It was so good, I couldn't put it down!! I cried multiple times, I was smiling, I was amazed and shocked. It was so good.
The tension between Xishi and Fanli was so good, I had a bad feeling from the beginning, I was rooting for them, I was rooting for the whole mission to be a success, I was hoping nobody will get terribly injured, I was so in love with them all. I know it might be sad, after seeing the reactions to the author's previous books, but I didn't expect it to hurt me so much. I mean don't make me love them so hard and then??!!
At this point I am just rambling about how much I loved the characters and how it made me cry. I might need time to recover, maybe a lifetime.
I was expecting a normal black and white story, good side succeeds, bad side loses - there might be some loses but ultimately everybody will be happy. But what was this?!
I could feel their hopes, helplessness and heartbreaks. All of these characters deserved better.
I am literally staring at the wall, and thinking about them still.
I wanted a chapter from Fanli's pov in the end and maybe how he tries to change the aftermath as told by Xishi.
I loved the narration. It was captivating. Loved every second of it. Now I need to get to the author's backlist.

Thank you for the NetGalley arc! I really enjoyed this beautiful book. It’s not a long read and honestly I had no idea where it was going (well I thought I did but I was wrong lol). Will definitely be buying a special edition for my collection!

I have to start this with a disclaimer: Although A Song to Drown Rivers is marketed as a fantasy novel, readers should be aware that it does not contain the fantasy elements one might expect. While the story teases speculative aspects near the very end, they are brief and come only after the plot has essentially wrapped up. For those seeking a true fantasy experience, this novel might not satisfy that craving.
I, personally, picked this up because I thought it to be a historical fantasy novel, but the fantasy elements never came. I still liked the book, I still enjoyed my time with it, it just wasn't what I expected it to be.

Ann Liang has crafted a beautifully atmospheric novel in A Song to Drown Rivers, with a story that transports readers into a vividly imagined version of ancient China. Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famed Four Beauties of Chinese history, the novel deftly weaves historical elements with an almost dreamlike quality that immerses listeners in its world. Liang’s writing style brings the setting and characters to life, making it easy to feel as if you’re walking alongside them through lush gardens and intricate palace scenes.

The characters in this novel are intriguing and well-developed, each adding depth and nuance to the overall story. The romance(s), in particular, is a highlight, filled with longing and unfulfilled desires ("What is desire? - Absence."). Liang captures the intense, aching emotion of a love you know you can't have, drawing readers into the slow burn of endless pining that feels as painful as it is captivating. While the romance(s) doesn’t necessarily lead to the resolution some might hope for, it adds a compelling layer of tension to the narrative. It certainly had me in a choke hold all the way through.

A Song to Drown Rivers is a poignant look at Chinese history, seen through the lens of a legendary figure. Liang’s retelling offers readers an engaging glimpse into the past, with historical details that add a sense of authenticity to the story. This focus on Chinese culture and legend grounds the novel in a sense of realism. It’s a refreshing take that will appeal to readers interested in Chinese history and legend. I myself did not know about this legend and found myself so interested in the matter, that I did some research into it. A fascinating tale - and a plus point for this novel that it made me want to know more!

The ending is impactful and emotionally resonant. Liang brings the story to a close in a way that is both satisfying and thought-provoking, hitting the right emotional notes to leave a lasting impression on the reader. The conclusion serves as a fitting end to a story full of longing and personal sacrifice.
The ending is also the point where the one small element comes in that MIGHT classify this as a fantasy. I'd call it a speculative element at best, not fantasy.

Overall, A Song to Drown Rivers is a beautifully written, atmospheric novel that captivates with its characters, romance, and rich historical setting. For those who go in without expecting traditional fantasy elements, it offers an immersive experience that lingers after the final chapter. Ann Liang’s retelling of the Xishi legend is a lovely, if sometimes wistful, journey that will resonate with readers who appreciate historical fiction with strong romantic elements. But I have to say it again: this is not a fantasy novel!

