Judy I. Lin

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. Uncover the dark past of the celestials in this melodic tale inspired by Chinese mythology and Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. Filled with rich imagery and delicate poetry, the Song of the Six Realms will echo long after its tune has ended. Xue, a talented young musician, has no past and probably no future. Orphaned at a young age, her kindly poet uncle arranged for an apprenticeship at one of the most esteemed entertainment houses in the kingdom. When her uncle is killed in a bandit attack, she is devastated to lose her last connection to a life outside her indenture contract. With no family and no patron, Xue faces a lifetime of servitude—until one night, she is unexpectedly called to put on a private performance for the enigmatic Duke Meng. The young man is strangely kind, and surprises Xue 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. When the duke 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. The Six Realms are on the brink of disaster, and the duke needs to unlock memories from Xue's past which could help to stop the impending war. But first, Xue must survive being the target of every monster and deity in the Six Realms.

Song of the Six Realms

Kaitlyn

But here, who would even hear me, except the moon and the stars?

It was a secret I carefully carried inside of my heart. Only for me.

“This is where you would ask me, if it was something you wanted to know…” He hesitated, then with that slight quirk to the corner of his lip, went on. "You could ask me, And how is that different from the way you care for me, Jinglang?' and I would have an answer for you."

“Xue'er...,” he said softly. “I care for you in a way where I look forward to your letters, found myself pacing my room if one arrived late. I care for you in a way that I find it impossible to pay attention to anything else when you are in the room. I care for you in a way that I fear what the court and what my mother might do if it were ever discovered. I care for you, and I am afraid."

But all the kisses in the world could not change what we both recognized. We were running out of time.

Song of the Six Realms quotes

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