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A review by bookish_selkie
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a lyrical and heart-pounding adventure. I found myself completely drawn in from the tense opening scenes. As the Elantian colonizers strive to erase the Hin culture and people, it is invigorating to see Lan and Zen refuse to give up the fight. There are many real-world parallels to colonialism, racism, and discrimination. Lan and Zen’s journey is impossible to look away from as they work to save their world from unthinkable destruction by ruthless colonizers.
This book is filled with detailed worldbuilding and a well-developed magic system. I loved how Zhao takes elements that readers are likely already familiar with (yin/yang) and then crafts it into something that is completely her own. Zhao is an expert at creating vivid and evocative fight scenes as the stakes rise. One of my favorite parts of the book was learning about Zen’s background and the reason why Lan’s mother left her such a mysterious gift.
As the plot develops and secrets are revealed, Lan and Zen both show incredible character growth. Zhao makes it clear there are no simple answers to be found in the fight to save the Last Kingdom and all the characters must make heartbreaking choices. The story pacing unfurls beautifully and I found it hard to put this book down. I can’t wait to find out what happens next for Lan and Zen! I would recommend Song of Silver, Flame Like Night for readers who enjoy lyrical writing, action-packed adventure, and fierce characters.
Thank you so much to Amélie Wen Zhao, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is filled with detailed worldbuilding and a well-developed magic system. I loved how Zhao takes elements that readers are likely already familiar with (yin/yang) and then crafts it into something that is completely her own. Zhao is an expert at creating vivid and evocative fight scenes as the stakes rise. One of my favorite parts of the book was learning about Zen’s background and the reason why Lan’s mother left her such a mysterious gift.
As the plot develops and secrets are revealed, Lan and Zen both show incredible character growth. Zhao makes it clear there are no simple answers to be found in the fight to save the Last Kingdom and all the characters must make heartbreaking choices. The story pacing unfurls beautifully and I found it hard to put this book down. I can’t wait to find out what happens next for Lan and Zen! I would recommend Song of Silver, Flame Like Night for readers who enjoy lyrical writing, action-packed adventure, and fierce characters.
Thank you so much to Amélie Wen Zhao, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.