A Song to Drown Rivers

I’m speechless. I can’t think properly because of what this book has done to me. My heart has been ripped from my soul, sliced into a million pieces and thrown into the fire to be burnt to shreds. Yet despite the pain, this story was so devastatingly beautiful that I would read it all over again just to experience the tender touch of each and every word one more time.

I have not read such an impactful masterpiece in a very long time. The last time I felt so heartachingly suffocated was when I read A Thousand Splendid Suns when I was 14 years old, and as you all know, that is my all-time favourite book. A Song to Drown Rivers absolutely took my breath away and moved me to tears. A rating system does not do this masterpiece justice.

Ann Liang’s writing is so lyrical and stunning, that I was completely transported back to the beautiful land of ancient China. Every word painted vivid colours of scenery, bloomed the scent of flowers under my senses, and played the sounds of water rushing along rivers in my ears. I could feel every twinge in my heart, every heat to the touch, every raw agonizing emotion of pain, heartache, guilt, loss and grief to the depths of my soul. I am so stunned at not only the impact of this story but also the way it was written. If this is not talent, then I don’t know what is. There are so many quotes that hit so deep, I almost wanted them to be etched into my heart.

This story is the reason why books are a blessing in life and I NEED this masterpiece on my shelf as soon as it releases. Thank you NetGalley and author Ann Liang for the e-ARC, it is a privilege to read this stunning work of art before its release. This is probably the deepest and most serious review I’ve written but I am so affected, I can’t recover, and in all seriousness please can someone help to piece my heart back together again.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Wow! It has been a while since I read a book so quickly, but this one was quite honestly captivating. The elements of Chinese mythology were very well incorporated throughout the book and the characters, particularly our main character, Xishi, were complex and likeable. From the very start of the book I was hooked on Xishi's story and the world that Ann Liang described, which was rich and imaginative. The writing itself was well-paced and the descriptions lovely. I definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in Chinese mythology, or just looking for a great new fantasy read!

This was utterly devastating. I’m left speechless upon finishing this book. Just go read it right now… and make sure you have some tissues waiting in the wings.

Huge thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley UK for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

🌟🌟🌟🌟✨️/5
Dear Ann Liang, thank you so much for writing this masterpiece but also HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME??!! This book left me broken in a way I did not expect it to.

A Song to Drown Rivers is a gorgeous historical novel that retells the story of Xishi, one of the four great beauties of Chinese legend. This book gave me everything I'd hoped for and more. Liang weaves a stunning tapestry enlivened by rich historical details and references to Chinese myth. Her prose made everything about this appeal to the senses.

The characters have my entire heart. Ann Liang took tropes I never particularly liked and presented them in a fabulous way. Every character is morally grey and multifaceted in the true sense. The love story isn't a love triangle in the traditional sense. Fuchai is such a sweetheart!! I preferred him to Fanli (though he certainly had his flaws). Liang makes the romance shine without sacrificing plot for its sake. (This boon is far, far better than any romantasy out there). Masterful use of setting and court politics made this compulsively readable and I could not put this down.The ending shattered my heart into pieces and I'm still removing from this suffering this has caused me.

I'd just like to say that this doesn't feel like fantasy though many people have shelved it as such. It's historical and rooted in reality for the most part.

This is my first Ann Liang book and it definitely exceeded my expectations! I highly recommend this!

I Hate This Book

Because it RUINED me. It draws you in with its lyricism and the promise of a sweet romance but you're quickly subjected to heartbreak that will be sure to leave you DROWNING and CHOKING on your own tears. No other piece of Historical Fiction will ever come as close to A Song to Drown Rivers. I have been utterly picked apart (read: DESTROYED) by the literary genius that is Ann Liang in the span of 321 pages. No words, NONE, can do this literary masterpiece justice but I shall try.

ASTDR is breathtakingly beautiful. From the first sentence to the last, Ann Liang's rendition of Xishi's tale bewitches you with its impeccable imagery, poetic prose, and heartbreaking romances. While it shatters your heart into a million fragments, it'll leave you wanting for more, to re-read it all over and over again just so you could experience the gentle caress of its pulchritudinous storytelling.

