Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - A Song to Drown Rivers

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A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

25 reviews

dr_dumpling's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

I really want to give this book a higher rating because it was so beautifully written, but the pacing was uneven and I have gripes with the "romance" and the ending. I'm not sure why this book is marketed as fantasy, it's more historical fiction, but the romance is quite literally "oh, he's so beautiful, I'm in love." They knew each other for ten weeks. Ten.

Not much happens in the book, either; the first one- to two-thirds is about Xi Shi's training (also, why were her and Zheng Dan's names combined into one word?), and then it dissolves into how handsome Fuchai is despite his monstrousness. I was hoping for more political intrigue, more Xishi being a badass and bringing a kingdom to its knees. But

then, at the end, she's just...murdered? For what? To make her and Fanli's "love" story tragic? And Zhengdan, who I found to be the most interesting character, was just murdered off-page.

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libaistan's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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robin_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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historicalqueer's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book brought me to genuine tears. It’s a beautifully written telling of the historical event, with so much complex emotion and desire. I am now going to go recommend this book to everyone I know.

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fantasy_voyager98's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is my first read for 2025,and I absolutely loved this beautiful forbidden romance story.💙✨️
Mrs.Liang's writing style is poetically beautiful,and is truly memorable from start to finish.

The history throughout the story is very organized,and informative. Mrs.Liang's natural talent for storytelling truly shines in the best way,and I truly felt how much she loved writing this amazing retelling for one of the "Four Great Beauties" from Chinese history.

The forbidden romance throughout the story is beautiful,and bittersweet. The fmc,and the mmc are both strong because the love they have for one another never stopped it only grew as time went on.

The plot twist at the end of the story I definitely was not expecting,and I still remember that one moment that made me cry.😭

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang is perfect for reader's who love:

1.Forbidden romance
2.Fierce warrior Mulan vibes
3.Found family
4.Womanhood
5.Stunning world-building
6.Love against all odds
7.Strong,and clever fmc

This is my first book from Mrs.Liang,and i will definitely be reading more stories from her.✨️

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