Hmmm this is a really difficult review to write. I really enjoyed the Chinese mythology and Chinese folklore. It definitely had xianxia vibes and felt like a sweeping fantasy. I think for me it just comes down to personal preferences and I didn’t click with this book.

My biggest complaint with this book and what ruined the story for me was the way the author wrote about one of the main characters. They have a cleft lip scar. The author had the other main character stare at it every time they walked in and repeated called it “rabbit lips” and “harelips” I found this super uncomfortable for me and hurtful considering it’s just a cosmetic scar. I understand there was/ is a problematic prejudice in the book that was part of the character’s backstory. But to constantly be calling it out and mentioning it by slurs just felt so very unnecessary and cruel. I think the author could have included the character having a scar and saying this is why they have a scar and there is an unfortunate bias that comes with those scars without the rude name calling. It was very poor representation considering another character has an arm and eye injury that is never called out by slurs.

The main character Lan is an interesting character. She is definitely that angry girl trope acquired taste personality. I don’t think I’ve read the word fart this much since I was in middle school. Dog fart, rat fart, old fart, young farts you name it this book has all the farts and then some. It felt a bit disjointed from the ancient Chinese mythology feel.

I think the magic system and the qí was done really well. I loved the four demon gods and the seal/ practitioner magic. The story at times felt like like a mashup up some of my favorite fandoms. It had Legend of Zelda vibes and lots of Star Wars references.

The plot and the pace was decent and there were many action scenes but it did sometimes feel very much like that first book push. The beginning was a big info dump and it felt like it had to get all of the world building and major plot points in before the last half of the book where the majority of the action happened so you’d want to continue the story. It made it a bit confusing at first and slow to start.

Overall I would be interested but hesitant to read the next book because this one just felt so disappointing. I wanted to love it because as a Chinese reader I love the rep but I couldn’t connect with this story.

Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC

The story follows Lan, a songgirl with a mysterious invisible mark left on her by her mother as she lay dying during the Elantian invasion of the Last (Hin) Kingdom 12 years ago, and Zen, a practitioner (Hin magician) who recognizes what the mark is and agrees to help Lan solve the mystery behind it. But Zen isn’t the only one who knows about Lan’s mark. She is also being sought after by the Elantian soldiers. Lan and Zen set off to uncover the mystery of Lan’s mark at Zen’s school, one of the last few practitioning schools in existence, hidden away in the forest and thought to be something of legends to Lan. A story full of suspense, magic, action, and a touch of love, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a great start to what I know will be a beautiful and exciting trilogy!

I really enjoyed the plot and development of the book, but it could be a bit repetitive at times, which would slow down the pacing of the story. Other than that, I felt the world building and history that we learned of the Kingdom was captivating (but not too complex). The magic system in this book was very interesting, being based of qi (yin and yang), with the Elantians having a different magic system where they manipulate metals. Overall a pretty intriguing plot and world!

The two main characters are fascinating and develop a romantic interest over time. I thought this was well done for a YA book and both characters had some great growth throughout the story. I also appreciated how we saw elements of good and bad in many characters and that it wasn’t all black and white. There were a lot of fun side characters in this story as well!

I really enjoyed the start to this trilogy, and am excited to continue to read more in this series!

I received a copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

ⓡⓔⓐⓓ ⓘⓕ ⓨⓞⓤ ⓛⓘⓚⓔ
- Chinese Folklore & Mythology
- Qi Based Magic Systems
- Intricate World Building
- Sassy, Street Smart FMC
- Uncovering Secrets
- Adventure and (Light) Romance

"'What would you give for that power?' He recognized the sly edge to the demon's voice, but it did nothing to stop his answer.
'Anything' A small price, he thought, for one who had nothing left"

This story is based on Chinese folklore, continuing the wonderful increase in eastern mythology in YA and adult fantasy, and the magic system is qi based and quite fascinating. Lan is an orphan working as a songgirl in a tea house (the book is YA so this doesn't get investigated super far, but certainly carries implications in the book), with a strong connection to qi. Zen is a practitioner of Hin magic, disguising himself as a servant of the Elantian colonizers. This story combines stories about the impact of western colonization with a really complex magic system and folklore, and what comes out of it is just gorgeous.

