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Sign up todayA Song to Drown Rivers
A Novel
Narrator
Natalie Naudus
This audiobook uses AI narration.
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Length
10 hours 22 minutes
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“As enchanting as it is heartbreaking, A Song to Drown Rivers follows a young woman turned deadly spy, who uses her beauty and charm as a devastating weapon to topple kingdoms. This book will take your breath away!”
— Claire Deeds • Covered Treasures Bookstore
Bookseller recommendation
“Intrigue, romance, and tragedy propel this epic novel inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China. It is a tale of complicated emotions, royal opulence and brutality, and the harsh realities of power struggles. Are there really any winners in war, any differences between one ruler and another, any true peace? Xishi’s answers to these questions would be very different at the end of her story than at the beginning. ”
— Nancy • Raven Book Store
Bookseller recommendation
“A perfect study in longing, as devastating as it is lovely in the end. Xishi is a gorgeously complex character, deeply committed to the path she’s been set on. As she pursues her goals though, what was once so clear becomes more and more muddled. By love, by longing, by the true knowing of a person and their contradictions. By questions about what really makes a monster, who wins in a war, and what we are left with in the end. Love is never so simple as we think at the start and often it takes as much as it gives. This legend retelling is expertly woven and quietly compelling. ”
— Selena • Madison Street Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Phenomenal, intoxicating, beautiful, and absolutely DEVASTATING. You might want to grab tissues for this one. The only thing more tragic than the harsh brutalities of war are the conflicts and battles of the heart. Oh, don't mind me - I'll be sobbing in a corner while trying to recover from this story. Ann Liang has created an impeccable historical fantasy inspired by the "Four Beauties" that has earned its place among some of the best books in the fantasy genre. A Song to Drown Rivers is lyrical and emotional, capturing a rare sense of connectivity to a different time while exploring how tragic and profound love can be, both for your kin and your enemy. As much as I loved Xishi and Fanli together, the end scene for Xishi and Fuchai was truly a perfect ending, albeit bittersweet. Honestly, this book is breathtaking, and words feel inadequate to describe my feelings towards this book. Just read it! You will not regret it. Also - Natalie Naudus is the perfect narrator for this book! I'm so glad she was picked to read this tale. She has a magical way of bringing these types of stories to life in a way that others can't quite do. Give it a listen to on Libro.FM!”
— Anna Rose • The Well-Read Moose
A Good Morning America Book Club Pick • An October 2024 Indie Next Pick • An October 2024 LibraryReads Pick
“Exquisite and devastating. It won’t fail to move you.” —Shelley Parker-Chan, #1 bestselling author of She Who Became the Sun
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.
"Stunning and heart-rending." —Chloe Gong, #1 bestselling author of Immortal Longings
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.
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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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
"By turns searingly ambitious and heartbreakingly intimate, A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS is an incisive, intricately crafted examination of power, politics, and what we'll become for those we love. This story swept me away." –Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief
"Liang has managed that rare feat of retelling that honors a great epic while finding new depths and intimacies within it. This book stole my breath away with its yearning and sorrow. Each word is chosen with exquisite care, each emotion crafted with true feeling, such that your own heart beats in time with the characters'." - Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi
“Ann Liang doesn’t simply capture Xishi’s indescribable beauty; she transcends it. An emotional odyssey that you’ll want to read again and again—the first time with your heart in your throat, and every time after to savor each stolen look and word.” - Joan He, New York Times bestselling author of The Ones We're Meant to Find
"Poignant and devastating, A Song to Drown Rivers is filled with yearning, a breathtaking story that examines, with both gentleness and relentless honesty, those caught up in the violent ambitions of people in power." - Andrea Stewart, internationally bestselling author of The Drowning Empire trilogy
“Exquisite, riveting, heart-wrenching. Prepare to be swept away by the beautiful writing, forbidden love and complex characters, that have you rooting for them against the odds.” –Sue Lynn Tan, USA Today bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess
"Liang shines an intimate light on the legendary Xishi, whose beauty is both boon and burden, and whose journey from naive peasant to reluctant hero—and perhaps, calculating villain—spins a devastatingly romantic tale of survival and sacrifice amidst the rise and fall of empires." –June CL Tan, internationally bestselling author of Jade Fire Gold and Darker By Four
"If you are looking for a book that reads like a historical c-drama, then look no further. A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS is just the book you need. Ann Liang's mesmerizing prose, coupled with a poignant love story, weaves a tale of love, revenge, and grief that will leave you breathless." –June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace
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