Though ASDTR closely followed the tale of Xishi as noted in 吴越春秋, The Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue, I loved how Ann Liang expertly weaved in the theme of the horrors of war and the foolishness of politicians as she retold this story. I found this quote perfect: "So long as we continue to put mortal men on the thrones and hail them as gods, sacrifice our lives to their legacies, history will repeat itself . Just as the ocean tides ebb and flow beneath the moon, empires will rise and collapse, wars will start and cease, and the rest of us will be left to struggle against the currents." Simply beautiful.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the palace politics, especially Xishi's scheming wit as she bewitches the King of Wu as part of her "sexpionage". Yet though we were told to hate the King of Wu, Fuchai, just as Xishi hated him for his role in warfare, human strife, and violence, we grow to understand him as a misunderstood individual who sought to be loved as well. AND THIS IS PRECISELY WHY MY HEART ABSOLUTELY BROKE FOR HIM. IYKYK.

Don't get me wrong, my heart ached for multiple characters. For Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China, and the sacrifices and pain she had to endure while embodying selflessness, loyalty, and courage in an ancient land. For Fanli and all the gut-wrenching pain he experienced physically and emotionally inflicted upon him as a result of his love for Xishi. For Zhengdan and Xiaomin too.
Yet, my heart broke the most for Fuchai as I genuinely fell in love and sympathised with him; he deserved better though he was the reason I burst into an uncontrollable sob and had to take a 20 minute breather to calm myself down (Ann Liang you need to pay for my therapy idc).

The world-building? Phenomenal. Sucks you right into 473BC and leaves you salivating with the depictions of food, in amazement at the grandeur of Taihu and the Palace of Beautiful Women, and squirming in disgust at the horrors of war.

From plot, to pacing, to suspense, to wit, to characterisation, to character development, to emotion, to writing, EVERYTHING was simply perfection for me. This should 168% be adapted into a Chinese Drama starring Yang Yang and Dilraba because the vibes??????? A Song to Drown Rivers is by far the pinnacle of Ann Liang's mastery over her craft. She has consistently outdone herself from IYCSTS to TTIR to IHTDFY and now ASDR. I am in awe of her sheer talent and hardwork.

This is a MUST-READ of 2024, and frankly, for a long-time to come I fear.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC!

Oh boy, okay. I don't truly know where to start with this book. When I requested it on Netgalley, the thing that really caught my eye is that Shelley Parker-Chan and Samantha Shannon had enjoyed it, and I am a big fan of them. I've never read any of Ann Liang's work before, so I didn't really know what to expect when I started, but my expectations were thoroughly blown out of the water.

This book is about a woman with extraordinary beauty, and a young and very pretty military advisor that offers her the opportunity to wield her beauty as a weapon and become a hero to the kingdom. It is that, but it's also so much more.

Prose and Writing Quality
The prose in this book is nothing short of beautiful. It's not over the top flowery, and it doesn't feel like the author is trying too hard, which is something I'm always afraid of when it comes to a more poetic type of writing. It's absolutely beautiful. I had to stop highlighting on my kindle because I would've ended up highlighting every other line.

As far as the writing quality as a whole goes, Ann Liang knocked it out of the park yet again. This book feels like it should be held as a shining example of "show, don't tell."

The way emotions were described was so subtle yet so effective, and it added so much to the reading experience.

Without giving anything away, I really REALLY loved how the story was told. You'll see what I mean, but I won't say more.

Relationships
Now, this will be tricky to describe without any spoilers. I absolutely believed every relationship in this book. I believed the love, the hate. All of it. And I loved all of it too.

Basically it was great and I loved it, I don't really know what else to say on this matter to be honest. It was just fantastic.

Plot
PLOT. Plot. I like a good plot, though I care about characters a whole lot more. This plot was fantastic. It wasn't too complicated, it wasn't convoluted. It was the perfect environment to really know the characters, and it really kept me engaged the whole time. I loved it, 10/10 no notes.

Characters

This is another one I'm struggling to say much about without any spoilers.

The main character, Xishi. I adored her. I really loved her whole arc. She was intelligent, she knew she didn't know everything, and she made an effort to learn. I think she was fantastic, and a good example of an FMC that is not only beautiful, but smart too.

Fanli, I loved him too. I can't say much more without spoiling anything, as is becoming the theme of this review, but safe to say he's fantastic.

