Very much a book of two halves for me. I wasn't very engaged during the first half of the book and found the narrative a bit of a slog to get through. The action does kick in during the second half and there are some reveals that were interesting, which brought the overall engagement up. I thought the setting and world building were pretty good and the magic system was well done but I don't think I'll be picking up the sequel.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

There has never been a book that needed a dual POV less.

But let's start at the beginning. When I started reading, I noted with pleasure that the writing was beautiful and flowed very well, making for a very easy reading experience. I was looking forward to the following five-hundred pages! It all felt a little ... familiar, as in, I had the feeling I've read all of this before, but that's a minor problem, and I was looking to shut my brain off for a bit and just enjoy a nice little, familiar fantasy book.

It was only as the plot unfolded that this book became a ridiculous mess.

First, our heroine, Lan. A paper-cut-out of a girl, with the label "snarky and sarcastic", which in reality just reads as rudeness. She is so special, because of course she is. But while she may be the special-est most awesome girl in the entire country, she doesn't have a single ounce of personality.
Oh, she is pretty. Oh, she can sing. Sure. What else? Well, nothing.

Then, our boy toy love interest, Zen. He appears on the page, wearing patent leather boots - and here I had to admit, I thought patent leather was a modern invention, but it appears they got introduced in 1870, so that's on me - and he is oh, so beautiful. And he's patient, and gentle, and has a dark, dark, secret, but that's all here and there, because he's so gorgeous! What else matters, right?

When they meet, the plotholes begin. Because Lan works in a teahouse where men can come and ... rent ... girls, BUT ONLY ONCE. Then the girls are thrown out on the streets, because no one wants "spoiled goods". Which makes total sense for something that is basically a brothel. Lan's best friend, Ying, WANTS this to happen to her, btw. And then, to start of the plot of the book, Lan is being rented. Even though she is the one basically keeping the brothel afloat with her singing, some European dude fronting her bill for one night is enough for the madam to say "Yes, of course! I don't need her anyway!" This plotpoint makes me so mad. This does not make sense.
Anyway, Lan isn't really happy with that, so she kills the dude.

But here's the thing: Lan didn't conciously kill the dude. She just really badly didn't want this to happen, so she blacks out and when she wakes back up, he's dead. Plus, our beautiful gorgeous dreamboat of a male love interest comes in and tries to save her, too, because he recognized something about Lan that makes her even more s.p.e.c.i.a.l: MAGIC.

I mean, not magic. Qi. Lan has a "seal" burned into her arm, which is basically the in-universe form of a written-down spell.
I admit, using Chinese characters as in-universe magic to fight white people colonizers initially had an appeal to me. But unfortunately, this intriguing idea doesn't overcome the fact that this book is very boring.

For the next ... two hundred? ... pages, Zen takes Lan on a journey to the magic school. During those pages, he infodumps on her. Everything. So much history and worldbuilding that it almost blurs into one another. It's still infodumping, even if it's a character who does said infodumping! It's impossible to follow along and retain all the info being given, and to discern which of it is important and which is just flavor text, all while Lan exhibits no personality traits other than being obnoxious, and Zen keeps being "broody" and "mysterious" even though he literally tells her. every. single. thing.

Turns out Lan is a prodigy at magic, because of course she is. And turns out Zen has a dark secret, because of course he has.

When they finally arrive at the school, Lan meets her first other female character in two hundred pages, and the first thing she does is call her a whore. I wish I was making this up! I'm not!

Okay, I'm realizing this has been entirely too long already. Let's sum the remaining problems up: Why, oh, why, do these people keep saying that making deals with demons is bad and turn around to immediately make a deal with a demon? If there is any kind of action or fighting scene, why do they always black out and don't remember it afterwards? The first time it happened I literally scrolled back to see if I missed anything by accident. And then it happened again. And again.

Plus, the big reveal of what Lan's seal actually is was ... I mean, at this point, we all know that H*rry P*tter was the final horcrux. We've seen this one before. And we've also seen Darth Vader tell Luke: "I am your father." I wasn't shocked by ANY of the twists, which usually means they were foreshadowed well, but in this one just felt like bad usage of tropes. Ugh.

Anyway. I'll read the second one just because I wanna see how they dig themselves out of THAT hole. And maybe because it'll give me another opportunity to be mean on the internet.

Characters: 8/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Plot: 6/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Writing: 10/10

Score: 4

Song of Silver Flame Like Night is inspired by Chinese mythology and literature where the main character, Lan, is experiencing the effects of colonisation, and seeking to discover the truth about her heritage. I could definitely imagine this as a C-drama with all the dramatic slow-motion shots. <spoiler> There was quite a bit of (unnecessary) stabbing. </spoiler>

I have a strong appreciation for Chinese mythology and lore. However, I'm no expert, so I don't know how well Song of Silver Flame Like Night does regarding those aspects. Although I'm only briefly familiar with the concepts and didn't quite understand all of them, I still thoroughly enjoyed myself. Though, I'll say I preferred the first half to the second one.

I really liked the two main characters. Zen was proper and collected, while Lan was lively and witty. Their contrasting personalities made up for an entertaining dynamic—which exact type I'm a sucker for. I just love when the serious character warms up and is amused by the other one's antics.

Another thing I appreciate about this xianxia-style story is the slowburn and how the romance was portrayed. In a lot of Chinese media I find it to be a bit different from typically in the West—or I just have the talent for picking up this type of stuff—more emotional than physical, with the less is more approach. It really suits my preferences.

I'll admit I got a bit lost at the last part. Maybe I shouldn't have had such long breaks between reading. A few of the secondary characters could have been a bit more fleshed out too. I got a feeling they were important or will be in the future. <spoiler> Also, Lan's father reveal was just brushed over. They didn't really get to know each other before he told her. Kind of pointless, but it's fine. </spoiler>

I finally decided to read this one and I'm thrilled I did. It took me a little while to get into it as the characters seemed a little one-dimensional initially. However, they soon became fleshed out as the pace picked up. A YA fantasy that felt refreshingly different to what's on the market.

4.5 stars

I'm such a big fan of Amélie's writing and I loved being transported into this amazing world she has created! It was so magical and lyrical that I just found myself completely captivated by the story and it's characters. ⁣
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Lan is such an interesting character whose development is one of my favourite things about the book. She's thrown into a situation that she's not prepared for but she continues to fight to survive and grows stronger. ⁣
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I also really liked the Chinese mythology in this one and found it so fascinating, along with the magic system! It was so well described that it was just so easy to understand! ⁣
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I honestly cannot wait for the next book in this series and whatever Amélie writes in the future! ⁣

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As an avid enjoyer of Chinese mythology, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While it was a little slow in parts, it was overall a very enjoyable story. I liked the characters immensely and was rooting for them throughout the story.

3.5/5

This had quite a slow start for me, particularly because there's a lot of worldbuilding and history to explain. However, once you move past this and get to the heart of the story, it's very interesting. The magic system is rooted in Chinese philosophy, but the elements such as the demonic gods and the yin/yang made for an intriguing story.

Lan reads as a lot younger and less mature than she is, especially when you put her next to Zen. In terms of the characters, I think I had a stronger connection to the secondary characters like Tai and ShanJūn.

Overall, it's a captivating story and the cliffhanger ending has me tempted to read the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I found the world really unique and immersive. I haven't read something like this before, which made me excited throughout my reading journey. I loved how this story drew on the Chinese legend and lore, especially with the foundation of the magic system stemming from Yin and Yang and Qi.

I enjoyed the characters immensely. I found them to be extremely relatable and I loved watching their growth unfold throughout the story. The journeys that these characters go one take a heart-breaking turn at times, so I'm very excited to see what happens next.

The plot itself I really enjoyed, I had an inkling with some of the twists but for the most part the revelations definitely had the maximum impact for me. I experienced a massive emotional rollercoaster in the last leg of the book.

I will say at times it was a bit slow but overall I really enjoyed this!

I think that you're going to like this book if you like C-dramas.
I was sadly not that invested in this book eventhough I really wanted to be.
To me the book just followed all those YA/C-drama formulas with an orphan girl, who has a secret. Or a secret she doesn't know herself.
And there's always this one guy that helps her and brings her into the "world" she's supposed to be in, and of course they catch feelings for each other. But something happens and they can't be together.
But before that they go on a quest together, which is how they end up trusting each other and falling in love.
And he of course also has a secret and bla bla bla.

The book isn't bad, but I was disappointed. Maybe it's just because I've grown out of these types of books.

Would I read this again? Hmm why not, but I will say that I would definitely binge watch this as a C-drama or a movie.

I love anything mythology and am obsessed with folklore so that being in this book made it amazing to me. Once I started (which I’m now regretting not starting sooner but sadly life had different plans) I could NOT put it down, another fantasy book I’ll proudly add to me favorite fantasy books list!

Thank you so so much for providing me with an arc for this amazing and eventful book!

I was very enthusiastic about this title because I had heard about the author before and was really impressed by her own personal experiences with writing in her second language. This would be my first book with the author so I immediately dived right in, my appetite whetted by the gorgeous cover as well!

However, quite unlike the beautiful light cover, beneath I found dense, convoluted prose and characters with shaky motivations and ids. A bit disappointing.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

A rich and complex YA fantasy about the ethics and uses of magic and the substance of myths. We see two characters, Lan and Zen, brought together to protect themselves, a secret magic school, and their respective communities. The pace of the story is like a dance - quick, quick, slow - which takes a bit of getting used to but Amélie Wen Zhao has definitely set up a cinematic epic that I hope will get a large budget adaptation.

