I did genuinely have a good time reading this book for a majority of the time but had a few issues that brought it down to the three star book for me (or maybe closer to 3.5 stars). I liked most of the characters, specifically Zhengdan, but felt like a few more characters could use a little more personality. The plot pacing was also a little all over the place for me. I enjoyed the medium/slower pacing of the first 70% and then the last bit was fast and wrapped up quickly and the love interest barely explored. I’m not opposed to tragic endings but this ending could have spanned several more pages and been given more time. Overall, a fun read and would generally recommend. Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I’m not sure where to begin with this review other than I wish I had some warning as to the amount of tragedy that occurs. I have zero knowledge of Chinese mythology, so I went into this book with only the knowledge that it is a historical fantasy(ish).

Xishi is an otherworldly beauty who, like everyone else, suffers from the side effects of war. Her sister was killed and her village suffers. She hates the Wu people. Xishi is able to potential enact her revenge when Fanli, the advisor of the Yue Kingdom, recruits her to become a spy disguised as a concubine for the King of the Wu. Xishi and her best friend, Zhengdan, train with Fanli to become a concubine and palace lady respectively. When Xishi finally arrives in the palace she must question her feelings of affection, play the games of the court, and win over King Fuchai in order to bring down his kingdom.

Ok, so… the story itself is great. Beautiful and heart wrenching, Liang explored what the true idea of freedom is among a monarchy. The ending really pulls at your heartstrings in addition to making you question your beliefs. It reads like a K-drama, which I assume is the point. The prose was beautiful if not overdone. I thought the pacing all over the place. The action would be nonstop only to lull with page after page of prose and inner monologue. I skimmed over a lot that did not advance the plot.

The characters were all incredibly tragic. I feel like Liang did all of the characters justice in terms of development. The development between characters was lacking. There was so much potential to build the connection between (to avoid spoilers) both sets of couples, but instead it’s assumed that they just grew closer. I also found it weird that Xishi’s illness basically goes away even though it was prominent at the start.

Overall, it was a solid 3. It wasn’t bad, but I don’t see myself buying a copy or rereading it. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC

This is truly a historical c-drama in book form.

The story is of Xishi, the most beautiful woman in all lands, who goes from being a young woman in rural village to being their kingdom's tribute to the enemy kingdom's monarch. She is discovered and trained by Fanli, (likely) the most beautiful man in all lands, also the most intelligent and adept at martial arts. Fanli plans for her to be a spy, to seduce the enemy king, Fuchai, and open a way for their own kingdom to take revenge. But things get complicated when Xishi and Fanli develop feelings for each other and when Fuchai is not straightforwardly the monster Xishi imagined him to be.

I can see beautiful scenery, the luxurious costumes with the prettiest faces, and the gut-wrenching pain of love and betrayal, all painted out vividly in my mind. It's surprisingly refreshing how this story unabashedly make their protagonists the most good-looking, most talented people ever. It also doesn't have any big twist - I knew at around 30% where it is going and still didn't want to put it down. It's charming in a simple way that feels like a fairy tale I already know by heart but never get tired of reading again and again, of feeling that heavy emotion pressing on my chest again and again. Ann Liang has always been amazing at writing drama in her contemporary YA romance, but she manages to turn it up a notch with this book. Despite the simple writing style, the maturity and intensity of the story definitely feels like an adult book.

With this genre, one thing I expected a bit more of is the politics, the intricate dynamics of the court, the complex machinations of the concubines. All of these exist in the story but at a pretty simple, straightforward level. It's enough to provide a backdrop for the romance, but I came into it expect it to be more of a historical fiction, and the plot falls a bit short for me in that regards.

Overall, it's a very enjoyable read and a great adult debut. It solidifies Ann Liang as my auto-buy author. I can't wait to read more of her historical and adult fictions.

Title:  A Song to Drown Rivers  
Author:   Ann Liang    
Genre:  Fantasy       
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Her beauty hides a deadly purpose.

