4.5 stars. Who knew a fantasy could be tightly plotted and under 400 pages?!

It’s important for romance readers to know — this is a love story, not a romance. That being said, it was a really great fantasy love story. The story was fast-paced and never dawdled. There is a sort-of love triangle, which I’m sure some people will be mad about how it ends, but I personally thought it was a fantastic resolution to that plot point.

A Song to Drown Rivers offers a compelling star-crossed romance without succumbing to clichés. However, if you seek a traditional fantasy narrative, be mindful that such elements are secondary here. Instead, the novel reads more like a historical reimagining of the Xishi legend than a typical fantasy tale.

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang 5/5 ⭐️
Releases October 1, 2024

This may be one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read, the cover is also stunning. I did not know what to expect from this book, but all of my expectations were surpassed greatly. I felt probably every emotion- I was happy and smiling at some parts while crying at others (I’m not kidding, I actually cried).

All of the characters were so well written. Ann Liang did such a great job making me hate certain characters and love others, and then making me question if I actually hated/loved them. By the end I actually found myself being fond of Fuchai ❤️‍🩹 On that note, I love love love Fanli.

The politics in this book were so fascinating- I will say a lot of this book is political. The worldbuilding was easy to understand and the plot kept me interested the entire time.

I already preordered a physical copy of this book, it was that good. I need Ann Liang to write more Asian inspired historical fantasy!

*I received this book as an ARC but the opinions are my own

Beautiful cover and a beautiful book. I will be posting more of my thoughts closer to the publication date. But I truly enjoyed this one and I’m looking forward to picking a copy of the book up for myself.

*Full review to be posted closer to publication*

What a gorgeous story! A Song to Drown Rivers had an extremely strong start that seemed to lack consistent momentum throughout the entire book, but overall provided a really entertaining and beautifully written story. This story is inspired by Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China, and I thought Ann Liang did a wonderful job incorporating this culture into the story. Although this book does lean into some tropes, I think it did a good job of preventing getting too cliche or overly stereotypical. Overall, a really beautiful story that I had a great time with!

Do not read this if you don't want your heart shattered. A Song to Drown Rivers is a great star-crossed romance that never falls into trope-y traps. But if you're looking for a true fantasy novel, be warned that those elements play a very minor part in the story. It reads much more like a historical retelling of the legend of Xishi than a fantasy retelling.

🌕 𝔸 𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝔻𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕟 ℝ𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤 🌕

Inspired by Xishi, one of the Four Beauties
In Ancient China, this story brings to life the legend of how her beauty was used as weapon against the enemy kingdom that had terrorized her country.

I enjoy a good femme fatale story, as well as retellings, and I really wanted to love this book. It had so much potential. However, It was literary equivalent of going on a beach vacation, just for it to be overcast the entire time. You’re glad it’s not raining, and there’s still some local activities you can enjoy, but it’s just not the getaway you had planned.

The story starts out really strong and the descriptions create wonderful imagery as you’re reading. Xishi is an incredibly humble and sweet girl, who only wants to do the right thing for her people. I couldn’t help but get attached to her, and as she’s going through her training I found myself cheering her on the entire time. However, she was the only character that is well developed. All the rest felt fairly one dimensional.

The second half is where things began to really fall flat. There are places where the timeline becomes really confusing, and I struggled with putting the narrative together. Another issue I had is that the author sets the story up to make quite a few impactful messages about war and its effects on humanity, but none of them land as well as they could. You definitely get a sense of what she’s trying to say, but it’s like trying to hear with ear plugs in. Why? I’m not entirely sure, I only know that it was lacking the necessary ingredient to really leave an impression.

For what it’s worth, like an overcast vacation, it was alright. Not great, but not the epic retelling I was hoping for. Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: September 30, 2024

Little known in the west, the classic Chinese legend of Xi Shi, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Paralleling the Greek tale of Helen of Troy, Xi Shi is also a military pawn between to warring states. It was said that she was so beautiful upon seeing her fish would forget to swim, sinking to
the bottom. Recruited by the noble warrior, Fanli, she is trained to become an imperial spy for the now subordinate birth kingdom. Liang writes from Xi Shi's point of view, sharing her thoughts and fears. Paramount in the story is the forbidden love she feels for Fanli. The setting is beautifully realized, the reader feels that they are also a part of the story. The poignant beauty of their love contrasted with the never ending suspicions and court intrigue suggest this will become a best seller.

Very highly recommended.

Full disclosure I received this ARC from netgalley and Tor in exchange for an unbiased review.

