A Song to Drown Rivers (2025)

2.05!

I WAS VERY GENEROUS WITH THIS RATING

Everyone has been raving about Ann Liang's YA rom-coms so I had to see what the hype was about and I had gotten an arc of her new adult fantasy book on netgalley. So I thought why not really this first and to say I'm disappointed would be an understatement because this book was so lacking in almost every aspect. It could have done so much better but it failed to read that potential it was also very short? My arc was about 280 pages with 15 pages being additional stuff. I did enjoy it and that's why I'm giving it two stars, the writing was the better part and I had enjoyed reading it during the second half where I quite literally flew through it but I could not negate the wasted potential.

It could have been such a beautiful tragic novel, if it was done and this unfortunately was not done right. The fantasy elements were missing from this novel, they were so minute and not well explored. For a romantasy the romance felt missing too. The world building was lackluster and the action was barely there. The political/court intrigued could've been more drawn out more explored but that wasn't the case here either. The book fluctuated a lot sometimes it would be so slow and the other times it would be extremely fast and it was very off putting. The way it was written maybe fun and enjoyable but it lacks so many things that would make it actually good.

The characters were so mid and wasted 😭. Our love interest was present only for 25% of the book so we barely, barely got any content from his side or any development from his side both romantically and for his character. Zhengdan and Fuchais characters were wasted. I won't say why Zhengdan's was but Fuchai's character, he deserved so much better!!and his character could've been more flawed and more morally grey but he quite literally was a drunken fool 😭 Xishi our main character managed to do the bare minimum, seduce a drunken fool 😍👏🏻 that's it. That's what the 13 weeks worth of training taught her. The character development was simply non existent. They were just there and they moved around and the sorry finished..the ending was very disappointing as well. I couldn't feel anything because I wasn't that attached to the character but I was shocked by it and not really impressed tbh. Zixu was the only character who ate 😭😭 that one line where he says at the end 😭🔪 HE DEVOURED 😭😭

The romance was so disappointing. It was so rushed because the FMC and the MMC catch feeling like 20% in and the then 5% later the FMC leaves and then they meet twice during this whole fiasco and those moments were also brief. We got more of her scenes with Fuchais than the Fanli and it was so disappointing because when a book does not deliver on fantasy you expect the romance to overshadow it and this failed as well. The quotes were nice but the romance simply was not also that one scene where she says Fanlis name 😭😭 THE SECOND HAND EMBARRASSMENT 😭🤡

Also for an adult book there was nothing adult of sort, it read like a YA novel.

Overall, a subpar novel which could have exploited more of its potential 😔

˖ ⋆ ˚𓆝 ˖ ｡ ⋆ 𓈒 𓆟 ˖ ⋆˚°𓆞 ˚ ｡ ⋆

This book is one of my most highly anticipated books and it's also

*Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an E-arc*

patient revenge, tactical sexpionage, bittersweet romance and alluring history, this is a story that ticks all of the boxes.

but i wouldnt say its a retelling, reimagining, or even inspired by the tale of xishi. thisISthe tale of xishi. which isnt fantasy, so im not sure why its being marketed as such or why people are saying it is (just something to keep in mind if you pick this uplooking for your next romantasy read).

however, that is neither here nor there as what is important is chinese antiquity getting some attention. i know this isntmeant to be a series, but im beggingAL continue to tell the stories of the other three beauties of ancientchina. she has a talent for making old tales feel fresh while also staying very true to them.

so a very pleasant read and a book that is very easy to recommend.

↠ 4 stars

What a soppy and ultimately forgettable rendition of the famous fable this turned out to be.

When I approach a retelling, whether it's historical or fantasy, I'm always filled with anticipation. Here is a chance to explore a legendary tale, not via a short vignette, but through the experience of a full-length novel. I want to be completely immersed in the detailed characters, the vivid scenes, and the well-developed narrative that bring such a tale to life. But that didn't happen here.

Instead, we have a fairly basic retelling sagging under the weight of its writing. From the first page to the last, every scene is treated with the upmost dramatic flair. No moment is too pedestrian, no thought too ordinary, to not be effused with the sort of reverent, emotional language usually reserved for a story's climax. I often found myself snickering at the most inappropriate moments, unable to reconcile the dramatic tones with the simple scene unfolding in front of me.

But for all that exaggerated writing, hardly anything happens in here. This is supposed to be the story of a beauty who infiltrates an enemy kingdom to become the king's concubine and lover, all so that she can singlehandedly bring the kingdom to its knees. So where is all the action?

Instead, it's scene after scene of Xishi smiling demurely and saying a few vapid sentences here and there, and that's pretty much the entire book. There were only two small conflicts I could remember in the leadup to the finale, and both were unforced errors. I cringed so hard, I tell you, because how can someone so incompetent actually bring anything down, let alone a kingdom?

Also, for a book about being a concubine and a lover, there were no actual love scenes in here, on or off page. All they did was sleep chastely side by side in the same bed, for years, with a few pecks here and there. If you're surprised, yeah, join the club. Like what king would agree to take a lover who doesn't do anything with them? Is this book for children? Because that's the only explanation I have for the extreme celibacy of this story.

Going in, I was under the impression that this was a fantasy, in large part due to the book design, its blurb, and all the book sites that categorize this first and foremost as such. But it's definitely not a fantasy. In fact, there is not a single fantasy element in here, unless you count Xishi's beauty as so astounding that it's otherworldly. Otherwise, it's straight up historical fiction.

It's clear that the author wrote this book with an eye towards wringing as much emotion from the reader as possible. And while I'm not above being emotionally manipulated by a good story, I need a little bit more than that to feel satisfied. I prefer my stories to have some meat on them, some substantial content I can really sink my teeth into, rather than just be one empty emotional punch after another.

And yet, for all my grousing, there was something in here that kept me turning the pages. There were scenes that charmed me and led me to cheer for Xishi and Fanli. Or perhaps I was waiting for this to materialize into the riveting tale I was hoping for. Either way, I kept coming back for more, so I must've gotten some enjoyment out of it, even if it was laced with disappointment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
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HAPPY RELEASE DAY <33

ann liang is one of my fav authors EVER, and I am so

i’ve waited months to release my review and thoughts on this book, bc I absolutely adored it no matter how heart wrenching it was!! so here is the full review:

5 stars and absolutely zero hesitation about it. ✰

WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?!?! I still have sooo many questions. honestly this is my first time reading a historical romance so I blame that for being so slow. mitra was not kidding when she said I would SOB. and everyone else who warned me. I don’t cry at books so I said I’ll be fine.. ( update -

🫶🏼 romance 🫶🏼

why did I have to get second lead syndrome? 😭 I was so in love with fuchai and then… ugh

like im sorry just read these quotes:

ෆ “you are my weakness, you know that?”
ෆ “kiss me” he said hoarsely. “kiss me until i forget everything”
ෆ “is someone bothering you? who? i’ll kill them.”