I thought this book was an enjoyable fantasy, whilst I must admit that I am more of a fan of her YA more contemporary style books, this was still an enjoyable listen with a gripping plot. It was an addictive read, that I managed to finish in just a couple of days, but I did thing there were some plot holes, or a lack or character depth that is needed.

This is billed as Adult fiction, but for me it sits firmly in the genre of Young Adult. To explain that, I’ll say that while there’s violence and bloodshed, there are no graphic sex scenes and the romance element is pretty naive, especially in Xishi’s interactions with the King. It lacked the political intrigue and depth in the Machiavellian manoeuvrings of the enemy court, which creates the tension that typically has me desperately turning pages.
It’s the sort of story where you should be emotionally invested in the characters, and while they were well written, I didn’t feel an attachment to any of them.
It’s more of a YA romance than an epic historical fantasy, but it was still an enjoyable listen that was well paced, with a solid plot, so I’m giving it 4 stars.
With thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan UK Audio for a chance to listen to an ARC.

I had high hopes for this as the story sounded so interesting but i was really disappointed with the story. It was boring and the character arcs just fell flat. I didn’t find the characters compelling and the arcs were disappointing.
Honestly the narrator was the only reason I managed to get through to the end.

This book follows Xishi's path from a poor Yue village to the king of Wu's palace as a royal concubine. Along the way she is trained by Fanli in various subjects and mannerisms. She is sent to the kingdom of Wu to seduce and spy their king. When she gets to the palace she must use her wits so that she isn't discovered and deal with palace officials machinations. This book tackled Xishi's increasingly conflicted emotions well, as she forms new relationships that she must betray to get her revenge. Overall an interesting read and would recommend to romance readers.

The narration by Natalie Naudus was really good.

Disclaimer I received this audiobook from NetGalley and Macmillan UK Audio | Tor in exchange for a free and honest review

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really loved the world that Ann Liang wove for us.
The relationships between the characters were interesting and all had a role in the plot

The book is beautifully written and at times poetic.

I enjoyed the book and was surprised at the ending which I did not see coming.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would.

Hooked from the start. This audiobook is outstanding. A love story for the ages. The twists and turns in this story kept me interested throughout, and the characters are 3D and human.

A deeply powerful look at the effect powerful men have on the lives of others. A must read.

I first fell in love with Ann Liang's beautiful prose and storytelling through her YA novel *If You Could See the Sun*, and I've been a loyal fan ever since. Whatever Ann Liang writes, I’m there for it! Her writing is always brimming with tension, witty banter, and longing, but what I love most is her ability to evoke deep emotions and immerse readers in her worlds.

With *A Song to Drown Rivers*, Ann ventures into adult fiction for the first time. The characters are older, the stakes are higher, and instead of high school drama, we’re thrust into a world of political and court intrigue. The story follows Xishi, an ordinary village girl with extraordinary beauty, who is recruited by the king to infiltrate an enemy palace as a spy and seduce their immortal king.

I will say no more in fear of spoiling, because I think it’s best to go into this book knowing as little as possible. That’s how I did it, but to be honest, I expected something a bit different. The book was pitched to me as a cute historical romantasy with a potential love triangle, but what I got was a heart-wrenching exploration of yearning and longing. There is romance, of course, but what truly shines is the character development and world-building, as well as the profound exploration of grief. Grief for lost lives and for the futures they could have had if circumstances were different. The novel delves into the complexities of war and the blurred lines that come with it. It highlights how war is not just about winning or losing and it affects people deeply.

I rated this book 4.5 stars. I loved everything about it, and maybe because I loved it so much, I wanted a little more.. Especially more time with the characters. (Can you imagine how amazing a dual POV would have been?) I adored the ending (although it was unexpected), but be prepared to cry!

Thank you @NetGalley and @PanMacmillan for this advanced reader copy. The audiobook was incredible—the narrator did a splendid job!

good god what can i say about this book that *isn’t* a spoiler??

