I was very much enjoying this lovely Chinese story until the end happened and then I was not enjoying the story at all. I was so disappointed by what happened to the female main character. Xishi gets sent to the Wu kingdom to be a concubine for King Fuchai due to her extreme beauty. She was really going as a spy and did very well on her mission. I don’t want to spoil the end but it is not happy. I really enjoyed the characters and the diversity of the story. All in all I’m glad I read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book.

An interesting historical retelling!

I have to say I wasn't too familiar with the origin this story was derived from. It was interesting and the overall premise was intriguing.

The pacing of this story was very quick. I felt like it moved fast, but almost too fast. I felt like we were never able to really feel out any of the moments. Like the feelings between Fanli and Xishi seemed so rushed, and it was hard to feel their love or the beginning of their romance. Because the pacing moved so fast, I felt like all the connections between characters fell flat.

Overall, the story was nice, but it was lacking depth. I wanted more from the characters, and it just wasn't there. It was still a decent read, just not anything super special.

I would like to give a big thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 4/5

I loved this book. Historical fiction / tragedy is an incredible genre on its own, and this is the first time I've read one. This book follows Xishi, a beautiful girl who grew up in a war-torn village and is presented with an opportunity to avenge the death of her little sister.

This book was a slow start, but eventually kicked up. There were a few plot holes here and there, but nothing that took away from the plot itself. It shows the tragedy of war and kings and men, and who the real enemy is never who you think it might be. That there is a human under the monster, and a monster under the human. This book shows what happens when men are made to seem like gods in the eyes of other people. This book expertly navigates a treacherous court life while drawing the reader in.

While I devoured this book, I wish there was more. More of the minor characters, to get to know them deeper than a surface level. I wanted more emotion, more depth, more world-building, just more.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and have it as one of my favorites for the year.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. The writing is stunning. I loved the imagery. I thought this book was really beautiful. I enjoyed the romance. I liked Xishi as a main character. This book was very easy to read, and i was able to finish it in 2 days. Overall, I enjoyed this story a lot and look forward to reading more from this author.

overall, i enjoyed this book. ann liang’s prose was beautiful and it was easy to fall into the atmospheric setting of the story. the political tensions of the court were interesting to read about and i kept thinking about the book even when i wasn’t reading it. xishi and fanli’s story was beautiful and heart-pulling and i would’ve read many, many more scenes with them. xishi’s emotional turmoil was easy to understand and i felt all her ups and downs as she struggled to survive. and despite the fact that i usually don’t like love triangles, i didn’t mind this one at all.

i did feel that the pacing of the story was off in some places; at times things progressed too slowly and at other times a bit too fast. there was also just something missing for me in the book. I think i expected there to be a bit more action in the story. most of the story was about the political unrest, yet there were moments where i thought there would be more fighting and there wasn’t, and i think it threw me off.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley.

4.5 Stars
I loved this book even though it broke my heart with how it ended lol. I was rooting for Xishi the entire time, she was such a great FMC and she truly deserved so much more. I actually wouldn't have minded if this was longer - I would happily take more of these characters (they all really deserved better)! Also, I know I wasn't supposed to ride so hard for Fuchai since he's technically the enemy king but I just loved him so much (but also loved Fanli of course lol). Buying myself the Fairyloot special edition of this because I loved it that much!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this beautifully written historical fiction tale. I do not know the original story that it was based off of to compare it, but it definitely kept my attention from start to finish. It was full of action, political intrigue and hints of romance. Although it was beautifully written, it was definitely tragic, and not quite the happy ending it thats what you prefer. I personally almost wish this book was made into a duology with a different ending. I would have loved to spend more time with some of these characters in this interesting world.