I won't give away any other characters here either because, again, the book isn't out yet and I'm being reeeally careful to not give even a hint of a spoiler.

Conclusion
This is one of my favourite books I've ever read. I'm a bit of a sucker for retellings of Chinese history and legends ever since I read She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, and in a way I was a little concerned that this wouldn't match up to the absolute adoration I have for that story. But it did, it's sitting in pride of place in my "fav books of all time" goodreads shelf, and when it's out I will be ordering the prettiest copy available and putting it on my special bookshelf where all of my favourite books live.

It was brutal, unforgiving, but had me absolutely hooked from the first chapter. 5 stars hands down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillian for approving me for this ARC. This is one of my top anticipated reads for 2024 so I was overjoyed to be accepted for this. This is my first novel by Liang as I’ve not read her contemporary YA novels. I’ve heard lots of comments about its emotional angst and how it made people cry.

The opening starts off with Xishi’s beauty. Usually stories which talk about how beautiful the FMC is and focus on appearances are not my thing. I tend to find them irritating but Xishi’s is more a curse and it’s something she knows she has but doesn’t think much about it.

About 10% into the book, I knew this was going to be an incredible book. Liang has a way with words that are descriptive without feeling overdone and flowery and yet manages to keep the pace moving, all whilst setting the scene detailing the history of the kingdom. I am incredibly impressed as she is only 24 and already has a few novels under her belt.

When I first read the synopsis for the book, it reminded me a lot of the Chinese film, Lust, Caution. The film was good but I didn’t love it so I’m glad I enjoyed this a lot more. The whole time I was reading it, it felt like I was watching a historical C-drama in my head and it reminded me of the ones I used to watch when I was young.

I really enjoyed this book. Xishi is generally quite aloof despite it being from her POV. I think it’s to do with her reserved nature and then the need to hide who she is and her not really knowing who she is anymore. I did enjoy her character growth. The romance is a slow burn, a truly slow burn, but it felt more real and fitting of the time period.

The ending was expected yet unexpected. I think some people may not be a fan of the ending but it felt right to me. There is a lot of emotional angst in this book. I didn’t cry but it did move me. I think I may have cried only a few times ever when reading a book and I’ve read over 2000.

Overall, I’ve given this a well-deserved 5 stars. It was a an epic tale reminiscent of a C-drama which Liang set out to do and achieved. The writing and descriptions are done well, and this is one of the few books I would re-read. I am going to be adding her upcoming dark academia novel, I Am Not Jessica Chen, to my TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillian for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! I was shocked that I actually got the book ahaha.

"Isn't it funny? I used to dream of changing the world. Of working for the greater good. But what good is the world," he asks, "if she is gone?"

This is the best book Ann Liang has written by far, a stark contrast to her previous novels. A Song to Drown Rivers is a book of tragedy, as the title suggests, and Ann Liang delivers each line perfectly. The plotline is intricately woven with the complex yet unique backgrounds and character development of every single character, from side characters to the main characters. The fact that it's based on a Chinese myth makes it even better for a Chinese girl like myself since I rarely get to read more about my own culture due to my beginner level of Chinese. Ann Liang really knows her audience like the back of her own hand.

On a small side note, the one slight word I disliked was "yapping". I know, very small detail, but the use of GenZ slang just felt a bit inappropriate for such a historical book.

Overall, this book conveys emotions and literary detail that I am not able to express with the limited vocabulary I have - I wish I had Ann's talent with words. I look forwards to more devastating books from her!

"Do not presume to understand what she wants. You cannot know. None of us will ever know."

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of a honest review.

I need a whole day to process this to write my review. Like wow. Just wow.

Ann Liang is truly one of God’s favorites when it comes to words. The way she uses them is just magical. Though we’ve read contemporary from her so far with teenagers, I had no doubts that this would be a masterpiece. And I was right as always when it comes to her.

This is a very visual book. As you read it, you can see them happening right in front of you. It’s detailed enough that you can visualize it, but enough to bore you into unnecessary descriptions. Perfectly balanced.

It’s also like a true myth, one told in verse form back in the day. It leaves a mark on your soul, and it’s timeless. Just the way the original myth came to our time yet is still relevant & interesting, this book holds that timeless aura about it.

