A Song to Drown Rivers

By Ann Liang

Book Overview

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER, OCTOBER 2024 GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK, OCTOBER 2024 INDIE NEXT PICK, AND OCTOBER 2024 LIBRARYREADS PICK NOW IN PAPERBACK

Deluxe limited edition features beautiful designed edges, color inside cover printing and cover flaps. This breathtaking collectible edition is only available on a limited first print run

"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

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 125090837X
• ISBN13: 9781250908377
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.7" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Amazing read!

Amazing read!

Not the edition I ordered

I specifically bought and ordered this book and not the eBook because of the blue around the outer pages, so that when the book is closed, you can see the blue and the stars. This edition is not the one I added to my cart, it just has white on the outer pages, and I'm not very happy with this purchase.

Book great. Disappointed in condition

The book itself is wonderful. One of the best things I've read this year. However the copy I received was a Book of the Month club version instead of the regular hardback with the printed edges so of lower quality than advertised. The spine was damaged and a bit twisted thought that might be from shipping. I wish the listing had mentioned it was a BOM edition so I could have purchased a different book.

Xishi is awesome!

When kings play games to win back power or land or to get revenge on those that hurt him, it is always others that seem to pay the price. This was a great story about Xishi that is heartrending and well written! She is a strong character, despite her great beauty and the sacrifices she makes to help the Yue kingdom defeat the Wu kingdom (partly because they killed her sister and partly because she is willing to stand up and fight to protect those in need, even if all she has is a rock) show her moral character. The way she turns sabotage into presents that make Fu Chai remember her and keeps on despite the tragedies kept me reading to see her wonders. I am glad that it did not dive into loads of bedroom scenes because to me it kept the relationship Xishi had with the king more innocent. Yes, I know that would definitely not be historically accurate, but I still liked it. Now, that ending was the real heartrending bit, and I will admit it broke me, even with the sweet scene at the very end. Xishi is amazing and I hate kings! So, I will rate this a good read, not really a fantasy romance, but a good historical fiction.