Xishi’s beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue—convinced that the best fate for a girl is to marry well and support her family. When Xishi draws the attention of the famous young military advisor, Fanli, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon. One that could topple the rival neighboring kingdom of Wu, improve the lives of her people, and avenge her sister’s murder. All she has to do is infiltrate the enemy palace as a spy, seduce their immoral king, and weaken them from within.

Trained by Fanli in everything from classical instruments to concealing emotion, Xishi hones her beauty into the perfect blade. But she knows Fanli can see through every deception she masters, the attraction between them burning away any falsehoods.

Once inside the enemy palace, Xishi finds herself under the hungry gaze of the king’s advisors while the king himself shows her great affection. Despite his gentleness, a brutality lurks and Xishi knows she can never let her guard down. But the higher Xishi climbs in the Wu court, the farther she and Fanli have to fall—and if she is unmasked as a traitor, she will bring both kingdoms down.

This was an engrossing read from the beginning. Xishi was a wonderful character:  so caring and kind and determined. Seeing her grow and change and become sure of herself and confident was lovely to read. Fanli was only present in part of the book, and he felt very reserved and distant, but I liked him. This was not a fuzzy-bunnies-ray-of-sunshine read—not in any way—but it was a gripping read that completely absorbed my attention.

Ann Liang is a bestselling author. A Song to Drown Rivers is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Yeah, just couldn't get into this one. The writing is better than average, but the story itself is beyond boring. Xishi didn't catch my interest, neither did Fanli, and I just couldn't find a reason to care about anything that was happening. Hard pass. DNF.

Xishi, a village girl of uncommon beauty, is recruited by the handsome Fanli to undertake a mission to save her country using her beauty and wits to trick the enemy kind into a romance.

I would describe the majority of this book as a romance-forward story of a young woman. I found this story a bit flat for my tastes, and felt the characters were a bit one dimensional. However, this book redeemed itself at the ending— it was unexpected and touching so I’m glad I stuck with it. I think this would be a great book to recommend to adolescents or young adults, particularly since the romantic elements are quite chaste.

This is the story of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China. While I think the standard summary is accurate, I think it's a mistake to categorize this book as fantasy or possibly even romance. It's more historical fiction inspired by the legend of the country girl, trained as a spy and a courtesan, who brings down a rival kingdom--there are romance elements and plenty of yearning, but the central male romantic character spends too much time off stage to satisfy those expecting a romance, and the fantasy elements are very mild (some of them felt more like metaphors than actual magic, if that makes sense). It would work best for as an introduction to those reading about Xishi for the first time. The writing is good, and it reads quickly, but I was expecting more interpretation of the Xishi legend than the book provides.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my free earc in return for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.

Talk about gut wrenching - I’m not sure why I expected a happy ending 😭

I thoroughly enjoyed this and is likely up there with one of my top 10 reads of the year. The writing style is reminiscent of books like “Daughter of the Moon Goddess” and C-dramas.

Even the way the romance unfolds is similar to C-dramas, with no explicit scenes but a LOT of tension.

If you’re a fan of Eastern mythology-inspired reads, this one is absolutely for you.

Stunning. Lyrical. Heartbreaking.

This was written so beautifully. Literally had to pause and put the book down several times because I didn't want to finish it too quickly, and even then I finished it in a day. The tension and pining in this book is so palpable and thick you can cut it with a knife. The romance is so achingly tender and self-sacrificing, there were times I just wanted to tear my hair out.

This reminded me a lot of certain faves, like The Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology, The Bird and the Blade, and The Song of Achilles. It is just as beautiful, and just as heartbreaking. This deserves to be read over and over and over.

A thousand thank yous to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Absolutely incredible! I haven't cried over a book in a long time, and I was gutted at the end of this one. If you love the tender ache of longing between Lizzie and Mr. Darcy or Romeo and Juliet as well as imaginative storytelling like The Bear and the Nightingale than you must pick up this book now.

