thebookishatelier's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
janaikam's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The writing was so beautiful and lyrical that it captured my attention from the first page. The story itself was well done to where I found myself shocked by all the twists and turns the plot took.
nooreo's review against another edition
4.0
pre-read: some would say that i would do anything for a pretty cover. some are correct.
______
3.7, maybe 3.8 stars. thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC! in arc fashion, here’s a few of my pros and cons (except this time, i can’t decide if ANYTHING in this book is a pro or a con):
(?) lan. she’s definitely…. an acquired taste. i can see a lot of readers liking her, but also a lot of readers hating her (let’s just say she doesn’t make the best decisions with the brain that she has). she grows on you, though, and i ended up liking her by the final chapters.
(+) zen. spoke like a robot half the time, but i liked what he brought to the story. does he need to be professionally seen by a therapist? yes. yes he does.
(?) the plot. girl must save universe but has no idea how to wield the crazy power she has. i never know how to feel about these plots. yes, they tend to be solid outlines, but they also tend to be mediocre and/or forgettable books. because i enjoyed the author‘s previous trilogy so much, i had faith that the end would pick up. (+) what i DID like was that there were more than the two “good” and “bad” sides. oh, and the plot absolutely picks up around 80%. which leads me to…
(-) pacing. this was totally written as a “first book in the series”. which it is, and i appreciate that the story was thought out and sectioned into different books, but the entire book felt like exposition! yes, i now want to know what’ll happen in book two, but at what cost
______
3.7, maybe 3.8 stars. thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC! in arc fashion, here’s a few of my pros and cons (except this time, i can’t decide if ANYTHING in this book is a pro or a con):
(?) lan. she’s definitely…. an acquired taste. i can see a lot of readers liking her, but also a lot of readers hating her (let’s just say she doesn’t make the best decisions with the brain that she has). she grows on you, though, and i ended up liking her by the final chapters.
(+) zen. spoke like a robot half the time, but i liked what he brought to the story. does he need to be professionally seen by a therapist? yes. yes he does.
(?) the plot. girl must save universe but has no idea how to wield the crazy power she has. i never know how to feel about these plots. yes, they tend to be solid outlines, but they also tend to be mediocre and/or forgettable books. because i enjoyed the author‘s previous trilogy so much, i had faith that the end would pick up. (+) what i DID like was that there were more than the two “good” and “bad” sides. oh, and the plot absolutely picks up around 80%. which leads me to…
(-) pacing. this was totally written as a “first book in the series”. which it is, and i appreciate that the story was thought out and sectioned into different books, but the entire book felt like exposition! yes, i now want to know what’ll happen in book two, but at what cost
auxane0902's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
quirkycatsfatstacks's review
5.0
Book Summary:
Lan remembers a time when she had a different name. A time before the colonizers came to her land and changed everything – their culture, their magic, even their names. Not content to live with this new life handed to her, Lan delves into her people's past. And she finds the most intriguing things – a strange mark that ties directly to her people's history—a mark left behind by her mother.
Zen is one of the Last Kingdom's fabled magicians. Quite possibly one of the last. So he knows precisely what Lan is and what the mark on her arm means. Together, they may just have what it takes to change the destiny of their kingdom.
My Review:
Oh wow. I knew that Song of Silver, Flame Like Night would be fantastic – any book written by Amelia Wen Zhao is sure to impress. And boy, I was not disappointed here! This novel is magical, fantastical, and certain to capture your imagination.
Best of all are the very real foundations found within this story and their connection to mythology. It's all so perfectly balanced. Again, if you've read anything else by Amelie Wen Zhao, you've probably come to expect that!
The worldbuilding is superb, the characters compelling, and the story rich and complex. In other words, it's the perfect novel to pick up. In fact, I'm already highly tempted to dive back in and do a second reading!
Highlights:
Asian literature
Dragons!
Mythology
Coming of Age meets Fantasy
Trigger Warnings:
Death of parents
Loss of autonomy
Racism/colonialism
War/genocide
Thanks to Delacorte Press and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Lan remembers a time when she had a different name. A time before the colonizers came to her land and changed everything – their culture, their magic, even their names. Not content to live with this new life handed to her, Lan delves into her people's past. And she finds the most intriguing things – a strange mark that ties directly to her people's history—a mark left behind by her mother.
Zen is one of the Last Kingdom's fabled magicians. Quite possibly one of the last. So he knows precisely what Lan is and what the mark on her arm means. Together, they may just have what it takes to change the destiny of their kingdom.
My Review:
Oh wow. I knew that Song of Silver, Flame Like Night would be fantastic – any book written by Amelia Wen Zhao is sure to impress. And boy, I was not disappointed here! This novel is magical, fantastical, and certain to capture your imagination.
Best of all are the very real foundations found within this story and their connection to mythology. It's all so perfectly balanced. Again, if you've read anything else by Amelie Wen Zhao, you've probably come to expect that!
