Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Song of Silver, Flame Like Night' by Amélie Wen Zhao.

I was so excited to recieve this eARC because of the cover but I did try a previous book by Amélie Wen Zhao and I didn't enjoy that so I was worried.

Sadly, my worries were confirmed. I loved the beginning of the novel and it hooked me from the start. However I just felt like I was being dragged into a slump and I couldn't bring myself to read the story. There's plenty of people who will love this and I understand why especially from that beginning but this book sadly was not for me.

Once, Lan had a different name. Now, she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom, killed her mother, and outlawed her people’s magic. She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong, a city transformed by the conquerors, and spends her days scavenging for remnants of the past. For anything that might help her understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother, in her last act before she died.

Once there were ninety-nine clans, each specialising in a different type of practitioning. Over the years the clans warred and united and merged and warred again. Then the first Emperor squashed all other rebellion, created the Hin Kingdom, and outlined a universal Way of Practitioning. This new way was intended as self-defence and demonic practitioning was strictly outlawed. Then the Elantians came, eradicating both the clans and the Hin with their metal-based based magic. But none of this history matters to Lan, living as a Hin Songgirl under Elantian rule. The only history she cares about is her own: specifically what the tattoo on her wrist means, why no one else can see it, and why and how her mother put it there with her dying breath.

The culture and history in this book are multi-layered and immensely complicated. Yet very rarely did I feel lost or confused, which I think is quite an impressive feat. There is a brief history at the beginning and then the rest is drip-fed throughout the book, giving only what information is required at the very moment that it is required. Furthermore, the ideas merge so well together that every new piece of information makes perfect sense as it fits neatly alongside everything the reader already knows.

As a character, Lan is a bit of a contradiction. At times she is soft and naïve, having lived a mostly quiet life of survival. Yet at other times there is a fierceness to her that reminds you where she has come from and what she has had to endure to get to where she is now. I think it is this contradiction in her character that allows her to take everything new completely in her stride and to easily adapt to each change in her circumstances.

I enjoyed this book, but I think overall it was an elaborate build-up to something bigger and I will have to wait for the next book to learn if the real big events are worth the wait.

"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 remains of a conquered land."

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for this eARC.

This was an easy 5 stars for me; I knew a few chapters in that I was going to rate it highly, and it absolutely did not disappoint me. I was rapt with attention from the beginning, the author beautifully setting the scene with the imagery of Chinese history and mythology, immediately letting me know that this was exactly the story for me.

Stories that involve mythology of any kind are always intriguing to me, and especially history such as this. The high fantasy aspect mixed with the realities of the past, and fables and legends passed through generations. It can provide a solid foundational base for any book; but some authors bite off more than they can chew, and don't give enough of a background, or rely too heavily on the already crafted stories without much room for their own world building. Zhao does a fantastic job of balancing these.

Firstly, the writing is gorgeous. Beautiful. Every page I was taken aback by the talent and poetry of it, yet it was easy to follow - which is a task unto itself. I really commend Zhao for being able to write so creatively whilst not confusing the reader as to what she is talking about. I appreciate beautiful writing. I'm a sucker for it. This book was practically written for me, in terms of the content and the writing style and the genres.

Secondly, the story is SO GOOD. The pacing works well, the characters are amazing, and I am so, so excited to read the second book; to see where the journey takes Lan, Zen and their friends. To see how much more wicked the villains can get. There were moments within the book that truly did shock me, twists I did not see coming. And even those I did guess beforehand were executed so well that I didn't even care that I knew, and I still somehow felt surprised/moved by them!

It's been a while since I felt so quickly and steadfastly attached to multiple main characters in a book, but I would die for both Lan and Zen at this stage.

The history and background is so well researched and developed and thought out, and I'm just - pretty much in awe of this. An easy new favourite. I truly can't wait to read more; from this world, and from the author in general.

"Better to be burned by the fire of his own fury, to taste the bitterness of his wish for revenge, than to feel that devastating emptiness of nothingness his loss had left him."

