Title: A Song To Drown Rivers
Author: Ann Liang
Number of Pages: 336
Publishing Date: 1 October 2024
Genre: Fantasy Romance, Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, Retelling, Young-Adult
Synopsis:
Xishi’s beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue—convinced that the best fate for a girl is to marry well and support her family. When Xishi draws the attention of the famous young military advisor, Fanli, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon. One that could topple the rival neighboring kingdom of Wu, improve the lives of her people, and avenge her sister’s murder. All she has to do is infiltrate the enemy palace as a spy, seduce their immoral king, and weaken them from within.
Trained by Fanli in everything from classical instruments to concealing emotion, Xishi hones her beauty into the perfect blade. But she knows Fanli can see through every deception she masters, the attraction between them burning away any falsehoods.
Once inside the enemy palace, Xishi finds herself under the hungry gaze of the king’s advisors while the king himself shows her great affection. Despite his gentleness, a brutality lurks and Xishi knows she can never let her guard down. But the higher Xishi climbs in the Wu court, the farther she and Fanli have to fall—and if she is unmasked as a traitor, she will bring both kingdoms down.
Review:
Okay, so first off, Ann Liang completely nailed the vibe of this book. If you love historical fantasy, especially anything about ancient Chinese history or mythology, you’re in for a treat. “A Song to Drown Rivers” is all about political intrigue, strategic seduction, and some serious emotional turmoil, and it's got this underlying tension that doesn’t let up from start to finish.
The legend of Xishi is reimagined in such a way, that’s both epic and personal. Xishi is a lot more than just a pretty face—her beauty becomes a literal weapon in this story, and it’s fascinating to see how she navigates a world where her value is constantly tied to how she looks. But she’s no passive character. Xishi is ambitious, sharp, quick problem solver, and complicated. The push and pull between her loyalty to her village and her desire for revenge over her sister's death is intense. And Fanli? Oh my God, don't even get me started. Their chemistry is totally off the charts. You feel the tension every time they’re in the same room, especially because they both know their attraction could quite literally ruin everything.
And speaking of Fanli, I appreciated that he wasn’t just the mysterious and brooding strategist. He’s got layers (thankfully), and his relationship with Xishi is equal parts strategic and emotional, which makes for a compelling dynamic. The power balance between the two of them shifts constantly, and I love how Ann plays with that tension.
The palace scenes were also a standout. The way Xishi has to constantly perform, seduce, and manipulate while staying one step ahead of everyone at court gave me all the edge-of-my-seat vibes. The king himself is a mix of gentle and terrifying, and that makes their interactions so uncomfortable yet oddly intimate and swoony at times. Zhengdan and Luyi are my literal babies. The cuties with the most amazing humor, and answers. You'll find yourself giggling over the fun banter one moment and then crying over all the trauma that Ann had put in this book, the very next moment. You'll constantly be questioning how far Xishi is willing to go to achieve her goals. You won't be able to help yourself but feel sad for each and every character even the evil king Fuchai.
At its core, this book is about survival and sacrifice. Xishi is placed in impossible situations where there’s no “right” choice, and the stakes are sky-rocketing every moment. You can feel the weight of every decision and step that she takes. If I had one critique, it’s that the pacing can be a bit uneven at times. But again, that's where the fun and intrigue is. Some moments feel like they drag a little too much while others fly by (like, I could’ve used more Fanli time, but that might be just me). But honestly, that’s very teeny tiny compared to everything else this book does justice to.
Overall, “A Song to Drown Rivers” is a powerful story about how beauty, power, and agency are intertwined in a world where women often have to fight with whatever tools they have at their disposal and sacrifices their dearest people and sometimes even themselves in the way, for the greater good. It’s intense, beautiful, and heartbreaking. If you’re into historical fantasy with complex characters and high stakes, add this to your Goodreads asap!!
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