Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
A Song to Drown Rivers was such a devastating and beautiful story! I was not expecting this book to make me cry.

The story follows Xishi as she leaves her village to infiltrate the enemy kingdom of Wu as a concubine to the king. Xishi’s beauty draws the attention of Fanli, military advisor of the Yue Kingdom, who wants to use her as a weapon. For weeks she is trained in the art of deception, but soon enough it’s time for her to venture into the enemy court.

Xishi is such a compelling character and we see her repeatedly sacrifice happiness for duty. Throughout the novel she learns how to turn her beauty into a weapon, how to charm and manipulate with her words. She longs to return home but knows she’s destined to alter history. There’s forbidden love, betrayal, and sacrifice- not to mention the book is beautifully written. I will be thinking about that ending for a long time. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance reader copy!

Book: A Song to Drown Rivers
Rating: Ann Liang
Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for sending me an ARC. Prior to being an ARC, I had not hard of this title. Sometimes that is the best way to go into a book because you end up being surprised and that is the case with this one.

This one is based on the Four Beauties of Ancient China. We follow Xishi, who is very beautiful. She lives in a village with her parents. She used to have a younger sister, who was killed the Wu-the Yue’s greatest enemy. Her beauty is a blessing to everyone around her. When she is given the chance to use her beauty as a weapon, she takes it. She is trained by Fanli to make the Wu king fall in love with her and the right time, find a way for the Yue to strike. She is trained in everything from keeping her emotions to using a blade. When she arrives, she knows the Wu are watching her every movement-even the king. The king has developed for her, but she cannot let her guard down. She cannot allow herself to be strayed from her mission. If she is caught, it will end up costing her more than just her life.

I was pulled into the story pretty early on. You are taken into the world and taken into all of the suffering. We see both sides judging each other and pointing fingers. They all view the other side as being monsters and something that needs to be taken down. It can make it hard, at times, to see who is telling the truth and who is not. We only get Xishi’s views on things, but we see some of her interactions with the Wu. Some of the hatred is very much justified, but some of it is not. For example, in the market (I think that is where the encounter happens), she is talking to someone and calls all Wu’s monsters. The person she is talking about says that she is Wu and asks if she is a monster. It makes Xishi think. It also makes the reader think.

I loved Xishi’s character. She is the type of character that you cannot help but to fall in love with. She doesn’t stray from her mission. Everything she does is because of the mission. She plays her part well. She doesn’t let her emotions get the best of her. It’s been a while since I have read a book with a character who is this focused and driven about what they are doing. She gives up a lot for what she is doing, but never complains. It is through her that we see that something like war is not black and white. It costs so much and both sides feel the effects of it.

The other characters are well done too. Even thought the book is under four hundred, we are given the chance to get to know all of our characters. Even though this is told in first person, I feel like all of the characters were given a chance to have their own voices and be their own characters.

The writing is what brings everything together. Ann weaves this tale in way that makes it hard to leave. There is so much packed in this book too, but everything feels balanced and well put together. Not once did I feel like we were getting the shortened version of everything or that things were rushed. Everything progresses in a way that feels natural and just right. I guess that is what I am getting it-everything felt right.

Overall, I did really enjoy this one a lot.

This book comes out on October 8, 2024.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/aUYb6BeBS_Y

This is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking stories that I have ever read.

Xishi is the most beautiful woman in her kingdom and she is selected to seduce their conquerors and get revenge for her kingdom. Fanli is the deposed kings trusted advisor in charge of training Xishi for her dangerous mission and ensuring she has the skills she needs to succeed.

This story is beautifully written and heartwrenching. I don't know that I will ever get over this book.

OH MY GOD! I loved this book so much that I want to buy a physical copy. I was haunting and beautiful. I wish I could re-read it for the first time again. Like I said, I will be buying the physical copy!!

Utterly original, I wanted to start it over immediately upon finishing.

Extensive review to come need to marinate on this.

I AM COMPLETELY WRECKED BY THAT ENDING OH MY GOD 😭😭 this story was so beautiful, it was nonstop intrigue. The characters were exceptional, the plot was plotting and the ending had me sobbing! All the stars!!!

I went into this book without knowing at all what to expect. It is heartbreakingly beautiful in its story and it's message. The ending is unlike any other l've experienced, but I found so much peace in it.
The political intrigue makes it such that you as a reader never know whom to trust. The book is short but makes its point incredibly well.
Those who love Asian settings and culture in their reads will find this a perfect fit.
This reads along the same lines of The Lies of the Ajungo for me.
The main character's experiences drive home the themes without a need for elaborate world building or intense character arcs. I love this and cannot wait to have a physical copy on my shelf.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an eArc of this title.

