Top 5 Reasons to Read Song of the Six Realms

#1: Epic Worldbuilding

The introduction to the realms helped a lot at the start of the book. Still, the author's descriptive words and descriptors gave stimulating visuals for readers, from the atmosphere of melodic music notes filling the air from a qin to exploring Meng Compound, wherein readers are taken straight to the beauty of oriental architecture and garden delights, etc. It was a feast of the tastes and sounds of the Orient. While I appreciate the author's diving into the court politics and landscape before GuXue (Xue) was born and wanting to educate and inform Xue (and the readers), I had a problem with the "too-many" descriptions provided. It can sometimes slow the story's pace and character development. 

#2: Intricate and Intriguing Storyline

Kudos for stumping me, the reader, with how the story unfolded. I was so engrossed in everything in the book that I missed a few connections linking one MC to another. I appreciate the book stating the hierarchy of Realms at the beginning of the chapter, which gives a better grasp of the Realms. Also, non-spoiler trigger warnings provided a good summary of what might come. 

A side note: Although I enjoyed the story, the pacing may seem discouraging. The author did not kid on her statement that the book is a slow-burn angst read. It definitely is! The complex scenes, relationship-building, and numerous backstories made me stop a few times to reflect and understand their correlation to the story.

#3: Imperfectly Perfect Characters

All the characters were interesting since readers get only one POV—Xue, the main character. Little did Xue know that many things were happening behind the scenes and even in front of her that affected the story. I realized how all the characters were slowly interconnected throughout the book, creating a complex yet cohesive ending.

Be warned, though—many characters appear in the book. It can get overwhelming, so if you need to make an organizational chart or notes on the side to track the character roles, their importance in the story, etc., do it early so you won't flip back and forth to find the names after reading ten chapters, like me.

#4: Unique Connections and Relationships

I appreciated the author's relationship-building—Xue's familial connections and the slow-burn connection with JingLang. Many past flashbacks greatly impacted her devotion to her Uncle, and she took heed of every piece of advice he imparted. He prepared her for everything, and his "contingency plans" were perfectly orchestrated when the time arose!

I like the demisexual connections made since this is a rare topic in romance. I have a love-and-hate relationship with the angst, slow-burn books. Sometimes, it works, while other times, it falls flat. This book initially gave me doubts, but the latter chapters made me believe in Jinglang and Xue's connection. I love the author's beautiful message of love and family.

#5: Last but not least...Inclusion of Chinese Myths

I thoroughly enjoyed the myths/legends' backstory imparted before each chapter, which foreshadows the upcoming scenes and even within the chapters. I was familiar with a lot, but a good chunk was a surprise. 

The Song of the Six Realms was a long yet enjoyable read. It has its share of slow moments and complicated connections/twists, which were later tied nicely to create a cohesive and satisfying ending. I enjoyed reading a fantasy that is not heavily dependent on romance to move the storyline. Instead, the urgency of the events and the "saving the world" themes made me push to finish this as fast as I could.