We have two main points of view within Song of Silver, Flame like Night (SoSFlN): Lan and Zen. Lan is a kind of feisty yet very sweet sunshine main character, with Zen acting as the more reserved of the two and fairly mysterious throughout the majority of the story. In addition to these two perspectives, the story itself is layered, the main part being the impact of the western, Elantian conquerors on the Hin’s homeland. For both aspects of the story, Zhao delves into the impacts of seeking power; how too much can upset the balance of the world and power should be monitored. The four demon gods–the azure tiger, crimson phoenix, black tortoise and silver dragon–play a profound part in the story, with a rich history of having been used in power plays throughout the Hin’s legacy.
If you enjoy stories surrounding balance then SoSFlN will be perfect for you. As Lan has essentially been cut off from those who could guide her to mastering her own skills, she ends up being taught (first by grumpy Zen, and then by Masters within a School) the basics from the very beginning. Lan starts off wanting nothing more than the power to destroy the Elantian colonisers, but will she be willing to go against the teachings of her culture to achieve this? A lot of the story also involves Zhao drip-feeding us little hints about Lan’s past, as she herself doesn’t know much about her family at the beginning.
I can’t talk much about Zen, but I will say that I absolutely adored his character, overall. He has a lot of layers to him but he’s so sweet in many instances, I can’t help but love him and Lan together. They have some moments where I absolutely swooned for them.
Favourite couple within the story though? Sorry, but that absolutely goes to Shàn’jūn and Tai, funnily enough another grumpy x sunshine couple! Shàn’jūn is a healer who helps Lan from as soon as she sets foot in the school, whilst Tai is a spirit summoner holds back a lot at first, until he realises that Shàn’jūn counts Lan as a friend and he then begins to warm to her.
Another character around their age is that of Dilaya, who is super headstrong and honestly, I’d be lying if I said I liked her even a little for the majority of the story, she was just a little too mean to Lan and Zen. For a side character though, Zhao gives her an awful lot of character development and I went from almost hating her to finding her to be a strong, caring person by the end of it; she’s just doing what she thinks she needs to protect those she loves.
The writing throughout is beautiful, with the occasional insult like “ratfart” thrown in, which made me chuckle each time (this is Lan’s feistiness here!) and the world? The places untouched by the Elantians were those of wonder and beauty, with the School of the White Pines in particular being an area with a sacred spring and being blissfully kept safe from the conquerors due to a magical boundary.
'She would no longer be the flower. She would be the blade.'
I really loved SoSFlN on the whole, reading it felt like watching a Chinese xiānxiá fantasy drama and so much happens within the story. The only complaint I have is that it’s a duology; because I’d love if were getting even more from this world! The book is absolutely a must-read for lovers of the following: The Celestial Kingdom duology by Sue Lynn Tan; The Book of Tea duology by Judy I. Lin; Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan; The Kingdom of Three duology by Joan He; and the Six Crimson Cranes/The Blood of Stars duology by Elizabeth Lim.
The last thing I’ll say is that the ending emotionally destroyed me and I cried rather a lot. Have tissues ready for it!

Oh, this was just *so* much fun. I adored the characters and setting, and felt utterly swept away by the adventure. The beginning was a little heavy on the worldbuilding, but it ultimately felt necessary. Looking forward to more!

I really enjoyed this book, which is told from multi-POV, which was done so well, distinct and clear voices between the characters. The world building is so detailed, I love it, but it may feel slower for some not used to political and magical worlds, but I loved it so much, Amelie Wen Zhao’s writing just keeps getting better with each book I read, it’s impressive. So many fantastic elements this and I’m definitely here for the next book. 100% recommended for anyone who enjoys Fantasy.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in return for an honest opinion

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Song of Silver, Flame Like Night
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Book 1 of 2 of Song of the Last Kingdom
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Amélie Wen Zhao
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: YA Fantasy
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 2nd February 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.75/5

”Yin and yáng, good and evil, great and terrible, kings and tyrants and heroes and villains. The tropes in the classics of old are but a matter of perspective. Really, they are two sides of the same coin. He who lives to tell the tale decides which side to pick.”