While I knew what I was getting into based off the book description- romance, war, political intrigue- it was delivered in a completely unexpected manner. We as the reader are treated to a very narrowed view of the world within A Song to Drown Rivers, so at first this comes across as shallow world-building. Normally a turn-off, but I found that the writing and the characters more than made up for this "lack". Now that I've finished reading, I have a suspicion that this was the author's choice in order to showcase something greater- the human experience. After all, who do we relate with more? Kings ruling from on high as they rule and wage wars or the people who go about their lives, focused on food, their homes and chores like laundry, their family, all those tiny moments that make up an entire lifetime. When those ordinary moments are impacted by love or war, by duty to your country or to yourself, what does that look like? That is what I found in Xishi and Fanli.

"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, or war." UGGHHHHHH.

I was not familiar with the Four Great Beauties or the legend of Xi Shi before reading this book, but it has sparked a deep dive into this fascinating piece of Ancient Chinese history. This story takes the myth and wrenches it into something more. While I adored many of the wonderful characters, I absolutely loved Xishi. Her desire to help her country and make an impact is inspiring, and I admire her bravery and selflessness. But, oh my goodness, she goes through so much! Looking back now, I should have seen the twist coming, but I was completely blindsided.

This looks to be a standalone book, but I have added Ann Liang to my top authors and any of her future books will be an auto-purchase for me!

“In these stories, I am reduced to someone barely even human, a creature of myth.”

Devastating. Tragic. Beautiful. Grab some tissues.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang, 336 pages. St. Martin’s Press, 2024. $23.
Language: PG (5 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: R
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
From a poor family in a kingdom ravaged by war with the Wu, Xishi (20yo) washes raw silk and wishes that she could hold the Wu accountable for their wrongs—especially for the wrongful death of her younger sister. Fanli (22yo), the Yue king’s minister, asks Xishi to be a tribute to the Wu king and a spy for the Yue. In this new battle, Xishi’s overwhelming beauty will be her sword.
Based on Chinese legend, Xishi’s story is hauntingly beautiful. While Xishi is sent to the Wu king as a concubine, there are no vulgar scenes, and it’s even implied that sex is never involved in their relationship. The pressure of Xishi’s situation hangs over readers with little levity to offer contrast, making it hard to put down through to the last page.
The characters are implied Chinese. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, mentions of trafficking, partial nudity, kissing, and innuendo. The violence rating is for assault, blood and gore, mentions of child abuse, corpses, battle scenes, suicide, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

While I really enjoyed the writing style and thought it had a lot of potential in the beginning, the plot kind of fell flat.

My first big problem with the story was the insta love / insta lust. I believe this is marketed as romantasy where instalust is pretty common, but usually something interesting happens between the ml and fl to make it a bit interesting. Having the ml be absent for a big portion of the book did nothing to help sell me on this couple.

Among other things I felt like the history and world was very undeveloped. I wish there was more about the politics of the world, considering the fl was supposed to be a political spy.

Overall, I thought the world and characters fell flat and the story read as a run in the mill ya book (though I know it's marketed as adult, I do believe it would be better marketed as ya).

This is a stunning retelling of the legend Xishi, one of the four beauties of ancient China.

“The mind destroys. The heart devours.”

“How many women throughout history were blamed for the weakness of men?”

I am in awe of this book. This is my first book by Ann and it won’t be my last. She has a lyrical way to her writing. I experienced a ton of anxiety throughout the book, in the best way. This was a surprising story that had me laughing and crying.

