I went into this book expecting it to be a fantasy story. I swear I saw it listed as a fantasy book, but as far as I can tell, it is not. This book is a story of war and love and heartbreak. I found the story to be beautifully written and very easy to immerse myself into. I found myself caring for all of the major characters and rooting for them to succeed in this mission. I even found myself liking the enemy at times...like I said, great writing. I, however, I am mad about the ending. How dare the author kill off the main character instead of giving her the happy reunion she deserves. I cried when her love buried her body. I did like that their souls met again, but I really wish there had been a happier ending. Even with this complaint, I still loved the story and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys war stories and romance.

*Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this eARC; the review is my own.*

And unfortunately, you probably won't thank me for reading and reviewing this book you gave me.

I'm somewhat torn on how to rate this book because it was pretty well written and I could tell a lot of effort was put into making it lyrical and beautiful. But I should have known that a book titled A Song to Drown Rivers would not leave me happy. After checking to see what I generously awarded Veronica Roth's Allegiant twelve years ago (has it been that long?), I decided that this book deserved the same rating. Take that as you will.

I have a short list of authors I refuse to read anymore because they've broken my trust. Ann Liang, you've landed yourself there after only one book. Congratulations. (In case you're wondering, Veronica Roth and Laurie Forest are also on that list.)

And yes, I recognize that this book is based on Chinese folklore. But guess what: A lot of Disney movies are based on depressing fairy tales and messed up myths, but they've been rewritten to make them actually enjoyable. This story had so much potential. Even when I suspected the direction it was headed, I still hoped I'd be proven wrong. I wasn't.

Xishi (20 at the start) was as brave as she was beautiful, and I liked how she began to see the complexities of the war between the Yue and the Wu kingdoms, that she was able to care (to some degree) for someone she also hated. Usually I'd go into more detail about characters, writing style, and such. Honestly, though, I just want to be done with this review and move on to something else.

If you liked Allegiant, you'll probably like this book. If you threw it across the room, you might want to avoid reading this book.

Let me start by saying that I absolutely LOVED this book. Right when I finished it, I wanted to read it again.

One thing that I loved were the characters that were supposed to be villains. There were a few of them but as Xishi got to know them better, you learn more about why they are the way that they are and it's hard not to love them (even though you're supposed to hate them).

Every twist and turn had me on the edge of my seat. I saw some things coming, but others were completely out of the blue and had me smacking my book on my bed. I'm really trying not to overshare because I don't want to spoil, but omg, iykyk.

I cried so hard at a few parts in the book. That's how I know it's a good book. Ann Liang writes in a way that makes you fall in love with everyone and everything and she knows what she needs to do to make a good book into a great book. And she isn't against sacrificing characters to do it.

If you read anything this year, please let it be A Song to Drown Rivers. I'm excited to read more books by Liang because of this!

A Song to Drown Rivers is a beautifully crafted story that stayed with me long after I finished reading. Ann Liang’s storytelling is both lyrical and powerful, weaving together a narrative that is as emotionally resonant as it is compelling. I absolutely loved the overall story—from its evocative setting to the deeply personal journey at its core.

What truly stands out in this book is Liang’s ability to create authentic, fully realized characters. Each one feels genuine and complex, with motivations and emotions that draw you in and keep you deeply engaged. Their struggles and growth unfold naturally, making the story feel intimate and relatable. I did struggle a few times with their motivations and actions, especially in times of crisis.

The ending, in particular, left a profound impact on me. I couldn’t get over it for days.

A remarkable read filled with nuanced characters and a story that lingers in your mind and heart. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a novel that combines emotional depth with beautiful prose.

I've never read anything by Ann Liang before, but after reading "A Song to Drown Rivers," I will be following Liang's writing career in the future. It was beautiful, lush, developed, captivating, all the good things! Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the eARC for this book-- I enjoyed it!

My heart is broken! 😭

In A Song to Drown Rivers, the themes of love, war, and sacrifice are explored through a re-telling of Xishi, one of ancient China's Four Beauties.

I'm not sure how well this compares to the original story, but I loved Ann Liang's version!

I enjoyed the slow burn. I loved the military/political strategy. I loved the friendships developed throughout the story. This historical fantasy makes me want to learn more about the time period!

The writing was beautiful, but I just did not connect with the story.
I usually eat up Ann Liang’s contemporary books, but unfortunately, this one didn't hit the same. :(
DNF 19%
e-arc provided by NetGalley

This was such a beautifully written book. The lush prose swept me up and I had an incredible time in this story. I wasn't previously familiar with the legend the story is based on, but I'm sure that just adds another layer to it

This book kind of snuck up on me. I was intrigued to begin with, a beautiful girl being trained as a spy to take down the rival king is a great premise. The first third or so is Xishi learning different things and starting to fall for Fanli. Their romance was kind of flat because there wasn't a lot of time and he didn't show much emotion. I would have liked to see him yearning more.

When Xishi first arrives at the palace, things are exciting as she navigates how to integrate herself to court life and get the king to fall for her. After that, a lot of time passes and the plot really slowed down. I got a little bored, but luckily it's not a long book so we quickly hit the climax of the story. The last bit is where things got wild and I ended up feeling surprisingly emotional. What a way to end the story!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the copy.