YOU CANT NOT LOVE HIM. and yet she had to end up with fanli 😣 don’t get me wrong I love the man. he still made me swoon. just… not as much.

ann liang will take your heart and crush it into confetti.

so if you enjoy:

✓ historical romance
✓ fantasy (was it fantasy?)
✓ love triangles
✓ ..misery…

then you’ll love this 😄 and

❤️‍🩹 characters ❤️‍🩹

xishi - honestly she was so brave and strong. my favourite traits in an fmc, I loved her. she made a few stupid decisions sometimes and she didn’t always say the right thing in the moment.. but I still liked her. she did what she had to. (however I think im gonna hold a grudge for the rest of my life for what she did to fuchai…)

fanli - from this review you probably think I hate him but I DONT. he’s so cute and his love for xishi was so pure and beautiful.

FUCHAI MY ONE TRUE LOVE - he’s so misunderstood im telling you like he literally took so much care of her and attended to her every need. there is no way im believing he’s the villain absolutely fucking not

🙁 “i would give up everything for you, you realize?” 🙁

I would give up everything for u too fuchai 🥲❤️‍🩹 just writing this review is giving me the urge to go read that masterpiece and break my own heart all over again.

💌 conclusion 💌

honestly I loved this book so much but I kind of never wanna think about it again. except that I will. because it hurts a little too much to think of and then next thing I know im sobbing in my room for hours and the box of tissues has run out ??

so for the sake of my mental health i’m gonna block it out a little. and keep in the good things!! because some moments were cute

I highly highly recommend this book and I guarantee you won’t have read anything like it!! just.. prepare for tears. okay? get the box of tissues ready and dive in to this beautiful story. ann liang, you truly outdid. thank you netgalley and st martin’s press for providing me this arc.

…
5 stars *ੈ✩‧₊˚
➵ rtc closer to the release date bc i wanna rant and i can’t without quotes and minor spoilers 🥲

➵ this was SO good… and tragic ❤️‍🩹
I didn’t think I would cry tbh…

➵ FUCHAI DESERVES BETTER ‼️

br with my pretty repstqrz 🫶🏼🫶🏼 I had someone to rant to im so grateful 🤭💓 it was sooo much fun <3

i expected nothing less from xishi and fanli (excuse me while i go reread i hope this doesn’t find you because this was so heartbreaking) WHAT IS THIS BOOK AND WHY IS IT SO ADDICTIVE
rtc ☆
note: i think i might write a short review later but an in-depth one will be coming in october !!

--

THE COVER STOP- that just solved all my problems

When I pick up a retelling of an Asian myth with roots in history, I expect it to reflect its culture and time. It's the most basic requirement I have, and not one this book meets.

Although it purports to be based on the legend of Xishi, a quasi-mythical beauty that's remembered as one of the Four Beauties of China's long history, A Song to Drown Rivers reads quite Westernised you could argue it's merely a mainstream, run-of-the-mill YA novel with a Chinese wrapping for a veneer of exoticism. It's like the author took note of what's popular and saleable for Western audiences (romance, diversity, unusual folklore), splattered it with a laundry list of tried-and-true tropes, and ran with it. Predictably, the Western audience (or are you going to tell me this is a bestseller in China amongst the people who'd be most familiar with the legend?) gobbled this up and was content. It has familiar tropes, after all, and is "diverse" enough to tick a few boxes for those that want to brag they don't read only white stories. All these Asian fantasies are written with the West in mind, they pander to Western expectations, and it bugs me because I want to read these stories precisely because they're supposed to be different, they're supposed to give me a truly diverse culture and time different to my own, not give me Westernised pretend-Chinese who talk like Americans, behave like modern Westerners, and exhibit thought processes like your neighbour the funny Aussie.

This book could've been different. It had what it needed to be truly different, unique, and representative of its culture, as you can see from a summary of the legend here:
- Ancient civilisation? Check. Xishi lived half a millennium before Christ. Different mores, different everything.
- Strong female character? Check. Xishi chooses to help her country vanquish their oppressors.
- Underdog kingdom? Check. The Yue had been defeated and humiliated by the Wu, they had readers' sympathy pretty easily.
- Unique customs and language? Check. Both the Yue and the Wu are ethnically Chinese but very different, their dialects are different, so are their customs. Even Xishi's name varies in spelling depending on the dialect.
- Assassin/spy-in-training plot? Check. Xishi had a long and thorough training that lasted 3 years.
- Intelligent court schemers? Check. Both Wen Zhong and Fanli are crafty, even the enemy side has a crafty court schemer in Wu Xizu.
- Reprobate enemy king? Check. Fuchai is a dream wildcard of a ruler with all the possible character flaws and who thinks with the organ between his legs instead of his brain.
- Successful war of liberation? Check. Goujian is able to defeat the debilitated Wu and free his people.
- Ending that could go either way? Check. Depending on the version, Xishi was either drowned by a king fearful of the power of her beauty, or went off to live happily ever after with Fanli.

See how good the source material is? In the right hands, this could've made for an engrossing historical novel set in a time of warring Chinese kingdoms, with a rich cultural backdrop and interesting glimpses into places with their different customs and way of life. The legend could've been made a believable story that read as plausible as any from a well-recorded recent period. It could've been the story of a woman who grew up from a poor villager to a cultured schemer able to bring down a king, a story that could've been either a beautiful love story or a tragic example of royal ungratefulness. It could've been credible.

