Song of Silver, Flame Like Night
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- Create Date：2023-01-09 09:51:27
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Amélie Wen Zhao
- ISBN：059365028X
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Summary
In a fallen kingdom， one girl carries the key to discovering the secrets of her nation’s past—and unleashing the demons that sleep at its heart。 An epic fantasy series inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China。
Once， Lan had a different name。 Now she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom， killed her mother， and outlawed her people’s magic。 She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong， a city transformed by the conquerors， and her days scavenging for what she can find of the past。 Anything to understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died。
The mark is mysterious—an untranslatable Hin character—and no one but Lan can see it。 Until the night a boy appears at her teahouse and saves her life。
Zen is a practitioner—one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom。 Their magic was rumored to have been drawn from the demons they communed with。 Magic believed to be long lost。 Now it must be hidden from the Elantians at all costs。
When Zen comes across Lan， he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm。 He’s never seen anything like it—but he knows that if there are answers， they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom， with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime。
Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep within—secrets they must hide from others， and secrets that they themselves have yet to discover。 Fate has connected them， but their destiny remains unwritten。 Both hold the power to liberate their land。 And both hold the power to destroy the world。
Now the battle for the Last Kingdom begins。
Once， Lan had a different name。 Now she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom， killed her mother， and outlawed her people’s magic。 She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong， a city transformed by the conquerors， and her days scavenging for what she can find of the past。 Anything to understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died。
The mark is mysterious—an untranslatable Hin character—and no one but Lan can see it。 Until the night a boy appears at her teahouse and saves her life。
Zen is a practitioner—one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom。 Their magic was rumored to have been drawn from the demons they communed with。 Magic believed to be long lost。 Now it must be hidden from the Elantians at all costs。
When Zen comes across Lan， he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm。 He’s never seen anything like it—but he knows that if there are answers， they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom， with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime。
Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep within—secrets they must hide from others， and secrets that they themselves have yet to discover。 Fate has connected them， but their destiny remains unwritten。 Both hold the power to liberate their land。 And both hold the power to destroy the world。
Now the battle for the Last Kingdom begins。
Reviews
Courtney
，
The writing style of this book is absolutely beautiful。 I enjoy xianxia and all of the gorgeous folklore， but I wish this book had more "doing" than "telling"。 I felt like I was reading a history book from page 100 to about 340。 I did not care for the romance because I thought it wasn't a huge part of the story and frankly I didn't care for Zen's robotic nature。 I just wish that this would've been the one for me！ The writing style of this book is absolutely beautiful。 I enjoy xianxia and all of the gorgeous folklore， but I wish this book had more "doing" than "telling"。 I felt like I was reading a history book from page 100 to about 340。 I did not care for the romance because I thought it wasn't a huge part of the story and frankly I didn't care for Zen's robotic nature。 I just wish that this would've been the one for me！ 。。。more
eesha
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first off thank you to netgalley and harpercollins for the arc however late my review may be！ second， support the harpercollins union strike！！！！！！！！ let me gather my thoughts for like a second rtc！
Lorraine
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4 1/2 Stars“If she closed her eyes， she could remember exactly how her world had ended。Snow， falling like ashes。Wind， sighing through bamboo。And the song of a woodlute weaving into the skies。She’d had a name， once。 Her mother had given it to her。 Lian’er， meaning “lotus”: The flower that bloomed from nothing but mud， a light in the darkest of times。” Amélie Wen Zhao， Song of Silver Flame Like NightSong of Silver Flame Like Night， by Amélie Wen Zhao， is a beautifully written young adult fantasy w 4 1/2 Stars“If she closed her eyes， she could remember exactly how her world had ended。Snow， falling like ashes。Wind， sighing through bamboo。And the song of a woodlute weaving into the skies。She’d had a name， once。 Her mother had given it to her。 Lian’er， meaning “lotus”: The flower that bloomed from nothing but mud， a light in the darkest of times。” Amélie Wen Zhao， Song of Silver Flame Like NightSong of Silver Flame Like Night， by Amélie Wen Zhao， is a beautifully written young adult fantasy with characters that grab your heart， stunning world building， gorgeous prose， and magic that fit perfectly with the story。 The main protagonist is Lian’er， or Lan。 Orphaned when her home was invaded by the Elantians， killed her mother， and destroyed most of what remains of her Hin culture。 Before she died， she burned a symbol into Lan’s wrist， one only she can see， but does not know what it represents。 Left an orphan， found on the streets begging， she was taken to Madame Meng， and now works singing at the Rose Pavilion Teahouse。 She is contracted to work there until it might be bought by someone， or she can pay it herself。 Magic practitioners in what was once Hin， are outlawed， hunted， and killed， or in some cases， experimented upon。 Lan has spent her life trying to decipher a symbol her mother left upon her before she died。 A young Hin practitioner， Zen， enters her life as he senses her powerful magic， magic she doesn’t know she possesses。 Here， Lan and Zen’s adventure begins to decipher her rune， and find what her mother was hiding from her。 Song of Silver Flame Like Night was an exquisite feast for the senses， transporting the reader to the incredible magical world Ms。 Zhao created。The characters were wonderfully developed。 There is the use of the orphaned trope with powers they do not know about， but it is used very well here。 While we know Lan was orphaned， Ms。 Zhoa chose not to go into the details of her time begging on the streets。 I liked that choice as it has been done many times， and in this particular case， it would not have added to the story。 It’s enough for the reader to know where she came from， her mother’s mysterious dying gift to Lan， and her work at the teahouse。 Lan is a strong female protagonist， is very charismatic， and this makes the reader want to know her story。 What she lives by was what her mother always told her， “My mother told me that it is the duty of those with power to protect those without。” Lan believes the key to this lies in the symbol her mother left her。 She wants to drive the Elantians from her home， and re-claim their heritage and culture。 The other main character is Zen， a Hin magic practitioner。 He is complicated and conflicted， but is trying to desperately do what is right。 I would have to say that he is a morally gray character given what unfolds in the story。 Zen was also orphaned as a child when the Elantians invaded。 To exact revenge， as a child， he made a deal with a demon， who now resides in him。 However， Zen refuses to unleash its power。 He is taken in by the Grandmaster of the School of the White Pines， the last holdout of Hin practitioners。 It is here that he takes Lan so she can learn to control her power and hopefully decipher her symbol。 Zen and Lan come to care deeply for each other， but the Elantian threat is always closing in， threatening everything they care about。There are many characters， all very well-developed。 The one other noteworthy character I wanted to mention was the Grandmaster of the School of the White Pines， Shifu De’zi。 He is calm， gentle， and also holds secrets。 The wisdom he imparts is always thought provoking， not just for his students， but for the reader as well。 I loved how even in the face of adversity; he exuded a sense of peace。 “The fundamental concept of the Way is balance…the world is constantly shifting， yin changing to yang， yang changing to yin， in a perpetual cycle of balance。 Life results in death， and death gives way to life; day turns to night， and night will always yield to day。 Sun and moon， summer and winter-both are eternally present in this world。” Amélie Wen Zhao， Song of Silver Flame Like NightThe pacing and prose were perfect。 I was drawn into the story from the first page。 I wanted to know Lan， I wanted to know her story。 What was her symbol？ What did her mother impart to her？ What was her magic？ It was the same when Zen made his appearance， though in a bit more mysterious way， and De’zi as well。 I wanted to know all of them and how this story would unfold。 Ms。 Zhao created a well-balanced story that had action， interspersed with quiet scenes at the School of the White Pines。 Lan and Zen are on the run from Elantian soldiers， and mainly， their Winter Magician。 He is a powerful sorcerer who is after Lan’s magic。 It is edge of your seat excitement as they escape and try to evade him。 At the School of the White Pines， Lan is given lessons to learn about and control her magic。 De’zi is an ever-present force in bringing balance and peace。 The magic system was well-imagined and very unique。 For the Elantians， metal is their primary channel for magic。 The Winter Magician wears many bracelets of varying metals that he uses to perform his magic。 He can hone in on other types of magic， thereby hunting down Hin practitioners。 Many Hin were killed， and some were experimented on to try and discern their magic。 They were the epitome of colonizers， destroying every trace of Hin culture they could， and incorporating some aspects。 Hin practitioners use symbols to perform magic。 They can become gateways， protective barriers， and be used for defense。 Lan’s singing and musical ability was part of how her magic manifested。 It was very clever and imaginative。The story is told in the third-person perspective of Lan and Zen， a chapter devoted to each one。 The prose is sharp and crisp， and in many places， beautifully poetic。 The choice to tell the story of both characters was another great one by Ms。 Zhao。 Both Lan and Zen harbor secrets， but at the same time， their young lives are fairly similar。 As orphans， each were pushed in a different direction， but ultimately their paths met。 We see the other characters through their eyes， and many times， each paints a different picture of them。 Overall， it was simply a wonderful YA fantasy that I would highly recommend。“Lian’er。 Song Lian。 It means “lotus，” Mama had once explained。 She’s always had a voice like song bells。 … I， too， am named after a flower-mei， a plum blossom…See how they [lotus] bloom every cycle， without fail， her mother said。 See how they grow out of nothing but mud， how their resilience brings light and hope。Plum blossoms， too， Mama had said， were symbols of courage and persistence， for the way they bloomed through the thickest winter snows。” Amélie Wen Zhao， Song of Silver Flame Like NightOVERALL THOUGHTSSong of Silver Flame Like Night， by Amélie Wen Zhao， is a beautifully written YA fantasy inspired by her Chinese heritage and what she learned as a child。 I absolutely loved this book。 The main protagonist， Lan， is a strong Hin young woman who wants to free her people from the Elantians， who invaded her country and wiped out her culture。 Her mother gifted her with secret magic before she died， and Lan’s journey is discovering who she is and what her magic can do。 She is aided by Zen， another Hin magic practitioner。 Zen is complicated and a bit of a morally gray character。 As a young boy， his home destroyed and family murdered， he made a deal with a demon that now resides in him。 While Zen tries to keep the demon at bay， he is not always successful。 For a practitioner to make a deal with a demon is forbidden。 As their feelings for each other grow， so do the obstacles placed in their path。 Lan is hunted by the Elantian Magician， the Winter Magician for what her mother gave her。 Zen takes her to the school where he has learned to control his magic， the School of the White Pines， headed by Grandmaster Shifu De’zi。 The story drew me in from the first page， and is packed with action， journeys， mysterious lost magical artifacts， and unique magic。 There are twists and turns， and excitement throughout the book。 There are beautiful passages that reflect on the life that Lan remembers her mother telling her， and those that De’zi imparts。 Song of Silver Flame Like Night is a YA fantasy that I think everyone will enjoy as both a fantasy and beautifully told story by Amélie Wen Zhao。 I highly recommend it。My thanks to Random House Children’s Books for approving and ARC and NetGalley for providing and eBook。 。。。more
Isaac
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A fast paced， action packed book mixed with romance that was an incredible read from start to finish！
Tash H
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Overall:Song of Silver， Flame Like Night is exactly everything I could have hoped it would be - an action-packed， fast-paced， beautifully written xianxia style novel with loveable characters and a story that holds you like a vice。 All you can do is hold on and hope you make it to the end in one piece。Characters:Our female main character Lan is an absolute badass， and I would love to be her friend。 I loved seeing her develop and take charge of her own destiny。As for our male lead Zen - who doesn' Overall:Song of Silver， Flame Like Night is exactly everything I could have hoped it would be - an action-packed， fast-paced， beautifully written xianxia style novel with loveable characters and a story that holds you like a vice。 All you can do is hold on and hope you make it to the end in one piece。Characters:Our female main character Lan is an absolute badass， and I would love to be her friend。 I loved seeing her develop and take charge of her own destiny。As for our male lead Zen - who doesn't like the bad boy with the mysterious past？ If I could hug him I would。 He needs all the hugs。Plot:Absolutely adored the mythological aspects， and it read just like the Asian cultivation/fantasy/martial arts manga and light novels I grew up reading！ The plot was mostly fast paced and action packed， with the occasional slow and quiet moment。Writing:The author's writing style hooks you and sucks you in， and I literally could not put this book down！ Plenty of description without being over the top， and I could envision the places and people easily。 Masterful storytelling！If you liked。。。:For fans of Naruto， Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation， Iron Widow， Full Metal Alchemist。 If you love romantic， sweepingly majestic tales with mythological undercurrents， then you'll love Song of Silver， Flame Like Night！ 。。。more
lala
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Read my full reviewIt's a perfect book for Daughter of the Moon Goddess fans and those who love reading books inspired by Chinese mythology。 Song of Silver， Flame like Night is YA fantasy （and a little bit romance） book which absorbs every reader to its world and holds their attention until the very last words。 Told in multiple POVs， mainly our main characters Lan and Zen， the author gives them balanced portion of pages to tell their stories with distinctive voices。 You can easily know which one Read my full reviewIt's a perfect book for Daughter of the Moon Goddess fans and those who love reading books inspired by Chinese mythology。 Song of Silver， Flame like Night is YA fantasy （and a little bit romance） book which absorbs every reader to its world and holds their attention until the very last words。 Told in multiple POVs， mainly our main characters Lan and Zen， the author gives them balanced portion of pages to tell their stories with distinctive voices。 