Content Warnings: Sexual Assault, Murder, Death, Loss of a Loved One, Gore

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have a few mixed feelings about this book. The first half was sassy and slow but dark, the second half was super serious, bloody and fast. I have not read Amelie's previous series so I'm unaware of her writing style but it felt to me like all the characters got swapped with different people halfway through - especially Lan.

Lan is a songgirl in the city of Haak'gong, one of the last Hin cities in a fallen kingdom after the Elantians invaded. Guided by her late mother's final action - a mysterious seal on Land wrist - Lan attempts to uncover the reasoning behind it, her mother's history and for each answer she gets, the closer to uncovering every dark truth the kingdom has kept hidden all these years…

I loved Lan at the start. She was sassy, had some genuinely hilarious dialogue, and was - at least I thought so at first - not another "sees boy and instantly falls for him, constantly following him regardless" female mc. Though honestly I did feel like there was more romance from a couple gay side characters than there was between the 2 main characters. Not a bad thing though, it was nice to not have a major "but they're in love! Nothing they do can be bad :(". I only wish she had kept her sassiness and wit to the end so I hope there's a lot more of that in book 2!

Zen was an interesting character. Another brooding, quiet, reserved bad boy kinda person but I felt like there wasn't much of a character arc with him. He kept those traits all through the book and didn't really shift too much.

The other side characters, it didn't feel like they did *too* much. They were kinda 2d, it wasn't until the climax at the end where they all started to become a bit more. But because of that, it kinda feels like they were just there for said climax. Lan refers to a lot of them as friends by the end, but you don't really see that happen throughout the book, in fact for some it's the literal opposite the entire time.

The world building wasn't the most unique out of Asian mythology books, I kept on finding myself making comparisons to Julie Kagawa's Shadow of the Fox series and they are quite similar in many ways. But it had a lot of charm and an interesting take on symbol/drawing magic, especially with the comparison of the Elantians metal/forced magic, and the Hins natural/flowing magic.

Overall, I think it's a strong start to a duology. The ending felt enough for the book on its own, and the sequel is shaping up to be seemingly an action-packed novel from start to finish and I certainly can't wait!

This is the first time I’ve read a xianxia Chinese fantasy/mythology style story and it did not disappoint! Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a compelling tale with two main characters who have suffered greatly and are leaning to come into their own power. How to use that power, however, is a point of debate throughout the story. I really enjoyed being immersed in this unique world and watching the characters develop. What I loved most is the portrayal of how colonialism impacts indigenous people. While the indigenous people are strongly connected to and respectful of nature, western colonisers look down on the native people and believe themselves superior with their ‘unnatural’ and manufactured tools. The way this theme is portrayed in the book reflects the very real history that many peoples have had to face. There were many surprising twists throughout as well which serve to keep the reader hooked until the very end. I’m very much looking forward to the sequel.

This was the first fantasy book I've read in a while and I had a wonderful time! The magic system was explained well so I managed to understand it relatively quickly, and the worldbuilding was really descriptive and immersive. I loved following Lan on her adventure to discover the message her mother had left her and it was interesting to discover it at the same time as she did.
I haven't read Amélie Wen Zhao's other trilogy, Blood Heir, but I am definitely more inclined to now after reading this!

With so many twists and turns, and a whole host of interesting characters, it was impossible to put this down. The world building and character building were both so fantastically done, I found myself easily picturing the 999 steps up to White Pines, the floaty paos of the Song girls, Old Wei’s shop. Zhao has an incredible talent for description that made it so easy to fall into this world of magic and politics. This is paired with her ability to create real emotion in her writing, and a connection with her characters, that had me hooked on the rollercoaster of this novel throughout.

Lan is both feminine and fierce, which was so enchanting. She was full of determination, strength, and bravery and desperate for answers. Watching her relationship with Zen build was so bittersweet and left me feeling both hopeful and heartbroken. These two are dealing with a lot of baggage from their pasts, as is the country as a whole, and I couldn’t help but root for them. It’s safe to say I’m desperate to see where Zhao takes this series next!

This is easily one of my favourite reads of 2023. It follows Lan, who is living a meagre existence of survival as a songgirl in a tea house, which is used by Elantian soldiers for entertainment. The Elantians invaded and murdered her mother, leaving her with a mysterious mark on her wrist. She has spent years putting herself in danger in search of any information on the marks on her wrist, what they mean, where’s they came from but with not much luck. That is until one day, she meets Zen who can see the mark on her wrist and can provide her with some of the answers she seeks. There meeting is much more dramatic but I don’t want to give spoilers.

