This book wrecked me. It started off exactly like watching a Chinese drama where I felt I could be immersed in it. But how tragic. This is subjective of course, because I find that life is often so hard as it is, that I was hoping for something that was more hopeful in my fictional stories.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc for an honest review.

Plot: A song to drown rivers is an adult historical fiction retelling on the legend of Xishi - one of the 4 beauties (according to my knowledge). The novel tells the story of Xishi as she navigates herself through the wu kingdom disguised as Fu chai's concubine, seeking revenge and justice for her kingdom through prior training with male lead Fan li, the military advisor of Yue kingdom .

My opinion/thoughts 💌: The book is advertised as an adult historical fantasy, which confused me a bit as I found the book to be lacking in the fantasy aspect, unless if it is the small fragments of it in the end. I have slight mixed feelings towards this book, particularly due to the fast pacing of the book which hindered the ability for the author to develop a sense of emotional connection between the characters and the reader.

Xishi/Fanli💕:This also connects to the development of the romantic relationship between the two protagonists; Xishi and Fanli. It was insta love, whilst I greatly enjoyed the scenes with them I do wish they had more screen time, especially due to the fact that the author places a great emphasis on their relationship throughout the course of the book. The book is entirely from Xi Shi's POV, which enables the reader to only see her perception of Fan li and her pining for his presence/love. When this collides with the little screen time Fan li and Xi shi have it interferes the development of their relationship - making it seem quite underdeveloped. I did not take a liking to this as I felt like their entire premise of their relationship, and the development towards it wad severely underwhelming.

Fan li🖤: Fan li is the king of Wu kingdom and portrayed as the antagonist/ enemy of the Yue kingdom. This is actually one of the characters I was most excited to see within this novel, I found myself curious how Ann would explore his character throughout the course of this book (also the fact that this character is quite different from her usual male leads). Although he had a lot of screen time, we couldn't see the full potential of his character, almost lacking at times. I think there was great potential and I really loved the dynamic/ development of his relationship with Xi shi - one that almost brought me to tears towards the end.

💭: To conclude, I did not enjoy reading this book and would not recommend it as an adult fantasy as advertised. My main issue was the pacing of the book as it hindered the exploration of the characters in a greater detail, making it hard to form a more deeper connection towards the characters. I think dual/multiple POVs would also have helped at times, especially ones with Fan li to not only see his perception of Xi shi/longing for her but also for readers to see what is happening in the Yue kingdom whilst xi shi is in the wu kingdom following her part of the mission. However, I completely understand why Ann chose not to as this book is purely from Xi Shi's POV - this is very important in a way as this book inherently explores the consequences of war on the civilians, so it is important we see it from Xi Shi's perspective rather than from someone with political backgrounds.

Rating: 2 out of 5

4 1/2 stars

When Xishi, a poor country girl from the Yue Kingdom, crosses paths with Fanli, a handsome advisor to the King, her life changes. Fanli recruits her and her childhood friend to serve the King by becoming a concubine for the King of the Wu Kingdom with whom Yue has been at war. Xishi will do anything to gain retribution for the death of her younger sister at the hands of Wu soldiers, so she agrees. She’s trained and delivered to the Wu king, where she endeavors to learn state secrets by cozying up to the king.

This was a delightful tale of eternal love, espionage, sacrifice, friendship, and patriotism. The writing is exquisitely beautiful, the characters are likable and believable, everyone flawed in some way that made them truly human. It’s about a romance that cannot be pursued, of loss, of betrayal. There’s plenty of intrigue, several deaths, and an ending that is both sad and happy. This is a book about eternal lover.

I really enjoyed this book. What I didn’t find useful is the fact that this book is considered fantasy, but there is very little fantasy in it, and what little there is mostly comes at the very end. I believe that nearly everything that happens in this book could have happened in truth, without any fantasy element. I would label this book as historical Asian fiction. I completely enjoyed the book, the story it tells, but I honestly don’t see it as much of a fantasy. Still, it’s well written, well-plotted, the characters are delightful, intelligent, and well-designed for their roles in accomplishing their purpose.

While I didn’t thing this was fantasy, I still believe it’s an excellent read. I highly recommend it.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. It thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

"A Song to Drown Rivers" by Ann Liang surprised me in the best ways. The premise—spying, sabotage, and romance set against ancient Chinese legends—had me hooked. Liang’s writing is vivid and atmospheric, capturing the heartbreak of war and the quiet strength of a woman wielding her beauty as a weapon. While I loved the political intrigue and the tragically beautiful ending, the pacing felt uneven, and the romance didn’t always hit the mark. Still, it’s a captivating tale of power, sacrifice, and what it means to truly change an empire.

A Song to Drown Rivers was a beautifully written historical romance! I really enjoyed the politics in the plot and I was hooked from the first chapter. I liked the romance but it was bittersweet but still ended with a happy-ish ending. My favorite part of this story was the writing though. I would recommend this if you like historical fantasy with a romance subplot!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!

