This was an incredible book. I couldn’t put it down!
Thank you so much NetGalley for letting me read in advance

I love a book that you just can’t put down and this was one of them! Why did I like it? It’s not smut, but the love story woven into the plot is just as addictive! Ann Liang gives you just enough romance that you’re teased throughout, which will ultimately crush your soul in the end! I also loved the theme of war and the messages Liang conveys to her reader that people are more a like than we care to admit. This story follows Xishi, a great beauty, modeled after the legend of one of Agent China’s four beauties. She is approached by Fanli, a young military advisor, who offers her the chance to use her beauty as a weapon for revenge. The mission? Seduce the immoral king and bring down the rival kingdom of Wu, the people who continue to bring sorrow to her lands and family. This story left me wrecked in all the right ways! Grab a box of tissues and happy reading!

Thank you NetGalley, Ann Liang, and St. Martin’s Press for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been looking forward to this since it was first announced and it didn’t disappoint! I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed Ann Liang’s other works. I’ve always found it difficult to put down her books once I’ve started on them and the same goes for this one. It blew me away! Although the pacing can be a bit slow at a few parts, I thought the story was very well written and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. Liang’s a fantastic writer and is shown through her complex characters and their relationships with each other, making you contemplate which side should you really root for. Even though it was heart wrenching, I really enjoyed the book and was invested in the story and characters. I am looking forward to see what Liang has in store next!

Brutal and beautiful, Liang‘s A Song to Drown Rivers absolutely lives up the praise. A much quieter and more thoughtful novel than what I’d expected, but that made me like it all the more. It’s not flashy and Xiejie isn’t the badass heroine in the way too many “feminist” heroines are forced to be. She is a complex character with layers and depth that make her point of view throughout the novel engaging and rich. I really like that Liang did not rely on tropes in obvious ways and, while I may not have been kept guessing, I certainly enjoyed the ride she took me on.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

Xishi's legendary beauty attracts the attention of a young military advisor who enlists her help in toppling a neighboring empire.

Within the first few pages, Liang was able to draw me in with her lush, atmospheric world. The book started off strong for me, but I felt it was unable to sustain that momentum over the course of the entire book. As this was an adult novel, I expected a slow burn to the romance between Xishi and Fanli but it felt more like insta-love. I couldn't fathom what they liked/loved about each other beyond the physical looks. I also thought once Xishi entered the palace, the stakes would be higher, but was disappointed in how easily the king fell for her. This book had a lot of potential, but I felt that there were too much "telling" and not enough "showing" for me.

A Song to Drown Rivers is perfect for those who love a good, heart aching, Asian lore fantasy.

The charecters were likeable and relatable, the chapters flowed together smoothly, when you get the point of the story where it is meant to hurt- it really hurts.

This is a book I will reread in the near future.

Ann Liang did a great job writing this story, all the details were perfect.

It was so good, very sad. I might have to reread this. So beautiful. I was afraid to read this book but I’m so glad I did.

Haunting and lyrical, this book really surprised me and grabbed me from the first line. I really enjoyed the retelling aspect - this story is a big departure from Liang's other books, but very well done. Definitely recommend!

Thanks for the review copy. The cover is gorgeous. I ended up liking the mythology elements. This is a stunning book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not sure I know how to feel about this one. I get that it was based on a legend, but I just can’t get behind any of the ending. Any of it.

I didn’t really care for the characters and there was a lot of useless descriptive writing. Not my cup of tea. I don’t think the “love story” part of it made sense (unsure how to say more without spoilers). It also so boring in the beginning that I almost DNFed.

I cried and could not stop sobbing, It's been years since I have finished a book and just stared at the wall (I lied the only other book recently was the BOTM series, but that's an anomaly).

Honestly, I had not thought I was going to love this because while I do love all of Ann Liang's other works, I just didn't think this would stand out. BOY WAS I WRONG.
the tension>>>
the characters>>>>
the plot>>>>>

I loved Xishi, I loved Fanli, I loved the side characters(well except that one rat👑), and yes... I did even love Fuchai😃. That just shows how well Ann was able to master her craft and her writing was INSANE in this book.

I may come back to this review closer to or on release day to add my fav quotes and add my spoilery thoughts, which will merit a re-read so until then <3

Ann liang, that ending will forever haunt me 💞

This is an emotional, tragic, and heart-wrenching tale of love between Xishi and Fanli, and, in a certain way, between her and the so-called evil king. Xishi is plucked from her village life by Fanli, who discovers her and trains her as a spy to become a beautiful concubine for the king. But how far will she go for her revenge when she constantly feels a dilemma about the king's genuine affection for her, all while the war between the Wu and Yue kingdoms rages on? The story is beautiful and captivating, but it could benefit from more character development, particularly for Fanli.

Due to the Boycott against the publisher i will be withholding a full review
Due to the Boycott against the publisher i will be withholding a full review
Due to the Boycott against the publisher i will be withholding a full review
Due to the Boycott against the publisher i will be withholding a full review

This book. THIS BOOK! I was up until 1am finishing it. This is one of the most beautiful stories I've ever read - a heart-wrenching, fierce examination on the morality of war, and who gets caught in the crosshairs. About doomed love, impossible yearning. Political strategizing and the fun romp of court intrigue. Highly recommend to fans of The Song of Achilles and The Familiar!

Whoa! This book basically destroyed me! I loved the relationship between Xishi and Fanli. I will say I had to hold my breath during parts of this book and couldn't breathe. I absolutely devoured this book and need more from Ann Liang!!!

Well, I just ate that one up, didn’t I? I’m not usually a big fan of retellings, but something about the cover and description called to me, and I was not disappointed.

❤️ Interesting plot
❤️ Skillful depiction of the blurry lines of war
❤️ Interesting exploration of the cost of victory/revenge
❤️ Ending (I won’t say more!)
❌ Plot armour galore!
❌ Underdeveloped romance
❌ Inaccurate marketing

Trigger warnings: violence and torture, blood and gore, injury detail, death (including of a child) and grief, murder, war, physical abuse, misogyny, poisoning, suicide.

Plot:
Peasant girl Xishi’s beauty draws the attention of a young military advisor, who presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon to topple the rival neighbouring kingdom of Wu. To improve the lives of her people and avenge her sister’s murder, Xishi accepts to become the enemy king’s concubine. But the higher she climbs in court and finds ways to weaken Wu from within, the more she needs the watch out for suspicious advisors, jealous courtesans and, most of all, the young king’s volatile temperament.

Oh, how I love the “beautiful ingénue infiltrating the enemy’s court” cliché. There’s seduction, court intrigue, spying, political angst, etc. The plot was interesting and compelling, and the stakes high. Liang also managed to leave me with a growing sense of unease, and I LOVE that. The more the story progressed, the more I wondered if I was rooting for the good guys. However, if I’d been able to turn my brain off and ignore some nonsensical elements (that were always too convenient for Xishi), I would probably have given it 4.5⭐. But in the end, I’m convinced that a book—regardless of the genre—needs to be somewhat believable in order to be truly compelling.

Also, please note that this novel is wrongly labelled as “sci-fi and fantasy” and an “epic historical fantasy.” Except some minor paranormal elements at the very end, there’s no magic or fantasy themes.

Characters:
I feel like there’s not much I can say without spoiling anything. Overall, I thought the characters were well crafted and complex, although the only character for whom we saw true development was Xishi. Although she was (imo) a horrible spy who made tons of bad decisions and remained alive only thanks to plot armour, she was still a wonderful resilient, cunning, strong, and courageous character. I loved seeing her hide her female rage behind her beauty and question her choices and beliefs, but also the things powerful men tell her.

(Note: I’ve seen negative comments about the “love triangle” aspect, but I respectfully disagree. Yes, there are two love interests, but there’s no competition/rivalry or indecision. Why do LTs have such a bad rep, sheeesh? They’re not all made equals!)

Writing:
Overall, I enjoyed Liang’s lovely, evocative writing style and felt the pace was consistent enough. However, I feel like more “show, don’t tell” would benefit this book. Many important sequences took place off-page, and there’s a lot of exposition vs. sensory details, especially when it comes to secondary characters.

I will be withholding my review in support of the boycott on St. Martin’s Press and it’s imprints and I will continue to do so until all the concerns are addressed. Readers and influencers demand accountability and action.

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang is a captivating and emotionally powerful tale. This novel skillfully reimagines an ancient legend with a remarkable voice, making it a valuable contribution to the historical fiction genre. I was immediately drawn in from the very first page.

<i>How fitting that the one who saved my life should now be the one to lead me away from it</i>

Wow, is all I can say. That wrap was packed more full of an emotional knee jerk reaction than I was prepared for. These characters possessed some devastating backgrounds, on both the Yue and the ones we got to know on the Wu side. But even more devastating was the conclusion of it all.

Xishi, the FMC, is strikingly beautiful, and beauty is just the weapon the Yue need to yield in order to overthrow the Wu Kingdom. History is not so kind between the Kingdoms and it was only a matter of time before the Yue concocted a plan to fight back. Fanli, (one of the MMCs and the main love interest), a minister and the Yue King’s biggest weapon, was able to convince Xishi that they could train her to use her beauty to deceive and manipulate Wu’s king, Fuchai. She’d be leaving to serve the Kingdom and atone for her sister’s wrongful death. Her best friend, Zhengdan, had already agreed to accompany her on the mission as an advisor, because she sought to fight for vengeance following her father’s death.

With training accomplished and a plan in place, are they able to help the Yue conquer the Wu and take down the Kingdom? Or is everything just a deception?

This book could have been 5 stars if there was more show. I can’t even say, “more show, less tell”, because for the romance aspect, we didn’t even get a tell. All the developments between Fanli and Xishi are off paper and open to assumption and interpretation. While the character backstories are strong, their lack of development impeded the story. I couldn’t feel any connection between Fanli and Xishi because there was a whole lot of time that passed and little to no build-up. There was no raw emotion or angst, just some basic, off-page chemistry from training and their looks. The only romantic emotion I actually felt the whole book was actually Xishi’s forced connection with Fuchai, and it didn’t feel so forced. I personally think she loathed that she actually sprang to life around the Fuchai she got to know, as her goal in the end was to deceive and manipulate him into losing everything bits and pieces at a time.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me an ARC to read and review.

What sets this book apart is its masterful blend of mythology and world-building. The author has clearly done their research, drawing inspiration from a rich tapestry of mythologies from around the world. The result is a unique and immersive world that feels both familiar and fresh.

And can we talk about this deluxe edition? I freaking love it!