OMG!! I really enjoyed this book it got me out of a book slump. My heart is now shattered for this book. I really enjoyed the writing and the story being told.

I loved this Adult debut from Ann Liang.

It's definitely an ode to the historical wuxia type worlds from China and all the lovely tropes and angsty narratives that come from them. The prose is lush and the plot leans heavily towards dramatics. It's a quick read with every scene progression an escalation in tension.

I loved the structure of the story, with there still being plenty of room for story after what many would consider the climax. Giving space and including the fallout as part of the structure is very different from typical western structure and I love to see it.

I hesitate to call it fantasy, there's no magic, but I get why the label is there.

Would recommend for fans of quick historical fantasy, light political machinations, and telenova type drama. It would be a good step for a young adult reader looking to dip their toes into the adult space.

Can't wait for more from the author!

This story was a different than what I'm used to. The ending was so unexpected and sad. I really liked it a little slow at some points but all and all a good book.

i don't know guys. i'm a huge fan of ann liang's other books but this just wasn't for me. i didn't care for either of the two characters or the fantasy aspects. i'm still gonna read anything she writes though.

This was a great read for me. I really enjoy retellings for folklore and mythology and this book was not a disappointment. I'd never read anything by Ann Liang previously and was in for a treat. Liang's writing is beautiful and elevated. The plot itself was also a joy. I loved the care Liang put into building the world and developing the characters and their relationships. Would recommend!

I expected something else from this book, but the outcome was quite pleasant, too. The writing, in particular, was a really good surprise. If you love lyrical prose, then this book is for you, with vivid images and a captivating storytelling style that transports you to another realm with every turn of the page. It was my first novel by Ann Liang, but I’ll make sure to check out what else she’s written. Thank you, NetGalley for that nice literary discovery.

I like retellings of myths and folktales, so I have a bit of bias, but A Song to Drown Rivers is a beautiful story that really touched my heart. The protagonist, and narrator since the story is told in first person, is plucked from her village and trained as a spy. It is not unusual even in modern spy and espionage stories for the agent to develop feelings for their mark or for the handler, and Xishi's emotions seem so earnest and even relatable. The characters all have a depth that comes off the two-dimensional page to breath life into the tale and transport the reader to a different time and place. The story unfolds at a good pace and ends in a poetic way, perhaps not the ending that some may hope for but one that fits with the story. I recommend this read to anyone who likes a lightly romantic fantasy or folktale. I am hoping that the author continues to gift us with retellings of the tales for other three of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China.
I received advanced access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

i have so many great things to say about this book and characters and also ann liang in general. however, i am participating in the st martin press boycott and until they speak up, i will not promote their books on my public accounts. i should have checked before requesting. ann liang is on my favorite authors and her previous book while are different genre were not with smp, this was an assumption i falsely made.

This was my first Ann Liang read and I'm currently scrambling to get my hands on her backlog.

Rating: Infinite stars, just absolutely incredibly perfect. *chefs kiss*

"The mind destroys; the heart devours."

"One could live with almost anything, so long as they had something to live for."

"What is home, if not you?"

"History seemed to be holding its breath, gazing down upon us."

Ugh the WRITING in this book - to keep spoilers at bay I won't share ALL of my quotes I loved but just know that the list is ENDLESS!! I left soooo many annotations in NetGalley. I WISH this was a physical copy, I would've tabbed like every page lol. It wasn't just the quotes from characters that had my heart swooning but the world building and description in this book was so poetic and beautiful, I ATE IT UP.

A Song to Drown Rivers is an incredible retelling/spin on one of the 4 Beauties of China, Xishi. Xishi's allure becomes a strategic tool when she's recruited by military advisor Fanli to infiltrate a rival kingdom. Trained meticulously, she navigates palace politics and the king's affections while grappling with her growing connection to Fanli. As tension mounts and risks escalate, Xishi must tread carefully to achieve her mission without jeopardizing both kingdoms. I found this book so incredibly fascinating as I love diving into Chinese culture and reading about things so different from my own life and culture. From the Red Thread of Fate to the Yellow Springs references throughout I was so enthralled and could really feel the depth in which the author truly understands and loves Chinese culture.

If there's one thing about me it's that I LOVE complex character writing and while all of these characters were written this way, Fuchai takes the cake for the morally grey MMC in my opinion. And I will ALWAYS.. ALWAYS fall for the handsome "villain".