Good grief, I thought Abby Jimenez could make me cry in a novel but this one WRECKED me. There should be a a warning on the cover of this book!

when I tell y’all I violently sobbed at the last 100 pages of this book, oh my god. This was one of the most beautifully written books I have read in a long time. I did not want it to end. I am still crying thinking about it. I am in shock ❤️‍🩹 *Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC for this book*

"The mind destroys, the heart devours..."

"A Song to Drown Rivers" is an apt title for a novel that left me brokenhearted. The story takes place in the Kingdom of Yue, where we meet Xishi, a woman whose beauty rivals nature. Xishi is assigned the task of avenging the people of her nation against the Kingdom of Wu, ruled by King Fuchai. To achieve this, Xishi must seduce King Fuchai and infiltrate the palace forces while under the gaze of the king's watchful advisors.

Fanli, the military advisor to King Goujian of the Yue Kingdom, trains Xishi to use her beauty as a weapon of destruction while they both struggle to ignore their feelings for each other. Once she enters Wu court, Xishi must ensure there is no discovery of her traitorous behaviour.

Ann Liang took me by surprise with this one. I recently read "If You Could See the Sun," which was an average read for me - I found it too YA. I am glad I gave "A Song to Drown Rivers" a chance because it made up for everything lacking in my previous read.

There were well-rounded characters, and the storyline was well-developed. The ending of the novel stunned me. I was not expecting the ending that I got. It left me so sad because I wanted a different outcome.

Xishi displayed extensive courage! I would not have been able to do what she did and still have hope for a fulfilling life.

Fanli endured! He knows what it means to have a poker face amid adversity.

King Fuchai became one of my favourite characters. I developed a strong liking for him and also wished things had turned out differently.

Overall, A Song to Drown Rivers is a well-written novel highlighting the meaning of sacrifice and love.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Initially, I had mixed feelings about the premise, but boy, did it surprise me! Ann took me on an incredible journey filled with romance, suspense, and moments that kept me guessing till the end. The story wasn't anything I expected, and I mean that in the best way possible!

While some may label this as a love triangle, I found the dynamics between the characters to be much more nuanced than that. The complex relationship between Xishi and Fuchai was expertly crafted, with the author skillfully revealing Fuchai's redeeming qualities without diminishing Xishi's agency. I found myself unexpectedly rooting for Fuchai, despite knowing Xishi's feelings, and that's a testament to the author's talent in crafting characters that feel so real.

The simplicity of the writing style made the story incredibly easy to follow, and the fast-paced narrative kept me turning pages like there was no tomorrow. It served as the perfect palate cleanser after finishing a lengthy series.

This is undoubtedly a book that will stay with me long after I've finished. It's a story that demands to be owned and revisited time and time again. Upon completing the book, I went ahead and pre-ordered it immediately. I'm immensely grateful to Netgalley for providing the opportunity to read this gem in advance.

Absolutely loved this book, 10 stars! Based on a Chinese legend, it's the story of Xishi, a beautiful young woman in a backwater village which has been destroyed by a nearby enemy kingdom. When Xishi is approached by a mysterious handsome stranger, Fanli, who asks her to spy on the enemy kingdom, Xishi sees it as an opportunity to bring down the enemy kingdom and avenge her sister's murder. Xishi is gifted to the king as a bride, Xishi's task is to essentially seduce him. But as Xishi comes to know him, she's less certain about her task. And as she gets more into her training with Fanli, her feelings for him begin to interfere as well. Is the king as evil as she has heard? Will it really make a difference if he's gone?

Beautifully written, with wonderful characters, A Song to Drown Rivers will grab you from the very first pages to the surprising end!

Wow. I am left speechless and sobbing.

I could not book this book down, instantly I was drawn in and did not want to stop reading. When I did have to put it down, it was all I could think about. The world, the writing, the storytelling…it was all amazing.

This is such an incredible and well written book. I never expected the ending, and I was left sobbing. I am going to be up all night thinking of this book and the characters. I was lucky enough to read an ARC of this book but will be pre-ordering so I can have one of the beautiful limited edition copies for my collection.

This is the first book in a long time that has brought me to tears and left me shocked. This is one of those books that I wish I could re-read for the first time. Once the shock wears off I think I will reread this one soon.

St. Martin's Press provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own. Publication date is set for October 1, 2024.

This book is beautifully written and for a while that was enough for me to thoroughly enjoy it, but some pacing issues start making themselves clear by the halfway point. The plot is extremely slow to get off the ground, which isn't always a problem - except the characters are also relatively thin and the love interest is quickly shuffled away by the story, so no new developments are coming in on that front, either. I think that some filler could have been removed and the court politics increased to make this a much more enjoyable read, but unfortunately my experience with it was that it's pretty but insubstantial.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this early!

Just...wow. From beginning to end, this book absolutely shattered my heart. It was beautiful and tragic in the best way, and I'm so grateful I got to experience this story. The author did an amazing job here!