Prepare for epic escapes, frightening captures, heartbreak, slow build romance, the fine balance between good and evil... and hysterical insults.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this in advance.

I was offered this book as an ARC via NetGalley and was particularly pleased as I am a big fan of Chinese mythology. I was not familiar with the story that this book was based upon so cannot comment on the quality of the retelling. Overall I found it to be a good read and my biggest quibble with the novel is that it is written from alternating perspectives of Zen and Lan, to begin with this was easy to tell apart however as their stories became more entwined the difference in perspectives became a little more blurred at times. This didn't cause too much confusion and it was usually obvious within a paragraph (and the expectation that the perspective was going to switch). I am not sure whether this was intentional on the part of the author and wouldn't stop me from reading the sequel.

I liked the world, the magic system and the characters, but I missed some plot development. It seemed to me that things developed very quickly in a whirlwind of actions that didn't give the characters time to evolve calmly.
The description of the world based in China, the conflict of colonialism and the desolation with which the characters live it and the fact that the magic system is based on nature, while that of the conquerors is based on things created by themselves, seems to me a wonderful metaphor. In addition, the constant contrast of ideals between the two, and the way of seeing the world from the point of view of both, which is so different, fascinated me.
I loved how the main character changes her mind as things happen to her. How she thinks and feels the problem of power, how she wants it to take care of the people she loves, to avenge them, but at the same time how she is able to see that power is not always good. The changing perspective of this dilemma, as he talks to other characters and as things happen to him, I think is incredibly well written.
I missed some chemistry with the love interest, which could have been achieved if a thousand things didn't happen every now and then. I wasn't completely hooked, because there were some descriptions that took me out of the story a bit, but still, 3.5 stars for me.
Recommended for those who like fantasy, Chinese mythology and slow-burn romance.

4.25/5

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This review has been postponed in support of the HarperCollins Union Strike.

This book was great! It's a sweeping story that spans dynasties, sparks the flames of ancient history, and coils across the constellations of mythology. The author's construction of this story is so precise and so skilled.

The main aspect of this novel that blew me away was the writing. It was stunning! Normally when you encounter beautiful writing it's in writing shackled to emotions, to larger-than-life characters and their overpowering feelings, and although the writing in this book is always emotive and Zhao still shines in the heartfelt moments, it's the descriptions of settings that enamour you. You are transported into this world and it is impossible to look back, you hear every melody of the wind, you catch every glimpse of moonlight through the trees. Every sight, every sound is within your grasp, effortlessly written. It is such a skill to be able to enchant a reader like Zhao does.

The world is rich and frothing with history. Worldbuilding is always something I admire and you can tell that the author knows every depth and crevasse of her world. Legends and mythologies are wound into the fabric of it, into every story that is told, into words unspoken and forbidden, into books that are left to rot and cultures that are forgotten throughout time. We unravel the history of this world as we are swallowed by it, unlocking new pathways we never dreamed of walking. It is so complex and masterfully woven, sharing glimpses into the secrets of the past with sharp precision at the exact moments the reader needs the information revealed to them.

The characters are also spell-binding. They, too, have histories inside them, legacies and unknowns and ghosts that haunt them. They are complicated and fragile, they are determined and strong. They want to fight for their world, a world they do not know how to save. They want to fight against their enemies, enemies they do not know how to conquer.

The further you read, the more all-encompassing this story grows and I cannot wait for the sequel! I would particularly recommend this story to those who like xianxia, to those who loved The Poppy War (particularly the shamanism side of it), and to those who like Chinese mythology retellings.

This review will be posted on the following links when the union strike has reached a conclusion.

It only seems right that I’d begin the Lunar New Year reading Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, a YA fantasy novel inspired by Chinese mythology.

After the Elantian army invade her country and murder her mother, Lan is forced into a new existence. She takes a different name - one with one syllable as preferred by her colonisers - and works as a song-girl at a tea house, all while searching for the truth about the mysterious symbol on her wrist that only she can see. A symbol that was burned there as the last act of her dying mother, who sacrificed her life to keep secrets that Lan is desperate to uncover.

Zen, one of the only remaining magical practitioners of the Last Kingdom, is extremely powerful but haunted by his past. Destiny sets him on the path towards Lan, and although together they will learn more about both who they are and who they want to be, they will also need to find the line between liberation and destruction.

My thoughts:

This book is ultimately an epic tale of two outsiders whose lives are woven together by the threads of fate, with elaborate world building and mythology that will grip readers. I enjoyed the fact that Lan and Zen were both powerful and vulnerable at different points of the novel and I will definitely be reading the next one after that ending!

If you enjoy mythological inspired YA with intricate world building and brilliant character development, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is out on Thursday. Thank you to @netgalley and @harpervoyager_uk for the e-arc!

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘚𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘺ī𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘺á𝘯𝘨, 𝘺á𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘺ī𝘯, 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.”

✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

What a brilliant piece of fantasy fiction. Fantasy works always leave me with these feelings of completeness, and this was no exception. I am really desperate for the second book though, because I need to know what’s going to happen from here.

This was a brilliant start to a trilogy, and can see it playing out really well. The Chinese folklore of demon creatures and a “qi” based magical power gave this the best unique edge! This is addictive from the beginning, the mysteries, heartbreaks, action packed chapters with a brilliant cast of characters leave you turning the pages to no end!

If you’re a lover of epic fantasy, this one’s definitely something you should pick up!

Thank you so much to Harper Voyager for the gifted copy, and to Random Things Tours for my blog tour spot!

𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲.

"Song of Silver, Flame like Night" was such a joy to read! It's a magical, lyrical, powerful story, following the journey of a Lan - an orphan, trying to understand her originis and the legacy her mother left her, and Zen - a practitioner, who finds Zen and helps her unravel her abilities and unleash her power.

I fell in love with both characters from the beginning. Even though Lan initially comes a bit rough around the edges, she's an uncredibly complex character whose emotional journey I loved following.

Zen is a skilled practitioner, initially measured and logical, but soft at heart. He develops an affinity for Lan and commits to helping her out at any cost. We see an amazing character and emotional development on his side too.

Amélie Wen Zhao is an incredibly talented storyteller who has crafted a world of wonder, beauty and magic. Her stories touch my soul but also leave me in owe of her imagination and writing skill. It's worth noting that the worldbuilding in "Song of Silver, Flame like Night" is impeccable. You can feel both the mythical and historical influence. I'd definitely recommend it to the fans of Daughter of a Moon Goddess and Six Crimson Cranes.

Looking forward to the sequel! Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

What a whirlwind of a book, I’m left wanting more!

This is a beautifully written book and some of the scenes will make for gorgeous art. I’m looking forward to seeing peoples interpretations of these characters and events! There’s definitely plenty for artists to work with!

The book has loads of mystery and seeking of answers initially and everything unpacks slowly at first building to a crescendo at the end.

The use of culture, mythology and good vs evil is so well done. Loved the quotes at the start of each chapter as well, they just slotted in so nicely and so apt.

A fantastic read and looking forward to the next adventure within this richly created world.

‘Yin and Yang, good and evil, great and terrible, kings and tyrants and heroes and villains. The tropes in the classics of old are but a matter of perspective. .. He who lives to tell the tale decides which side to pick.’

Epic Fantasy, epic world building, epic characters and double epic magic system.
This, the first of the Song of the Last Kingdom series is, as I may have already mentioned, an ‘epic’ beginning to a new YA Fantasy series.

I was glued to this story, absolutely loved every aspect of it, a very easy 5 star rating from me. Highly recommended, can’t wait for book two. Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

After recently being introduced to the Chinese mythology subgenre (and falling in love with it) I was desperate to get my hands on this book - and I was not disappointed!

Song of Silver, Flame like Night had me hooked from the very beginning, Zhao's writing style was so enticing and I loved following the story through the dual pov of Lan and Zen.

I did feel the first half of the book was slower, potentially due to the world building and learning the history of the kingdom/clans, but then found myself unable to put it down!

The tension between Zen and Lan leading to their inevitable relationship was great, yet it felt a little rushed both before and after; when they'd finally expressed their feelings for eachother and it shortly went downhill. For an almost 500 page book I would have liked a longer build up of their romantic relationship and more time exploring it before it all came tumbling down, but I still enjoyed it nevertheless.

Overall I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to try fantasy that's different from the majority on the market and learn about other cultures in the process!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and Amélie Wen Zhao for the advanced copy of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel.

This book is a wonderful amalgamation of history, myth, and magic. The story begins quite innocuously, and you think it’s going to recount history as it actually happened. But then new and different facets are added to it. And then some more. And then more. Until you get a truly powerful, detailed, and epic story of cultures, gods, beliefs, magic, and oppression.

There is an undertone of romance in the book, which is very light, yet powerful. The trauma undergone by the characters in the story is written with depth and understanding and is almost palpable at times.

There are many morally grey characters and decisions that are made throughout the book. At times it is not an easy read and I think some readers may not be comfortable with it, particularly if they are not familiar with actual history of China and general Eastern Asia.