You can easily know which one is Lan's and Zen's since the two spoke differently。 It's a book which is a little bit difficult to follow at first since it used new terms and it gets easier as we get deeper into the book。 Some explanations were longer than the others especially about the magic system and world building related ones， yet since it's given to the right character to 'explain'， it's an okay for me。 For the romance part， as a reader who prefer less romance part in a fantasy book， this book has the right amount of romance I need in a book even though it needs a little bit pages to show the chemistry between Lan and Zen。 I love how Book 1 ended especially the last chapter and epilogue which showed the readers what to expect within the next book。 。。。more
steph ★⋆。 ࿐࿔
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More like a very strong 4。5， I loved everything about this。 RTC once I gather my thoughts fully <3
nihita
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this cover。
Amanda Roberts
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An excellent story of mystery an intrigue with a strong female protagonist。 The author expertly draws you into the remnants this broken kingdom， occupied and oppressed by cruel invaders from a foreign land。 The protagonist， is a young woman， who has fractured memories of a time before the invasion and an unusual scar that gives her a sense that there is something more she must find to become her true self。 I felt that the story was well built with a strong plot。 The emotional discoveries of the An excellent story of mystery an intrigue with a strong female protagonist。 The author expertly draws you into the remnants this broken kingdom， occupied and oppressed by cruel invaders from a foreign land。 The protagonist， is a young woman， who has fractured memories of a time before the invasion and an unusual scar that gives her a sense that there is something more she must find to become her true self。 I felt that the story was well built with a strong plot。 The emotional discoveries of the past lead the reader to become fully engrossed in the fate of these characters。 I very much enjoyed this book and will be glad for the conclusion of the story when the duality is published in the future。My only request of the author would be a phonetic guide of the names of characters and places。 As my own personal preference I like to be able to pronounce characters names and places as they were intended by the author。 Google did help me get what I think is a close approximation but I always prefer to know how the author intended their names and places to be pronounced。 。。。more
marilynn
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dnf @ 34%nothing bad about it i just found it boring and i don't want to force myself to finish it 😕 i really wanted to like this， too bad dnf @ 34%nothing bad about it i just found it boring and i don't want to force myself to finish it 😕 i really wanted to like this， too bad 。。。more
WinterGirl83
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What a story！ Epic saga fantasy is how I would describe this。 It's a deep and complex story but easy to read。 Demons and Chinese folklore are woven throughout this great story about the female heroine， Lan。 You're soon swept up in seals， demons and the mysterious "qi" that runs from start to finish。 I really enjoyed the characters and their stories and how they're intertwined， right up to the end。 What a story！ Epic saga fantasy is how I would describe this。 It's a deep and complex story but easy to read。 Demons and Chinese folklore are woven throughout this great story about the female heroine， Lan。 You're soon swept up in seals， demons and the mysterious "qi" that runs from start to finish。 I really enjoyed the characters and their stories and how they're intertwined， right up to the end。 。。。more
Natasha Leighton
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A beautifully crafted and utterly compelling， Xianxia-style fantasy， steeped in Chinese mythology which was thrilling and heart-wrenching in equal measure。 This is actually only the first of Amélie Wen Zhao’s books that I’ve ever read。 And given the gorgeously detailed world building， complex （and multidimensional） characters and the skilful tackling of important themes （such as: generational trauma， the price of power and the untold destruction colonialism causes） it certainly won’t be the last A beautifully crafted and utterly compelling， Xianxia-style fantasy， steeped in Chinese mythology which was thrilling and heart-wrenching in equal measure。 This is actually only the first of Amélie Wen Zhao’s books that I’ve ever read。 And given the gorgeously detailed world building， complex （and multidimensional） characters and the skilful tackling of important themes （such as: generational trauma， the price of power and the untold destruction colonialism causes） it certainly won’t be the last。 It follows Lián’ér a member of the Hin people who—after her country falls to Elantian colonisers—finds herself scavenging for scraps of the past or anything that will help her to understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother， in her last act before death。Having been forced to take a new name by the people who killed her mother， outlawed her country’s unique magic and steal its precious resources for its own gain; Lan—now a song girl at the Rose Pavilion Teahouse， spends her days earning her keep by singing to Madam Meng’s patrons。 