What do you think?
The Song of the Void
A captive, wrathful Siren.
A cursed ex-pirate drowning in agony.
An artifact that could mean salvation for both if they can survive a journey to Hell—and each other.
Vengeful Siren Zephra would give away hundreds of her bewitching kisses—and probably a few stab wounds—if it meant escaping human captivity for her ocean home. After six years trapped behind glass walls in a curiosity lounge, she sends out a cryptic call for help, offering the location of a lost Siren artifact in exchange for freedom. But a lead on the Voidtome, an artifact capable of tearing cataclysmic holes in reality, doesn’t draw in heroes. It attracts the attention of Reiven—a cursed ex-pirate with a dangerous amount of snarky charm and a history of hunting Sirens. When Reiven's enemies attempt to ensnare Zephra in a magical bind, he intervenes…unintentionally tethering her to himself.
Now magically chained together, Zephra and Reiven form a reluctant partnership to retrieve the Voidtome. While Reiven insists he wants to return the stolen artifact to the Sirens in the name of peace, Zephra plots to use it to annihilate the human country that ripped her from her home. Their alliance is tenuous. The attraction, infuriating. And the Voidtome’s location—Hell itself—is just the start of their problems. When the pirate captain who once betrayed her resurfaces to claim both her and the Voidtome, Zephra must rely on her new ally as she faces her old trauma. And beneath Reiven's cocky front and countless secrets, Zephra finds someone almost as broken as she is.
Falling for Reiven was never part of the plan. And daring to trust a cursed Siren-hunter may shatter Zephra’s fantasy of vengeance—and her hopes of returning home.
A cursed ex-pirate drowning in agony.
An artifact that could mean salvation for both if they can survive a journey to Hell—and each other.
Vengeful Siren Zephra would give away hundreds of her bewitching kisses—and probably a few stab wounds—if it meant escaping human captivity for her ocean home. After six years trapped behind glass walls in a curiosity lounge, she sends out a cryptic call for help, offering the location of a lost Siren artifact in exchange for freedom. But a lead on the Voidtome, an artifact capable of tearing cataclysmic holes in reality, doesn’t draw in heroes. It attracts the attention of Reiven—a cursed ex-pirate with a dangerous amount of snarky charm and a history of hunting Sirens. When Reiven's enemies attempt to ensnare Zephra in a magical bind, he intervenes…unintentionally tethering her to himself.
Now magically chained together, Zephra and Reiven form a reluctant partnership to retrieve the Voidtome. While Reiven insists he wants to return the stolen artifact to the Sirens in the name of peace, Zephra plots to use it to annihilate the human country that ripped her from her home. Their alliance is tenuous. The attraction, infuriating. And the Voidtome’s location—Hell itself—is just the start of their problems. When the pirate captain who once betrayed her resurfaces to claim both her and the Voidtome, Zephra must rely on her new ally as she faces her old trauma. And beneath Reiven's cocky front and countless secrets, Zephra finds someone almost as broken as she is.
Falling for Reiven was never part of the plan. And daring to trust a cursed Siren-hunter may shatter Zephra’s fantasy of vengeance—and her hopes of returning home.
Unknown Binding
Published September 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
September 14, 2026
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via the author)
4.25
I loved Ash immediately and his relationship with Reiven. I thought Reiven and Zephra were cute together and I loved their banter in its various stages. I also felt Zephra had good character growth as the story progressed. The end was a bit of a roller coaster and had a few things I did not see coming! Based on the ending, I'm hoping it's setting up for interconnected standalones because I'd love to see more from these characters!
4.25
I loved Ash immediately and his relationship with Reiven. I thought Reiven and Zephra were cute together and I loved their banter in its various stages. I also felt Zephra had good character growth as the story progressed. The end was a bit of a roller coaster and had a few things I did not see coming! Based on the ending, I'm hoping it's setting up for interconnected standalones because I'd love to see more from these characters!
Review of advance copy received from Author
A big thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC!
I’d like to start this review by saying that I really enjoyed reading this book, and that I think it’s really worth your time if you enjoy reading siren/pirate/sea-centric love stories. It’s very obvious to me that this book is the author’s passion project; her enthusiasm and love for her characters come through strongly in every word of the novel. It’s easy to find yourself invested in this plot, and I think everything culminates really satisfyingly in one of the best third acts I’ve read in a while. I’m about to go into the nitty gritty of my critique, but I would like to emphasise again that I had so much fun reading this, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more stories by Laney Lopez.
