This was easy, in the way that, I couldn’t stop reading! it was intriguing, almost mesmerizing.
Not your typical, ordinary ending and one that I’m actually, in a way, happy with.
Felt the full range of emotions, with lovable characters and a story that I’ll remember for years to come.

Wow, what a captivating story. This was a fascinating look into how men overlook beautiful women. There's so much more here, too. This story, narrated by Natalie Naudus, one of the best, hooked me right from the beginning. Xishi's beauty was legendary, and it was so interesting to read a book about how she used and didn't use this for what she needed out of life. The training she took to become the king's concubine was also captivating. I didn't realize how much training there was, and it made her life even more complex. There is no steam here - even with her palace job. I didn't want to stop listening and the way the author wrapped this story up just left me speechless.
Macmillan Audio ALC

Set in ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers explores the legend of Xishi, blending history with a compelling story of love, duty, and loss. The historical setting and cultural backdrop were beautifully crafted, and I loved the immersive world Ann Liang created. While the book is tagged as fantasy, it read more like historical fiction to me. There was maybe one part at the end that could have maybe been a little bit of a fantasy element, but it also could have just been the afterlife?

The story itself is very tragic - I wasn’t expecting that level of heartbreak and am still unwell over the ending. The sacrifice, betrayal and moral ambiguity of this story kept me turning the pages. And the exploration of power dynamics and morality in war was really well done. I listened to the audiobook, so I can't refer back to the exact words, but there is a line towards the end about what difference is it who is in power if people are still suffering and their lives are exactly the same, and that really made me think as it's still applicable now.

I did think the romance felt a bit underdeveloped. Xishi’s relationships with both Fanli and the king span over years, but we don’t get to see much of their development, which made it hard to fully believe in the connections. It felt like a lot of important moments were glossed over, particularly during Xishi’s training with Fanli where they supposedly fell in love, but this was told to us rather than shown to us.

Despite these things, I really enjoyed A Song to Drown Rivers and I will be thinking about the ending for a long time to come. The audiobook narrator was fantastic as well. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or is interested in a book steeped in Chinese culture/mythology, as long as you are ready for some heartbreak.

A historical fantasy that tells the legend of Xishi, a famous beauty of Ancient China, who infiltrates the rivaling Wu kingdom, to spy for her people and save her country. There’s war, there’s deception, there’s love, and there’s even a bit of wit and humor. Overall, a well rounded story that kept my attention throughout.

I was not familiar with the story of Xishi or any of the Four Beauties of Ancient China, so it was fun to learn a bit of mythology from another country. The characters were strong and I appreciated their unique and sometimes complicated personalities. While labeled a historical fantasy, it leaned more towards a historical fiction romance, so if you’re interested in a story with talking dragons that’s dripping in magic, this isn’t it. If you like complex characters, messy love triangles, and unexpected endings, go buy this book now.

A couple critiques, though minor… I might mark this more a YA than Adult novel. It was well written, but sometimes a bit simple and in particular glossed over romance scenes that could have used more - not that the book needed smut, but for context and better understanding of our characters and their relationships. Second, there was a small plot hole I’m still curious about. Did Xishi’s heart magically heal? Was that the fantasy element? What happened there? We never find out.

I’ve seen a few reviews that say the story got a bit slow at times, but I was fortunate to have received an advanced digital and audio copy. Having both mediums might have helped elevate this issue for me, but not once did I feel like stopping from boredom. In fact, it was rewarding to be able to both see and hear certain word and name pronunciations and the narrator was exceptional with their pacing, articulation, and voicing of a wide variety of characters.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the advanced digital copy.

Rating Ann Liang's A Song to Drown Rivers is very difficult.

On one hand, there's instant love with little rooting value between the main character and her love interest, the beginning is hard to get into since its very choppy, there are several plot conveniences that are difficult to ignore, the dialogue is too modern, and the motivation for the main character's actions aren't established well enough.

On the other hand, the descriptions are beautifully written, the dynamic between the main character and the antagonist is very well done, the court politics were excellent, and climax of the novel was very emotionally gripping.

The aspects I love most about the novel (politics, female relationships, etc) make the flaws so much more glaring. There's potential for a masterpiece here, but it was never more than partially realized.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn’t for me. I feel like the world building wasn’t fleshed out enough, I needed more.

