A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang is a beautiful retelling of an ancient Chinese legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China.

Xishi is considered the most beautiful woman in her village, perhaps in all of Yue. A royal advisor, Fanli, offers her a dangerous proposal; he'll use her beauty as a weapon to topple the rival Wu kingdom, allowing Xishi to avenge her younger sister's death. Xishi agrees and travels to the enemy palace after weeks of training as a spy and temptress. She'll steal the king's heart and destroy Wu from the inside. Xishi walks a thin line as she charms the king while fighting a dangerous attraction to Fanli.

I will say that the pacing of the book was slow to start and I don’t think I was fully engaged in the book until about a quarter of the way through. However, Xishi's arc from a naïve girl to a master of court intrigue and manipulation eventually compelled me to keep reading. Liang tackles themes of womanhood, war, and sacrifice with elegant prose that reels you in and will not let you go. I will say this is not a romantasy but a fantasy story with romance as well so if you’re searching for something who fits the romantasy label, this is not the book for you. Overall an enjoyable read and a beautiful piece of historical fiction.

In the ugly time of war between the Wu and the Yue, Xishi's beauty may be the key to saving her kingdom. Xishi is used to being told how beautiful she is, but she wishes to be more than just a pretty face. When Fanli, the military advisor to the king of Yue, tries to recruit her as a spy, Xishi hesitates. But soon she sees his offer may be the best way to serve her country and gain revenge on the people of Wu. Fanli trains Xishi in etiquette and espionage, and the two become closer the more time they spend together. But soon enough it is time for Xishi to head into the lion's den and become the new concubine to the king of Wu himself. Xishi takes her role as a spy seriously and soon she has sown the seeds for the king's destruction. But will destroying the Wu truly end the war between their people?
A Song to Drown Rivers is a beautiful retelling of the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China. It will appeal to readers of Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles.

A Song to Drown Rivers is a story of love and intrigue with the back drop of myth. Given this is the first time the author has written fantasy, the story was pretty good. However, the plot pacing and world building fell a bit flat. The readers were told many things about the kingdoms and the characters but were rarely shown. I liked Xishi and Fanli, but I wanted more about their characters and their love to be flushed out more and shown to the readers. Their romance did not feel built up, and left it in the insta-love category. All in all, for a first time fantasy book this isn’t bad, but it feels more YA than New Adult.

If you want to read a beautiful but soul crushing book, this is the book for you! Ann Liang is pretty much an auto-buy author for me at this point, and I was excited to read her historical drama/romance debut.

The story is inspired by Xishi, an Ancient Chinese legend. A young, poor girl from a small village in the Yue kingdom, she is known for her beauty. Her younger sister was murdered by soldiers from the enemy Wu kingdom, which defeated the Yue in battle. When she is offered the chance to train to be a spy for the Yue king as the Wu king's concubine, she seizes the opportunity for revenge. She doesn't expect to develop feelings for the intelligent king's advisor, Fanli, whose idea it was to send her into the lion's den (and vice versa for him). The two struggle to hide their feelings while sacrificing everything for the chance to bring vengeance for their kingdom and secure the future of their people.

As usual, Ann Liang has written a gorgeous book, with fantastic setting and lyrical prose. This book is devastating, a gut punch, and it definitely made me cry. I appreciated how Liang delivers on a growing sense of dread and anticipation when Xishi goes undercover, how she develops her mask and what Xishi is willing to sacrifice to bring the downfall of the enemy king.

Wow, I don't even know where to begin with this book. I don't think I have the words to adequately express how I felt. I loved it so much and devoured it over a few days! It also took me through all of the emotions.

While I loved the forbidden love between Xishi and Fanli, and was really rooting for their happiness, I also felt really bad for Fuchai. I felt as though he was just a misunderstood young man who was forced into the role of king that he didn't want. I knew what was coming for him, but I kind of grew to dread it. I don't want to say too much and potentially spoil anything, but the ending left me absolutely gutted.

I highly recommend this one for those who love:

- slow burn forbidden romance
- political turmoil
- historical fantasy
- morally gray characters

Xishi's beauty is renowned well past the limits of her small, rural village. It attracts the attention of Fanli, a military advisor who makes her an interesting offer. He will train her to use her beauty to infiltrate the neighboring kingdom and take down the king that has tormented her own home for years. She agrees to become the king's concubine in order to spy and ultimately dismantle his kingdom from within. This is the story of how Xishi became one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China.