No one can see the mysterious mark… until Zen appears at the teahouse and saves her life。 Zen is a practitioner （a fabled magician whose magical abilities are rumoured to come from the demons they commune with。） Magic that was long thought lost， and which could be the key to understanding the mark and the secrets that died with her mother。 But the magic must remain hidden at all costs。 Despite each of their own long buried secrets， Lan and Zen’s have been brought together by fate—but their destiny still has yet to be written。 For the power they both hold could free the kingdom and it’s people… or cause the world’s very destruction。 This was an incredible read and I enjoyed just how all encompassing and immersive it was！ The world building was especially good and soo detailed that I definitely lost myself in all the incredible descriptions for a while。 And， despite the sheer depth and breadth of the mythology that Wen Zhao intricately crafts （the history surrounding the ninety nine clans， each Kingdom era and the lore surrounding the four demons） the pace was remarkably consistent and never dragged or felt slow。 Likewise， the magic system was incredibly intriguing—the concept of balance being necessary for the Kingdom （and the world’s survival） was especially interesting。But personally， it was the nuanced， flawed and multifaceted characters that I intrigued me the most。 Lan， was such a sassy and genuinely funny protagonist who despite all the heartbreak and pain she’s had to endure， shows great courage in facing once again having to face the perpetrators who have caused it all。 Her journey （and her path to self discovery） was truly inspiring。 I don’t think I could be half a courageous if put in her position。 Zen too， was a really interesting character who is dealing with struggles of his own that we don’t really get to know a lot about until the second half of the book。 I enjoyed the air of mystery that surrounds him but the exquisitely developed personal arc （in which Zen must make some truly difficult choices） was masterfully done and really kept an edge of intense ambiguity right up until that phenomenal ending。 It is told through both Lan and Zen’s alternating POVs which I really enjoyed and felt it added soo much depth to both characters， as we watch their interactions turn from reluctant allies to friends and then， into something more。 I was definitely a fan of the playful teasing and flirtatious banter we’re treated to。 If you love your romance swoon worthy and deliciously slow burn then you’re gonna adore these two。I also wanted to mention that themes centred around some pretty heavy subject material are explored; involving colonialism， cultural appropriation and exploitation （as well as racism， sexism and brief mentions sexual harassment/violence） so do bare this in mind before reading。 That being said， it’s definitely handled sensitively and does highlight some important and relevant issues that definitely need to be discussed further。 Overall， an exquisite and breathtakingly masterful series starter that lovers of sweeping fantasy epics and unforgettably complex characters are going to absolutely devour。 I’m genuinely excited to see what happens next。 Also， thanks to Random Things Tours and Harper Voyager UK for this absolutely gorgeous finished copy。 。。。more
Ioanna Papadopoulou
，
If you like stories inspired by Chinese folklore， with magical music and people fighting to get their country back， I have a book recommendation for you！Song of Silver， Flame like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao is the first of a duology that follows the story of Lan， a young woman who has a mysterious seal on her arm that she doesn't know what it means or what secrets it hides。 All she knows about it is that her mother bestowed it upon her right before she was murdered。 I absolutely loved the book！ Th If you like stories inspired by Chinese folklore， with magical music and people fighting to get their country back， I have a book recommendation for you！Song of Silver， Flame like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao is the first of a duology that follows the story of Lan， a young woman who has a mysterious seal on her arm that she doesn't know what it means or what secrets it hides。 All she knows about it is that her mother bestowed it upon her right before she was murdered。 I absolutely loved the book！ The writing is beautiful and lyrical， and I devoured ig。 It is a fast-paced， dynamic novel that explores deep issues around collective memory， history making， and collonialism with a very realistic protagonist！ I was especially struck by the notion of faded cultural memory as Lan herself has faller victim to the issues the book explores and her confusion and lack of understanding is a great entrance for the reader to explore the world in the book。 It is a perfect fit for people who liked Daughter of the Moon Goddess but for fantasy fans in general thanks to its evocative language and inventive world building。 。。。more
Destiny
，
I absolutely loved this book！ The characters are compelling and realistic。 The author really drew me into their internal and external conflicts and I really felt for them。 The setting， inspired by the author’s Chinese heritage is beautifully described， and I adore how she was able to integrate an original magic system with her heritage。 This has the potential to be an epic series and I cannot wait for the next book to come out！
Wondereads