Ann Liang is a gifted storyteller. She creates a beautifully written "ancient Chinese romantic legend" type-tale about Xishi, a beautiful woman who has a special destiny. This book also felt like a YA fairy-tale Chinese twist on the Biblical story of Esther. How could it not? But if you love sweet-sad-romances and lyrical prose, this story is perfect for you. Once I read the biography, that this book was written when the author was 21, I was both impressed by her writing skills and understanding of the perspective she wrote from.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. #sponsored

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang is a story inspired by the legend of Xishi. I'm not familiar with the legend it's inspired by so I can't say much about how accurately the legend was portrayed here. But what I can tell you was I had mixed feelings but still overall enjoyed the book. My first problem was I went into this expecting fantasy because that's how it's marketed but there's not a single fantasy element in the entire book. The romance was very insta lust / love which didn't really work for me in this situation. This definitely felt more like a historical fictional novel to me. That and the rather bland plot really took away from my enjoyment. With a theme like becoming a spy to take down a kingdom for the book, I definitely expected a lot more action. But the writing was beautiful. The author had a way of being able to grab into the smallest emotions and really bring them out.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is described as an epic historical fantasy with romance. I couldn’t really pick out a fantasy element while reading. there was also minimal world building and I was left kind of just figure it out along the way. much more telling of the story than a showing of the story which was a little disappointing I had high hopes for this book.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

“𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆𝒏? 𝑾𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒕𝒔. 𝑾𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆.”

Rating: ★★★☆☆

🎑

Tropes:

• Female espionage
• Self-acceptance
• Forbidden love
• Red string of fate

🎑

"A Song to Drown Rivers" by Ann Liang

This novel beautifully explores themes of love, loss, and self-discovery amidst the complexities of familial expectations and societal pressures. Wow - this is very different from Liang’s past novels, both in genre and writing styles. I’ve noticed the immense detail put into describing the little things in the story, similar to classic literature, which I found interesting! I love that this was based on a true story because it made me so interested in the novel - I was quite literally researching the true events that happened as I was reading this. I appreciated the way Liang portrayed the protagonist’s struggle between duty and desire, capturing the intensity of youth and the bittersweet nature of growing up. While the writing is evocative and the story engaging, I found that it lacked the punch I was hoping for, leaving me wanting a bit more depth in the character development. I wasn’t the biggest fan of romance at the beginning, feeling a bit like a ‘love at first sight’ if that makes sense, but maybe I’m too in love with the slow-burn romances, which I tend to read more than others. This was Liang’s first true deviation from the contemporary, rom-com genre, and for that, I absolutely do not regret reading this!

Had a mixed experience with this one. I just found myself very irritated with the main characters choices. And there were just a few circumstances AND characters i didnt really see the point of. I did make this my book of the month choice when it was an option and liked it enough to be happy about having a physical copy. 3.5

I loved the entire setup of the story and how hard the main character fought for her right, but the end brought everything crashing down for me. I understand the book is based on an ancient legend, but after everything Xishi does to get justice for the Yue people I really -- really -- wish the author had chosen to change the ending and get justice for Xishi too. She absolutely deserved it.

The romance was light and interesting, and I appreciated Xishi's ferocity. The ending, though, left a lot to be desired.

This is my first book by the author and I was blown away with her writing cadence and how she wove the story together. Having said that, however, I did not like the pacing of the story. The author could have very easily elaborated more on the backstory and the characters. I love a strong female character in the books I read and Xishi was that. And she wasn't. The plot was a little lost on the romance aspect in this book in my opinion. This could have easily been a five star reach for me and it just wasn't, I just needed it to have a little bit *more* of something and it didn't.

If you read books for on page happy endings, this might not be for you.

A Song to Drown Rivers is the tale of Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. She is seen as the most beautiful girl, with her wearing a veil to prevent others in her village from becoming too enamored with her. When discovered by Fanli, a trusted minister of the Yue king, she is trained to become a concubine/spy/saboteur of the Wu king, Fuchai.

This story is breathtaking and atmospheric, a world filled with pain and longing. I loved the heartbreaking display of what kings and wars do: use normal people as collateral. Both the Yue and Wu people see the others as monsters because they know only of their friends, families, and loved ones that died due to the war. The real monsters are the ones starting these wars for petty feuds, land that isn't theirs, or personal gain.

This is a great choice for fans of historical fiction / historical fantasy!

I tried to read this book but I couldn't get into it. It was atmospheric but the language also felt very cliche and dramatic for the sake of being dramatic instead of making me feel invested.

4/5 Stars

I enjoyed this book, but found myself wanting more. I know that this was supposed to be a retelling of the legend of Xishi, but it's also supposed to be a "epic historical fantasy" about love. For a story meant to be about romantic love, there isn't a lot of romance shown, and I think the book would've been a 5/5 for me if there was a bit more foundation to Xishi and Fanli's feelings for one another.

Regardless, it was still a very enjoyable read and one I'm happy to have on my bookshelf.

This book completely caught me off guard and left my jaw on the floor more than once. While it has romantic elements, it’s not a traditional romance by any means. I was surprised to learn it’s classified as adult fiction because the tone and style reminded me so much of a YA novel. That said, it strikes a unique balance—it’s easy to read, with accessible language and pacing, but also richly layered with depth and meaning. And be prepared—it’s not afraid to tug at your heartstrings and leave you feeling a little shattered by the end.

Magical historical fiction. Magnificently well written. Captured my interest early on and kept me reading.

DNF at 30-40%

Readers meet Xishi as she is thrust into a world of political intrigue. We learn alongside her methods to use her beauty and mind for espionage in order to save her kingdom from the neighboring king's evils. In the process, she struggles with secret love and her mission.

The pacing was too slow for me to get hooked on Xishi's story. Xishi herself felt too much like a blank slate for me at the time and hard to root for personally. But I think readers who are looking for a Chinese historical drama (long ones that are over 30+ episodes) will devour this book.

This book was so compelling and surprisingly thought provoking. The narrative about war and men in power was something I did not expect out of this book. I absolutely loved Xishi’s character and her strength! I appreciated how the author wrote her character in such a way that it causes the reader to feel conflicted right along side her. For a book with such a tragic ending I enjoyed it quite a lot, I don’t typically choose to read stories without happy endings however this author had done it extremely well.