This was beautifully written and I hope there is a sequel. I feel like Xishi and Fanli ‘s story isn’t over . I also feel like Xishi and the Wu King had more to show.

I went into this book not knowing anything about this Ancient Chinese legend, but wow did it encourage me to read up on it upon finishing the story! This is so emotional — it really grabbed me from the first page and I felt so invested in Xishi’s story. This is a great read for anyone interested in the history/legends of Ancient China, but also anyone who understands that women have been used as political pawns since the beginning of time. Definitely recommend.

Ann Liang's versatility and ability to write books so fast should be studied. The writing was lyrical and the story bittersweet. However, that's where the positive side ends for me. I tried so hard to immerse myself into the historical world of the novel but felt it so short and hard to. The romance left me confused and at one point I was hoping for a redemption arc for the main antagonist. The ending did leave me slightly sad and shocked but beyond that this book has little for me to reminisce about unlike Liang's other novels. As much as I love her young-adult and contemporary books, I don't think historical fiction is a genre that suits her (so far).

I was pleasantly surprised by this retelling. It deals with one of my favourite topics, revenge, and it was so well written that I felt really into the story.
The romance was also well written and, even if it's not my favourite part of rhe book, I really felt the chemistry of the protagonists.
I'm so happy that chinese history and legends are so taken into consideration these days, because it means I can read such beautiful books.

Xishi, a famous beauty, is offered as a concubine to the war mongering king of the neighbor kingdom after her village is attacked & her sister brutally killed. Before she meets the king, however, she will be trained as a spy and a saboteur, and also fall in love with the man training her and sending her off into enemy territory.

This was epic. The prose was beautiful, and the scope was huge. I’m also always a sucker for revenge tales, especially ones that involve sisters fighting for their younger siblings.

But I’m also just not a fan of the forbidden romance trope. And I’m still really unsure how I feel about the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this arc.

Renowned for her breathtaking beauty, Xishi is enlisted as part of a daring plan to bring down a rival kingdom. Under the guidance of the brilliant strategist Fanli, she undergoes intense training—not in combat, but in the subtle art of espionage. With grace and cunning, she infiltrates the enemy court, risking everything to aid her homeland in its quest for victory.
Opinion
This was a deeply moving and emotionally charged tale. I found myself quickly captivated by the characters and their struggles. Xishi’s quiet strength and Fanli’s steadfast dedication made me hope desperately for a romantic union between them. The ending, while powerful, left my heart aching—I had truly wished for a different fate for them both.
Many thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I am not familiar with a lot of Chinese history so I was not aware of Xishi’s true story, therefore it didn’t bother me that this might not have been a completely accurate “retelling.” I just thought this story was incredibly heartbreaking and beautiful. It went places I wasn’t expecting, but that honestly seemed kind of right. I am a sucker for a good yearning romance and this is definitely a prime example of one. I really only had issues with 1 character, Fuchai. He was the only character that didn’t feel fully fleshed out to me or realistic. Otherwise I really enjoyed this one! 4/5

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of A Song to Drown Rivers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist
A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang is a novel that pulls you in with soft hands and doesn’t let go. It’s the kind of book you read slowly, letting each sentence settle before turning the page. Liang blends magical realism, family secrets, and raw emotion into a deeply atmospheric young adult fantasy that stays with you.


The Details
The story follows a teenage girl reeling after her sister’s sudden death. Her grief sends her back to her mother’s hometown—a misty village where stories breathe and the river remembers. As she unravels generations of pain and silence, she discovers that the truth is often buried beneath water, myth, and memory.



Liang’s prose feels like poetry without being pretentious. Her language flows smoothly, wrapping readers in vivid imagery and emotional depth. You can feel the weight of grief in every line, but there’s also beauty—lush, quiet, and haunting. The village setting, with its ever-present river and ghostly lore, sets the tone perfectly. It reminded me of a Ghibli film with a darker, more grounded edge.



The emotional core of the novel is its greatest strength. Liang captures the pain of losing someone and the even deeper pain of not knowing how to move forward. Her protagonist grieves in a way that feels real—not loud or dramatic, but slow and aching. The introspection never drags because the emotions ring true. You want to follow her through the mist, even when the path blurs.



