I just finished this after a month, and i think it was definitely better than Judy's last works. The better part of this book was its characters. I found several dynamics with the characters, making the plot vividly alive in my head.

The plot was fine, although there were some personal complaints of the choice of words.

Judy's writing is improving i can tell.

Very interesting world building but the characters were just not doing anything for me. They felt very flat and one-dimensional. I think there is something so I'd read book two for sure.

This new Chinese Fantasy follows a gifted qin musician as she decides to take up an offer from the Duke to earn her freedom but ends up journeying to the Celestial Realm to solve a mystery.

I liked our two main characters and felt that they were interesting. The main protagonist Xue is young and naive but not in an annoying way, while the Duke Meng is mysterious and strange. There is some romance between these two characters but it wasn’t something I felt strongly for or felt like it was a main part of the plot.

The story takes place in a Chinese period drama world with interesting magic types like music and shapeshifting. The author uses descriptive imagery that can be a little flowery to describe this world, which feels very fitting for the setting.

I enjoyed following Xue on her journey and felt like it was interesting and fun to read but nothing that was intense or a page turner. Some of the plot points were a little predictable but there were a few good twists that I enjoyed.

Overall, I enjoyed this slower fantasy read and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Asian fantasy reads or someone looking for a lighter fantasy read.

I’d like to thank Feiwel and Friends and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. I enjoyed it so much, I did purchase this beautiful Owlcrate edition with my own funds. All opinions are my own.

Cawpile: 7.57/10

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 50% of the way through.

The world is well made and structured well--my main issue was with the flat characters and slow pacing. I really couldn't care less about the protagonist and the main love interest guy--who barely spoke a word and had no chemistry with the protagonist. It's a shame because I did end up liking it but everything moved so quickly...yet also moved at a snail's pace. It just was...dull, for lack of a better word.

First off the most pressing thing I need to share is that this cover is GORGEOUS!!! This book was full of magic and great characters. I really enjoyed reading and finding out what would happen to Xue and the Duke and how their stories were connected. The world was interesting and intriguing plus I enjoyed the musical aspect. I did get a little lost in the magic system a bit but it was still enjoyable.

An absolutely captivating read! This book seamlessly blends compelling characters with an engaging plot that keeps you hooked from start to finish. The writing is eloquent, and the story is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant. A must-read for anyone looking for a profound and enriching literary experience. Five stars!

DNF@ 66%

I really wanted to like this, everything about it is something I could love. The writing was actually very well done, the world was interesting. The main issue I had were the characters. They were so dull that I couldn’t finish it. I had no emotion or care for any of them, I didn’t care what was happening to the main character. Even though the world had so much potential, you didn’t really see any of. And when you saw something it was only telling you, now showing you. Romance is a huge marketing tool for this book but there really isn’t any really connection between the two leads that would make this a romance.
I would love to try this author’s other series in hope that I like that one but.

god I love LOVE when authors take mythology of their culture and spin it with their own touches. It allows for a unique touch without fully taking away from the original.

also the cover is GOREGOUS.

I read Song of the Six Realms back to back with a few other Asian-inspired fantasies. What stuck out to me was that it was not an edge of your seat read (not a bad thing here) as compared to the other novels. The pace was slower and less tension-filled. It gave me a chance to soak it all in. It even felt like lighter fare despite having some gothic elements.

Rather than swords, it was words that cut as Xue tried to help discover who was trying to bring ruin to the celestial realm. With a focus on court politics and political intrigue, there was not as much action until closer to the end. Political intrigue is a favorite, so I didn't mind.

While I liked the political intrigue, I also could not help but hope for romance. When it happened, it did not provide the rush I was expecting. I needed more interaction or subtle displays of affection and tension between the characters to fall for them falling for each other.

Overall, this was a good read, and one I easily recommend.

I really enjoy Judy I. Lin's work so I had high hopes for this one -- and it didn't disappoint. It was beautifully written, with characters that you really root for. I'm always one for a romance and this absolutely delivered. I enjoyed it -- even if it felt a bit fast towards the end. Absolutely wonderful, 5/5 stars.

I think that the characters and prose were done beautifully and the emphasis on folklore and music were well done, I think where it fell a little for me was the plot, but otherwise a solid time.