ANN ABDIDJDJJDHS I (respectfully) HATE U SO MUCH RN

firstly, the prose is devastatingly beautiful, the way had to replenish my stack of “love” and “quote” tabs TWICE bcos i swear never usually use them THERE WAS SO MANY BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS

secondly, i am SOBBING 😭😭 like even if you think you do, you do not know what to expect with this book and ann is the QUEEN of leaving you in a frantic mess trying to read as fast as possible to find out how it ends

the weird (but cool ig?) thing about reading retellings (chinese ones specifically) is that you know the story well-ish (well, in my case i did a quick wiki refresh WHICH I DON’T RECOMMEND, surprise surprise the titanic sinks, alexandria was burned and history is a great source of spoilers) but ann still manages to weave in plot twists and little deviations to make it so much more fun??

but anyways, i love love LOVED this but when this eventually gets posted onto my booksta & netgalley, friends pls know i have Very Spoilery Rants on my goodreads BCOS EMOTIONS

When I read her other titles I wondered what it would be like if she wrote a fantasy book and NOW IT'S HERE. I feel like her prose is pretty yet simple so I thought it would fit this genre really well, and I am so glad she did it because it is amazing.

I have to admit that I am writing this before finishing the book, because I have a lot of work stress, but I wanted to share my thoughts until now.. This will be edited and reshared on socials once I finished.

Ann Liang's writing style draws you in from the beginning and there are no boring parts. I was so curious about Xishi and wanted to know what would happen with her and how she would continue to change. It sort of felt like witnessing a trainwreck, in like you couldn't stop or predict it, but contrary to the trainwreck, you are surprised with its results, for it had me hooked and wanted to know more.

I wonder if now the author willl continue with this genre or go back to romance. I would be happy with both.

For those who know me, you’ll know how much I’ve loved Ann’s work since reading her debut IYCSTS and my love for her work has not changed since. I had no idea what to expect from her this time with this new venture into adult fiction with this historical fiction novel and my god did she do a fantastic job.

The world the story is set in feels so real, every room and environment our protagonist Xishi finds herself described in such a way that I feel as though I’m stood right beside her from the first chapter. Each character felt like a fully realised person with their own personal desires that you get attached to.

Even if I hadn’t seen the reactions to people crying after having finished the book, I would’ve still felt a sense of unease the entire time reading it from the melancholic tone the narrative has, especially as it is from Xishi’s point of view. Seeing an entire story from the eyes of a character of a doomed love story I’ve found is pretty rare, and makes it all the more heartbreaking. By the end, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling and chest from aching. The ending was such a perfect bittersweet close to such a poignant story.

My only gripe with the book was that the romance did feel insta-love. It was really on both sides, but particularly from Fanli and meant I really struggled to connect to their romantic story but I do appreciate how it ended.

Ann Liang has quickly become a trusted author of mine, having adored her YA romances over the past few years. So I was of course very curious when I heard she was going to do a major genre 180 by releasing an adult fantasy. As it turns out, the beautiful readability and accessibility of her writing style lends its hand perfectly to adult fantasy. This was superb. I was instantly pulled into this world and story and, unlike some more political fantasies, found myself following the ins and outs of it with ease. I very much warmed to Xishi as a narrator and although I felt the romance was a little flat at times, I didn't mind all too much because the tension, emotional turmoil, power games and sheer heartbreak more than made up for it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book but I'm not sure my heart will ever recover from its ending.

The prose/writing was just fantastic and beautiful. It's such an emotional and heart-wrenching story full of political intrigue, it kept my attention from start to finish.
The only downside is that I wish it were some pages longer just to explore the extremities of Fuchai’s character in more depth, to get more details about Xishi's training and therefore getting deeper into hers and Fanli's relationship. Otherwise, it's close to perfect for me.
Even though I'm rating it 4 stars (which could easly be a 4.5), it's probably one of my favourite reads of the year. I really really liked this <3
Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan UK Audio & Tor for the ARC!!

Such a beautiful story. I love ancient Chinese lore and Ann Liang have done a wonderful job by retelling the legend of Xi Shi, one of the four beauties of Ancient China. This is beautifully written and (as for the audiobook) the narrator Nathalie Naudus was able to put all the emotions in her voice and to immerse us in this world (bonus point, her chinese prononciation is perfect)

I really loved this book, I will reread it on paper. Beautiful setting, lovable characters, intriguing plot, heartbreaking love story.

