A Song to Drown Rivers follows a beautiful woman as she infiltrates the enemy's palace as a spy. My attention lagged a little in the middle of the book, but the ending was worth the read. I went from thinking I didn't feel connected to the characters to very emotional over them.

I received an ARC and ALC from St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a retelling of an ancient Chinese sexpionage tale. It's NOT a fantasy and not really a romance (at least not a developed one), but more like political historical fiction. And yes, it's annoying hearing Xishi talk about how gorge she is, but she IS one of the Four Beauties of ancient China, so.

3.5 rounding up. I did enjoy this. I love retellings of well-known tales and legends, and this was a very well-written one. The prose is beautifully crafted, and Natalie Naudus's narration was engaging and emotional.

The timeline is sped up. I think Xishi's training took a few years in the original tale, which makes her training and developing romance with Fanli more believable. Having it all happen in like 2 months? Not so much. I think the whole revenge plot and invasion in the palace took years and years too, and I don't think that was the case in this novel. There were a number of changes compared to the original tale (like Zhengdan being a warrior and Fuchai's ending) and I'm not sure that they were all improvements. And if you're wondering which ending this novel chooses, it's a tragic one.

I felt bad for Wu Zixu. I think we were supposed to dislike him in this novel? maybe? since he was the most competent antagonist? but he was extremely loyal and just trying to do his job. He was great. Especially compared to Fuchai, who was a drunken fool. I felt bad for Fuchai too actually. There were more scenes with him than with the "real" love interest Fanli, and he was more naive and spoiled than a compelling villain. That might have been the point -- we're all heroes and villains depending on who's telling the story -- but I feel there was lost potential with his character. He was just a silly young man who thought with his dick and ruined his kingdom. Honestly Xishi had her own fool moments... Calling out Fanli's NAME?? 🫠 So much for being a well trained seductress

The romance. Did not feel, except maybe in the last chapter. Somehow Xishi is ~in love with Fanli after their weeks together and is faithful to that fantasy, even after living with Fuchai for YEARSSs, and Fuchai is (of course) super handsome and obsessed with her and gives her whatever she wants. Maybe I'm the problem but I'd drop that Fanli Fantasy so fast

"I know him all too well" she says towards the end. no you don't girl, you don't know Fanli at all

And what was the deal with Xishi's heart condition? That was never explained. Is it because Fanli is her ~heart~ and that's why it doesn't hurt when he's near? If so... 😞

Unfortunately, this is a DNF.

It's not that I didn't like this book exactly, but at 56% I still felt like there wasn't much happening. Once I realized this I decided it wasn't worth my time to listen to the (approximately) last 3 hours.
I wasn't invested in these characters and I had a very hard time following along with the names/places. That's specifically a "me problem", I would be able to follow along much easier if I was seeing those names.

If I wanted to try this book again I would definitely try the physical book instead of the audio. The narrator is great, I just couldn't follow along well enough to enjoy the story.


Since this is a DNF, I'm not rating this book but giving a 3 as a place holder to leave my review.

I dove into this story without knowing the original myth because I wanted a fresh perspective, and I was immediately captivated by the enchanting Xi Shi. The writing has a poetic, lyrical quality that truly drew me in, enhancing the overall experience. However, I must admit that the plot and characters didn't quite meet my expectations. Much of the significant plot points occur off-screen and are only relayed later, leaving me feeling disconnected from the characters and unable to fully root for them.


Throughout the book, Xi Shi and her love interest Fanli are mostly apart, with only a few intense moments shared between them. This aspect contrasts with the book's marketing as a romance, which I found somewhat misleading. While I appreciated the evolving dynamics between Xi Shi and the enemy king Fuchai in the spy storyline, I wished for more depth in Xi Shi's spy training and how she strategically influenced Fuchai. Her actions in the book seemed too straightforward to have such a pivotal impact on the fate of two kingdoms.

Despite my critiques, I found myself engrossed throughout and thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook, feeling quite emotional by the end. If you're considering reading this book, approach it as more of a historical fiction drama rather than a romantic fantasy, which may adjust your expectations.

This book was amazing— so much depth about the power of humanity and kindness and the futility of war. It had mythology and history and romance and action it was just so well done. The prose was gorgeous and I can’t recommend this enough.

Huge thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan audio for the advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. I also received the physical arc from @goodreads from a giveaway.

I loved the premise of this book and enjoyed the execution for the most part. The only thing I wanted more of was detailed descriptions of Xishi's training. The fast pace of the plot may have hurt more than helped the evolution of the story, but enough was done in setting the political scene at court and the machinations of both concubines and advisors to maintain favour to keep me engaged. The longing that develops between Xishi and Fanli was mostly done off page with the reader building their relationship from their interactions and time spent together.