I completed this in two sittings, including reading the last 50 pages out loud to my boyfriend because he was so interested in what I was telling him as I went through and then he was upset that he didn't read the entire thing with me hahah. I found this book so hard to put down! I was unaware prior to reading that this book was even based on the legendary Xishi, but boy did I dive into research mode afterwards to learn about everything that I could, along with some of the other Chinese culture references! If you don't know anything about the legend prior, keep it that way and do your research after so that the book has a bigger impact because I was SHOOOOOOK. I ended this book in tears and cannot wait to receive a physical copy so I can experience this beautiful story and emotions all over again!

Thank you to St. Martin's press and Ann Liang for the opportunity to read this ARC on NetGalley!

Words can’t describe how much I loved this book!! Despite being an avid fan of all books written by Ann Liang, I tried to let go of my bias when going into this book, and yet still ended up loving it. I find it so charming that it’s based on the legend of Xishi, one of China’s four great beauties who was also said to be the most beautiful among them. As someone who is Chinese, I absolutely loved Ann Liang’s take on this legend and how she portrayed the historical China of the legend. All the characters were so so lovable and although I loved Fuchai, I was obsessed with Fanli and Xishi’s relationship. As a fan of historical c-dramas, this book took everything I loved about them, from the world building to the characters, politics, and relationships, and created a wonderful book. The ending absolutely killed me, but as a c-drama fan I was also prepared by similar endings which await couples in these shows. However, it didn’t make the book’s ending much less painful. Every moment of this book was so beautiful and I would definitely recommend everyone check it out!!

I received an ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

A Song to Drown Rivers is a mythological retelling/historical fiction that takes place around 473 BC in Ancient China. It tells the story of Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China, who was trained as a spy to infiltrate the warmongering neighboring kingdom's palace as the king's concubine and use her beauty and wiles to manipulate the king into backing poor decisions.

Ann Liang does an incredible job shaping these characters. By the end of the novel, the lines between villains and heroes are blurred. Nothing is black and white. This is a depressing novel which brings to mind something I've been thinking about over the last few years. Being stunningly beautiful is not necessarily a good thing, it can be a curse.

My only big negative about A Song to Drown Rivers is about the love story between Xishi and Fanli. The readers are told that Xishi's deeply in love with Fanli at a certain point in the book. But we haven't gotten a chance to truly see how that depth of emotion came about between the two characters. There were scenes missing that would allow the readers to buy-in 100% into that love story.

But overall, A Song to Drown Rivers is a fantastic book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The prose is beautiful, the world magical and the characters and tension is just chef's kiss. An all around great romantic historical fantasy.

This was really well written and I found the characters to be very diverse in personality and traits. I liked how complex the characters were in this—especially how Fuchai was written. Going into it I was expecting to dislike him, and while I still didn’t love his character I was able to see the good in him just like Xishi did, which added some conflicting emotions that I found fun in a confusing way.

The plot was great. I liked the court setting and the political aspects, and how we got to read about the inner workings as Xishi got closer with the king.

The ending did surprise me. It’s not everyday that authors decide to write off the main character and while I am upset that Xishi and Fanli didn't have their happy ending, I think it adds an emotional layer to the story.

It isn't the most action-packed story, and to that it caused me to find it slow and some parts, hence the four star rating, but overall I think this is an incredibly well done standalone fantasy.

» 4 stars ᯓ★

➞ ann liang can do no wrong. that's it. that's the review. (jk)

🧸┊the plot: xishi, to put it simply, is beautiful. that one in a million type of beautiful. but that doesn't mean her life is perfect – her sister was killed by the wu when she was younger. so when xishi gets the chance to use her beauty for revenge, she jumps at the opportunity. she trains, ventures into enemy territory, makes progress on her mission. but of course it can't be that simple.

💐┊my thoughts: drugs? it's better than drugs (me talking about ann liang's writing and storytelling and brain in general bc she is a genius and can do literally everything). this concept was so unique and so different that i genuinely didn't know what would happen next at any point. i had guesses, sure, but i feel like romantasies can be really predictable and bland and this just wasn't. it was GOOD. of course there's some romance which .. i won't say anything bc spoilers but i fucking ate it up.

xishi's character was everything and more. i love a strong, tortured, out-for-revenge woman in fantasy books. they hit. her story broke my heart but then she turns around and .. does what she does .. and i'm punching the air rooting for her. like, actually.

➞ i know this review sucks but i can't say what i want to without spoiling the book and i want all of u to feel what i did reading this for the first time so i'll keep my mouth shut for now. better review to come when i reread this and annotate it on release day 🥰

thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an arc!