4.25 ⭐️
I went into this book expecting a fun, plot-heavy romance with political intrigue and instead got one of the most heart-wrenching character-driven reading experiences of my life.

Xishi’s character development was the foundation of this story and I loved how nuanced and complicated her feelings were, especially towards the end. Ann Liang effortlessly weaves each character’s story in a way that feels wholly organic without sacrificing the complexity of her characters, and I especially liked that these complexities were explored through Xishi’s point of view as a means of developing her character.

The pacing was also incredible! This book was so hard to put down and I loved that it went in a direction I wasn’t expecting at all (in the very best way). That being said, I think this premise needed more detail plot-wise to really shine; so many events were barely mentioned despite them being integral to the story.

Ultimately, this was a great book and would be perfect for anyone who typically reads plot-driven books and is looking to branch out into something a little more character-driven.

I have more feelings than words for A Song to Drown Rivers. This is Ann Liang’s debut historical fantasy and it sure delivers. ❤️‍🩹

The synopsis mentions it being a story of “womanhood, war, sacrifice and love against all odds” and I truly think that encapsulates this book.

Xishi is given the opportunity avenge her sister’s death and to use her beauty as a weapon by becoming a spy for her kingdom. Her task? Woo the enemy king and weaken them from within.

I thought all of the characters were so well developed. Liang took the time to show you no single character can be solely good or bad, but a spectrum of decisions in between.

I wanted more from the story in the sense that I could have read many more pages and been so completely enraptured by it!

What you get:
+ historical fantasy
+ forbidden romance
+ powerful fmc
+ kingdoms at war
+ scheming
+ ya

I’ll be screaming about this book to anyone who will listen from now on and it will surely stick with me for a while. I cannot wait to get my hands on the physical copy.

This was such a beautiful book. I love stories like this, legends and myths from cultures different than my own. This book was so well written, so beautifully crafted, that I ached for the characters as if they were my friends.

Xishi and Fanli’s story was heartbreaking, but just as poignant was Fuchai’s tale. His love was blazing and it hurt how bravely he met his end.

I loved this book so much and would give it at least ten stars if I could.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Xishi’s & Fanli’s stories are ones that I did not know prior to reading A Song to Drown Rivers, but they’ll stick with me long after finishing. Xishi is a young woman living in Yue, which has been conquered by the kingdom of Wu. Xishi is beautiful, enough so that she is chosen by Fanli to be trained in seduction and sent undercover to Fuchai, the King of Wu, as part of an elaborate plan to secure revenge against the Yue’s brutal conquerors. What results is a story full of longing, heartache, sacrifice, and suspense.

I gave this book 4.5 stars because I enjoyed it on so many levels. First, the writing was beautiful. Liang is descriptive yet concise. This book accomplished more in 290 pages than many do in 400-plus. Second, the story was beautiful, and that isn’t just thanks to history; Liang brought Xishi to life. I have nothing in common with her, but I felt every emotion she felt thanks to the character Liang created by the liberties she took to humanize Xishi. Third, this book had me on the edge of my seat. The deception & espionage is STRESSFUL in the best way.

In sum - if you couldn’t tell - I recommend this!


Give A Song to Drown Rivers a try if you like:
•strong female friendship
•forbidden love
•political intrigue
•historical retellings

the mind destroys, the heart devours

rating: 4.25

the fact that this is the same author that wrote i hope this never finds you is crazyyy (/pos). i enjoyed IHTNFY, it's just a total 180 going from a YA contemporary romcom to this fantasy tragedy in a fictional ancient china. it's a testament to her writing bc if i hadn't known it was the same author, i would never have guessed.

a beautiful but tragic tale of the most beautiful woman from a distant village conscripted to seduce and betray the king of a neighboring kingdom who ruthlessly took over hers. the YEARNING between xishi and fanli was crazyyyy. i was impressed with the writing, as there were very poetic lines and felt very true to the time period/genre, but there was also a simplicity and pacing to it where i never felt bogged down. i was actually able to read this very quickly, and i needed to know if xishi and fanli would succeed in their mission and reunite.

overall, i enjoyed it and but there were a few small things i think could be improved. emotionally though, i'm devastated please give me 5-10 business days to recover 😭 there are romance elements, but fair warning, this is not a romance with a perfect happy ending.

Beautifully written and made me cry. Full of complex characters and moral dilemmas. I couldn't put it down and read it in a day.

The cover of this book is beautiful! I'm in love with it.

