Song of Silver, Flame Like Night (Song of the Last Kingdom)
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • 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.
“Brims with pure magic. Zhao has woven together a story of self-discovery, slow-burning romance, and heart-pounding revelations.” —Rebecca Ross, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals
“A magical tale set in a glittering, dangerous world featuring a dynamic heroine and an enigmatic hero.” —Isabel Ibañez, #1 New York Times bestselling author of What The River Knows
Lan spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong, a city transformed by the Elantian colonizers. Her days are consumed by the search for knowledge about the strange mark—an untranslatable Hin character—burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died.
Zen is a practitioner—one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom. He’s never seen anything like Lan’s mark, 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.
Yet, both Lan and Zen are hiding secrets—secrets that are buried deep within them. Secrets that even they have still to unearth. Both hold the power to liberate their land, if they don't destroy it first.
Now the battle for the Last Kingdom begins.
Inspired by ancient Chinese mythology and folklore, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night transports readers to a lush fantasy world filled with high-stakes adventure, glittering magic, and against-all-odds romance from beginning to end.
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Community Reviews
"She would no longer be the flower. She would be the blade."
Lan watched her mother die 12 cycles ago and now she's found herself being chased by an evil magician and in the company of a practitioner she never believed existed. She's heard rumors and stories of men like Zen, men who could create illusion but never thought she'd ever find herself escorted across unfamiliar lands with one by her side. As Lan and Zen make their way to the Last Kingdom memories start to reveal the secrets of their pasts.
This book was beautiful. The writing and world building are well developed. The dynamic between the characters was so perfectly done and I enjoyed their interactions throughout the book. This was adventurous from beginning to end and I couldn't stop reading. I liked how the author intertwined all the folklore around myths and magic really brought this book to another level.
I definitely recommend this and can't wait to read the next in the series!
Lan watched her mother die 12 cycles ago and now she's found herself being chased by an evil magician and in the company of a practitioner she never believed existed. She's heard rumors and stories of men like Zen, men who could create illusion but never thought she'd ever find herself escorted across unfamiliar lands with one by her side. As Lan and Zen make their way to the Last Kingdom memories start to reveal the secrets of their pasts.
This book was beautiful. The writing and world building are well developed. The dynamic between the characters was so perfectly done and I enjoyed their interactions throughout the book. This was adventurous from beginning to end and I couldn't stop reading. I liked how the author intertwined all the folklore around myths and magic really brought this book to another level.
I definitely recommend this and can't wait to read the next in the series!
Look. Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is absolutely the cool kid in the fantasy cafeteria. It's got the gorgeous Chinese mythology inspo, angsty chosen-one energy, mysterious magic marks, ancient secrets, and a brooding boy with a tragic past. So yes, I showed up. Yes, I was intrigued. And yes, I got slightly emotionally attached before things got a little... chaotic.
Lan is basically like, “Hi, my name’s Not Really Lan, my mom died tragically, there’s a magical tattoo only I can see, and I think I’m about to unravel a centuries-old mystery and/or accidentally doom us all.” And I was like, oh girl, same. Her journey is layered, the vibes are ✨aesthetic✨, and the tension between her and Zen is the slow-burn, “we shouldn’t be doing this but we’re going to anyway” kind of drama that fuels my soul.
But—and this is a gentle but with love—some parts of the book felt like being hit with a mythology textbook while sprinting through a battlefield. So many cool concepts, so little time to actually digest them. Just as I was falling for one magical system or epic setting, BOOM, plot twist, new term, ancient prophecy, cryptic dream vision. I kept turning the pages while my brain whispered, “Wait… who? What now?”
Also the worldbuilding is rich, but sometimes feels like it’s flexing on me. Like, yes, I do want a glossary and a flow chart and maybe an emotional support panda to help me through this reading experience.
All that said, I did enjoy it. It’s got heart. It’s got teeth. And it sets up book two like it’s walking off into a dramatic sunset with a sword in one hand and trauma in the other.
Would I recommend this? Yep—especially if you like your fantasy intense, ambitious, and just a smidge overwhelming in the best “my-brain-is-full-but-satisfied” kind of way.