The worldbuilding is superb, the characters compelling, and the story rich and complex. In other words, it's the perfect novel to pick up. In fact, I'm already highly tempted to dive back in and do a second reading!
Highlights:
Asian literature
Dragons!
Mythology
Coming of Age meets Fantasy
Trigger Warnings:
Death of parents
Loss of autonomy
Racism/colonialism
War/genocide
Thanks to Delacorte Press and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
miguel03's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I absolutely loved this book! The mythology, the rich culture and interesting characters made this an enjoyable story. As a musician, I especially enjoyed the musical elements the story, like first meeting Lan singing in the Tea house and the
Imperialism is a big topic in the story, and is an effective way of bringing the discussion on the effects of imperialism in today's world.
I loved the development of both main characters, Lan and Zen. They had quite the journey from where we first meet them to the end of the book. I also found myself so emotionally invested in the characters and the story that my heart ached at certain points. I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of the book, but especially so for the last 100 pages.
I cannot wait for the second book in this duology so I can read Song of Silver again.
Spoiler
use of the ocarina as a major plot point and Lan's clan practicioning style through the use of musicImperialism is a big topic in the story, and is an effective way of bringing the discussion on the effects of imperialism in today's world.
I loved the development of both main characters, Lan and Zen. They had quite the journey from where we first meet them to the end of the book. I also found myself so emotionally invested in the characters and the story that my heart ached at certain points. I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of the book, but especially so for the last 100 pages.
I cannot wait for the second book in this duology so I can read Song of Silver again.
castorum's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This book was so boring for so long. It felt like every conversation was a world-building dump and the two characters' perspectives were so similar that it would take paragraphs for me to figure out whose chapter it was. The book got interesting during the last 100 pages though so that was nice. Also, the cover is pretty so that helps. This might be more personal takes so it might not apply to you but
Spoiler
a lot of the world-building felt like it was taken from other books and genres. The magic that the Elantians use felt so much like alloymancy from Mistborn I had to stop and check that I was reading it right. Now I should note that I am in the middle of re-reading Mistborn right now with a friend so it could be that it is just because I am reading them at the same time that is making me feel this way, but I have other issues. The demon god aseptic feels so much like how the poppy war series that it made me go wait a moment. It is the way that this book uses the gods as beings of power that want destruction but also the fact that the MC's both feel oddly close to Atlan and Rin. Now, this isn't to say that the author is trying to steal ideas from these books but with how popular all these books are it is possible that some inspiration was taken. Also, this again is just a point for me personally but the marketing I saw for this book was completely different than what the book was. I just wish it was a little more honest or I got the book that the ads were promoting.karpidiem11's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
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.
steviereads77's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Bargains with demon gods, a hidden magic school, and a ruthless colonizing force that needs to be stopped.
Plot: 3/5
The concept of this plot is really compelling. There were unpredictable twists and enough intrigue to keep you interested through out. But the pacing of the plot felt really off, there were several times that the book felt like it had completed the story but there was still a lot to go. The training arc was too short for the power that Lan seemed to suddenly have.
Characters: 3/5
Zen is the redeeming character here. I really enjoyed his perspective and his internal struggle with demons.
Lan felt very inconsistent. The way she thought and saw herself didn't line up with how she acted and what she said. There was just an odd disconnect there. She had a lot of funny lines that I definitely enjoyed, her personality really shows. But there was something about her character that wasn't super compelling to me.
The side characters fell really flat, they needed more detail and interactions to come to life.
Writing: 3/5
I think that Zhao did a really good job of mixing humor into serious situations, it made the reactions much more believable. A fair bit of the dialogue felt very stiff but it wasn't a huge deterrent.
Overall: 3/5
I'm interested to see Zhao's writing in her other books and see how her characters develop in those before I decide if she is an author for me or not.
Plot: 3/5
The concept of this plot is really compelling. There were unpredictable twists and enough intrigue to keep you interested through out. But the pacing of the plot felt really off, there were several times that the book felt like it had completed the story but there was still a lot to go. The training arc was too short for the power that Lan seemed to suddenly have.
Characters: 3/5
Zen is the redeeming character here. I really enjoyed his perspective and his internal struggle with demons.
Lan felt very inconsistent. The way she thought and saw herself didn't line up with how she acted and what she said. There was just an odd disconnect there. She had a lot of funny lines that I definitely enjoyed, her personality really shows. But there was something about her character that wasn't super compelling to me.
The side characters fell really flat, they needed more detail and interactions to come to life.
Writing: 3/5
I think that Zhao did a really good job of mixing humor into serious situations, it made the reactions much more believable. A fair bit of the dialogue felt very stiff but it wasn't a huge deterrent.
Overall: 3/5
I'm interested to see Zhao's writing in her other books and see how her characters develop in those before I decide if she is an author for me or not.
enchanted_novels's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25