It’s clear that Ann knows her history. She put in the necessary research into it and also handled it in such a delicate manner, it’s so clear. You could feel how much she valued her work. Just her posts alone before we even got a cover for the book made me research the original myth.

It’s also soul wrecking, but what did we expect from Miss Ann Liang?

A Song to Crown Rivers is devastatingly beautiful! I struggled to put this book down and I was completely swept away into this historical fantasy. The writing was incredibly immersive and lyrical. Ann Liang has created something truly special here.

The characters were really strong individually and I loved seeing how the thread of fate was woven throughout for Xishi. I can’t believe this is only a standalone and will need to read more from this author and escape into the worlds that Ann Liang creates very soon.

I would highly recommend this to lovers of historical fantasy and Asian mythology!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc this was my first book by Ann Liang, and it made me UGLY CRY. I read some reviews of Ann Liang's prior works and they commented, "Oh, no wonder this is Ann Liang's book; it will make you cry." I had no expectations for this book, yet I ended up crying for all of the characters. Even after I finished reading, I was struck with sadness, to the point of being outraged that Ann Liang had the audacity to subject them to such a terrible fate lol.

I was terrified to keep reading, even halfway through the book, I was sobbing hysterically for Fanli, who had vowed his loyalty to the Yu kingdom and had to let go of Xishi. My tears continued for Fuchai. I don't really like him, but he's quite lovely and doesn't deserve such a dreadful fate. I believe the plot is neat. The pace is neither slow nor fast, resulting in significant character development, notably for Xishi. The writing is beautiful dan poetic. I think the ending is really suitable after going through so much hardship. I can smile, and my heart feels warm, even though it leaves a slight gap.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
My Book Of The Year
It was like nothing I've read before, so simple but so intricate, so cruel but so beautiful, I love the writing of Ann Liang, all her books may seem mainstream at first but have a whole different depth once you dive in — but this one? I was speechless, at the beginning, during Xishi's mission and by the end. My favourite kind of beginning, my favourite kind of middle part, my favourite kind of the end — full of longing, intrigue and real life injustice.
And I'm forever grateful that it's a standalone, it only shows how good of a writer are you to make a story like this fit within limited page number, with no need for a sequel and no feel of a rush. Hats off, I knew Ann Liang's deep dive on the historical fiction will be the jackpot considering my love to her contemporary novels, but this one truly exceeded all expectations and left me ruined, thank you 💙🧡

*minor spoilers*

Plot ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

In the aftermath of a violent war between two kingdoms, the Wu have triumphed over the Yue. Bitter with their loss and seeking to reclaim their future, the Yue king and his cunning advisor devise a plan to offer tribute in the form of a concubine spy, a stunning young lady discovered amongst the survivors of a small village. Xishi must adapt quickly to her new role if she is going to successfully entrap the enemy Wu king and expose the Wu vulnerabilities. Yet, despite her commitment to the mission, her inexplicable connection with Fanli, the Yue advisor, complicates the situation. Can Xishi navigate the complexities and dangers of court life to survive and claim a victory for the Yue?

Characters ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I find it entertaining how the majority of characters in this book are described as being really, really… really ridiculously good looking. Although it’s their primary attribute, each individual is further defined by other unique qualities that sets their beauty apart, giving them a somewhat otherworldly or divine feel.

Xishi, the compassionate, insightful, quick learning protagonist. Fanli, the intelligent, cool, aloof but deeply emotional forbidden love interest. Fuchai, the wolf-like, misunderstood enemy who just wants authentic connection. Zhengdan, the brave, skilled and loyal palace lady.

Consequently, they each have a gravitas to their personalities which would see them fit comfortably into tales of the legendary heroes of old.

Setting ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Ancient China is a fantastic setting for an epic star crossed lovers story due to its rich history and complex politics. The descriptive imagery was vivid and the environments came across as realistic for the time period. I would have like more exposure to the wider court and social structure in the world building but this is just personal preference and didn’t detract from the story.

Writing ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

An enjoyably spicy writing style. The carriage scene was an outstanding favourite of mine and I particularly appreciated the author’s choice to avoid explicit scenes between Xishi and Fuchai. I felt this really helped emphasise Fuchai’s desire for authentic connection in his intimacy, rather than control. As a result, Fuchai appeared much more human and became a very relatable character despite his other flaws. I also feel this abstinence protected the purity of Xishi’s unexplored relationship with Fanli. The constant push and pull within the love-triangle was brilliant yet maddening at times and often left me satisfied but wanting more.

