Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC.


I love a good retelling, and this story was very enjoyable! I was not very familiar with the legend of the Four Beauties and so I was definitely not expecting that ending......oh my. A spy in the court of the king is always a trope I am here for, and I liked the relationship between Xishi and Fanli, and did wish we got more of them together throughout the story. The growth of the relationship between Xishi and the king was also well done and while the king was portrayed by others as brutal, I was glad that his character had more depth, and while certainly not perfect, his arc definitely brought out some emotions. The story moves fairly quickly, and I think there were some opportunities for delving more into the characters backgrounds but overall, I liked the story a lot!! listened to the audio and as always Natalie Naudis does a wonderful reading.

I overall really enjoyed A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS! Liang has a very lyrical but easy writing style, which splits the difference between flowery and practical. I get lost in it, but in the best way.

I very much enjoyed the historical elements and time period. The way it was told gave breath to an ancient tale, but in a way that kept to its spirit. Liang is very talented at enfolding historic elements with ease. The characters also kept my interest. Fuchai was a particular favorite! Xishi was grounded, making mistakes that made her feel very real.

Overall, this was a very solid read that ended up telling a beautiful story! I love Liang's author voice and would love to see more from her!

A Song to Drown Rivers combines a historical feeling setting with a yearning romance and suspenseful plot. Even when no action was occurring, my heart was racing because our FMC was *always* in danger!!! (But it was suspenseful in a good way?? I was SO ENGAGED)

The longing in this book was off the charts. I was keyed in for the romance, so the historical inaccuracies (which... I'm not even sure if this is based on real place/time period, so I could suspend my disbelief and was okay with any inconsistencies) didn't bother me. But also, the romance wasn't really that much of this book. If we were to compile how many pages the romantic interests were on page together, it honestly wouldn't be all that much. That's how you know the writing is good: I could feel their longing throughout the story, even when they weren't together or even thinking of one another.

This is ultimately a story of war. Of how two sides of a conflict can be more alike than they initially thought. Of how kings and men in power use soldiers and civilians as pieces in their games to gain power. I liked how these themes were woven throughout.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!

I adored this book! Ann Liang cannot write a bad book ever. The world-building was so well done, and I loved the main character. I enjoyed the romance, but I also liked how the book was romantic without the romance being the main focus point. The main character's character development throughout the book was great, and THAT ENDING! I was sobbing. I'll read anything Ann Liang writes, and I'm excited for her next books!! :)

I wanted to love this book, a book about a female spy training and going undercover in a neighboring kingdom, but it fell short for me.

The relationship development and the character development fell short for me. It felt more like things just happened rather than natural development. The romance felt instantly developed and therefore I didn't feel much buy-in or believability to it. I didn't feel the emotion or the tension behind Xishi being in the enemy kingdom and still having to protect Fanli. Their relationship felt very surface-level.

The character development also felt minimal. I didn't feel like I got enough about the characters back story and motivations. The secondary characters were one dimensional and didn't do much to move Xishi's character development or emotional development forward. This sounds like a fascinating legend that had so much potential to have a badass female character, but I just never felt that fully develop.

Overall this blends in with a lot of other YA fantasy novels for me: fun concept with a lot of plot development but minimal character, relationship or emotional development. It's something I enjoy while I read but forget about within a month. A solid 3 star read for me.

I will preface this by saying I don't love historical or fantasy books, but I liked the premise of this book and was interested in reading it. It was quite sad and dark, and definitely quite plot driven, and I enjoyed the writing and the story. I enjoyed the politics and the story, and think this was strong. 3.5/5

When I was selected to read A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Laing, I was not familiar with the original Chinese fables of the Four Great Beauties. Immediately, I was hooked by this harrowing tale. While categorized as a romantic fantasy, you will not find any fae or magic here. Based on my research the novel is closely aligned with the original account of Xishi's legend. Told in the first-person perspective, readers experience Xishi’s complex journey in the Wu court, caught between Fanli and Fuchai.

What truly stood out for me was Laing’s lyrical and immersive writing style, which crafts a hauntingly poetic atmosphere. While the first half is engaging, the second half shines brighter. Where the novel faltered for me was in the romance; Xishi’s connection with Fanli feels underdeveloped, making her choice over Fuchai difficult to believe.

