Intense, atmospheric, and emotional. This book was SO GOOD. One of the best I've read this year. I pre-ordered it and can't wait to get my copy and re-read it. The writing was just gorgeous and from the very first lines I was hooked. I'm not sure how Ms. Liang did it, but the chemistry and energy between all these characters was palpable in even the smallest of exchanges. The story did not go the way I was expecting and I was pleasantly surprised by that even as I shed a few tears at the end. An excellent book all around. Highly recommend.

While I rarely venture into the fantasy genre, "A Song to Drown Rivers" pulled me in with its basis in Chinese history - and I blazed through this novel in less than a weekend.

Inspired by the story of Xi Shi (西施), one of four Great Beauties of China, the novel takes on her first person perspective growing up in Zhuji, a small village in the kingdom of Yue. From a young age, she has known to fear their enemy kingdom Wu, especially having witnessed the death of her younger sister at the hands of the Wu soldiers. An unexpected encounter with a mysterious swordsman leads to her inclusion into a dangerous scheme, one that will put both her and her childhood friend Zhengdan in the middle of enemy territory, as a gifted concubine to the Wu emperor Fuchai. She and Zhengdan are trained in secret by Fanli, the Yue emperor's military advisor, in order to succeed in their task - but as time progresses, it becomes harder for Xi Shi to deny her true feelings.

From the first page, the writing was enthralling and spell-binding, transporting me to the early years of China and crafting a strong and multi-layered protagonist. Xi Shi has been told all her life that she is beautiful - a trait that causes her frustration and annoyance as she realizes that little else about her matters. Her loyalty to her kingdom as well as her desire to help are finally put to use when she's presented with an opportunity to change the course of history, and that remains the core of all her following actions. The storytelling is sublime, with rich descriptions of the setting and environments, deeply emotional movements, and a steady and controlled pacing throughout. While there are elements of romance threaded throughout this novel, it didn't feel front-and-center, which I appreciated as well.

Very much a recommended read when "A Song to Drown Rivers" is published in October 2024!

A normal (yet exceptionally beautiful) young woman called Xishi is recruited by her country's top advisor to become an insurgent spy. Her country, Yu, has been under occupation by their neighboring country, Wu, and she and her people have been suffering under an oppressive regime for over a decade. Xishi hates the Wu for the terror they have wrought through the years of their violent colonization and hesitantly agrees to become spy. She is trained to become the perfect courtesan and beguile the Wu king into falling madly in love with her. Xishi gives up everything to begin her mission: her family, her autonomy, her free will, her loved ones. As an insurgent courtesan, Xishi goes as far as to sacrifice her identity for the greater good of her people. Will her efforts be enough, or will she remain locked in her purgatory and damn both kingdoms forevermore?

This book includes:
- use of feminine wiles towards a greater goal
- extreme yearning
- sacrifice for the greater good, regardless of the person cost
- strength in the face of devastation
- intelligent FMC with a high EQ
- an exploration of humanity vs conflict

This book is PHENOMENAL! I can't stop thinking about "A Song to Drown Rivers." This story is so expertly crafted with gorgeous prose and a deep exploration into Xishi's complex inner world. Her character is so well written and I felt the impact of each of the devastating decisions she was forced to make like I was making them myself. I was on the edge of my seat for every single page of the book, and the end left me sobbing.

If you like the way "A Song of Achilles" left you feeling, you will love this book. If you love complicated female heros, you will love this book. If you enjoy explorations into the humanity of one's enemy, you will looooooove this book. Lastly, if you're a fan of "To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods," this book is also for you.

I received this ebook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Ann Liang, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads - check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863

OH MY HEART!

This will be short, since there's still several months before release and I will spoil things if I try to talk about what I most want to.

The writing quality is a woven tapestry of such high caliber, it becomes another palpable thing in each room, in each scene, a breath of life that burnishes each piece of jade, each shining blade, each sweep of hair across a shoulder, every bird call, and scrape of a leaf along a wet stone pathway.

Know this, going in. It will rend your heart. You might even remember in yourself the echoes of the eons of time your soul has lived and learned. Of all the characters in the book, it's war and revenge, fate and folly, unembodied but visceral, that call out the loudest to be seen and understood.

Very recommended.

OMG!! I really enjoyed this book it got me out of a book slump. My heart is now shattered for this book. I really enjoyed the writing and the story being told.

I loved this Adult debut from Ann Liang.

It's definitely an ode to the historical wuxia type worlds from China and all the lovely tropes and angsty narratives that come from them. The prose is lush and the plot leans heavily towards dramatics. It's a quick read with every scene progression an escalation in tension.