‘A Song to Drown Rivers’ is a standalone fantasy novel that clocks in at just over 300 pages and I think that is my biggest issue with the book. Due to the length of the book many scenes feel glossed over or written too quickly. I think it’s difficult to fully develop and explore many of the events in such a short time frame. Additionally, the book is marketed as an adult fantasy novel, but the writing feels more new adult/younger to me. I also wish there were more fantasy elements throughout the story and I spent most of the book confused as to why this was listed as fantasy. Overall, I think the themes were good (i.e. that there’s often no “right” side in war and the only people who win are those in power), but I would’ve liked the story to be more developed.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Song To Drown Rivers is a beautifully written story filled with Chinese historical fantasy and romance!

The novel remains enjoyable for those who are not too familiar with the legend of the Four Beauties of Ancient China.

Overall, ASTDR was pretty fun to read, though it doesn’t offer anything new for its intended genre nor new impressions. While the novel is absolutely rich in lore, nothing else stood out to me as a fantasy reader; the fantasy system felt neglected to me & and the romance, if not instant, was underdeveloped.

3.5 stars. Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China. Xishi is known for her beauty and is seen as a blessing to her village, Yue. when Xishi meets Fanli, a military adviser, he proposes the idea of using her beauty to defeat the rivaling kingdom, Wu. Xishi agrees and becomes a spy, living with the king who is enchanted by her beauty. The only downside is if Xishi gets caught, then both kingdoms will be taken down.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc.*

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first novel by Ann Liang that I've read, and while I think this was a quick read (despite some of the violence), it still left me wanting for more substance. I had high expectations going into this because the fact that it was based on legend sounded very intriguing and promising. The premise is that Xishi, described as one of the four great beauties of Ancient China, of the Yue Kingdom is used as a spy and sent to the (enemy) Wu kingdom as a concubine to King Fuchai. Her aim is to bring down the Wu kingdom - her journey including whether or not she is successful (along with a side plot of a love story) forms the basic premise of this book.

The story had a lot of potential, but I think that one of its biggest flaws was that while the pacing kept my interest, the story lacked the depth required for such a premise. Additionally, the love story also lacked depth such that I didn't really understand why Xishi and her love interest fell for each other, and neither did I root for their happy ending together. This may be a controversial take but I thought the novel really came into its own in the last quarter of the book (yes, including that ending!). It‘s disappointing because the premise and writing had a lot of potential. It read more like a YA novel than an adult historical fantasy.

I just finished A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang, and I gotta be real—it didn’t hit like I hoped. 😕 First off, a huge shoutout to NetGalley, Ann Liang, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts! 💌 The book drops October 1st, and while it’s 290 pages, it zipped by like a breeze.

✧ Forbidden Romance 💔
✧ Historical Fiction 🏰
✧ Spy Mission 🛡
✧ Court Intrigue 👑
✧ Slow Pacing 🕰
✧ Insta-Love 💘
✧ Retelling 🌹
✧ Bittersweet Ending 😢

So, I went into this expecting an epic, heart-wrenching historical fantasy inspired by the legend of Xishi—on paper, that sounds incredible, right? But... I was left feeling kinda meh. The romance, which should’ve been the emotional heart of the story, was rushed and totally flat. Insta-love vibes were everywhere, but instead of giving me butterflies, it was more like, "Wait, that’s it?!" 😬 I was seriously craving a slow burn where I’m internally screaming, "JUST KISS ALREADY!" but nah, didn’t get that at all.

The fantasy elements? Yeah, they’re there but barely explored. I was waiting for some jaw-dropping world-building, but it felt a bit too bland. And the pacing? Oof, it was all over the place! Some parts dragged on forever, while others were over before I could even process them. 😕

Now, let’s talk about Xishi and Fanli—the characters with so much potential. But guess what? Fanli, our supposed swoon-worthy love interest, barely shows up! Like, where is this guy?! For a new adult fantasy, this definitely read like YA, so if you’re expecting something a bit more mature, maybe manage your expectations.