While the writing stands out, the plot sometimes loses momentum. In the middle section, a few chapters feel more focused on vibe than movement. I found myself waiting for something to shift, for the narrative to rise again. And although the main character is fully realized, a few side characters felt too distant. Their emotional arcs didn’t hit with the same force.



Despite those pacing dips, the ending lands with quiet power. Liang doesn’t tie everything up in a neat bow, but the resolution feels honest. Some magical elements could’ve used more grounding, but the emotional clarity makes up for it.


The Verdict
If you enjoy character-driven stories with lyrical prose and light touches of myth, this book belongs on your list. Fans of The Astonishing Color of After or The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea will likely find something to love here. It’s a book about loss, but also about memory, identity, and what we carry forward even after everything changes.

This book was so beautiful. Poignant message and heartbreaking, soul touching love story. Reads like a fantasy/fairy tale with a strong female protagonist and the bravery to face danger and become vulnerable. Unexpected ending that sealed my 5 stars.

My favorite quote: “The men will fight for their thrones and their power and their legacies, but to them we are nothing more than crickets and ants, insignificant, expendable. We will continue to worry over the rice and soy sauce and oil, three meals a day, how to escape the cold in the winter and the heat in the high summer, the holes in the roof and the bedding and the taxes. What does it matter, who wears the crown, if they will not change any of this for us?”

This felt like slipping into a dream soft, eerie, and kind of unforgettable. The writing is so atmospheric and quiet but still hits you emotionally. I didn’t expect it to sit with me the way it did, but something about the way Ann Liang captures grief and memory just works. It’s the kind of story that feels like it’s whispering to you. Beautiful and haunting in the best way.

I have picked this book up about a dozen times and read through it a few, and I am still not entirely sure how I feel about it. I think that is why I have been hesitant to write a formal review.

It is well written and enjoyable, overall.

I did recommend out campus library purchase it, and I featured a must read to campus library patrons.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

I know I am not crying now that this book has ended.

My heart. My heart is broken.

Goodness, reading the story of Xishi, and just getting the backstory of her village of Yue. Learning about everything that has come to her people at the hands of the Wu.

Xishi did the best she could, along with her bestie and Fanli to complete the mission but at what cost? Was it worth it?

I don't even have words for the ending. Just know, my heart is in shambles.

Yes I recieved an ARC for this.... and yes I'm just now reading it.

1.5 stars and that's being generous. I was truly so excited for this story, but somehow the entire thing fell flat.

firstly, I was expecting more intrigue and action (like Dangerous Beauty the movie 1998) those were the vibes I was expecting, the seduction and the pining. Instead I got a lukewarm plot, with strange time jumps (one minute it's winter then we're in the next winter like huh). I thought maybe we'd get more romance, if this is YA then yes the "spice" so to say was spot on, but I felt like her being a cocubine didn't fit. She cuts her arm and now she has him hooked? like what?! Where was the seduction. (also not me feeling bad for the poor king... I was starting to like him CAUSE HE WAS THE ONLY CHARACTER WITH SOME DEPTH)

And don't get me started on that ending, honestly what was the point? It was like during editing it was realized there is basically 0 plot and slow boring conversation, so they thought oooo let's throw this in for some added sadness.

Overall, the writing to me was poor and the plot was non exsistent... I give the 1.5 only for Fanli and his yearning.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for the E-ARC.

Lyrical and quietly devastating. This one took its time but delivered a rich payoff in emotional resonance. The poetic prose and grief-centered themes left an ache in the best way. A gentle yet powerful read for literary fiction lovers.

🌟🌟🌟💫 Three and a Half Star Review

First, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this book with me.

A Song to Drown Rivers is an intriguing dive into a culture and mythology I knew little about when I opened the cover. The world-building carried promise, and I found myself curious about the characters and their paths. But as the story unfolded, the emotional connection I’d hoped for never fully surfaced.