I will be reading the next book to see what decisions will have to be made and what ends up happening, as I have a feeling there may be more surprises in store – not all of them happy ones.

Moods: adventurous, challenging, dark, emotional, mysterious, sad, tense
Pace: medium
Character development: strong
Plot or character driven: 50/50
Diversity: high
Spice: 0/5
Trigger warnings: Blood/Gore, Death, Death of a family member

Rating 4/5

This review will be featured on my blog at www.mymentalshelf.com in future

This is a story rich in cultural heritage and filled with such intricate world building and atmospheric writing. There’s a bit of a slow start due to the constant info dumps in the beginning. As such, I found the second half much more enjoyable than the first half.

Basically, we follow a young girl (Lan) and a mysterious practitioner of magic (Zen) as they bargain with powerful forces to unlock the mysteries buried within their war-torn nation. This is a Chinese-history-inspired story, and it draws from the genres of xiānxiá and wuxia! I haven’t read Daughter of the Moon Goddess or Poppy War yet, but I’ve seen other reviews draw similarities.

It took some getting used to, but the magic system is so detailed and pivotal to the story — it’s slightly reminiscent of the one in Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson.

I loved the questions that this book posed, and the way the characters grappled with them. To what length will people go to reclaim power when it’s taken from them? And what will it cost them when they do take that power?

Although I loved the writing, it was overly descriptive at times. There seemed to be more telling rather than showing, which interrupted the flow of scenes. However, the story found its feet in the second half and let me just say… the twists just kept comin’. The last 30% in particular was an extremely action-packed whirlwind.

Maybe it’s a me problem, but I also struggled to understand the characters’ motivations for their decisions. There was a bit of an unreliable narrator element going on with Zen.

Overall, some aspects worked while a few fell flat to me. Although I adored the gorgeous folklore, lush prose, and intricate world, I struggled with the pacing, overly descriptive writing, and obscure character motivations.

I might still read the next book since this is a duology, and I’m now emotionally invested.

Just give me something set in the Asian world and I’m sold

This book has been one of my big one for 2023
And I was not disappointed

The 2. Characters
Their bickering
I LOVE THEM

Fabulous world building and magic system. Not too complex but also not basic and boring. Love the Chinese themes and imagery.
Loved the character development of Lan and Zen and could empathise with them and their stories.
Only one issue for me really. The pace was a little strange . I thought the first half of the book was a little slow, then gradually sped up. Then the last 20% absolutely whizzed by. My only complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed.

A magnificent adventure in a usurped world

The land was conquered, Lan has no family left. The one thing she still has from her mother is a mysterious symbol on her arm that only she can see. In her search for answers, she meets Zen. He appears to have secrets of his own, but Lan will have to trust him if she wants to find out more about herself and her mother. Together they set off on a journey through their lands while trying to hide from the usurpers who are after the secrets that Lan holds.

This is one of those rare stories that starts out strong and keeps that energy going all throughout. You will care for these characters from the start and the hardships they go through will leave their mark. The two main characters both have complicated and difficult pasts and have gone through serious trauma at a young age when their nation was being usurped. They still grow, question parts of their upbringing and keep learning from their mistakes, making it all the more believing for you as a reader. The political climate and the brutality of the usurpers becomes clear from the beginning. Even after the 13 years that have past, this nation is still living in fear every single day.

Every single part of this world has a lot of thought put into it. The lush writing makes it easy to get immersed in the story. You can see that there is a lot of depth to the characters and their dynamics as well. I even cared for characters who were only there for one chapter. There is also a strong focus on the history of this world and it is not just random info-dumping to fill the pages, but it is all very relevant to what is happening I the present. As well as the nation’s history, there are also flashbacks to when Lan and Zen were kids and to how their life was before everything changed.

Both of the nations have their own magic systems which are very intricate. The practitioning is based on qì energy and is explored quite a bit already in this first novel. The Chinese mythology is incorporated beautifully with demon gods and lesser demons bargaining with practitioners so they can use their qì, but usually only for a steep cost. The other magic systems is based on metals and hopefully that will come more to the forefront in book two.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night was hard to put down, and I loved being in this world even, though it doesn’t hide its cruelties. I can’t wait to read more.

Thanks to Harper Voyager for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley.

Well wow, this book just blew me away. It was beautiful and I felt like the world-building was done right. I could flow through the book without wondering how things worked, but also not having a ton of information dumped on me constantly. The writing has me enthralled and I loved the characters, I cared and worried for them. This was an easy book to fall in love with. I am so glad I have pre-ordered a signed edition, I cannot wait to add this stunning book to my collection. Here I go to read the author's back log now....