This book was one of the best books I've read in 2024. The audiobook was fantastic, I loved the narrator. She did a fantastic job. I listened to the entire book while on a solo road trip, and I definitely had moments I was yelling at my car speakers expecting the narrator to listen to me. It's beautifully written and felt like I was listening to a historical C drama. I hated finishing it only because it was so good.

Highly recommend and I definitely want to check out more of this author's work.

A Song to Drown Rivers follows Xishi, who is known in her small village for her exceptional beauty. When she’s approached to go on a mission to seduce the king of an enemy kingdom, she can’t refuse the opportunity to get revenge for the death of her little sister.

The setup of this book felt unique and I enjoyed Xishi’s training sequences and her skills once she entered the Wu palace. Her frustration and anger were so palpable throughout the book and I was always rooting for her to come out on top. I wish the fantasy element of the story had been more prevalent, but I enjoyed the court politics and how the author showcased the costs of war on everyday communities.

The narrator was excellent and I appreciated the help with pronouncing the names of characters and places!

I adored this story. It was incredibly grounded and I loved the ability to explore the human side of villains. The desperation to free themselves of the horror that was the Wu court truly came out. While it was painful, the ending was exactly what the story needed. The women in this story feel like they are alive and living today and the story maintains realistic beats throughout. I've being able to learn more about legends and myths that I did not grow up hearing.

I cannot imagine not enjoying this book. The style was beautiful - articulate and detailed. The characters were whole and rounded, wonderfully real. And the plot itself was beyond words; it was so detailed, covering every aspect of the story without feeling as though it dragged on.

Okay, perhaps I lied because I can imagine why someone might not enjoy the book. Admittedly, it doesn't end how I thought it would, but I do feel that the written ending is better. In fact, I don't think any other ending would have felt so satisfying and complete.

Unfortunately, I have to DNF this at 56%. While the writing was good, the characters are so underdeveloped that I do not care what happens to any of them.

This book was so so beautiful! The writing, mythology, and lore was absolutely perfect. This book was heartbreaking but in the best way. The characters and plot were great to read about and told an amazing story. This is easily one of my favorite books this year!

A Masterpiece of Myth and Emotion
Anna Liang’s A Song to Drown Rivers is a stunning historical fantasy inspired by the legend of Xishi. With lyrical prose and rich world-building, Liang brings to life a tale of beauty, sacrifice, and resilience. The protagonist’s journey is both heart-wrenching and empowering, as she navigates love, duty, and the weight of her destiny.

The romance is tender yet intense, and the intricate blend of history and fantasy creates a world that feels both magical and real. This is a story that stays with you long after the final page.

A song to drown rivers was a delight. this book transported me and made me forget the world. the audio was excellent too.

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang is emotional, intense, and thought-provoking. It weaves together themes of family, culture, and personal identity with a sense of longing and introspection.

I really enjoyed this book, though it was definitely a bit heavier than what I typically read. The story centers around a Chinese-American teenager, Iris, who is grappling with her family's expectations and her own dreams. Iris wants to pursue her love of music, but her parents have a very different path in mind for her. The book beautifully captures the tension between wanting to make your own choices while staying true to your cultural heritage. I appreciated how it explored complex relationships and the pressure of meeting high expectations. It’s a story that stays with you long after you finish reading!

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would despite the overall tragic story this is. I see a lot of criticisms for this book but for my personal experience with this book, I enjoyed it. I thought it was gripping and intense given the task put on our heroine. I know this is inspired by a Chinese legend but I am unfortunately an uneducated white person so I cannot compare it to the original, I will leave that to the experts. I did think this story did well with emphasizing what power a woman could have in the world and how that could be utilized and what happens when one steps out of that strictly enforced barrier. I have read one other book by this author and it was a YA, I feel this author is stronger plot-wise and character arc-wise in her adult space. I was very invested in this and that ending ripped out my heart for sure.