But instead, what did we get in A Song to Drown Rivers?
- Insta-love between a very pretty country bumpkin and a very handsome soldier-advisor who meet at a very convenient moment. One strike for insta-love.
- Said very pretty country bumpkin is a damsel in distress said very handsome soldier-advisor saves right in the very moment an enemy soldier is going to cleave her in two. Two strikes for unbelievability.
- Country bumpkin pretty girl is trained as a super-duper spy that'd put Mata Hari and James Bond to shame in the whooping span of . . . ten weeks. Three strikes for dumbarsery and you're out. But oh, there's still more!
- Zhengdan is made into a Mulan wannabe instead of training the same as Xishi like in the original story. Four strikes for pandering to the Stronk Wimmenz warrior princess crowd.
- We see no training at all during those ten weeks. Xishi is supposed to have learnt everything from history to geopolitics to court manners to music and arts, but we never see her do nothing but pout, practice her resting bitch face before a mirror, and procure her own Pornhub by spying on a nekkid Fanli. Yet, somehow she's declared ready to go bring Fuchai down in a couple of months. Five strikes for unoriginality and As You Know, Bobs.
- The trial of fire to declare Xishi graduated from Super Easy Spy School? Charm an ugly mofo into forgetting his hot tea and abandon him once his tea is cold. And of course she achieves that in a very short conversation that, somehow, turns the tea ice cold, and it's neither Winter nor do they have Norway weather to justify how quickly the tea cools. And then has to be saved by Fanli again. Come on, I can drive a saint up the wall and over the roof by prattling incessantly about my flea market acquisitions, and I'm no gorgeous beauty!
- At about 30% of the book, Fanli exits the stage and Fuchai enters the stage. Is he the uggliest uggo that ever uglied? Ha! Don't be naïve, this is pandering to a certain audience, remember? Of course the enemy king is pants-droppingly handsome! My most dreaded and hated trope has arrived: say hi to love triangle. Well, pseudo-love triangle, but it still counts. Xishi will spend years with this pants-droppingly handsome mofo but will still pine & whine about absent Fanli whilst the king ruins the realm for her.
- Spying? Is that the name of a sauce? Mata Hari and James Bond, the two personalities of Xishi, must've been spending that time at Wu fucking each other, because goodness only knows what espionage the country bumpkin turned spy was doing. I didn't see any, did you? Xishi isn't even a good concubine, because she doesn't know how to behave in court and makes a lot of mistakes no real historical Chinese concubine would be caught dead making. But she's excused because plot and because pretty. For a native Chinese, Ann Liang didn't bother with her own country's past history, evidently.
- Two years go by of Xishi not-spying and Fuchai not-ruling. Two years! But in so few pages that all I can see is some palace was built and some canal was dug to please the new concubine. What a great achievement, eh? This was the most boring part in all the book, recommended skim-reading. Not even the couple of appearances by the long-gone handsome warrior-soldier improves things, as he's not good for anything anymore. Fuchai could be more interesting, but he's too busy ruining his life to be anything but another bore. Everyone is a bore in this section, though General Wu had potential.
- Oh, and we have no idea what happened to Xishi's heart condition either. It seems to have just . . . disappeared? Been forgotten? Got cured? Who knows. And it's not the only plot point that seems to merely exist for no reason other than maybe pad up the plot, same as the Susu plot or the useless sword training for Zhengdan.
- And just like that, the book ends. Tragic story? Maybe if I cared. But I didn't. And I didn't because this was so like the original legend that nothing surprises, nothing delights, nothing elicits feelings of care and concern. The author really just took the Xishi legend, slapped in a bit more words and walls of text, gave it modern language and modern customs, and published it. And I say that as someone who likes retellings to adhere to the original, but not even I want them to follow the original at the expense of creativity and pathos and character.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

°•*⁀➷・❥・“𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓭 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓸𝔂𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓭𝓮𝓿𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼.”・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

🌙28/11/24
I know this rant review is 2 months late, but here is it. Writing this review feels like I'm reliving all the feelings of pain and betrayal I got from Ann Liang. Just so you know, I still haven't forgiven her for putting me in this book and drowning me in it. She needs to pay for my therapy. Here comes the rant, y'all have been waiting for.

Did I go in knowing this would take me, drown me, and destroy me when I finish this book? Absolutely YES, because it was one of my all-time favourite author's books, and I would absolutely devour anything this woman writes, even if it kills me.🙂‍↕️🫶🏻 When I started this book, I was really curious to know why the book is titled like that, but when I finished it, oh boy😩 It should be "A Book to Drown Readers", not A Song to Drown Rivers alright, because this book drowned me, left me gasping for air and I'm still not able to come out of it 😭✋🏻

Coming back, this book was pretty different from all her previous books that I've read. Reading this felt like I was watching one of the ancient C-dramas that I would usually skip if I knew that it's going to be a sad ending, but here I couldn't even skip because...it was so hard to put down once you start. This book is the only book where the Villain became my favourite, and the rest just simply didn't make it except for Zhengdan, she deserved so much better🥺💗. If I have to describe this book in one sentence, it would be- “A hero would sacrifice you for the world, but a villain would sacrifice the whole world for you.”- this line actually fits perfect for this whole book.

It's important to note that, if you haven't read any of Ann Liang's books yet, then I would suggest you to not read this as your first book. Go for her other books first, like "I Hope This Doesn't Find You" or "If You Could See The Sun."😌🎀

✨Let's meet the cast✨

“I had been prepared for this, had taken everything with me except what I really wanted. I wished to weep, but my own tears felt insubstantial, a broken gesture.”

“I do not need the silk to remember you, if fate wills it, may we meet again.”

“If your mission is to seduce the king, then my mission will be to keep you safe.”

“Sometimes I swear- I only feel like a person when I'm around you. Does that make sense?”

“When he was with me he held nothing back, just laid it all out there, his heart and his thoughts bared to be bone. Yet with him I held back everything.”

Read this if you like 💌:
⚔️ Historical Fiction (altho it's claiming there is fantasy, there isn't one)
⚔️ Love Traingle
⚔️ Morraly Grey Characters
⚔️ “Who did this to you?”
⚔️ Slow Burn
⚔️ Forbidden Romance
⚔️ Misery
⚔️ Royal Politics, Corruption, Revenge & Betrayal.

DO NOT let the cover fool you into thinking this will be a cute read. If I have to put it in simple words, 'It's the most heartwrenching, heart-numbing, mind-exploding read'. Get your tissues ready if you plan on reading this🤧

❥ 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓪𝓾𝓷𝓽 𝓶𝓮 💔:

“Good, at least you admit you feel something for me.”

“If I am to die, I want you to be the one to kill me. I want this to be the last of my memories.”

“When we were together and the air was warm and nothing hurt.”

DID YOU THINK I'M DONE HERE?! NOPE, WE STILL HAVE SOMETHING FOR THE LAST.

❥ 𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓕𝓾𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓲 𝓹𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓲𝓮, 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓼𝓽.🥺 𝓜𝔂 𝓯𝓪𝓿 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓱𝓲𝓶 💞:

“You are my weakness, you know that?”

“So this want they meant, in all the poems. And I’d thought they were just over-sentimental fools, exaggerating. Now I understand. It has never been this way, before.”

“Well, so do I. Then I would not be restricted by all this- all this. But the heavens must have mercy, still, because they led you to me. My beautiful Xishi. You will be the death of me.”

“Kiss me. Kiss me until I forget everything.”

“Speak another bad word about her again, and I will stitch your lips shut myself.”

