I was drawn to this book by the premise of a woman using her beauty as a weapon and spying within an enemy kingdom. From the first chapter, Ann Liang set the stage beautifully by introducing us to the characters with a dash of action that had me wanting to know more. Lyrical writing is not something I enjoy often because when done poorly, it can ruin a story, but Ann pulled it off spectacularly. Her writing style had me hooked and transported me to the world of her characters.

“People always prefer the beauty who is oblivious, unaware of her own power, who blushes easily and is taken aback by strangers’ approval, who is soft and demure and lacking in just enough confidence so as to seek it out in the opinions of men. But these are such lies.”

I loved following a smart woman on a mission to deceive the men around her and getting details of Xishi’s strategy. While she is determined to seek out revenge, the path is not simple and clear. Most of her thoughts and actions are presented to us through a gray area lens. We see her questioning her abilities and choices, and her conflicting feelings leave us just as conflicted when tragedy inevitably strikes. When war is involved, can there really be a winning side?

While this is being marketed as a fantasy, I think it leans more towards Historical Fiction with a sprinkle of fantasy by incorporating mythology and folklore. Props to Ann for telling this story in a 300 page standalone (I would not have been mad at getting more of their story though!). I appreciated the moments of foreshadowing she included and managed to catch some more key moments when going through my 20 pages of annotations (oops!) after finishing the book.

The two elements that made this stand out for me among other books in its genre were 1. how the romance in it had a purpose 2. its strong, unexpected ending. I can’t share more without going into spoilers, but this was a unique, beautiful, and haunting story about the effects of wielding power. I can’t wait to pick up more of Ann Liang’s works.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Ann Liang’s A Song to Drown Rivers is an extraordinary book that brings the legend of Xishi, one of Ancient China’s famed Four Beauties, to life in a fresh and powerful way. This historical fantasy retells Xishi’s story with such emotional depth and intensity that it will leave you deeply moved and completely captivated.

From the start, Liang’s storytelling shines through. Her beautiful writing and vivid descriptions pull you into the world of ancient China, making every scene come alive. The story follows Xishi, whose incredible beauty is used as a weapon in a dangerous political game. Found by the famous military advisor Fanli, Xishi is sent on a risky mission to charm and undermine the king of the enemy Wu kingdom. Her journey is both grand and tragic, full of yearning, intrigue, and painful sacrifices.

What makes this book stand out is not just its detailed plot, but also its richly developed characters. Liang makes each character feel real and their struggles relatable. The emotional impact of the story is immense; you’ll find yourself overwhelmed by the powerful and touching moments that mark Xishi’s journey. The romance, the political maneuvering, and the personal sacrifices are portrayed with such depth that they leave a lasting impression.

A Song to Drown Rivers is a story that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it. It mixes the epic feel of historical drama with a deep dive into the characters' lives. If you love fantasy and enjoy complex political plots, this book is a must-read. Ann Liang has created a story that is tragic, beautiful, and unforgettable, making it one of the standout books of the year.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of A Song to Drown Rivers!

Fanli plucks the beautiful Xishi out of obscurity to become a spy for the Yue. Xishi is to infiltrate the Wu court and seduce King Fuchai as his concubine. As Fanli teaches Xishi what she needs to know they fall in love with one another but Xishi is forced into the arms of Fuchai. Can Xishi pull of her ruse when she cannot forget Fanli?

This book had so much potential but I struggled to connect with it especially in the beginning. Xishi wants to be more than a pretty face but has very little personality to back that up. Her romance with Fanli is nonexistent, just the two of them pining for each other (presumably based on looks alone since neither have personalities). I couldn't understand Fuchai's fascination with Xishi even though that was the whole purpose of the story. He could have been developed into such a nuanced character but he was mostly portrayed as either an alcoholic or love drunk fool. The side characters are more interesting but not explored at all.

Also, there is almost no fantasy in this book and very little romance so I don't understand how it is marketed as a romantasy.

Lovely! One of my favorite books of the year! Just the right amount of romance and intrigue and spirited women and death. I personally, would have loved this to be more drawn out. Why rush her childhood and training? She had to completely remake herself into someone new. I was impressed how well she was written with a complex combination of feminine wiles, self-doubt, heartless indulgence and self-confidence.
The scents of each scene were described especially well and the whole world was beautifully written. I’m not sure I liked the very ending. For me, these stories should focus more on the tragedy of war games. “He was not killed by the Wu….He was killed by the war. By the will of kings.” How did she ultimately feel about “winning” and “losing?” Would she want the same for the next generation?