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I enjoyed this book。 I think the plot is particularly strong， and it deals with a lot of issues that are intriguing to me。 The main characters are a little predictable， but I want to see how they'll develop， and there are some really strong side characters。 The worldbuilding is super interesting， and there are certain things， like Hin history and Elantian magic， that I want to know more about。 The writing is pretty standard， but there's nothing that irked me。 Overall， a very solid book that I wo I enjoyed this book。 I think the plot is particularly strong， and it deals with a lot of issues that are intriguing to me。 The main characters are a little predictable， but I want to see how they'll develop， and there are some really strong side characters。 The worldbuilding is super interesting， and there are certain things， like Hin history and Elantian magic， that I want to know more about。 The writing is pretty standard， but there's nothing that irked me。 Overall， a very solid book that I would definitely recommend to fans of The Poppy War。 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
monse
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I’ve wanting to read song of silver， flame like for so long， a and what a great start to the new year。 song of silver， flame like night highlighted Chinese folklore with the cultivation of qi by practitioners。 i’m glad i picked it up cuz i rlly enjoyed the ancient China setting and the Chinese mythology。 “I wish for you to not go anywhere without me。 In this world and the next。 I wish for you to choose me。” A pause， and softer: “That is， if you would wish it。”
Melanie
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Lan works in a tea house and hides her past。 A past in which her mother was killed protecting her and left her with a great secret。 Zen happens to be in the tea house and saves Lan when her past catches up to her。 This story ties in Chinese mythology and folklore for an interesting take on an epic battle and fight for good and evil。 Tying in the ancient gods and tales of magic， this turns the lore in the story into reality and is a great coming of age read。
Maddy
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"The Last Kingdom had been brought to its knees， but the view was mighty fine from here" is such a brutal first line， I should have known immediately I was going to become minorly obsessed。this is peak ya literature。 what a breathtaking magic system！ god， I am absolutely in love。 Lan is one cool protagonist。 "The Last Kingdom had been brought to its knees， but the view was mighty fine from here" is such a brutal first line， I should have known immediately I was going to become minorly obsessed。this is peak ya literature。 what a breathtaking magic system！ god， I am absolutely in love。 Lan is one cool protagonist。 。。。more
Kimberly
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Plot: 1Writing: 1World building: 1Characters: 。5Themes: 14。5/5The beginning of an epic adventure！ Beautifully written with vast world building and a cool magic system， Song of Silver， Flame like Night’s Chinese folklore inspiration surprised me！ I thoroughly enjoyed this one and everyone needs to read it！The audiobook is pretty good！ I’d recommend it。 （view spoiler）[I just loved how everything played out。 I can’t wait for what happens next！ Some parts of the middle was a little draggy and there’ Plot: 1Writing: 1World building: 1Characters: 。5Themes: 14。5/5The beginning of an epic adventure！ Beautifully written with vast world building and a cool magic system， Song of Silver， Flame like Night’s Chinese folklore inspiration surprised me！ I thoroughly enjoyed this one and everyone needs to read it！The audiobook is pretty good！ I’d recommend it。 （view spoiler）[I just loved how everything played out。 I can’t wait for what happens next！ Some parts of the middle was a little draggy and there’s A LOT of world building， so you have to pay attention。 I was not expecting the depth of the world and I loved it！ It immersed me deeper into the Wuxian world。 This story reminds me of The Poppy War but YA。 It’s still got it’s dark moments but they both deal with gods/demons， making bargains to use the power of the demons/gods。 I would like to see more/proper training for Song Lian in the next book。 I do love that her power is music， playing the ocarina。 I hope we get to see other powers/magic in more depth as well。 There were so many red flags with Zen。 He totally used Lan but I think he’s going to have a cool character arc。 I love that he’s more of a villain。 The romance didn’t land for me。 It felt forced and out of place。 Now the ending， that was good。 Those relationships， however brief， we’re done well！ However， the relationship between the two main characters is what knocked off half a point for me。 Maybe this will change in the next books。 All that said， I still think there’s a lot of potential with the story。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Elizabeth
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i would sell my soul to get my hands on this book
Bella Sun