“I would give up everything for you, you realize?”

“I want to hold you for a while, like this. Is that all right?”

“Rest, if you need to. I’ll look after you.”

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you. Whatever happens- I won’t let them touch you.”

“You know, if you hadn’t said so, I would’ve forgotten. The truth is, you’ve long become a Wu person in my eyes. What is home, if not you?”

“The kingdom, the land, the lakes, the places of worship. All the gold and the godly statues and the jewels. I’m willing to give them all up, as long as I can be with you always.”

ˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

🌙23/09/24
With shattered pieces of an aching heart, and swollen red eyes, RTC soon in the upcoming release week, because I want to rant with quotes and everything. GOODBYE. LET ME GO REWIND WHAT I READ 🤧

Thankyou to Netgalley, the Author and St.Martin's Press for this wonderful ARC !🥺💖

P.S. WHAT THE HELL ANN?! WHY ANN JUST WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY??????😭😭😭💔💔💔

🌙19/09/24
*mic drops🎤* Am I going to read this book even though knowing this will undo me? ✨️YeSs✨️ It's finally time to read the biggest, most anticipated read of this year!🤩💙 So classy of me to ditch my cr again cuz it's not syncing with me, and buddy reading this with my delulu bestie lulu 🤭💖. Thanks to lulu and her delulu ideas😇, I managed to get the ARC!! OH.MY.GOD. I can't believe I'm finally reading this after months of waiting and crying seeing everyone read it before me!🥹 I'm all ready with my tissue boxes to go sobbing. Buckle up besties, we are in for my yapping ride!!😌

oh ann. why did you do this to me??

(minor unmarked spoilers)

☆ insta lust/love. it’s no secret that this is a majorly disliked trope by the majority of romance readers, so liang, why on earth would you include this?? fanli and xishi knew each other for

☆ fantasy where?? romance who?? usually when books are characterised as a “romantasy” they lean heavily into the romance, and have very little fantasy (cough, powerless, cough cough). but this book literally had neither. our mmc

☆ plot devices + plot armour + all tell and no show. xishi was a shitty spy. (all she does is convince a dude who needs therapy to build a palace.) we’re constantly told about the romantic tension between fanli and xishi but we never truly get to see it. we are constantly told about the amazing spying that xishi is getting up to but we never actually get to see anything. we do get a full paragraph of description about fanli’s face, but we obviously can’t get any information about the entering of xishi and zhengdan into the palace (aka the most interesting part of the book) because why wouldn’t we want to be deprived of anything of actual substance??

☆ this all leads me onto my next point(s): a lack of character development and storylines + characters that were wasted. so many different plot points were just dropped halfway, and so many characters could have had such meaningful impacts to the story. xishi’s heart defect was never expanded on. the whole subplot (if it can even be called that) with xishi’s sister felt like it was only created to give xishi some much needed depth, but then it was just abandoned. fuchai could have had some real depth and been this amazing morally-grey mmc, but instead became a sub-par villain with daddy issues. fanli could have been given some more page time to warrant being a love interest, let alone giving him any depth/development. fuchai’s advisor (his name is forgotten) could have been such a good antagonist if he had ever been given the chance. her friend zhengdan, wasn’t given enough page time for any of her actions to actually change the course of the story.

☆ unoriginality. this wasn’t unique in the slightest, rather it was a recounting of events from the original myth with an unnecessary amount of metaphors and the purplest of prose. the only new thing was the romance between xishi and fanli, and even then it was barely there.

☆ on another point about the writing is the lack of description about anything interesting. there is little expansion about the politics of the kingdoms of yue and wu, but more about the beauty of fanli and an endless amount of similes, adjectives, metaphors and hyperboles about how the water sparkles. so if you are a fan of high fantasy, please do look further for a book containing good political/court intrigue (and please dm me if you find any good reads).

☆ it's characterisation as an adult book. this is a huge departure from liang's usual fluffy ya romances, and if you couldn't already tell, i didn't love it. xishi's role in the palace was to be the king's concubine, yet the most the king did with her was to sleep in the same bed and kiss a couple of times. what!? and you expect me to believe that xishi's powers of seduction were so strong that she was able to convince him

so yeah. ann, i love you, but please stick to ya.

(also i’m not writing an overview of the plot no matter what the netgalley review tips say, because it takes exactly one click for the synopsis of the book to show up.)

oh and thanks to netgalley for an arc in exchange for my honest thoughts <3

‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

‎ ‎౨ৎ • links:

⤿ if you could see the sun - 3✩ review here
⤿ this time it's real- 2.25✩ review here
⤿ i hope this doesn't find you - 4.5✩ pre-review here
⤿ i could give you the moon - pre-release review here
⤿ i am not jessica chen - pre-release review here

‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

꒰ 🌷 ⊹˚. ෆ pre review:

i hate how much i don't love this

rating and review to come (edit: okay i've settled on two stars for now 😭 - i'm in a review slump rn so it might take me a while to write one)

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୨ৎ ‧

꒰ 🧸 ⊹˚. ෆ tbr review:

that. cover.

buddy reading with my love ellie <33 ahhh i can’t believe we both got the arc!!

꒰ 💐 ⊹˚. pre release:

seeing everyone get arcs for this but it’s not available in the uk yet 😭

This book was a **A failed Opportunity**

ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher—St. Martin's Press—in exchange for an honest review Big thanks!

”The village aunties had always said that my beauty would be what changed my fate. I doubted anybody had thought it would mean this”

I was thrilled to dive into this book, especially since it's my first experience with Ann Liang's work, which has received only positive reviews from nearly all my mutuals. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm was short-lived, I found the story to be lacking in several key areas.

the primary issue I had was the underdevelopment of the three main characters. I felt that they were not explored deeply enough, which made it challenging to become invested in their journeys. The romance, in particular, was disappointingly superficial. I had high hopes for a poignant and tragic love story between Xishi and Fanli, but it ultimately fell flat.

The writing style, however, was a redeeming quality. Liang's prose is indeed soft and beautiful, making it a pleasure to read. The gentle and elegant language creates a soothing and immersive reading. But The book's pacing is uneven, with long stretches of boring, uneventful narrative that fail to advance the plot or deepen the characters.

The protagonist, Xishi, is reduced to a caricature of a "strong woman" with little depth or agency. Her training as a spy is glossed over, and her actions are driven more by convenience and plot necessity than any genuine character growth. The author's attempt to incorporate historical elements and cultural nuances falls flat, with Xishi's actions and decisions feeling more like those of a modern Westerner than a woman living in ancient China.

