I’m always excited to delve into a new fantasy world and the one of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night did not disappoint.

I absolutely have to start out this review by complimenting the cover. Look at it, absolutely gorgeous.

I love learning about new worlds and their magic systems and this one is definitely interesting. The two different ‘magics’ were so different, but both intriguing in their own ways. They are super easy to grasp and the more you learn about them the more invested you are in the story.

If you are interested in Song of Silver, Flame Like Night because it is being marketed as a romance, you are being misled. There is one tiny moment that could be called romantic. Throughout the book, you get the feeling that two specific characters are going to have feelings for each other, but this is not the main theme of the book.

Lan was a great main character as she was super witty and determined. The only thing that annoyed me about her character was that she would often use insults that seemed entirely out of place, but they were funny all the same.

There are so many interesting characters in this book and the way we see them and their relationships change and grow throughout the course of the book was very well done. I can’t wait to see what adventures and misfortune they get up to in the next instalment.

The first half of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night was very slow. There is a ton of worldbuilding and history you need to know, but after a while, it gets a bit much. Thankfully once you reach around halfway it starts to pick up and the set-up for the next book is really good. But you could tell that a lot of what’s happening in this book is a set-up for number two. Not that there is anything wrong with that, there was tons of action near the end and some character development, so you aren’t wasting your time.

In the end, I really enjoyed this book. The magic was interesting, the plot was filled with action and the characters were extremely likeable. If you are looking for a new fantasy world to get lost in I would definitely recommend Song of Silver, Flame Like Night.

BOOK REVIEW: Song of Silver, Flame like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao

3 Stars

I loved this author's first series Blood Heir so I was really looking forward to this book! Unfortunately it let me down and although I did enjoy it, it wasn't the book I was hoping for.
Firstly, I loved the setting for this book. The chinese aspects were beautifully described and I loved how they were interwoven into fantasy. It added a wonderful depth to the magic and background. That being said, I generally felt the world building was quite poor. It was basically a load of info dumps that were incredibly complex. They sometimes came in great monologues from characters as well which wasn't good.
I was also confused with some of the language. This feel like an ancient chinese setting, yet the characters use modern day words including "fart" which I found really odd.
The first half of the book was very slow and I nearly dnfed multiple times. Thankfully the second half picked up and the story and characters became more interesting. However I did guess a few plot twists and wanted to shake some of the characters for their ridiculous choices. I feel like I have read this type of story many times and sadly it has been done better (Daughter of the Moon Goddess for example).
What I did LOVE was the magic! I thought it was used really well and loved that it had so many aspects. It definitely reminded me of the magic in The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson with the push/pull element to it, although this was definitely more complex.
The characters are decent and definitely have some progress through the book. The lead female Lin is interesting and I liked the fight in her even if she was a little annoying. I found the romance to be forced and didn't feel the connection at all.
Overall, it was a bad start and a decent ending. It is likely I won't continue this series as I think there are better books that are similar. I am gutted that this didn't work for me!

This book was beautiful, great writing amazing world building and fantastic characters.

It is Inspired by Chinese culture , history and mythology. An story full of adventures, where there are many secrets, hold secret for good reasons.
It treats the theme of what would you do for your love ones, for your people, and what is good and evil. I loved reading the characters though process behind every hard decision they take, you know exactly why they did what they did and is easy to understand and share their reasons in both extremes.
The pacing for me was good, it was very easy to read, it is a first book in a series and it shows, there is a lot of world building, history, magic system and characters introduction. And that is a oart of fantasy that I really like.
I absolutely loved the characters, Lan is great, intelligent and resourceful, she doesn't always take the best decisions but she is a teenager and even as an adult, nobody take the best decisions all the time.
Zen is my favourite, usual broken character that try his best to be good and help and save everyone but don't plan in the consequences and doesn't make the right decisions, (or does he?) I did like the depth of his character. And relate so much with his struggles, if I am honest I might have taken the same decisions he takes in the book.

I belive is you liked the poppy war, daughter of the moon goddess or the jasmine throne you'll really like this one.