Intricately Detailed With An Interesting Plot

Quote📖
I am surrounded by many splendors, and yet I Am alone.

Thoughts 💡
This was a beautiful story with a detailed world and exquisite details. I loved Xue, she was demi and an outcast so I felt immediately drawn to her. She had dreams and wishes but was extremely pragmatic about her circumstances and tragedy.
I thought it was really interesting how the story was formatted. It was separated into parts with verses with interludes that were distinctly different.

✨Note✨standalone

⚠️Content Warning⚠️
Death of parents (off page), Grief, death of Fantasy Animals

Stats📊
Characters: 💙💙💙💙💙
YA Romantic Fantasy: slow burn, Chinese dramas/folklore, gothic influences, gods and
monsters, quiet longing, who is she to you📘
First Person, Past Tense, Single POV

I adore Judy I. Lin, and ultimately really enjoyed this tale!

Song of the Six Realms is a fantasy that was inspired by various Chinese folktales, and it is utterly enchanting and exciting. I loved all of the songs and folktales that were interspersed within the story, and how they ultimately ended up connecting to the overarching conflict and plot. I loved Xue as an MC, she is both soft and creative as well as fierce and brave. She faces so, so much hardship as well as so many absolutely out-of-this-world reveals and expectations from the beings around her, and she handles it all in an impressive but also reasonable and organic way. I loved how driven she was by her family and correcting history.

I wasn't as grabbed by the LI, the Duke. There isn't anything strictly wrong with him by any means, I just didn't find him to be as interesting as Xue. I also, likely as a consequence of this, wasn't feeling all that jazzed by the romance. It felt like it moved too fast to believable, and that honestly lends itself to what was overall my least favorite part of this book. It just felt... very rushed. The last 50% moves SO very fast, and its not just action, its a lot of dense world building and reveals as well. I found myself feeling overwhelmed and confused sometimes throughout, and eventually just kind of had to get okay with the fact that maybe it wasn't going to make perfect sense. The writing style is still absolutely stunning all throughout, even in the more fast-paced second half, and the action is incredibly engaging. I just think this probably would have benefitted from being a duology.

Regardless, I am honored to have gotten an eArc for another of Judy I. Lin's books. I adored a lot about it, and really just think the downfalls come from it being an ambitious standalone (especially for one that isn't terribly long.) I think if you are a fan of Chinese-inspired fantasy, beautiful prose, action and folklore, you'll still really enjoy this! My actual rating is 3.5. Thank you to Macmillan Children's, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for this eArc!

While I finished reading this book a while ago, it’s taken me this long to write this review and tbh, even now, I don’t have the right words to describe my feelings about this book which is definitely gonna make my top favorites list at the end of the year.

I’m usually more of a wuxia fan and haven’t actually watched more than a couple of xianxia dramas. But this book is like my kind of xianxia drama in prose - serene and poetic with just enough angst and a low key romance between two demisexual individuals. I could totally see everything playing out in front of my eyes, which really shows the beauty and vivid nature of the writing and the Cang Lan Jue vibes and a minor nod to Wei Wuxian completely have my heart.

The world the author creates is very interesting, with mortals and celestials and demons, their politics and enmities, the hypocrisy of these immortals who look down on mortals for their “emotions” but are equally susceptible to all kinds of corruptions themselves. We get to meet all kinds of immortals - the ones who are entrenched in their power and can’t see reason, ones who can be persuaded and finally ones who can see the truth and treat all beings - mortal and immortal alike.

And among all these characters are our MCs - lonely, orphaned Xue who can mesmerize anyone with her qin playing, and the mysterious Duke Meng who keeps a lot of secrets but is slowly creeping into her heart. It’s a slow building of trust and friendship between them which I appreciated, slowly turning into love for the ages and lifetimes. There are revelations and twists aplenty in this story, with little tales and legends in between that both help flesh out the world building and also weave the complete narrative together.

I know this review doesn’t really showcase how much I loved this book but I promise you, if you are a xianxia fan, you’ll love this. Despite the angst and the very typical cdrama ending, I was only left feeling satisfied at the end of it. Now all I need is a qin playlist for the book which I’ve already requested from the author, and hope I’ll get to listen to all the musical pieces the author feels will go well with this amazing story.