The supporting cast was no better, with the enemy king, Fuchai, being portrayed as a handsome drunk fool who never acted as a villain, and the love interest, Fanli, being relegated to a minor role.

Fuchai, as a character, showed great promise, and I found myself drawn to him. In fact, I think it would have been more compelling if Xishi had fallen for him, given the significant amount of time they spent together, but also it will be “villain get the girl” trope which is more interesting. Instead, the author opted for a tragic conclusion with Fanli, who was woefully underutilized throughout the book. Let’s be real.. how can you make the love interest a character who held 13% of the book?

She should’ve Developed their interactions, Increased the number of meaningful interactions between Xishi and Fanli, allowing us to witness their bond grow and deepen. This would have made their eventual separation more poignant.
She should’ve Added more emotional intimacy, Explored the emotional vulnerabilities and inner struggles of both characters, for mutual understanding and connection. This would have made their romance feel more authentic and relatable.
More Introduced conflicts and tension was needed Introduced obstacles or conflicts that would have tested their relationship, making their love feel more earned and precious. This could have included internal struggles, external pressures, or misunderstandings that would have added depth to their narrative.
their chemistry was non-existence, I needed more moments that highlighted the chemistry and attraction between Xishi and Fanli, making their romance at least believable.
I also wanted some Foreshadowing for their tragic fate, at least a Subtle hint at the tragic consequences of their (non-existence) love, foreboding and tension that would have made their ultimate separation more impactful! Because I unfortunately felt absolutely nothing by that ending!

She described fanli to be this cold-hearted, unfeeling minister that have never in love but just so suddenly did? Give me a stronger emotional connection between Xishi and Fanli, making their separation feel more devastating and heart-wrenching. Give me a sense of inevitability making the end feel like a consequence of their actions or circumstances, rather than a contrived plot twist. Give me some sacrifice or selflessness to their story, making their love feel more noble and tragic. Give me a deeper devolve into their separation, showing how it affected not only the characters but also the world around them. Give me closure or resolution to their story, a sense of emotional satisfaction.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GIVE ME ANYTHING!!!!

If these things were added the author could have created a more compelling and impactful romance between Xishi and Fanli, making their so-not tragic story more memorable and emotionally resonant because ladies and gentlemen I felt absolutely ✨nothing✨

Not only was xishi and fanli ruined… but xishi and Fuchai too!

I was disappointed by the handling of Xishi's emotions, particularly in her interactions with Fuchai. Her calm demeanor made the story feel flat and unengaging. I craved more emotional depth and complexity from her side to him, which would have elevated the narrative. It’s portrayed that it’s a love triangle but xishi felt absolutely nothing to fuchai… the amount of wasted potentials in this book is giving me gray hairs.

Fuchai, as a character, showed great promise, but his potential was unfortunately wasted. As a king, he had the opportunity to be a complex and nuanced character, but instead, he was portrayed as stupid and drunk for most of the story. This was a missed opportunity to explore the intricacies of his character and create a more engaging flow.

His character was not developed deeply enough, and his presence was not leveraged to create meaningful conflicts or tensions. His interactions with Xishi, in particular, were lacking, and their relationship was not explored in a way that would have made their story more compelling.
Because why again fuchai nearly from the very beginning is telling xishi that he will do everything to her? I laughed so much Becuase the author did this love triangle were were both MMCs fell head over heels for xishi when she didn’t have an impactful relationship with BOTH!

I wanted to go deeper into Fuchai's personality, motivations, and backstory could have made him a more well-rounded and relatable character. She portrayed that he hate his father! He killed his most trusted man just because he compared him to his father! But never showed us deeply why? Why fuchai hate his father that much? Why never show us his full trauma except that when he was a kid, kids never played with him! That’s borderline illegal, this author ruined the book to heights unknown!!!

As a king, Fuchai should have been portrayed as intelligent and strategic, rather than a drunk loving fool the entire book. This would have added depth to his character and created more interesting conflicts. Because let’s be real how was he a king to being with? She dimmed his character and made him so plain and simple it was so bad and shaky constructed! He deserved so much better!

He should’ve have been ruthless! making difficult decisions, and navigating the complexities of ruling a kingdom! He should’ve been so ruthless that the mission was hard to xishi to accomplish! He should’ve inspected her more, making her on her tip-toe around him! When her betrayal was revealed the scene was so anti-climatic, everyone was sort of expecting it Of how stupid and weak the king was written.

Fuchai's presence could have been used to create conflicts and tensions that would have driven the plot forward. For example, his relationship with Xishi could have been more complex, with him struggling with his feelings for her or grappling with the consequences of their interactions or suspecting her more times than often.

The author literally killed Fuchai’s character arc and it made the book ten times worsts for me.

a song to drown rivers is classified as Romantasy and adult and guess what? It was neither *vine boom sound-effect*
I'm also laughing by the book's classification as adult fiction. It seems to me that it would be more accurately categorized as young adult given its themes and tone. And where was the fantasy in Romantasy? Absolutely nonexistent. It was supposed to be a captivating historical novel set in ancient China, drawing from the rich legend of Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of Chinese history.

I read that The original legend of xishi offers a wealth of fascinating elements, including a strong female protagonist, an underdog kingdom, unique customs, and a gripping plot. However, the book fails to capitalize on these strengths, instead relying on cheap tropes insta-love, damsels in distress, and unconvincing character development.

this book had so much potential, the tropes and the story sound so good if only it was written by r.f. Kuang 😔 only her can give ruthless tropes their ultimate purpose!
This book ultimately failed to deliver everything on its promises. With more character development, a deeper exploration of the romance, and a more fitting conclusion, this story could have been truly memorable but turned out to be one of my most disappointing reads this year!

➸ 4 stars

“The string of fate, it ensures that you are bound for eternity, that your souls will find their way back to each other in every life.”

𓍢⊹ ࣪ thank you to netgalley for the arc!

i enjoyed this book so much and i fear i will never recover from this. it was utterly devastating, tragic, and beautifully heartbreaking. i was a sobbing mess when i finished it. as much as i enjoyed this book and this reading experience, i did have a lot of things i didn’t like about it so let’s get into it!

❗️THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS!!!! if you have not read this book please stop here! ❗️

——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———

“When it came down to it, the choice was this: a kingdom, or my happiness.”

➺ xishi

“But here, she was radiant. She glowed with every thrust of the sword, every twist of her torso. And she was merciless.”

➺ zhengdan

“But I’ll stay by his side. Wherever he goes, I will follow, for as long as he lets me.”

➺ luyi

“Some may prefer the comfort of lies to the sting of truths, but I wish to be completely honest with you from the beginning, even if the picture I paint isn’t always pretty.”

