Title: Sing Me to Sleep (Sing Me to Sleep #1)
Author: Gabi Burton
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 27, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
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.
Review:
Saoirse Sorkova is a siren pretending to be a powerless fae in her soldier training. At night, she works as an assassin for an anonymous source. When she graduates from the academy, Saoirse is given the top job as a guard for Prince Hayes. However, she hates him, but she needs the money for her family. The royal family were responsible for destroying the sirens and other creatures, leaving Saoirse and her sister to grow up under false identities. Saoirse ends up helping Hayes investigate a series of deaths in the city. The problem is that Saoirse is the killer, giving her one more secret to hide.
This story is a fantastic debut! I loved the unique world and setting. Saoirse is a bit of a morally grey character. She didn’t mind killing people to keep her family’s secret, without thinking of that person’s family or friends. Even though she was supposed to hate Prince Hayes, they had an undeniable chemistry. I can’t wait to read the sequel!
Sing Me to Sleep is a beautiful fantasy debut!
Content warnings: death, murder, poisoning, kidnapping
Have you read Sing Me to Sleep? What did you think of it?
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