2/5⭐️ here we go with a romantasy🙄 I’m being very generous with this rating. But I didn’t really care for the story! I don’t care about this girls beauty trying to infiltrate the king because her sister was murdered. What???!!! And the pacing was off…I couldn’t believe I was able to finish it!

The description and the tags on this book make it seem like it is going to be a romantasy book, but it is absolutely not. There are zero fantasy aspects to it, it does have a little romance in the beginning and then the rest of the book is Xishi faking a romance. There is not a HEA, which to be honest really shook me. I was not expecting the ending to be such a bummer. This book really is historical fiction / retelling.

I both liked and disliked this book. By the 50% mark I was pretty hooked, it was an easy read and I wanted to know what was going to happen (and then the ending was a let down). My biggest thing with the book is Xishi is sent to be the enemy king’s concubine, over the course of two years they share some kisses, and nothing more, but he is so entranced by her that this causes the fall of his kingdom. I just wasn’t buying it. Also, her motivation for wanting to destroy the king is her dead sister, who she stops thinking about or mentioning pretty quickly so soon I even forgot why she was doing what she was doing.

Overall for me it was mid, so 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang retells the legend of ancient Chinese beauty Xishi, a poor village girl who was trained as a court lady to infiltrate the enemy king’s court and weaken it, allowing her own kingdom to gain control. This was my first experience with the legend, so I can’t speak to Liang’s adherence to the original story in her version, but I did enjoy the love story of Xishi and Fanli, as well as Xishi’s opportunity to avenge the death of her sister and suffering of her people. This book is a quick read and felt more YA than adult, but as a fan of YA I did not mind.

4.5 🌟
No one wins in war. This story was so well written, with easy to follow world building and imagery. The character development had me wanting to route for everyone and had my heart aching on everyone's behalf.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review

This was a beautifully written fantasy novel, following historical fiction in addition to leaning into fantasy. I loved the entire storyline and am so thankful for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A Song to Drown Rivers is historical fantasy about Xishi, one of the four great beauties of ancient China. I was unfamiliar with Xishi's story before this book and love when history, fantasy, and myth are combined!

I thought this book was so good!! It hit such a great balance of fantasy, history, political intrigue, and compelling characters. I often have trouble with books where the main character is "devastatingly beautiful" and the character learns how to wield it in a deadly way. I feel like it often doesn't feel that deadly. In this book, it definitely was. We got to see Xishi learn how to use her assets to her advantage, her reasons for doing what she did, and her conflicting emotions as she became more embroiled in the court.

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you like historical fantasy. It was so good!! 4.5 stars from me rounded down to 4. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book, my thoughts are my own!

A Song to Drown Rivers is based on the legend of Xishi, one of the four beauties of Ancient China, as she navigates a world of war and espionage. Advisor to the Yue king, Fanli discovers Xishi and gives her the rare opportunity to save her people and take revenge on the kingdom that has taken so much.

WOW that ending. The beginning got me intrigued. The middle had me guessing what would happen. The ending blew me away! I would have liked more of a build up for Fanli and Xishi’s romance to really give me that 5 star rating, but overall I really enjoyed this read. I would be interested to see if Ann Liang wrote stories for the remaining 3 beauties!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A song to drown rivers was a delight. this book transported me and made me forget the world. the audio was excellent too.

I’ve really enjoyed Ann Liang’s writing in the past—she has such a smooth and readable style. So, I was excited to check out her new adult fiction, especially since it’s a retelling of Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China.

That said, I think I prefer her YA books. I initially expected that a move to adult fiction might mean a more intense or racy story, but that wasn’t the case at all. The pacing felt a little slow at times, and I wished for stronger character development. Liang is a fantastic writer, but maybe this genre just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Would I recommend it? If you’re a fan of historical retellings and enjoy a more measured, reflective story, you might really like it! But if you’re looking for something fast-paced or more dramatic, her YA books might be the better pick

Beautiful, Stunning, EMOTIONAL. This book had me reeling with emotions I did not see coming. I was entranced very early on and the ending delivered in a way I was hoping for but did not believe would be executed on. Ann Liang, this is a masterpiece!

4.50 ⭐️
(Writing this with blurry eyes and a face full of tears)
Oh my gosh!
This book is a captivating mix of magic, mystery, and heartfelt emotions. The story follows a strong, relatable main character as she navigates a world filled with secrets and danger, all while discovering her true strength. Ann Liang has truly created something special with this one 👌🏻 I can’t believe this is her first fantasy book?

I love the way it combines a fast-moving plot with meaningful themes like bravery, sacrifice, and finding your identity. The world-building is beautiful! Such a magical setting that feels so real (I could almost hear the rivers flowing). The writing is clear and engaging, making it easy to get lost in the story.

If you love:-
- Magically and wonderful settings in fantasy books
- Strong main characters
- Action packed as well as gut wrenchingly emotional
- Slowww burn Romance
- Angst
And so much more then don’t sleep on this one!

The book itself is stunning. Do yourself the favor and get the Deluxe edition, The cover is beautiful and the sprayed edges are so tastefully done.

Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China. I use "Inspired" a tad loosely, As i recall this is the same story. I however may be misremembering the original story and there could be some differences i , myself didn't pick up on. I wouldn't call it fantasy, more of Chinese folk tale or historical fiction.

It was very well written and an easy read. This is a great stand alone novel, and i would recommend it to anyone new to Chinese folk lore / historical fiction, or even those who have heard the story of Xishi in the past.

I will say it is a book about a concubine however there was no "love scenes", not even a fade to black or closed door romance. Those looking for spice are not looking in the right book.


A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

Thank you Netglley and St. Martin's Press.
#ASongtoDrownRivers #NetGalley

Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic historical fantasy about womanhood, war, sacrifice, and love against all odds. Her beauty hides a deadly purpose.