I loved The Book of Tea duology so my hopes for this book were high. I went into it with high expectations and it did not let me down. I couldn't put the book down.

Song of the Six Realms was a clear winner for me! It was beautifully written, with great characters and perfectly developed romance that kept me glued to the pages. It has enough intrigue and vivid world building that I found myself easily transported to the story once I came back to it. Plot wise, I think it was very well crafted albeit the ending was a bit too much as everything came to a head. I like how throughout the story, we see how Xue contrasted against the Celestials with her way of thinking, talent, and emotions. I also like how it shows that the demons and the Celestials all experience the same emotions and tribulations the mortals have, despite trying their best to be above it all. I would say that technically, the romance between Xue and Jinglang isn’t really slow burn by the normal standards. There were some push and pulls yes, but with time doesn’t have a marker here the story could take time within days or weeks. However, I just feel like it has the perfect slow buildup as they really spend their time getting to know each other, both past and present.

Xue’s past is marked by a tragedy that left her orphaned and her family name struck from memory in an ancient custom. Taken in by her uncle, he does everything he can to help Xue prosper in a society that treats her as lesser. She’s a talented musician, and he arranges an apprenticeship at the esteemed House of Flowing Waters, a house that provides entertainment from the most skilled entertainers in the kingdom.

While Xue is treated well at the House, her future is bleak. Unlike the other adepts, her low social status means that her only option is to play the qin for rich nobles. A life that would turn her love of music into one of servitude rather than letting her explore her music and travel. So when an unusual noble asks for her to perform for him several times, leading to him offering to buy her contract. It’s unexpected, but Duke Meng is offering Xue a future that she thought would never be possible. It’s a chance she has to take.

Xue has no way of knowing that the estate Duke Meng is taking to her isn’t in the mountains… it’s on the Celestial Plane, and he’s actually the Duke of Dreams, a Celestial who watches over mortal’s dreams. He needs Xue’s help, her music is the only thing that can help unlock secrets that will save the Six Realms from a malevolent evil.

In Song of the Six Realms, Lin has once again created a magical combination of East Asian folklore and fantasy. In the Book of Tea duology, tea and poison were the foundation of her world-building and in this new book Lin has focused on music, poetry and dreams. These themes suffuse every fibre of this book as Lin tells us Xue’s story, weaving her and Meng’s stories together along with their shared love of music and poetry.

This is a romance, however, it is one of many themes and sub-plots in Song of the Six Realms. If it isn’t something you’re a fan of, or like me, you can take it or leave it, then there is plenty more happening. Lin’s world-building is beautiful and filled with wonderful twists and turns that kept my interest piqued from start to finish. The only thing that kept this from being a four-star to me was that I felt the big reveal and related details were a little rushed.

Other than that, everything else was the quality I expected to find in a book by Judy I. Lin, with strong character writing, and backstories that drew me in at every turn. Song of the Six Realms is a must-read!

'Song of the Six Realms' feels like a first draft. Other than the descriptions of food, music and the general world, nothing else feels fully fleshed out. The characters and plot are a little flat. Not in a bad way, it was a fairly enjoyable read but it seems like there should've been more of everything.

My favorite part was probably the ending. I won't say more for spoiler reasons but since I do believe this is a standalone, it really worked for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends (MacMillan) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Lin's Book of Tea duology, and I had high expectations coming into this book. Xue is a talented musician who is sent to a popular entertainment house to help her increase her skills. When her guardian dies suddenly, she becomes a ward of the house. On her first performance she catches the attention of young man who subsequently invites her to come to his estate for three years in exchange for her freedom. Once there, she quickly realizes that not all is as it seems and she is, in fact, no longer even in the mortal realm. Plunged headfirst into a situation that is beyond her, Xue nonetheless is able to hold her own. I really wanted to love this as much as the first book, but it fell flat in several places. The story is good and the characters are interesting, but the story felt like it dragged in several places. I found that I would be sucked in completely but a few minutes later would have trouble keeping my attention on the story line. The breaks to add the mythology and background added to this disconnect. It made those areas feel like info dumping rather than like the next piece of the puzzle. Overall it was good, but not great like her previous duology.

Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin is a dreamy gothic Y.A. fantasy full of emotion and atmosphere. I really enjoyed it and hope to read more by Judy I. Lin in the future. Well done!