This truly was an extraordinary story. In this book, readers are introduced to a beautiful and rich Chinese mythology encompassing a gorgeous blend of wuxia and xianxia, with heroes that simultaneously feel helpless and invincible, all written lyrically and stored into an adventurous plot.

Unfortunately it took me until around the halfway mark to really begin to make sense of what was going on, what had happened, and what was relevant. Even with the first half of the book feeling like an infodump, I found the story pretty complex with a lot of world building establishment and then repetition in the second half of the story where things really get good.

Whilst there are so many layers to this story, the themes ring out pure and strong. Colonialism and cultural dismantlement are huge themes in this book, which lends the story a heartbreaking depth as well as effectively provoking tension. Even through my confusion, I could see the skill of the writing and storytelling that wrenched emotional imagery from my mind and installed a fear of a fictional army.

I found the characterization a little strange at times, I mean there’s development which I root for (ofc) and then there’s plain old consistency. I think a lot of the characters had a mix of both. As in, they would be described one way but their actions wouldn’t reflect their personality traits. The only character that seemed to not suffer from inconsistency was The Winter Magician, and he’s the bad guy so I’m not allowed to like him 😂. There is also a tinge of morally grey, which I of course, adore.

I think I’d benefit from a reread of this to be honest, now I’ve come to the end of the story and the history and unfamiliar terms are now rooted in my mind, I think I’d enjoy it better the second time around. Thankfully, I have it preordered.

🧚🏻‍♀️

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A masterpiece! The book presents a beautiful Chinese folklore with many magical elements, characters and creatures - what's not to love?

What a start to the new year!

Firstly, I absolutely loved the chronology chapter of the book, it gave me so much clarity and helped with the world building and time lines. Sometimes in fantasy books the time lines are kinda blurry or unclear of the past but this book was beautiful thought out.

One of my favourite places was definitely the Haak’gong evemarket, the author did such a good job transporting my mind there that I could almost feel the silk cloths on my fingers! I would sell my soul to the four demon gods to actually go to the market and see it, and feel it for myself! 😍

As a whole, the world and the characters description really grabbed my attention and got me on a magical trip throughout the book.

Not only that, the enemies to lovers in this book was *chef kiss* 🤌 The chemistry between them was giving me all the feels!

"I WILL ALWAYS FIND YOU, IF NOT IN THIS LIFE, THEN IN THE NEXT." << yes sir, the angst, the build up 😩 there is something so special when two blood enemies fall in love with each other!

There isn't a single thing I disliked about the book - the storyline was unique, the plot twists were very twisty and the physical appearance of the book is like a spoonful of honey for my soul. 🤤

I had a few highlights within the book but my favourite quote was:

"Calm the storm of your emotions. A restless ocean is not one to sail upon."

Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for providing me with a free ebook copy for my honest review. 🤍

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

There were three main quotes that stood out to me as I read this book, the first quote being 'She would no longer be the flower. She would be the blade', funnily enough this was also one of Amelie Wen Zhao's favourite quote, which I found out after I read the book. This quote stood out to me as I felt that this was the epiphany for Lan's yearn for power and adventure.

Lan is the main protagonist of this story, and as a reader we follow her journey to find her ancestral roots and are thrown into a world of fantasy which involves qi and magic. The book does not only follow Lan's journey but it also follows Zen, who we learn is a disciple of the last Hin practitioning school- The White Pines. Within this school it is revealed that there are many more Hin practitioners hiding away from the Elantians- the empire which overthrew the previous Hin empire.

