A review by jcreads85
A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75

4.75/5 stars 
 
First, I want to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. I was drawn in by the cover and the initial book blurb, and in the end blown away by the quality of writing and enfolding tale. 
 
You discover early on that this is a retelling by Xishi, our main protagonist. It’s a recollection of a specific 5-ish years. It’s given away, along with some foreshadowing, with statements such as “if I’d known then”, etc. I imagined one of three scenarios for when this was being retold: 1. She was living an inconspicuous life and finally telling the tale of these fantastical events; 2. There was a twist of events and she had come into a place of power, or 3. She was in exile recalling how that came to be. And none of those were correct. The ending is much, much stranger. But I’ll get to that in a minute. 
 
This was a grim but beautiful story. I knew early on that whatever end lay before us it would break my heart, but I couldn’t stop. The short of it is that this is a historical fiction, a tale of political espionage by a village woman turned concubine for the enemy court. It was devastating and heartbreaking, but one where it’s hard to look away. 
 
I appreciated the reality of it all – we didn’t get a sugar-coated story where there really couldn’t be one. War is ugly, and as a central part of taking down a kingdom, Xishi’s own tale could not be expected to be other than it is. And because of that, loved it even more. In the end, I was happy to see Xishi be so conflicted, and recognize her own part in the devastation. 
 
The writing was superb. I lived the world, learned the rules of the court, saw each swish of the robes, and admired the lanterns hung for the banquets. It was mystical without there being magic. I loved the immersion into these foreign lands. 
 
We had several strong female characters, each clever and deadly in their own ways. We have a forbidden love with a high official, Fanli, but this was not a romance. At least not in the typical sense. It was admiration and longing from the edges. A pull and push that carried over years, and though it fed into the tension of the story, I did not feel it was the main plot. The main plot was complicated, but direct. There was one goal – capture the Wue King’s eye and heart - just challenges achieving it. And in the end Xishi’s wins…but at what cost? 
 
This story was a 5 star at the 32% mark, the 68%, and up until the very end – right up until Xishi received official news that she had completed her mission. Unfortunately, the last few chapters from that point on felt like a completely different novel. I felt it got lost. 
 
Don’t get me wrong. As I stated previously, I knew early on, while Xishi was receiving her initial training, that this was a tale of tragedy. I even correctly assumed who would be lost first. So, I’m not looking for or expecting a happy ending. However, I was looking for something more in line with the tale and motivations of the characters. 
 
To be honest, from what we learn in the tale, including the current ending, I don’t feel that the King of Yue would have acted so direct and swiftly in the case of Xishi. She wasn’t a Wu turned traitor. She was a symbol. Even his soldiers knew who she was, and she was celebrated back home. I feel he would have paraded her for a while, the perfect propaganda and distraction. War is ugly but she was beautiful. 
 
I feel it would have made more sense if he had gone after her later, and possibly through an order to Fanli, a test of his loyalty. And at that point we could have a change of point of view…instead of what we got. 
 
The end as it is written really is just too odd. It turned historical fiction into a fantasy – maybe magical realism. It really was strange, and for that dropped my overall rating. 
 
I still recommend this book. I’m sure there are plenty of others who will say the same. It was powerful and splendid writing. I loved the time period, the setting, and the characters. And would possibly read it again at some point.