I loved the structure of the story, with there still being plenty of room for story after what many would consider the climax. Giving space and including the fallout as part of the structure is very different from typical western structure and I love to see it.

I hesitate to call it fantasy, there's no magic, but I get why the label is there.

Would recommend for fans of quick historical fantasy, light political machinations, and telenova type drama. It would be a good step for a young adult reader looking to dip their toes into the adult space.

Can't wait for more from the author!

This story was a different than what I'm used to. The ending was so unexpected and sad. I really liked it a little slow at some points but all and all a good book.

i don't know guys. i'm a huge fan of ann liang's other books but this just wasn't for me. i didn't care for either of the two characters or the fantasy aspects. i'm still gonna read anything she writes though.

This was a great read for me. I really enjoy retellings for folklore and mythology and this book was not a disappointment. I'd never read anything by Ann Liang previously and was in for a treat. Liang's writing is beautiful and elevated. The plot itself was also a joy. I loved the care Liang put into building the world and developing the characters and their relationships. Would recommend!

I expected something else from this book, but the outcome was quite pleasant, too. The writing, in particular, was a really good surprise. If you love lyrical prose, then this book is for you, with vivid images and a captivating storytelling style that transports you to another realm with every turn of the page. It was my first novel by Ann Liang, but I’ll make sure to check out what else she’s written. Thank you, NetGalley for that nice literary discovery.

I like retellings of myths and folktales, so I have a bit of bias, but A Song to Drown Rivers is a beautiful story that really touched my heart. The protagonist, and narrator since the story is told in first person, is plucked from her village and trained as a spy. It is not unusual even in modern spy and espionage stories for the agent to develop feelings for their mark or for the handler, and Xishi's emotions seem so earnest and even relatable. The characters all have a depth that comes off the two-dimensional page to breath life into the tale and transport the reader to a different time and place. The story unfolds at a good pace and ends in a poetic way, perhaps not the ending that some may hope for but one that fits with the story. I recommend this read to anyone who likes a lightly romantic fantasy or folktale. I am hoping that the author continues to gift us with retellings of the tales for other three of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China.
I received advanced access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

i have so many great things to say about this book and characters and also ann liang in general. however, i am participating in the st martin press boycott and until they speak up, i will not promote their books on my public accounts. i should have checked before requesting. ann liang is on my favorite authors and her previous book while are different genre were not with smp, this was an assumption i falsely made.

This was my first Ann Liang read and I'm currently scrambling to get my hands on her backlog.

Rating: Infinite stars, just absolutely incredibly perfect. *chefs kiss*

"The mind destroys; the heart devours."

"One could live with almost anything, so long as they had something to live for."

"What is home, if not you?"

"History seemed to be holding its breath, gazing down upon us."

Ugh the WRITING in this book - to keep spoilers at bay I won't share ALL of my quotes I loved but just know that the list is ENDLESS!! I left soooo many annotations in NetGalley. I WISH this was a physical copy, I would've tabbed like every page lol. It wasn't just the quotes from characters that had my heart swooning but the world building and description in this book was so poetic and beautiful, I ATE IT UP.

A Song to Drown Rivers is an incredible retelling/spin on one of the 4 Beauties of China, Xishi. Xishi's allure becomes a strategic tool when she's recruited by military advisor Fanli to infiltrate a rival kingdom. Trained meticulously, she navigates palace politics and the king's affections while grappling with her growing connection to Fanli. As tension mounts and risks escalate, Xishi must tread carefully to achieve her mission without jeopardizing both kingdoms. I found this book so incredibly fascinating as I love diving into Chinese culture and reading about things so different from my own life and culture. From the Red Thread of Fate to the Yellow Springs references throughout I was so enthralled and could really feel the depth in which the author truly understands and loves Chinese culture.

If there's one thing about me it's that I LOVE complex character writing and while all of these characters were written this way, Fuchai takes the cake for the morally grey MMC in my opinion. And I will ALWAYS.. ALWAYS fall for the handsome "villain".

I completed this in two sittings, including reading the last 50 pages out loud to my boyfriend because he was so interested in what I was telling him as I went through and then he was upset that he didn't read the entire thing with me hahah. I found this book so hard to put down! I was unaware prior to reading that this book was even based on the legendary Xishi, but boy did I dive into research mode afterwards to learn about everything that I could, along with some of the other Chinese culture references! If you don't know anything about the legend prior, keep it that way and do your research after so that the book has a bigger impact because I was SHOOOOOOK. I ended this book in tears and cannot wait to receive a physical copy so I can experience this beautiful story and emotions all over again!