The synopsis of the book had me in a tight grip from the start! And now, that I have read this amazing book....even more so!

I really enjoyed knowing more of the Chinese mythology (I am pretty much obsessed with learning about any Asian culture!) and in this book the world building and setting is the most amazing, well-executed part! The tales and descriptions are beautiful, enchanting - Amélie Wen Zhao's love for her culture and her heritage is truly visible in this book! So happy this is gonna be a series, because I want to know more about the world, about Zen and Lan, the side characters as well!

Remarkable first book in a series that leaves you craving for more!

As soon as I read the synopsis and saw the gorgeous covers of Song of Silver, Flame like Night, I was intrigued.

Lan was orphaned when her homeland was invaded by the Elantians eleven years ago, left with nothing but a strange mark on her wrist that no one but she can see. Until one day, while searching for answers, she bumps into a mysterious man who can see the mysterious symbol her mother left on her wrist, and is determined to do whatever it takes to find answers.
Taken along to the last remaining magic school in the kingdom where her companion, Zen, has trained for the past decade, Lan finds herself in the middle of a plan years in the making which relies on her to save her kingdom and defeat the invaders.

I enjoyed Lan and Zen as morally grey characters. Both have been through unimaginable trauma and are basing their decisions on their own experiences. Both were so young when they lost their families and their homes, and want to prevent that happening to anyone else.

I loved the magic system, and I would have really enjoyed getting to see more of the school - although I understand that this would have been contrary to the plot.
The ending intrigued me, and I will definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out.

Many thanks to NetGalley for letting me review a digital arc copy of this book.

I’m soooo happy that this is the first instalment of an amazing fantasy series inspired by mythology China. 
without giving much away it’s a alluring story that touched me right to the core.

The book follows its main characters Zen and Lan on a quest for truth and uncover many secrets along the way.

The story read very well and is not a slow burner there’s always something to keep you turning the page.

The book ended on a great cliff hanger that just make me scream…. GIVE ME THE NEXT BOOK!! .

I’ve now pre ordered a copy to keep

Really loved this, the world building and magic system were incredibly well done and the whole thing felt deeply infused with Chinese history and culture, whilst still clearly existing as a fantasy universe.

I really enjoyed Lan and Zen and the ways that their paths came together and then diverged, even though their goals were the same. It's an interesting commentary on what ends justify what means in a war against violent colonial invaders, as well as a sweeping epic fantasy and a beautiful journey of self discovery. Absolutely devoured it and will be smashing the pre-order button for the sequel as soon as possible.

YESSS Thankyou! A book with a setting that isn’t in America/UK!
Amelies passion for her culture shines through this book and it was an absolute joy to read.
Lan is an amazing main character with such a great backstory, but Amelie has spent so much time on the side characters that you end up having a connection with all of them, and I find that to be very rare in fantasy books. Sometimes side characters are written just to provide support for the main character, but in this book they’re fleshed out and I only wish we had more time with them all. The magic system, the lore .. it’s all written to perfection. You can tell Amelies heart and soul has gone into this. It’s definitely YA, but readers of all ages will enjoy this and I highly encourage EVERYONE to pick it up. You won’t regret it.

This is Zhao's fourth book and second series to date and you can really see how much she's grown in her writing.

The world is absolutely rich and full with Chinese myths, legends and culture. From the clan history to the quotes at the start of each chapter. This made for such an excellent setting and overall background to the whole story.

It feels weird to say that at times Lan and Zen felt like the weaker parts of the story. I found myself wanting to know so much more about so many of the side characters, Tai and Shan'jun in particular. I really hope we see more of them in the following book. It feels especially weird to say that it's because of the two MCs I felt the book wasn't as strong as it could be. It's, as I said, a rich world and has great side characters but underwhelming MCs.

I did love the reveal with Lan's seal, as I would not have guessed what it was hiding. Plus Zen's family background from the Black Tortoise. So again I really hope we delve more into those in the next book.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how the story progresses, where the characters go and the inevitable enormous standoff between Lan, Zen and Elantians. Knowing Zhao, I expect something big and probably a little devastating.

