Book Review: Songbird of the Sorrows (Mythos of the Empyrieos #1) by Braidee Otto

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Braidee Otto
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 18th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ask no questions. Obey your orders. Respect your masters. But most of all… Love no one.

Born without breath, Aella’s life began with a solemn promise etched in fate. Ousted from the Palace of Sorrows and gifted to the Aviary at a young age, she was shaped to fit the mold they made for her.

Spy. Thief. Princess. Songbird.

After Aella completes her training and passes the Naming ceremony, she is assigned to the prestigious Alpha Flight, led by none other than her former flame. Everything about Raven calls to her. He is brave, loyal, and lethal. But love is forbidden within the Aviary.

When Alpha Flight is tasked with infiltrating the eastern kingdom’s royal trials to seek a weapon hidden deep within its court, Aella struggles with the expectations placed on her.

As old sparks reignite and the harsh realities of the realm reveal themselves, she must decide whether to follow orders or defy them.

SO MANY THOUGHTS.

I’m kind of bouncing all over about this one so this review might read a little more chaotically than usual.

The first half of this book I enjoyed. I felt pretty engaged with what was happening. I liked the trajectory and the main character + side characters. All good things.

And then, something felt off about the second half and I don’t know how to describe it. I wasn’t in love with everything happening and the romance had a forced spice aspect that didn’t click with me either. They were kind of a second chance moment? But with no great background on that first chance they were feeling a lot more chemistry than I ever was.

The ending did have a few interesting aspects that almost have me wondering if I should try the second book. I might wait for reviews though before I try it out.

Overall audience notes: