One of the best fictionally historical Asian tale writing I have read in a long time.

Xishi is the protagonist. Beauty in appearance and internally as well. After her younger sister was killed in the result of a Kingdom takeover she has been quite sad. Until she encounters a noble man that saves her at a river. In return for his kindness, she willingly went with him to train as a spy to infiltrate and lure the enemy king to bring her kingdom to victory.

Throughout the story, Xishi realizes not everything is black and white. Even though the enemy king was the person that represented her countries turmoil she realizes that his tyranny is the product of his environment. In the end she was also kind to him.

A lot of political strives written in an easy way to read.
You can tell women can be the catalyst to major change

Honestly this was a beauty tale.
I cannot wait to get a finish copy in my hands!!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC. This was such a beautiful and tragic read. I really loved all the mythology references. The prose is so beautiful and the emotional bits cut you straight in the heart. Ann Liang is amazing at writing romance, and I think that was the strongest part of this book. I really enjoyed the first part, before Xishi goes to the Wu Kingdom, as that is when we get most of the romance. The Wu Kingdom arc was a bit rushed in my opinion, but still very moving emotionally. It's more romance than fantasy which I didn't expect, I thought it would be a blend between romance and scheming, but I am alright with that because Ann Liang is very good at writing romance and pretty lines and making me cry.

This epic Fantasy will have those craving a splash of difference on the market reeling!

A Song to Drown Rivers follows Xishi, a beautiful commoner recruited by the minister of the Yue nation to spy on, and infiltrate the Wu nation with the goal of bringing down it's ruthless King.

The bond between Xishi and Fanil was so angsty!! The stolen moments, tenderness, pining, and longing between this pair kept me on my toes. The betrayals, politically charged storyline, sacrifices and tragedies will have you grabbing your tissues - but it is well worth it for the perfect reality escape!

I will admit that the beginning dragged a bit for me - but this can be the case for many epic and well done fantasies! Once the main story was underway the pacing sped up and I finished this in 2 days!

Read if you love:
-Emotional Storylines (I cried with this one)
-Political Intrigue
-Forbidden Romance
-Revenge Plots
-Mythological - Red Thread of Fate Theory
-Historical Fiction

Read if you love:
Romantasy, Historical Fiction
Espionage
Beauty as a Weapon
Forbidden Romance
Revenge
Political intrigue
Based on mythology & Red Thread of Fate Theory

Dates read: 06/21/2024 - 06/24/2024

A Song to Drown Rivers follows Xishi, a commoner who was blessed, or maybe cursed, with a beautiful face. She is recruited by a stoic and dedicated minister of the Yue nation to infiltrate the Wu nation and bring down its ruthless king.

The pacing of the story was perfect. Every scene and arc felt complete and every transition felt natural. The tension between Xishi and Fanli had me on my toes. I loved the tenderness, the stolen glances, the whisper of touches, and the longing. But while I was anxiously waiting for the reunion between them, I couldn't help but consider if Xishi could be happy with Fuchai, who continuously put her first and gave her everything she deserved.

Ann Liang also did a really good job at giving each of the main characters qualities that make them feel more realistic rather than flat. She emphasized that war is never black and white, and the victims are always the common people, never the rulers.

This story embodies the essence of c-dramas and includes romance, political intrigue, betrayal, sacrifice, and tragedy. My heart broke into a tiny pieces by the end, and I honestly could not believe that was how the story concluded. When the author said angst, she meant angst. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys watching asian dramas and are not afraid to sink into a black void of despair afterwards.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Went into this not knowing anything, but was pleasantly surprised! Grief, anger, love sacrifice, and so many more emotions!!!!!!!!!Xishshi was a phenominal main character! I love how is a a true story of nothing to something. Also how even though her mission was completed it seemed the cycle stayed the same. The writing style was very rich and love the writer’s description and how the oriental tale felt new but still in consistantancy with previous stories in this style. I can not wait until others read this so I can share my thoughts and opinions. Perhaps a few healthy debates. Truly a new favorite and will be rereading!

Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic historical fantasy about womanhood, war, sacrifice, and love against all odds.
Her beauty hides a deadly purpose.

Gorgeous prose and phenomenal story-telling. I loved it!

I finished this one after a sleepless night, when pain kept me awake. What a fitting companion, one that did not contribute to rest once it was finished. I've sat with this book in my thoughts for the day, and I'm still at a loss for what to say. This one broke me, and I have a feeling it's going to haunt me for awhile.

"I wished to weep, but my own tears felt insubstantial, a broken gesture. The feeling swelling within me like churning waves was greater, heavier, absolute."

This line resonated with me, a driving force as I read on.

Normally, love triumphs. There are clear heroes, we get to root for them and applaud when they save the day. We hope, and the tide swells and everything is right, as it should be, in the end.

What happens when it doesn't?

In the kingdom of Yue, they've been oppressed and broken by the Wu invaders. They've had no choice but to surrender, and the Wu monsters continue to bully any they find in their path. Two girls are chosen for their beauty, to become gifts to the Wu king. To lie in wait, to spy and plot, to be the key to the Wu downfall and the vengeance of the Yue.

Xishi is to become Fuchai's concubine. Zhengdan her palace lady. Before they are taken to Fuchai, they go to the Riverside Cottage, where Yue Minister Fangli trains them. Zhengdan is a blade and has studied with swords in secret. Now, she's given the chance to learn more. Meanwhile, Xishi learns the art of ensnaring men. Of hiding her feelings, crafting a mask so she shows only what she needs to.