Gorgeous writing, amazing story, what more could you ask for in a book? Enjoyed this one for sure and I would recommend highly!

Utterly transcendent and breathtaking in every way imaginable. Ann’s stunning historical debut is no short of incredible, and it absolutely transfixes you from start to finish. Not only is it both heartfelt and gut-wrenching, but it perfectly captures the brutal, cataclysmic essence of war and the devastating tragedy of forbidden love.

I’m so incredibly honoured to be able to read this early, and I can say with the utmost confidence that this is some of Ann’s best work. A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS releases October 1st

Wow. This was an amazing read. I was not expecting it to be so sad but be prepared! I absolutely could not put this down. Loved everything about this book.

As a woman, these types of retellings will always hit me in the chest and make me feel an intense amount of emotions. Liang's writing style made such a complex and rich historical retelling easy to digest and kept me hooked (I read this in one day!). This had perfect pacing as well, I loved the time jumps instead of intense detail over years and years of the story.
This is perfectly marketed as a tragedy but not as a fantasy. I would continue to market it as an equivalent to other mythological retellings as opposed to a high fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This. was. so. frickin. sad.
I don't know why I didn't expect this to be so sad, the cover is so colorful I think my brain tricked me.
The tears, the tears are so real.

It's a good book, but be mentally prepared to hurt.

I didn’t know what to expect going into A Song to Drown Rivers, the adult debut from Ann Liang. It’s a retelling of the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, though I was not familiar with that legend. This book has also been labeled as fantasy, though I would hesitate to call it such; it’s more historical fiction with a magical touch at the end. Nonetheless, I went into this book with an open mind, and I absolutely loved it!

Xishi is an ordinary girl in her village, her unparalleled beauty notwithstanding. Her home has been torn apart by war, and her younger sister was killed by the Wu kingdom, so Xishi harbors a real hatred for their king. When a military advisor named Fanli recruits her to be pose as a concubine for the Wu king, working as a spy to topple the Wu kingdom, Xishi agrees to the difficult task. But she and Fanli fall in love during her 10 weeks training with him. Can they have a future together after all this is over? And what of her relationship with the horrible Wu king—is he as awful as she believes? How will these political games play out?

Tropes & Narrative Devices:
- Palace spy to overthrow the evil kingdom
- Love triangle?
- First-person, past-tense POV

What I Liked:
- Power from beauty. Xishi’s first power is her beauty; it’s what will get her in the good graces of the Wu king, Fuchai, allowing her access to him and a chance to manipulate him. Here, power and beauty are not mutually exclusive but tied together, at least for Xishi. But it’s more than just her beauty that she’ll need to rely on. She needs to be cunning and subtle while she plays Fuchai for a fool. Her people, the ruling kingdom, and the devastating war depend on her.
- Who’s the hero and who’s the villain? Xishi, Funli, and the whole group wanting to overthrow the Wu kingdom agree that Fuchai is a horrible ruler. He’s the villain, and Xishi is among the heroes. But as Xishi is forced to spend more time (years!) with Fuchai, more layers of his personality are exposed. Is he truly evil? Does he have the capacity to love others? Is Xishi doing the right thing by manipulating him? How will this all end for Fuchai… and for Xishi?
- Discussions of rulers, power, and war. Towards the end, a character states that the “will of kings” is the problem, not an entire group of people. Are the Wu all horrible? Is it just the king? What of the king who will replace Fuchai—will he be a better ruler and finally bring peace to the people?
- WOW that ending?! I won’t go into any detail, but I was shocked by how some things unfolded and the whole final chapter. Some readers may not like it, but I did.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
- Xishi and Fanli needed more time for their love to feel real. It developed so quickly (within only 10 weeks together) and I would have liked more time to see their romance unfold rather than just being told that they had feelings for each other. This book isn’t super long as it is, so it could have used another chapter or two to develop that further.

Final Thoughts
A Song to Drown Rivers is a captivating and thoughtful read with good pacing and memorable characters. Although I wasn’t familiar with the legend on which it’s based, I found this to be a richly drawn novel about power and people affected by problematic rulers. I was happy to get an ARC of this book and loved it so much that I got a physical copy from Book of the Month, too! I look forward to reading more from Ann Liang.

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang is a beautiful retelling of an ancient Chinese legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China.

Xishi is considered the most beautiful woman in her village, perhaps in all of Yue. A royal advisor, Fanli, offers her a dangerous proposal; he'll use her beauty as a weapon to topple the rival Wu kingdom, allowing Xishi to avenge her younger sister's death. Xishi agrees and travels to the enemy palace after weeks of training as a spy and temptress. She'll steal the king's heart and destroy Wu from the inside. Xishi walks a thin line as she charms the king while fighting a dangerous attraction to Fanli.