Lan is a strong character - funny, bold, no nonsense. Zen is a bit more mysterious, and this is definitely on purpose, as the story reveals more of his background as it continues. The beats of this story feel somewhat familiar, especially given some of its similarities to other recently published books, but it's really the magic system that stood out to me. Zhao's descriptions are lyrical without being oversaturated in detail. I felt like I could see what she described perfectly.

By the end of this book I was definitely left wanting more, and I'm really excited for more people to get their hands on this one, out TODAY 1/3 from Delacorte Press (thank you for my egalley!)

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is the first novel in a duology of the same name that immerses the reader in Chinese mythology and folklore. The book begins with a chronology of the history of the world, which set the tone and scene for the reader. It is lyrical in the writing which makes it feel like a movie, so it was easy to picture it in my imagination. The Elantians have taken over the Last Kingdom and there are the legends of the four Demon Gods (Silver Dragon, Crimson Phoenix, Black Tortoise, and Azure Tiger) who loom in the background.

Lan is an orphan who works at a teahouse where she is trying to make sense of her mother’s death and the mysterious mark on her arm. She eventually meets another orphan named Zen who is a descendant of one of the ninety-nine clans from the original Last Kingdom. Lan and Zen are great protagonists as they may make some terrible choices at times, but the reader can understand them given their backstories. The two characters share great chemistry from the moment the two characters met. The two characters go through a lot in this story and their journeys are very complex.

There are some exposition moments and very detailed information written on the page where it does, at times, throw off the pacing. The terminology, while interesting and enjoyable, can make the reader feel a little bogged down, especially if they aren’t familiar with it. There are some predictable elements that come with stories of this genre, but there were also some nice and unexpected twists and turns. There was an enjoyable balance, which is something I look for in this genre. A lot of details are weaved into the story and characters, so it is overwhelming at times, but also has comforting and familiar genre elements. There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered and I greatly look forward to discovering them in the sequel!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read this novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

This book utterly consumed me!!

I went in thinking this was just another red string of fate type of book and was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't! I followed the author on instagram and had seen a quote I liked, requested on netgalley and I knew nothing else about it like the book gods intended. The more I read, the more I was hooked. It was darker than I was expecting from the beginning and as a primarily dark fantasy reader, I was HYPED. This book was so beautifully written, yet so easy to get into and read!

> dark fantasy
> dual POV
> prophecies & secrets
> themes: grief, loss, surviving, legacies, conquests, good AND evil, erasure of history, assimilation
> calling upon the gods
> school like settings
> true slow burn
> supernatural and energy based powers
> and corruption??????

I absolutely adored both POVs from Lan and Zen, learning their respective histories/legacies. AND the story that unfolded!! I also really enjoyed the side characters and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in the next book! I can't wait for the next one, It's a highly anticipated read for me now!! <3

*3.5 stars rounded up
Did I like this book? Totally! Characters were great, plot and world-building were interesting, etc. I only really have two criticisms: one, that the romance really did seem to come out of nowhere. There was chemistry, but so much was just bonding and not actual romantic tension, and the kiss was kind of out of the blue to me. Second, I did think that the beginning was a bit slow and it didn't really motivate me to immediately keep going.
Overall, I thought this was a pretty good book, but it did feel like one of those YA fantasy books where it's a really similar story to others but just with different mythology.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night was a delightful read full of intrigue and fantasy inspired by Asian mythology and folklore. The characters were well-written and the pacing was fairly done well too. I very much enjoyed reading thos book simply because it was different than what I have been reading as of late, so I would recommend this book to others who enjoy fantasy and adventure with a few twists and turns in the plot.

Amazing story, great plot, definitely one to look out for , love the mythology and the culture is based on . Different and fresh . Is an engaging and magical adventure. The characters are very heartfelt . Definitely will recommend.

"What use is power if I cannot protect those without it?"

Note: I received this ARC from @randomhousekids via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review - thank you @ameliewenzhao
🥰

Are you a fan of the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology? THEN READ THIS NEXT! I was instantly intrigued by this book when I read the description as “an epic series full of mythology and Chinese folklore.” This book was full of adventure, a qi magical system, constant character development, and such gut-wrenching moments that keeps you on your toes.

This book to me was one of those where I felt I knew where the book was going, was cheering on the character on a particular action, and then BAM, the author brings in a new issue! I’m not mad about it though. It’s the type of writing that keeps you wanting to read it because you’re already in too deep to turn back. I appreciate that the author didn’t throw us all the information of the world building at once in the beginning but rather gave us information as needed throughout the book but not in the type of way that felt out of place.

