This book was amazing right from the start. The world building was incredible, I was immediately immersed in the world and found it easy to pick up the rules of the magic system. The author was very good at introducing each element of the world and the plot seamlessly. I immediately loved Lan as our main character and was rooting for her throughout. All the characters were well defined and interesting to read. I particularly enjoyed getting to know Zen through the eyes of Lan. The plot was complex, shocking and fast paced which kept me hooked. Overall, this was an amazing book and I would definitely recommend it to any fantasy lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read the eARC.

Gorgeous cover with a perfect fantasy story inside. I enjoyed this book as it was my first by this author. I was not sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised.

The world-building and magic system to me was wonderful and easy to understand. As we follow our two characters, we learn more about how the magic system works.

I am eagerly awaiting book number 2 as the ending of this one was unexpected. I am here along for the ride.

I highly recommend this book to fans of fantasy who are looking for something different as I felt that this was highly original and I cannot wait to see how it all ends.

This is a tough one because I was very interested in the concepts, especially as it was based on Chinese mythology and Chinese folklore. But ultimately, I wasn’t just able to get invested in the book. I thought the pace felt very slow, and the way the concepts were introduced sometimes felt forced (info dump), which is a shame because the world-building and the magic system had a lot of potential.

The story is written from alternating third-person deep POV for the two main characters, however I didn’t feel the deep POV was used to its full potential, and I didn’t personally feel it added too much to each character besides advancing the narrative.

Even though there was action in this book, I didn’t feel enough connection to the characters or plot overall to make me feel invested in it. I ended up struggling to get through it, and I felt this was the main reason why it took me so long to finish it.

This is the longest review I have written but I'll keep it short because I don't want to ramble...My rating for this book would be about 3.5 stars because it was like a generic ya fantasy.

The beginning was a big info dump with world-building and getting significant plot points in before the climax...and ngl the info dump was low-key confusing. Even so, AWZ was able to make me as a reader want to get to the next chapter however it wasn't like an "oh my gosh I love this story", it was more of a "so what's next" situation. The story is about Lan trying to understand her past and the meaning of the seal on her wrist, then one night she meets Zen the mysterious magic man, who she discovers to be a practitioner of magic. They together band together to fight back against their enemies. In the end, I couldn't connect with the characters. and the plot was fine, a bit slow-paced. I would be interested to read the next book and I wanted to love it but I didn't have any emotional attachment to the characters hopefully in the next instalment of the series I'll find myself in love with the series, I really want to...

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for providing me with an eARC.

Thank you Net Galley and HarperCollins UK for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023, and boy did it live up to that. The writing was beautiful, with fantastic worldbuilding and seamless descriptions that were ever so easy to imagine. Additionally, the characters were easily likeable and I especially loved the friendship between Lan and Zen. Usually I find that YA Fantasy is too young for me, but this was not one of them. Song like SiIver, Flame like Night is a medium-paced book that is perfect for fans of These Violent Delights, The Priory of the Orange Tree, and Daughter of the Moon Goddess. I am so excited to read the next instalment in this series.

Loved this story of gods and demons and a real flavour of the East. I know they say you can’t judge a book by the cover but the cover drew me to this book! There was just something really mystical about the whole story involving Seals that did just that - kept things in place and the theme of Yin & Yang running through the story. As in all good tales there was a love story running through - Lan & Zen. I’m not sure what happened to their story at the end but there was so much magic in this tale that I can create my own ending for them. Recommend this book.

Vividly, beautifully and joyously magical.


Firstly, for once we can ignore the “never judge a book by its cover” rule. I mean let’s be honest - we always do anyway… However this time the beauty of the writing and storytelling more than lives up to the gorgeous cover.

I am a newbie to the Chinese fantasy genre. Infact, and please don’t judge or take offence, my entire exposure to Chinese mythology and lore is limited to, and I realise now entirely defined by, the three Kung Fu Panda movies. I mean, they’re great but still…

Amelie Wen Zhao has created a beautiful, heartbreaking tale of love, revenge, courage and redemption wrapped in adventure and magic.

I loved every minute of this story. It swallowed me up and held me captivated and entranced throughout. Tis a wondrous thing indeed and I cannot wait to see where the next instalment in this new series will take us.