The book was filled with heavy emotions, though witty at times, thanks to Lan's personality, there were still moments of sorrow and pain for when there was no wittiness. One of my favourite quote spoken by Lan is "If you can't recall it then you shouldn't be teaching". Zen's personality on the other hand is more serious and more down to earth, however, we soon learn why he acts that way, and the emotions that follow after it is filled with intense sadness- at least on my part. The book did not only have me laughing and crying, but it also had me gasping, as I got towards the end I felt both betrayal and a sense of relieve, and of course a sense of impatience.

Overall, this book is filled with fantastical moments which will have the readers hooked right from the start, anticipating for more, I know I cannot wait for the sequel- I am so looking forward to the duology!!!

This book was so beautifully written! I flew through it. The magic system and the world building is absolutely gorgeous!

I love Zen so much!

This book will make you cry so grab tissues!

Lan is an orphan with a talent for singing. Zen is an orphan with a dark secret and a mastery of qi (magic) that intrigues Lan. The two collide in this beautifully written story of mythology and magic.

The world building in this story is fascinating, and I'd love to read even more about the history in greater detail. The characters are a constant surprise and the plot is an engaging delight!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This story is perfect for fans of chinese tv dramas (which was why I picked it up :) ) The plot is fast-paced, keeps you on your tones and doesn't fail to be exciting. The central mystery was twisty but simple enough to be believable, although the magic system kept most of my attention, along with Zen, my favorite character. I wish to see more of him in the future. Without giving too much away, this is a classic YA hero's journey kind of plot and I recommend it for fans of the genre, and even those who are just getting started on fantasy.

My only grievances were with Lan, the main character and her immature, childish nature despite her age. Some ill-timed humor often took me out of high-tension scenes and couldn't help but not feel the weight much of anything. But I realise YA isnt meant to be all doom and gloom, gritty and heavy as such, so Id say the genre's primary demographic find the book charming and not be bothered by these.

Another magical book from Amélie Wen Zhao. I absolutely loved the magic systems within this story. Visually a beautiful story. I can not wait the the next instalment of this series!
Looking forward to having a physical copy of this book for my shelves.

Many Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the digital review copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Wow, what did I just read? this beautiful tale reads like a fable, it sweeps you away with magic, love, and duty. It is fantastically written, and I couldn’t put it down. This is one of those books that you hibernate from the world and settle in with tea and a warm blanket. The only thing that I found hard to read was the strong colonialism vibe, and while toted as a fantasy story, it could have also come from the pages of history as it’s a story essentially about the abuse of power and sacrifice to save the ones you love. I will definitely be adding this to my next purchase list.

Thank you so much, Netgalley and Publisher for this advanced copy.

I was so excited to read this book when they granted my request. Especially because the Author kept telling us about all tropes...

Well, Turned out, I didn't like this book at all.

First, Let's talk about the marketing. Nowdays, after booktok and bookstagram, describing all the tropes of book became a trend in promoting your book and Amélie Wen Zhao did the same thing. She described all those tropes too much. Making me guessed the major plot of this book correctly. There was no surprise at all in the plot because SHE SPOILED HER ENTIRE BOOK!!

I didn't get where the hell is "Enemy to Lovers" trope. The first thing Zen saw Lan... hw was captivated by her appearance. Where was the "Enemy" part???

Amélie Wen Zhao also said this FMC was a strong character... NO. SHE WASN'T. She was a stubborn, childish, annoying kid. The way she poked her tongue out to the Old Men... There was such a childish act as a "Strong Main Character".

This book had the same vibe as The Poppy War, well that was what the promotion said... I hadn't read TPW series, so I didn't know if this book had a same vibe to TPW. But this book was reminding me to The Blood Of Star Duology by Elizabeth Lim (Spin The Dawn Series) : The character had a deal with Demon God and started corrupted themself. It was such a potential thing in this book, but the execution wasn't that good. Somehow, the story became so cliche.

Last Thing, The Metalwork Magic looked like Mistborn' "Art Of Metal". I didn't know if this was a copycat. But, the magic system was too much (Qi Magic, Metalwork, etc) and just existed to support the plot.

Overall, This book was a big NAH for me.