I will honestly say that the first 50% to me was a little slow-paced for me. Yes, there was action almost immediately, but I’m an impatient person and want to get to the main plot or at least grow it quicker (sorry!). But once it hit that 50% mark, it moved on SO quick and SO amazingly and as previously mentioned, so many of the issues were unexpected and not going the way I originally thought it would.

This book releases THIS WEEK - JAN 3.

Rating: LOVED it 😍

I read Zhao's Blood Heir back when it came out in 2019. I don't remember much about it other than I didn't enjoy it enough to continue on with the rest of the trilogy. But when I got ahold of this ARC, I figured I could give another shot with this new series.

One thing I will say is that the writing is gorgeous. The descriptions of the setting and action scenes were vivid and I really liked how it flowed. It's clear that Zhao had done her research and has put so much thought into the world building and magic system, all of which heavily influenced from her Chinese heritage.

My main grip is that I was so bored. Beautiful writing can only do so much for me; I found myself skipping paragraphs more and more as the story went on because it was just fluff rather than substance. It doesn't help that the main leads, Lan and Zen, were as charismatic as cardboard, their chemistry as stale and extremely lackluster. I cannot even begin to describe the side characters or the villans because they have made so little of impression on me.

There was a note before the story saying something along the line of Zhao wanting to make a strong Chinese female lead because there weren't many in her eyes, as if there hasn't been an abundance of Chinese fantasy that's come out in the last few years like Iron Widow or The Poppy War. It just bothers me that someone would write that when the main character herself has no stand out qualities to outshine other protagonists in the genre.

Overall, this was fine but nothing outstanding. I personally won't be continuing the series, but if high Chinese mythology inspired fantasy paired with good writing is your thing, them this would suit you well.

Rating: 2.5-3 stars

This is a hard review to write because I almost feel like Song of Silver, Flame Like Night was two separate books. Zhao spend the first half taking her sweet time building what felt like a trope-filled typical YA fantasy, then spends the action-packed second half yelling "DIE DIE DIE" and doling out deaths like Oprah Winfrey. Parts of the prose are lyrical and gorgeous while others are horribly clunky and colloquial. I can't tell if Zhao wanted to write a traditional third person lofty fantasy narrative or a tongue-in-cheek modern one, but she settles for a weird Frankenstein combination of both that doesn't work at all.

Quite frankly, this book has no business being over 500 words. The pacing is completely off for the entire book. I get that the norms found in traditional Asian storytelling don't quite have the same beats as the conventional three-act structure, but the plot drags on unnecessarily through the first half of the book. In the words of one review, "Amélie poured her heart so much into this book...to the point that it's overly written," and I can't help but agree. This doesn't read like a painstakingly crafted book. It's just an excruciatingly painful experience. Everything that happens in the first fifteen chapters is unnecessarily drawn out and could easily be condensed into about half the space which is especially weird because the third act of the story moves at breakneck speed. It isn't even like the first half of the book is spent on character development or world building. There's just an excessive amount of words that don't so much to contribute to the overall story.

One of the biggest issues with Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is Zhao's insistence on telling, not showing. From the very beginning she throws an entire history at us with a timeline filled with names, places, and things before I've even had a chance to decide whether or not I care about the story yet. She dumps extensive worldbuilding on readers like a ton of bricks through entire chunks of text where characters are essentially spoon-feeding us information on her world's history, culture, and magical system. It's tedious and long-winded way to world build that completely destroys all hope of establishing any kind of flow in the storytelling and makes the story a tedious read. There were multiple points in the book where I actually felt like reading was a burden. I get it, okay? I really do. She's done her best to build this elaborate world a magical system inspired by Chinese folklore and wants to make sure a Western audience largely unfamiliar with the historical Chinese parallels don't get lost, but shoving a ton of information down your readers' throat is not the way to do it.

Now for the weird part. Once the story picked up, I couldn't stop reading. The storytelling was tight (albeit a bit rushed,) and we finally started to get some character development. When Zhao hits her stride, the story is compelling and full of the xianxia tropes I was looking for when I'd first picked up the book. Because the story ended on a high note, I'd definitely read the sequel. I just hope Zhao carries this momentum into the next book and picks up where Song of Silver left off because I don't know if I can handle another brick of a book if it starts off slow.

Full RTC.

I was super excited about this one but also not holding out a lot of hope. If that makes sense. I tried this authors other story and ended up DNFing it. And sadly this one was full of heavy descriptions that just didn't work for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House/Delacorte Press for this ARC!
I rated this 4.5/5 stars.
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"Yin and Yang. Good and evil. Great and terrible. Two sides of the same coin, and somewhere in the center of it all lies power. The solution is to find the balance between them. Do you understand?"

This book grabbed me from the start and never really let me go. This book could be difficult at times due to the extensive and intricate magic system along with the detailed history of the world we are in, but once you have an understanding of the world and the magic system, this book never stops surprising you.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night has two main leads, Zen and Lan, both of which I found myself caring deeply about pretty early on in the book. They are able to bond over shared tragedies from their childhood and feeling like they never really belonged. Their bond is the heartbeat of this story and I loved sharing this journey with them. Supporting the main two characters, there is a cast of side characters that you find yourself wanting to know more about due to the authors knack for writing complex personalities.

This is not a lighthearted YA fantasy book. This book deals with the effects of colonialism and the effect that power can have on its wielder. We enter a world where a country is trying to figure out how they move on after the events of the prior wars and grappling with the fear of having history repeat itself. The balance of power is a main theme throughout this book. Testing how far someone may be willing to go to protect their legacy and the people they love. Due to these themes, the book can get dark at times.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who is in to fantasy books. This is book one of a series and I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book. I will be looking for more books written by this author!!

This book has everything you would even want in a retelling: folklore about demon like creatures, complex magical systems, chapters that leave you wanting more, character building, world building. If you’re looking for it, this book probably has it. The only thing I’m upset about is how quickly I devoured this book.

The complex character arc that was introduced into this story will have you thinking about it long after you’re finished reading. The story - the adventures that the main characters go through, and the way they navigate their feelings for one another.. whew.

Phenomenal writing style, everything flows so nice and neatly. I cannot wait to see what book 2 will have in store for us. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for it.

A kingdom destroyed by colonizers, a song girl forced to face her powers and a boy with more demons than one, together they will find themselves fighting against those that have taken everything from them... but what are they willing to sacrifice for power? Lan is a song girl... she use to go by a different name but after the Elantian colonizers destroyed her kingdom, killed her mother and outlawed her people’s magic... she is now just trying to survive day by day being forced to be a songgirl by night in a teahouse that holds her contract and spend her days scavenging for something that would help explain the strange marked burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died. On one particular day she runs into a boy who appears at her tea house and saves her life... after she kills a man. Said boy is named Zen, he is a practitioner- one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom, whose’s magic was rumored to have been drawn from the demons they summoned. Zen recognizes that Lan is a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm, power that he’s never seen the likes of before and knows that she is someone he must take with him deep into the forests of the Last kingdom to the order of practitioning masters who plan to overthrow the Elantian regime. Yet the more time Lan and Zen spend together fighting off Elantian magicians and soliders, unlocking their pasts... and their potential feelings for each other the more they begin to realize they are more alike than either had realized. Both of them are survivors of colonizers who took everything from them, who killed their entire families, and left them powerless, and both are willing to do whatever it takes to get the power to protect those they love and fight back. The more Lan uncovers of her mother’s past and her own connection to the seal in her the more she realizes that she is much stronger than she could have imagined. Zen is hiding a secret of his own, one connected to his childhood... and one that will forever change the way he. Both Lan and Zen will face their destinies, who they are, and what powers they hold. They will have to choose the path they want and how when given the choice of power: what they will sacrifice. This was such a fantastic read, the journey of the characters was so well done and the action was amazing. I found myself completely at the edge of my seat throughout and I can’t wait to see where the second book goes!! Filled with adventure, action, quests, and light romance, this is a fantastic read for anyone who enjoys epic fantasies inspired by mythology and fun quests!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a lyrical and heart-pounding adventure. I found myself completely drawn in from the tense opening scenes. As the Elantian colonizers strive to erase the Hin culture and people, it is invigorating to see Lan and Zen refuse to give up the fight. There are many real-world parallels to colonialism, racism, and discrimination. Lan and Zen’s journey is impossible to look away from as they work to save their world from unthinkable destruction by ruthless colonizers.

This book is filled with detailed worldbuilding and a well-developed magic system. I loved how Zhao takes elements that readers are likely already familiar with (yin/yang) and then crafts it into something that is completely her own. Zhao is an expert at creating vivid and evocative fight scenes as the stakes rise. One of my favorite parts of the book was learning about Zen’s background and the reason why Lan’s mother left her such a mysterious gift.