This book is phenomenal. Lushly detailed, poetically written, both sweepingly epic and heartbreakingly intimate. The details were so vivid I could see them in my mind, and the characters were nuanced, sympathetic, and complex (even Fuchai, who I liked way more than I probably should have). I cried my eyes out at the end. This is a gorgeous book and I will be recommending it to everyone.

I see pining plus gorgeous writing and I’m a goner. This book had that and a rich tapestry of a story that sucked me in immediately and never let me go.

The plot revolves around Xishi, who is so beautiful that she is enlisted by the emperor and his advisory to seduce his enemy and her peoples’ political oppressor.

Even though this story leans more romantic, it is surpassingly adept in its descriptions and portrayal of political alliances and consequences.

This is a gorgeous book. I recommend going in knowing as little as possible.

first of all i would like to thank netgalley and st martin’s press so so so much for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. ann liang is one of my favourite authors and i honestly thought i was dreaming when i got the notification saying my request was approved :’)

this book destroyed me. ann did an incredible job with crafting an immensely captivating storyline and characters. she struck such a fine balance between plot and character development, and one of the things that struck me most was the torment xishi was going through. i think it added so much to the reading experience and made me feel the pain and struggle of the characters. obviously i can’t give any spoilers but just know that i am dying to express my thoughts and feelings about certain characters and plotlines.

one word to describe this entire book: bittersweet.

i can’t wait for everyone to experience reading this when it’s out in october. i was so invested and i loved it beyond words. 5 stars.

note: i will be adding to my review after the book is released because i don’t want to risk anyone getting spoiled!

A Song to Drown Rivers
By Ann Liang

4.75/5 stars

First, I want to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. I was drawn in by the cover and the initial book blurb, and in the end blown away by the quality of writing and enfolding tale.

You discover early on that this is a retelling by Xishi, our main protagonist. It’s a recollection of a specific 5-ish years. It’s given away, along with some foreshadowing, with statements such as “if I’d known then”, etc. I imagined one of three scenarios for when this was being retold: 1. She was living an inconspicuous life and finally telling the tale of these fantastical events; 2. There was a twist of events and she had come into a place of power, or 3. She was in exile recalling how that came to be. And none of those were correct. The ending is much, much stranger. But I’ll get to that in a minute.

This was a grim but beautiful story. I knew early on that whatever end lay before us it would break my heart, but I couldn’t stop. The short of it is that this is a historical fiction, a tale of political espionage by a village woman turned concubine for the enemy court. It was devastating and heartbreaking, but one where it’s hard to look away.

I appreciated the reality of it all – we didn’t get a sugar-coated story where there really couldn’t be one. War is ugly, and as a central part of taking down a kingdom, Xishi’s own tale could not be expected to be other than it is. And because of that, loved it even more. In the end, I was happy to see Xishi be so conflicted, and recognize her own part in the devastation.

The writing was superb. I lived the world, learned the rules of the court, saw each swish of the robes, and admired the lanterns hung for the banquets. It was mystical without there being magic. I loved the immersion into these foreign lands.

We had several strong female characters, each clever and deadly in their own ways. We have a forbidden love with a high official, Fanli, but this was not a romance. At least not in the typical sense. It was admiration and longing from the edges. A pull and push that carried over years, and though it fed into the tension of the story, I did not feel it was the main plot. The main plot was complicated, but direct. There was one goal – capture the Wue King’s eye and heart - just challenges achieving it. And in the end Xishi’s wins…but at what cost?

This story was a 5 star at the 32% mark, the 68%, and up until the very end – right up until Xishi received official news that she had completed her mission. Unfortunately, the last few chapters from that point on felt like a completely different novel. I felt it got lost.

Don’t get me wrong. As I stated previously, I knew early on, while Xishi was receiving her initial training, that this was a tale of tragedy. I even correctly assumed who would be lost first. So, I’m not looking for or expecting a happy ending. However, I was looking for something more in line with the tale and motivations of the characters.

To be honest, from what we learn in the tale, including the current ending, I don’t feel that the King of Yue would have acted so direct and swiftly in the case of Xishi. She wasn’t a Wu turned traitor. She was a symbol. Even his soldiers knew who she was, and she was celebrated back home. I feel he would have paraded her for a while, the perfect propaganda and distraction. War is ugly but she was beautiful.

I feel it would have made more sense if he had gone after her later, and possibly through an order to Fanli, a test of his loyalty. And at that point we could have a change of point of view…instead of what we got.

The end as it is written really is just too odd. It turned historical fiction into a fantasy – maybe magical realism. It really was strange, and for that dropped my overall rating.

I still recommend this book. I’m sure there are plenty of others who will say the same. It was powerful and splendid writing. I loved the time period, the setting, and the characters. And would possibly read it again at some point.

A heartbreaking tale painting the pain and sacrifice women endure for those they love, be it family, lovers, or their own country. An absolutely amazing historical fantasy retelling akin to Song Of Achilles.
4.5 stars