I went into this expecting it to be a bit more fantasy, and when it wasn't, I can't say that I was disappointed given that it really delivered quite well on the intrigue. Most stories that fit into the "spy/infiltration" plots end up having grand revelations of right and wrong, but this book impressed me in that it didn't feel the need to simplify the problems. There were no easy answers. Nothing was diluted.

I do think the story could have potentially been a duology, as more time in the earlier moments to fully grasp the character's view of the world and all that'd been lost would've really made the themes and struggles hit that much harder. Otherwise, though, I thought this was another great book by this author, and look forward to what they write next.

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang is a story inspired by the legend of Xishi. I'm not familiar with the legend it's inspired by so I can't say much about how accurately the legend was portrayed here. But what I can tell you was I had mixed feelings but still overall enjoyed the book. My first problem was I went into this expecting fantasy because that's how it's marketed but there's not a single fantasy element in the entire book. The romance was very insta lust / love which didn't really work for me in this situation. This definitely felt more like a historical fictional novel to me. That and the rather bland plot really took away from my enjoyment. With a theme like becoming a spy to take down a kingdom for the book, I definitely expected a lot more action. But the writing was beautiful. The author had a way of being able to grab into the smallest emotions and really bring them out.

The audiobook was fantastic. Natalie Naudus did a wonderful job bringing so much emotion and life to the story. Her voice was perfect for this role.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 ⭐️ young adult fantasy romance standalone with no spice, just a few kissing scenes.
I actually really enjoyed this! if you are looking for a fast paced fantasy standalone with subplots of romance, lots of scheming and ploys, morally grey(ish) main characters, warring kingdoms, revenge, and tragedy that takes place in an Asia setting I would definitely recommend this! It was very bingeable and finished it within 24 hours! I also recommend the audiobook, the narrator was great. Might bump it up to a 4.5 if i keep thinking about it

Thank you Netgalley for this audio ARC for review!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Good read overall but not quite what I was expecting. I did enjoy it and do not have any previous experience with the myth it is a retelling of so it was a nice change. The narrator did a good job.

I enjoyed this book. It was not quite as good as I had hoped. But I do think that a lot of people will enjoy it a lot more than I did.

👉🏻 For my friends who want a lightweight espionage story inspired by Chinese legend.

A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS by Ann Liang

Thanks, @stmartinspress and @Macmillan.audio, for the review copies of the book and audiobook. (Available now)

Inspired by an Ancient Chinese legend, this felt like young YA with little emotional depth, character development, or plot. The premise was great: a country beauty is trained to become a concubine for a rival king to spy on and attempt to overthrow him. Unfortunately, the story skims where it could have been great and ultimately left me wanting more. I’m fine suspending disbelief for a story, but the author never made me believe in the crash course into court intrigue or the intimacy between Xishi and the king. They seemed more friends than lovers.

The audiobook narrator was excellent.

This novel was beautifully written, but the overall storyline fell flat for me. The romance seemed rushed, and then they had no time together. I would also categorize this as a tragedy more so than a romance. I had a hard time focusing, as I would find my mind wondering more times than not. I did not feel a need to keep reading.

The narration was good, but did not do much to keep me listening.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced reading and listening copies of this book.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This review is just for the audiobook quality. My review for the book will be on the actual book page. I absolutely love this author. I think she does an amazing job at differentiating the characters. I find her enjoyable to read and I think her portrayals of the characters' voices match the descriptions of the characters really well. I always look forward to this narrator when I search for audiobooks to read.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan for an advanced copy of the audiobook
I listened to this audiobook in tandem with an an eARC.
Narrator- Natalie Naudus

I think this book wasn't for me. I struggled to get through it (picking it up and putting it down for MONTHS), even with the audiobook.
A Song to Drown Rivers felt more like historical fiction than anything, which often is a miss for me. There was also a lot of "telling" vs. "showing" when it came to any potential action. Everything felt very melodramatic, too. Everything was an emergency or breathy monologue. Naudus did a great job bringing the melodrama to life, it just simply wasn't for me.