But hey, Ann Liang’s writing style? Super easy to read, and that’s what kept me going. The second half of the book was stronger, but I still wanted more—more depth, more feels, more everything. I was ready to ugly cry by the end, but instead, I was like, "Oh, so that’s it?" 😬

Overall, it’s a quick read that might appeal to fans of Ann Liang’s previous books, but for me? It didn’t really bring anything new or memorable to the table.

3.7 🌟

I read this and listened to the audiobook to compare the two. Honestly, reading it was amazing but the audiobook truly made this book 100 times better due to the amazing narrator! I throughly enjoyed this story. The mystery behind the the king and the character development of Xishi was interesting to watch play out throughout the story. I loved that the Xishu was chosen to become the weapon to help her people and take down the Wu kingdom. It was intriguing how the story turned after that (chapter 2 so not a spoiler). But it truly picked up after that point and had so many twists and action packed moments throughout to keep you interested. And that ending.... yall. I have no words!! I loved this one, especially the audiobook format!

I received the ARC in Audiobook format from Mcmillan Audio as well as a book ARC from St Martin's Press and NetGalley to listen/read/review both formats. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading and listening to this book.

Wow. It took me a while to collect my thoughts on this one. I had so many feelings that it was hard to put them into words. On the one hand, I absolutely loved this story. I was rooting for Xishi the whole time, and her emotions so easily flowed into me as I read. I was invested in her journey and had so much hope that her story would end happily.

Ann Liang’s prose is masterful. It is hard to believe that this is the same author who has written multiple YA romances. Yes, her other books are also great, but the prose here is just next level. I found myself rereading and highlighting sentences just because of how beautiful they were. She creates an atmosphere that is both so tragic and hauntingly beautiful. This is not just a retelling of a legend; it is a love story, a story of regret, loss, sacrifice, and the realities of war.

On the other hand, this story also devastated and depressed me (in the best possible way). It evoked so much hope and wonder in me, yet also such deep sorrow and emptiness. I had never before heard of the legend this book is based off of, and I’m glad I went into it blind. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much if I had any idea of how it would end. The only thing I wish was explored more was the “fantasy” aspect; this definitely reads more as a retelling or historical fiction than a fantasy. We only really see any true fantastical elements in the last 10% of the book (and in such a heartrending way).

This story and these characters are going to stay with me for a long time. I’m excited to see what Ann Liang writes next, because I’ll definitely be reading!

I requested this book because I have loved every single one of Ann Liang’s contemporary releases but unfortunately this was a bit of a miss for me. I enjoyed her writing in this overall (no surprises there Ann is talented like that) but it just lost my attention about half. It just left me wanting when it came to the characters and romance aspect. I was disappointed that the mmc didn’t get that much page appearances as I was hoping which left the his character and his romantic relationship with the fmc a little underdeveloped and lackluster. Anyways I’m still looking forward to reading more books by this author!

Thanks to the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Xishi agrees to be the concubine a king. Not just any king, but the tyrant who has brutally warred against her people, and is responsible for the death of her sister. But difficult sacrifices must be made in times of war, even for this beautiful girl in a rural village.

Review: This story was beautiful in every way. The writing is superb. The characters are deeply interesting and complex. The culture is explored well and explained to readers in a way that sweeps you along into the story with Xishi. This is a tale that everyone should read and is one of the best books I’ve read all year!! Truly a remarkable masterpiece of the depths of humanity’s ability to love and to despair.

**It is important for readers to know that this is a tragedy, not a romance. There is romance in this book, the pull of love and the tension of desire, though there are no explicit or graphic sexual scenes (for which I am grateful).**

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC. This is my honest review of this book.

A Song to Drown Rivers might have made a fine short story, or even a novella. As a novel, I found it boring and repetitive. She’s beautiful; he’s beautiful. She is so beautiful; he is so beautiful. I was not familiar with the story of Xishi and Fanli, but there is just not enough there there for a whole book.

There is some lovely writing in the book. But Xishi, Fanli, and Fuchai feel like characters in a fairy tale – not real people I can root for, or against.