This was my first book by this author. It took me a while to get going through all the world building but it was worth it for this Chinese mythology.
Tale. Lan is such a wonderful character. I look forward to reading more works by this Author.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper voyager for the e-Arc for exchange for my honest review and opinions.

This was a really good read it was my first time reading a book by this author and I really enjoyed it. I love reading books about Asian mythology and this one didn't disappoint; there is quite a lot going on in this book and you can get overwhelmed at times but the characters and story are beautifully written and you just have to take your time reading and absorbing the information.
Sublime world and incorporation of Chinese mythology I felt like I was being drawn into the pages of the story.
Lan is an interesting character and I didn't find them annoying I was able to follow and root for them throughout the book.
I will definitely be recommending this amazing story to my library's book club and making sure I purchase a copy for other readers to enjoy this wonderful tale. A solid four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me.

I'm delaying my review for this reason: when your US parent company settles with the people striking, I'll post my review. Thanks!

The beginning of this book was a bit struggle for me because of the heavy world building and it felt a little bit info dumpy. However once I got past that and got into the main storyline I really enjoyed the book and can't wait to see what happens in the next one. This is my first Amelie Wen Zhao book and I can't wait to read more.

I went into this book without any real expectations but I was so blown away! It was absolutely beautiful to read and so immersive from the very beginning. It was action packed but still emotional, riveting and filled with wonderful characters and magic. The magic system was incredible to read, with qi being the source of magic in this world and I loved reading about it and learning more as we went through the novel. There is a romance, and while it is not at all the main focus, it was so quietly beautiful and I adore both of the characters of Lan and Zen, and I miss them already!
This book is rich in Chinese mythology and the worldbuilding is really built on the basis of this folklore, and it makes for such a fascinating read. There is also discussion of colonialism, as Lan and Zen fight to save their kingdom and its people from the invading Elantians, and this discussion is carried out so perfectly and heartbreakingly.
I'm actually obsessed with this book and I need the sequel like straight away. I'm definitely also looking to pick up the author's previous works because I loved the writing so so much. Can't fault this gorgeous fantasy!

Run date: 30th January 2023
Outlets: Goodreads and Instagram

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I was really excited to read this as I love fantasy books that incorporate mythology, especially Chinese mythology. I have a lot of things to say about this one.

We’re following two main characters. Lan is a songgirl trying to find answers regarding the mysterious seal her mother left on her wrist as she died at the hands of the Elantian’s during their invasion. Zen is a practitioner, performing ancient magic and trying to find information to help overthrow the Elantian regime and restore power to the Hin’s. When the two meet they discover that they both have secrets and difficult choices to make.

First off the writing was beautiful and the original elements of the plot were imaginative and well done. The author is fantastic at describing settings and creating atmosphere. I thought the characters were developed really well and I liked the two main characters and their relationship. The plot twists were also really good and I didn’t see a lot of them coming. This is a strong start to a fantasy series.

This book had so much potential but I just can’t overlook how some scenes are literally beat for beat exactly the same as The Poppy War. One such scene that I can’t describe because of spoilers, is literally EXACTLY the same with small details changed. Characters were also very reminiscent.

Other reviews I’ve read have said that this book also reads a lot like Brandon Sanderson’s works but I can’t comment on that because I haven’t read them yet. While there are some original aspects to this book, the overall plot and themes are completely unoriginal. I’m not saying that the author copied the books mentioned at all, I’m just saying that the quote of at the beginning of the book saying “I’m tired of Chinese girls being portrayed as fragile flowers. I want to be the blade. So in my book I gave my girl magic-the power of Shamans and prophetic lore and demon gods singing in her blood” kind of disregards books like The Poppy War in which the main female character literally has all of these attributes and that just feels a little disrespectful. I also have an issue with the way this book is marketed as “enemies to lovers” and the romance being between two “rival clans” when that is not the case at all. The author also spoiled a major plot point on her Instagram which kind of bummed me out a bit because I saw it before I read the book.

I’ve seen some people say that the author is discriminative towards people with disabilities in this book. I don’t believe that these are the AUTHOR’s views, merely the views character who has been brought up in a traditional village with those views. I think the author was also trying to comment on colonialism with this book but it just fell flat and was buried under all of the other themes the book was trying to convey.

