Song Of The Six Realms by Judy I. Lin
Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A
Magic Steeped in Poison, weaves a dreamy gothic romance
worthy of the heavens in Song of the Six Realms.
Xue, a talented young musician, has no past and probably no
future. Orphaned at a young age, her kindly poet uncle took
her in and arranged for an apprenticeship at one of the most
esteemed entertainment houses in the kingdom. She doesn’t
remember much from before entering the House of Flowing
Water, and when her uncle is suddenly killed in a bandit
attack, she is devastated to lose her last connection to a
life outside of her indenture contract.
With no family and no patron, Xue is facing the possibility
of a lifetime of servitude playing the qin for nobles that
praise her talent with one breath and sneer at her lowly
social status with the next. Then one night she is
unexpectedly called to the garden to put on a private
performance for the enigmatic Duke Meng. The young man is
strangely kind and awkward for nobility, and surprises Xue
further with an irresistible offer: serve as a musician in
residence at his manor for one year, and he’ll set her free
of her indenture.
But the Duke’s motives become increasingly more suspect when
he and Xue barely survive an attack by a nightmarish
monster, and when he whisks her away to his estate, she
discovers he’s not just some country noble: He’s the Duke of
Dreams, one of the divine rulers of the Celestial Realm.
There she learns the Six Realms are on the brink of
disaster, and incursions by demonic beasts are growing more
frequent.
The Duke needs Xue’s help to unlock memories from her past
that could hold the answers to how to stop the impending
war… but first Xue will need to survive being the target of
every monster and deity in the Six Realms.
I finished reading Song Of The Six Realms this weekend and it was an amazing fantasy read with a protagonist who's a gifted musician adept at playing the qín!
Guxue lost her family at a young age and was taken in by her uncle to be raised, but later when he sets off on his travels, she ends up apprenticing at a popular entertainment house. Due to her parents' crimes, their names have been removed from the records and Xue has no way of leading a normal life unless she could earn a pardon. After a few years, she learns that her uncle has been killed in a bandit attack and she's resigned herself to a lifetime of servitude while playing the qín until she meets a mysterious patron who asks for a private performance and puts forth a tempting offer. Duke Meng asks her to serve as a musician in his residence for a year after which she could be freed from her contract and after learning about the connection between her uncle and his mentor she agrees. But, after reaching his residence she ends up with more questions than answers and after some run-ins with some dangerous monsters, she learns that her life and all of the realms may be in peril.
I would love to see a drama adaptation of this book because the xianxia vibes were so good! Xue is an amazing MC with so much hidden strength and courage! I loved the musical descriptions and how the book was broken down into verses and interludes with some special stories that tied into the overall plot! I think my favorite part was definitely the world building which was quite detailed with the different realms and their histories. The writing was also very beautiful and rich with descriptions that were very vivid and lifelike! I was also very invested in uncovering the mystery along with Xue and Meng Jinglang - who was a very sweet love interest. Overall, this was an amazing YA fantasy read and I hope there will be a sequel or more books set in this world!
You can also find this review on my bookstagram here
*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest
review*
Judy I. Lin was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Canada with her family
at a young age. She grew up with her nose in a book and loved to escape
to imaginary worlds. She now works as an occupational therapist, and
still spends her nights dreaming up imaginary worlds of her own. She
lives on the Canadian prairies with her husband and daughter. A Magic
Steeped in Poison is her debut novel.
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