A Song to Drown Rivers is my first book by Ann Liang and I can see that she is a talented author. She does draw you into the story and the main characters, but the ending left me feeling unsatisfied.

We start with Xishi, a great beauty who lives in a poor rural village that has been ravaged by war. Her younger sister was killed by Wu soldiers and she desires revenge. The opportunity for revenge is presented when Fanli recruits her to become a spy for the Yue as a concubine to the Wu king. Xishi undergoes 10 weeks of training where she and Fanli grow close, apparently, before she is sent in as a spy.

The plot of this story definitely has some weak points. If you've been drawn into the overall story enough you can ignore some of these weak points, but some of them were hard to ignore. Here are just a few:
- I was surprised by the way Fanli recruits Xishi as a spy by basically telling her and her parents the entire SECRET plan right away
- Once in the enemy palace, Xishi and Zhengdan are put in rooms that are so far away from everyone that they haven't seen another person in days, yet when she cries out for help THE KING is immediately there with his physician. We're never given an explanation for why the king and his physician are in this part of the palace where no one ever goes.
- after some brief training, somehow Zhengdan is able to defeat General Ma in a contest of fighting skill. I get that everyone else in the contest was holding back out of fear, but he is literally a general with fighting experience in a war and Zhengdan has not fought anyone ever.
- Xishi makes a deal with another concubine that she will convince the king to pay more attention to her. She does this once and then we don't hear anymore about this character until the end when we encounter her in her rooms during a banquet that EVERYONE is attending.

This book is marketed as a fantasy and a romance. I'm really not sure why because it has little to none of either. Xishi and Fanli spend barely any time together for 80% of this book. Actually, they're not even in contact during most of that time. There are zero fantastical elements until the very end and even then I would barely consider that fantasy. This is solidly historical fiction.

I won't spoil the ending, but I will say that I was surprised by the turn of events and not necessarily in a good way. I think if the ending had been more satisfying I would have more easily forgiven the weakness in the plot throughout the book.

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

This book was captivatingly beautiful and tragic. I devoured each page– I couldn’t read it fast enough to see what was going to happen, and after I finished it I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Xishi’s beauty was a blessing and a curse, but her intelligence is what really set her apart from others. While reading the book, I was conflicted about who was good and who was bad. While that was most likely intentional, it had me reflecting on the topic of war and how it really is about the ego of kings (those in power)… and how the narratives of people impacted by war are shaped. This was such a great book, thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

"Here I am, once again. I'm torn into pieces. Can't deny it, can't pretend. Just thought you were the one". I like to think that Kelly Clarkson wrote that lyric specifically for me because that was how I felt upon reading this story.

Now I've been reading Ann Liang's books since her debut novel and she has managed to capture my interest synopsis by synopsis. I don't know what the author injects in her summaries but they always sound interesting.

The synopsis in this case, reminds me of icing on a very poor and sad cake.

Whilst I have to credit Ann Liang for having some of the best plots, the execution is sadly not the best. I think Liang has a long way to go in tightening her writing and bringing her story to life. Disappointingly, they always remain one-dimensional and this was no exception.

My first Ann Liang book, and certainly not going to be my last!

Xishi is a figure I know well from my own childhood, when I went to see a stage performance of this classic Chinese tale in Beijing. At the time, I was too young to understand the politics that ignited the tragedy that would unfold upon the stage, but I was nevertheless left haunted in its wake. Now, in revisiting this story as an adult, I’m fascinated by how Liang has retold Xishi’s tale with such a focus on the human element of war. Did she succeed in capturing that emotional damage? Sure did!

With the focus on Xishi and her relationships with the people around her, Liang urges her reader to consider what ends justify the means. What is justice, when you can see what suffering both sides endure? What lies must you tell yourself to carry out your goals?

Everyone in this book is complicated, which did make things super compelling, and I loved all of the storytelling choices Liang made. I had to stop and take a breather during the climax of the story because I was just a mess of emotions. Kudos also for the beautiful writing. I’d definitely consider rereading this one someday to relive some of those lines.

I absolutely loved this! The story and characters captured my attention right away, and I did not want to put the book down. I love how morally grey all the characters were. There were truly no good guys/bad guys. The author did such an amazing job with every character and making me feel for them.

The ending broke my heart in two. It was shocking, and I didn’t see it coming.

Overall, this is an amazing book. This will probably be one of my favorite reads of 2024.

4.5 stars Beautiful writing. I did struggle with the relationship dynamics a bit, but as I look back after finishing, it fits together nicely. Ending is really fitting of a Chinese drama. (Loved the Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms reference.)