This felt like a story I wanted to love more than I did. The premise was strong and the narrative voice distinctive—but it didn’t quite strike the chord I expected. I think this will resonate powerfully with younger readers stepping into this kind of mythology for the first time. My younger self might have easily given this four stars, but it didn’t land with the same impact today.

Some YA titles—especially those with a more nuanced, NA-like depth—truly connect with me. This one just didn’t quite cross that bridge

This book was beautiful and sad and immersive. It's billed as young adult for some reason, but it didn't feel like YA to me, or else the publisher is giving teenage readers more credit than they often do (which isn't to say that YA books can't be well-written and excellent, just that they tend to be much...simpler than A Song to Drown Rivers). If this really was intended to be YA, it makes a little more sense how little development we see when it comes to palace intrigue, the lack of which was a disappointment to me as I listened. Still, it was a good book that I would probably enjoy rereading. The audiobook narration blended seamlessly, neither distracting or detracting from the story. The physical edition is so pretty.

Netgalley ARC

I'm always excited about mythology-based stories or legend retellings, especially those that center something other than the oversaturated Greek/Roman mythology. But, to me, this one didn't live up to its potential.

The biggest problem I had was that every scene felt overwrought with emotion and drama. There were no ups and downs, and it was kind of exhausting. Xishi is supposed to be the king's concubine who brings down the evil kingdom. Except she didn't do much of anything the whole book. And the emotional moments that may otherwise have been moving were lost in the overwritten scenes. Was this supposed to be a fantasy? It didn't seem to be. I did like Xishi's story with Fanli, though. And the ending was a surprise, which I always appreciate.


A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

3.5 stars rounded down

I liked parts of this but the ending felt very rushed compared to the pages and pages dedicated to the court intrigue - which wasn't even focused on the interesting parts of the court intrigue. the pacing was very unbalanced which ultimately led me to round down

This was a stunningly beautiful and heartbreaking story. I normally appreciate but don't connect with beautiful writing styles, but this was a perfect balance. This story was packed with revenge, sabotage, romance, history, and heartbreak.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars. Note, some spoilers below.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ann Liang writes beautifully. She succeeds as much with historical fantasy as she did with contemporary romance.

The writing at a line level is gorgeous, but more than that, she really does build a sense of place--with all its attendant sights and sounds and smells, a culture and a history and food to savor. And on top of it all, she builds real characters and relationships and dynamics that leave you pining.

Xishi and Fanli have a forbidden romance for the ages. It really does have a sense of legend upon it, without being overwrought--and the circumstances separating them are very real, as are the character qualities, which are almost more important.

Liang also doesn't shy away from challenging questions of right and wrong, of how power corrupts, and of how much warring nations need to believe the lie of the other--and how devastating it can be to realize it's not so simple.

Xishi is never in love with Fuchai, and it never becomes a love triangle. But for all that, it's not simple, either. The moment when she kills him and realizes she'll actually miss how much he truly loved her is heartbreaking.

The ending, however? I hated it. The ending, and the fact that these romances never sublimate, are what really keep this novel from being a campy drama. But you know what, they also keep this from having any measure of real or lasting joy. It's really a tragedy through and through, and I wish I had known that when I started reading this. I must have instinctively, because even though the description sounds right up my alley, I avoided reading it for months. The publisher would have done well to position it as a literary tragedy, less so a historical fantasy with romantic elements.

Xishi and Fanli suffer so much, and then--that's it? Xishi just dies, and she gets to see him as a ghost? That absolutely stinks. This was ridiculous and not at all satisfying. Not to mention that Xishi reunites with her parents, whom she also blew off too much when she was leaving, in my opinion, only to immediately die. And her parents' reactions aren't even remarked upon, because of the giant gap of letting Fanli suffer among the living forever.

I appreciated that the romance was more subtle and, while there were some moments of clearly trying to tease sensual details, it was generally a more sweeping historical epic than a titillating romance. But I wish it had some of the joy of a romance, and less of the somber epic scale of a tragedy.

Well, that's that. I'll keep reading what Liang writes, but I'm quite wary of her historical fantasy now--even though, of course, I'm still impressed that she somehow wrote this at 21.