Ann Liang's <i>A Song to Drown Rivers</i> has so much potential. The story is good; it is clear Liang's vision of the characters is clears; the setting is, theoretically, quite promising. However, the world building just isn't quite there and it throws the pacing off from the jump. It ends up feeling like the work of a much less mature/experience author.

A Song to Drown Rivers is a tragic love story that has some unexpected twists that will leave you reeling. The story was beautifully written with a unique story; however, the relationship among the characters does fall flat at time. I wish there would have been more development between the main love interests’ relationship. The relationship has a great start, but kind of fizzles out during his absence for most of the book. Also, there could have been more depth to the characters as well. Oftentimes, they were written with this one dimensional almost robotic feel. Although this is a beautifully written story that provides moments you do not always see coming, there are elements of it that could be improved to truly make it a great story. Overall, I would recommend this to readers who want a quick, romantic read with a more young adult feel to it.

I loved this so much. To be honest I didn't know what to expect going into it. But I loved the characters and the plot was perfect!

Based on a legend, this fantasy story is multifaceted and entertaining. Xishi is a woman known for her beauty but also demonstrates intelligence, quick thinking, passion and loyalty. She persists in her role as a spy against the enemy of her people in spite of the odds against her. I really enjoyed the personality of Xishi and felt like the author did a great job with development of her character. She faced impossible situations but found ways to fulfill her role. Of course, the relationship between her and the king was unrealistic but the book is a fantasy and I found Xishi’s vacillation between tenderness and hatred towards the king really added depth to the story. This book really delivered with strong female characters who used both wit and strength to help defeat the enemy. The tragic love story between Xishi and Fanli added another dimension but did not make it an overwhelming romance novel.

This book was a lot different than I was expecting it to be, so I needed to take some time to digest it before reading. I loved that it was relatively easy to follow, making it very approachable, which isn’t always the case for me with fantasy or historical reads. The beginning hooked me, the middle had me feeling hmmm I dunno about this, but then the end CRUSHED ME (in the best way).

The story was beautiful overall, but at times I wish I had a little more detail or insight into the characters. There were moments where I felt like I really understood them and then there were others where they felt a little flat. However, the story and overall message was stunning and left me thinking it about it for several days after I finished. With this in mind, I settled on 4 stars.

If you’re going into this, know it’s very light on the fantasy in my opinion. I get that it’s not historical fiction exactly, but the fantasy label didn’t feel quite right to me either. It reads like a story that would be passed down from generation to generation though. And I guess in a way it was! I didn’t realize until after I finished the book that it’s based on a classic - the legends of The Four Beauties of Ancient China! I would be interested in hearing the original story.

Overall, I’d recommend this, but I would keep an open mind as a reader! I did a mix of audiobook and ebook.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my eARC! Opinions are all my own.

It is criminal how good this book was. This story took me completely by surprise in the best way. The way my jaw was dropped and hand covering my mouth towards the last half of the book. So many books follow this formula and I swore I had the plot figured out and let me tell you I definitely didn't. I would not consider this to be a fantasy, in only that it is based on chinese mythology about one of the four beauties of ancient china.

This book gave me the plot driven story I have been craving. The journey that Xishi goes on to get revenge for her kingdom is heartbreakingly beautiful. Being a spy and taking down Fuchai's kingdom is not as black and white as it seems. There were characters that I knew I was supposed to hate but I found myself wanting things to still work out for them. I haven't been this blindsided by a book in a while. I don't know if I just read it at the right time or what but I absolutely loved this story.

Overall, this was a good time. I thought the sentence-level writing was solid, but I wish there was more character development. This book covers a long time period in a relatively average amount of pages, but I think we needed more. A little more time in the book would have helped us see the development of Xishi's skills as a spy or her relationship with Fanli. Instead, we're told that they have an incredible connection, but it didn't feel it.

** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Xishi is one of four beauties in Chinese legend said to have changed history. She was sent by the Yue kingdom as a concubine to the Wu kingdom as a gesture of goodwill, but she was actually a spy tasked with distracting the king from his kingdom.

On the surface this is a great story. We have political intrigue, a forbidden love story, lies, deception, all driven by tragedy—as all good revenge plots are. When you take a second to think about it though, there is so much missing. I wanted more from every aspect of this story.

While, yes, this was a retelling/reimagining of the legend of Xishi, there was a lot of opportunity to imagine what she would have thought or felt. A Song to Drown Rivers stays very surface level, simply retelling the legend. Her convictions are never really felt. She wants to sacrifice herself for her kingdom, but we never really FEEL that. We are simply told that. We are told she and Fanli fall in love, and we see glimpses of this but for me, it was never really that deep. Also, her struggle to reconcile the "monsters of Wu" she always thought them to be, with what she actually experiences was hardly touched on.