Thank you to St. Martin's press and Ann Liang for the opportunity to read this ARC on NetGalley!

Words can’t describe how much I loved this book!! Despite being an avid fan of all books written by Ann Liang, I tried to let go of my bias when going into this book, and yet still ended up loving it. I find it so charming that it’s based on the legend of Xishi, one of China’s four great beauties who was also said to be the most beautiful among them. As someone who is Chinese, I absolutely loved Ann Liang’s take on this legend and how she portrayed the historical China of the legend. All the characters were so so lovable and although I loved Fuchai, I was obsessed with Fanli and Xishi’s relationship. As a fan of historical c-dramas, this book took everything I loved about them, from the world building to the characters, politics, and relationships, and created a wonderful book. The ending absolutely killed me, but as a c-drama fan I was also prepared by similar endings which await couples in these shows. However, it didn’t make the book’s ending much less painful. Every moment of this book was so beautiful and I would definitely recommend everyone check it out!!

I received an ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

A Song to Drown Rivers is a mythological retelling/historical fiction that takes place around 473 BC in Ancient China. It tells the story of Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China, who was trained as a spy to infiltrate the warmongering neighboring kingdom's palace as the king's concubine and use her beauty and wiles to manipulate the king into backing poor decisions.

Ann Liang does an incredible job shaping these characters. By the end of the novel, the lines between villains and heroes are blurred. Nothing is black and white. This is a depressing novel which brings to mind something I've been thinking about over the last few years. Being stunningly beautiful is not necessarily a good thing, it can be a curse.

My only big negative about A Song to Drown Rivers is about the love story between Xishi and Fanli. The readers are told that Xishi's deeply in love with Fanli at a certain point in the book. But we haven't gotten a chance to truly see how that depth of emotion came about between the two characters. There were scenes missing that would allow the readers to buy-in 100% into that love story.

But overall, A Song to Drown Rivers is a fantastic book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The prose is beautiful, the world magical and the characters and tension is just chef's kiss. An all around great romantic historical fantasy.

This was really well written and I found the characters to be very diverse in personality and traits. I liked how complex the characters were in this—especially how Fuchai was written. Going into it I was expecting to dislike him, and while I still didn’t love his character I was able to see the good in him just like Xishi did, which added some conflicting emotions that I found fun in a confusing way.

The plot was great. I liked the court setting and the political aspects, and how we got to read about the inner workings as Xishi got closer with the king.

The ending did surprise me. It’s not everyday that authors decide to write off the main character and while I am upset that Xishi and Fanli didn't have their happy ending, I think it adds an emotional layer to the story.

It isn't the most action-packed story, and to that it caused me to find it slow and some parts, hence the four star rating, but overall I think this is an incredibly well done standalone fantasy.

» 4 stars ᯓ★

➞ ann liang can do no wrong. that's it. that's the review. (jk)

🧸┊the plot: xishi, to put it simply, is beautiful. that one in a million type of beautiful. but that doesn't mean her life is perfect – her sister was killed by the wu when she was younger. so when xishi gets the chance to use her beauty for revenge, she jumps at the opportunity. she trains, ventures into enemy territory, makes progress on her mission. but of course it can't be that simple.

💐┊my thoughts: drugs? it's better than drugs (me talking about ann liang's writing and storytelling and brain in general bc she is a genius and can do literally everything). this concept was so unique and so different that i genuinely didn't know what would happen next at any point. i had guesses, sure, but i feel like romantasies can be really predictable and bland and this just wasn't. it was GOOD. of course there's some romance which .. i won't say anything bc spoilers but i fucking ate it up.

xishi's character was everything and more. i love a strong, tortured, out-for-revenge woman in fantasy books. they hit. her story broke my heart but then she turns around and .. does what she does .. and i'm punching the air rooting for her. like, actually.

➞ i know this review sucks but i can't say what i want to without spoiling the book and i want all of u to feel what i did reading this for the first time so i'll keep my mouth shut for now. better review to come when i reread this and annotate it on release day 🥰

thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an arc!

I was very excited to read this book but, unfortunately, it fell flat for me.
I feel like the pacing was off and it felt rushed and like it drug on at the same time. We jumped from plot point to plot point in a way that didn’t necessarily draw me in. The characters were a little flat and the only relationship that felt fully fleshed out was the one I wasn’t necessarily supposed to be rooting for.

The writing was absolutely beautiful and I definitely see why folks would love this book and are drawn to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

3.5/5

Beautiful writing, flows very nicely and gives a beautiful voice to our main character. The world building was easy to follow and really set the scene for what Xishi goes through while in and out of court.