I haven’t had the chance to begin reading this yet unfortunately. I do hope to soon but I’ve been reading very slowly lately. I’m currently reading godkiller and almost finished that but this book is definitely next on my list to read.

Honestly I did read the first page or two a while ago but it didn’t suck me in enough to continue but I’m hoping once I read the full first chapter I’ll feel differently I’m just focusing on reading things that spark that instant I must read more feeling right now.

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

A fantasy south East Asian inspired fantasy book. Very atmospheric and beautiful writing. Would highly recommend for any fantasy fan.

This was a very dense and complex series starter from Amelie Wen Zhao. A Chinese historical, magical world with demons, different gifts/skills and magics. Lan was left without family, with a deeply buried secret in her physical body and a bunch of people after her. She quickly met Zen, a practitioner of a kind of magic who seemed ready to help her and also teach her. There were many different kinds of magic, some good and some bad. We ended up in 'chosen one' territory and I just wasn't feeling the vibe.

The world building took a steady pace at first but as time went on, it got a bit convoluted, emerging into a fog of what is what. I lost interest in general by about half way through and although I made it to the end, I am not sure I have the desire to continue.

This is the second series I have tried to start from this author and I find myself with the same feelings as the blood heir. This is the opposite of easy reading and while ease isn't something I expect from fantasy, I do need a coherent traction to invest me.

I'm not sure if it's me not you, or if it's you, not me!

First of all, thanks to HarperCollins UK for giving me the opportunity to review this book via NetGalley.

This is my first book read written by Amelie Wen Zhao and also my first fantasy on East Asian (ie. Chinese) mythology. I was not expecting anything but the book cover is so gorgeous that it undeniably, made me so eager to pick this book up.

The story started slow but it sticks with you as you progresses. I didn't notice how addicting it has become until I was near the end of the book.

Story-wise, this has the same format with almost any typical fantasy books in the market, the only thing kind of new (at least for me) is the attempt to fuse East Asian mythology to its world building. The backstory or at least how the history of magic was told in this book is kind of lacking that it felt like there was not enough time to put them nicely for readers to read and get familiar or maybe a good attempt to not spoil the story. Hope that we get to see it in Book 2!

Characters? I loved the characters! They are so relatable; I'm truly getting very invested to all the characters. It's one of the main reason why I keep on reading!

I recommend this book for those readers who loved Asian mythology infused fantasy genre with kind of puppy teenage vibe romance. Something you would imagine to be included in a Disney+ flick catalogue. Yes, the potential is real.

Well I enjoyed this a bit more than Blood Heir, but it still had a lot to be desired.

I'll start with the things I liked. The world was perfectly built. I didn't feel the same disconnect between the setting and the story that I felt with Blood Heir. It was a beautiful, interesting society with overtones of colonialism and war. I loved the school, it was a dream school and I would love to go there and learn magic. On that note, the the magic system the Hin used was fascinating, I love the idea of a magic system based on writing and Chinese characters. I also want to learn more about the Elantian metal based writing system.

All this stuff was great, but I wished that the main character would actually do something. Either she relied all on the boy or she unleashed an unknown power that wasn't really in her control. She just seemed so reliant on those around her and she couldn't stand on her own two feet. There were also a few things that confused me about the ending which I won't go into here.

I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to read on or not. I really hope the next book improves though because this world has so much potential.

I just reviewed Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao. #NetGalley. I found this book to be really enjoyable and a quick read. I really enjoyed all the magic and World building. I wasn't sure what to expect before reading it but plan on continuing with the series to see where the story leads to next. Over all I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

The world building and magic are the parts I liked the most. I’m really curious to see what ‘s going to happen in the following books of the series

Unfortunately ran out of time with this one but have heard very good things so will be checking it out from the library asap

An immersive, and beautifully written story, but dull.

I wasn't a huge fan of Zhao's first book, BLOOD HEIR, but this story sounded intriguing enough to pique my attention. Unfortunately I didn't like this as much as I hoped, and I think it's time to admit this author's work isn't for me. Much like BLOOD HEIR I found this one a massive struggle to get through because everything was so dry and dull.

However, this no way detracts from how well-written this book is and how expertly Zhao delivers the world-building and story. The magic system was really interesting as well. It's more a "it's not you, it's me" situation. SONG OF SILVER, FLAME LIGHT NIGHT will easily satisfy any fantasy appetite.

I thought this was a fun book! Was not quite what I was expecting but I liked the premise and some of the characters. Will be reading the second book.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc of this book. From the start I was definitely curious of the world building and it didn't disappoint.

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. You are following both Lan (the girl with a secret key/power) and Zen (a magic practitioner rumoured to be extinct). They are the 2 points of view and I really loved both sides. They are interacting the majority of the time and are not just 2 disjointed stories, which I loved. Their background is wonderfully created and shown to us piece by piece. I really liked all the characters, their stories and interactions. There was a moment in the story when I gasped and cried a little.