Overall I just wanted more. There didn't seem to be a single driving force for any character's actions that anchored the story.

Thank you to NetGalley the publisher and author for an Arc of this book for my honest review.

I didn’t know what to expect from A Song to drown Rivers except that it was labeled a romantasy or in some places an epic fantasy. I think due to the labeling I really expected to see some fantasy which besides a minor ghost feature for basically 0.05% of the book there was no fantasy. There were a couple of mentions of a disease in the book which I thought was going to lead to the fantasy but didn’t and honesty I couldn’t tell what the tie in was.

While I read this very very quickly I think for true romantasy and fantasy readers this will not appeal to them but for fans of the author may lead to some like. I haven’t ever read her before so was in it for the fantasy.

This book was really sad so took me a bit to write my review because I needed to process if my dislike was due to the sadness or what exactly kept me from loving it.

The author did a great job of holding my attention and I think developing a passion for some of the characters.

Overall the book fell a little short for me but could see how others would love it.

This book was a gorgeous expression of longing, This was an epic historical fantasy with really great character development. There were political machinations, "spy-craft", and slow-burn romance, all with great storytelling and pace. The ending was devastating yet beautiful and hopeful,

Xishi is a small town girl. She known for her incredible beauty. Fanli is a renowned warrior who works directly for the king. He must find a way to stop their enemies. Fanli finds Xishi and trains her to be the ultimate weapon. Will their plan succeed? What will the cost be?

This is a tough story to review because I don’t want to give away any critical details and I have mixed feelings about the events in the story. So first my issues, using a young, innocent woman as a weapon. I have seen it done in a way that I enjoyed the story and in a way that I hated it. In this book I was torn in my reaction. In some ways she is the best weapon ever created but the cost of her being chosen are too much. I understand the author is giving a clear message about war and it’s costs but this book left me without a hero or clear bad guy. It’s all just grey. That being said, I think that is exactly what the author was trying to do. This is a book set in the past in a cultural setting that I don’t fully understand so it’s very possible that my reaction stems from that.

Now to the details. Fanli trains Xishi to be a concubine. She turns out to be not only very beautiful but also incredibly intelligent. What she isn’t is conniving. She feels every lie she must tell to complete her assignment. Because of her experiences, she changes a lot as a character. I don’t know what type of person she was at the end but she was no longer the small town girl at the beginning. Fanli is depicted as cold and methodical at the beginning and that is true throughout. The author shows his humanity in small ways throughout the story. He made me feel very sad at the end. It felt like he had finally learned what was really important but it was too late. There are lots of other characters. Fuchai is a man not yet ready to be king and he knows it but he is king anyway. Of all the characters, I felt most bad for him. He is used and abused by everyone so all he knows if how to treat people that way. By the end, I didn’t even care that he was the enemy because absolutely no one wins in this story because it’s all about war and it’s consequences.

I am going to rate this book based not on whether I liked the story or not but on the quality of the writing. I think the author accomplished creating a world and characters that created emotions in the reader. Will I read more from this author in the future? I’m not sure at this point. It will depend on the book description.

This is a captivating historical fantasy inspired by the legend of Xishi. The story follows Xishi, whose beauty becomes a weapon to infiltrate the enemy court and avenge her sister’s death. Trained by the brilliant strategist Fanli, Xishi faces the dangerous task of seducing the King of Wu while grappling with her growing feelings for Fanli. Liang’s writing is beautifully evocative, weaving together love, sacrifice, and loyalty themes. The characters are complex, and the twists keep you on edge, especially as Xishi’s mission becomes increasingly dangerous. This book is a powerful, emotional journey, blending political intrigue and heartbreak, perfect for those who love myth-inspired historical fiction.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, for this ARC copy. I am so grateful to have had the chance to read this book.

Oh my goodness, this quickly became one of my top reads of the year. The only reason I gave it 4 stars inches of 5 is because I wish the ending had been somewhat happier, and I felt like it was a little bit fast-paced and wish we had more of the actual training and time together before she went to the King.

This book was so beautifully written, I couldn’t find a single fault with it. Usually I find something little that bugs me about the writing - choppy sentences, weird descriptions, using certain words to describe things - but this book was absolute perfection.

I quickly became hooked on the story and found that I couldn’t put it down. I typically fall asleep before 10 pm because I’m up very early in the morning, but this book kept me reading until almost midnight every night. I quite literally fell asleep with the book in my hands because I couldn’t put it down.

The story was so wonderful, and I loved the characters. I wish we had gotten more of the training, and more time with certain characters. I do feel like it was a little bit fast paced because there were some time jumps. But I truly loved every bit of this book, and ended up buying a physical copy so I can read it over and over, and make my sisters read it too,

I definitely want to read more by this author. Her writing and storytelling captured me so completely, it brought me out of a weeks-long book slump.

