[Subdue] Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao ★★★★

[Tien]

In a conquered land, the only way to win was to survive

A story inspired by Chinese history & mythology, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is a world filled with 'magic' and the possibility of more. More to life than being oppressed. Of good versus evil and the balance of; yin & yang.

It is a dual POV from Lan, an orphaned songgirl with a mysterious scar on her arm of which only she could see, and Zen, a practitioner so stiff with self-control. As Zen sees Lan's scar, she's able to poke at his self-control. I do love this pairing; they are so cute!

The story isn't so cute. The mystery of the characters' backgrounds and of the true history of their world are interesting though heartbreaking. In a way, this book reminds me of R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War though the violence isn't as graphic and the protagonist not as angry. In fact, Lan is rather level-headed which I appreciate so much more. I can't handle too much anger in a protagonist. In saying that, she's also resilient, brave, and committed to protect her loved ones. I look forward to the sequel.

Kingdom before life, honor into death