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A review by dragoninwinterfell
A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Rating Ann Liang's A Song to Drown Rivers is very difficult.
On one hand, there's instant love with little rooting value between the main character and her love interest, the beginning is hard to get into since its very choppy, there are several plot conveniences that are difficult to ignore, the dialogue is too modern, and the motivation for the main character's actions aren't established well enough.
On the other hand, the descriptions are beautifully written, the dynamic between the main character and the antagonist is very well done, the court politics were excellent, and climax of the novel was very emotionally gripping.
The aspects I love most about the novel (politics, female relationships, etc) make the flaws so much more glaring. There's potential for a masterpiece here, but it was never more than partially realized.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
On one hand, there's instant love with little rooting value between the main character and her love interest, the beginning is hard to get into since its very choppy, there are several plot conveniences that are difficult to ignore, the dialogue is too modern, and the motivation for the main character's actions aren't established well enough.
On the other hand, the descriptions are beautifully written, the dynamic between the main character and the antagonist is very well done, the court politics were excellent, and climax of the novel was very emotionally gripping.
The aspects I love most about the novel (politics, female relationships, etc) make the flaws so much more glaring. There's potential for a masterpiece here, but it was never more than partially realized.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.