sing me to sleep – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: YA Fantasy + Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Gabi Burton
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Release Date: August 20th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the second book in this dark and seductive YA fantasy duology, a siren must decide if saving her kingdom is worth betraying the boy she loves.

Saoirse Sorkova is on the run. Accused of several murders, her siren identity compromised, even the newly crowned King Hayes can’t protect her if she’s caught. The only way to save her life is to send her on a dangerous mission across the magical barrier that surrounds the kingdom.

Forced to travel with Carrick – once her best friend, now her greatest betrayer – she begins to unravel multiple plots that threaten the safety of her family, the livelihood of the entire kingdom, and her future with Hayes. And the more time she spends with Carrick, the harder it is to keep hating him . . .

Soon, Saoirse is forced to what if Hayes isn’t the right ruler for the kingdom? And if he’s not, is she willing to betray her king – and her heart?

Featuring an all Black and Brown cast, a forbidden romance, and a compulsively dark plot full of twists, this thrilling YA fantasy series is perfect for fans of A Song Below Water and To Kill a Kingdom.

Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours and Bloomsbury YA for the gifted copy.

VARIED THOUGHTS.

I went up and down with this book y’all. I will put at the top of this review though that I would love to try another series by this author. I think there’s potential for some great reads, even if I was mixed on this conclusion.

I loved a lot about Saoirse. Her dedication to her sister and how much she LOVED her. I loved the protective nature and the strength and will to survive in a land that doesn’t want her. I wish Saoirse had shown a little more growth in being able to trust others and not to lean so heavily (for the entire book) on scheming and manipulation. At least with those close to her.

The romance lacked chemistry and aspects felt forced. I wanted to love the forbidden and heated interactions, yet, the sporadic nature of their proximity didn’t build up the fragile connection they started with. I was way more invested in Saoirse’s story line with Carrick.

I liked the side characters. They added complexity and turmoil, politicking and good betrayals throughout. I feel like that whole group held up the book for me. The book lacked some direction and pacing became an issue too.

Like this review entails, I was back and forth on things I loved/struggled with. It’s still a book I would recommend and now that it’s a completed duology an even better time to try this out!

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: heated make-outs with light touching
Violence: high

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 432 pages
Author: Gabi Burton
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: June 27th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this dark and seductive YA fantasy debut, a siren must choose between protecting her family and following her heart in a prejudiced kingdom where her existence is illegal.

Saoirse Sorkova survives on lies. As a soldier-in-training at the most prestigious barracks in the kingdom, she lies about being a siren to avoid execution. At night, working as an assassin for a dangerous group of mercenaries, Saoirse lies about her true identity. And to her family, Saoirse tells the biggest lie of all: that she can control her siren powers and doesn’t struggle constantly against an impulse to kill.

As the top trainee in her class, Saoirse would be headed for a bright future if it weren’t for the need to keep her secrets out of the spotlight. But when a mysterious blackmailer threatens her sister, Saoirse takes a dangerous job that will help her investigate: she becomes personal bodyguard to the crown prince.

Saoirse should hate Prince Hayes. After all, his father is the one who enforces the kingdom’s brutal creature segregation laws. But when Hayes turns out to be kind, thoughtful, and charming, Saoirse finds herself increasingly drawn to him-especially when they’re forced to work together to stop a deadly killer who’s plaguing the city. There’s only one problem: Saoirse is that deadly killer.

Featuring an all Black and Brown cast, a forbidden romance, and a compulsively dark plot full of twists, this thrilling YA fantasy is perfect for fans of A Song Below Water and To Kill a Kingdom.

I’LL READ BOOK TWO.

At first, I felt like the beginning lacked a focus. I didn’t know the WHY of the book and it didn’t feel strong enough to carry the whole story. I will say that as the book progressed and that focus became known, things were much better.

I LOVED that the main character was super morally gray. She was fierce, a siren, and one of the most loyal sisters I’ve read recently. Watching her slowly come undone to the golden retriever energy of Prince Hayes was beautiful. I love this slow burn romance and can’t wait to see where it continues.

There’s some good twists and turns. An interesting magic concept and the audiobook was stellar. I loved seeing Saoirse grapple with tough decisions and trying to make the right choices while handling the compulsions of her nature. I think this was a really solid debut and I look forward to the next book!

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy
Language: light
Romance: kisses
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, physical and weapons violence, magical violence, drownings