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. The writing was beautiful. But the characters, the supporting characters the romance everything fell flat for me. Idk maybe this just wasn't for me. But I'll still recommend this book because I know a lot of people will enjoy.

“I promise… As soon as this ends, I’ll come find you, and we’ll sail the world together and live somewhere far from here, someplace we can be truly alone. And if my promise breaks…. Then let me suffer for as long as I live.”

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the gifted ALC!

Meet one of my favorite books of the year. This one blew me away.

Ann Liang’s writing is gorgeous and lush. The tension and longing she writes into Xishi’s story made my heart ache. And while I wasn’t familiar with the legend of Xishi, I just had a feeling that this one was going to wreck me…. And it did. I’m still not emotionally recovered.

A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS is set in ancient China with two warring kingdoms. Xishi is recruited to become a concubine for the enemy’s king and also the spy who will hopefully lead to his ruination. While Xishi and Fanli have major forbidden love vibes, Xishi and Fuchi have “I’m going to destroy you” and “I’ll let you” vibes.

While this one is being marketed as a fantasy, there aren’t really any magical elements to it but there is the tiniest bit of the paranormal (kind of). That’s all I’ll say without giving anything away.
If you love tragic love stories, spy stories and books with beautiful writing, pick this one up!

A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS is out now!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6210005339
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAqs2FnPGvt/?img_index=1

4.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
It's not usually my type of book but I absolutely devoured it. The vibe was really enjoyable and the imaginery was gorgeous. Some of the scenes were so easy to see in my head and they were beautiful.
The writing style of the author was also amazing.

I loved the characters, even the background ones that we didn't see at lot. Xishi is absolutely my favorite. She was using what she had for what she needed to do very well. I wish we could have seen Fanli more. He was great but I just wished we had 10 to 15 pages additional to understand their relationship and feel as deeply as the characters but fortunately, their little moments were very adorable and made me swoon.
I felt very bad for the other main character. I wish that we could have seen more of his supposed cruelty because it didn't really feel this way. I only felt his loneliness which was a bit heartbreaking with what happen at the end.

Thank you again for the ARC. I can't wait to buy the book to read it again !

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

“Before the journey down the rivers, before the king’s blood stained my hands, before the kingdom fell. When everything still felt like a story, a romantic myth. When we were together and the air was warm and nothing hurt.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First off, thank you @stmartinspress for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Song to Drown Rivers is a stand alone epic fantasy, inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China.

I thoroughly enjoyed the aspects of this legend that were woven into the story and thought that Liang did a fantastic job. If you have been here a while you know that I love folk story retellings. While this is just inspired by the legend, and not a full retelling, I do think Liang did a great job of paying homage to Xishi while also making the story her own.

One of my favourite parts of the novel was experiencing the character development of Xishi while she navigated a difficult situation that creates a battle between complex emotions and morals. And the concept of pure “good” vs “evil” that arises from that exploration.

I would have liked a little bit more in regard to world and political building but I do think a lot of people would enjoy the balance that is portrayed in the book.

Now for my feelings on the ending. They are…complicated. I actually really loved how the book ended but felt it dragged on way too long. Without giving too much away, I think it should have been cut at a certain point with a one page epilogue outlining the very last scenario we were given. This would have made the ending more impactful, instead of dragging. But that’s just my opinion.

Over all, I think this is a great read for those who enjoy epic fantasy “light”. Where there is a dash of world building and political intrigue, but it is simple and easy to grasp.

📘: A Song to Drown Rivers- a standalone

✍️ By: Ann Liang-new to me author

eBook 327 pages

🗓️ Publication Date: 10-1-24 | Read: 10-9-24

Genre: Historical Fantasy/Fic, Romance, Mythology

Tropes: slow burn, Chinese lore, military/political intrigue

🙏🏾 Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Ann Liang for this ARC💛! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

🌏Setting: Kingdoms of Yue and Wu

⚠️ TW: misogyny, death of sibling-h, grief, beating-H

POV: 1st person, single

💭 Summary 💭: Xishi is a renowned beauty in her village found by military advisor Fanli to save their Yue kingdom. He offers to train her to betray and avenge the enemy Wu kingdom by becoming King Fuchai's concubine. Along with Xishi another village girl, Zhengdan, will become a palace lady and protect Xishi in her duty.

🚺Heroine: Xishi- 20, a beautiful Yue village girl tasked w/ infiltrating the Wu kingdom as a spy posing as the King's new concubine.

🚺 Hero-Fanli-22, a military advisor to King Goujian of Yue who enlists Xishi to save their kingdom. He offers to train her to conceal her emotions, fight with swords, and seduce the Wu King.