Xishi's attraction to Fangli was strong after he saved her from a Wu warrior at the river in her home village. Before he knew who she was, that small connection formed. Now, they must ignore the call that is drawing them to one another, and instead Xishi will be sent to Fuchai. Her mission is to captivate him, to entice and bind him until he craves her. Until she can trick him into building a way into the Wu kingdom for the Yue invaders.

Xishi is driven by her own need for revenge. Her sister was killed in front of her, and she's never made peace with the missing space her sister used to fill. To get revenge for Zhengdan, whose father was killed in battle. To all those who have fallen, the king who's been humiliated, for Fangli, who suffered at Fuchai's hands. She must be committed, to never forget as she lives in the luxury of the enemy. As the months turn to years, as Fuchai's love and obsession for her grows.

Who are the winners in the games of kings?

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for so graciously providing me qirh this e-ARC! I am very thankful and once read will update this review placeholder with my thoughts and also review on my Social medias.

Today I’m reviewing A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang. In this fantasy romance, we follow Xishi, a young woman from an outlying village in ancient China, who is given an opportunity to use her beauty to extract vengeance for her family and fellow countrymen.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a historical fantasy romance that kept me glued to my Kindle. Ann Liang’s A Song to Drown Rivers is epic and lush, bringing together, from start to finish, a sweeping story of obsession, beguiling beauty, and of course the main thread of the story painted in dark shades of scarlet and crimson, revenge.

Liang’s story blends together a woman’s resourcefulness and insight when faced with impossible odds. Pacing that had my heart racing. Holding my breath as I raced from one chapter to the next, my heart aching as the romance unfurled, and an ending that will grab your heart in an iron grip, slowly squeezing until the final page.

For fans of Shelley Parker-Chan and Sue Lynn Tan, this new captivating story inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, will sure to be a new favorite.

This was such a deep, beautiful book- I had to pause quite a bit but that’s because it’s a journey. 10/10!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing an arc interchange for an honest opinion!

Overall a beautiful story with gorgeous prose and fantastic world-building.

What I loved…
- beautiful prose
- epic storytelling
- heartbreaking (sometimes you need a good cry)

What I didn’t love…
- I like more fantasy in my historical FANTASY - this felt more like historical fiction.
- the romance left a lot to be desired.
- the depth of the story felt flat, there seemed like a lot more that could have be developed on a deeper level that was instead underwhelming

Wow! I am at a loss of words after completing this book. My heart was taken on a rollercoaster of emotions and had me completely broken by the end. Such a beautifully woven story of heartbreak and sacrifice.
The writing was phenomenal and helped build such an enchanting world with compelling characters. I didn’t want it to end!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

This was an incredible book, one I won't soon forget and probably one of my favorites so far this year. I devoured this in just over a day.
The author created a captivating story with amazing characters. I couldn't read fast enough, I wanted to read the next page but I didn't want it to end. This is such a powerful story. I absolutely loved Xishi and Fanli and everything they stood for and tried to accomplish and then couldn't have. So many emotions in this novel. A book very well written!!
I will be putting this author on my TBR list. Awesome!

What an amazing book! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this arc.
I will 100% be recommending this book to all my friends/followers, and I will probably be thinking about this story for a long time.
I loved the main character and the side characters, I felt that they were all fleshed out quite well, and the ending was so unexpected and I sobbed like a baby.
Again, thank you for the early release, and I look forward to reading more of Ann Liang's books!

I'm sitting here with my jaw hanging wide open and tears streaming down my face. What a beautiful and heartbreaking journey. My emotions are very much in turmoil. I feel utterly speakless one moment. Then, the next moment, I want to scream out all the spoilers and quotes. Seriously, WOW! This story will stick with me for a long time.

This was quite a story and not at all what I was expecting. The world building was really great. The forbidden love aspect is even better (in more ways that one). The ending was perfect and unexpected after the other events of the story.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars vs 5 is that the beginning drug for me a little.

Regardless, I highly recommend reading. After chapter 10, I was hooked.

As a huge fan of myth and legend retelling, its no surprise I enjoyed this book.
However, there are issues that prevent me from giving it a higher rating then 3.5 stars.

The story was fast paced which I actually enjoyed. I binge read the book in about a day and a half. But, because of the fast pacing near the beginning it feels like a lot of the main cast weren't fleshed out well. Characters like Zhengdan, Luyi, and Lady Yu were stereotypical and more so plot devices rather then full fledged characters to love. My favorite character is surprisingly Fuchai, simply because out of everyone, he is the most complex and we actually see his relationships with other characters progress and change over the course of the story. Xishi also had improvement in character from beginning to end that make me ultimately like her.

For me the biggest down fall in this book was Fanli and Xishi's relationship. They had zero chemistry to me and not enough time to develop actual feeling. the best way I can describe it is, Instant love. I really didn't care about their romance and cringed whenever Xishi was being clingy.

As for the rest of the book, the plot was entertaining enough and I enjoyed the main themes of morality & sacrifice.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Okay I loved this WAY more than I was expecting to? I absolutely fell in LOVE with the FMC and the entire arc. I am clambering to add this one to my physical bookshelf.

I think this is my favourite Ann Liang—and I've loved all of her books since her debut. Although a bit slow to get into, A Song to Drown Rivers was a beautiful escape into Ann Liang's well-crafted world. I absolutely adored the C-Drama-esque world and the main characters. The messy relationship dynamic had me glued to my seat flipping through my e-arc for more and more every second. I loved how heartbreaking this was, and the betrayals and spy plotline unraveled so well that I forgot I was reading at all. 4.5/5, because I did find myself struggling to get through the beginning, but once we settled into the story, I flew through the book.