Okay, hear me out. If I had to recommend one book for 2024, it’s this one. And to think I almost didn’t even add it to my TBR! 😱📚

It’s been over 24 hours since I finished listening, and yet here I am, still emotionally compromised. Ann Liang’s prose is hauntingly beautiful. Like, sneak-up-on-you-in-your-dreams beautiful. Her writing is poetic, and she has this unreal ability to bring her characters to life with such raw, powerful emotion that they practically jump off the page and slap you in the face 👋💥. The last chapter broke me—I'm still crying, and, for the record, I’m not the kind of person who normally cries over books. So, obviously, I’m now obligated to add all of Ann Liang’s previous novels to my (already spiralling out of control) TBR 📚🔥.

Shout-out to Natalie Naudus, the narrator, for making this audiobook an even more soul-crushing experience 🎧💔. Seriously, her narration was next level and made every emotional gut punch hit harder.

In short: give this one a shot. It’ll wreck you. You’ve been warned ⚠️. Releases 1st October! 📅

3.5 stars rounded up

I am once again going to complain about deceptive marketing - this is not historical fantasy. It is historical fiction with some narratorial choices that lend a lightly speculative vibe to a very small section of the book. I like historical fiction, I would have picked it up anyway, but marketers please stop lying to me. Now to review the book that it actually is:

If I could turn my brain off, I would be OBSESSED with this book. There is ANGST there is TORTURED ROMANCE there is POLITICAL INTRIGUE. It was absorbing, and I didn’t want to put it down. Except I can’t turn my brain off, which means I was unsatisfied by how little romance actually happens on-page, and how the political intrigue was so shallow. Xishi’s training as a spy took ten weeks. TEN WEEKS. She could have had actual, thorough training and we could have got more time with the love interest at the same time!! But no.

A real sticking point for me was that in her years as a concubine, Xishi never has sex with the king. At first this was passed of fine with the king being like “it’s not fun if you don’t want to” etc, but again, she’s there for YEARS, and her whole mission is to manipulate him, presumably through any means possible. It was just so unrealistic, and it felt like a concession to the romance between Xishi and Fanli, as though readers couldn’t possibly deal with the complexity of a protagonist having sex with someone other than the love interest. It’s a book for grown ups!! We can cope with strategic sex outside the MC/LI special bond!!

Despite all the little problems that kept piling up, I honestly did enjoy this book, which is why I’ve rated it higher than I might otherwise. It could just be so much better than it is.

I received a free audiobook from NetGalley in return for an honest review. The narrator was Natalie Naudus, whose narration of SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN I greatly enjoyed. She did just as great a job on this too.

I haven't read a book that I found so moving and thought provoking in a long time.

The character development and romance were magical. But I enjoy a book that makes me question and think, and this certainly delivered. A book that makes you think about humanity, war and as human beings - is there ever a totally right / best side to be on? People will always suffer and loose their life - regardless of the side you chose. The story flowed beautifully and I loved the characters more and more. The ending I know will stay with me for a long time, and one that has moved me deeply.

Touching on myths about womanhood, war, sacrifice and love against all odds. Inspired by legends of ancient China - be sure to pick this fantastic book up and be transported to a world of political intrigue and spy's.

A Song to Drown Rivers left me in tears.

Although the main romance felt slightly underdeveloped, I fell for the characters and without spoilers, efforts were made to round out characters so they were not all one dimensional ‘good guys’ or ‘bad guys’.

It follows a young woman who makes the sacrifice to try to volunteer as a concubine for a king in a neighbouring kingdom, where there have been recent wars and tensions. Her character development is wonderful and I liked that the pace was intermittent but I know this isn’t for everyone.

I’d recommend, I listened to the audiobook and the narration was excellent.

4.25-4.5⭐️

I had the audiobook of this historical fantasy /romance read by Natalie Naudus who is excellent.

Inspired by the Chinese legend of Xishi one of the four beauties of China. Though its inspiration is Chinese it has a very western vibe.

Xishi is persuaded to use her beauty as a weapon to help her Kingdom over throw the cruel neighbouring King and claim revenge for her sister’s brutal murder. Interspersed is a tender love story.

It’s a sad and moving story. It doesn’t feel like an out there fantasy,it’s easily relatable.
It makes you realise that opponents in war are all human, that everyone suffers loss and pain at the hands of their enemy. I felt sorry for Fuchai.

I feel it’s suitable as a YA novel. It might not be one for hard core fantasy fans.

3.1 stars

I was very excited to start this book, I mean the plot sounds awesome, a gorgeous woman who shall seduce the enemy king and win the war that way.

What I liked:
First of all, the narrator. Like always Natalie Naudus did an amazing job of bringing this story to life.
I enjoyed the beginning of the story, a glimpse of her life in the village and how she is as a person. I liked the idea of the plot, or what it was supposed to be.
The ending was a bit unexpected and besides one certain very stupid moment around 90% I hated with my entire soul it had me pleasantly surprised with this flip. Another show of how war is just little boys fighting with each other and using lives of thousands to prove a point.

What I disliked;
The writing. I feel like the idea was very good and intriguing but it just lacked in the end. It feels like something that could have been so good but just kind of fell flat.
The romance was rushed and I didn’t really like it? It felt like if they added a few more weeks or months in the “training “ the romance would have bloomed way beter. It went from zero to let’s die for each other way too quickly for my liking.
All the side characters didn’t really have any development for me to get really attached ? And some things they did are so obviously just writing cause the author wants something specific. Which is fine if it just wasn’t so horribly obvious.
I’m kind of disappointed cause this could have so clearly been more and beter and perfect it just feels slightly rushed and even a bit childish somehow.