Thoughts 💭
This book was beautifully written. I often found myself pausing to reflect on what was said, and I didn't want to put it down. It had all the great story essentials. Xishi was a strong heroine who I was rooting for the entire book. I HAD to read on to find out what would happen to her because I became so invested in her story. The struggle of living among the enemy was complex and confusing, and I felt that right along with her. The romantic tension between her and Fanli would hold up among classic literary couples. There were so many layers to this book, and the fact it was based on a real person with real events made it that much better. It was emotional, heart-wrenching, and addicting. It was such a beautiful, thought-provoking story that I would highly recommend checking out if historical Chinese stories interest you.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

No one talk to me.

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Okay, I've taken a breath. Review below.

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No one is more disappointed than me that I didn't absolutely love the heck out of this book. Ann Liang is one of my favourite authors, but this just didn't work out for me for a few reasons, which I'll get into.

This is sold as an adult historical fantasy romance. I'm not sure which part of this book qualified it as adult other than the ages of the characters (which was more New Adult than Adult, and I wonder why the cast was so young for what they needed to do), but it felt more YA in its overall storytelling and themes. To temper expectations, this is 80% historical, 15% romance, and 5% fantasy. The historical aspect was really interesting. I feel like she set up the war and the political theory side of the story really well. The two fighting kingdoms are well established, the impact of the war on our MC's village was clear, and the message at the end was really effective. Everything was pretty solid in that area, though it did get a little lost in the middle.

The romance is something I had a lot of issues with. I cared more about the unhinged villain king than I did the LI, and that's because the LI is basically not in this book, which is a wild choice. I did feel the tension when he was in certain scenes, but as a whole, he was forgotten by the MC and by me as a result. Fuchai, on the other hand, was absolutely unhinged, but his story arc was extremely interesting and I loved how everything played out for his character. That packed such a punch for me, that everything that happens with the LI felt inconsequential to Xishi's life and journey.

The last piece, fantasy, was barely present. However, it is the key to understanding why much of the story feels a bit disconnected. I can't say much else without spoiling, but while I found it interesting, it felt too little too late by the time that reveal happens, and by then I was already fully disconnected from the MC.

As a whole, the pacing of the story was off, the world building itself was very limited, and the relationships just weren't developed well enough for me to be invested in everything (outside of Fuchai), and it just left me disappointed. That being said, maybe this book will be for you as I've seen so many people absolutely loving it. However, it just didn't work for me in the end.

TW: death, blood, death of a child, war, violence, injury detail, sexism, alcohol consumption, suicide; mentions torture, murder

Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 1.5/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Pacing: 2.5/5
Overall: 3/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this EARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story of how one woman sacrificed for her family and for her kingdom. To say any more would give away the plot.

My heart is ruined by this book. I am GLAD that this wasn’t a romantasy. This is story of love and loss, of conflicted hearts and misplaced trust. It’s haunting and beautiful. There wasn’t a fantasy aspect (maybe a little at the end), and I wouldn’t say there was romance. If there had been, I think it would have taken away from the gut-wrenching and lingering ache the reader feels for Xishi.

I would have loved to see more character development. More depth on the time Xishi and Fenli had together early in the story. I would have liked to see more of the politics that shaped the Wu and the Yau’s conflict. Given just a bit more depth and development, this would be a 6 star book. But as it stands, it’s still a great read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGally for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Summary of the plot:
Xishi is exceptionally beautiful, so beautiful that she catches the attention of her king's military advisor, Fanli. He proposes a mission to her: he'll ensure that her poor parents are taken care of for the rest of their lives in exchange for her help to spy on the neighboring kingdom of Wu. She is to be the one of the many concubines of the King Fuchai Wu and find out how her kingdom can overtake his. She's trained to become a spy, but love and politics makes her mission difficult.

Thoughts on the book:

A few things that I did not like:
1) I didn't really click with the romance, as it felt more "telling" than "showing". Since this book is a standalone, I think that is likely why the romance felt a little rushed in my opinion.
2) This book is marketed as historical fantasy, but it does not feel like either. It certainly doesn't feel like fantasy at all.
3) I'm still left wondering what the whole chest pain aspect was with Xishi. I thought it would have led to something important, but I guess it really is just a symptom of a sickness she had when she was younger? But it was mentioned so often... I don't know.