I read an advance reader copy of A Song to Drown Rivers from Netgalley.

This book… was sooo GOOD, oh my God. It’s been a while since I read a book that was so full of angst and tension!!

Okay, to start off this review, I want to say that this book almost made me cry. Throughout the book, I found myself nearly crying with some of the scenes that came up. This book will leave you heartbroken in the best way possible but still ending on a good and hopeful note for the characters.

The romance and angst in this book were out of this world. I had read Ann Liang’s other novel If You Could See the Sun, and I was thoroughly disappointed with the logic, writing style, plot, pacing, characters — everything. A Song to Drown Rivers was the absolute opposite of that for me.

“Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China…”, I will say that this retelling was a rapid read. It took me a week, technically, on GoodReads with their date tracking system, but that was because I was busy and couldn’t pick it up. This is a very easy read in the sense it’s short and can be done pretty quickly. Reading this book left me starving each time, wanting more and more, almost to a feral level. But that does not mean this was a clean, easy read. It very much had some gorey descriptions and darker scenes; ideas and themes that should have been black and white were blurred and muddled, leaving grey morality as a running theme throughout.

While the romance was a big part of the book, the political scheming was done pretty well (as Xishi is a spy), but it wasn’t the best I’ve read. The book did enough to give you a general idea of what was going on, the connections Xishi was making throughout the court, the emotions she was experiencing as she seduced the Wu King, the traumas that would so irrepressibly appear and leave her in turmoil—it was well enough done that you were immersed in it. At least, I was. But that doesn’t mean more could have been done. I would have liked for the novel to have been expanded to allow more opportunities to snoop in on the court play and the romantic scenes. It would have helped build even more of the growing tension, bringing the stakes even higher than it already was.

If this small thing had been done, I think I for sure would have been sobbing and feeling the pain of heartbreak throughout this entire novel. But because it still made me tear up, I think this book’s emotional sway was strong enough to earn a 5-star rating from me. This was a wonderful read, and I most definitely recommend this to those who love Asian stories, powerful women, retellings, and angsty romance.

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read this ARC, however this did not influence my review of it at all. I gave my honest review based on my reading and my own thoughts ᥫ᭡

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Asian Literature, Asian Fantasy, Chinese Legend, Historical, Mythology
Subgenre: Romance
Audience: Young adult
Spice Level: Kissing and wanting more
Language: Some swearing

A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS draws from the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, but I wasn't familiar with this tale.

This book feels YA unlike some that appeal more to adults. I see that as a positive.

Xishi is interesting because her strength is centered around her beauty, and so people discount her mind. Her best friend is the one who wields a sword. These two girls were trained in 10 weeks! To dance, to play musical instruments, and to blend into the royal etiquette. I thought that was pretty fast, but hey, it's fantasy, so I'll go along for the ride.

The world building highlights how Xishi sees her world in three main periods: Before she is trained to be the King's consort, her time at his palace (which is when her view begins to shift), and after being at the palace and going home.

This review is meant to be spoiler-free. But I am going to say that the end threw me. Maybe it's related the the original Xishi—I don't know. I've struggled with the ending because I felt like it overshadowed the rest of the story, and the format changed a bit (which was intentional) but I still felt off kilter about it. The reasoning of the characters seemed a little weak. You'll have to see what you think. I'm rounding up for the stars because the majority of the book was 4, but the ending was a 2ish for me.

Happy reading!

First off, thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not familiar with the Four Beauties mythology, so I can't speak to the adaptation. I think this is a good YA romance, there isn't any thing I would consider spice, some kissing and implication so it would be perfect for a younger audience. The fantasy elements are way in the very end, they aren't distributed throughout so if you're looking for an involved fantasy world this may not be your cup of tea. I won't spoil the ending, but I wasn't expecting it and while the rest of the book felt a bit shallow, the ending was excellent.