🎭Side Characters

-Zhengdan- beautiful village girl from Yue who agrees to become a palace lady rather than marry an old man her mother arranged for her. She protects Xishi when they arrive at Wu. Self-taught in sword play. Her father was killed by Wu General Ma.

-King Fuchai- ruler of Wu

-King Goujian-ruler of Yue

-Wu Zixu-minister to King Fuchai

-General Ma-killed Zhengdan's father, cruel

-Susu-Xishi's little sister killed by a Wu soldier.

-Luyi-a guard Fanli met when he was 15 and trained in combat.


🤔 My Thoughts: Xishi was a strong heroine I rooted for. Her and Fanli pined for each other but chose duty over their love. I enjoyed the morally grey "bad guy" who didn't behavior as harsh as Xishi thought. He treated Xishi with respect even allowed her to listen in on military strategy meetings. Fanli suffered at King Fuchai's hands by being beaten, stabbed, and tortured emotionally.


😭: Emotion 4/5
❤️: Couple 4/5
⭐️: Rating 4/5

A Song to Drown Rivers is a standalone story inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China. Xishi is an exceptional beauty who is plucked from her village and trained by the advisor to the king. She is then sent into a neighboring kingdom with the mission to bring them down from the inside.

I feel as though this is a book that was mismarketed. That is part of the reason for why I didn't like this one as much as I hoped, but this is also an example of a book I should have DNFd. I was probably sitting at a 3 or 3.5 until the end. I was hopeful that it would get better, but overall, it just really killed this one for me.

So to start with the mismarketing. This one is marketed as a romantasy, and it has very little romance and even less fantastical elements. It really read like historical fiction with the names of the kingdoms changed. The writing was very flowery and pretty. There were moments that I think I would have really reveled in the descriptions, but I feel like the audiobook did not do those moments justice. And I love the idea of this story. It's a fascinating premise, but I just didn't love the execution.

I was intrigued to see where it was going to go, and I continued to turn the pages. For the majority of the book, I was thinking that it wasn't bad, but that I also wasn't loving it. The characters all read very flat and two dimensional. And the biggest issue for me was that we were told things and then shown something very different. There were so many moments when I was smacking my forehead and yelling at the audiobook because Xishi was doing something so painfully stupid. And we are told that she was turned into this fantastic tactician who is so cunning and wily and smart. And then all I saw over and over again after the 20-30% mark was that she was making really dumb decisions and mistakes. I am not going to go into them all for the sake of spoilers, but I was super irritated by some of them. There were moments when she would think to herself "oh, I'll have to be careful because this could be bad in the future" and then completely forget about it and be shocked when it came back around.

I think that part of the reason the characters felt so thin though was the way that the plot moved along. I think we covered probably 5ish years in the span of the book. However, there are big time jumps that aren't really called out. So it's hard to say. But basically we are just sort of told a lot of things that have happened and get to see very little, considering how much time passes.

The other big issue for me is the "romance." She spends 10 weeks with this super handsome advisor and falls completely and madly in love with him, and then proceeds to mourn him for the next 5 years. There was never anything between them but attraction - nothing happened, and no words were exchanged on the subject. It was super unbelievable to me. Especially considering her relationship with the Wu king. Supposedly there also was nothing physical really that ever happened there, but she manipulated him into falling in love with her, all while remaining completely aloof. I felt like it was always going to take a turn into enemies to lovers territory or that there would be some sort of a love triangle, but no. It felt icky to me because I feel like his personality and past and motivations were the most well-developed (even though they were still pretty flat), and I didn't like that he was being manipulated into ruin the whole time.

And then the ending happened, and I just could not deal with it. All the pieces that irked me in the first 80% were really amplified in the last 20%. All the characters were making terribly stupid decisions, Xishi and Fanli making some of the worst ones. And the end was supposed to be tragic and beautiful, but I was just so frustrated with how all these people I was told were the most intelligent ever were handling things that I couldn't bring myself to care. I also kept waiting for some of the themes to be explored further. It felt like we were picking up the idea of good and evil in war, the experience of the kingdom versus that of the kings, womanhood and how that was viewed, and some others, but we never really did more than scratch the surface. And the fantastical element only showed up at the very end.

I ranted about this one to my husband for a while, and I could go on, but I don't want to go into spoilers. And overall, this just confirmed for me that I should have trusted my gut and DNFd it. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.75 stars

Based on the legend of Xishi, A Song to Drown Rivers explores war, romance, and womanhood. I am not familiar with Xishi's legend, so this was all new for me! Initially I was unsure if this book was for me, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I think Liang's writing is beautiful - she has incredible prose and really can describe emotions and feelings in such unique ways, and was definitely what I enjoyed the most about this book. I wish we could have spent more time on the page exploring Fanli and Xishi's relationship, it would have made a lot of the tension throughout the rest of the book hit a LOT harder and would have propelled this into a fantastic book for me!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.