The romance piece also wasn’t developed enough for me. All in all, I needed more from this book.

Review: Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I definitely think it reflects more of a romantasy vibe in that the romance is much more built up and focused on than the actual fantasy aspects of the book. But it kept me interested the entire time. I absolutely loved the writing and the story telling and the interactions between the three main characters. This is an example of a well done romantasy standalone.

Synopsis: Xishi’s beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue—convinced that the best fate for a girl is to marry well and support her family. When Xishi draws the attention of the famous young military advisor, Fanli, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon. One that could topple the rival neighboring kingdom of Wu, improve the lives of her people, and avenge her sister’s murder. All she has to do is infiltrate the enemy palace as a spy, seduce their immoral king, and weaken them from within.

Trained by Fanli in everything from classical instruments to concealing emotion, Xishi hones her beauty into the perfect blade. But she knows Fanli can see through every deception she masters, the attraction between them burning away any falsehoods.

Once inside the enemy palace, Xishi finds herself under the hungry gaze of the king’s advisors while the king himself shows her great affection. Despite his gentleness, a brutality lurks and Xishi knows she can never let her guard down. But the higher Xishi climbs in the Wu court, the farther she and Fanli have to fall—and if she is unmasked as a traitor, she will bring both kingdoms down.

3.5 ⭐️
This is definitely well written, but as a fantasy book it sort of lacks,, fantasy. i cannot even think of a fantasy element in this story. I understand this is a debut fantasy but it NEVER felt like a fantasy book to me. i also didn’t care about most of the characters that much? i liked Xishi’s friend the most and we didn’t even get much from her. As someone who loves slow burn, the romance was kind of painful at first. They liked each other immediately and i just did not get it. The story was definitely entertaining but it’s nothing that memorable to me.

The ending was shocking and tragic but it just didn’t hit like it could have because the romance wasn’t incredible.

This was an absolutely stunning beautifully written book. A very rich tale that will rip your heart out in the same tragic vein of Song of Achilles. Did I enjoy it…yes. But now there is a hole in my chest that was previously not there before I started this book. The narrator did an amazing job.

Wow, what an incredible read! I finished this book so quickly because I couldn't put it down. It's a beautifully crafted historical fiction story about war, power, and beauty. I loved the romance and the various perspectives on the king. I found myself screaming and crying; the book took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I definitely didn't expect the ending! This book is just perfect—long enough to immerse me without feeling rushed.

(I will make a Tik Tok review and will come back to share the link)

This read like an old tale passed down through cultures. I loved and hated it, the way one does with tragedies!! Xishi had such complexity, though her beauty was her weapon there was so much more to her! My heart broke over and over, and I felt joy over and over. The way great stories should make you feel!

*3.5 Stars*

I'm very sad to say that this did not work for me. It was a little too insta-lovey several times over. And I just didn't feel the MC's feelings. I didn't even understand it. The whole setting and world were very interesting though. And I liked the MC but a lot of this story was about her feelings for men who simply did not deserve her. She was a badass fifty times over and she deserved better from beginning to end. The plot still kept me on my toes though and I was very surprised by the twists.
So yeah, this, overall, did not work for me but I'm still really looking forward to reading more books by Ann Liang.

3/5
This book is nothing special. It doesn’t add anything new to the genre and lacks in world building. The writing is beautiful in some places, but overall felt very rushed. The romances felt very superficial and needed more development.

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang
Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 10/1

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy, and to Macmillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook! #macaudio2024
Xishi is a rare beauty born into extreme poverty in a kingdom broken by war. When she catches the eye of the king’s advisor, Fanli, she’s given the chance to change her fate and the fate of her entire people.

There is a lot to love about this one! Liang takes a familiar setup—using beauty to infiltrate and take down an enemy kingdom—and turns it into something fresh. This story is less about romance and more about survival, power, and the tough choices Xishi has to make as she plays a dangerous game between two kingdoms.

Xishi is such a relatable, raw character. You feel every bit of her pain, anger, and guilt as she struggles with the weight of her mission. Her relationship with Fuchai, the king she's sent to seduce, is one of the best parts of the book. It’s sweet at times, but there’s always an undercurrent of tension and danger that keeps you on edge.

