What do you think?
Rate this book
The Siren Mage #1
In the Veins of the Drowning
The first in a romantasy duology, pitched for fans of Rachel Gillig and Ava Reid, about a threatened Siren who forges a marriage bond with a brooding, self-righteous king in order to flee the king who raised her, and the blurring lines between duty and desire that arise as they traverse waters teeming with the undead.
384 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,116 reviews
June 17, 2026
“But if you are to devastate me, then let it be completely. Lay waste to me and everything that’s mine. A life without you in it is not one I wish to lead.”
If he’s not yearning so hard you want to throw up…. I don’t want it.
FINALLY AN ACTUALLY UNIQUE ROMANTASY where the man is pining so hard on his knees and not just lusting after her!!!
Theodore could do anything he wants to me and I’d be sat. That man is a god tier book boyfriend and I feel physically ill after that ending!!!
Also this is my petition for more books with siren FMCs pleaseeeeeee
“I cannot even see her for the way you encompass me. You fill my every sense. You stalk my waking mind. You make up the entirety of my dreams.”
“What I feel for you is beyond reason—beyond duty and desire. You have tipped my whole world on its side, and you are the one clear thing in the chaos.”
“If you are selfish, then I am a gluttonous, greed-riddled fiend for how badly I want you.”
If he’s not yearning so hard you want to throw up…. I don’t want it.
FINALLY AN ACTUALLY UNIQUE ROMANTASY where the man is pining so hard on his knees and not just lusting after her!!!
Theodore could do anything he wants to me and I’d be sat. That man is a god tier book boyfriend and I feel physically ill after that ending!!!
Also this is my petition for more books with siren FMCs pleaseeeeeee
“I cannot even see her for the way you encompass me. You fill my every sense. You stalk my waking mind. You make up the entirety of my dreams.”
“What I feel for you is beyond reason—beyond duty and desire. You have tipped my whole world on its side, and you are the one clear thing in the chaos.”
“If you are selfish, then I am a gluttonous, greed-riddled fiend for how badly I want you.”
July 12, 2026
If you listen closely, you can hear the distant sound of Rachel Gillig cackling and whispering “told you so.”
If you’ve ever wanted your siren stories rewritten by someone with a soft spot for the “monsters,” you’ll adore this one. In the Veins of the Drowning is a gothic fairytale of siren lore, toxic family dynamics, salty secrets, angst and… zombie sirens? Plus yearning so agonising it’s almost psychological torture with a side of heart-eyes.
Look, I’m not saying it’s my favourite romantasy of the year, but I am saying it might just be a three-way tie between this, Terror at the Gates and Broken Souls & Bones. 2025 has been delivering.
Firstly, there are so many of my favourite tropes in here, for example, forced proximity, forbidden love, one horse (the execution had me squealing), and a surprise trope twist reveal that was perfection. It’s like Cassidy wrote this book just for me and for you too, if you love those tropes.
But what really blew me away was how the author put her own unique spin on them.
Stylistically, it’s lush, haunting and atmospheric with some mild horror elements. If you’re someone who gets high on vibes, this will feed you. It’s easy to see why Rachel Gillig endorsed it, the moody aesthetic is reminiscent of One Dark Window, along with its allegories about who the real monster is, with mythological siren lore from Greek mythology/The Odyssey woven in, the kind with talons and feathers. There’s even a touch of Mr. Darcy in the characterisation, brooding and all.
Furthermore, if you squint (or maybe it’s just my perception), there’s a ghost of The Little Mermaid lurking beneath the surface. Not the Disney sparkle version, but the much stranger, darker Hans Christian Andersen one. Still, even with those glimmers, this book isn't trying to be anything else. It's 100% its own thing and Cassidy understood the assignment.
I won't be surprised if people go feral for Imogen & Theo. The pining is off the Richter scale, complete with awkward, flustered moments between them and I think those were my favourite scenes of all.
Additionally, spice levels are perfect--Not gratuitous but high reward.
I can’t believe this is a debut. If this is how she starts, I’m cancelling all my plans and binge-reading everything Kalie writes.
Thank you so much to NetGalley & Orion Publishing Group | Gollancz for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
1. In the Veins of the Drowning: ★★★★★
2. In the Wake of the Ruined: ★★★★★
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
Never grew out of my mermaid phase, now it's just a lot darker. 🧜♀️🔪
If you’ve ever wanted your siren stories rewritten by someone with a soft spot for the “monsters,” you’ll adore this one. In the Veins of the Drowning is a gothic fairytale of siren lore, toxic family dynamics, salty secrets, angst and… zombie sirens? Plus yearning so agonising it’s almost psychological torture with a side of heart-eyes.
Look, I’m not saying it’s my favourite romantasy of the year, but I am saying it might just be a three-way tie between this, Terror at the Gates and Broken Souls & Bones. 2025 has been delivering.
Firstly, there are so many of my favourite tropes in here, for example, forced proximity, forbidden love, one horse (the execution had me squealing), and a surprise trope twist reveal that was perfection. It’s like Cassidy wrote this book just for me and for you too, if you love those tropes.
But what really blew me away was how the author put her own unique spin on them.
Stylistically, it’s lush, haunting and atmospheric with some mild horror elements. If you’re someone who gets high on vibes, this will feed you. It’s easy to see why Rachel Gillig endorsed it, the moody aesthetic is reminiscent of One Dark Window, along with its allegories about who the real monster is, with mythological siren lore from Greek mythology/The Odyssey woven in, the kind with talons and feathers. There’s even a touch of Mr. Darcy in the characterisation, brooding and all.
Furthermore, if you squint (or maybe it’s just my perception), there’s a ghost of The Little Mermaid lurking beneath the surface. Not the Disney sparkle version, but the much stranger, darker Hans Christian Andersen one. Still, even with those glimmers, this book isn't trying to be anything else. It's 100% its own thing and Cassidy understood the assignment.
I won't be surprised if people go feral for Imogen & Theo. The pining is off the Richter scale, complete with awkward, flustered moments between them and I think those were my favourite scenes of all.
Additionally, spice levels are perfect--Not gratuitous but high reward.
I can’t believe this is a debut. If this is how she starts, I’m cancelling all my plans and binge-reading everything Kalie writes.
Thank you so much to NetGalley & Orion Publishing Group | Gollancz for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
1. In the Veins of the Drowning: ★★★★★
2. In the Wake of the Ruined: ★★★★★
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
Never grew out of my mermaid phase, now it's just a lot darker. 🧜♀️🔪
December 9, 2025
SUCH an easy 5 star.
Sirens, gothic atmosphere, twists and turns, and a love interest who really has a way with words.
That CLIFFHANGER? Bye. I need book 2 now.
Sirens, gothic atmosphere, twists and turns, and a love interest who really has a way with words.
That CLIFFHANGER? Bye. I need book 2 now.
October 4, 2025
the perfect amount of awe struck, begging, crawling, moaning, groveling, on his knees behavior for the main character who is a powerful siren on a mission
Read my full review
man bonds with siren and is overcome with sickening longing and emotions finds himself giving speeches reminiscent of anthony bridgerton in season two
but is he really down bad if he’s not begging for you / completely in awe of your power
theo likes imogen so much it makes him look stupid (affectionate)
“I don’t regret my decision, but I should.”
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Bookstagram | Blog
Read my full review
man bonds with siren and is overcome with sickening longing and emotions finds himself giving speeches reminiscent of anthony bridgerton in season two
but is he really down bad if he’s not begging for you / completely in awe of your power
theo likes imogen so much it makes him look stupid (affectionate)
“I don’t regret my decision, but I should.”
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Bookstagram | Blog
August 14, 2025
Don’t hate me, I can see why people would like this but it didn’t work for me unfortunately
I loved the beginning it jumped straight in and read like the last 100 pages of a fantasy book, however i feel like the super fast pace through the whole book meant there wasn’t enough world building or character development for me.
The fmc was also lowkey annoying, she made selfish decisions and didn’t care about the repercussions for others. Which i do believe she knew about herself so good for her on being able to self reflect.
The romance felt like insta love, with how short the book is and how it spans a week or 2, the i love you moment just felt unearned.
The ending was abrupt and unsatisfying. I was actually shocked (kinda happy) that it was over
Im not invested in these characters or the storyline so i shall not be continuing
I loved the beginning it jumped straight in and read like the last 100 pages of a fantasy book, however i feel like the super fast pace through the whole book meant there wasn’t enough world building or character development for me.
The fmc was also lowkey annoying, she made selfish decisions and didn’t care about the repercussions for others. Which i do believe she knew about herself so good for her on being able to self reflect.
The romance felt like insta love, with how short the book is and how it spans a week or 2, the i love you moment just felt unearned.
The ending was abrupt and unsatisfying. I was actually shocked (kinda happy) that it was over
Im not invested in these characters or the storyline so i shall not be continuing
August 9, 2025
જ⁀➴ 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley, Kalie Cassidy, and Little, Brown and Company for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. In the Veins of the Drowning is out now!
🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲
I finally finished! I wish I had more time during the week to finish this earlier to get a review out, but life's been kind of hectic lately with work and me trying to get my Bookstagram account off the ground, so here we are. (If you're wondering why I've been a little quieter on Goodreads with the reviews lately, that's why!)
Imogen Nel is a Siren in hiding. She lives in a kingdom where Sirens are meant to be killed. Serving a king and betrothed to a captain who wants her dead, she dreads her wedding day and avoids the water at all costs to avoid revealing her secret. When a visiting king, Theodore, visits for the wedding, she quickly realizes that he knows her secret. Desperate times come with desperate measures, and they form a blood bond. As they travel to Theo's kingdom, they realize that their connection runs deeper than they thought, and with the threat of a monster threatening everything they love, Imogen must decide whether or not set the monster within her free.
This was the PERFECT book to read after finishing One Dark Window. For a debut, this was extremely strong! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It was the perfect, gothic atmosphere, so if you're coming off of a One Dark Window and/or Two Twisted Crowns high or are currently in a book hangover, I feel like this will be the book for you if you're feeling in a gothic romantasy mood. The atmosphere was probably my favorite aspect of the entire story!
Another plus to this story is that I felt like nothing about it was filler. I know that the middle of any story could get super muggy at times, with the characters going through the motions of the plot and the story overall, and there could be things that don't always contribute to the overall plot that happen on the side. I didn't think there was any of that here, and I felt like everything that happened contributed to the overarching storyline of Imogen and Theo's journey. The issue with this, though, is that this was also what I felt was the book's greatest weakness.
I felt like even though there were all the pieces there to create a perfect story—romance, a good plot, a perfect atmosphere—not all of it was executed well. Let's break this down:
°˖➴ The worldbuilding: It was nonexistent. I feel like worldbuilding is absolutely necessary for any fantasy book, especially one that's projected to be the first in a series. I felt like there was no worldbuilding in this story at all. I figured that at some point everything would be explained, whether it was through an info dump or bits of information given throughout the story, but I was left with nothing and wanting more. There were multiple times when I was reading and thought that everything would just click in my head at some point, but that never came. I was like, "Am I just too stupid to understand this?" Turns out I wasn't stupid, none of the information I was looking for was in the book.
°˖➴ The Sirens: For a FMC that is a Siren herself, we didn't get a lot of Siren lore or anything about the Sirens at all. It's constantly alluded to that she is a Siren and she had to spend her entire life hiding the fact that she is a Siren, but I couldn't tell you a single thing about the lore and what the Sirens do in the story, and that's not because I read this book like, 3 weeks ago and am only getting around to writing this review now.
°˖➴ The romance: in the iconic words of Abby Lee, "You were good, I'm waiting for you to be great." I wanted more tension and yearning because the romance between Theo and Imogen was super insta-lovey. Sure, you can contribute that to the blood bond they have, which is totally understandable considering what the blood bond does to them. However, not all of the romance felt believable to me when both of them spend a decent amount of time saying "oh, we're not REALLY in love because it's just the blood bond," but then they randomly decide at some point they don't feel that way anymore and it became super insta-lovey.
Overall, this was a solid debut, and I'd still recommend reading this if you're looking for an atmospheric, gothic read! I actually ended up getting a special edition of the book through my Allurial book subscription box and I'm looking forward to the second book! I'm hoping these issues will be smoothed out in the second book and we get more context, worldbuilding, and lore, otherwise it'll be a very difficult read to get through.
🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: Okay, so this isn't a 100% true pre-read considering I just read the first chapter, but I have a feeling this is going to be good. Like, "I'm going to get out of my reading slump" good. We'll see how I feel by the end of it, but it's off to such a strong start already that I feel excited to read after the slump I've been in this month!
This is ARC 5/16 for my July 2025 ARC reading schedule, and eARC 3/4 for my next deadline of July 15th, 2025!
P.S. (I actually found it at Barnes & Noble last weekend...take that information as you will.)
Thank you to NetGalley, Kalie Cassidy, and Little, Brown and Company for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. In the Veins of the Drowning is out now!
"And what am I?" The question was strung enough with more emotion than I cared to reveal. His brow smoothed at the question. "Your subject? Your mistress? Your queen? The heir of Seraf and queen of Sirens? I am none of those things and all of them at once. I belong nowhere and everywhere."
🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲
I finally finished! I wish I had more time during the week to finish this earlier to get a review out, but life's been kind of hectic lately with work and me trying to get my Bookstagram account off the ground, so here we are. (If you're wondering why I've been a little quieter on Goodreads with the reviews lately, that's why!)
Imogen Nel is a Siren in hiding. She lives in a kingdom where Sirens are meant to be killed. Serving a king and betrothed to a captain who wants her dead, she dreads her wedding day and avoids the water at all costs to avoid revealing her secret. When a visiting king, Theodore, visits for the wedding, she quickly realizes that he knows her secret. Desperate times come with desperate measures, and they form a blood bond. As they travel to Theo's kingdom, they realize that their connection runs deeper than they thought, and with the threat of a monster threatening everything they love, Imogen must decide whether or not set the monster within her free.
This was the PERFECT book to read after finishing One Dark Window. For a debut, this was extremely strong! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It was the perfect, gothic atmosphere, so if you're coming off of a One Dark Window and/or Two Twisted Crowns high or are currently in a book hangover, I feel like this will be the book for you if you're feeling in a gothic romantasy mood. The atmosphere was probably my favorite aspect of the entire story!
Another plus to this story is that I felt like nothing about it was filler. I know that the middle of any story could get super muggy at times, with the characters going through the motions of the plot and the story overall, and there could be things that don't always contribute to the overall plot that happen on the side. I didn't think there was any of that here, and I felt like everything that happened contributed to the overarching storyline of Imogen and Theo's journey. The issue with this, though, is that this was also what I felt was the book's greatest weakness.
I felt like even though there were all the pieces there to create a perfect story—romance, a good plot, a perfect atmosphere—not all of it was executed well. Let's break this down:
°˖➴ The worldbuilding: It was nonexistent. I feel like worldbuilding is absolutely necessary for any fantasy book, especially one that's projected to be the first in a series. I felt like there was no worldbuilding in this story at all. I figured that at some point everything would be explained, whether it was through an info dump or bits of information given throughout the story, but I was left with nothing and wanting more. There were multiple times when I was reading and thought that everything would just click in my head at some point, but that never came. I was like, "Am I just too stupid to understand this?" Turns out I wasn't stupid, none of the information I was looking for was in the book.
°˖➴ The Sirens: For a FMC that is a Siren herself, we didn't get a lot of Siren lore or anything about the Sirens at all. It's constantly alluded to that she is a Siren and she had to spend her entire life hiding the fact that she is a Siren, but I couldn't tell you a single thing about the lore and what the Sirens do in the story, and that's not because I read this book like, 3 weeks ago and am only getting around to writing this review now.
°˖➴ The romance: in the iconic words of Abby Lee, "You were good, I'm waiting for you to be great." I wanted more tension and yearning because the romance between Theo and Imogen was super insta-lovey. Sure, you can contribute that to the blood bond they have, which is totally understandable considering what the blood bond does to them. However, not all of the romance felt believable to me when both of them spend a decent amount of time saying "oh, we're not REALLY in love because it's just the blood bond," but then they randomly decide at some point they don't feel that way anymore and it became super insta-lovey.
Overall, this was a solid debut, and I'd still recommend reading this if you're looking for an atmospheric, gothic read! I actually ended up getting a special edition of the book through my Allurial book subscription box and I'm looking forward to the second book! I'm hoping these issues will be smoothed out in the second book and we get more context, worldbuilding, and lore, otherwise it'll be a very difficult read to get through.
🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲*ੈ✩‧₊˚🎐 🫧𓇼𓏲
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: Okay, so this isn't a 100% true pre-read considering I just read the first chapter, but I have a feeling this is going to be good. Like, "I'm going to get out of my reading slump" good. We'll see how I feel by the end of it, but it's off to such a strong start already that I feel excited to read after the slump I've been in this month!
This is ARC 5/16 for my July 2025 ARC reading schedule, and eARC 3/4 for my next deadline of July 15th, 2025!
P.S. (I actually found it at Barnes & Noble last weekend...take that information as you will.)
August 7, 2026
holy shit. wtf. that was it?! THAT WAS FUCKING IT!? wtfff😭😭😭😭
see when i first started reading this book, ngl i was SO skeptical cs this book has only 300 smth pages. and the premise is so fascinating and unique and it was so fast paced right from beginning.
this is a romantasy duology. fantasy duologies and standalones are SO hard to perfect. i'm convinced that a trilogy is the perfect length for a book series. i was worried that despite being very fast paced, the plot would suffer. and that in compensation for not-so-good wordbuilding, we'd get a romantasy book, heavily focusing on the romance part.
and ngl this book is actually more romance heavy but the plot didNOT suffer. it actually surpassed all expectations. by the time i was done w 50% of this book, i knew that i won't rate it anything lower than 4 stars. but then i read the first few pages of part 3?! and it was game over for me. 5 fucking stars bitch cs anything less than that? fucking criminal.
THEO OHMYGOD this man?! THIS MAN!!???
yearning.king.final.boss.
i was gagged. still am, tbvh.
ohmygod. the way this man YEARNED!? i was clutching my chest bc i was in sm pain ohmygod. y'all are SO NOT ready for that😭💔
that ending was fucking criminal. starting the next book rfn🫡
i have a LOT more to say. full rtc🤍 after i get some time to process that diabolical ending lolol
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
ִֶָ. 𓂃˖꣹ pre-read ꧔⟢ ִֶָ࿐
war is over. the second book in the duology is out. i can finally read this book. god knows i've been waiting foreverrrr ahhhhhhh. hallelujah🙌
br with kiki🤍
see when i first started reading this book, ngl i was SO skeptical cs this book has only 300 smth pages. and the premise is so fascinating and unique and it was so fast paced right from beginning.
this is a romantasy duology. fantasy duologies and standalones are SO hard to perfect. i'm convinced that a trilogy is the perfect length for a book series. i was worried that despite being very fast paced, the plot would suffer. and that in compensation for not-so-good wordbuilding, we'd get a romantasy book, heavily focusing on the romance part.
and ngl this book is actually more romance heavy but the plot didNOT suffer. it actually surpassed all expectations. by the time i was done w 50% of this book, i knew that i won't rate it anything lower than 4 stars. but then i read the first few pages of part 3?! and it was game over for me. 5 fucking stars bitch cs anything less than that? fucking criminal.
THEO OHMYGOD this man?! THIS MAN!!???
yearning.king.final.boss.
i was gagged. still am, tbvh.
ohmygod. the way this man YEARNED!? i was clutching my chest bc i was in sm pain ohmygod. y'all are SO NOT ready for that😭💔
that ending was fucking criminal. starting the next book rfn🫡
i have a LOT more to say. full rtc🤍 after i get some time to process that diabolical ending lolol
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
ִֶָ. 𓂃˖꣹ pre-read ꧔⟢ ִֶָ࿐
war is over. the second book in the duology is out. i can finally read this book. god knows i've been waiting foreverrrr ahhhhhhh. hallelujah🙌
br with kiki🤍
October 8, 2025
“I cannot even see her for the way you encompass me.”“You fill my every sense. You stalk my waking mind. You make up the entirety of my dreams.”
I ate this up!! A dark fantasy with sirens, mages, monsters and gods. This execution of this story felt unique, completely gripping and kept me hooked from page one. I felt the balance of plot to romance in this was perfect!! The tension, denial, yearning and longing was exquisite and the character development of our FMC was SO GOOD!!
I ate this up!! A dark fantasy with sirens, mages, monsters and gods. This execution of this story felt unique, completely gripping and kept me hooked from page one. I felt the balance of plot to romance in this was perfect!! The tension, denial, yearning and longing was exquisite and the character development of our FMC was SO GOOD!!
September 11, 2025
OBSESSED with this man. but hate his lady & the plot of this book lol.
i'm interested to read more from this author in the future but probably wouldn't continue with this series.
i'm interested to read more from this author in the future but probably wouldn't continue with this series.
April 3, 2026
I’m honestly still recovering from In the Veins of Drowning — this is hands down one of the best romantasy books I’ve read in so long.
This is that exact feeling I’m always chasing as a reader — where you physically cannot put the book down because it’s so addicting. I was completely consumed, and I’m still thinking about it.
This was sooooo well written. From the very first page, Kaile Cassidy pulls you into a dark, atmospheric world that feels both haunting and addictive. The writing is beautifully immersive, striking that perfect balance between lyrical and sharp, and I found myself highlighting passages constantly because they just hit. There’s a raw emotional depth here that makes everything feel so real — the pain, the longing, the tension… all of it lingers long after you finish.
The characters were an absolute standout for me. They’re complex, messy, and achingly human, and I felt deeply connected to their journeys. The relationships (romantic and otherwise) are layered and intense, with a slow-burn tension that had me completely hooked. Every interaction felt meaningful, every moment felt charged.
The YEARNING was unreal — like fists-clenched, feet-kicking kind of yearning. The tension, the forced proximity, the emotional pull… I absolutely ate this up. And listen — the way all of my favorite tropes were executed so flawlessly and uniquely had me fully gushing. Nothing felt overdone or predictable; it felt fresh while still delivering everything I love. It was genuinely to die for.
The vibe also gave me strong One Dark Window energy — that dark, gothic, slightly eerie atmosphere that just wraps around you and doesn’t let go. I was living for it.
The pacing made this beyond bingeable — there wasn’t a single moment I wanted to put it down, even if it meant running on just a few hours of sleep the next day (worth it). Every chapter pulled me deeper, and just when I thought I had things figured out, the story would twist in a way that left me reeling.
I also did an immersive read with the audiobook, and wow — a 5/5 experience. It’s a single narrator, but you don’t even notice because she’s so insanely talented. She brought every character and emotion to life in a way that made the story hit even harder.
I highly recommend this one. I’m already desperate for book two.
Easy 5 stars.
This is that exact feeling I’m always chasing as a reader — where you physically cannot put the book down because it’s so addicting. I was completely consumed, and I’m still thinking about it.
This was sooooo well written. From the very first page, Kaile Cassidy pulls you into a dark, atmospheric world that feels both haunting and addictive. The writing is beautifully immersive, striking that perfect balance between lyrical and sharp, and I found myself highlighting passages constantly because they just hit. There’s a raw emotional depth here that makes everything feel so real — the pain, the longing, the tension… all of it lingers long after you finish.
The characters were an absolute standout for me. They’re complex, messy, and achingly human, and I felt deeply connected to their journeys. The relationships (romantic and otherwise) are layered and intense, with a slow-burn tension that had me completely hooked. Every interaction felt meaningful, every moment felt charged.
The YEARNING was unreal — like fists-clenched, feet-kicking kind of yearning. The tension, the forced proximity, the emotional pull… I absolutely ate this up. And listen — the way all of my favorite tropes were executed so flawlessly and uniquely had me fully gushing. Nothing felt overdone or predictable; it felt fresh while still delivering everything I love. It was genuinely to die for.
The vibe also gave me strong One Dark Window energy — that dark, gothic, slightly eerie atmosphere that just wraps around you and doesn’t let go. I was living for it.
The pacing made this beyond bingeable — there wasn’t a single moment I wanted to put it down, even if it meant running on just a few hours of sleep the next day (worth it). Every chapter pulled me deeper, and just when I thought I had things figured out, the story would twist in a way that left me reeling.
I also did an immersive read with the audiobook, and wow — a 5/5 experience. It’s a single narrator, but you don’t even notice because she’s so insanely talented. She brought every character and emotion to life in a way that made the story hit even harder.
I highly recommend this one. I’m already desperate for book two.
Easy 5 stars.
September 13, 2025
I should have known better. In fact I would argue that I did know better. I was skeptical going into this. But I saw so many good reviews, Rachel Gillig blurbed it, and I was really in the mood for a solid gothic romantic fantasy. I was intrigued, and optimistic enough to buy a physical copy when I saw how long the wait on Libby was. So much regret. I gave this two stars… I honestly kind of hated it.
But what pisses me off the most about this one is that it grabbed my attention immediately. I was immediately intrigued which made my expectations so much higher. I loved the setting, there was great banter, the set up was interesting but then it just dropped off. And it became a story that I had to force myself to finish.
The characters are insufferable. Imogen is particularly obnoxious because she’s incredibly whiny and self centered. She spends the whole book complaining about how bad her life is and how unfair everyone else is. And to be fair her life is very bad. But it is hard to sympathize with her when we never get the sense that she has actually tried to do anything different. She seemed completely unconcerned with the negative impact that her actions had on other people. The way she reacted to the first major obstacle is where the story really started to lose me.
Theodore is… a brooding romantic fantasy love interest cut out. Who is immediately obsessed with Imogen for some reason. The romance was completely unbelievable. Despite this it made up the entire plot of the book. There was some potential to explore the politics, magic, or, you know, the WAR that they started. I’m so frustrated that a lot of recent romantic fantasy releases seem to skip past the tension, yearning, falling in love part of their romance plots. The romance, along with honestly all of the book, moved so fast for no reason!
The plot was kind of a mess. The romance took up too much of it and then there were attempts to pull in political and magical story threads but they were done very haphazardly. The ending, and the switch up that happens at the very end, confused me. But to be completely honest I was so sick of reading this that maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention.
The magic isn’t anything particularly unique or interesting but it’s fine. One thing that I really didn’t like was the supposed recency of the gods. On one hand we have these established religions, churches with long histories of worshipping the gods, and different systems of worship in each kingdom. But they’re also their grandparents? I think? And not in a Percy Jackson demigod way. It was really confusing.
Maybe after this absolute disaster I will finally learn that I actually do know my own reading taste. But I probably won’t learn my lesson lol.
Links to my TikTok | Instagram
But what pisses me off the most about this one is that it grabbed my attention immediately. I was immediately intrigued which made my expectations so much higher. I loved the setting, there was great banter, the set up was interesting but then it just dropped off. And it became a story that I had to force myself to finish.
The characters are insufferable. Imogen is particularly obnoxious because she’s incredibly whiny and self centered. She spends the whole book complaining about how bad her life is and how unfair everyone else is. And to be fair her life is very bad. But it is hard to sympathize with her when we never get the sense that she has actually tried to do anything different. She seemed completely unconcerned with the negative impact that her actions had on other people. The way she reacted to the first major obstacle is where the story really started to lose me.
Theodore is… a brooding romantic fantasy love interest cut out. Who is immediately obsessed with Imogen for some reason. The romance was completely unbelievable. Despite this it made up the entire plot of the book. There was some potential to explore the politics, magic, or, you know, the WAR that they started. I’m so frustrated that a lot of recent romantic fantasy releases seem to skip past the tension, yearning, falling in love part of their romance plots. The romance, along with honestly all of the book, moved so fast for no reason!
The plot was kind of a mess. The romance took up too much of it and then there were attempts to pull in political and magical story threads but they were done very haphazardly. The ending, and the switch up that happens at the very end, confused me. But to be completely honest I was so sick of reading this that maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention.
The magic isn’t anything particularly unique or interesting but it’s fine. One thing that I really didn’t like was the supposed recency of the gods. On one hand we have these established religions, churches with long histories of worshipping the gods, and different systems of worship in each kingdom. But they’re also their grandparents? I think? And not in a Percy Jackson demigod way. It was really confusing.
Maybe after this absolute disaster I will finally learn that I actually do know my own reading taste. But I probably won’t learn my lesson lol.
Links to my TikTok | Instagram
April 9, 2025
4.75 stars because how dare this book not be longer??? you’re gonna give me a One Dark Window-esque, gothic masterpiece with Siren lore and an MMC birthed from the likes of Anthony Bridgerton himself… and make it under 400 pages??? JAIL.
I need book 2 yesterday and this doesn’t even come out until July 😭 help😭
I need book 2 yesterday and this doesn’t even come out until July 😭 help😭
August 31, 2025
*2.5* Wish I’d liked this one more.
The FMC came across as selfish and self-absorbed. She’s in her late 20s, a ward of the King, and wants us to believe she’s at his mercy at all times. Yet she admits to having dalliances with men over the years. So she couldn’t escape all this time, but had plenty of freedom for that? It felt like she was just drifting through life, doing nothing to change her situation. What exactly was she waiting for?
And when she finally begs to be rescued, the man she asks points out that it would spark a war and cost innocent lives. She basically responds…ok, when can we leave?
The first half of the book worked better than the second, but overall I just wish the characters and the worldbuilding had been stronger.
*They’re churning out mediocre romantasy in a rush, desperate to cash in on the trend before the genre goes stale. The only one I’ve found recently that worth the read, is A Vow of Blood and Tears.
The FMC came across as selfish and self-absorbed. She’s in her late 20s, a ward of the King, and wants us to believe she’s at his mercy at all times. Yet she admits to having dalliances with men over the years. So she couldn’t escape all this time, but had plenty of freedom for that? It felt like she was just drifting through life, doing nothing to change her situation. What exactly was she waiting for?
And when she finally begs to be rescued, the man she asks points out that it would spark a war and cost innocent lives. She basically responds…ok, when can we leave?
The first half of the book worked better than the second, but overall I just wish the characters and the worldbuilding had been stronger.
*They’re churning out mediocre romantasy in a rush, desperate to cash in on the trend before the genre goes stale. The only one I’ve found recently that worth the read, is A Vow of Blood and Tears.
August 10, 2026
4 🌟 ”𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺.”
a gothic siren romantasy? absolutely yes 🤏🏻🙂↕️ this was soo fun and fast paced 🖤 the world and plot had me hooked. and the characters? 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙚 my yearning king. what a man!! and 𝙄𝙢𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙣 our siren baddie!! LOVE THEM. something about this gave that classic romantasy vibe in the best way and i ate it up 😜
uhhh but that ending? absolute jail time 😭😭
“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘭 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦?”
˗ˏˋ ꒰ ✨🧜🏻♀️🕯️🌊🌘 ꒱ ˎˊ˗
a gothic siren romantasy? absolutely yes 🤏🏻🙂↕️ this was soo fun and fast paced 🖤 the world and plot had me hooked. and the characters? 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙚 my yearning king. what a man!! and 𝙄𝙢𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙣 our siren baddie!! LOVE THEM. something about this gave that classic romantasy vibe in the best way and i ate it up 😜
uhhh but that ending? absolute jail time 😭😭
“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘭 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦?”
˗ˏˋ ꒰ ✨🧜🏻♀️🕯️🌊🌘 ꒱ ˎˊ˗
March 29, 2025
Many readers are going to love this book and I understand why. It has sirens with sharp teeth and wings! It has a handsome, mysterious King as a love interest. What's not to love? Unfortunately, this one didn't really work for me. I didn't like the FMC and I felt like she was just flailing about with no real direction. The world building was severely lacking for me and I needed more answers. I felt like I stepped into the story not really knowing what was happening and that can be fine if some of those questions are answered along the way and I didn't really feel like this book did that.
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 6, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was so torn for the rating on this, because I know in my heart it is absolutely a 5 star read, but it wasn't as enjoyable for me because I'm slumping. A case of right book, wrong time. It's not you (the book), it's me (the reader).
Despite my troubles getting through it, I just cannot deny that it is one of the most beautifully written books I've read. It's gorgeously atmospheric, and enraptures you from the first few chapters. I've not read many books centred around Sirens, but going forward, this book will be the standard.
The characters are full of depth and written wonderfully; I easily immersed myself into our FMC Imogen and felt the aching in my heart just from reading the yearning and the love between her and the MMC Theodore. My god, the quotes in this book. I wanted to throw up because my heart ached so badly. I'm obsessed.
One of the biggest tells for me of a 5 star fantasy is how well threads are woven throughout the story, and how it ties together at the end. The ending was everything I could've wanted, even with the cliffhanger we left on. I think at some point when I'm not in a slump, I'd really love to re-read this and be able to appreciate it fully.
If you love Sirens, beautiful writing and maybe a fantasy novel that isn't too stereotypical, then this is the book for you. 🧜🏼♀️🌊✨
____________________
-- pre read -- me 🤝🏼 reading something dark to counteract the light fluffiness of a romance I'm reading at the same time
I'm really trying to venture into different areas of fantasy lately with authors I've never read before, and I saw this has a lot of 5 stars & the plot sounds so good.. could I potentially be reading two 5 stars in a row?? stay tuned
I was so torn for the rating on this, because I know in my heart it is absolutely a 5 star read, but it wasn't as enjoyable for me because I'm slumping. A case of right book, wrong time. It's not you (the book), it's me (the reader).
Despite my troubles getting through it, I just cannot deny that it is one of the most beautifully written books I've read. It's gorgeously atmospheric, and enraptures you from the first few chapters. I've not read many books centred around Sirens, but going forward, this book will be the standard.
The characters are full of depth and written wonderfully; I easily immersed myself into our FMC Imogen and felt the aching in my heart just from reading the yearning and the love between her and the MMC Theodore. My god, the quotes in this book. I wanted to throw up because my heart ached so badly. I'm obsessed.
One of the biggest tells for me of a 5 star fantasy is how well threads are woven throughout the story, and how it ties together at the end. The ending was everything I could've wanted, even with the cliffhanger we left on. I think at some point when I'm not in a slump, I'd really love to re-read this and be able to appreciate it fully.
If you love Sirens, beautiful writing and maybe a fantasy novel that isn't too stereotypical, then this is the book for you. 🧜🏼♀️🌊✨
____________________
-- pre read -- me 🤝🏼 reading something dark to counteract the light fluffiness of a romance I'm reading at the same time
I'm really trying to venture into different areas of fantasy lately with authors I've never read before, and I saw this has a lot of 5 stars & the plot sounds so good.. could I potentially be reading two 5 stars in a row?? stay tuned
July 27, 2025
“You should fear the water..it belongs to me” 🌊
This book will pull you under with its dark and lyrical prose. Like a siren’s song, it won’t just captivate you, it will wreck you. You’ll be left gasping for air, forever changed yet aching for more. 😩
“You have shone a light on me. You made me feel fury and terror and joy and longing. How do I curl myself back into the darkness after being so alive?”
This book is for you if you love Sirens, prophecies, magic and yearning so hot it can burn underwater 🔥
“You fill my every sense. You stalk my waking mind. You make up the entirety of my dreams”
“You knelt for me” 😭
This book will pull you under with its dark and lyrical prose. Like a siren’s song, it won’t just captivate you, it will wreck you. You’ll be left gasping for air, forever changed yet aching for more. 😩
“You have shone a light on me. You made me feel fury and terror and joy and longing. How do I curl myself back into the darkness after being so alive?”
This book is for you if you love Sirens, prophecies, magic and yearning so hot it can burn underwater 🔥
“You fill my every sense. You stalk my waking mind. You make up the entirety of my dreams”
“You knelt for me” 😭
September 26, 2025
2.5✨
I’m so disappointed. I wish I had loved this. I’m just sad I wasted time on this to be quite frank.
I feel like I was dropped in the middle of a story and had to grasp information here and there for things to be coherent… but sadly, the information thrown at me just didn’t mix well. I was rereading chapters because I felt like I was missing something but no, it just didn’t always follow a coherent path.
The world building felt nonexistent and so was the siren lore. A lot of important unanswered questions. Insta love disguised in a mating bond… I couldn’t believe they were in love, it’s been 2 weeks?? Not the most coherent storyline. The FMC was victimizing herself to the max and she was extremely whiny. The twists were predictable.
Nemea was extremely mean to her, and she was super submissive. Then comes Theodore, who was kind… and him, she decided, she would put through hell lol. And if she was that powerful, why didn’t she just leave with Agatha? It seemed to me she just wanted to be saved but wasn’t putting anything into actions to facilitate this.
—•pre read
Need to take my mind off things. Hope this gives me a much needed reprieve ❤️🩹
I’m so disappointed. I wish I had loved this. I’m just sad I wasted time on this to be quite frank.
I feel like I was dropped in the middle of a story and had to grasp information here and there for things to be coherent… but sadly, the information thrown at me just didn’t mix well. I was rereading chapters because I felt like I was missing something but no, it just didn’t always follow a coherent path.
The world building felt nonexistent and so was the siren lore. A lot of important unanswered questions. Insta love disguised in a mating bond… I couldn’t believe they were in love, it’s been 2 weeks?? Not the most coherent storyline. The FMC was victimizing herself to the max and she was extremely whiny. The twists were predictable.
Nemea was extremely mean to her, and she was super submissive. Then comes Theodore, who was kind… and him, she decided, she would put through hell lol. And if she was that powerful, why didn’t she just leave with Agatha? It seemed to me she just wanted to be saved but wasn’t putting anything into actions to facilitate this.
—•pre read
Need to take my mind off things. Hope this gives me a much needed reprieve ❤️🩹
August 4, 2025
Thank you, Little, Brown, and Company!! I absolutely loved every part of it—I couldn't put this book down. The story perfectly blends dark, eerie, whimsical, and lyrical elements. It will draw you in, captivate your attention, and make you fall in love with both the MMC and FMC. This is one hell of a slow burn; the tension is palpable. The storytelling, the character development, the prose - all perfect. Dying to get my hands on book two!!! I can't wait to jump back into this world ASAP.
Pub Date: July 15, 2025
As always, all thoughts are my own! 🖤✨
Pub Date: July 15, 2025
As always, all thoughts are my own! 🖤✨
August 13, 2026
╰┈➤ 𝟺.𝟻 ✰ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
❝𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷. 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻. 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻.❞
📚: 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐲
📜: 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 𝟹𝟾𝟺
🏷️: 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢
📖: 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎
📆: 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 𝟾/𝟹/𝟸𝟼-𝟾/𝟼/𝟸𝟼
💬: 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
「 ”Imogen Nel is in hiding. Hiding from a cruel kingdom that believes Sirens are monstrous, blood hungry creatures. Hiding from a king and his captain who viciously hunt her kind. Hiding from her own alluring abilities. By keeping herself from the sea, Imogen's bloodlust is dulled, and her black wings remain hidden beneath her skin. When a neighboring king comes to visit, Imogen can no longer hide. He knows precisely what she is, and he believes she can save both their kingdoms from an even greater monster. But Imogen's power threatens to violently reveal itself and the two form a blood bond that protects them both. They flee the kingdom together, traversing waters teeming with the undead. As the lines between duty to their people and desire for each other begin to blur, Imogen worries her own ancestral powers may not be enough to kill what hunts her; the only way to defeat a monster may be to become one herself.”」
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
❝ “𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓮𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓭 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓸𝓷—𝓫𝓮𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓭 𝓭𝓾𝓽𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓲𝓻𝓮. 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓽𝓲𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓭 𝓶𝔂 𝔀𝓱𝓸𝓵𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓸𝓷 𝓲𝓽𝓼 𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓬𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓸𝓼.” 𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝓫𝓻𝓾𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮. “𝓨𝓸𝓾. 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾.” ❞
ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★★★ ½
ɢᴏᴏᴅʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟹.𝟿𝟸 ☆ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️
ᴘᴀɪʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ: ʜᴏᴛ ᴛᴇᴀ
ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ?: 👍🏼
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʟʙᴀᴛʀᴏꜱꜱ — ᴛᴀʏʟᴏʀ ꜱᴡɪꜰᴛ
2:20 ———♡——— 3:03
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
🌊 ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ
🌊 ʜᴇ ꜰᴀʟʟꜱ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ
🌊 ꜱɪʀᴇɴꜱ & ɢᴏᴅꜱ
🌊 ꜰᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ
🌊 ꜰᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ
🌊 ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ ʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪᴇ
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
❝𝓘 𝓴𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓱𝓲𝓶 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓪𝓲𝓻, 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓱𝓪𝓭 𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓶𝔂 𝔀𝓱𝓸𝓵𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓮 𝓰𝓪𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴.❞
October 14, 2025
✩ 4 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Marriage of Convenience
➼ Blood Bonds
➼ Duty vs. Desire
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Winged Sirens, Gods, & Monsters
➼ Political Intrigue
➼ He Falls First
➼ Yearning
➼ One Horse
➼ Prophecies
➼ Narrated by Ell Potter
➼ First Person Single POV
Let me first start by saying that this is an EXTREMELY impressive debut! I’m honestly amazed that this is Kalie Cassidy’s first book. Bravo girl! 👏🏻👏🏻
I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest Rachel Gillig fan, but I definitely think this will be a hit with those who love her work. This is a gothic fairytale with a dark and atmospheric setting that rivaled One Dark Window, making it the perfect read for spooky season!
Imogen was raised far away from her people and the sea and taught to be meek and accommodating. Sirens are feared and hated for their alluring powers so when she shifts for the first time in front of her betrothed her life and freedom are immediately put in danger. He wishes to possess her for himself, but her instincts won’t allow that, no matter how meek and mild she was taught to be. Fearing for her life, she offers to bind herself to a neighboring King in exchange for her life and safe passage out of her kingdom. This is of course when the juicy forced proximity slow burn romance really takes off!
The yearning in this book was top tier and the storyline was very unique. The only thing that kind of bothered me was that I never felt 100% sure that he was attracted to her and falling for her of his own free will. It’s not that I thought she was intentionally putting a spell on him or anything, but her allure as a siren seemed strong enough that it might have affected him even when she wasn’t actively using her powers.
When they were bound together, the magic of that binding unquestionably affected both of them emotionally, physically and psychologically and increased their desire and need to protect each other. He was pretty obsessed with her honestly and while that would typically be romantic and desirable, the circumstances and nature of her magic made it feel a little uncomfortable for me. It’s fiction and I’m probably overthinking it, but I can’t seem to get it out of my head.
Other than that, this was an excellent read! Happy to see that book two is already in the works, even if we don’t have a date yet. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long! 🤞🏻I definitely recommend adding this one to your TBR!
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I’ve read a few books I didn’t really feel like reading this month, but I’m VERY excited for this one! I’ve seen only rave reviews and the consensus seems to be that it’s a perfect read for spooky season! 🙌🏻
Fully expecting this to be a 5 star read! 🧜🏼♀️🌊✨
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
What to Expect:
➼ Marriage of Convenience
➼ Blood Bonds
➼ Duty vs. Desire
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Winged Sirens, Gods, & Monsters
➼ Political Intrigue
➼ He Falls First
➼ Yearning
➼ One Horse
➼ Prophecies
➼ Narrated by Ell Potter
➼ First Person Single POV
Let me first start by saying that this is an EXTREMELY impressive debut! I’m honestly amazed that this is Kalie Cassidy’s first book. Bravo girl! 👏🏻👏🏻
I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest Rachel Gillig fan, but I definitely think this will be a hit with those who love her work. This is a gothic fairytale with a dark and atmospheric setting that rivaled One Dark Window, making it the perfect read for spooky season!
Imogen was raised far away from her people and the sea and taught to be meek and accommodating. Sirens are feared and hated for their alluring powers so when she shifts for the first time in front of her betrothed her life and freedom are immediately put in danger. He wishes to possess her for himself, but her instincts won’t allow that, no matter how meek and mild she was taught to be. Fearing for her life, she offers to bind herself to a neighboring King in exchange for her life and safe passage out of her kingdom. This is of course when the juicy forced proximity slow burn romance really takes off!
The yearning in this book was top tier and the storyline was very unique. The only thing that kind of bothered me was that I never felt 100% sure that he was attracted to her and falling for her of his own free will. It’s not that I thought she was intentionally putting a spell on him or anything, but her allure as a siren seemed strong enough that it might have affected him even when she wasn’t actively using her powers.
When they were bound together, the magic of that binding unquestionably affected both of them emotionally, physically and psychologically and increased their desire and need to protect each other. He was pretty obsessed with her honestly and while that would typically be romantic and desirable, the circumstances and nature of her magic made it feel a little uncomfortable for me. It’s fiction and I’m probably overthinking it, but I can’t seem to get it out of my head.
Other than that, this was an excellent read! Happy to see that book two is already in the works, even if we don’t have a date yet. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long! 🤞🏻I definitely recommend adding this one to your TBR!
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I’ve read a few books I didn’t really feel like reading this month, but I’m VERY excited for this one! I’ve seen only rave reviews and the consensus seems to be that it’s a perfect read for spooky season! 🙌🏻
Fully expecting this to be a 5 star read! 🧜🏼♀️🌊✨
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
July 16, 2026
3⭐️
I went into this book not really knowing what to expect, and I can confidently say that I had a fun and enjoyable time. However, this book had some issues that I want to address and talk about. It was fun, but far from a perfect fantasy book.
I'll start out with what I did really enjoy about this book and that was the story. It was fast-paced and the story was really easy to get into and binge. I was able to finish this in just 2 sittings so hey, I'm giving it points for that.
The premise and layout of the plot was VERY engaging and enjoyable. Honestly, I would have liked it to be a bit longer to kind of flesh out all of the big details and history so you as a reader could connect with it on a deeper level.
I found the characters to simply just be "okay". They really didn't have a lot of depth that I was hoping there'd be and the relationships felt very surface level and hollow.
I enjoyed Imogen and Theo together and their conversations, but only to a certain extent.
The insta-love was HEAVY and if you've been following my reviews for a bit now, you know that I despise relationships that have little to no build-up and just jump straight into the romance. I wish there was more yearning and more of a foundation to their relationship, but they did have some sweet moments.
The thing that I probably didn't enjoy the most was the pacing. While I enjoy a quick fantasy read, this book was felt a bit all over the place.
We were jumping from plot point to plot point within a few pages/chapters and I found it difficult to wrap my head around sometimes because there was just so much information and details that I felt NEEDED to be expanded on.
It would have given this book more stability and information that could have really blown this book up into something bigger and better.
Overall, I really do want to continue to the next book in this series simply because the plot hooked me and I'm itching to find out where the second book leads. I wasn't a massive fan of this one, but I don't want to count it out completely.
There is so much potential here and I feel like the author could make a big comeback (to me) depending on how the second books plays out.
I feel like people who are newer to fantasy and the romantic fantasy genre itself would really enjoy this one!
I would not recommend this to those who want something deep and meaningful and earth-shattering cause this book is very surface level.
After taking a fantasy hiatus for the past couple months, I did appreciate this book for getting back into the genre and all that was offered. I'm excited for the next one after how this one ended!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: 💙🧜🏼♀️
My first fantasy book in literal months 😭
I've been on a lit fic binge over the summer but I really, really want something magical and otherworldly to soothe this itch 🙂↕️
I went into this book not really knowing what to expect, and I can confidently say that I had a fun and enjoyable time. However, this book had some issues that I want to address and talk about. It was fun, but far from a perfect fantasy book.
I'll start out with what I did really enjoy about this book and that was the story. It was fast-paced and the story was really easy to get into and binge. I was able to finish this in just 2 sittings so hey, I'm giving it points for that.
The premise and layout of the plot was VERY engaging and enjoyable. Honestly, I would have liked it to be a bit longer to kind of flesh out all of the big details and history so you as a reader could connect with it on a deeper level.
I found the characters to simply just be "okay". They really didn't have a lot of depth that I was hoping there'd be and the relationships felt very surface level and hollow.
I enjoyed Imogen and Theo together and their conversations, but only to a certain extent.
The insta-love was HEAVY and if you've been following my reviews for a bit now, you know that I despise relationships that have little to no build-up and just jump straight into the romance. I wish there was more yearning and more of a foundation to their relationship, but they did have some sweet moments.
The thing that I probably didn't enjoy the most was the pacing. While I enjoy a quick fantasy read, this book was felt a bit all over the place.
We were jumping from plot point to plot point within a few pages/chapters and I found it difficult to wrap my head around sometimes because there was just so much information and details that I felt NEEDED to be expanded on.
It would have given this book more stability and information that could have really blown this book up into something bigger and better.
Overall, I really do want to continue to the next book in this series simply because the plot hooked me and I'm itching to find out where the second book leads. I wasn't a massive fan of this one, but I don't want to count it out completely.
There is so much potential here and I feel like the author could make a big comeback (to me) depending on how the second books plays out.
I feel like people who are newer to fantasy and the romantic fantasy genre itself would really enjoy this one!
I would not recommend this to those who want something deep and meaningful and earth-shattering cause this book is very surface level.
After taking a fantasy hiatus for the past couple months, I did appreciate this book for getting back into the genre and all that was offered. I'm excited for the next one after how this one ended!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: 💙🧜🏼♀️
My first fantasy book in literal months 😭
I've been on a lit fic binge over the summer but I really, really want something magical and otherworldly to soothe this itch 🙂↕️
September 10, 2025
Okay okay OKAY. Guess who’s gone and got themselves a new god tier read? Yup. Me. This. That’ll do it.
This read like a delicious gothic fairytale, filled with siren lore, prophecies, and dark magic that will pull you under. You cannot help but be completely under this books spell.
Don’t even get me started on the yearning 🫠 or the angst?! With a haunting and lyrical prose?! oh boy I think this book is just so remarkably special.
If you loved one dark window, you’ll adore this. I’ll not be sleeping until we get book two, consider me lost at sea.
This read like a delicious gothic fairytale, filled with siren lore, prophecies, and dark magic that will pull you under. You cannot help but be completely under this books spell.
Don’t even get me started on the yearning 🫠 or the angst?! With a haunting and lyrical prose?! oh boy I think this book is just so remarkably special.
If you loved one dark window, you’ll adore this. I’ll not be sleeping until we get book two, consider me lost at sea.
August 16, 2025
unpopular opinion i think but... this had so much potencial but didnt hit the mark
January 22, 2026
THIS LURED ME IN LIKE A SIREN’S CALL (I had to but its also so accurate).
FIVE STARS 💙🧜🏼♀️👑
A well-written gothic siren romantasy WITH mage magic, prophecies, legitimately shocking plot twists, and warring gods. I am sold. I admit, I went into this with low expectations only because I feel like this type of book can be difficult to pull off. I was so wrong. I finished this in less than a day. Also, and the plot is not the same at all, but personally this gave me The Little Mermaid vibes - seaside king falls for a non-human woman from the ocean. It’s just eerily enchanting.
If I were to write a book, I’d want it to be something like this. The writing is 10/10. The plot is 10/10. The atmosphere, vibes, whatever you called it are 10/10.
Also, the spice is so well done without being in your face and ridiculous. Definitely spicy, but with class.
This book is a dream. Wake me up on July 7 when book 2 is published.
Ps can someone do a book club deep dive on this??
FIVE STARS 💙🧜🏼♀️👑
A well-written gothic siren romantasy WITH mage magic, prophecies, legitimately shocking plot twists, and warring gods. I am sold. I admit, I went into this with low expectations only because I feel like this type of book can be difficult to pull off. I was so wrong. I finished this in less than a day. Also, and the plot is not the same at all, but personally this gave me The Little Mermaid vibes - seaside king falls for a non-human woman from the ocean. It’s just eerily enchanting.
If I were to write a book, I’d want it to be something like this. The writing is 10/10. The plot is 10/10. The atmosphere, vibes, whatever you called it are 10/10.
Also, the spice is so well done without being in your face and ridiculous. Definitely spicy, but with class.
This book is a dream. Wake me up on July 7 when book 2 is published.
Ps can someone do a book club deep dive on this??
July 25, 2025
I haven’t felt this way about a book in a long time. The romance, their characters, the world…it’s all built with care and the writing is beautiful. I can die happy now (after book 2, of course)
Also…that sneak peek of book 2 made things so much worse 😆😆😭😭 (do it again)
Also…that sneak peek of book 2 made things so much worse 😆😆😭😭 (do it again)
December 22, 2025
I really need to stop torturing myself by starting unfinished series 😩 now I have to sit and wait for book two?!?
"I cannot even see her for the way you encompass me. You fill my every sense. You stalk my waking mind. You make up the entirety of my dreams.”
"I cannot even see her for the way you encompass me. You fill my every sense. You stalk my waking mind. You make up the entirety of my dreams.”
May 11, 2026
THIS IS WHAT GOTHIC GLOOMY DREAMS ARE MADE OF
🖤🐚🌊🕯️🌬️
I had so much fun reading this!!!!! Dark magic & creepy lush world with complex characters… YES.
Theo being desperately obsessed with her was just too delicious. HE IS SO TORTURED AND ROMANTIC 🫦🫦 everytime he spoke I squealed…. I was sending quotes to my husband to let him know if he doesn’t start speaking to me like this regularly then I’m leaving him🙂↕️
"I am the bug. A moth. And you are the moon. Drawing me, pulling me. But I'll never be able to reach you without destroying myself."
"I cannot even see her for the way you encompass me." Emotion etched his face. "You fill my every sense. You stalk my waking mind. You make up the entirety of my dreams."
The writing is so beautiful and I think this duology could easily become an all time fav. Can’t wait for book 2 🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️
This is Kalie Cassidy’s first novel!!? Holy cow, girl I’m obsessed w you!!!
🖤🐚🌊🕯️🌬️
I had so much fun reading this!!!!! Dark magic & creepy lush world with complex characters… YES.
Theo being desperately obsessed with her was just too delicious. HE IS SO TORTURED AND ROMANTIC 🫦🫦 everytime he spoke I squealed…. I was sending quotes to my husband to let him know if he doesn’t start speaking to me like this regularly then I’m leaving him🙂↕️
"I am the bug. A moth. And you are the moon. Drawing me, pulling me. But I'll never be able to reach you without destroying myself."
"I cannot even see her for the way you encompass me." Emotion etched his face. "You fill my every sense. You stalk my waking mind. You make up the entirety of my dreams."
The writing is so beautiful and I think this duology could easily become an all time fav. Can’t wait for book 2 🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️
This is Kalie Cassidy’s first novel!!? Holy cow, girl I’m obsessed w you!!!
July 23, 2026
════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ════
🌊≋🪽≋🧜🏻♀️ In The Veins of the Drowning 🧜🏻♀️≋🪽≋🌊
꒰➛ Stars: 4 ⭐!
꒰➛ Pov: First-person FMC
꒰➛ Spice: 1.5 / 5
꒰➛ Content: Swearing; violence; lots of descriptions of pain; one (or maybe two?) mildly detailed spicy scenes
꒰➛ This review is spoiler-free!
════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ════
✎𓂃 Story! 𓂃✎
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This felt very romantasy. I can't describe how, but this is such a romantasy romantasy. If you have a romantasy itch in your heart, look no further! We have goddesses and gods, a bond neither party wants (at least at first), and plenty of odds stacked against the characters. And lots of sea, of course, with a dose of dangerous magic and surprising amounts of gore ✨
════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ════
✎𓂃 Characters! 𓂃✎
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
╰┈➤ 𝐼𝓂𝑜𝑔𝑒𝓃
Imogen, like the story, was a very romantasy lead. A woman who comes into her own strength after being put down for years, finally taking control of her fate. A woman with powers she never even realized. I liked her a decent amount, but she could also be kinda stubborn, to a point it felt like she did things that would clearly have bad outcomes just to go against what someone told her. I mean, she has been a pawn this whole time, so I get where it's coming from! Just doesn't make it less annoying
╰┈➤ 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝑜𝒹𝑜𝓇𝑒
You look up a definition of the word 'yearning', and you'll just see Theodore 🤭 Duty-driven and very, very stoic, he's a classic king who does what needs to be done for his kingdom. But he has a heart in there, going so far as to save Imogen from her (basically) imprisonment. I did find him to sometimes be, I don't know, I guess insensitive is the right word to Imogen's situation? Not too very much though, he genuinely cares about her
════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ════
✎𓂃 Romance! 𓂃✎
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The romance is a combination of enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love, and lots of jabs at each other, as usual 😌 The enemies-to-lovers didn't really feel like it fit to be honest, because why was Imogen being so snappy to someone who literally just saved her? But the blood bond, the blood bond! It was so cute, drawing the two of them together, making each other jealous, giving them warmth when they were near, THE YEARNING, I loved the vibe there!
════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ════
✎𓂃 Conclusion! 𓂃✎
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So this was a good read for the summer! It's a great romantasy, not without its flaws, but enjoyable! I'd def recommend reading it by a pool like I did, it just makes the aesthetic that much better!
════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ════
🌊≋🪽≋🧜🏻♀️ In The Veins of the Drowning 🧜🏻♀️≋🪽≋🌊
꒰➛ Stars: 4 ⭐!
꒰➛ Pov: First-person FMC
꒰➛ Spice: 1.5 / 5
꒰➛ Content: Swearing; violence; lots of descriptions of pain; one (or maybe two?) mildly detailed spicy scenes
꒰➛ This review is spoiler-free!
════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ════
✎𓂃 Story! 𓂃✎
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This felt very romantasy. I can't describe how, but this is such a romantasy romantasy. If you have a romantasy itch in your heart, look no further! We have goddesses and gods, a bond neither party wants (at least at first), and plenty of odds stacked against the characters. And lots of sea, of course, with a dose of dangerous magic and surprising amounts of gore ✨
════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ════
✎𓂃 Characters! 𓂃✎
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
╰┈➤ 𝐼𝓂𝑜𝑔𝑒𝓃
Imogen, like the story, was a very romantasy lead. A woman who comes into her own strength after being put down for years, finally taking control of her fate. A woman with powers she never even realized. I liked her a decent amount, but she could also be kinda stubborn, to a point it felt like she did things that would clearly have bad outcomes just to go against what someone told her. I mean, she has been a pawn this whole time, so I get where it's coming from! Just doesn't make it less annoying
╰┈➤ 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝑜𝒹𝑜𝓇𝑒
You look up a definition of the word 'yearning', and you'll just see Theodore 🤭 Duty-driven and very, very stoic, he's a classic king who does what needs to be done for his kingdom. But he has a heart in there, going so far as to save Imogen from her (basically) imprisonment. I did find him to sometimes be, I don't know, I guess insensitive is the right word to Imogen's situation? Not too very much though, he genuinely cares about her
════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ════
✎𓂃 Romance! 𓂃✎
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The romance is a combination of enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love, and lots of jabs at each other, as usual 😌 The enemies-to-lovers didn't really feel like it fit to be honest, because why was Imogen being so snappy to someone who literally just saved her? But the blood bond, the blood bond! It was so cute, drawing the two of them together, making each other jealous, giving them warmth when they were near, THE YEARNING, I loved the vibe there!
════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ════
✎𓂃 Conclusion! 𓂃✎
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So this was a good read for the summer! It's a great romantasy, not without its flaws, but enjoyable! I'd def recommend reading it by a pool like I did, it just makes the aesthetic that much better!
════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ═════ ≪ °𓊝° ≫ ════
April 1, 2026
I understand the hype of this book, I really do but it just wasn’t for me. I wanted to love this so badly I really did but I couldn’t connect with the characters or the story itself.
I was intrigued at the start but the more I read it the more I was just fed up and tired of reading it. The premise is so intriguing and I’m so sad that I didn’t like it. The world building is lacking so badly. The book itself felt so fast paced that there wasn’t enough time for character development. Imogen herself is unbearable and whiny. She doesn’t think of anyone else but herself. Also very insta loving, like my guys it’s been two weeks?!!! Like what
————————————————————————-
𐙚⋆°. preread
I’ve heard so many good things about this book, so I’m excited to see what I’ll think of it
I was intrigued at the start but the more I read it the more I was just fed up and tired of reading it. The premise is so intriguing and I’m so sad that I didn’t like it. The world building is lacking so badly. The book itself felt so fast paced that there wasn’t enough time for character development. Imogen herself is unbearable and whiny. She doesn’t think of anyone else but herself. Also very insta loving, like my guys it’s been two weeks?!!! Like what
————————————————————————-
𐙚⋆°. preread
I’ve heard so many good things about this book, so I’m excited to see what I’ll think of it
Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,116 reviews