Readability ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I couldn’t put this book down and sped through it from start to finish. The author has a really nice flow and the pacing remained high throughout the book to keep me turning the pages!

Enjoyment = ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I recommend this as a really great book and fun read. However, I did feel sorry for some of the characters in the final chapters and would have preferred a less bittersweet ending.

Favourite quotes:

- In reality we were just two mortals, bound by our respective roles in history, and whatever flickered between us felt so terribly fragile compared to the immovable weight of mountains, of kingdoms, of war.

- “So this is how it feels,” he murmured, almost under his breath, “to be cut by your own blade.”

- There was Fanli, racing toward me, fast as a shadow, like a figure from the fables. My sight had started to fade already, black spots swimming before me, and so perhaps I only thought I saw the wild, raw emotion ablaze on his face, a wretched look I’d never witnessed before, like the world was crumbling around him.

Many thanks to Anne Liang, the publisher and NetGalley for the electronic review copy they kindly provided. In response, the above review is my critical reflection and honest opinion.

5 wonderful stars!

A Song to Drown Rivers will make waves and maintain its longevity as a modern classic.

I’m speechless. This is one of the best historical fiction books I’ve ever read. The ending was shocking, and the plot was as sharp as the blade Fanli honed Xishi to be.

Set in ancient China, and loosely inspired by the Legend of Xishi; one of the four beauties of China, Ann Liang weaves a story of deceit, forbidden love and a world where everything is carefully calculated, together with a villain king who really is a boy with too much power, coupled with a soft spot for Xishi.

Fanli and Xishi’s relationship is unique and filled with so much longing. I just wish they had more scenes together. The ending was shocking and I totally didn’t expect it.

Can’t wait to get myself a physical copy once it’s out.

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'😀

I’m utterly speechless after finishing A Song to Drown Rivers. What a powerful and gripping story! From beginning to end, I was deeply invested in the narrative, unable to put the book down.
Before I go into the plot, can we just take a moment to appreciate how stunning the cover is. I am completely obsessed with this cover.

Ann Liang has delivered something refreshingly different from her previous works. While I’ve always appreciated her other books, this one stands out with its unique and interesting approach. Set in the lush and intricate world of ancient China, the book immerses readers in a vividly portrayed historical setting that feels as though you’re watching a period C-drama unfold.
The characters in this novel are remarkably well-developed and complex. Each one is portrayed with depth and nuance, adding layers to the narrative that make it all the more engaging. Xishi was an inspiring and unforgettable protagonist. Fanli the dashing male lead and King Fuchai - who i was so conflicted on how to feel.

And the ending. I am not ready to talk about the ending. It left me in tears (of anger and sadness) is all I can say now. A Song to Drown Rivers is in conclusion a breathtaking journey that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page so I highly recommend everyone pick it up once it is out.

Thank you #Netgalley, Ann Liang and Pan Macmillan for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC.

I’m so grateful to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for offering me the opportunity to read an ARC of A Song To Drown Rivers.
As a lover of both historical fiction and high fantasy, this book is the best of both. An epic tale based in ancient Chinese legends, this is a beautiful, tragic story of hearts and kingdoms conquered alike.

Ann Liang brought the Wu Palace to life as Xishi serves as her enemy king’s prize concubine, as a spy for her people’s king. She weirds her beauty, and her intellect, as a weapon to ensnare her enemy.

This story felt so alive to me, I was enraptured by the setting, I could hear the birdsong and war screams, I felt the love and the pain as if it were my own.
Not only is this an epic tale of war and legends, but it includes some of the most authentic banter and court games I’ve read in a long time - not to mention a love triangle with the highest stakes.