Wow.. just wow! This story was incredible. It is the first book based on Chinese mythology that completely transported me.

The magic system (qi) can be a bit hard to follow due to all the names and secrets but once you understand them it’s sooo good!

The fate of Zen and Lan is intertwined and it is simply impossible to know how it will end. I cannot wait to se how their chosen paths unfold as the story continues!

In a fallen kingdom, one girl carries the key to discovering the secrets of her nation’s past—and unleashing the demons that sleep at its heart.

This book is definitely one thing: EPIC!

A fantasy world based on ancient Chinese myths sounds - and is - pretty awesome!

Unfortunately the novel is very overwritten - and the female main character is completely clueless and helpless and needs a man to travel with her to over explain everything to her - and to us.

It felt refreshing to see a fantasy like this one. Although I must admit that lately I've been engaging less and less with YA, probably the reason this book didn't completely win me over.

I really did not love this book. While the world building was interesting, a lot of the choices the characters were making felt incoherent and oversimplified.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is intriguing, but surprisingly slow paced. The world-building is intricate and well-crafted, but this leads to a lot of exposition within the text. There's a lot of telling rather than showing. I also didn't find myself very emotionally connected to any of the characters, but again I was invested in the larger world outcomes. My enjoyment of this book came almost entirely from the larger story, and even though it felt slow going at times, I was always eager to find out what happened next. I can see me picking up further installments of this series, but I may wait until I have a larger segment of time where I can fully immerse myself in this world.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Disclaimer, I did get an Arc Copy of this book but due to circumstances didn't get to read and review before the publication date. This review is based off a physical copy I bought.

Wow. What can I say about this book.
Inspired by Chinese folklore and mythology, this story is unique and refreshing. The time taken to craft the world and introduce the reader to the mythos and magic system is amazingly done and is simple yet doesn't disrespect the reader or the history and mythology behind the story. I found this to be easy to understand yet not so simplified that it felt hollow and flat. The world and magic system is well thought through and realistic, as in there are repercussions or limitations to what the characters can do. Which out training the magic is nothing and dangerous. I liked this because it eliminated the idea of using the magic to save the character and increase the stakes.

I greatly appreciated the simple time line before we go into the book. It gave us enough background to aid in the understanding of the political climate but not explaining everything at the beginning.

Lan is an amazing character who has had to do many things to survive. She is alone in the world and she is grieving the loss of a community. She has these abilities which have been locked away. She had to struggle and I found that it made the pay off, her coming to a realisation or achieving something so much bigger.

Zen is a mysterious character, he is very different then Lan, with a very different up brining and way of life he is very much her complete opposite which I absolutely loved that this dynamic parallels the magic system in this world. It just enriches the dynamic. I also just wanted to hug him and crowd him with love when I heard his backstory.

I found myself laughing at moments, feeling on edge, feeling sad and feeling joy. I was invested in these characters and wanted them to win.

I also really enjoyed how well crafted the 'bad guys' where. Even the magic and history of them felt developed but still with room for us as the reader to explore.

The relationship development between Lan and Zen was great and I loved how they both slowly started to open up. They complimented each other and are the opposite that they both needed. Which parallels the folklore and world that they live... that was a cherry on top. The relationship between the two really starts to solidify about 60% percent of the way in. With what happens at the end I am hoping that it doesn't go all the way back to square one.

We had a lot of history, world building and learning all about the magic system which I loved, I just need the author to learn into the romance element a little more as I found myself captivated in that. I also felt that with the romance element and conflict on equal pars, the stakes felt higher. I feel like if the author is going to add a romance, really lead into the romance.

I am super excited but also a little scared for the next book.

This book was really enjoyable and I loved the mythology woven into the story. I did have some issues with the pacing but i am looking forward to the sequel after the ending of the book.

First off the cover of this book is stunning which is why I wanted to read in the first place. That and I had enjoyed the last couple chinese mythology books so thought this sounded interesting. I did find some of the names etc hard to pronounce which pulled me out of the story a few times. It is also supposed to be YA but has is not an easy read had a lot of complex names and complex world back story more associated with adult fantasy.

The main character Lan felt like an annoying child for most of the book until near the end so didn't connect much with her, I really liked Zen he was an interesting complex character.
The world building was great at the start but when they started portaling places it started to get a bit wishy-washy. I did really like how much history the world seemed to have and how the world had changed over the years with the Elantians taking over and oppressing the Hin.

As for the magic systems I really liked the Qi magic from the Hin and practictioning and the control of "demons" etc. The Elantian magic was not that clear as to how they did what they did and why. Was interesting that they got called angels when they were anything but what we would normally associate angels as.

Didn't seem like a lot really happened in this book till near the end. Would have liked to have seen more of Lans training etc, and finding out about the demon gods happened so fast. Will have to see what happens in the next book. Overall I liked