The world building, magic and history of the Kingdom is another part I definitely loved. Generally speaking this is one aspect of any fantasy story that is incredibly important to me and this book had everything! I really cannot wait for the next vol.

I highly recommend this book!

“But you must remember that, should you choose to live, you do not live only for yourself.” He made a gesture as though to touch his heart. “You live for those you have lost. You carry their legacies inside you.”
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a magical and immersive fantasy novel with xianxia and Chinese mythology elements. I’ve always had a weakness for orphaned main characters and their strive to prove themselves in the world, and Lan is a strong protagonist with a distinct voice who is on a journey of self-discovery.
I enjoyed the qi-based magical system, and the detailed background history and world building Amélie Wen Zhao provided. The poetic language of her prose made this world spring off the page – I blame my kids for the one mental image that superimposed itself on the beauty of location: they were watching Kung Fu Panda on repeat at the time I was reading Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, and I kept imagining Po pulling his noodle cart up the steps to the School of the White Pines…
I can’t wait to see where this goes next and will be looking out for the next instalment in the series!

Going into this book I didn't realise it was part of a series, so you can understand my confusion when it was getting near the 80% mark and there was STILL so much to learn/resolve. However, this book was an utter delight! The characters Lan and Zen were brilliantly written, and Amélie Wen Zhao captured their voices so well.

The magic and world-building were so intriguing, leaving me wanting more as soon as I finished,


**Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for allowing me to read this book. All thoughts are my honest opinions.**

I received an arc of this ages ago and I’m so sad I didn’t get around to reading it earlier because I absolutely loved it! You feel so immersed in this world straight away just wondering what is really going on with our two main characters in Zen & Lan.

It is very lore heavy throughout but I don’t think it was done so that you didn’t follow it and it did actually fit with the story rather than just feel like an info dump. All of it was so interesting, especially learning about the different types of magic there is and how this new kingdom have taken metals to use their magic.

I adored Lan & Zen together. I loved how they started (with her hitting him with a teacup 😂) and how they slowly grew to bond to each other enough that he brought her back to his school. I truly felt like she would’ve excelled there if given the chance, but unfortunately the school is destroyed. Their growing romance I was all here for and was so happy when they got that little pocket of time where they could be together. I couldn’t believe that Lan had another demon god inside her too but she seems to have a bit more control over it than Zen.

This lead to the HEARTBREAK at the end seeing Zen make a deal with the Black Tortoise and instantly seeing how different he was with Lan. I had such high hopes for these two and I really hope that he is able to find a way back to himself in the second book because it would hurt me if he didn’t, although he’s had a hard life you can tell he’s a good person 😭💜. The only reason this dropped a half star is because I found the ending to be a little bit chaotic and confusing, and wasn’t a fan that the Grandmaster was suddenly her father, but other than that I adored this book.

“I wish for you to not go anywhere without me. In this world and the next. I wish for you to choose me.”

3.5 stars.

I really enjoyed reading this book more.
Lan and Zen were both very interesting and likable characters, and I really enjoyed the chemistry between them, the setting and magic was so intriguing and I really liked it. I’m a sucker for demons after all.
Though as the story progressed I found myself losing interest in the story, something in the plot didn’t grab my attention as much as I hoped. I feel if the book was 100 pages shorter the pacing would have been better and smoother.
I was going to give this a 4 stars but then I realized I’ll most likely not continue the series which is why I rated it 3 stars.
I would still recommend this though since the premise is still interesting and the characters are likable.

First in a new series and I cannot wait for me. A beautifully written story that was brilliantly done from start to finish. It will pull at your heartstrings so don't forget to grab some tissues.

It took me a little while to get into this book and I found the middle dipped in pace. But wow what an ending! This book broke me! I loved Lan and Zen. Brilliant!

This book broke me! I loved Lan and Zen’s interactions. Lan is witty and funny, where as Zen is serious and tortured. This is very much a post-colonial fantasy world where the oppressed are trying to fight against oppression. I’m here for this type of fantasy book. Overall I loved every moment of the book and I cried very hard towards the end.

“She would not longer be the flower. She would be the blade.”

This book completely took my breath away! Everything about it is beautiful: the stunning cover, the map of The Last Kingdom, the descriptive and lyrical writing throughout. Perfection!

Song of Silver is steeped in magic and mythology. I loved finding out more about the magic system and about the demon gods. The world-building is top-notch, weaving the magical elements with a detailed political history of The Last Kingdom, including a pre-face of the different eras, as well as information throughout about the brutality of the Elantian colonisers.

Lan was a fantastic main character and I found myself really feeling for her as she fled the Elantians, learned more about her own power, and continued her quest to find out more about her family’s past. I also really loved Zen, a quiet but powerful practitioner of magic who Lan meets early in the story. The relationship between these two was so complicated due to the secrets they both harboured and I enjoyed every second.

The end of this book felt unsurprising in some ways, and yet also deeply shocking. This is one of my top reads of 2023 so far and I can’t wait to read book 2.

“…I hope that, in your quest for power, you will remember this moment, this pain you are feeling. I hope you will remember what power can cost you.”