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I had really high hopes for this book but it didn’t quite live up to them。My biggest issue is the language。 The words “fart” and “turd” are used so often I was wondering if I was back in middle school。I usually like grumpy sunshine， but our MC Alan is just a bit too angry and mean and I had a hard time caring for her。The magic was fascinating and I liked the mythology。 It was a bit slow and Ali felt like e were told things instead of shown。 I struggle when there is a lot of info dumping in a boo I had really high hopes for this book but it didn’t quite live up to them。My biggest issue is the language。 The words “fart” and “turd” are used so often I was wondering if I was back in middle school。I usually like grumpy sunshine， but our MC Alan is just a bit too angry and mean and I had a hard time caring for her。The magic was fascinating and I liked the mythology。 It was a bit slow and Ali felt like e were told things instead of shown。 I struggle when there is a lot of info dumping in a book。I liked the world building， but the way the story was told， the slow build up， the almost middle school language， made it very hard for me to truly get involved in the story。This felt like a lot of other older ya fantasies。 The Mac as a dead mother， has a big secret she must find out， and， it just turns out she’s super powerful。I plan on trying to give this book another chance。 But， I did struggle a lot getting through this and caring about Lan。 。。。more
Sarah
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First I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishers for sending me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review。I just want to say that before I even began reading this book I knew I would love it。 Amelie Wen Zhao dragged me into the world of Song from the beginning， with her talking about and promotions， it was a world I was already in love with。 As I turned that first page I knew I was already deeply in love with the prose， characters， and the world。 It truly is like a xianxia， th First I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishers for sending me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review。I just want to say that before I even began reading this book I knew I would love it。 Amelie Wen Zhao dragged me into the world of Song from the beginning， with her talking about and promotions， it was a world I was already in love with。 As I turned that first page I knew I was already deeply in love with the prose， characters， and the world。 It truly is like a xianxia， through the imagery we were given， the flow of the story， it was lyrical。 The story of Song is a reflection of deep truth that shows the harsh reality of those in China， how they faced brutality from both Opium Wars， and the colonising of England。 My heart aches not just for those in real history， but for those in Song as they saw their world torn apart。 The world of Song is like I am sitting in nature listening to the sounds around me， the story of Lan， Zen， and all the others pulled me in as I learned more and more of who they are and what they are striving for。 The fight they have in them to take a stand and protect those around them， because they already saw their loved ones destroyed。 The magic is beautiful， and everything from the form of qi in everything， to seals， and the nature of our hearts was beautifully written and was not awkwardly described。 I can go on and on about how much this book means to me， and literally is one I will hold close to my heart。 I can't reccomend enough how beautiful of a story Zhao has crafted。 。。。more
Bella Sun
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I had really high hopes for this book but it didn’t quite live up to them。My biggest issue is the language。 The words “fart” and “turd” are used so often I was wondering if I was back in middle school。I usually like grumpy sunshine， but our MC Alan is just a bit too angry and mean and I had a hard time caring for her。The magic was fascinating and I liked the mythology。 It was a bit slow and Ali felt like e were told things instead of shown。 I struggle when there is a lot of info dumping in a boo I had really high hopes for this book but it didn’t quite live up to them。My biggest issue is the language。 The words “fart” and “turd” are used so often I was wondering if I was back in middle school。I usually like grumpy sunshine， but our MC Alan is just a bit too angry and mean and I had a hard time caring for her。The magic was fascinating and I liked the mythology。 It was a bit slow and Ali felt like e were told things instead of shown。 I struggle when there is a lot of info dumping in a book。I liked the world building， but the way the story was told， the slow build up， the almost middle school language， made it very hard for me to truly get involved in the story。This felt like a lot of other older ya fantasies。 The Mac as a dead mother， has a big secret she must find out， and， it just turns out she’s super powerful。I plan on trying to give this book another chance。 But， I did struggle a lot getting through this and caring about Lan。 。。。more
Jessica