Reasons for people to die or for the plot to go forward feel invented on the spot for most convenient instead of intriguing and logical. It literally doesn’t make sense to do some of the things the characters did.

I would still recommend this, cause it might as well just not be something for me.

One of my favorite booktubers sometimes picks up books if an author she likes blurbs them. I realized I had never done it and when I noticed Shelley Parker-Chan (aka the Quing of Chinese historical fantasy) had blurbed this, I went for it. A Song to Drown Rivers it’s a historical fantasy and a retelling of Xishi’s story, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Unfortunately, Parker-Chan’s praise made me think this would be a feast of cajun french fries and it turned out to be potato salad with extra mayo (I don’t eat mayo). Anyways, this is a 1.5 stars.

Xishi is a beautiful village girl who is approached by Fanli, a military advisor, one random day. He asks her if she’d be willing to marry the ruler of the neighboring kingdom - the enemy of her people, a drunk who only worries about having women around every night. But not as a wife per se... as his spy.

I hate describing things as “very YA” but I don’t know what to call it otherwise. The main character just came out of the same cookie cutter than 95% of YA books I’ve read: Mary Sue main character who’s only flaw was being so perfect and naive she seemed stupid at times. Xishi was, by definition, more beautiful than your regular YA MC girlie, of course (and she knows it, but she’s not proud about it, of course). The romance and just story overall asked me to suspend my disbelief too often. The writing was fine, I liked it. Simple and nothing too flowery. The story was just okay.

I think this is supposed to be adult and not YA, but I’m considering it YA because Xishi is supposed to be a concubine and this was embarrassingly PG-13. Don’t get me wrong, I usually hate sex in books, but this was a bit nonsensical and unrealistic. My other beef with the book is just how stupidly cheesy it was. I do appreciate the feminism but somehow the story is narrated as if everything was tough, and hard, and heartbreaking… while nothing really goes wrong at any point? Like, if you ever go to war, don't forget to pack a plot armor that's as thick as the one the characters in this book wear. ([I mean sure, sure, the last chapter, the very last moments. But she was insufferable so I’m counting it as a happy ending.])

This is a shitty review but I’ve got nothing to say. It was just not for me. Someday I’ll read a YA book and not want to lobotomize the main character, but today isn’t the day.

Sadly, this did not work out for me. I attempted to try immersive reading approach with this one by listening to the audiobook and reading the eARC at the same time but it was excruciatingly boring. The narrator had a dull voice too.

The most tragic book of 2024 is here and I am not okey. Ann Liang ripped my heart out, stomped on it and squeezed it thru a meat grinder. The last 10% I was thinking 'It can't be all, surely it won't end this way', but it did and it was so tragic and beautiful, I'm drowning in my tears rn.

"Her beauty hides a deadly purpose."

Xishi has a mission - she must go to enemy kingdom, seduce their king and get revange on her people. It is no way easy task, court games are so tricky and dangerous, one wrong move can be a death sentence. I'm in awe how she navigated this and plots she came up with.

First, she must be trained. While she is travelling from her village with Fanli, Yue king most trusted advisor, he teaches her everything she must know to survive in Wu kingdom. But he can't help the attraction that's sizzling between them.

I need this book injected in my veins, it was everything I wanted and more. Xishi and Fanli are so dear to me, I don't know how I'll ever recover. This book is unlike any other I have read, I have gazillion quotes highlighted and already can't wait for my physical copy to arrive so I could annotate it and go thru that emotional damage again. Ann Liang literally shattered me and I'm like 'thanks, let's do this again'😀

Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

This was absolutely STUNNING!!!! I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did- wow !!! The characters were great, the amount of complexity in each character let alone their relationships was phenomenal especially considering this is a standalone!
The story was GUT WRENCHING! The way good and bad was blurred and it was,, my god it was so good, so devastating, so completely heartbreaking. They won but did they? The plan succeeded but at what cost?? My god- I’ll be thinking about this book for such a long time, and the narrator was FANTASTIC!!

A Book to Drown Feelings.

Xishi’s unnatural beauty sees her recruited by a mysterious, beautiful stranger to become the warring kingdom’s King’s concubine. The King who had brought blood, destruction, tears, and death to her very door. She is to be a spy, glinting and shining like a treasure, but only truly because she was a weapon.

Only thing is, the stranger is Fanli, her kingdom’s political and military advisor and her heart seems to beat easier in his presence. And all the stories tell that heroes only have tragic endings.

I cannot believe how beautiful the writing is.how much gut wrenching, evocative emotion and imagery packed into the standalone that had me holding my breath from page one.

Not to mention, the slow burn, the angst, the rage, the description… all fit into one fairly short fantasy book whilst never feeling rushed?! Liang is truly magical.

The contrast of the two kingdoms are less clear as Xishi had first thought and who was truly an enemy or deserves to be named such becomes twisted and confused.

I had imagined empty, crooked streets squeezing in together like dungeons, and houses with jutting roofs like teeth, swords and skeletons lining the yards.

You may know Liang from her contemporary romances like: You Could See the Sun and I Hope this Finds You Well, but this book made me pine for the romance and the characters with a longing unable to be captured in contemporary books.

When it came down to it, the choice was this: a kingdom, or my happiness. And how many people under Heaven were really fortunate enough to know happiness? Happiness was a side dish, like the sweet, sticky rice cakes Mother made during the festivals, or the glutinous balls stuffed with rich sesame paste. But revenge that was the salt of life.
Necessary. Essential.

This book was just beautiful. In writing, content, and delivering gut-wrenching emotions!

Thank you to Tor for providing me an arc in exchange for a review!