A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS, by Ann Liang, St. Martin’s Press, Oct. 1, 2024, Hardcover, $32 (young adult (ages 14 and up)/ new adult/ adult fiction)
A Song to Drown Rivers, by Ann Liang, is inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China.
Her beauty hides a deadly purpose.
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. —Synopsis provided by St. Martin’s Press
A Song to Drown Rivers is a story of sacrifice, war, a woman’s power and love.
At the center of the story is Xishi, a beauty so unparalleled that her looks alone can change the fate of country. But Xishi is more than just a pretty face. She’s smart and cunning and driven. Xishi knows the power of love and loss and harnesses that to achieve her goal. There’s a lot of morally grey stuff here, but Xishi remains a sympathetic character.
Author Ann Liang perfectly paints her picture, giving readers an emotional hook even before introducing her well-realized world. You care about Xishi almost from the first page, and eagerly anticipate her path.
A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic romantasy contained in a stand alone novel. Liang’s pacing is strong and her story even better. And unlike many novels written in this genre, it’s less about sexual encounters and more about the characters. It could easily be classified as a slow-burn read.
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