➺ fanli

“Is somebody bothering you? Who? I’ll kill them.”

➺ fuchai

——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———

“I’m the darkness, he seemed to see me more clearly than anybody.”

➺ xishi and fanli

“I am afraid of you. I’m afraid of what comes over me when I’m around you. I’m afraid of how tempting it is, to ignore my own rationale, of how many excuses I can invent just to be closer to you. I’m afraid of how much—how much I want.”

“Isn’t it funny? I used to dream of changing the world. Of working for the greater good. But what good is the world, if she is gone?”

i really wish they had more time, the ending was devastating.

——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———

“Sometimes I swear—I only feel like a person when I’m around you.”

➺ xishi and fuchai

“But the heavens must have mercy, still, because they led you to me. My beautiful Xishi. You will be the death of me.”

“Kiss me. Kiss me until I forget everything.”

i actually love fuchai so much and how can i not?! he was so down bad for xishi and would literally do anything for her ughhhh

“He had protected me. There had been no room for hesitation. To have acted in time—it could only be natural instinct, his very first reaction.”

“Would it be foolish if I said I’m happy to have been burned?”
“It would.”
“Then let me be a fool. I am happier than I’ve ever been.”

HE CARES ABOUT HER SO MUCH YOU CANNOT TELL ME SHE STAYED WITH HIM FOR OVER TWO YEARS AND DIDNT FEEL ANYTHING OMG SHES STRONGER THAN ME FR

“You really would do anything for me, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course I would. Anything for you. my Xishi.”

my xishi… gonna go cry now.

“and i’ll be yours, every second of every day. What can I do to make you feel better?”

he literally built an entire castle for her to dance in so she wouldn’t feel self conscious… if xishi doesn’t want him i’ll gladly take him.

“What are you doing?”
“You asked me what I wanted, I… I want to hold you for a while, like this. Is that all right?”

“I would give up everything for you, you realize?”

i feel like in all the time they spent together there was so much vulnerability that formed between them! he literally could only sleep soundly when he was next to her and idk what to say about her but he was just everything to me idc

"Rest, if you need to. I'll look after you."
“I don't remember closing my eyes. But even as darkness fell over me, I was aware of the warmth of his body, the evening scent of his skin; all that should have been foreign to me, now as intimate as the back of my hand. As the drums of war sounded in the distance, signaling a new age, a new dawn, there I lay, falling sound asleep in the arms of the enemy.”

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you. Whatever happens—I won’t let them touch you.”

she had to have felt something for him i refuse to believe she didn’t because HOW

“You know, if you hadn’t said so, I would’ve forgotten. The truth is, you’ve long become a Wu person in my eyes. What is home, if not you?”

WHAT IS HOME IF NOT YOU. WHAT. IS. HOME. IF. NOT. YOU. IM SICKKKKKKK SO SICK he truly loved her and i’ll forever be heartbroken

“I’ve been thinking about it, and i’ve decided…none of it matters.”
“What?”
“The kingdom. The land, the lakes, the places of worship. All the hold and the godly statues and the jewels. I’m willing to give them all up, as long as I can be with you always.”

he was willing to give up everything just as long as she would be with him IM SICK BECAUSE UGH his character was everything and more idc

“I hate you, I hate you, I-I hate you—“
“Good. At least you admit you feel something for me.”

when the betrayal happened it honestly hurt ME and i felt so bad for fuchai omfg he deserved so much better!!!

“Do it.”
“I…I can’t—“
“If I am to die, I want you to be the one to kill me. I want this to be the last of my memories.”
“Fuchai—“
“Please. There can be nobody else but you.”

when she ruins him but he’ll gladly let her because it’s her>>>> IM SO SICK I DONT EVEN WANNA THINK ABOUT THIS DAMN BOOK ANYMORE

“No matter where we were, he was always the first one to spot me, always the last to look alway. As if afraid I would disappear at any moment, like smoke in a breeze. As if he knew that one day, he would run out of time.”

sigh…… anyways i love fuchai and he deserved better and i’ll defend him forever!! my man fr ok bye

writing this with shaky hands and tears streaming down my face.

i hate this book. it's so intoxicating that you are FORCED to leave other responsibilities in order to finish it as soon as possible. irreversible damage has been done to my mental health. and i'm also sleep deprived, but that doesn't matter because i just read this masterpiece.

this book is now the center of my universe. i am deceased ???

as a major history + mythology enthusiast, thank you ann liang for giving me everything i needed.
+ please do write more books in this genre, i'm begging you. my fragile heart can't take the amount of wasted potential for ann liang as a fantasy/asian mythology author.

➵ i really do want to write a review, but i honestly want to add a good amount of quotes, annotations + an in depth character analysis, which will most likely include minor spoilers, so i will probably post a review closer to the publication date 😭 (october 1st, 2024)

THE TEARS WONT STOP GOSH ANN LIANG U BETTER PAY FOR MY THERAPY!!!!!!!!

RTC

જ⁀➴
Everyone said that this book made them cry, so my plushie, tissues, and I are going to read it now.

➵ 4.5 ✰ ☾⋆⁺⊹

the mind destroys, the heart devours

after a lot of thought (and ranting to juju) i decided to give this 4 stars. i loved this so much and as someone who is mostly known for her romcoms, ann liang did great. the reason that i'm not giving this 5 stars is because the biggest and most obvious trope in this book is the love-triangle and i'm not a fan of that trope (at all). the main lead is very obvious but i just can't help getting attached to the second lead.

─ i still highly recommend this and i honestly wish that ann liang wrote more books in this genre because she did very well. i was sobbing my eyes out during the last 20% of the book.

full rtc! 💌
# i'll be writing the full review closer to the release date because i want to include spoilers and quotes from the book!
---

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP I JUST DOWNLOADED THIS ON KINDLE AND I'M ABOUT TO DROP EVERYTHING TO READ THIS RFN 😭😭😭😭

→5✰
my heart is shattered.
ann liang, why did u do this to me? i am never recovering from this

-full rtc closer to the release date 💌
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ
pre-read review
SCREAMINGGG IM DROPPING EVERYTHING FOR THIS 😽
thank uu to manju and mitra for letting me know abt the arc !!
ily cuties smm

A stunning, heart-rending feat of a story. A Song to Drown Rivers retells ancient legend with phenomenal voice, bringing a truly worthwhile addition to the historical fiction genre.