The pacing is spot-on too. Aside from a few slow spots, the story moves at a steady pace, with lots of action and emotion. The politics and stakes are intense, and you can feel how much Xishi has to lose if things go wrong.

I had a few minor issues with the story, one being that it’s not really a fantasy. It’s more historical fiction since it happens during a real time in Chinese history, and the only fantastical elements come at the very end. And the ending? Not happy. At least, not at first. It’s a sad ending that ends up being happy later on. Which actually made sense for the story, but as a standalone book marked as ‘romantasy’ I expected a happy ending.

I still enjoyed this one and had a hard time putting it down! I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a story with strong heroines, complex relationships, sacrifice, and a bit of heartbreak.

DNF at 22%

I felt like I walked into a movie, an hour late.
There's virtually no depth to any of the characters, setting or politics.
I've read all of this before. Nothing new or original, out of all the genre's, fantasy has incredible freedom and yet I get the same gorgeous people, the girl comes from nothing, is used as a spy, learns years' worth of technique, education and etiquette within weeks and her motivation is.... revenge. No one is surprised. The writing feels inexperienced, and I don't have the time or fortitude for it. I'll leave that to other patient readers.

“Heroes always have tragic endings.”

This was my second reading, and I’m still captivated by the beauty of this book. It’s both a heartbreaking tragedy and a touching love story. Each time I read it, I find myself in tears. The writing is exquisite and flows effortlessly, making it impossible to put down.

The narrator truly enhanced the experience. Her voice and character pronunciations were spot-on, and she perfectly captured the tone and pace for each character.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Ann Liang for the ALC of this incredible book. It’s truly one of my favorite reads of the year.

There is something about Asian lore that just hits different. It is brutal and intense, suspenseful and very romantic. As a cultureless white girl I revel in the beauty of Ancient Chinese traditions and societal ways. So I knew I was going to love A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang. And I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

Not only is this story riveting and romantic, but it is also incredibly well narrated. The audiobook is narrated by Natalie Naudus and she did a beautiful job with dictation and pronunciation. There is nothing worse than trying to get into a new story through an audiobook and the narrator becomes a distraction. I will actively be seeking out other audiobooks narrated by Natalie in the future.

This story is a romantic, historical fantasy that is based on an ancient Chinese legend. I can’t imagine many readers of the general genre of historical romance to be disappointed by this book, but be warned; as many of the world’s old fairytales and legends play out, this story does not have a Disney movie ending. Is the ending terribly romantic and moving and tissue-reaching worthy? Most definitely yes. But is it cozy and easily satisfying, leaving you feeling comforted and cheerful? Absolutely not. And it is all the better for it! I promise. The fate of our main characters make the story epic and one that you will never forget. I will be rereading this on my own (not the audiobook version) one day, but in several months once my wounds have healed.

My only hang up with this story was the intense yearning of Xishi for Fanli that recurred over and over again. Listen…I am all for devotion and undying love and being completely smitten with a beautiful man. I get it. And I love to read it. However, the way her feelings for him are described throughout the story feels conflicting. She’s a strong, capable, brave, intelligent woman that has suffered and withstood so much, so to hear her lamenting over a solemn, quiet man’s beautiful face and stoic mannerisms makes her seem like a love sick, swooning, emotionally dependent teenager. It feels like another case of a story whose main romance wasn’t fully developed enough before we are fed the extreme devotion of one person to another. I love Xishi as a character. And I love Fanli as a character. But I needed more romantic relationship development before reading/listening to her pining.

I hate giving much away in reviews and this story should be dived into with as little information as possible. So trust me when I tell you that this is a book to own and return to year after year. It is a story to have us all questioning love, devotion, ties to country, and implications of war throughout the ages. Enjoy!

As always, a big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for allowing me the privilege of listening to the audiobook ARC of this fantastic book.

A Song to Drown Rivers, by Ann Liang, will be published on October 1, 2024.

Breathtaking!