BOYS WHAT WAS THAT ENDING THIS BOOK WAS PHENOMENAL.
Ok first off i personally loved both Fanli and Fuchai 🫡🫢 soooo whooo do should i chose to love more…. (I haven’t decided yet but if i have to make a guess i think i like Fanli more even though we didnt get to see relationship/romantic Fanli 🫥💔)
SECONDLY WHY DID THEY ALL HAVE TO DIE BROOO MY HEART CANNOT TAKE THIS I WAS SO PREPARED TO SEE XISHI AND FANLI’S FUTURE TOGETHER. FANLI IS TOTALLY A GIRL DAD YOU CANNOT TELL ME HE IS NOT.
THIRD WHY IS THE KING STILL LIVING AND RULING 🤨🤨🤨 BRO NEEDED REVENGE FOR KILLING OUR GIRL LIKE THAT LIKE HOW DARE HE 👿 HE IS THE REASON WE GET TO SEE XISHI AND FANLI’S ENDING HOW DARE HE STEAL OUR FLUFFY ROMCOM SCENES.
NOW DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON THAT PLOT BOYS IT WAS SOOO GOOD. I kept thinking of the other concubines and it was giving the book The Selection and i was so scared that it was going to turn out a disaster like that but my girl Ann Liang just knows how to write a good book just like every other shes written so far shes just a queen.
BACK TO THE PLOT BOYS THAT ENDING I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING I WAS LIKE FANLI’S NOTE IS SO STRANGE THEN BOOM SHES THROWN INTO A RIVER?!? 😨
….Honestly such queen behaviour death like shoutout to xishi for dying in such a dramatic flawless way.

ALSO BIGGGGGGGG SHOUTOUT TO NETGALLEY FOR GIVING ME AN ARC THEY ARE THE REAL ONES HERE THEY JUST KNEW I NEEDED AN ANN LIANG BOOK AND WAS LIKE I GOTCHA🫡😋 (delulu)

OKAY NOW FOR MY FAV QUOTES 😈😈😈
(Only a few since netgalley doesnt have highlighters 😔💔)

Fanli-“i do not need the silk to remember you” she was literally the reason he was sent there 😜 bro was disappointed his secret crush was the girl he was going to have to send away
Fanli - “But what good is the world..if she is gone” (he needs a wee hug fr)
Fuchai - “I dont think I will ever tire of hearing you call me by my name” (Hes so me - A hopeless romantic🥰 )

“So long as we continue to put mortal men on thrones and hail them as gods, sacrifice our lives to their legacies, history will repeat itself. Just as the ocean tides ebb and flow beneath the moon, empires will rise and collapse, wars will start and cease, and the rest of us will be left to struggle against the currents.”

I’ve just finished reading a masterpiece. I really cannot fanthom how someone could be as talented as Ann Liang; this is the first book i’ve read written by her and it left me completely speechless. I’ve finished A Song to Drown Rivers in less than a day and this says much about the captivating world that the author has created, nothing is as it seems, the perspectives often shift, until the reader and the main character finally achieve a full vision of the situation. The narration is actually haunted from the very beginning, if only one pays attention to it. The story is told by Xishi’s pov, our main character of bewitching beauty, who has to infiltrate the enemy’s palace to avenge her people. Xishi goes through a lot of changes in a short span of time, first she trains with Fanli, her king’s most trusted advisor, renowned for his stoicism and his acute intelligence, who silently, steadily and almost unwillingly steals Xishi’s heart. However whatever potential story they might have lived, has to be sacrificed to their greater good once Xishi reaches the enemy king Fuchi as his concubine.
I cannot stress enough about how rich, poetic and heartbreaking this story is! I would definitely recommend anyone who enjoys historical fantasy to go pick up this book once it comes out on October 3rd!

I’m incredibly grateful to netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity of reading an advanced readers copy for this beautiful book. All opinions are my own!

𝗔 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 • 𝗔𝗻𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴
★★★★.𝟱

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁
- Fantasy
- Inspired by Asian mythology
- Forbidden love
- Political court intrigue
- Tragic romance

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
I genuinely cannot stop thinking about this book. That ending was so powerful. The title to this book is so ironic since after reading this book, my river of tears and extensive sobbing could have drowned a small country.

I was so tense this whole book! The relationships are so multilayered and easy to invest in. There is a thread of sadness throughout the book which sets the tone perfectly for the plot. This book demonstrates how two men with too much power can destroy a world. And how particularly women are caught in the crossfire.

𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀
“𝘐𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺.”

“𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘯? 𝘞𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘴.”

“𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺𝘵𝘩.”