanity in small ways throughout the story. He made me feel very sad at the end. It felt like he had finally learned what was really important but it was too late. There are lots of other characters. Fuchai is a man not yet ready to be king and he knows it but he is king anyway. Of all the characters, I felt most bad for him. He is used and abused by everyone so all he knows if how to treat people that way. By the end, I didn’t even care that he was the enemy because absolutely no one wins in this story because it’s all about war and it’s consequences.

I am going to rate this book based not on whether I liked the story or not but on the quality of the writing. I think the author accomplished creating a world and characters that created emotions in the reader. Will I read more from this author in the future? I’m not sure at this point. It will depend on the book description.

This is a captivating historical fantasy inspired by the legend of Xishi. The story follows Xishi, whose beauty becomes a weapon to infiltrate the enemy court and avenge her sister’s death. Trained by the brilliant strategist Fanli, Xishi faces the dangerous task of seducing the King of Wu while grappling with her growing feelings for Fanli. Liang’s writing is beautifully evocative, weaving together love, sacrifice, and loyalty themes. The characters are complex, and the twists keep you on edge, especially as Xishi’s mission becomes increasingly dangerous. This book is a powerful, emotional journey, blending political intrigue and heartbreak, perfect for those who love myth-inspired historical fiction.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, for this ARC copy. I am so grateful to have had the chance to read this book.

Oh my goodness, this quickly became one of my top reads of the year. The only reason I gave it 4 stars inches of 5 is because I wish the ending had been somewhat happier, and I felt like it was a little bit fast-paced and wish we had more of the actual training and time together before she went to the King.

This book was so beautifully written, I couldn’t find a single fault with it. Usually I find something little that bugs me about the writing - choppy sentences, weird descriptions, using certain words to describe things - but this book was absolute perfection.

I quickly became hooked on the story and found that I couldn’t put it down. I typically fall asleep before 10 pm because I’m up very early in the morning, but this book kept me reading until almost midnight every night. I quite literally fell asleep with the book in my hands because I couldn’t put it down.

The story was so wonderful, and I loved the characters. I wish we had gotten more of the training, and more time with certain characters. I do feel like it was a little bit fast paced because there were some time jumps. But I truly loved every bit of this book, and ended up buying a physical copy so I can read it over and over, and make my sisters read it too,

I definitely want to read more by this author. Her writing and storytelling captured me so completely, it brought me out of a weeks-long book slump.

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. The writing was beautiful. But the characters, the supporting characters the romance everything fell flat for me. Idk maybe this just wasn't for me. But I'll still recommend this book because I know a lot of people will enjoy.

“I promise… As soon as this ends, I’ll come find you, and we’ll sail the world together and live somewhere far from here, someplace we can be truly alone. And if my promise breaks…. Then let me suffer for as long as I live.”

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the gifted ALC!

Meet one of my favorite books of the year. This one blew me away.

Ann Liang’s writing is gorgeous and lush. The tension and longing she writes into Xishi’s story made my heart ache. And while I wasn’t familiar with the legend of Xishi, I just had a feeling that this one was going to wreck me…. And it did. I’m still not emotionally recovered.

A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS is set in ancient China with two warring kingdoms. Xishi is recruited to become a concubine for the enemy’s king and also the spy who will hopefully lead to his ruination. While Xishi and Fanli have major forbidden love vibes, Xishi and Fuchi have “I’m going to destroy you” and “I’ll let you” vibes.

While this one is being marketed as a fantasy, there aren’t really any magical elements to it but there is the tiniest bit of the paranormal (kind of). That’s all I’ll say without giving anything away.
If you love tragic love stories, spy stories and books with beautiful writing, pick this one up!

A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS is out now!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6210005339
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAqs2FnPGvt/?img_index=1