A review by saintlychelle
A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

adventurous sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

Thank you NetGalley for this wonderful ARC!

A Song to Drown Rivers intrigued me with its premise and promise of a strong female main character who is asked to use her beauty to bring down a king, but what will really make me remember this story for a long time is the amount of emotions Ann Liang has evoked from me through her writing.
The way Ann Liang writes character development is absolutely beautiful!!!

The emotions Xishi goes through in accordance with the decisions she makes and the reactions to the actions of the other characters around her is so genuine and thoughtful! 

One thing I did not expect to do while reading this book was SOB. I think of this story and it makes me want to cry all over again just knowing the characters and their endings.

The character development of Xishi's emotions toward Fuchai throughout the story was so believable to read! Having her spend so much time with the enemy then getting to know him and understand him and having that conflict with her original feelings towards him (while her still having love for Fanli) felt so real and right!

Having Xishi cry over Fuchai's body after delivering the killing blow was so cruel but beautiful in her character development and I'm glad there was a scene like that to really solidify growth of Xishi's character. 

Liang really wounded my heart with the scene where Fanli was burying Xishi and he told the boy to spread the word that she was still alive and travelling the world because it was the ending she deserved for her hero's tale. 

And I absolutely understand why the king had Xishi killed in the end (war and kings and such mindset) and Fanli's response to it just devastated me! So cruel, tragic, and beautiful! 

I know there is happiness in the end of the story, but just the way Liang wrote the scenes where Fanli is in ruins just really evoked strong emotions from me.

It was like I wanted a happy ending because it was such a tense situation that was successfully pulled off, but at the same time somewhere in the back of my mind I knew an immediate happy ending was too easy for an epic story like this.

The story of Xishi is one of bravery, of selflessness, and a cruel but beautiful mix of evoked emotions!