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by Ann Liang
Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic novel steeped in myth about womanhood, war, sacrifice, and love against all odds as the fate of two kingdoms hangs in a delicate balance.
Her beauty hides a deadly purpose.
Xishi's beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue―convinced that the best fate for a girl is to marry well and support her family. When Xishi draws the attention of the famous young military advisor, Fanli, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon. One that could topple the rival neighboring kingdom of Wu, improve the lives of her people, and avenge her sister's murder. All she has to do is infiltrate the enemy palace as a spy, seduce their immoral king, and weaken them from within.
Trained by Fanli in everything from classical instruments to concealing emotion, Xishi hones her beauty into the perfect blade. But she knows Fanli can see through every deception she masters, the attraction between them burning away any falsehoods.
Once inside the enemy palace, Xishi finds herself under the hungry gaze of the king's advisors while the king himself shows her great affection. Despite his gentleness, a brutality lurks and Xishi knows she can never let her guard down. But the higher Xishi climbs in the Wu court, the farther she and Fanli have to fall―and if she is unmasked as a traitor, she will bring both kingdoms down.
"A beautiful young peasant is selected to become a spy in an enemy king's court in Liang's take on an ancient Chinese legend... Lovely historical fiction breathes new life into an old tale." —Kirkus Reviews
"Nobody does yearning and sacrifice better than the Chinese classics, and Liang has given us a new classic that achingly captures the will of kings, the intelligence of women, and the heartbreak of war. Exquisite and devastating. It won't fail to move you." —Shelley Parker-Chan, #1 Sunday Times Bestselling author of She Who Became the Sun and He Who Drowned the World
"Ann Liang has fashioned an elegant historical epic, honouring the ingenuity of women in the face of impossible odds. With impeccable pacing, evocative prose, and a romance that had my heart in a vice, A Song to Drown Rivers will call you onward, page by page, until you reach its devastating end." —Samantha Shannon, bestselling author of The Bone Season and The Priory of the Orange Tree
"A stunning, heart-rending feat of a story. A Song to Drown Rivers retells ancient legend with phenomenal voice, bringing a truly worthwhile addition to the historical fiction genre." —Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Immortal Longings
This information about A Song to Drown Rivers was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Ann Liang is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of the critically acclaimed YA novels This Time It's Real, If You Could See the Sun, and I Hope This Doesn't Find You. Her books have sold into over twenty foreign territories. Born in Beijing, she grew up traveling back and forth between China and Australia, but somehow ended up with an American accent. She now lives in Melbourne, where she can be found making overambitious to‑do lists and having profound conversations with her pet labradoodle about who's a good dog.
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