That was heartbreaking. I'm not often taken so off guard by the direction a story will take, but this time? I'm still reeling... I had previously not been exposed to the legend of Xishi or any retellings. I'm so glad I finally have. Xishi's struggle between her duty and forbidden love was expertly portrayed. Ann Liang's writing was beautiful. Not one word was wasted. I can't wait to pick up more of her work!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Man. I loved this author’s other modern rom coms SO much more. This book felt really blah and unoriginal. I know some people hated the ending, but I liked how unique and dramatic it was - definitely felt like a C-drama. I think teenage me would’ve liked this book tho. I just felt super bored.

2 stars

The only reason I'm giving this book 2 stars is because the writing is beautiful. But the depth to the characters was severely lacking. I had never heard of the legend of Xi Shi so cue my freaking surprise at that ending. This is not the time for me reading sad af stories, so I really wish I never picked this up. This was partially my fault since I could've read the legend and figured retelling meant retelling that freaking ending. It's also in the title sooooooooooo yay to my blatant ignorance of all the signs.

Also, what part of this was a fantasy? Yes, it was historical but there were no fantasy elements. Unless she was a siren with the way this book described her beauty. Fanli and Xishi's interactions didn't impact me enough to make is swoon worthy and I was wondering if he was even the love interest. At one point I almost just wanted her to be with Fuchai because they had more page time than any other characters. This book just fell a bit flat even though the writing was great, the depth to the story just wasn't there.

This book was so so so good!! I could not put it down. Liang crafted a beautiful, well developed story and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

A Song to Drown Rivers is a historical fantasy novel based on the Chinese legend of Xi Shi, a great beauty who was used as revenge against a rival kingdom.

Xishi has wanted revenge against the kingdom of Wu ever since their soldiers invaded her village, slaughtering her younger sister. When her beauty attracts the attention of Fanli, the advisor to the local King Goujian, she is asked to use her looks to seduce and spy on the ruler of their enemies. Xishi must shed her country ways and be trained by Fanli in palace politics to become the perfect concubine to King Fuchai—and bring down his rule from the inside. But in the weeks leading up to her departure, she finds herself growing closer to Fanli and hesitant to leave him behind.

I enjoyed many of the choices the author made in this story. She did a great job showing that there are no true heroes or villains in war—it just depends on which side you are on. Both kings in the story use commoners in their games against each other. Liang also shows the softer side of King Fuchai, whom Xishi was sent to destroy, as well as the guilt she feels over her role in toppling his rule. I found myself highlighting many passages and thought the writing was beautiful.

Overall, this was a nicely paced tale of a young woman asked to use her beauty to destroy a kingdom, only to find that nothing is quite what it seems.

I didn’t love this as much as I thought I would. Personally, I felt like there could have been more character development and more buildup and details on certain subplots. I feel like we only scratched the surface on a lot of things. The romance between Xishi and Fanli, Xishi’s reasons for revenge, and the way Xishi made Fuchai become utterly devoted to her. I liked it enough but I felt like there was more story to tell with all of those points. Ultimately, I think this book was too short and the lack of development in those areas caused me to not feel as connected to the characters.

Also, what was the deal with Xishi’s heart? It’s mentioned multiple times but I still don’t really know what the point of it was.

Very thankful to have read this buddy read with blank. This book was unlike any other book I have read, given that falls outside of the usual genres that I read. I had seen this all over social media and managed to pick it up as an arc, but let it get lost in the phrase. It tells the story of a young woman who is chosen for her beauty and trained as a weapon to put in the palace of the rival kingdom. The hope is that the king will fall for her, let down his guard, and she would suggest moves that would allow her kingdoms soldiers to advance and seek retribution for the damages thid king and his soldiers had cost her people. She is trained by one man named Fanli who is her true love interest through everything.

I found the pacing up to one major celebration of warrior skill in the book where a lot of things happened at once. I think it was necessary possibly to show how long Xishi had to work, to be poised and focused in order to do what her kingdom needed. After this battle competition, the plot rushes at full speed to a high intensity ending. I found myself extremely moved by the conclusion of the story and enjoyed how it came back to Fanli and Xishis story in the end. This novel had really nice imagery and made me want to read more books set in this sort of place and time. I would recommend it to others.

The mind destroys, the heart devours.”

An interesting historical re-telling of a story I'd never read or heard of before. And, although I found the story itself interesting, I'm not sure this story stands out in the pile of other stories. It's tagged as fantasy and romantasy and I definitely didn't get those vibes at all.

I thought the story took a moment to get going with a very slow start. Xishi's a beauty and we hear about that a lot. She's plucked out of a village to be trained as a spy. Once she gets to the palace, the story got going. Even then, I didn't find the intrigue of palace life to be more interested than the town story and, although I liked how she'd worked both the king and a few of the other concubines, I found the pacing slow. I flipped to audio and did enjoy it a bit more but, ultimately, I'm not sure the story will stick with me. If you like court, political intrigue, and spies, than you might like this one more.

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

Through ads, the enemies to lovers trope is what drew me in. When I first read the synopsis, I expected this to be a story in third person that was a mix between the unrealistic web novel and the serious historical fiction. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the first person perspective and the intense descriptions of the main character’s traumatic experience with war. The main character was also thoughtfully written and her perspectives changed with her experience which made it easier to empathize with her difficult situation towards the end of the story. I would technically rate this book 4.5/5 since I was completely loving the ending until page 283's interaction with the boy.

I loved the poetic, emotional feel of this one—it pulled me in with a haunting kind of beauty. The story had a lot of depth, and I really enjoyed how it dealt with themes like memory and healing.

A gorgeous book with a fantastical setting and intriguing characters. This was my first book by Ann Liang and I definitely look forward to reading more of their work in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.