Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin (review)

Reviewed by: Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin Aaren Tucker After the sudden death of her beloved uncle, Xue expects to spend the rest of her life as an indentured entertainer in the House of Flowing Water, until her masterful qín playing catches the attention of an enigmatic young nobleman, Meng Jinglang, who offers to buy her contract. Xue agrees once she learns the real reason for Jinglang's interest: he believes his mentor and her uncle were murdered and that Xue's qín is the key to discovering the secrets that lead to their deaths. Upon arriving at Jinglang's sprawling, secluded manor, full of strange occurrences and even stranger visitors, Xue soon realizes that Jinglang hasn't told her the full truth about himself, and now Xue, a lowly Mortal, is caught up in the dangerous affairs of the Celestial realm. Xue takes on the role of Daphne du Maurier's eponymous Rebecca, exploring a house full of mysteries and supernatural secrets, haunted by the memory of a former occupant. Lin's uncommonly beautiful prose ("I was no longer a girl orphaned … I was the song, spiraling upwards. A water spirit, dancing in the light") transports readers to a world rich with descriptive details and an intricately layered plot full of mystery and intrigue. Xue's narration imparts intimacy to this otherwise epic tale; the xianxia fantasy with Gothic elements is an inspired pairing, and Lin's choices in style and narration are the perfect complement to this C-drama-worthy tearjerker. Fantasy readers will be delighted with this standalone follow-up to Lin's bestselling Book of Tea duology. Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois