Steeped in Chinese folklore, this book is a rich YA fantasy about colonialism, family secrets, and the sacrifices we are willing to make to protect those we love. I completely adored this novel. The magic system is based on the balance of Yin and Yang—light and dark—and the inclusion of spirits and demons derived from classic Chinese folklore creates a lush fantasy setting. The story is told in dual POV, alternating between Lan and Zen. Lan has a mysterious seal burned into her arm that was left by her mother when she died. She wants answers to what the seal is hiding, and when she discovers that she can use magic, she must choose what path she will take. Zen is an equally interesting character. He has a dark past he still struggles to reconcile with but agrees to help Lan with her search for answers. The only issue I had with the book was the pacing. Some parts lagged, and some parts felt rushed, especially the romance between Lan and Zen. However, overall this is a fantastic read.

Song of silver flame like fire 5 🌟
By @ameliewenzhao

Thank you to the publisher and author for access to this ARC. This book is an absolute masterpiece. There is little I can say about how amazing it is without spoiling it so let me just say.

🌟 phenomenal world building
🌟 characters I am in love with
🌟 deep storyline
🌟 plot twists
🌟 set up perfectly for book two

#arc #asongofsilverflamelikenight #advancedreadercopy #booktok #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #bookstagramfriends #bookreview #bookrecomendations

I absolutely love stories inspired by mythology and folklore. This book does an amazing job of introducing Chinese mythology to those who have never experienced it, and puts a great twist on it for those familiar! Zhao's writing is lyrical and pleasurable to read as you follow along on this fantastic tale. If you're a big fan of dragons, mysteries, and unique magic systems, this is a great read to put on your list.

This was the whirlwind of adventure I was hoping for! I couldn't have adored this book more 5/5. I can't wait to grab this in print and devour it again.

An engrossing, lush tale of adventure, loss, heartache, and finding home.

I was absolutely spellbound by the author. Her writing is perfection, and I loved nearly everything about this novel.

I will say this is a slow start, but my, oh my, once things get going it is non-stop! Our main character, Lan, is fantastic. She is silly, endearing, and struggles to find the correct path. Zen, our other MC, is a little harder to describe but he is equally as likeable?! as Lan. I’m going to say he’s my favorite. The way he’s written is so good, it’s hard to explain without spoiling!

Though there are many times that I could guess, or straight up knew what was to come, I still could not put this book down. It is consuming. The writing is perfection, poised yet catastrophic (to my heart). Author, I bow to you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early edition in exchange for an honest review.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a thrilling new YA Fantasy based heavily on Chinese mythology and the wuxia/martial arts genre, featuring themes of colonialism and tribalism.

The story follows a young woman, Lan, who discovers a hidden past and must choose her path amidst enemies and internal conflict. Zhao's writing is incredibly descriptive and lush, and was a highlight of the book for me in addition to the cultural authenticity. Some parts I thought were weak; a lot happens in this book, and as a result the pacing is rushed, especially when Lan enters the school. I also found the romance rushed and forced. There were some occasional editing oddities I noticed too - for example, the grandmaster gets called "shizu" later in the book, only for a page.

This is the first Chinese-inspired fantasy book I've read that featured accented pinyin, and I absolutely loved that inclusion, as well as characters from different ethnic minorities within China.

Minor comments aside, the mythology, magic systems, and lyrical writing made this a really solid YA read!

Thank you Delacorte Press/Random House for the eARC.

I really liked this book. The characters were fun and engaging and while the story can feel similar to other Asian fantasies, it wasn't overdone and I am very eager for book 2 in this series.
The first half did move fast and the second half was slower making the pacing a bit off but overall , a solid 4 star.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with the ARC

Thought: I love love love this trend of magical beings possessing a host in order to both assist and hinder our heroes. This book also gave me Poppy War vibes but for Children. It has dark themes of colonialism and classism/ racism but is definitely written with a younger audience in mind. That being said it is still a super fun and interesting read. Lan is a fun character with a firm goal and principle that she tries to hold on to and I loved her and Zen’s relationship. the book does alternate between Zen and Lan’s POV but I wish we got a more even distribution of POV I really like Lan and even though Lan has a lot of secrets that we need to uncover, Zen’s story and character is just more interesting and engaging. His backstory is super interesting and I need to see more of it and him in the next book! I love demon stories and the use of the demon gods in this is so fun. I cannot wait to see what happens next with both Zen and Lan in the next book.

TLDR:

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is the latest YA Fantasy novel by Ruth Amélie Wen Zhao. She is best known for writing the Blood Heir trilogy.

Notable Elements:

Chinese Folklore
Alchemical Magic
Spiritual Practitioning
Solve-the-Mystery
Likes:

Complex Characters — Lan and Zen are equally fascinating points-of-view, namely for how complex and realistic their thoughts/actions are. Their internal dialogue doesn’t always match what they end up actually saying or doing, which makes for nuanced social situations with tons of dramatic irony for the reader to enjoy. My attachment to this book is my attachment to these characters.
Refined Magic Systems — There are two magic systems in the novel: “The Way” (pursued by Practitioners), and metal magic (practiced by the Elantian conquerors). Both, unique and advanced, are beautifully woven into Zhao’s newest Fantasy world.
Palpable Emotion — I felt every emotion in this book with every ounce of my body: Love, Joy, Anger, Grief. How can made-up words make me feel so deeply?
Dislikes:

None.
Final Thoughts:

I loved everything about Song of Silver, Flame Like Night! I can’t believe I waited this long to read one of Amelie Wen Zhao’s books; if you need me, I’ll be busy playing catch-up by reading her Blood Heir trilogy.

Rating:

5.0/5.0

This was an action-packed start to a new series by Amelie Wen Zhao. After having loved the Blood Heir trilogy, I was super excited to read Song of Silver, Flame Like Night. The book was definitely different than the type of story I was expecting--the first few chapters of the novel reminded me a lot of the setting and vibes of These Violent Delights, with themes of colonization and influences from Chinese magic and lore. Then, the book evolved into something else entirely, with the main characters journeying to a boarding school of students trained in ancient Chinese magic. While I did enjoy the novel for the most part, I think the marketing of the book was what threw me off the most, as the promotion of the book didn't really match the story (For example, there's no enemies to lovers at all?? So I'm confused where that trope came from in the book's marketing.). I think the book was also incredibly fast-paced, with twists and turns popping up left and right. This made it hard for me to fully connect with the characters and empathize with what was happening to them. I think I'll still read Book 2 of this series, as this book ends with a reasonably enticing cliffhanger, but I definitely wish the plot had slowed down a little and the characters were more developed. 3.75 stars rounded up.

This was a very interesting read. I love books where you get immersed into a totally different culture, and that’s what this book does.
Our main character is a girl who has been left with so many questions, and at the end of the day, is just trying to survive. I felt she was written in a very realistic, and relatable way. Her counterpart, Zen is a mystery for much of the book. It made you want to keep reading in order to unravel his mystery, and what his back story is.

I did feel at times the story was moving slowly. This book is marketed as a romance as well, but I would take it further and classify it as slow-burn. At the halfway point of the book, their relationship still hasn’t really made any progress.
I like it when romances don’t move quite as slow, but that’s just a personal preference, and I suppose that considering all the stuff going on in the story, it made more sense for it to progress slowly.
Overall, a very intriguing, and interesting read. Would definitely recommend!

(Big thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for giving us this eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

This was an amazing start to a fantasy series, especially since I haven't read fantasy in a while and have found trying to get into fantasy kind of difficult lately.. However, this was not the case for this book. The writing was beautiful and fascinating in a way. I fell in love with the Chinese folklore and the headstrong protagonist. The main character was super complex, especially when the Elantian colonized her kingdom and had to grow up as an orphan. Her writing was absolutely stunning and helped me get into the world building and not make it feel like it was too much and too heavy. I loved all the characters and the blending of the Chinese myths into the character's brutal world. It was refreshing to read a book with Asian heritage and how the author seemed to dive so deeply into her culture and history. I would highly recommend this to everyone who wants to get into a fantasy series with Asian main characters.

Wow, okay. I’m going to keep this fairly simple as there’s a lot to unpack towards the end of this book. Lots of revelations, betrayal, and heartbreak. I do think the author could’ve pulled back on the reins a bit for some of the near-end events, and fleshed out a few things better. They just didn’t hit me as hard as they should have because of how fast everything plays out…

However.

I loved this book. The main characters’ dynamic reminded me so much of Anidala’s and Reylo’s in Star Wars it was almost painful for me to read. :’) Call me boo-boo but I have so much hope for their relationship even after that ending.

The imagery in this book is *chef’s kiss.* I was immediately sucked into the world. Although I do feel that the third act was a bit rushed I’m still invested enough to read the sequel!

I would like to give a huge than you to Amelie Wen Zhao, Random House and Netgalley for allowing me to have the privilege of reading this book as an eARC.

I have to start out this glowing review by saying that this is one of the best books I have read this year. I am a fantasy lover and Song of Silver, Flame Like Night checked all the boxes for me. In the beginning, I was a bit confused as I glossed over the (very helpful) timeline that starts out the book but once I figured out the context and history of the world,

I was sucked in by Lan and her desperation to survive in a world that hasn't been the kindest to her or anyone else for that matter. The way she slowly let her guard down, allowing herself to be vulnerable and hold empathy for others was so beautiful to watch. Especially in her relationship with Zen. I want nothing more than to see the two of them be happy, but in a world full of demons and invaders, I know that might not happen (at least not for a while as this is the first book in a series).

The world AWZ created a world that sucked me in with it's magic and parallels to the world around us in real life. I gasped, laughed and even cried for the characters in these pages. And I want to do nothing more than kick that royal magician in the shin myself.

My only complaint is that the next books in the series are not available and I have to wait impatiently to see what is in store for Lan, Zen and everyone else in this beautiful world.

This is a book I will definitely be shortlisting for my store and will be getting face outs on the shelves and a spot on a table on the book floor.

It was truly magical.

Really solid writing but it didn’t captivate my attention the way I had hoped it would. I read about half of it and I would leave it unrated if NetGalley would let me! I can see a lot of merit in this it’s just not for me at this time.

Full review closer to publication date!

I'd like to thank the publisher, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars rounded up.

Lan used to have a different name. Before her mother died. Before the Elantians invaded and conquered her homeland and outlawed her people's magic. She now works as a song girl in a port city all while looking to the past to unlock the mysterious scar that her mother burned into her arm before she died. No one else can see it, until Zen, a fabled practitioner comes to save her life one night. Zen can see it, but he doesn't understand it either, and will bring Lan into a secret part of the Hin homeland that still has practitioners. The pair both have secrets that they hide from each other and themselves. Will the Hin people succeed?

Wow, wow, wow. This reminds me so much of the period dramas on TVB that I watched growing up. There is such a mystery to who Lan is and a new land. Some of the names of the cities in the story remind me of actual cities in China as well. I love that the author gave the heroine a blade, rather than having her be a fragile flower. I think there were certain things that felt rushed, but it's a good setup for the next novel. Absolutely captivating writing. I thought that this was like Mistborn crossed with Chinese Drama. 

I'd highly recommend this if you like a fantasy world filled with magic and discovering yourself. This is perfect for fans of Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Six Crimson Cranes.

The relationships between the main characters are deeper than a lot of YA books which gives more complexity to the story. The story itself is based on Chinese mythology but it's a different myth from some of the others I've read lately so don't worry about it being a repeat of other recent books. First if you liked the book Daughter of the moon goddess; I really feel like you’ll enjoy this book too. Second of all how dare you kill off Old Wei two chapters in!!! Lan deserved better than that. Okay, rant over about that. This was really great. I expected a generic YA novel and instead got a full and complex story about colonization and the difficult choices people will make to reclaim the power that was taken from them.

This book just seemed to fall flat for me. I never got hooked into the story and if I was one to DNF books, I might have given up at several points. The story had a lot of potential, as did the characters, but nothing felt fully built out and the story seemed to drag on and on. The Asian heritage brought to the storyline was probably its most engaging feature, but it wasn’t enough to save it.

Absolutely magical in every way possible.

AWZ has masterfully crafted a story that is powerful, writing that is lyrical, a plot that is adventurous, and characters that are heartfelt. I'm obsessed with the vivid mythology and tangible soul of this story. There is not one aspect of this book that is lacking.

AWZ has already written a pretty successful series before, but I have a feeling this is going to be the book/series will make her a well-known author. And she deserves every second of attention and praise she gets for this. Definitely a release to be looking forward to in the new year!