Ann Liang is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of the critically acclaimed YA novels This Time It’s Real, If You Could See the Sun, and I Hope This Doesn’t Find You. Her books have sold into over twenty foreign territories. Born in Beijing, she grew up traveling back and forth between China and Australia, but somehow ended up with an American accent. She now lives in Melbourne, where she can be found making overambitious to‑do lists and having profound conversations with her pet labradoodle about who’s a good dog.

Welcome to the Hive, Ann. Congratulations on your latest novel A Song to Drown Rivers. Can you tell us a bit about it? What can our readers expect?

Hi! Thank you so much for having me! A Song to Drown Rivers is a historical epic that’s inspired by the legend of Xishi, who’s trained and sent to the enemy kingdom to destroy it from within. For readers who might know me through my fluffier romance novels, I do feel the need to emphasize that while there is a love story in A Song to Drown Rivers, it’s not a romance! There’s also more angst in this book, which is all I can say for now without going into spoilers. 

Your book centres around Xishi, one of the Four Beauties of Ancient China. What drew you to writing about this legend? 

I grew up hearing about this legend—it’s very popular in China and Xishi is so well-known that her name is pretty much synonymous with beauty. But I didn’t really consider writing a book inspired by the legend until one day, I was randomly going down this rabbit hole of history videos—as one does—and came across a documentary about the legend. I’d heard of Xishi’s beauty, of course, but it was my first time learning about her relationship with Fanli, which was really compelling to me because the conflict at the heart of it felt so timeless and universal: the impossible choice between doing what we want, and doing what we feel like we should do. The conflict between our minds and hearts, which also inspired this line in the book: the mind destroys, the heart devours. 

And what more can you tell us about Xishi? What drives her character?

When I wrote the book, I really imagined Xishi as this young woman who finds herself in a foreign environment, who has to watch her every move and pretend to be something she’s not and hide how she truly feels. She’s someone who has to grow up very fast, and there’s this incredible pressure placed on her as an individual to do the ‘right’ thing, though we see her questioning what the right thing really is. I was also interested in exploring how she uses her beauty to her advantage, but at the same time, is used by others for their own gain. In terms of her motivation—she’s definitely driven by revenge, but there’s this goodness to her, almost a naivety, despite the corrupting influences of those around her. She genuinely wants peace for her kingdom and her family, which, of course, is part of the tragedy. 

If you were to step inside Xishi’s shoes, how do you think you would fare?

Oh, I definitely would not survive in Xishi’s shoes. I would make a terrible spy, and I’m too gullible to navigate the courts of Ancient China. My strategy would probably be to keep a low profile and just focus on surviving, but either way I’m sure I’d be dead within a chapter.  

What can you tell us of your side characters? Did you have a favourite to write?

Some of the side characters were based off of real historical figures. King Goujian in particular was a fascinating figure for me because I’d heard stories about him when I was a child, and I included the stories in the book—like how he supposedly slept on firewood and ate bile to remind himself of the humiliation he endured. 

A Song to Drown Rivers is your adult historical fantasy debut. How different did you find the writing style compared to writing YA? What defines adult fantasy for you? 

This book is definitely different from my previous releases, and I think the difference is more noticeable because it’s technically a new genre and age category for me—so compared to my young adult romances, A Song to Drown River is more slow-paced, spans across multiple years, and is somewhat darker. As I mentioned previously, I also didn’t write the relationship between Xishi and Fanli as a traditional romance; if I had chosen to do so, there are certain beats, tropes and conventions I would have followed. At the same time, I see A Song to Drown Rivers as falling into that space between YA and adult, and so I do believe that there isn’t always a hard line. But when it comes down to the distinctions, I like to consider the scope, thematic elements, and importantly, the tone. I try to infuse my YA books with a sense of hope and have them end on a note of triumph, which I wouldn’t necessarily do or expect with an adult fantasy. 

We always appreciate a beautiful book cover! How involved in the process were you? Was there a particular aesthetic you hoped the artist would portray?

Thank you so much—I’m incredibly lucky to have such a gorgeous cover! I was grateful to be very heavily involved in the process. I wanted something that would capture the atmosphere of the book: something epic and romantic and slightly melancholy, and the designer really gave me everything I envisioned and more. 

One of our favourite questions here on the Fantasy Hive: which fantastical creature would you ride into battle and why?

I had a horse phase when I was a kid, so I’d choose a unicorn (not a Pegasus, because I’m terrified of flying). 

Tell us about a historical fantasy you have recently loved. Any hidden gems?

I’m sure everyone already knows this but I absolutely adore The Radiant Emperor Duology by Shelley Parker-Chan and I think about those books all the time. 

Can you tell us a little something about your current work(s) in progress? Will there be a sequel to A Song to Drown Rivers?

A Song to Drown Rivers is a standalone, so I won’t be returning to those characters or that world. Right now, I’m working on I Could Give You the Moon, the spin-off for my YA debut, If You Could See the Sun, which follows a beloved heiress at a Beijing boarding school who discovers a terrifying vision of her own future and must do everything she can to prevent it from happening. 

Are you planning anything fun to celebrate your new release? Do you have any upcoming virtual events our readers may be interested in?

I don’t have any virtual events confirmed as of now, but I’m so excited to be flying to New York for the first time for the launch!

Finally, what is the one thing you hope readers take away from your writing?

As with all my books, I really hope my writing offers readers an escape, and that it makes them feel something, whatever that may be. With this book in particular, I also hope it might make some readers curious about the original legend of Xishi if they aren’t familiar with it already. There are so many different versions of her story that exist, and that period of Chinese history (the Spring and Autumn period) is extremely fascinating as a whole. 

Thank you so much for joining us today! 

Thank you for the thoughtful questions! I had so much fun!

A Song to Drown Rivers is due for release 3rd October. You can pre-order your copy on Bookshop.org