Author(s): Ann Liang

General Fiction | Summer Reading Guide 2024/25

A love story that transcends time and place. Xishi's beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue - where the best fate for a girl is to marry well and support her family. When Xishi draws the attention of Fanli, the famous young military advisor, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon; one that could topple the rival neighbouring 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. 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. 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.