જ⁀➴ pre-review -`🌙´-

~ saying that i hate this is an understatement.
Review to come.

buddy read with my girl fadhee !! 🫶🏻

5 stars

this review contains no spoilers!!

tropes:
➳ forbidden romance
➳ arranged marriage
➳ life or death
➳ trainee and trainer
➳ "i will do anything for you"
➳ chinese story retelling

⌗ 🌊┊⁀➷ ANN LIANG HAS DONE IT AGAIN. this book destroyed me. i cried, smiled, giggled, and swooned over this book that was not even 300 pages. ann can literally create magic. i went through the 5 stages of grief reading this. the story was intricate, the characters were fleshed out, and the writing was angelic. give me 5-10 months to recover from this 💔.

⌗ 🌸┊⁀➷ xishi is one of the most powerful fmcs i've read about in a

⌗ ⚔️┊⁀➷ fanli.. i love you so much ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹. ann created him so intimately in the first few chapters and somehow made me swoon for both of them and their undeniable

⌗🍷┊⁀➷ fuchai my baby deserved so much better 🥺🥺. he was the sweetest ever (although he made some... interesting... choices at times.) and would move the moon for xishi if she asked him to. honestly i felt so bad for him throughout the entire book because he didn't know that he was being deceived by the person that he chose to love.

⌗💧┊⁀➷ some quotes:
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ “how ironic it was, that when we were apart, all i wished for was to be with him. yet as soon as we were reunited, all we did was tell each other to leave.”
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ “please,” he said. “there cannot be nobody else but you.”
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ “they say that when i was born, all the wild geese flew down from the sky, and the fish sank beneath the waves, having forgotten how to swim. even the lotus flowers in out gardens quivered and turned their heads away, so ashamed they were of their own diminished allure in my presence.”

thank you so so so much to

pre - read ʚ♡ɞ˚
i recently read i hope this doesn't find you so i'm excited to read more ann liang!! 💞💞
buddy reading with my angel bsfs:

the mind destroys, the heart devours

the fact that this is the same author that wrote

a beautiful but tragic tale of the most beautiful woman from a distant village conscripted to seduce and betray the king of a neighboring kingdom who ruthlessly took over hers. the YEARNING between xishi and fanli was crazyyyy. i was impressed with the writing, as there were very poetic lines and felt very true to the time period/genre, but there was also a simplicity and pacing to it where i never felt bogged down. i was actually able to read this very quickly, and i needed to know if xishi and fanli would succeed in their mission and reunite.

overall, i enjoyed it and but there were a few small things i think could be improved. emotionally though, i'm devastated please give me 5-10 business days to recover 😭 there are romance elements, but fair warning, this is not a romance with a perfect happy ending.

꒰🏛️꒱ ⁺˖ જ⁀➴ thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

꒰🩰⌗₊꒱ ········· a song to drown rivers - 3.75 stars ☆⁺˖

°˖➴ ꒰🪐꒱ plot 〰️: xishi is known for her beauty and is seen as a blessing to her village, yue. when xishi meets fanli, a military adviser, he proposes the idea of using her beauty to defeat the rivaling kingdom, wu. xishi agrees and becomes a spy, living with the king who is enchanted by her beauty. the only downside is: if xishi gets caught, then both kingdoms will be taken down.

౨ ✉️ ৎ my opinion ✔️: i really liked this! it held my attention and moved fast enough that i was interested

°˖➴ ꒰🪐꒱ what i didn't like✖️: as i said before, i was interested and entertained most of the time. this did get boring for me at times. it went pretty fast for most of the book, but at some parts it was SO SLOW! im glad i followed through with it though bcs i ended up really enjoying!

········· ꒰🏹꒱ recommend❔ 👍🏻∿👎🏻
જ⁀➴ ···· ౨ 📖 ৎ ⤳ yes! if you usually like ann liang's books then i would say that yes! this is worth it! it is pretty different from her usual fluffy, cutsey, short, love-filt romances BUT it is still

⤷ btw: im trying out a new review format for

────────

pre-review: read this on the plane a few hours ago. the man sitting in front of me put his seat ALL the way back and crushed my legs then got mad at me and made me cry 🙂 its safe to say that this book was the only good part about my flight. rating // review to come!

ᝰ.ᐟ pre-read: im marking this as currently reading now but starting on the plane tmrw! i am SO exited 🤭 and i still can't believe i got the arc 😭🩷

tbr-review: I GOT THE ARC. I. GOT. THE. ARC. I GOT THE FREAKING ARC OMG. I AM UNWELL BECAUSE WHAT? THANK U ALL WHO FOLLOW ME/ARE FRIENDS WITH ME AND LIKE MY REVIEWS BCS I WOULDNT HAVE GOTTEN IT WITHOUT YALL OMG.

either im dense or live under a rock or both bc i keep finding ann laings 😱😱

this book was the equivalent of being stabbed in the heart with a bejeweled dagger by someone who you called a friend 💔

seriously though, this was so stunning. Ann weaves a breathtaking tapestry of star-crossed love, sacrifice, betrayal, and the reality of how blurred the lines of war are. I will definitely be buying this, rereading it, and writing an in-depth review with tons of quotes because the writing was gorgeous when it comes out. But for now, I need a fluffy book to recover from that ending 😭😭

edit: helppp goodreads put this back on my to-read shelf and deleted all the likes?? but the comments are still there??😭

edit again: HAPPY RELEASE DAYY!! I can’t wait for my copy to come then I WILL be rereading and writing a DETAILED review 🤭 if you haven’t put this on your tbr yet wyd

˗ˏˋ꒰𖦹｡ 5 stars ⋆°✰꒱ ˎˊ˗

y'all know that feeling when you just read your new forever favorite book ever and you realize now you're never gonna be able to read it for the first time again. THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH FOR THE ENTIRE DAY. this is me precisely

this was so devastatingly beautiful and sad, i love this kind of books. just to summarize my feelings for this book, another gif, and we end the review.

my buket of boiling tears to be specific lmao you cannot imagine how much i sobbed during the entirety of this book. i'm not made to watch or read forbidden romances, ii expect the worst to happen and i just cry and cry. this is not in the book, it's just a forbidden romance kind of quote. like when he says "I'll love you forever" and i start crying cuz i can't stop thinking "you don't have forever"
forbidden romances are my trope to cry and cry and cry

so yeah, ann liang you NEED to write more books in this genre. that's my only reason to live, the hope that ann liang is gonna write another book in this genre. she's so GOOD writing YA and now THIS, pls. atp i would read nything she writes

pre-review:
im numb and my head hurts. i won't ever get over this. it's a FACT, i know myself

my heart ache, hurt, cried, SCREAMED for fuchai. sue me idc
rtc
ps. there's gonna be a lot sobbing writing the review.
now, im gonna go cry to my mama about the pain im feeling rn. excuse me

pre-read:
OMFG, THIS WAS SO RANDOM. i didn't even have a netgalley account about like an hour ago. there was no way this was gonna work, but now that it does i have to read it

thanks to netgalley for the arc <33

₊˚ପ⊹ 𝟎𝟗/𝟑𝟎/𝟐𝟒

Full RTC soon. Ann Liang you're paying for my therapy. I'm emotionally drained from this book ❤️‍🩹

I did make a mini arc review & collage on my Bookstagram for this if you want to check it out 🫶
Bookstagram: @seraphyna.reads

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ

₊˚ପ⊹ 𝟎𝟗/𝟐𝟖/𝟐𝟒

I got the arc!!
I heard this gives off cdrama vibes so say no more I'm binging this.

