Two gods strike a bargain that leads them on a journey with devastating consequences in this lush historical fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Ann Liang.
To Dream in Darkness by Ann Liang
Published by: St. Martin’s Press; October 27, 2026
Genres: Fantasy | Romance | Historical Fiction | Adult | China
Pages: 368 pages, Hardcover
Format: Kindle
Source: Netgalley
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Trigger Warnings: Death, emotional abuse, physical abuse, torture, claustrophobia, panic attacks, curses, blood, violence, grief, mild profanity.
POV: Multiple, first person and third person
Rated: YA, Adult
Summary
China in the age of brilliance, where gods freely wander the three realms. Amongst them is the cruel and beautiful Death God, who has never failed to collect a soul on time. Until now. For when he seeks out Rujia, the noble god of healing―and the only god he is fated to kill with his own hands―she makes him an offer he can’t refuse: she will help lift the excruciating, century-old curse placed upon him if he gives her a one-month reprieve.
Rujia knows she isn’t as noble as everyone believes. Her deal with Death is merely an excuse to buy herself time while she figures out an escape plan. But when her plan causes the Celestial Palace’s collapse and the beloved crown prince’s disappearance, she and Death are both held responsible. The only way to avoid the wrath of all the other gods is to travel across the realms and safely retrieve the crown prince themselves.
Yet the journey proves far more treacherous than expected. As the unlikely alliance between them blooms into more, and Death’s resolve to kill Rujia weakens by the day, neither can outrun their intertwined fate without devastating consequences: A mysterious plague. An empire-destroying flood. A thousand deaths―and rising―to restore the balance Rujia’s disrupted. And if Rujia continues to live despite the will of the Heavens, this is only the beginning…
My Review
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I was obsessed with Ann Liang’s A Song to Drown Rivers and read it within days. When I was invited to read her next novel, I immediately jumped at the opportunity.
It is a story about love, living, surviving, and death. About celestial gods, healing, and curses. I enjoyed the backdrop of this story, and both main characters were well written. Rujia and the god of Death were at the centre of this story, transforming it into a doomed love story.
However, the plot was lacking. I was expecting more, and the POVs kept shifting throughout the story. The crown prince? I am unsure whether he added to the plot, aside from his relationship with the Death god. The first half of the novel felt easygoing and wonderful to read. But the second half was a trudge, and I didn’t enjoy it. The ending felt rushed, and I still had a lot of questions. What was the point of all that?
Overall, a disappointment. I had high expectations and wanted to love it, given how much I loved A Song to Drown Rivers, but this wasn’t for me.
Maybe someone else will enjoy it more than I did. The cover is stunning, after all.
