Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I feel like it’s taking me far too long to get these reviews out lately. Fortunately, the holidays are just around the corner, and I have a couple of interesting reviews coming up. I even managed to get one of the most hyped books of this year. I am jumping ahead of myself, though. I have been itching to review another book based on mythology and folklore. Thankfully, I found the perfect one. Let’s talk about A Song to Drown Rivers.
Content Warning: Violence, Disturbing Imagery, Self-harm, Child Death, Torture
Xishi is known throughout her village for her exquisite beauty. She, however, does not cherish their attention. All she wants is to help her ailing parents after their home was nearly destroyed by enemy soldiers. Xishi’s life is abruptly changed when the king’s famous military advisor, a young and handsome man named Fanli, recruits her to spy on the Fuchai, the king of the Wu and the enemy of Xishi’s people. Her mission is to seduce the king and weaken his defenses. Xishi accepts this task, hoping that she will avenge her sister. Her task, though, becomes complicated when she realizes that she is in love with Fanli. Xishi must put aside all feelings and remain focused on the task. It is only a matter of time, though, for the truth to come out.
A Song to Drown Rivers was a beautiful, passionate, and tragic story. I absolutely could not put this book down at a certain point. Ann Liang creates such a tense and unpredictable atmosphere, all wrapped up in eloquent prose. I particularly enjoyed Liang’s examination of grief, power, and love in this novel. Xishi makes for a great protagonist who is easy to root for. To me, her character journey was as satisfying as it was harrowing. I also enjoyed how Liang ensures that her female protagonist has agency in a story with so many domineering male characters. Too often, authors let their female characters be overtaken by the male characters in the story. It was refreshing to read a romance with so much yearning between two equally matched characters. I appreciated how Liang allows the emotions to breathe throughout the novel. Every emotion lingers just long enough to impact the reader, and nothing is uncomplicated. The novel was as satisfying as it was sad. Needless to say, I wholeheartedly recommend A Song to Drown Rivers.
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