"A Song to Drown Rivers" is a retelling of the legend of Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China, a myth that has its roots in ancient Chinese history. According to the legend, Xishi was a real person who lived in the fifth century B.C.E, when the Chinese empire was divided and multiple kingdoms were at war with one another. She is said to have been born in a small Yue village that is now part of Zhuji, the capital of the Ancient Yue Kingdom and today a city in Shaoxing, Zhejiang.

For the reader unfamiliar with Xishi, it is advised to enjoy this book without any further research into the myth beforehand so as not to spoil it. For the one who already knows Xishi's story, I can imagine the author's splendid prose and magnificent world-building will still add new layers to a familiar tale.

At the outset of "A Song to Drown Rivers", the kingdom of Yue has been conquered by King Fuchai of the kingdom of Wu, and Goujian, Yue's king, is planning his revenge. When King Goujian's military advisor, Fanli, comes across the ethereally beautiful Xishi, he seizes the opportunity to use her as a weapon. Knowing King Fuchai's weakness for women, Fanli will train her, and the king of Yue will then offer Xishi as a tribute to King Fuchai in the hope that Fuchai will become infatuated with her and distracted from his official duties, allowing her to spy on him so the kingdom of Wu can be defeated and Yue can regain its independence.

Against this backdrop, the Ann Liang weaves a magnificent, epic tale of power, revenge, courage, betrayal, and the cost of war. Her world-building is magnificent, and her poetic words transport the reader directly to ancient China, from poor, war-torn communities to royal palaces. Stunning, engrossing, thought-provoking, and utterly heartbreaking, this book absolutely ruined me, and I was sobbing my eyes out by the time the last 20% came around.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Natalie Naudus, who did an absolutely outstanding job voicing this story.

Side note: as far as genres go, there was no discernible fantasy element to the story, and the romance angle - while present - was not overwhelming, so the "Romantasy" label seems rather misleading and not doing this wonderful book justice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"A Song to Drown Rivers" is slated to be published on October 1, 2024.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a highly anticipated read for me, and I was very excited to be granted a chance to listen to it before publishing!

A Song To Drown Rivers by Ann Liang is full of beautiful prose, wonderfully morally grey characters, and enough intrigue to have kept me listening despite the flaws I found in the book's structure. I was very invested in the story, even if I was not completely drawn into the world. The story diverges in interesting ways from the original "Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue" story and presents a softer story in some respects and a far more tragic one where it matters most.

As one of the historic Four Beauties of Ancient China (Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diao Chan and Yang Guifei), we find our FMC Xishi living as a poor peasant girl in the war-torn Yue kingdom, living under the constant threat of invasion by the nearby Wu kingdom. Tragedy in her past has fueled her hatred of the Wu, and when given the opportunity to take them down from the inside, she does not hesitate. Her extraordinary beauty will be used as a weapon inside the Wu court when she is presented as a concubine, alongside her best friend turned court Lady Zhengdan, "gifts" from the Yue king to the Wu's. The Yue king's beautiful advisor (as beautiful as a woman, they say), Fanli, trains her in the arts of court etiquette, art, history, politics, and most importantly, "sexpionage." Their proximity and his beauty lead to Xishi falling for Fanli, and he for her, and this forbidden romance drives much of the angst and tragedy in this story. It is, however, not a very traditional love triangle.

In the palace, we find the Wu king is both exactly and nothing like she expected. Xishi sets their plan into action and slowly but surely seduces the Wu king Fuchai, all the while finding that he is a rather misunderstood figure with an entire personhood she had not expected to find, yet still a brutal monster.

Throughout the story, Xishi learns to cope with tragedy, learn the true role of women in her position, and how to manipulate the court to her needs. We see her realizing that perhaps the Wu and Yue cannot be divided into good and evil, people, and monsters. Tragedy continues to follow her, breaking her down and building her up. She learns hard truths and the realities of war, revenge, "the wheel of kings" and heartache/break. I followed her to the end, wanting to know just where her character ended up, and how she coped with the aftermath of her role in the war. I also have a similar heart condition to our leading lady, so maybe I was a little biased towards her. I found myself able to clearly see the imagery that was laid out and how scenes were built layer by layer as sights, sounds, and feelings were described. I felt that there were too few moments of that, though, and I wish I could have been even more enmeshed in the environment.

