A Song to Drown Rivers (Deluxe Edition)

by Ann Liang

Overview

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

An October 2024 Indie Next Pick • An October 2024 LibraryReads Pick

Order now and receive the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION while supplies last―featuring a gold foiled cover, gorgeous sprayed edges with stenciled artwork, as well as exclusive metallic ink patterned endpapers and unique foiled front and back case stamps. This breathtaking collectible is only available on a limited first print run, a must-have for any book lover.

“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

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250289469
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/01/2024
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	2,462
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 6.40(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

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.

Editorial Reviews

08/05/2024

Liang’s propulsive adult debut (after the YA novel I Hope This Doesn’t Find You) offers a straightforward retelling of the life of one of ancient China’s fabled Four Beauties. Xishi’s good looks are so arresting that, when she was born, “all the wild geese flew down from the sky, and the fish sank beneath the waves, having forgotten how to swim... beauty is not so different from destruction.” As she grows older, she wears a half veil in public to stop people from gawking. Word of her beauty spreads to Fanli, the Yue king’s top minister, who recruits her for a covert operation to bring down the enemy State of Wu by acting as a tribute concubine to the king. She’s reluctantly trained in court etiquette by Fanli—and both of them are surprised by a growing attraction. As the operation moves closer and closer to success, Xishi realizes the rumors about the evil king of Wu may not all be true and comes to question her role. The historical details occasionally feel fudged—including Xishi’s husband allowing her to remain a virgin—but Xishi’s narration brings personalized stakes to imperial court drama and shows the double-edged sword of beauty. Fans of plot-driven historical fantasy should take note. Agent: Kathleen Rushall, Andrea Brown Literary. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"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

"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

From the Publisher

06/01/2024

Xishi is beautiful, but beauty hasn't helped her as a common Yue girl growing up under the cruel control of the Wu. Then Fanli, the Yue king's brilliant advisor, selects Xishi to seduce the Wu king and save their people. Under Fanli's tutelage, Xishi learns to act like a proper concubine, but her dedication is tested by the growing attraction between them. Can she succeed in her mission to betray the Wu king, or will she betray her heart instead? This novel joins other women-centered retellings of myth and legend, focusing on one of the four beauties of ancient China. Xishi comes alive, and her conflicted feelings take center stage as she navigates the Wu court and learns how far she's willing to go for revenge. Her relationship with Fanli will appeal to fans of forbidden love, while the palace intrigue is reminiscent of Shelley Parker-Chan's He Who Drowned the World. Readers intrigued by the hints of romance, however, shouldn't expect a traditional happy ending. VERDICT YA author Liang's (I Hope This Doesn't Find You) adult debut will appeal to those who enjoy retellings blending history and myth.—Erin Niederberger

Library Journal

2024-08-29
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.

Xishi is extraordinarily beautiful. Even as a lowly peasant girl in Yue, she’s been told all her life that her looks set her apart from others. But beauty doesn’t matter much to Xishi. After all, it wasn’t enough to save her beloved little sister, Susu, from being murdered by the invading Wu army. But one day, Fanli, a great military advisor to the king of Yue, comes to Xishi’s rural village and tells her she has been chosen for a special mission. She must leave home, learn the ways of aristocratic life, and be sent as a concubine to the Wu King, Fuchai, and become a spy in his court. Xishi is so beautiful, she should be able to seduce Fuchai and manipulate him to endanger his own crown. Xishi is terrified to leave for the rival court, but she wants to avenge Susu’s death more than anything. When she arrives in Fuchai’s court, her legendary beauty and skill as a seductress win her the king’s heart, and Fanli’s plan looks like it will work. But despite her hatred for the nation that killed her sister, Xishi comes to understand that the citizens of Wu, and even Fuchai, are human beings just like her, and her mission of vengeance might not leave any room for her to live her own life. Liang’s plot follows the large arcs of the legend, and she skillfully fills the pages between plot points with careful character work. What would it feel like to spend years lying to everyone around you? How do large-scale wars stop people from recognizing their common humanity? Do your ideals matter if they prevent you from forming real relationships?

Lovely historical fantasy breathes new life into an old tale.

Kirkus Reviews