Overall, I thought this book was well written. It has a poetic feeling to it, but it's not written in prose by any means. The ending made sense to me despite how sad it was. I love how Liang uplifts the power that women have and how women can be underestimated (e.g., Xishi being a spy, Zhengdan being able to defeat General Wu, etc.) I would definitely recommend giving this book a shot! I'll probably pick up another one of Ann Liang's books in the future.

A Song to Drown Rivers follows Xishi, a beautiful woman sent to infiltrate the enemy's palace and win the king's heart, in an attempt to end the war between two territories. As Xishi learns to navigate life at court, she realizes one wrong move could ruin everything. Growing close to the enemy king had me squirming with anxiety that Xishi would be found out, but also made me a little sad the poor guy didn't even see her coming. This book captures how devastating war is, no matter which side you're on and managed to break my heart in the process.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this historical fantasy based on Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China.

“How many women throughout history were blamed for the weaknesses of men? We made such convenient scapegoats. We were raised to be small, to be silent, to take whatever we were given and no more.”

The Wu kingdom has conquered the Yue. Xishi is Yue, and she hates the Wu for killing her sister. She is also highly regarded for her beauty, which leads to her being recruited as a spy. Fanli trains her to be a concubine for the king, Fuchai.

“The enemy lines shifted, separating girls like us from men like them, commoners from soldiers, the powerless from the powerful.”

Ann Liang did a great job creating complex characters that pulled at my heart strings. Even though I was pulling for Xishi and Fanli to find happiness, I couldn’t help but feel for Fuchai as well.

“Just as the ocean tides ebb and flow beneath the moon, empires will rise and collapse, wars will start and cease, and the rest of us will be left to struggle against the currents.”

4.5 stars

Utterly transcendent and breathtaking in every way imaginable. Ann’s stunning historical debut is no short of incredible, and it absolutely transfixes you from start to finish. Not only is it both heartfelt and gut-wrenching, but it perfectly captures the brutal, cataclysmic essence of war and the devastating tragedy of forbidden love.

I’m so incredibly honoured to be able to read this early, and I can say with the utmost confidence that this is some of Ann’s best work. A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS releases October 1st, and trust me, you do NOT want to miss this.

Beautiful cover and interesting concept. I found myself struggling to get immersed in the story for the most part, though. It felt like a first attempt at writing fantasy, and felt a bit more YA than adult. It was a middle of the road read for me.

To set expectations: A Song to Drown Rivers is historical fiction - it's neither fantasy nor romance, and definitely not romantasy. It starts off feeling rather YA, with a teenage FMC, Xishi, who somehow manages to both learn everything a court lady would know in 10 weeks, and also fall deeply in love with the male love interest during that time. SONG captured my attention once Xishi is set up as the king's concubine, and I thought the portrayal of the king as a nuanced, morally gray character was well done. I had a lot of fun reading about Xishi and her manipulation of the king, but I do wish the romance that was there was either removed completely or given more depth; as it was, it just felt like a shallow distraction.

My first Ann Liang read. It is giving YA Jade City vibes and I am here for it.

Xishi's beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue. Not only does she captivate them, she also so easily captivates the reader. Initially, I was a little hesitant at where things were headed as Fanli recruits Xishi for a unique opportunity to weaken the enemy palace from within. Yet the slow tension building between Fanli and Xishi has you on the edge of your seat each time the two are in proximity with one another. And please don't talk to me about the ending because my heart cannot take it.

A great read and one I highly recommend.

One note, Goodreads has this book listed under Fantasy, Romance, and Historical Fiction. I would caution the reader from assuming they have seen the limits of these genres and applying that to this read. While it is beautifully romantic in it's own way, the romance is emotional with little emphasis on the physical. While there are Fantasy and Historical Fiction notes, it comes through in storytelling rather than tangible elements. This would not deter me from reading this book. In fact, I would want to read A Song to Drown Rivers more to experience new perspectives on these genres.

This was the most beautiful, historical, star-crossed lovers story that I think I've ever read. I have genuinely been looking for a book like this for years, and I've finally found it. I am heartbroken and sobbing and desperate for Ann Liang to write more books in this genre. I love how the nuances of war were portrayed in this book. It's not always so black and white like a lot of books that center war show it being. This book kept me hooked the whole time and the characters were so fleshed out it was hard to tell this was even fiction. This book is truly a masterpiece.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

It took me 9 months to read this book, and at this point, I feel that Ann Liang is not an author for me. I couldn’t fully connect with her stories, which every time it took me out of the immersive reading experience.