This book is like Mistborn x The Poppy War but not in an enjoyable way. The way Amélie talk about this book is like TPW didn't exist and it irked me so much.

(from the author's foreword) 
"I’m tired of Chinese girls being portrayed as beautiful, fragile flowers. I want to be a blade. So in my book, I gave my girl magic—the power of shamans and prophetic lore and demon gods sings in her blood." ok? Fang Runin said hello.
"Welcome to the Last Kingdom." The Final Empire??

I'm also disappointed to see that this book is casually marketed as ✨️enemies as lovers✨️ (go check the author's IG it's literally on all her posts) which took the element of surprise. I wouldn't suspect it otherwise. and when the moment came it wasn't grand or anything at all. not that the romance was great either, in fact I didn't get their chemistry

I noticed that Amélie poured her heart so much into this book. Each word is selected with love to make sure everything's perfect, to the point that it's overly written. The descriptions are excessive and make the plot dragging. There's even a historical timeline at the beginning of the book that I don't think necessary.

So yeah. In short, I don't like this book. but there's SO MUCH positive 4-5⭐️ ratings out there so don't take my rant personally.

That's all for now. Wiill add more if I remember something later.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for providing me an eARC to review!

Unfortunately I think me and Amélie Wen Zhao are just not meant to be. After loving Blood Heir back in 2020 I jumped into the sequels just recently which I didn't LOVE, and sadly this didn't quite work for me either. I can't quite put my finger on what exactly didn't work, but I just don't feel myself being gripped by these books even though they have interesting themes and I think they're pretty solid for YA.

I thought that the magic system in this was cool - I love when magic involves the concept of balance - but there was just so much exposition that I found myself losing interest. I understand Lan was also having things explained to her, but it just felt like a lot all at once! There were also times where the dialogue didn't sit quite right with me - lots of calling people farts - so I was finding it difficult to fall in love with our protagonists. I'm not sure if they seemed super changeable but there were some tone shifts that threw me for a bit of a loop.

We do stan more YA that takes a critical view of colonialism, and how it erases culture/language/lore, and this would have been the thing to make me continue if I wasn't just not really feeling everything else. I think people who enjoyed Strike the Zither, or are fans of Unravel the Dusk or A Magic Steeped in Poison might enjoy this as it has a similar sort of vibe. Will definitely keep this in mind as a recommendation for that middle-YA age range but sadly don't think it's for me!

how do i explain how much i love this book? this was everything i ever wanted and MORE. amelié's writing is stunning and i will definitely be checking out her previous works now.

when i first heard of this book, i immediately knew i needed it in my hands straightaway. it combines some of my fave elements of chinese mythology and cdramas i love (the untamed & love between fairy and devil) into a book and i was sold from the very first snippet i read.

the way amelié constructed such a compelling story through beautiful prose & realistic descriptions, weaving fantasy & history, mythology & truth together to create such a riveting adventure was excellent. her characterizations of her main characters deserves praise too. i loved how our main cast each had their own unique personalities & characterizations, values & principles, strengths and flaws and backstories that made it easy to root for every single one of them, how each of them had things they were holding on to that motivated them to survive no matter how difficult.

i found myself smiling, grieving, and getting mad together with lan, zen and our other main characters. "we were given shit choices, and we have to make the best of them." lan, our protagonist, is instantly lovable right from the first page, and once her backstory is revealed, you find yourself rooting for her to escape the bittersweet life she's had and find safety and belonging. her source of magic was interesting and i loved that we were learning about the true levels of her powers right to the last pages of the book. zen, who himself is shrouded in mystery, was a delight to uncover and (perhaps it was my love for wei wuxian from the untamed & dfqc from lbfad) i found myself understanding & loving him as his backstory was being revealed throughout the book. both of them are souls yearning to be seen & understood, and who found that with each other and i loved their relationship with each other even as it underwent a turn in the later stages. dilaya, queen, i have a love hate relationship with her, and tai reminded me of zhu zhengting immediately. shanjun, my precious bean, i wanna protect him forever from all the evil in the world. even the characterization of the villains were well executed because i've never hated a group of fictional people more than i hated the elantians. none of them have any redeeming qualities and every single one of them deserves to d word😌.