I was very excited to read this book but, unfortunately, it fell flat for me.
I feel like the pacing was off and it felt rushed and like it drug on at the same time. We jumped from plot point to plot point in a way that didn’t necessarily draw me in. The characters were a little flat and the only relationship that felt fully fleshed out was the one I wasn’t necessarily supposed to be rooting for.

The writing was absolutely beautiful and I definitely see why folks would love this book and are drawn to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

3.5/5

Beautiful writing, flows very nicely and gives a beautiful voice to our main character. The world building was easy to follow and really set the scene for what Xishi goes through while in and out of court.

Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
A Song to Drown Rivers was such a devastating and beautiful story! I was not expecting this book to make me cry.

The story follows Xishi as she leaves her village to infiltrate the enemy kingdom of Wu as a concubine to the king. Xishi’s beauty draws the attention of Fanli, military advisor of the Yue Kingdom, who wants to use her as a weapon. For weeks she is trained in the art of deception, but soon enough it’s time for her to venture into the enemy court.

Xishi is such a compelling character and we see her repeatedly sacrifice happiness for duty. Throughout the novel she learns how to turn her beauty into a weapon, how to charm and manipulate with her words. She longs to return home but knows she’s destined to alter history. There’s forbidden love, betrayal, and sacrifice- not to mention the book is beautifully written. I will be thinking about that ending for a long time. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance reader copy!

Book: A Song to Drown Rivers
Rating: Ann Liang
Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for sending me an ARC. Prior to being an ARC, I had not hard of this title. Sometimes that is the best way to go into a book because you end up being surprised and that is the case with this one.

This one is based on the Four Beauties of Ancient China. We follow Xishi, who is very beautiful. She lives in a village with her parents. She used to have a younger sister, who was killed the Wu-the Yue’s greatest enemy. Her beauty is a blessing to everyone around her. When she is given the chance to use her beauty as a weapon, she takes it. She is trained by Fanli to make the Wu king fall in love with her and the right time, find a way for the Yue to strike. She is trained in everything from keeping her emotions to using a blade. When she arrives, she knows the Wu are watching her every movement-even the king. The king has developed for her, but she cannot let her guard down. She cannot allow herself to be strayed from her mission. If she is caught, it will end up costing her more than just her life.

I was pulled into the story pretty early on. You are taken into the world and taken into all of the suffering. We see both sides judging each other and pointing fingers. They all view the other side as being monsters and something that needs to be taken down. It can make it hard, at times, to see who is telling the truth and who is not. We only get Xishi’s views on things, but we see some of her interactions with the Wu. Some of the hatred is very much justified, but some of it is not. For example, in the market (I think that is where the encounter happens), she is talking to someone and calls all Wu’s monsters. The person she is talking about says that she is Wu and asks if she is a monster. It makes Xishi think. It also makes the reader think.

I loved Xishi’s character. She is the type of character that you cannot help but to fall in love with. She doesn’t stray from her mission. Everything she does is because of the mission. She plays her part well. She doesn’t let her emotions get the best of her. It’s been a while since I have read a book with a character who is this focused and driven about what they are doing. She gives up a lot for what she is doing, but never complains. It is through her that we see that something like war is not black and white. It costs so much and both sides feel the effects of it.

The other characters are well done too. Even thought the book is under four hundred, we are given the chance to get to know all of our characters. Even though this is told in first person, I feel like all of the characters were given a chance to have their own voices and be their own characters.

The writing is what brings everything together. Ann weaves this tale in way that makes it hard to leave. There is so much packed in this book too, but everything feels balanced and well put together. Not once did I feel like we were getting the shortened version of everything or that things were rushed. Everything progresses in a way that feels natural and just right. I guess that is what I am getting it-everything felt right.

Overall, I did really enjoy this one a lot.

This book comes out on October 8, 2024.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/aUYb6BeBS_Y

This is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking stories that I have ever read.

Xishi is the most beautiful woman in her kingdom and she is selected to seduce their conquerors and get revenge for her kingdom. Fanli is the deposed kings trusted advisor in charge of training Xishi for her dangerous mission and ensuring she has the skills she needs to succeed.

This story is beautifully written and heartwrenching. I don't know that I will ever get over this book.

OH MY GOD! I loved this book so much that I want to buy a physical copy. I was haunting and beautiful. I wish I could re-read it for the first time again. Like I said, I will be buying the physical copy!!