Here, the fantasy aspect was noticeably lacking, and the romance was minimal and short-lived. The characters seemed superficial, and their development left me dissatisfied. One of the only things I liked was the ending, I’m a sucker for tragic and emotional conclusions, and this one delivered. I would recommend the book, but it was not for me.

4.5 Stars

This book really surprised me. I went from rolling my eyes at the beginning to sobbing by the end. I didn’t think I would have enjoyed this book because the beginning like 35% was slow. I felt the romance was a bit too rushed but man did this book change my mind as the events unraveled.

First, the cover is gorgeous. Synopsis sounded great. I didn’t know about the legend of Xishi but the concept of having this woman infiltrate the enemy kingdom and take it down from the inside sounded great. I didn’t expect to be so affected but the events or care this much about the characters. Xishi uses her beauty to take down the enemy. She has limited help and I was impressed by her abilities and cleverness. She is a great heroine to lead the charge from within. Zhengdan is a queen. She stuck out to me early on and I bow down to her loyalty and spirit. Fanli is the stoic military advisor that puts kingdom above everything else. He is loyal and doesn’t show how much he truly cares besides those stolen moments between him and Xishi. I even felt bad for Fuchai in the end. He seems like a young man with great expectations and burdens of a kingdom he never really asked for.

The synopsis really sells this book as a romance and it does have romance, just not as much as I would have expected. Yet somehow the love between Xishi and Fanli is something of legend. They have so much at stake and so much to lose but are doing what needs to be done.

This book really also illustrates how war can be so devastating. The thing is that both sides think they are in the right but they don’t see how their people are really affected. Their narrow selfish view of winning hurts way too many people and devastates lives across both kingdoms.

I’m still seriously crying a bit as I’m writing this review but this book was heartbreaking, intriguing and totally worth the read.

*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Xishi is beautiful and from a small village. Her sister was ruthlessly murdered as a child, and she has mourned her every day since. When Fanli, a prestigious military advisor, gives her the opportunity to use her beauty to win over the king and avenge her sister’s murder, she agrees. Fanli trains Xishi in everything she needs to know to woo the king - all Xishi needs to do is hide her growing romantic feelings and true intentions.

This book was incredible. The writing is absolutely gorgeous and I was totally engrossed in the story. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking, and just overall amazing. The forbidden love was heart wrenching and I loved that the characters were realistically complex.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

Read this if you love:
💙 heart wrenching love stories
💙 Chinese mythology
💙 historical fantasy

The book ripped out my heart and stomped on it. I'd like ten more, please. I've heard nothing but good things about Ann Liang though I've never read her YA contemporaries myself. When the publisher emailed about her adult debut, I was intrigued enough by the summary to give it a go.

Xishi is considered the most beautiful woman in her village and perhaps in all of Yue. A royal advisor, Fanli, offers her a dangerous proposal: he'll use her beauty as a weapon to topple the rival Wu kingdom, allowing Xishi to avenge her sister's death. Xishi agrees and travels to the enemy palace after weeks of training as a spy and temptress. She'll steal the king's heart and destroy Wu from the inside out. Xishi walks a sharp line as she charms the king while battling a dangerous attraction to Fanli.

I'll think about A Song to Drown Rivers for awhile. It started slowly, but once I got 20% in I could not put it down. Xishi's arc from a naïve girl to a master of court intrigue and manipulation compelled me to keep reading. Liang tackles themes of womanhood, war, and sacrifice with elegant prose that reels you in and will not let you go. I held my breath for the last quarter of the novel, daring myself to turn the metaphorical page in fear of what lay ahead. Like war, the ending isn't neat and tidy; there's areas of grey and it painfully explores the cost of war and revenge.

Regarding the romance, Ann Liang does yearning so well. A Song to Drown Rivers is a masterclass in tense, passionate romance without a single open door scene. If I see people calling this a romantasy, I think I'll scream. Diluting this story down to a tired marketing label will only leave folks disappointed. While it is both a romance and a fantasy novel, I'd argue that it's so much more than that. I hope this is the first of MANY Ann Liang fantasy novels; I'll be first in line to read the next one.

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