i must however, most importantly praise the discussion of power in this story. how power can be used to protect or destroy depending on the thin line called 'control' tethering between the two, and how power should always be checked was well delivered. the way it was deconstructed through the expression of power as a tool of empire using imperialism and colonialism as examples, how these two things ultimately stem from the same pursuit of power motivated by greed and the desire for victory without real cause, coupled with the weaving of the yin-yang concept, the endless cycle of balance in the world, into the discussion was perfectly delivered with nuance and it was one of the things i was most impressed by with amelié's writing.

overall, 2023 hasn't even started and song of silver is already going up on my list of top 3 favourite books of the year. absolutely CANNOT wait for the sequel, especially after that ending!!

i'm genuinely glad that amelie wen zhao is moving away from the blood heir type of fantasy and into the six crimson cranes, daughter of the moon goddess, girl who fell beneath the sea type of fantasy. i've always thought she had lovely prose but was constrained by the style she wrote.

Wow! What an amazing book!!
Would love to read more from the author.
Thankyou netgalley for the Arc!

Thank you to HarperVoyager and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao is a Chinese-inspired fantasy that is the author's adult fantasy debut. The story revolves around Lan, who works as a songgirl in a city that has been colonized by the Elantians. One day, she meets a boy named Zen, a magician with forbidden and long-lost magic. Can they work together to save their world without succumbing to dark and destructive powers?

Here is an enchanting excerpt from the opening chapter:

"The Last Kingdom had been brought to its knees, but the view was mighty fine from here.
Lan tipped her bamboo hat over her head, parting her lips in pleasure as the cool evening breeze combed through the strands of her silky black hair. Sweat slicked her neck from the afternoon's work of hawking wares at the local evermarket, and her back ached with the beating she'd received from Madam Meng for stealing sugarplum candies from the kitchens at the Teahouse. But in rare moments like this, when the sun hung ripe and swollen as a mandarin over the glittering silver sea, there was still a shattered-glass beauty to be found in the remnants of a conquered land."

Overall, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is an amazing adult fantasy that is like if Spirited Away met Wicked Saints. One highlight of this book is the world-building and magic system. I've read a ton of Asian-inspired fantasy this year, but this book had new ideas that I hadn't seen before.

Another highlight of this book was the growing relationship between the two main characters. It didn't end up being what I expected, but the ending leaves me hopeful for the sequel. If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would have to say that the second half gets confusing, particularly with Zen's and Lan's powers. However, I understood the gist of it. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of fantasy books in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in February!

Beautifully rendered, with incredible world building, this is a fantasy set in a kind of Medieval Japan, something that I find irresistible and this novel didn’t let me down. Lan spends her nights as a songgirl in one of the city’s entertainment houses and tries to forget the past and her mother’s brutal slaying by a powerful magician. She is one of the conquered people, whose glorious past is only held in contempt by the colonizers. The only reminder of her family and that past is the indecipherable symbol emblazoned on her wrist that no one can see. Until Zen. He is a mysterious merchant who rescues her from mortal danger and is later revealed as one of those fabled practitioners whose powers are only known from tales of her people. But the two’s fated meeting set them on an unshakable path and terrible discoveries that show them to be the keys to unlock the past and defeat their conquerors.

The novel is packed with details of its world and invented fables and magic elements that make it absolutely irresistible. The storytelling is compelling and the delicate details only enhance a twisty, tense plot. The use of music as a magic tool was the most perfect touch for me, who loves music in all forms and knows that its power is truly magic.

This book is INCREDIBLE. The writing is absolutely divine, the storyline is so immersive and the characters are well developed with a fantastic level of world building. Nothing I say could do this book justice