As the plot develops and secrets are revealed, Lan and Zen both show incredible character growth. Zhao makes it clear there are no simple answers to be found in the fight to save the Last Kingdom and all the characters must make heartbreaking choices. The story pacing unfurls beautifully and I found it hard to put this book down. I can’t wait to find out what happens next for Lan and Zen! I would recommend Song of Silver, Flame Like Night for readers who enjoy lyrical writing, action-packed adventure, and fierce characters.

Thank you so much to Amélie Wen Zhao, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you random house for the arc!


The authors letter to the reader at the beginning 🙌🏻💪🏻💙

It starts off very descriptive and really sets the world up nicely !

Lan can be very immature at times, but she is young so it’s to be expected. She is a hard worker, resilient, sharp tongue.

This story is so beautiful written. About 85% in ALL THE FEELS !!! I cannot wait to read the second book (it cannot come fast enough).

A fierce and richly imagined YA fantasy adventure that pits Chinese magic against colonialism, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is just awesome. Perfect for fans of Chinese xianxia dramas like The Untamed and those looking for a little bit of rage.

Zhao's story doesn't shy away from the real-world parallels of colonialism. Lan's occupation as a song girl in Haak'gong (this story's equivalent to Hong Kong, if I have to take a guess) and the various consequences of the Elantian conquest mirror the reality of 1800s China, and Lan's journey to reconnect with what remains of Hin culture is bittersweet. After so much culture has been destroyed, along with the people who would have passed it down to the younger generations, how do you rebuild? In comparison to her Blood Heir trilogy, where the magic system was more standard and somewhat generic, the Hin and Elantian magic systems feel more nuanced and better baked into the worldbuilding. Elantian magic requires consumption and theft from others in order to create some magical marvels, and that fuels their push into the Hin Empire. Meanwhile, Hin magic requires a careful balance that, once upset, leads to terrible consequences that lay the foundations for the empire's eventual downfall.

With the frankly awful colonial world that the characters live in, it's refreshing to see them rage and succumb to darkness. That they're flawed and broken enough to fall is a nice change of pace from some of the more pristine YA protagonists that this genre is known for. Lan's plucky and sassy, but full of heartbreak for all that was lost and determination to see change. Zen is carefully restrained because his demons (literal and metaphorical) are chomping at the bit to burn the world down. With the high stakes and relentless action, these two are really put through the wringer.

But also, for any of the Reylo girlies out there... There might be something for you here. Just maybe.

I'm super excited for the next book, after how this one ended. I really want to see where Lan and Zen's relationship goes and how far Zhao will push these characters on their quest.

5/5
I loved Song of Silver, Flame like Night. It was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 and it didn't disappoint. It's a swooping wuxia epic perfect for fans of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. The central characters, Lan and Zen, are compelling and likable if flawed and I really enjoyed their development throughout the book. The plot is nothing short of epic and I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat while reading. I am in awe of this book and will likely be suggesting it to everyone I know. Highly recommended if you enjoy high fantasy and wuxia novels.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night - ARC Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
PUB DATE: Jan 3, 2023
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QUICK LOOK: High Fantasy, Young Adult, Quest-based Fantasy, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Social Commentary on things like: Colonialism, Conquerors, Indigenous People.
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SYNOPSIS: 12 years ago, Elantians invaded, killing many of the Hin people and oppressing the rest.
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Now, Lan and Zen have been brought together by fate. They both long to stop the Elantians. Can the secrets they each carry help them do just that?
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WHY 5/5:
Here is what I respected and loved about this book:
-Chinese Mythology and customs
-Social Commentary on: Colonialism, conquerors, and Indigenous people
-Thoughtful challenges to the reader about the misuse of power
-Ethical Questions about War
-Unique Magic System
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Here is what I did not like:
-Quest-based high fantasy that had many side quests. Quest-based fantasy style is hit or miss for me. If there are a lot of side quests and most of the book takes place on the way to something, the pacing drags for me. The pacing and overall flow of this book was not my favorite, because there were so many side quests they often seemed disconnected or distracting.
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However, I realize that is primarily a preference as a reader, and not necessarily a statement on the quality of this book. Therefore, it did not affect my rating.
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Thank you @netgalley and @randomhousekids for my eARC copy. I was given this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.