I thoroughly enjoyed Judy I. Lin’s previous duology, The Book of Tea Duology, so when I heard about her new book, I had to check it out.

It is my pleasure to be a part of the blog tour for Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin today, organised by TBR Blog Tours! Please take the time to view the full details of the tour with a list of everyone taking part.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Magic Steeped in Poison, weaves a dreamy standalone romance about a talented musician swept away to the Celestial Realm by a handsome duke 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. For a young man of nobility, he is strangely kind and awkward, 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.

This book was provided for free by TBR and Beyond Book Tours and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Content Warnings:

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Xue’s past is marked by a tragedy that left her orphaned and her family name struck from memory in an ancient custom. Taken in by her uncle, he does everything he can to help Xue prosper in a society that treats her as lesser. She’s a talented musician, and he arranges an apprenticeship at the esteemed House of Flowing Waters, a house that provides entertainment from the most skilled entertainers in the kingdom.

While Xue is treated well at the House, her future is bleak. Unlike the other adepts, her low social status means that her only option is to play the qin for rich nobles. A life that would turn her love of music into one of servitude rather than letting her explore her music and travel. So when an unusual noble asks for her to perform for him several times, leading to him offering to buy her contract. It’s unexpected, but Duke Meng is offering Xue a future that she thought would never be possible. It’s a chance she has to take. 

Xue has no way of knowing that the estate Duke Meng is taking to her isn’t in the mountains… It’s on the Celestial Plane, and he’s actually the Duke of Dreams, a Celestial who watches over mortals’ dreams. He needs Xue’s help; her music is the only thing that can help unlock secrets that will save the Six Realms from a malevolent evil. 

In Song of the Six Realms, Lin has once again created a magical combination of East Asian folklore and fantasy. In the Book of Tea duology, tea and poison were the foundation of her world-building, and in this new book, Lin has focused on music, poetry and dreams. These themes suffuse every fibre of this book as Lin tells us Xue’s story, weaving her and Meng’s stories together along with their shared love of music and poetry.

This is a romance; however, it is one of many themes and sub-plots in Song of the Six Realms. If it isn’t something you’re a fan of, or like me, you can take it or leave it, then there is plenty more happening. Lin’s world-building is beautiful and filled with wonderful twists and turns that kept my interest piqued from start to finish. The only thing that kept this from being a four-star to me was that I felt the big reveal and related details were a little rushed.

Other than that, everything else was the quality I expected to find in a book by Judy I. Lin, with strong character writing and backstories that drew me in at every turn. Song of the Six Realms is a must-read!

Thanks for reading my book review for Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin! Please do not forget to have a look at the full list of blog tour participants for some Song of the Six Realms content!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of my reviews if you’re looking for some more book recommendations 🙂 You can also now sign up for my newsletter to get an email each month with a list of my new reviews!

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