I will say that the pacing of the book was slow to start and I don’t think I was fully engaged in the book until about a quarter of the way through. However, Xishi's arc from a naïve girl to a master of court intrigue and manipulation eventually compelled me to keep reading. Liang tackles themes of womanhood, war, and sacrifice with elegant prose that reels you in and will not let you go. I will say this is not a romantasy but a fantasy story with romance as well so if you’re searching for something who fits the romantasy label, this is not the book for you. Overall an enjoyable read and a beautiful piece of historical fiction.

In the ugly time of war between the Wu and the Yue, Xishi's beauty may be the key to saving her kingdom. Xishi is used to being told how beautiful she is, but she wishes to be more than just a pretty face. When Fanli, the military advisor to the king of Yue, tries to recruit her as a spy, Xishi hesitates. But soon she sees his offer may be the best way to serve her country and gain revenge on the people of Wu. Fanli trains Xishi in etiquette and espionage, and the two become closer the more time they spend together. But soon enough it is time for Xishi to head into the lion's den and become the new concubine to the king of Wu himself. Xishi takes her role as a spy seriously and soon she has sown the seeds for the king's destruction. But will destroying the Wu truly end the war between their people?
A Song to Drown Rivers is a beautiful retelling of the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China. It will appeal to readers of Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles.

A Song to Drown Rivers is a story of love and intrigue with the back drop of myth. Given this is the first time the author has written fantasy, the story was pretty good. However, the plot pacing and world building fell a bit flat. The readers were told many things about the kingdoms and the characters but were rarely shown. I liked Xishi and Fanli, but I wanted more about their characters and their love to be flushed out more and shown to the readers. Their romance did not feel built up, and left it in the insta-love category. All in all, for a first time fantasy book this isn’t bad, but it feels more YA than New Adult.

If you want to read a beautiful but soul crushing book, this is the book for you! Ann Liang is pretty much an auto-buy author for me at this point, and I was excited to read her historical drama/romance debut.

The story is inspired by Xishi, an Ancient Chinese legend. A young, poor girl from a small village in the Yue kingdom, she is known for her beauty. Her younger sister was murdered by soldiers from the enemy Wu kingdom, which defeated the Yue in battle. When she is offered the chance to train to be a spy for the Yue king as the Wu king's concubine, she seizes the opportunity for revenge. She doesn't expect to develop feelings for the intelligent king's advisor, Fanli, whose idea it was to send her into the lion's den (and vice versa for him). The two struggle to hide their feelings while sacrificing everything for the chance to bring vengeance for their kingdom and secure the future of their people.

As usual, Ann Liang has written a gorgeous book, with fantastic setting and lyrical prose. This book is devastating, a gut punch, and it definitely made me cry. I appreciated how Liang delivers on a growing sense of dread and anticipation when Xishi goes undercover, how she develops her mask and what Xishi is willing to sacrifice to bring the downfall of the enemy king.

Wow, I don't even know where to begin with this book. I don't think I have the words to adequately express how I felt. I loved it so much and devoured it over a few days! It also took me through all of the emotions.

While I loved the forbidden love between Xishi and Fanli, and was really rooting for their happiness, I also felt really bad for Fuchai. I felt as though he was just a misunderstood young man who was forced into the role of king that he didn't want. I knew what was coming for him, but I kind of grew to dread it. I don't want to say too much and potentially spoil anything, but the ending left me absolutely gutted.

I highly recommend this one for those who love:

- slow burn forbidden romance
- political turmoil
- historical fantasy
- morally gray characters

Xishi's beauty is renowned well past the limits of her small, rural village. It attracts the attention of Fanli, a military advisor who makes her an interesting offer. He will train her to use her beauty to infiltrate the neighboring kingdom and take down the king that has tormented her own home for years. She agrees to become the king's concubine in order to spy and ultimately dismantle his kingdom from within. This is the story of how Xishi became one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China.

Thoughts 💭
This book was beautifully written. I often found myself pausing to reflect on what was said, and I didn't want to put it down. It had all the great story essentials. Xishi was a strong heroine who I was rooting for the entire book. I HAD to read on to find out what would happen to her because I became so invested in her story. The struggle of living among the enemy was complex and confusing, and I felt that right along with her. The romantic tension between her and Fanli would hold up among classic literary couples. There were so many layers to this book, and the fact it was based on a real person with real events made it that much better. It was emotional, heart-wrenching, and addicting. It was such a beautiful, thought-provoking story that I would highly recommend checking out if historical Chinese stories interest you.