I really loved our side characters like Zhengdan, who might have been the main character in her own story. I would have loved to read that novel, too! At times, I loved their friendship and their secret communications, and the way they plotted together. At other times, I thought Xishi treated her like a little sister and it felt patronizing. She was at once a serious character with a revenge plot, and a silly, pretty girl without a hint of seriousness.

There were a few other things that kept me from really falling into the world. There were a some anachronistic things (corn and chilies in 5th century BCE China when these crops were not brought from North America until the 16th century, and canopy beds before they were used in China, for instance), some unrealistic pacing and character development, and so much telling rather than showing. The first quarter of the book felt rather rushed, and I wish I had been shown more of Xishi learning all of these things to be a court lady more specifically; instead, I was just told she had. Not to mention, the timeframe felt incredibly short for her to learn politics, history, seduction, art, music, dancing, etc etc to such a degree she was practically an expert. Her character development felt unrealistic, though I'm not sure we had a very stable idea of her character in the first place. It made her a bit of a blank canvas for this transformation into a cunning spy. Additionally, it felt like the Xishi/Fanli romance really came out of nowhere on his part, and while Xishi talked about how beautiful he was, I feel I rarely saw what other qualities of his she found so attractive.

Another element that really took me out of it was the complete lack of sex/sexual desire. Not that I wanted to see it necessarily, but Xishi /is/ a concubine. When we first meet her, she mentions she has not even been kissed before, and I expected this to lead to her learning how to be seductive, sexual, and even how to have sex. It might have even been a point of angst for her with the Wu king Fuchai. But there was none of that. We have a few instances that feel like perhaps they will become hot and heavy, or that there is some physical desire rather than just soft poetic romantic desire, but it never goes farther than a few words and touches. I found it incredibly unrealistic that a king who is known to frequent brothels does not so much as hint at wanting to have sex with his concubine, even when she has been around him for long over a year. I appreciate the lack of explicit scenes and the way that it shows Fuchai's authentic desire for Xishi, but it made this feel far more YA than Adult and almost romanticized her role in a literal harem, where there is no mention of physical relationships between Fuchai and any of his other numerous concubines.

Overall, it still feels like a YA story in an Adult/New Adult. Our leads are all in their very early 20s, barely out of the YA age group. I think that a harem setting and the idea of sexpionage really just didn't get played to its fullest because it was completely de-fanged. Xishi might as well have been just a pretty girl who happened to live in the palace. There was just enough to keep me invested in the characters and their arcs despite, and the prose really kept me listening despite the things that threw me off. I think that if I were reading this, I would have put it down. But that may be because I am an overly critical reader. Fortunately, the audiobook format saved this book for me.

All in all, I did enjoy this book, for all the criticism I had. The character arcs, the tragedy, the triumph, and the beautiful prose were highlights. I really love the growing genre of Chinese fantasy, and I was excited to see endorsements from Shelley Parker-Chan and Samantha Shannon, whose work I have enjoyed in the past. I would actually love to see Ann Liang tell the stories of the other three Beauties of Ancient China. Because Xi Shi is chronically the first, it would make sense to see Wang Zhaojun, Diao Chan and Yang Guifei following. I have not looked to see if this is in the works for Liang or not.

respectfully, wtf was that ending. ann liang you WILL pay for your crime.

that was captivating from the beginning. a young woman with an extraordinary beauty was asked to be a spy, under a cover of a concubine for the rival neighbor's king. during her training, she caught feeling for the young military advisor instead. but for the sake of her own kingdom, she must put aside her feelings and do her job well.

and so she became a seductress that mastered the art of passive aggressive. it was interesting, seeing the story unfolded. the time period covers more than 2 years but it felt like mere months because it's really page turning. BUT THE ENDING!!!!!!! it's either should be cut short OR extend to cover more ending because what the hell T.T

about the audiobook, i didn't pay much attention to the narrator when I requested the arc but when I started listening i was so happy to realize that it's Natalie Naudus!!! i'd recognize her voice in any books and I'm such a big fan of her. she never failed to deliver incredible storytelling.

so overall it's a nice fantasy debut from a well-known contemporary romance author. written very well. but i won't forgive her for that ending until unforeseeable future.thanks.