You have to remember that this is not a romance but a historical fiction, a retelling with a romance adjacent.

First things first, I do want to kind of complain at the fact that this book has been described as a epic historical fantasy because this book is not a fantasy. I would classify this book as historical with an underlying romance going on, even though based off of a legend, it is not a fantasy. There is no magic at all. For me, this legend is kind of similar to reading a Robin Hood retelling because there is no fantastical element to the story, unlike for example Arthurian Legends, but it is a legend that has a romanticised fairytale-esque aspect to it.

I found that the training involved in this book was just to condensed for me to be fully invested and to fully believe that Xishi had the necessary skills to pull of her task, and I didn’t really feel like there was enough time spent on the training. I do wonder if it would have been a better idea to start the book with Xishi, during the final stages of her training with flashbacks to show before the training and the stages of the training to make it more believe. In doing a quick research the legend of Xishi has the character training for much longer, and it makes sense.

If you are a lover of C-dramas Then I can see you really really liking this book, with the pining, the politics going on in the background, the locations and even the plotline as whole. Overall, I think the story line was pretty enjoyable and I do really like to explore legends and myths from cultures that are not my own. The author’s writing style is very easy to understand and get along with. I think the only thing I can really say is that I just wanted more from this book, I wish that there was more development of the characters, the politics, the culture, the relationships. This is Liang’s first exploration into ‘fantasy’ so I would be interested to see what her next ‘fantasy’ is.

A Song to Drown Rivers is a retelling of the legend of Xishi, one of the four great beauties of Chinese history. Selected for her unnaturally good looks, Xishi is trained to hone her femininity into a formidable weapon in order to take down the oppressive, rival Wu kingdom from within.

This book delivered an engaging retelling of Xishi’s story filled with female power, political intrigue, deceit and forbidden love. I found the story and setting refreshing whist still scratching the itch of one craving themes and tropes common to the romantasy genre.

In a mere 321 pages Ann Liang has the reader experiencing a plethora of emotions: utter shock, devastation, love and longing. Perhaps more impressive still, Liang brings into question the ever blurring line of morality as perspectives widen.

A particular strength of this novel was the tension. The slow burn, forbidden romance between Xishi and Fanli was absolutely delectable. As the security of Xishi and her loved ones grows evermore precarious and the reader is left with no option but to proceed with bated breath. I do wish we had time to explore the extremities of Fuchai’s character in more depth and let the tensions and uncertainty build further still.

Natalie Naudus truly brings the story to life through her captivating narration. It was easy to follow and differentiate between characters and her variations in tone really immersed the listener.

I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone looking for a historical epic and doesn’t fancy committing to a longer read. It would also be enjoyed by readers who love romantasy or mythological retellings.

Readers who loved this book may also enjoy:
- The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L Jensen
- A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas
- The Poppy War by R F Kuang
- The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Netgallet for providing me with this ARC, it was an absolute pleasure to read and review.

"The mind destroys, the heart devour'
I really loved this book. It had beautifully written characters and storytelling throughout! So happy I got access to this early.

I will be looking out for more Ann Liang books now.

This is one of those stories that made me anxious for the characters and how the plot would play out. It’s based on scheming and deception, with a lot of danger from different corners and it was hard to put down. I enjoyed the audiobook, which was well narrated, and found it easy to follow in this form - though it did make it harder to keep track of different characters. Xishi’s bravery is evident, as is her cleverness and watching her adapt to an enemy court and manipulate the king was interesting. At times her path forward seems uncertain, particularly with her uncertain feelings buried within the role she’s playing. This story is full of political intrigue and is like watching a fascinating game of chess as the players are moved around. There’s a dip into romance as well, though I would have liked to see more of that but at the same time, the hint of it did add a certain layer to the story. Overall this is a great book, but I will say (without spoilers) that I didn’t get along with the ending. If you know, you know.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.