The pacing and plot was all over the place as well, at some points it felt like everything was being made up as we went along. There was SO much information thrown at us in such a short amount of time that at times I struggled to comprehend what I was reading. I can understand why people are giving this five stars, this was a four star book for me before I started to get annoyed with the reuse of elements from other books.

If you’ve never read any books involving Chinese mythology then you would probably really enjoy this but I personally would read books such as “The Poppy War” by R.F. Kuang and “A Magic Steeped in Poison” by Judy I. Lin before reading this one. I would definitely be interested to read the next book in the series to see where the story goes though. I have absolutely nothing against this author at all, I wish her luck and happiness but I have to give an honest review.

A beautiful mythology inspired story full of magic, wonder and a sublime story that is guaranteed to captivate audiences everywhere

Beautiful writing, yet barely drawn characterisations and a plot that stumbles and lurches for a considerable portion of the middle.

3.0/5

I loved the sound of this but since I'm trying to be more selective with my book purchases this year and saw that this was likely to be included in an upcoming subscription box I decided to request an ARC ahead of my renewal - and I'm so glad I did.

Going into this I was hoping for a vibes similar to Daughter of the Moon Goddess or Six Crimson Cranes, but I found the plot so slow, didn't particularly like any of the characters and just could not get into it. I considered DNFing multiple times but powered through due to the strong reviews I had seen.

I think it's definitely a case of just not the right book for me, as the storyline just didn't grip me at any stage and despite wanting to love it, I ended up just slogging through.

This was such a sublime book and I want more. Its beautifully written. I love reading books based on mythology and found this one pure joy. This really is epic fantasy at its best, with its own unique world and magic based system. I enjoyed the authors style of writing and am hooked, eagerly awaiting book 2.

Following a common song-girl named Lan, this story follows her as she tries to figure out who killed her mother, the secrets of her past, the mysterious mark on her wrist, all while trying to lay low under the monsters who colonised her land. When she meets Zen, everything changes.

I absolutely adored the writing. I can’t believe how seamlessly the author told this story with beautiful and lyrical writing, witty dialogue and descriptions that had me immersed in this world. It was like reading a C-drama as it played in my head. I got Avatar the Last Airbender and The Poppy War vibes from this book as it is set at an academy of sorts, with magic, and deep-rooted mythology.

Lan was by far my favourite character. She was brave and didn’t let her emotions take over. I really enjoyed her views on the world, and her willingness to learn more about this new world. Her heart softened as she learned more about Zen, and I liked their relationship. However, as a character Zen was quite bland, and I didn’t care for him much. The ending did change my mind about him, but I really want to read book 2 to see what happens next.

The pacing felt a bit slow in the middle, and there was a lot of stagnant moments, but the writing truly never faltered. I can’t wait to read more by this author, as I’ve heard the Blood Heir trilogy is quite great!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-arc!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

There are quite a few Chinese mythology-inspired fantasy novels around at the minute, but I would say that Zhao's is one of the strongest. The worldbuilding was immersive and the concept of the Demon Gods is one that I haven't come across before. I also enjoyed the mystery of Lan's parentage and the relationships she made along the way, particularly Zen. I'm definitely intrigued to see what happens to his arc in the next book.

"Song of Silver, Flame Like Night" by Amelie Wen Zhao is a young adult fantasy novel that takes inspiration from ancient Chinese mythology and folklore.
The story follows Lan, a girl who has taken on a new name after her kingdom was invaded and her mother killed. She spends her nights as a song-girl in a city transformed by conquerors and her days scavenging for anything that can help her understand the mysterious mark on her arm. When she meets Zen, a practitioner of magic from the Last Kingdom, she begins to uncover the secrets of her past and her potential to overthrow the Elantian regime.
The world building is rich and the historical influences seem well-researched, however the pacing of the story is slow in parts. The characters are intriguing and well-crafted, but I didn't think they had much chemistry Overall, "Song of Silver, Flame Like Night" is a promising first instalment in a series with an intriguing premise and strong roots in mythology, but could benefit from faster pacing and a bit more showing and less telling.