Know thine enemy is the foundation of this read. For only then can you defeat them. The way in which desire and beautybwas used as a means of toppling the conquerors was good and i love stories that show the more subtle ways in which power can be dismantled. Enough was done with character building for the reader to form opinions of each of the main characters and to follow their actions on the page. Definitely a read I'd recommend.

so beautifully written. this book tore my heart out and I couldn't have enjoyed it anymore than I did! truly stunning writing.
the pacing was great, I found my self fully engaged and invested and struggled to hit pause.

A surprising novel that shows a different take on bringing down an empire. Writing was beautiful and sucked you in from the get go. Twists where unexpected and loved the ending

4⭐️/5

I came into this novel fully blind - it is my first read from Ann Liang, and I was not at all familiar with the history/legend surrounding the FMC, a courtesan named Xishi, one of China’s famed Four Beauties.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was not perfectly written, and as some of commented, the passage of time varies A LOT - at times we are getting moment by moment narration, then a jump of several weeks, then maybe months, then back… it did make some of the transitions feel disjointed. That said - I loved that the story was one of those that attempted to give the truth behind a legend, with characters that are complex and flawed. And the author has a real talent for creating subtle scenes that absolutely tear at your heartstrings.

Xishi is not always a graceful, poised seductress - she follows her instincts and thinks on her feet, and feels a strong sense of duty to her people, and for those reasons, you do root for her to succeed. Ultimately, she learns a lesson that so many have to learn - that there are no winners in war, and that it is the common people that must pay the price for leaders and kings.

The ending was surprising, but I felt like it was fitting and in some ways truer to the overall theme than a storybook happily ever after.

Definitely worth a read, and I would be interested to read more from the author. The brief portrait painted in the novel of ancient Chinese culture and politics was very enjoyable, and easily approachable for general readers.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book to review.

*A Song to Drown Rivers* by Ann Liang is a beautifully written book with lyrical prose and a captivating world that pulls you in from the start. The characters were not richly developed, but the emotional depth of the story keeps you hooked. However, while the journey is powerful, the ending left me feeling bittersweet, as it leans toward the sad side. I was hoping for a more hopeful resolution, but the storytelling is great, It’s a poignant and immersive tale, just be prepared for some heartbreak.

More of a 3.5 maybe.

This was definitely one of my most anticipated books of the year and despite receiving the arc long ago, I kept putting it off. As luck would have it, I got the audiobook copy narrated by none other than the amazing Natalie Naudus and had to pick it up immediately. And as always, her narration is an unforgettable force of nature.

I went into this without knowing the original myth coz I wanted it to feel fresh in my mind and was immediately intrigued by the beautiful Xi Shi. The writing is also very lyrical, with a poetic flow to it, and listening to it made it much more interesting. But I have to say, the plot and characters didn’t live up to what I was expecting from it. Most of the plot happens off the page and we are told about it later, which made me feel very detached from the characters and I couldn’t root for them as much as I wanted.

Xi Shi and her love interest Fanli are also separated for most of the book, with just a few intense scenes between them all throughout, which makes the marketing of the book as a romance disingenuous. The spy part of the storyline also felt unsatisfactory because while I enjoyed the developing dynamics between Xi Shi and the enemy king Fuchai, I would have loved to see more of both Xi Shi’s training to be a spy and the way she applies her training to seduce Fuchai and make him do his bidding. What she actually does in the book felt too simplistic to be such a decisive factor in changing the fate of two kingdoms.

While it might feel like I’m only criticizing the book, it’s more just me venting my frustration because I wanted it to be so much better. But despite these issues, I never did get bored throughout and really enjoyed listening to the audiobook, and was quite heartbroken towards the end. If you are interested in the book, do go in noting that this is more of a historical fiction drama and not a romantasy, and it might temper your expectations. I still wanna see what the author writes next outside of her usual YA contemporaries.

More of a 3.5 maybe.

This was definitely one of my most anticipated books of the year and despite receiving the arc long ago, I kept putting it off. As luck would have it, I got the audiobook copy narrated by none other than the amazing Natalie Naudus and had to pick it up immediately. And as always, her narration is an unforgettable force of nature.

I went into this without knowing the original myth coz I wanted it to feel fresh in my mind and was immediately intrigued by the beautiful Xi Shi. The writing is also very lyrical, with a poetic flow to it, and listening to it made it much more interesting. But I have to say, the plot and characters didn’t live up to what I was expecting from it. Most of the plot happens off the page and we are told about it later, which made me feel very detached from the characters and I couldn’t root for them as much as I wanted.