Overall, A Song to Drown Rivers masterfully retells Xishi's story with historical accuracy and deep emotion, exploring themes of sacrifice, power, and love. Its beautiful prose and complex characters create a memorable reading experience.

A Song to Drown Rivers certainly has its ups and downs - both emotionally and in terms of the story flow. At times I was enraptured, devastated or shocked. There are some heart wrenching scenes in this book, accompanied by beautifully written and immersive prose. But these scenes seem to be linked via slow, dragging and parochial narrative that couldn’t keep my interest. I’m glad I made it to the end, and you will be too (what an end!) but it can be a tough swim to make it.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This retelling had a lot of potential, but ultimately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.
I always look forward to retellings because they offer a chance to explore legendary tales, to create fully developed characters, rich world-building, and an engaging narrative out of short fables or stories. Unfortunately, I struggled to find that here, which is really disappointing because I had heard NOTHING but good things about Ann Liang's writing prior to picking this up.

The writing is undeniably dramatic. While this approach can work beautifully in the right moments, it felt overwhelming at times, making even the simplest interactions feel overly grandiose. There were moments when the tone and the events on the page felt mismatched, which pulled me out of the story. The characters were a bit bland and the love story strangely chaste for a "romantasy". 2.5/5 stars. Rounded to 3 for GoodReads & NetGalley.

Ann Liang’s A Song to Drown Rivers is an ambitious historical fantasy that reimagines the legend of Xishi, blending poetic prose with themes of war, sacrifice, and the cost of power. Set in the tumultuous landscape of ancient China, the novel follows Xishi, a young woman whose beauty is both her weapon and her curse. Trained to infiltrate the enemy kingdom and seduce its ruler, she becomes a pawn in a larger battle—one that forces her to question loyalty, morality, and her own agency.

Liang’s writing is stunning, laced with lyrical descriptions that make every scene feel immersive. The novel’s commentary on how women’s bodies and choices are often used as tools for political gain is especially powerful, drawing clear parallels to real-world histories. However, despite its strong thematic foundation, I felt that the execution falters. Many storylines feel abandoned halfway through, and several secondary characters who could have added depth and emotional stakes are underdeveloped or wasted entirely. Fanli, Xishi’s complex counterpart, is compelling in theory, but their relationship never quite reaches the emotional intensity it promises.

In summary, while A Song to Drown Rivers delivers thought-provoking insights on war and power, the lack of consistent character development and dropped plotlines made it feel incomplete to me.

I ended up reading the legend of Xishi immediately after finishing this and it made me even more amazed with how the author beautiful wove this story from start to finish. And wow, what a beautifully, heartbreaking story to tell.

If you’re familiar with Xishi’s story- A Song to Drown Rivers doesn’t stray from the original tale but rather tells it in such an immersive and engaging way, diving deep into the political struggles between the Wu and Yue Kingdoms and all those caught in the middle of them. What I found most profound was the emotional and devastating resonance of not only Xishi’s story but all the other characters as well. And that is a testament to how phenomenally the author has portrayed them. They continue to linger in my head long after finishing the story.

While the beginning did take a bit to get into, the overall story was so riveting from start to finish I couldn’t put it down until I’d finished it. I can’t say I’m too keen on the ending (for obvious reasons) but the impact it has had and continues to have on me is an experience so emotionally charged and compelling I can’t help but wish to see more of these legends told from Ann Liang.

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang reimagines the legend of Xishi, one of Ancient China's renowned Four Beauties, weaving a tale of espionage, sacrifice, and the complexities of wielding beauty as power. The novel follows Xishi, a young woman from the Yue Kingdom, who is recruited by the strategist Fanli to infiltrate the rival Wu Kingdom as a concubine, aiming to destabilize it from within and avenge her sister's death.

Liang's portrayal of Xishi's transformation—from a village girl to a poised infiltrator in a foreign court—is compelling. The narrative delves into themes of womanhood and the burdens placed upon those deemed beautiful, offering readers a nuanced perspective on Xishi's internal and external struggles.

However, the novel's pacing presents challenges. The initial training sequences are extensive, yet the subsequent two-year span in the Wu court feels rushed, with significant events glossed over or omitted. This uneven pacing hampers character development and diminishes the impact of court intrigues that could have enriched the plot.

The romantic subplot between Xishi and Fanli lacks depth, with their connection feeling more like a narrative necessity than an organic development. Fanli's character remains underdeveloped, serving more as a catalyst for Xishi's actions than a fully realized individual.