Not everything needs to be perfect to still be a good time.
Lan is basically like, “Hi, my name’s Not Really Lan, my mom died tragically, there’s a magical tattoo only I can see, and I think I’m about to unravel a centuries-old mystery and/or accidentally doom us all.” And I was like, oh girl, same. Her journey is layered, the vibes are ✨aesthetic✨, and the tension between her and Zen is the slow-burn, “we shouldn’t be doing this but we’re going to anyway” kind of drama that fuels my soul.
But—and this is a gentle but with love—some parts of the book felt like being hit with a mythology textbook while sprinting through a battlefield. So many cool concepts, so little time to actually digest them. Just as I was falling for one magical system or epic setting, BOOM, plot twist, new term, ancient prophecy, cryptic dream vision. I kept turning the pages while my brain whispered, “Wait… who? What now?”
Also the worldbuilding is rich, but sometimes feels like it’s flexing on me. Like, yes, I do want a glossary and a flow chart and maybe an emotional support panda to help me through this reading experience.
All that said, I did enjoy it. It’s got heart. It’s got teeth. And it sets up book two like it’s walking off into a dramatic sunset with a sword in one hand and trauma in the other.
Would I recommend this? Yep—especially if you like your fantasy intense, ambitious, and just a smidge overwhelming in the best “my-brain-is-full-but-satisfied” kind of way.
Not everything needs to be perfect to still be a good time.
I am so mad about this.
This book was a rollercoaster of a reading experience, and not in a good way.
To summarize my thoughts and experience :
The world and concepts were interesting but the writing was poorly proportioned, the pacing was way off, and in consequence, so was the overall storytelling.
My reading experience in more details because i'm angry :
* The story starts out fine, then we meet Zen and the writing starts to feel extremely cheesy.
BUT it's still the beginning of the book, i'm just waiting to see how things play out.
* And then, the story slows so hard and with a TON of infodumping?
I was ready to maybe DNF this, or, if managing to finish it, then give it 2 to 3 stars.
I DID still hold on to this story, thanks to the world and concepts which are really interesting.
* In the next 100 pages or so: BAM emotional scenes that actually got to me.
AND the plot moves again? Okay great, i'm back into it !
* Then comes a scene that ruined the book for me. At 70% approximately, a character made a quite important decision that made ZERO sense to me.
The author give the reasons yeah, but doesn't show them to us, and most of them come from a reveal that comes LATER?
Bu this decision seem to be needed for the plot, so I guess who cares if it makes sense for the character right? :exasperated sigh:
* After that nonsense, I just sat through the events. I cared about ONE scene and mind you, that's during the last 150 pages which actually were filled with action.
In the spririt of ending this review with less negative mindset, I have a recommandation for you!
If you were disappointed in this book like me, OR are looking for another story with discussion around (godlike) power to the scale of a country or world : I suggest reading [b:The Poppy War|35068705|The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1)|R.F. Kuang|https:i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515691735l/35068705._SY75_.jpg|56364137], if you haven't already.
This book was a rollercoaster of a reading experience, and not in a good way.
To summarize my thoughts and experience :
The world and concepts were interesting but the writing was poorly proportioned, the pacing was way off, and in consequence, so was the overall storytelling.
My reading experience in more details because i'm angry :
* The story starts out fine, then we meet Zen and the writing starts to feel extremely cheesy.
BUT it's still the beginning of the book, i'm just waiting to see how things play out.
* And then, the story slows so hard and with a TON of infodumping?
I was ready to maybe DNF this, or, if managing to finish it, then give it 2 to 3 stars.
I DID still hold on to this story, thanks to the world and concepts which are really interesting.
* In the next 100 pages or so: BAM emotional scenes that actually got to me.
AND the plot moves again? Okay great, i'm back into it !
* Then comes a scene that ruined the book for me. At 70% approximately, a character made a quite important decision that made ZERO sense to me.
The author give the reasons yeah, but doesn't show them to us, and most of them come from a reveal that comes LATER?
Bu this decision seem to be needed for the plot, so I guess who cares if it makes sense for the character right? :exasperated sigh:
* After that nonsense, I just sat through the events. I cared about ONE scene and mind you, that's during the last 150 pages which actually were filled with action.
In the spririt of ending this review with less negative mindset, I have a recommandation for you!
If you were disappointed in this book like me, OR are looking for another story with discussion around (godlike) power to the scale of a country or world : I suggest reading [b:The Poppy War|35068705|The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1)|R.F. Kuang|https:i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515691735l/35068705._SY75_.jpg|56364137], if you haven't already.
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
Following Lan and Zen, Song of Silver, Flame Light explores a nation’s rise and fall of their kingdom and the dangerous magic that can either save them or destroy them from the inside out.
Storytelling
Thoroughly engaging, Song of Silver, Flame Light Night explores Chinese mythology. Then, however, Zhao goes a step further and delves into xianxia, a “growing subgenre of fantasy influenced by Chinese mythology, Taoism, Buddhism, Chinese martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese folk religion, Chinese alchemy, and other traditional Chinese elements.”
Seeing all these different elements explored together rather than separately is very interesting. Readers are probably familiar with these elements and their concepts through various mediums. However, having them pulled together to form the magic system of the Last Kingdom made the story unique.
The language, detail, and history that Zhao trickles throughout the story make the magic vivid. We see how magic is used and why some forms are frowned upon.
Then there is the Elantian’s magic system. They draw magic from metal, which is very different from how the Last Kingdom used magic. The Elantian form of magic is frigid and impersonal. In contrast, the magic of the Last Kingdom is all about working with nature and drawing on one’s chi to do the magic work.
Colonialism
Song of Silver, Flame Light Night is, at its core, a story about colonialism.
The Last Kingdom came out after a civil war. Compared to previous reigns, it did not last as long. The Elantian’s are very much colonilzers. They invaded the realm and then began to strip it of its culture, forcing the native people to bend and forget their culture in favor of their names.
Lan and Zen’s names highlight that. Before, their names were different, but then they were forced to change their names to fit into the new culture.
Zhao uses characterization to highlight the different ways the people were affected by the invasion, making this an equal-parts character-driven story.
Characterization is critical here because the reader has to understand these characters and, at the very least, sympathize with them.
In the beginning, that is a little tough, given the stiffness of the characters. Zen is stiff, but as he becomes closer to Lan, bonding over unvoiced pain and loss, he becomes softer. He doesn’t lose his edge, but it is as though he finds something more to live for as if before, he was just going through the motions. And as Zhao explores his past, we learn more about the four demon gods, their power, and the darkness within Zen.
The same can be said for Lan, but for her, she takes a different approach. The more she learns about the practitioners and what her mother was working towards, she too becomes softer but does not lose her heart to vengeance or darkness. Much like Zen, she went through life just to survive. Eager to solve the mystery of the mark her mother left on her wrist, she learns to have a purpose. She meets the day with her head help up to carry on her mother’s work.
Seeing the different paths, these two characters take says a lot about how they were influenced by the Elantian invasion. One can either lose their heart to darkness and vengeance or fight with hope in their heart.
Final Thoughts
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a thrilling beginning to a new series. While a little slow to build, the tension and character dynamics develop wonderfully, allowing the magic system to shine.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
Song of Silver, Flame Light Night delves deeply into Xianxia, going beyond traditional Chinese Mythology to follow the fight against colonialism.
Following Lan and Zen, Song of Silver, Flame Light explores a nation’s rise and fall of their kingdom and the dangerous magic that can either save them or destroy them from the inside out.
Storytelling
Thoroughly engaging, Song of Silver, Flame Light Night explores Chinese mythology. Then, however, Zhao goes a step further and delves into xianxia, a “growing subgenre of fantasy influenced by Chinese mythology, Taoism, Buddhism, Chinese martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese folk religion, Chinese alchemy, and other traditional Chinese elements.”
Seeing all these different elements explored together rather than separately is very interesting. Readers are probably familiar with these elements and their concepts through various mediums. However, having them pulled together to form the magic system of the Last Kingdom made the story unique.
The language, detail, and history that Zhao trickles throughout the story make the magic vivid. We see how magic is used and why some forms are frowned upon.
Then there is the Elantian’s magic system. They draw magic from metal, which is very different from how the Last Kingdom used magic. The Elantian form of magic is frigid and impersonal. In contrast, the magic of the Last Kingdom is all about working with nature and drawing on one’s chi to do the magic work.
Colonialism
Song of Silver, Flame Light Night is, at its core, a story about colonialism.
The Last Kingdom came out after a civil war. Compared to previous reigns, it did not last as long. The Elantian’s are very much colonilzers. They invaded the realm and then began to strip it of its culture, forcing the native people to bend and forget their culture in favor of their names.
Lan and Zen’s names highlight that. Before, their names were different, but then they were forced to change their names to fit into the new culture.
Zhao uses characterization to highlight the different ways the people were affected by the invasion, making this an equal-parts character-driven story.
Characterization is critical here because the reader has to understand these characters and, at the very least, sympathize with them.
In the beginning, that is a little tough, given the stiffness of the characters. Zen is stiff, but as he becomes closer to Lan, bonding over unvoiced pain and loss, he becomes softer. He doesn’t lose his edge, but it is as though he finds something more to live for as if before, he was just going through the motions. And as Zhao explores his past, we learn more about the four demon gods, their power, and the darkness within Zen.
The same can be said for Lan, but for her, she takes a different approach. The more she learns about the practitioners and what her mother was working towards, she too becomes softer but does not lose her heart to vengeance or darkness. Much like Zen, she went through life just to survive. Eager to solve the mystery of the mark her mother left on her wrist, she learns to have a purpose. She meets the day with her head help up to carry on her mother’s work.
Seeing the different paths, these two characters take says a lot about how they were influenced by the Elantian invasion. One can either lose their heart to darkness and vengeance or fight with hope in their heart.
Final Thoughts
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a thrilling beginning to a new series. While a little slow to build, the tension and character dynamics develop wonderfully, allowing the magic system to shine.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
Thank you, Turn The Page Tours, for the chance to read Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is the first book in the Song of the Last Kingdom duology by Amélie Wen Zhao. This isn't the author's first series; she's better known for her debut, Blood Heir, which has been reviewed 12,744 times on Goodreads! Like Blood Heir, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is also published by Delacorte Press, a Random House imprint. It's 467 pages long and falls broadly under the category of fantasy (but more specifically under YA fantasy), mythology, and Chinese folklore.
Lan is a song girl in a colonized kingdom. By day, she alternatively flirts and avoids patrons of the teahouse to make ends meet, and by night sneaks out to try to understand the scar on her arm that no one but her can see. When she accidentally kills an Elantian soldier, she draws the attention of an Elantian magician who killed her mother and really wants her gone too. Lan escapes with Zen, the boy who can see she too is a practitioner (even if she doesn't know it), to go to a place the Elantians can't reach, a school of masters who can train her too. Once there, Lan discovers the truth about her mother's death and takes control to try and protect the ones she loves.
There are some really great things in this book! For one, I loved the magic system the author set up and the world she built. By making Zen Lan's teacher, Zhao could include a lot of information without it being out of place. The Zen and Lan chemistry was also done well; they're instantly attracted to each other. The author keeps going with that instead of randomly sliding it in somewhere. There are some really touching moments, such as when Lan talks about how Zen gives her information so freely when she used to have to beg for it before meeting him. The book also depicted colonialism fairly well, from how resources are extracted to how history is being re-written to suit the victor. The side characters have interesting stories and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in the next book!
Some things did bug me. The language would sometimes go from being very pretty and slightly old-fashioned to being hyper-modern in the same sentence, which is occasionally jarring. I also noted this in the Iron Widow, and I wonder if this is a style that authors are now experimenting with. Lan also felt very stupid and childish; things like the dancing in the woods scene and when she bathes in the sacred spring just rubbed me the wrong way. The dramatic parent reveal was also a bit blegh.
I am intrigued by the ending with what both Lan and Zen chose, and I'm looking forward to the next book.