Xi Shi and her love interest Fanli are also separated for most of the book, with just a few intense scenes between them all throughout, which makes the marketing of the book as a romance disingenuous. The spy part of the storyline also felt unsatisfactory because while I enjoyed the developing dynamics between Xi Shi and the enemy king Fuchai, I would have loved to see more of both Xi Shi’s training to be a spy and the way she applies her training to seduce Fuchai and make him do his bidding. What she actually does in the book felt too simplistic to be such a decisive factor in changing the fate of two kingdoms.

While it might feel like I’m only criticizing the book, it’s more just me venting my frustration because I wanted it to be so much better. But despite these issues, I never did get bored throughout and really enjoyed listening to the audiobook, and was quite heartbroken towards the end. If you are interested in the book, do go in noting that this is more of a historical fiction drama and not a romantasy, and it might temper your expectations. I still wanna see what the author writes next outside of her usual YA contemporaries.

a 2.5 read.

the plot was not interesting. there were no reason why the MCs like each other, and when did it start for MMC? like out of the blue he has this feelings for FMC, there were instances were some scenes were not practical, and most of the story was not even between the MCs.
FuChai does not have the intention of attacking the other kingdom, he deserved better, and the ending was so absurd.
but one thing i can say i really liked about this book is that there were no cuss words unlike other books by the author.

Voice wise I like it. The narrator did a great job woth the characters and I enjoy it.
Story wise was very good and I love the whole setting and background of the story . Can wait for the physical

I had high expectations coming in here, but I just didn't love it.

At times it felt tedious, the romance never quite felt genuine, especially for it being advertised as a romantasy. The characters didn't connect with me or have much personality in my opinion.

Ultimately this wasn't my cup of tea, which is a bummer.

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy! You can pick up A Song to Drown Rivers on October 1, 2024.

This book was absolutely gorgeous from beginning to end. The writing was lyrical, but not too flowery, and I love how Ann Liang built this world and these characters. The story felt almost addictive, like when you binge a TV drama, and it had compelling interpersonal political and romantic conflicts.

The narrator did a fantastic job bringing Xishi, Fanli, and more to life. You could feel the emotion behind Xishi's words, just like you could feel the restraint of emotion in Fanli. Their forbidden romance was delicious and heartbreaking, especially when you're almost tempted to root for the villian of our story, Fuchai. But Liang reminds us time and time again how awful he is, tempering the times we want to sympathize and pity him with the moments when we hate him, like Xishi. Liang showcased how easy it is to place people into boxes like "enemy" when in reality we're so multi-faceted it's impossible to be only one thing.

The ending absolutely devastated me, and I did NOT see it coming. It did feel right, though, after everything that occurred. I wish we'd had a little bit more on-page romance, but the moments we did get had me kicking my feet giggling.

If you're looking for a historical drama with forbidden romance, political maneuvering, and a woman getting revenge, this is your book!

Not my typical genre and I am reminded why. This story fell short for me. Where is the romance? This is tagged a "fantasy", but I'm not really sure where that is either? More historical fiction to me, which I love but I know nothing about the "Four Beauties of Ancient China" and this book really does nothing to explain that. A song to drown rivers is marketed as adult, however I'd say it is more YA, which I am not a fan of.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Ann Liang for an advanced copy of this book.

Xishi is one of the 4 great beauties of China. With that beauty, she can be a great weapon.

“So this is what it feels like… to be cut with your own blade.”

FIVE STARS. This was s beautiful and tragic. I was hooked from the beginning. Ann Liang writes in a gorgeous way it almost feels like poetry.
Do not skip this one!

I did really enjoy this book, although found it a little lacking. It was difficult to really get into, and I’m not a huge fan of love triangles. HOWEVER, will I be recommending this to my friends? Absolutely

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Audio ARC!

4.75/5 stars

First, Narration and Production: There is a reason Natalie Naudus is my favorite narrator...she's incredible. I will listen to pretty much anything she reads!

This book broke my heart in the best way - I love and hate the ending. It was beautiful and poetic and fitting, and I love that Liang didn't shy away from the difficult choice....but god my heart hurts. I'm not crying, you're crying...

The writing was stunning, the voice was clear and positioned perfectly, and the story was wonderful. I loved the characters, even when I hated what they were doing. It didn't dive too deep into every detail but I could still picture what was happening and feel fully invested in every aspect. If I had a complaint, it would have been that I wish the 10 weeks she spends in training could have had a little more time to see her changes, and the romance, blossom a bit more in real-time....but even that is not a big complaint.

I love that she made mistakes and then had to find ways around them - I love that characters died (I mean, I hate it but...) and faced real consequ4eneces for their actions....I love the lyrical writing and the beauty and pain laced together in an elegant and heart-wrenching story. I just loved it, truly.