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A review by fayettejill
A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang
adventurous
emotional
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? No
5.0
Xishi’s beauty is well known within her village of Yue. When she draws the attention of the famous young military advisor, Fanli, she is approached with the opportunity to infiltrate the kingdom that killed her sister and destroy it from within. All she has to do is win the eye of the king and make him fall for her. However, that's easier said than done when her heart belongs to Fanli and she is under constant watch from the Wu advisors.
All I can say about this book is just WOW. I am floored. The last 20% I was holding my breath with anticipation with what I knew was coming. While I thought I knew how this was going to end, the actual ending left me speechless. It was everything I expected while also not.
There wasn't a single thing I disliked about this book. The pacing was so well done, the world building was amazing, and reading how Xishi's mind worked through how she was going to deceive the Wu king felt so realistic. I love reading about women who change the course of history through their intelligence, and this book was no exception. It was refreshing that, while the FMC was beautiful, ultimately she had to rely on things other than her beauty to get her through. I also enjoyed that the time frame for this book was over the span of 2 years and not a few weeks. It made it feel so much more realistic.
Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this book and will be shouting from the rooftops for people to read it. 1000/10 stars.
Big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
All I can say about this book is just WOW. I am floored. The last 20% I was holding my breath with anticipation with what I knew was coming. While I thought I knew how this was going to end, the actual ending left me speechless. It was everything I expected while also not.
There wasn't a single thing I disliked about this book. The pacing was so well done, the world building was amazing, and reading how Xishi's mind worked through how she was going to deceive the Wu king felt so realistic. I love reading about women who change the course of history through their intelligence, and this book was no exception. It was refreshing that, while the FMC was beautiful, ultimately she had to rely on things other than her beauty to get her through. I also enjoyed that the time frame for this book was over the span of 2 years and not a few weeks. It made it feel so much more realistic.
Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this book and will be shouting from the rooftops for people to read it. 1000/10 stars.
Big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!