-Who did this to you
-Arranged marriage
-Forbidden romance
-Vengeance
-Slow-Burn
-War and corruption
-“Exile” and “My Tears Ricochet” vibes

A solid adult fantasy debut from author Ann Liang, who has previously written YA - contemporary, with some romance and even fantasy elements - that I enjoyed. I will say that this book leans closer to older YA than true adult fiction, and it could have benefitted from deciding which side of the age line it wanted to be on. Still, it’s different and a wider world than Liang’s previous work. There is a ton of political intrigue along with a romance interwoven into court drama, with enough world building to carry it. The political intrigue was the most interesting to me, but the worldbuilding and character dynamics, including either the villain, were really engaging.

I was so excited for this book but its been disappointing so far. I'm just shy of 100 pages and I still don't want to pick it up. I'm not rooting for any characters and I feel like nothing is happening. And considering how short the book is, things will probably be rushed once they do start happening.

Maybe this book just isn't for me but I have no desire to finish it.

Devastatingly beautiful, A Song to Drown Rivers showcases the complexities of being a woman and how women are remembered in history. Inspired by legends of The Four Beauties of Ancient China, our story follows Xishi as she leaves her small village town for the chance to make history and save her people. We watch her transform from a sheltered young woman who had never left her small village to a capable, cunning spy with the power to alter the direction of history in the palm of her hand.

Throughout the story, we watch Xishi navigate difficult situations while always staying true to herself and her core beliefs. Liang weaves her tale exquisitely, along with Xishi, you will find yourself wondering who is a friend and a foe–and whether or not a person can fall in the middle. At its core, this story is the tale of a young woman’s sacrifice for her people while facing the realities of how she will be perceived from both sides in history, how women are always blamed for the follies of men.

All the while, between Xishi learning to be a spy and navigating complex court politics, a love story brews and simmers. One of the most exquisite, achingly beautiful love stories. A love so pure, so true, it defies time. 

If a book moves me to tears, it signals the author did their job correctly. And friends, I cried at the end of this book. Ann Liang, you know what you did, and you did it, oh so, well. Count me in for Liang’s next book. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

This book was full of twists and turns every step of the way. There were beautiful moments. There were tragic moments. I went through the feels all the way through. I'm still mindblown over many things that happened.

Enchanting and devastating, I finished this a few days ago and it continues to occupy my thoughts.

If you are a fan of mythology retellings abd books that make you ache, I think you’ll fall in love with this tale. It was beautifully written, I will surely pick up anything Ann Liang writes.

Fat-friendly rating: 🤍, neutral

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang
Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 10/1

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy, and to Macmillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook! #macaudio2024
Xishi is a rare beauty born into extreme poverty in a kingdom broken by war. When she catches the eye of the king’s advisor, Fanli, she’s given the chance to change her fate and the fate of her entire people.

There is a lot to love about this one! Liang takes a familiar setup—using beauty to infiltrate and take down an enemy kingdom—and turns it into something fresh. This story is less about romance and more about survival, power, and the tough choices Xishi has to make as she plays a dangerous game between two kingdoms.

Xishi is such a relatable, raw character. You feel every bit of her pain, anger, and guilt as she struggles with the weight of her mission. Her relationship with Fuchai, the king she's sent to seduce, is one of the best parts of the book. It’s sweet at times, but there’s always an undercurrent of tension and danger that keeps you on edge.

The pacing is spot-on too. Aside from a few slow spots, the story moves at a steady pace, with lots of action and emotion. The politics and stakes are intense, and you can feel how much Xishi has to lose if things go wrong.

The narration by Natalie Naudus was so good! It really drew me into the story and enhanced my enjoyment overall.

I had a few minor issues with the story, one being that it’s not really a fantasy. It’s more historical fiction since it happens during a real time in Chinese history, and the only fantastical elements come at the very end. And the ending? Not happy. At least, not at first. It’s a sad ending that ends up being happy later on. Which actually made sense for the story, but as a standalone book marked as ‘romantasy’ I expected a happy ending.

I still enjoyed this one and had a hard time putting it down! I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a story with strong heroines, complex relationships, sacrifice, and a bit of heartbreak.