I was lucky enough to be provided with an ARC for this book by HarperCollins via Netgalley.

A masterpiece

This book is brimming with enchantment.

I don't do spoilers in reviews - but if I could urge you to read just one book this year - make it this one.

I was hooked from the first word.

What I loved about this book was it had so much heart. This wasn't a classic enemies to lovers story. I was filled with genuine compassion and love - it made me smile with contentment, and my heart broke with our characters losses too.

Amelie writing is so achingly beautiful, I honestly can't wait for the next book.

I really enjoyed Song of Silver, Flame Like Night! This book was fast paced and full of action and adventure..I never knew where it would go next! I loved the world building full of intriguing Chinese Lore! Lan and Zen were both well written characters and I enjoyed getting both perspectives. I am rooting for these two and can’t wait to read the sequel!

An absolutely magical and stunning book perfect for fans of Daughter of Moon Goddess. This Chinese mythology/folklore fantasy book makes promising start to series with poetic and lyric writing with distinct MCs and an adventure driven plot. I cannot wait for the next book as this series is sure to make AWZ a well known author!

this book was completely unexpected and yet i found myself loving it so much. i was really immersed inn the world and the characters were amazing, i marathoned the entire book in a day, i couldn't put it down. and now i know that i need the sequel because the author cannot end the book like that and expect the readers to not camp out until the next one is released.

Overall:
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is exactly everything I could have hoped it would be - an action-packed, fast-paced, beautifully written xianxia style novel with loveable characters and a story that holds you like a vice. All you can do is hold on and hope you make it to the end in one piece.

Characters:
Our female main character Lan is an absolute badass, and I would love to be her friend. I loved seeing her develop and take charge of her own destiny.
As for our male lead Zen - who doesn't like the bad boy with the mysterious past? If I could hug him I would. He needs all the hugs.

Plot:
Absolutely adored the mythological aspects, and it read just like the Asian cultivation/fantasy/martial arts manga and light novels I grew up reading! The plot was mostly fast paced and action packed, with the occasional slow and quiet moment.

Writing:
The author's writing style hooks you and sucks you in, and I literally could not put this book down! Plenty of description without being over the top, and I could envision the places and people easily. Masterful storytelling!

If you liked...:
For fans of Naruto, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Iron Widow, Full Metal Alchemist. If you love romantic, sweepingly majestic tales with mythological undercurrents, then you'll love Song of Silver, Flame Like Night!

it's a perfect book for Daughter of the Moon Goddess fans and those who love reading books inspired by Chinese mythology. Song of Silver, Flame like Night is YA fantasy (and a little bit romance) book which absorbs every reader to its world and holds their attention until the very last words. Told in multiple POVs, mainly our main characters Lan and Zen, the author gives them balanced portion of pages to tell their stories with distinctive voices. You can easily know which one is Lan's and Zen's since the two spoke differently. It's a book which is a little bit difficult to follow at first since it used new terms and it gets easier as we get deeper into the book. Some explanations were longer than the others especially about the magic system and world building related ones, yet since it's given to the right character to 'explain', it's an okay for me. For the romance part, as a reader who prefer less romance part in a fantasy book, this book has the right amount of romance I need in a book even though it needs a little bit pages to show the chemistry between Lan and Zen. I love how Book 1 ended especially the last chapter and epilogue which showed the readers what to expect within the next book.

If you like stories Inspired by Chinese Folklore, with magical music and people fighting to get their country back, I have a book recommendation for you!

Song of Silver, Flame like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao is the first of a duology that follows the story of Lan, a young woman who has a mysterious seal on her arm that she doesn't know what it means or what secrets it hides. All she knows about it is that her mother bestowed it upon her right before she was murdered.

I absolutely loved the book! The writing is beautiful and lyrical and I devoured ig. It is a fast paced, dynamic novel that explores deep issues around collective memory, history making and collonialism with a very realistic protagonist!

I was especially struck by the notion of faded cultural memory as Lan herself has faller victim to the issues the book explores and her confusion and lack of understanding is a great entrance for the reader to explore the world in the book.

A perfect fit for people who liked Daughter of the Moon Goddess but for fantasy fan in general thanks to its evocative language and inventive world building.

Tiktok videl is linked below. I have added it at Instangram as well. Tagged the author too for both. 😁

What a story! Epic saga fantasy is how I would describe this. It's a deep and complex story but easy to read. Demons and Chinese folklore are woven throughout this great story about the female heroine, Lan. You're soon swept up in seals, demons and the mysterious "qi" that runs from start to finish. I really enjoyed the characters and their stories and how they're intertwined, right up to the end.

Lan is a girl with a secret. She spends her nights as a songgirl, singing for the Elantians who conquered her people and destroyed their way of life. But her days are spent searching for knowledge around the mysterious mark she has on her arm, a mark that only she can see, until she meets Zen. Zen, is one of the last practitioners, magic of the Last Kingdom that was banned when the Elantians took control. When they meet Zen recognises in Lan the marks of a practitioner, but the mark on her arm seems to be tempering her ability until she is in grave danger. Lan doesn't overly trust Zen, but in him she see's the only chance she has of finding out about this mysterious mark & what her mother meant by giving it her. They both hold the power to liberate their Kingdom, or destroy it, and they will have to decide where their loyalties lie because the battle for the Last Kingdom has arrived.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is filled to the brim with brilliantly brought to life characters, but the two we spend the most time with, and our only POV's are Lan & Zen. Lan has spent most of her searching for answers. Where does she come from? Who was her mother? What is the strange mark on her arm only she can see? And why did her mother give it her as her last living act? But in a Kingdom conquered by a foreign army fuelled by dangerous magicians, she can't risk asking the wrong person about ancient practitioning . She is incredibly strong & quick witted, but she is also just someone who desperately wants to protect the people she loves, whilst also finding out who she truly is. Zen is a boy with a big secret, a secret that could have cost him his life had he not been rescued by the Master of the last Hin practitioners. He is a quiet and contemplative person, but inside there is a rage that cannot stay tempered.

Zhao has based this book on Chinese mythology and Lore and it's easy to get swept into the story. I do think that she spent a little too much time at the beginning of the book building the world and magic system up, instead of developing it naturally throughout the story, but the second half significantly picked up in pace and I found it nearly impossible to put down. I did enjoy learning about the Hin magic, especially around the 99 clans who each had their own specific magical style & hope that we get a deeper insight into this in book two. Everything in this book, the characters, the magic the world building is written as a criticism to imperialism, racism, cultural appropriation. We see the Elantian's lack of complete care or empathy for the Hin way of life, instead almost bulldozing over it with their own laws, rules and way of life & I am looking forward to seeing this fight in the second book.

There was a slow burn romance woven throughout this story that, I wont lie, I didn't massively feel. I think with how much time our two characters spent together there should have just been something more to their relationship, but it just seemed a little lackluster to me & I never found myself overly invested in it. However towards the second half of the book we do get introduced to some new characters, Zen's fellow practitioners, and I enjoyed seeing all the non-romantic relationships come together as Lan spent more time with them. The side characters were never really given as much room to grow as I would have liked, but I'm hoping to see more of them in the next book & hopefully get more of those found family style vibes we got towards the end of this one.

Overall, I did enjoy this one. A few of the big plot points seemed a little easy for me, but Zhao's foreshadowing and plot twists ensure that we stay n our toes & I am looking forward to the second book!

This was a beautifully told and immersive YA fantasy, with rich geography to explore and a diverse culture to discover. I loved how unique it felt in told, the magical inclusions, and the gently blossoming romance.

I'm really on the fence with this book, whilst parts of me enjoyed it, I felt myself being bored a lot.
Firstly, whilst the world building is fantastic writing, you get hit with big info dumping from the first page.
The mfc annoyed me at times with her childish tendencies but overall was an enjoyable character. I found myself enjoying the side characters more than the main.
This could easily be a great book for most people, just unfortunately, it wasn't for me.
Thankyou NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC