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Cheating death comes with a heavy fine. When her sister drowned, Azure Galanides was given a sell her soul or let the child die. The decision was simple, and Daneliya lived, but the consequences were worse than she had imagined. Azure became a slave, turned into one of the Sea Goddess’ murderous mermaids. From caregiver to killer, regret became her constant companion, and hope was a long-forgotten stranger. She didn’t deserve redemption. At least, that was what she thought until she met Elios. His stubborn will to survive, even as she sent his ship plummeting into the sea, sparked something within her. His determination to save her from her fate turned that spark into a burning desire for freedom. But the second she ran, the hunt was on. The Goddess would stop at nothing to snuff out Azure’s life, and by helping her, Elios put a target on his back as well. Can Azure protect Elios and gain her freedom? Or is she destined to die by the very hand that revived her sister?

This book does NOT end in a cliffhanger. TRIGGER WARNINGS
There are many mature themes throughout the book, especially toward the end. It is not intended for readers under 17 years of age. The following themes are explored in Song of Death : graphic (consensual) sexual content, death of a child, captivity/slavery, abduction, graphic descriptions of aberrant violence and torture, talks of suicide, vulgar language, and murder.

294 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2023

401 people are currently reading
3670 people want to read

About the author

C.A. Varian

54 books313 followers

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5 stars
88 (13%)
4 stars
149 (23%)
3 stars
215 (34%)
2 stars
114 (18%)
1 star
64 (10%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
209 reviews1 follower
June 25, 2024
I haven't ready many (any?) mermaid books, so the premise of this one felt original. And I thought the writing at the beginning of the book wasn't bad. But there were so many issues and pet-peeves that I ended up wanting to put it down and not pick it back up again. I powered through, thanks to the fact that it was so short, but it isn't a book I would recommend.

Here were my biggest issues:
- Insta-love. There was absolutely no development between Azure and Elios. They just fell in love pretty much instantly without knowing much of anything about each other.
- The "convenience." Oh, what do you know, this random island we found has everything we could possibly need on it! There was definitely conflict, but there were so many instances where that conflict resolved almost immediately due to conveniences that were peppered through the story.
- Telling vs. showing. I wish we had learned more about the characters through description and how they handle situations than just being told things straight up.
Profile Image for Hunter Dye.
71 reviews3 followers
July 10, 2024
This was described as a "mermaid dark romance" there was absolutely nothing dark about this
Profile Image for Antonella Sinner.
Author 13 books23 followers
September 11, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this story!! 💙

Now I took a while to finish reading this story but it has nothing to do with the author or her writing style. She’s in fact an incredible writer and I found myself trapped within this story as I delve deeper into it.

Azure is such a relatable character and I really love her depth. The sea scenes are well written and they give me that eerie vibe I love from the deep blue abyss I adore. As for Elios, ooof he’s a hottie! Their romance is giving me fated/ forbidden mates and we love that around here. I really enjoyed his character and his sweet he is. Boy oh boy was the spice worth it in this book! The action in later scenes absolutely delivered as well.

For sure would recommend to lovers of the sea. Take a dive. You’ll find out not all mermaid lull you into a dreamless sleep. Maybe just maybe you’ll wake up to her caressing your heart.
Profile Image for Chloe.
21 reviews
October 13, 2024
I'm fascinated by this tiktok little mermaid fanfiction. It seems the overproduction of the books themselves is meant to cover the quality of the writing... Given the egregious use of AI art on the cover and within, I'm curious how much of the text was actually written by the author vs. ChatGBT.
Profile Image for Angelina.
61 reviews
July 11, 2024
This was my first mermaid romance so I was very excited for this book. Unfortunately, it didn't check any of my boxes. Instant love with no chemistry. Characters were very one dimensional. As a completionist, I have never been tempted to drop a book before this one. So many wordy paragraphs that repeated the same things over and over. I found myself skimming the second half of the book, only reading the first few words of each paragraph, and still feel like I pulled the same amount information I would've if I'd read it completely.
Profile Image for Andrea.
21 reviews1 follower
July 7, 2024
DNF at 50%

There’s absolutely no tension between the two leads - like why do they even like each other? It’s a really lazy fated mates scenario, which some writers seem to think means that their characters don’t need any emotional or intellectual connection because they’re ✨fated✨. Like they still need to CLICK in some way to have chemistry - this book just says “they have chemistry 😀” and tries to make their intimate scenes sexy when they have no depth whatsoever.

Both male and female leads have zero personality and are the standard cardboard cut outs for romantic leads - yawn. The worldbuilding could have also used another couple of run throughs.

Also; what is with all these indie authors having their characters just SIT AROUND doing NOTHING?? Plot is something that happens to your characters - plot is something that characters CREATE. The stagnation of having characters sit around in the same place waiting for something to happen makes me crazy. Like okay, if they are waiting for something specific (a passing storm, a certain date or event, etc.) but to just sit on their hands for no reason? It’s lazy. I don’t care about conversations that happen under those circumstances - there is no tension.

At its core I think that’s the problem with this book - no tension at all.
Profile Image for Valerie.
521 reviews
July 10, 2024
2.5 ⭐️

I think my hopes for this were too high. I’ll keep this short and simple.

The characters for me were too flat. No personality and quite boring really. There is a lot of inner thoughts/dialogue and it got over repetitive. I struggled to finish this one.

There was a lot that could have been good about this book. The story idea is a good one, but it’s feels lacking.
Profile Image for Catherine.
117 reviews11 followers
October 14, 2024
DNF

I could not for the life of me get into this book. I thought it was interesting and honestly I might try reading it again later on.
Profile Image for Allie Points.
26 reviews
July 17, 2024
3.5
I actually liked this more than I expected to. Some parts felt a little rushed and the writing could have definitely been better but the it was still entertaining.
Profile Image for Chaos.
3,600 reviews117 followers
August 20, 2024
I picked this book up because of the stunning cover, art, sprayed edges, and bright pink pages. I had no idea whether I'd like the story, but mermaids are always a good risk. I really loved this book. I love that it doesn't require me to read another book to get the HEA for Azure and Elios. This book is complete. The plot wrapped up nicely. No fuss no mess no having to read another book. I'm so excited to dive into the next book and seeing how Ocevia's story plays out. She has more complications to get to her HEA
Profile Image for Maddi Marina.
381 reviews1 follower
September 5, 2025
the thing that kept me going was pure entertainment, it felt like when you watch a guilty pleasure tv show. like it’s not good per say but you can’t look away and you must know what happens next! i also was confused on the tone of the book kind of. like in the beginning it was dark and then the incredibly insta-love happens and we’re like hehe haha relationship giggle vibes with some things happening but then we pivot to darkkk again. idk but i was entertained so that’s all i can ask for lol
Profile Image for Grace.
1,371 reviews82 followers
dnf
November 6, 2025
DNF’d 82 pages in. After Azure saves Elios, literally nothing happens. I kept waiting for something to get the story going but I’m a quarter of the way in now and I don’t want to waste my time waiting for plot when I kinda doubt it’s gonna appear.
Profile Image for Kelsey.
70 reviews
August 20, 2024
Was a good story line. Had good turns and surprises in the book.
Profile Image for Heather.
20 reviews
February 20, 2025
The story was meh. The writing is very immature and bland, almost felt like AI generated writing. I finished it bc it was short but wont be reading the second book.
123 reviews2 followers
August 17, 2025
I liked the idea of the book, but there is not much else I liked. It kind of felt like a rough first draft, lots of could be interesting ideas but not executed well. I am not sure why it's described as a Dark Fantasy Romance, it didn't come off as dark to me. Most of the time it was cringy, fell very flat and had me wanting to DNF (unfortunately for me I like finishing books too much to do this). I really wish I had looked into this book more before buying the duet and I am not looking forward to reading Goddess of Death. At least it looks pretty I guess?

-Mermaids
-Insta love
Profile Image for read by Jennifer.
124 reviews2 followers
August 26, 2022
His mouth descended on hers, and she wasn’t sure if the salt she tasted came from the sea, her tears, or his.

This is not my typical cup of tea, however, this is a REALLY good book. My heart is still racing from the climatic ending. The anxiety in this one I would say is moderate. There is some heavy violence in this though so don't be expecting Sébastien to show up with a musical number. FMC is pretty traumatized and we get a lot of that trauma on page. We get the HEA resolution at the end but it is still a very open promisess of what is going to happen next.

The book lagged a little in places, the timing was fine it was more the inactivity and/or trivial actions that take place took up space on the page and I caught myself skimming in a few places to get back to the dialog.

Full disclosure here - I loathe open water, you have to bribe me with booze or sushi to get me to go near water - river, lake, ocean. It is a big NOPE NOPE for me so you can imagine some of my uncomfortableness in certain scenes.

***Spoiler Alert***
Mermaids definitely are not a me thing but the book is very good. The world is detailed and realistic - we get several different lores here. I think the best though is of Ocevia being a Kraken by nature. Not to mention, she should totally be the sea goddess with that ability. The vamps were scary and had great mysticism. The mermaid lore was *chef's kiss* beautiful. Love the rules, the whys and the hows.

I really enjoyed the fact that Azure and Elios take the time to let some of that tension between them boil. Elios is a gentleman through and through and I loved the taunting and teasing. It was so easy to fall into Azure's flippers and see the world through her eyes.

Knowing that this isn't my thing makes the rating a little difficult. Typically I give 3 stars if I didn't like the book but I really love the writing style and creativity the author has so I'm going to go with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ but only 🌶🌶 on spice and only 🔥 on steam and a 😱😱😱😱 on angst. The end go really climatic but it was all plot, so it's difficult to rate!!!

Do I recommend - absolutely! Azure definitely deserves a 👑
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Hazel_Lee_Reads.
247 reviews7 followers
August 30, 2024
Book Review: Song of Death by C.A. Varian

Song of Death by C.A. Varian held me captive from the first page to the last, so much so that I read the entire book in one sitting. This dark romance is a true page-turner, filled with suspense and intrigue that kept me guessing about what would come next. It's a unique story that blends elements of fantasy and dark romance in a way that feels fresh and compelling.

The story revolves around Azure, who, three years ago, made a desperate deal with a mysterious woman to trade her life for her sister's. Unbeknownst to her, this pact enslaved her to a wicked sea goddess, transforming her into a mermaid forced to claim souls. Azure is a reluctant servant, driven by the hope of one day being reunited with her sister, even as she struggles with the grim tasks set before her.

The story takes a thrilling turn when a storm—and perhaps a bit of mermaid magic—causes a ship to crash. Azure, unable to ignore an overwhelming urge, saves a man from the wreckage, even though it might mean her doom. From there, the story becomes a tense and emotional journey as Azure and Elios must work together to survive while developing an undeniable connection.

The love depicted in this book is pure and heartfelt, and the friendships are portrayed with great depth, adding layers to the overall story. As the first book in the series, Song of Death serves as a wonderful introduction, laying a strong foundation for future stories. I’m particularly excited to see the other characters’ stories unfold in the subsequent books.

However, it’s important to note that this is a dark romance, and the book includes a list of trigger warnings, so readers sensitive to certain themes should check those first.

Overall, Song of Death is a captivating read that I highly recommend to fans of dark romance and fantasy. I can’t wait to dive into book two Goddess of Death and continue this gripping adventure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Marissa Wetherson.
6 reviews
September 27, 2024
I got the hard cover copy of the books and they’re absolutely beautiful! The story starts off with an exciting lure into Azure sacrificing her human life for her sister to an evil sea goddess. Azure is then sentenced to a life of luring men to their deaths. One night her and her best friend Ocevia go to collect souls for the sea goddess, and Azure rescues Elios. Azure and Elios then shack up on an island. Here is we’re the story line took a nose dive for me. I felt like there was not much happening on the island and days went by of them being there without anything escalating and there wasn’t enough spice happening for me during this time. Eventually, the story picks back up when Ocevia comes to them on the island and the pack ventures onto land to run away from the sea goddess. Several things happen throughout, like Ocevia’s blossoming relationship with Markos and the pack getting attacked by vampires while traveling at night. The ending, while I liked it, felt rushed and Miris the sea goddess wasn’t brought into the picture all that much. The biggest spoiler being Ocevia actually being the Kraken that Elios and Azure encounter while on the island that killed one of the “merbitches.” Ocevia then ends up killing Miris and turning into the new sea goddess and setting Azure free and bringing Markos back to life after the remaining “merbitch” slit his throat.

The story line had a few twists and turns but the romance was fast paced but I felt the story line was a little drawn out which did not fit the face paced romance. There were a few spelling errors as well. And even though I felt it was a little slower for my taste, I still really enjoyed the book and will be reading the second one, especially since its dives into Ocevia’s story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Shmuel Yaccoby.
Author 3 books15 followers
July 25, 2022
The fight for freedom that comes with a moral dilemma

The theme behind this fantastical fantasy lies in a sentence within this dialogue:
“Since mermaids are real, who knows how many of the others are real as well?” Bravery or vicious mermaids, humans, humanoids, love and despair, stolen souls, goddess, elusive evil antagonist, and a curse, all blended into a dynamic plot.

The premise allowed imagination to go wild, and the singing is just an enchanting platform of communication between the mermaids. The main character challenging mission, along with the dilemma that comes with it when she meets Elios and drives the plot, is skillfully portrayed at the very beginning. The important message of this story is that true person’s nature does not change; whether you are human or anything else, you will always fight for and seek freedom.

Though the plotline becomes twisted and complicated for Azura, as it should be for a good tale, her relationship with Elios the human was gradually developed, building passion and expectations until the long pick moment of intimacy - brilliant. And this is an additional narrative; whatever mission one is set for, unexpected interactions may appear along the way, turning one’s particular journey in life into a worthy adventure.
Profile Image for Mallory de la Cruz.
130 reviews
March 24, 2025
I really loved this story! But there were some pet peeves present that kept it from being spectacular for me.

• Something about the storytelling fell short for me throughout. I saw another reviewer describe it as “telling vs showing” and it’s exactly that! Not much description but rather just saying things were happening, if that makes sense.

• I’m begging authors to grab a thesaurus sometimes! I lost count of how many times someone “stood sentinel” or how many “ministrations” were being watched.

• In that same vein of both descriptors & word variety, I think all of my most cringiest phrases were used in the intimacy scenes. I hate when a woman’s anatomy is described as “bundle of nerves” or “her sex”, and those were both the most used phrases. 🥴

• I don’t mind chapter titles (I personally prefer no titles but it isn’t a dealbreaker for me), but towards the end the chapter titles were giving away pretty significant moments ahead in that chapter, which ruined the element of surprise a bit.

Again, I overall enjoyed the story & this was a fun fantasy read! It’s definitely not a dark romance, just a fun little romantasy. I loved how the ending came together & can’t wait to read the second book in this duet! 🪸🔱🫧
Profile Image for Jessica LC Weller.
139 reviews8 followers
October 27, 2024
This story pulled me in quickly, and I felt an emotional attachment to the FMC and the MMC. I loved learning, from the author, how mermaids and men might know each other and possibly even love each other. Underlying themes of accepting and loving all kinds of love were refreshing.
There was some consentual spiciness, with a slow burn, in my opinion. Some TW of violence, death, and a few descriptive spicy scenes.

I read this as an audiobook on Audible, and this isn't my favorite narrator, I must admit. That shouldn't reflect poorly on the author or the book. But the narrator carries the reader through the book, and sets the tone. I like the book enough that I'll reread this in physical book form. I'll be excited and hopeful to see if this improves my enjoyment even more.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. I have enjoyed other books by this author, and have become a collector of her books. She must have characters and stories living inside her mind all the time! Thank you, again, C. A. Varian, for another adventure!
Profile Image for Exalt Naga.
80 reviews2 followers
November 3, 2024
Azure and her 7 year old sister are on the beach when Azure turned her back for a split second her sister drowned in the ocean. Pulling her body from the sea, Azure screamed and cried for help. A mysterious stranger answered her pleas and asked if she would be willing to trade her life for her sister’s. Not knowing what that entailed she agreed, her sister lived but Azure was made into a mermaid with a debt to repay. For her to become human again she owed the Goddess of the Sea 5,000 souls. 3 years later Azure had only taken 143 souls. She hated taking the lives of others which lead to her saving Elios and forcing them on the run because if the Goddess caught them his life would be forfeit and she would either be severely punished or dead.

This book was so good! The writing is amazing and takes you on a journey that makes you want to stay up reading till you finish. A couple chapters before the end made me cry and i love a book that gives me so many emotions throughout it! I definitely recommend for anyone who loves fantasy romance!
Profile Image for W. L..
Author 2 books5 followers
March 24, 2025
Had Potential

When I saw the book was about mermaids I definitely wanted to give it a try because I absolutely love mermaids. Overall, there were some aspects of the story I liked, but I did not really like how fast everything moved. I didn’t like how fast the romantic relationship developed in the fact that he was absolutely not mad at all she just killed a ship full of people he probably knew well. There was literally like no reaction from him. Both of the characters didn’t have a whole lot of personality and since everything moved so fast, there weren’t those little moments that like build the relationship Like there are in other books. I didn’t think the main character was impressive and that honestly her best friend did a lot more than she did. Everything was just anti-climatic and underwhelming I wish maybe the book was written so there was able to be more development and character growth. I probably will not continue to read on the other books, since it mostly kind of recaps some of this book. Plus, the insta love trope just really is not for me.
Profile Image for Sky P.
414 reviews4 followers
July 6, 2024
Discovered this book on TikTok looking for some Romantasy with mermaids from an independent author. Not only was I unable to put this book down once I started, but I enjoyed it immensely! I was absorbed in the story. The story of Azure and all the characters was so well written and entertaining. Also just the right amount of spicy and I am excited to read Ocevia’s story in the same timeline. This author spins and writes such wonderful and imaginative stories. The author is so talented and so relatable and kind in my conversations through TikTok. I gave this duet to a friend and I am reading them both. I have several of this author’s other works. I love her writing style. The characters are so rich and I love them. Felt like I was really in this story. Highly recommend this series and the author and I have been. This definitely has mature themes so meant for a more 18+ reader. Gets really spicy towards the end and I LOVE IT! One of my most favorite books, I have ever read!
Profile Image for Shannon.
128 reviews
February 12, 2025
There are sex scenes in this book if it's not your thing I wouldn't read it. This book was very hard for me to get into. I didn't like how Azure and Elios had an almost instant connection that was never really explained. His back story wasn't explained all that great either. Azure was cursed to lure men to their deaths and she hated every second of it, but when she gets the chance to escape it she instantly falls for the guy she saves... and then they are found by the sea goddesses favorite mermaids only to be saved by a kraken. Which brings Ocevia into the mix, but doesn't explain anything about how she found them as they were now on land running away from the sea goddess. From then on its just more confusing unexplained scenes. Vampires, the circle, the kraken... too many things without a proper context or back story. I love mermaids and fantasy books, but I just had such a hard time with this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
3,198 reviews47 followers
November 17, 2022
I loved the narration of Teena Scott. She brings out characters, plot, action and makes this a great listen.

This is a dark romance and there is a list of trigger warnings, so if you need those, check first.

When Azure's sister drowns, a woman offers her a deal, her soul for her sisters. Without thinking she accepts. By accepting the deal, it enslaves her a sea goddess forcing her into servitude as a mermaid. One thing the sea goddess requires is souls and she learns that to gain her freedom she must claim them herself.

Azure doesn’t want to claim any souls, but it is the only way to back to her sister.

One day when a storm hits Azure sees a ship being broken by the sea and she saves a man in the water. Doing so signs her death warrant.

Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews

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