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"It is the duty of those with power to protect those without。"Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC of this book！Song of Silver， Flame Like Night is inspired by ancient Chinese folklore and mythology。 It follows Lan as she tries to uncover the mystery behind a symbol burned onto her wrist by her mother as she died。 Lan is saved by Zen， a practitioner who wields magic and is the first person who can actually see the mark on Lan's wrist。 Together， they reveal the secrets about "It is the duty of those with power to protect those without。"Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC of this book！Song of Silver， Flame Like Night is inspired by ancient Chinese folklore and mythology。 It follows Lan as she tries to uncover the mystery behind a symbol burned onto her wrist by her mother as she died。 Lan is saved by Zen， a practitioner who wields magic and is the first person who can actually see the mark on Lan's wrist。 Together， they reveal the secrets about their fallen kingdom and the magic that many thought was lost。This book absolutely blew me away。 I fell in love with this world。 The world building is so intricate and full of rich histories that it makes everything feel so realistic。 I loved The attention to detail when it came to the magic system and the history of the dynasties previously。 This book was action packed and had so many twists that kept me begging for more。 I fell in love with the main characters and resonated with the losses they were feeling。 I loved this book's take on colonization and the impacts that it has on civilizations。 What I loved most about this book was it's commentary on the balance of power and how good and evil cannot exist without one another。 。。。more
Jessica
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"It is the duty of those with power to protect those without。"Song of Silver， Flame Like Night is inspired by ancient Chinese folklore and mythology。 It follows Lan as she tries to uncover the mystery behind a symbol burned onto her wrist by her mother as she died。 Lan is saved by Zen， a practitioner who wields magic and is the first person who can actually see the mark on Lan's wrist。 Together， they reveal the secrets about their fallen kingdom and the magic that many thought was lost。This book "It is the duty of those with power to protect those without。"Song of Silver， Flame Like Night is inspired by ancient Chinese folklore and mythology。 It follows Lan as she tries to uncover the mystery behind a symbol burned onto her wrist by her mother as she died。 Lan is saved by Zen， a practitioner who wields magic and is the first person who can actually see the mark on Lan's wrist。 Together， they reveal the secrets about their fallen kingdom and the magic that many thought was lost。This book absolutely blew me away。 I fell in love with this world。 The world building is so intricate and full of rich histories that it makes everything feel so realistic。 I loved The attention to detail when it came to the magic system and the history of the dynasties previously。 This book was action packed and had so many twists that kept me begging for more。 I fell in love with the main characters and resonated with the losses they were feeling。 I loved this book's take on colonization and the impacts that it has on civilizations。 What I loved most about this book was it's commentary on the balance of power and how good and evil cannot exist without one another。 。。。more
Lyn
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This book was an absolute cover love for me！ Look how gorgeous it is！ I love dragons and I’ve always been interested in Chinese folklore so I was super excited to read it。 I can attest upfront that this story did not disappoint。Lan and Zen were compelling characters， each with their own traumas and their secrets—secrets that the author dribbled throughout the story with a clever hand， keeping you wanting for more。 The plotline was intriguing with twists that some I saw coming and others I so did This book was an absolute cover love for me！ Look how gorgeous it is！ I love dragons and I’ve always been interested in Chinese folklore so I was super excited to read it。 I can attest upfront that this story did not disappoint。Lan and Zen were compelling characters， each with their own traumas and their secrets—secrets that the author dribbled throughout the story with a clever hand， keeping you wanting for more。 The plotline was intriguing with twists that some I saw coming and others I so did not and enjoyed the surprise of those revelations。The side characters were excellent additions and knit the threads of this story tight。 I did expect more from the main characters by the ending chapters， especially Zen but I understand that this is only the first in a duology。I read this book in one sitting because I just couldn’t stop and I was dying to know what happened next！ What I loved best about this story， was the author’s fascinating descriptions of the magic， the abilities， and the vivid scenes that I could see in my mind。 Amélie Wen Zhao is a new author for me but I am already impressed by her writing style and can’t wait to try her other books。Thanks to Penguin Teen Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。Stay tuned。∼LynPosted on Blog 。。。more
Liz
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Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the eARC。 Overall， I would rate this book at 3/5 stars。 I struggled through the beginning - it felt like lot of info dumping which made the plot feel like it was moving too slowly。 I would have been interested to see more of the other character’s storylines develop a little more as well。 I am interested in continuing the series and to see where Lan’s and Zen’s stories take them。
Sidney Cannan
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4。5/5 stars
Malli （Chapter Malliumpkin）
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I can't wait to read this！ Highly anticipated since November 2022！Blog|Instagram|YouTube|Ko-fi|Throne I can't wait to read this！ Highly anticipated since November 2022！Blog|Instagram|YouTube|Ko-fi|Throne 。。。more
Magen
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