I loved this book. I adore historical fiction, but romantasy historical fiction is even better.

I feel like the narrative was easy to follow but just lost my interest a bit through the middle. It is listed as a fantasy but there is no magic system and just seems to lack something. The characters just fell a bit flat for me and I did not feel a connection. I will defiantly give this author another try.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the E-ARC all opinions are my own.
3 Star

Ann Liang has done it again. A Song to Drown Rivers is a breathtaking historical fantasy that grips your heart and refuses to let go. Inspired by the legend of Xishi, this book weaves themes of war, sacrifice, and love into a hauntingly beautiful tale of espionage and fate.

Xishi’s journey from a village girl to a weapon of seduction and destruction is both mesmerizing and heartbreaking. Her chemistry with Fanli burns with tension, while her complex relationship with King Fuchai is equally compelling, making the love triangle one of the most emotionally charged I’ve read. Liang’s writing is stunning—every line drips with poetic beauty, and the emotional weight of Xishi’s choices lingers long after the final page.

This book is a masterclass in character depth and moral complexity. Xishi is an unforgettable protagonist—fierce, vulnerable, and torn between duty and desire. Fanli’s quiet devotion contrasts perfectly with Fuchai’s tragic intensity, leaving readers emotionally wrecked.

If you love historical fantasy with a touch of political intrigue, forbidden love, and soul-crushing angst, A Song to Drown Rivers is a must-read. But fair warning—have tissues ready. This book will break your heart in the best way possible.

A Song to Drown Rivers was my first book from Ann Liang, but will absolutely not be the last. It was a slow burn but truly captivating and beautifully written. It was easy to be immersed in the story, world and tension between our characters. I also appreciated the choice of ending was not an easy one but truly impactful.

If you love re-imaginings and historical fantasies like I do, definitely check out A Song to Drown Rivers.

I just finished last night and by the time we are on this, i believe the book is out and many more people gave thoughts about this. But here's my 2cents.

I understand the intention. How the author and editor want it to be and which crowd they targeted. But, as a part of this targeted audience, I feel this book is not fitting into my liking. The plot devices are simple, like a girl disguised as spy and all revenge-plot. The romance took most of the part as it was labeled as historical romance. A bit surreal/fantasy I think because the some chapters toward the end (the part that irks me the most). Causalities in this book were questionable. Like, how could you make a girl, bumpkin-innocent-pretty girl who never took courty courses and manners, be like a perfect lady in just mere 10 weeks??? not to mention she was sent to enemy kingdom to did a CRITICAL DUTY AS SPY??? a training in 10 weeks? really?

And how about the disease? Heart condition I recall. or whatever disease this gurl had, it just vanished with no trace. There were some lines when this gurl talking about it, but there's that and whoosh, she was healthy and fit into duty.

This is the most questionable plot I've ever witnessed in the early 2025.

Aside of that, the author has its own style of writing which I adored. The dramatic narration and detailed world building is one of her perks I bet. Somehow it makes the book pretty, but it some cases, it kind of dragging. Nevertheless, to me it was an okay

I’m a sucker for a tragic love story and that’s only one of the reasons why I absolutely loved A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang.
 
This book tells the story of Xishi who is known for her beauty and comes from a small village. Her beauty is a curse and a blessing and during the story she uses it as a weapon, and I adored her strength. She attracts the attention of the king from a rival kingdom, and she appeals to him in order to destroy him from within.
 
The concept of this book was absolutely amazing, and it’s inspired by the Chinese legend of Xishi and it worked so well. The writing and plot were completely captivating, and I was rooting for Xishi the whole book.
 
The romance in this book was absolutely tragic and the tension and longing were unreal. The more time she spends with the king, the more you sympathize with him, and then there’s also the military advisor Fanli who trains her. But I really liked how this was mainly Xishi‘s story. I’m only a little conflicted about the ending as I would have expected something else. But the story is still so worth reading and just amazing.
 
I adored Xishi and A Song to Drown Rivers and already can’t wait to read more from this author. 4,5 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

Saved by an enigmatic man, Fanli, from one of King Fuchai’s soldiers, the stunningly beautiful village girl Xishi is convinced by Fanli to train in Court etiquette, among other things, so she can help him, and by extension, their King Goujian, take down rival King Fuchai and his kingdom Wu.

Based on the legend of Xishi of ancient China, this story of politics and forbidden love is so full of yearning and sadness. Xishi, though a humble village girl, is no fragile flower and does not lack in intelligence. She bargains with Fanli to ensure her parents are well cared for before she agrees to embark on the difficult and highly treacherous task of infiltrating the neighbouring kingdom and manipulating Fuchai into weakening his rule.

Once in the rival Court as one of Fuchian's concubines, Xishi can never let her guard down. Though she has support in her fellow village girl also under orders from Goujian and masquerading as a Court lady, Xishi keenly feels her isolation. Fuchai's head minister is constantly suspicious of her, and the other concubines are jealous of his fascination with Xishi.

We learn that Xishi's younger sister was killed years earlier by Fuchai's guards, so she's there for vengeance. That does not mean that she does not question her purpose at times, or that she finds it easy to hate Fuchian the more she gets to know him. She knows she and her beauty are a weapon wielded by King Goujian, and her love for Fanli has no hope of flourishing, despite both Xishi and Fanli feeling powerfully for each other.

The story is deeply moving, and I wanted Xishi and Fanli to find some happiness, despite the odds. I loved the politics, the intrigue, and the complex, complicated feelings Xishi experiences over the course of this wonderfully characterized and lovely novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I really enjoyed A Somg to Drown Rivers! A historical fantasy with a beautiful romance and a surprising ending. The physical books are also so pretty! I cant wait to see what Ann Liang writes next!