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ

I BEG YOUR FINEST PARDON, THIS BOOK BROKE MY HEART INTO A GOOGOLPLEX SMITHEREENS.

Tropes include: angst, pain, suffering, and heartbreak🥰🤩🥳🤭🎀

🪭“the cruel king who would give up his kingdom for...
the legendary beauty whose smile hides knives and her yearning for...
the noble strategist who has no selfish desires... except one.”🪭

I’ll be back with quotes on pub day to back up my statement. I couldn’t even write status updates for the last bit of reading because I was too busy crying a literal river. I knew this would hurt but I was not prepared lol

It feels like I’ve been stabbed. 5 stars.

P.S. the red string of fate and character art😭❤️ beautiful
———
GETTING TO READ THIS EARLY JUST SAVED MY YEAR😭😭😭😭 #annliangbuddyreadswithmaggieera🫶
———
I've never preordered a book so far in advance before🥹🤝
------
FORBIDDEN ROMANCE FORBIDDEN ROMANCE FORBIDDEN ROMANCE?!?!?!
------
MISS ANN LIANG NEVER SLEEPS, 3 NEW BOOKS😩!!! 2024 WILL BE HER YEAR MARK MY WORDS🫡. SHE IS SERVING🙏✨🫶💖🙏✨🫶💖

Eastern mythology, splendid world-building, and a tear-jerking, heart-wrenching forbidden love story that delves into the true meaning of yearning and longing stole my heart and won me over! Ann Liang's debut adult novel is as promising as her heartfelt YA fiction works that I truly adored.

This book delves into power games, espionage, and the irresistible power of beauty, with great characterization that allows us to engage with each character deeply. It reveals that even the most evil characters harbor fragility and goodness within, while the supposedly good characters also possess vengeful and evil sides. However, the most captivating character is Fanli, whose heartfelt backstory showcases his vulnerability, especially when he sacrifices his love for the greater good of the kingdom. Witnessing him let go of the woman he loves, allowing her to be with the enemy, breaks our hearts. Similarly, Xishi carries the guilt of not being able to save her little sister from the vindictive king's guards, accepting her fate to ensure a better life for her family and to save the kingdom from a cruel ruler. Despite her beauty, Xishi's life comes at a cost, as she must wield it as a weapon to tame the beast and defeat the kingdom of Wu, putting her own life in danger. However, she begins to question whether the evil she knows might not be the person she thinks.

Can she achieve her goal without being labeled a traitor, maintaining her mask even as the risks escalate?

I found myself wishing Xishi and Fanli deserved more, without giving away too many spoilers. Their forbidden love story deeply touched my heart. Overall, the rising tension, intelligent political maneuvers, realistic character analysis, and well-executed pacing make this reading experience truly captivating. After finishing this book, I'm eager to dive into another Ann Liang novel to indulge in another perfect binge-reading experience! I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all lovers of romantasy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital review copy of this remarkable book in exchange for my honest opinions.

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"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."

Unfortunately, I'm the outlier again, this didn't work as well for me as much as I wanted to love it.

The story is an interesting premise, with a focus on Chinese legend, Xishi who is given a unique task to assist her country in gaining an advantage in the war.

This book is described as an epic historical fantasy with romance. I personally didn't notice much of a fantasy element apart from the stories of legends. There was very minimal world building and I was left trying to figure it all out myself as it went. Xishi role of a spy was severely underdeveloped and we were given hardly any information on the intricacies. Instead, we were given 'telling rather than showing' of how great of a spy Xishi was.

While this story does contain romantic elements, it's definitely not a romance book. The romance came across as instant love and I struggled to value their connection given how things transpired throughout the book. At some stage the story began teasing a 'love triangle' however, I couldn't entertain the morally grey character. I found it interesting how this perspective humanised the King.

I've only read I Hope This Doesn't Find You, which is remarkably different this story. Liang embraced a new writing style and delved into some darker themes. I appreciated the high stakes in this story and the FMC's devotion to her country, however, I just wish she didn't go into things so naively.

There's a heavy focus on female beauty, womanhood and the male gaze. Liang's poetic prose touched on these subjects in an insightful way. I believe the storyline is intentionally commenting on real world events and how war and sacrifice have two sides.

While, I did enjoy aspects of this story I did find the direction it took predictable. I wasn't emotionally invested in the characters which impacted my experience reading this when the events took a darker turn.

Overall, the narrators did a fantastic job of capturing the essence of this story.

✨ Thank you Macmillan UK Audio for the arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

pre-read review | 18 October 2024
buddy reading with the loves of my life vee and ash 💘🌷🐚
the fact that it follows quite closely to the legend 😭😭🥰🥰

edit:

ˋ°•*⁀➷ oh em gee HAPPY RELEASE DAY EVERYONE 🤭 can't wait for my copy to come in the mail so I can do a reread tehe (and have my heart smashed all over again.)

post read:

4.5 ☆

ˋ°•*⁀➷ You guys were right. I definitely needed those tissues (no I am not ok.) My heart hurts. What a sad, beautiful, and tragic love story. I'm seriously in shock rn. Ann Liang has done it again.

ꨄ Thank you, NetGalley, for granting me an arc in exchange for an honest review. Frtc closer to the release date.

i don't think i've ever cried so much to a book before. xishifanli you will always be famous and fuchai i will always love you. okay rtc when i am not sobbing my eyes out! (and closer to the release date) <3

₊˚꒰♡꒱ pre-read: i am so ready to just adore everything about this and make it my entire personality as i do with every other ann liang book

ignoring all my plans for the foreseeable future bc i got my hands on it!!! time to devour this 😋

—

i need this in my hands rfn

dear reader,

“take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die”

this was a buddy read with annabella! it’s folklore: the long pond sessions and evermore season <3 this was the perfect february read💌

this is the prettiest book i own🧸🍓

maggie☁️