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folkofthebook's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Grief, Violence, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: War
dymonlikestoread's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ARC Review
A Song To Drown Rivers
Author: Ann Liang
Rating: 4.5/5 ๐๐๐๐๐
Spice: 0/5
Release Date: October 1st 2024
I HAVE NEVER LOVED AND HATED A BOOK SO MUCH IN MY LIFE.
There's so much to unpack in this book I don't know where to start. I will give a full review closer to the release date.
The book follows Xishi from the Yu kingdom whose curse is her undeniable beauty. Because of her beauty, she's recruited by King Gouijan's handsome military advisor Fanli. Xishi is offered the opportunity to use her beauty as a weapon to bring the neighboring Wu kingdom down and get personal revenge on her own by seducing their tyrant King Fuchai. Personally trained by Fanli, Xishi quickly discovers her desire for him, will she be able to seduce Fanchi in order to bring down the Wu kingdom and be with the man she truly desires?
I was gasping for air I couldnโt believe the amount of twists I could not predict the ending if I tried. I am screaming this is the biggest WTF ending. I am not okay. But if youโre looking for a book that entices you from the beginning and breaks you at the end read this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Child death, Alcohol, War, and Murder
lastblossom's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
An emotional ride featuring a clever protagonist that absolutely sticks the landing.
Thoughts
I finished this book a while ago, but I had to sit with my thoughts for a while because they are many. Like the lead character, this book is beautiful and clever and ambitious and tragic, and I found myself caught up in it the whole way through. Espionage tales are tricky, but this one really fulfills is promise, with a lead character who is absolutely cunning, and I love every move she makes. Pacing can be a bit hard to follow in some places, with large portions of time passing quickly in a way that makes me feel a TV show would convert it into a quick musical montage. The parts where it slows down to really detail the character interactions are by far the best parts, and I was surprised at how delicate and tender some of the emotions are. If the description of the book seems even the least bit interesting to you, give it a read. Strong recommend on this end.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
An emotional ride featuring a clever protagonist that absolutely sticks the landing.
Thoughts
I finished this book a while ago, but I had to sit with my thoughts for a while because they are many. Like the lead character, this book is beautiful and clever and ambitious and tragic, and I found myself caught up in it the whole way through. Espionage tales are tricky, but this one really fulfills is promise, with a lead character who is absolutely cunning, and I love every move she makes. Pacing can be a bit hard to follow in some places, with large portions of time passing quickly in a way that makes me feel a TV show would convert it into a quick musical montage. The parts where it slows down to really detail the character interactions are by far the best parts, and I was surprised at how delicate and tender some of the emotions are. If the description of the book seems even the least bit interesting to you, give it a read. Strong recommend on this end.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Murder, War, Xenophobia, Grief, Death, and Suicide
Minor: Alcohol, Trafficking, and Child death
love_and_lilacs's review
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I loved this book. Being completely unfamiliar with both the author and the subject matter, I wasn't really sure what I was getting into, but by the end I was compelled to begin researching the myths and stories that formed the foundation of this novel.
There were certainly a few points that I felt the pacing could have been improved but it wasn't enough to stop me from enjoying the story. And there were a few minor points where I wasn't entirely clear on how much time was passing, particularly once Xishi arrives at the Wu castle.
The ending was also entirely unexpected, and then unexpected one more time before it all wrapped up. Maybe if you're familiar with Xishi's story and the variations of her myth, you won't be surprised at all, but I certainly was.
I hesitate to make this comparison, because I feel like it puts too much pressure on this book, but I would say that people who enjoy Madeline Miller's works will also enjoy this one. Miller's prose is likely the stronger, but I was hardly disappointed by Liang's writing style either.
The romance was also constructed in a way that felt compelling and satisfying to read, and I found myself anxious to learn the ultimate fate of Xishi and Fanli.
I devoured this in almost a single sitting and only stopped reading because it was 3 am. I can imagine myself returning to this book to read it again, perhaps at a slower pace that allows me to savor what I might have missed the first time around.
Perhaps the highest praise I can give this book is that it moved me to tears, and any book that can move me to feel real emotion is worth my time.
ARC provided by NetGalley
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gore, Physical abuse, War, Blood, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty
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