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

No one talk to me.

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Okay, I've taken a breath. Review below.

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No one is more disappointed than me that I didn't absolutely love the heck out of this book. Ann Liang is one of my favourite authors, but this just didn't work out for me for a few reasons, which I'll get into.

This is sold as an adult historical fantasy romance. I'm not sure which part of this book qualified it as adult other than the ages of the characters (which was more New Adult than Adult, and I wonder why the cast was so young for what they needed to do), but it felt more YA in its overall storytelling and themes. To temper expectations, this is 80% historical, 15% romance, and 5% fantasy. The historical aspect was really interesting. I feel like she set up the war and the political theory side of the story really well. The two fighting kingdoms are well established, the impact of the war on our MC's village was clear, and the message at the end was really effective. Everything was pretty solid in that area, though it did get a little lost in the middle.

The romance is something I had a lot of issues with. I cared more about the unhinged villain king than I did the LI, and that's because the LI is basically not in this book, which is a wild choice. I did feel the tension when he was in certain scenes, but as a whole, he was forgotten by the MC and by me as a result. Fuchai, on the other hand, was absolutely unhinged, but his story arc was extremely interesting and I loved how everything played out for his character. That packed such a punch for me, that everything that happens with the LI felt inconsequential to Xishi's life and journey.

The last piece, fantasy, was barely present. However, it is the key to understanding why much of the story feels a bit disconnected. I can't say much else without spoiling, but while I found it interesting, it felt too little too late by the time that reveal happens, and by then I was already fully disconnected from the MC.

As a whole, the pacing of the story was off, the world building itself was very limited, and the relationships just weren't developed well enough for me to be invested in everything (outside of Fuchai), and it just left me disappointed. That being said, maybe this book will be for you as I've seen so many people absolutely loving it. However, it just didn't work for me in the end.

TW: death, blood, death of a child, war, violence, injury detail, sexism, alcohol consumption, suicide; mentions torture, murder

Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 1.5/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Pacing: 2.5/5
Overall: 3/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this EARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story of how one woman sacrificed for her family and for her kingdom. To say any more would give away the plot.

My heart is ruined by this book. I am GLAD that this wasn’t a romantasy. This is story of love and loss, of conflicted hearts and misplaced trust. It’s haunting and beautiful. There wasn’t a fantasy aspect (maybe a little at the end), and I wouldn’t say there was romance. If there had been, I think it would have taken away from the gut-wrenching and lingering ache the reader feels for Xishi.

I would have loved to see more character development. More depth on the time Xishi and Fenli had together early in the story. I would have liked to see more of the politics that shaped the Wu and the Yau’s conflict. Given just a bit more depth and development, this would be a 6 star book. But as it stands, it’s still a great read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGally for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Summary of the plot:
Xishi is exceptionally beautiful, so beautiful that she catches the attention of her king's military advisor, Fanli. He proposes a mission to her: he'll ensure that her poor parents are taken care of for the rest of their lives in exchange for her help to spy on the neighboring kingdom of Wu. She is to be the one of the many concubines of the King Fuchai Wu and find out how her kingdom can overtake his. She's trained to become a spy, but love and politics makes her mission difficult.

Thoughts on the book:

A few things that I did not like:
1) I didn't really click with the romance, as it felt more "telling" than "showing". Since this book is a standalone, I think that is likely why the romance felt a little rushed in my opinion.
2) This book is marketed as historical fantasy, but it does not feel like either. It certainly doesn't feel like fantasy at all.
3) I'm still left wondering what the whole chest pain aspect was with Xishi. I thought it would have led to something important, but I guess it really is just a symptom of a sickness she had when she was younger? But it was mentioned so often... I don't know.

Overall, I thought this book was well written. It has a poetic feeling to it, but it's not written in prose by any means. The ending made sense to me despite how sad it was. I love how Liang uplifts the power that women have and how women can be underestimated (e.g., Xishi being a spy, Zhengdan being able to defeat General Wu, etc.) I would definitely recommend giving this book a shot! I'll probably pick up another one of Ann Liang's books in the future.

A Song to Drown Rivers follows Xishi, a beautiful woman sent to infiltrate the enemy's palace and win the king's heart, in an attempt to end the war between two territories. As Xishi learns to navigate life at court, she realizes one wrong move could ruin everything. Growing close to the enemy king had me squirming with anxiety that Xishi would be found out, but also made me a little sad the poor guy didn't even see her coming. This book captures how devastating war is, no matter which side you're on and managed to break my heart in the process.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.