While the novel aspires to blend historical fiction with personal drama, it occasionally falls short in balancing these elements, leading to a story that, despite its potential, doesn't fully resonate.

In summary, A Song to Drown Rivers offers an intriguing premise and sheds light on a lesser-known legend, but its execution leaves room for improvement. Readers interested in historical retellings may find value in its unique perspective, though they might also crave a more cohesive narrative and richer character development.

A Song to Drown River by Ann Liang
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An epic historical fantast inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of China.
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I wanted to love this book.

Xishi is a stunningly beautiful girl who is noticed by a military advisor and asked to pose as a concubine to the king to spy on him.

I was here for the spying and revenge. Let’s take down a corrupt king, bestie!

But, alas, this book ended very flat for me.
I loved seeing Xishi see the viewpoint of the otherside of the kingdom and realize that her enemies may not be truly evil.

What I didn’t like was that there was no great resolution at the end of this book. It was tragic and sad and just left me feeling really awful.

In theory, I should have liked this book a lot, but in practice the narrative distance was too far away. None of the stakes felt real, none of the emotional beats hit. It felt more like the narrator was telling events that had happened to someone else rather than something she actually cared about.

That said I did tear through it in two days, so I still found it enjoyable enough.

Thank you to the pubilshers and netgalley for the early copy of this title. This book was OK, I was happy to continue reading it and wanted to see it through till the end. It had a lot of potential, but i feel that it was a little wasted. There wasn't enough character development and I foudn that I just wasn't very interested in their story, I was more intrigued by the world the story was set in. There were some issues with pacing, definitely ebbs and flows in the writing. I'm not upset that I read it, I just wish there was more to it.

This is a beautifully written and emotional story by Ann Liang. I have had this author's books on my TBR for so long, and I will definitely be reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the author and St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

What a stunningly beautiful book. It is a truly breathtaking book. I was instantly captivated with the immersive storytelling. I truly felt this book in my soul. The yearning, desire, romantic chemistry, ugh it was just so perfect. I devoured it in one sitting, it was that good. The twists and turns were done so well, at times I had to keep reminding myself who the antagonist was in this story. If you love Chinese and Japanese historical dramatic fantasies, you will love this book! I highly recommend picking it up.

✷ updated review 03/03/25

u do not understand how excited i was to get this arc. ihtdfy was life changing & yk i see ann liang appreciation everywhere these days, i think this might have been my 4th ann liang book i've read! i rated it lower than it might have been for a few reasons 😓

⤷ <u>characterization & writing</u>:

i wasn't a giant fan of xishi or fuchai or fanli 😢 i will say the writing might have been a reason why, i thought that the dialogue wasn't exactly clever at times & the first-person pov rly took me out of it. i thought that the language used sometimes felt more ya-leaning or immature especially as firstperson.

⤷ <u>general</u>:

if ur a fan of ann liang i would say go for it! it's definitely a different style than the rest of her books & filled with new tropes (think love triangle, much more morally grey mcs, & a lot more historical fs) but still w some of the things u'll always see in her writing (okay distinguished style who 👸) .

thank you to netgalley for the chance to review!

this was a beautifully tragic story and made me felt like I was watching a fantasy c-drama. i loved seeing the MC transform from her backstory in a poor raided village to training to infiltrating the palace as a spy. she was not only beautiful, but resiliant and so intelligent, and i really enjoyed her story overall but i do wish the book was longer so we could get more character development and relationship building. i didn’t feel as invested in the romance as i hoped i would (i honestly was confused if the first romance was the one i was supposed to be shipping or not cause it was so shortlived and he was gone for so much of the book) but i love ann liang's writing and will read anything she creates. i hope she writes more fantasy!!

A Song to Drown Rivers follows Xishi, who is known in her small village for her exceptional beauty. When she’s approached to go on a mission to seduce the king of an enemy kingdom, she can’t refuse the opportunity to get revenge for the death of her little sister.

The setup of this book felt unique and I enjoyed Xishi’s training sequences and her skills once she entered the Wu palace. Her frustration and anger were so palpable throughout the book and I was always rooting for her to come out on top. I wish the fantasy element of the story had been more prevalent, but I enjoyed the court politics and how the author showcased the costs of war on everyday communities.