"Sιʅʋҽɾ. Aȥυɾҽ. Bʅαƈƙ. Cɾιɱʂσɳ.
Dɾαɠσɳ. Tιɠҽɾ.Tσɾƚσιʂҽ.Pԋσҽɳιx."

Song of Silver Flame Like Night- @ameliewenzhao

5/5
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟/🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

How do I even start this review?!
This book was such an incredible read from start to finish. It had EVERYTHING I love in a book.
I love Lan and Zen so much as well as all the characters surrounding them. The book is easy to read but is so incredibly clever in the way it is written. I love all the mentions of equivalent exchange (makes me think of full metal alchemist) and I love the "magic" system of yin and yang and the power of balance.
That cliff hanger was so Incredibly mean.... I need the next book now 😭
An easy 5 star rating for me and a favorite of this year. Cannot wait to hold the book in my hands now!
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC as it has been one of my most anticipated reads!

Such a great start to a fantasy series! I devoured this once I got going!

Chinese folklore including demon gods, a qi themed magical system, action and heart-break on every page, and two main characters, who have lost everything, willing to sacrifice themselves to win, made this book such an excellent reading experience.

Zhao's writing was fluid, impressive and stunning, allowing me a window into this captivating world, one where the kingdom once rich with ancient Chinese culture has fallen at the bloodied hands of colonisers seeking power and control.

Lan was a complex, well-rounded character. I hurt when she hurt, and I laughed when she made snide, cheeky comments. She was driven, strong and had a clear goal. Zen's characterisation was just as in-depth, and his character arc was painful but, deep down, understandable. I even enjoyed the side characters, who were just as much their own person as the main characters. The budding friendship between Lan and Zen was artfully crafted and delightful to watch.

While the twists and turns were guessable, I was thoroughly invested as events unfolded, truths came to light, and actions were taken. The history of the Kingdoms did take me a little while to wrap my head around, but that's on me.

Ultimately, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is about balance, determination and how much one is willing to sacrifice in order to achieve the greater good.

➼ actual rate: 3.75

this book pleasantly reminds me of <i>shadow of the fox</i> by julie kagawa and <i>daughter of the moon goddess</i> by sue lynn tan which was a joy to read. if you like xianxia fantasy c-dramas, you’re going to enjoy this immensely. each and every word in this book was carefully chosen and crafted. without being excessively flowery, it is poetic. i loved how how each chapter began with an old excerpt like folktales from variety of sources.

i feel like Amélie Wen Zhao’s writing has significantly improved compared to her previous work that i’ve read. the worldbuilding is hard to follow along at first, i note that not many reviews mentioned that and most seem feel like it’s easy to understand, so it’s probably a Me problem. the majority of the book’s set up is school-based, and i enjoyed so much lan’s time relearning the world’s magic system. i loved the way Zhao wrote lan’s bond with other minor characters and their relationship progress throughout the book. there are so many revelations in the second half of the book, and i still don’t fully understand in which side a certain character actually stand. lan has a better grasp on the moralities but zen’s character also intrigued me. the romance was also sweet and progressed very naturally. i look forward to see where Zhao takes them next.

<b>(might be spoiler, scroll away)</b>

one drawback of this novel is that i have a hard time wrapping my head around lan's decision at the end. she did her utmost to put a stop to zen, but she ended up taking the same action despite knowing what it costs and how easy it can become corrupted. although her justifications are sound, wasn't the conclusion always the same? a bargainer channeled the strength of their demon god and drowning in power. the outcome is always nearly destroying everything they had been fighting for. but since there are many sides to this story, i understand that it cannot be viewed from a single perspective only. like what dé’zǐ said, yīn changing to yáng, yáng changing to yīn, in a perpetual cycle of balance. and i can see that the ending is going to be an amazing ground work set up for the next installment which i’m very excited about.

<i>arc kindly provided by HarperCollins UK via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was very descriptive and I was hooked from the beginning. The worldbuilding was a bit confusing but it didn't bother me. The angsty romance between Lan and Zen was amazing I can't wait for the sequel.