The core of the story follows our three main characters: Zephra, Reiven and Ashkade. Of the three, Ash immediately stole my attention with his kindness and intelligence. I love the relationship he has with his bodyguard, Reiven — I think that younger brother/older brother relationships are very underrepresented in a lot of fantasy fiction, and reading about how much they care about each other is such a nice change from the usual romance that we always see. With Ash being the most mild-mannered of the three, I found it hilarious how he would take the role of the mediator between (the much older) Zephra and Reiven early on while they were constantly bickering with each other. I’d also like to commend the author’s bold choices that she took with Ash in the third act of the book. I’m really glad that she committed to his arc, as gutted as I was when I read it.
On the other hand, I found Zephra to be a really difficult character to like, especially in the first half of the book. Her decisions and inner monologue read as a little immature, which may have been an intentional choice to showcase the start of her character development arc, but I think a part of that can be attributed to some awkward writing here and there. I want to keep this review spoiler free, but there were quite a few instances where Zephra would do something that frustrated me to no end, because I thought they were so stupid lol. It was even more frustrating to see Rei and Ash being endlessly patient with her, even when I felt she didn’t deserve it (in particular, a moment involving Zephra and Rei and a sedative, among others).
While I’m always a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers arc, I found the early interactions between Zephra and Rei to be rather trite. I mean, I definitely thought the banter/arguments had their moments, especially when it gets venomous and personal, but in some instances it almost felt like I was reading a YA novel, with how childish and petty their bickering was. I found myself enjoying their interactions a lot more once they started to become friends, but I think the best part of their relationship was after they realised they were in love. Still, I do wish it was a bit of a slower transition, because I found the stages between hate and like (or lust? love?) in the first half to be quite abrupt.
With regards to the spicier scenes, I do think they were really fun to read. There were quite a few of them in this book, and I like how the dynamics shift from soft and vulnerable to passionate and unabashed. Rei has a surprisingly filthy mouth, and there was a scene around the 50% mark that genuinely had me clutching my pearls. I think that readers will definitely enjoy those scenes, but I’d like to make a note of something that took me out of the reading experience a few times: a lot of the dirty talk feels very modern/contemporary, in a way that’s a little bit out of place with the more formal high fantasy elements. Even though I get that the point of the dialogue IS to be rough and dirty, I would have liked something slightly more elevated and not something super cliched/overused in the current contemporary romance market.
I’d also like to talk about the names in this book, from the perspective of an Asian reader. The characters in this book all have really creative fantasy names, like Zephra, Ashkade, Calinia, Shaddan, etc. The reveal of the name Reiven, or Rei Miyasagi, caught me off guard. Compared to the other names in the book, the Japanese naming immediately stood out to me.
Now, I read in the author bio that she attended a Japanese language school in Tokyo after high school, and I’ve seen a few pieces of art of Rei, so I do think this is a purposeful approach. I have no qualms with the Asian representation. I love Asian characters, and Asian love interests! I spent a while trying to articulate why this name in particular made me feel uneasy. What bothered me isn’t the presence of a Japanese name, but rather the contrast between this name and the other unique fantastical names. Because Rei’s name is so recognisably grounded in real-world Japanese naming conventions, it made the Asian element feel unusually marked to me — almost as if the name is being presented as something exotic.
It probably was never the author’s intention, but it did elicit some uncomfortable feelings with me, particularly when we meet some of the other similarly-named Miyasagis in the third act. When it comes to Asian-inspired fantasy names, it’s not like it hasn’t been done before! Authors like Marie Lu, Leigh Bardugo and Elizabeth Lim do it all the time, drawing inspiration from various Asian cultures and roots to create wonderful new names that fit right into their fantasy worlds.
Finally, I’d like to wrap up by talking about how much I loved the third act. The escalation of conflict, action and danger was really tastefully done. I was surprised by all the twists and turns, most of which I did NOT see coming at all. The foundations of the political tension laid out in the former parts of the novel culminated in the end with its hopeful resolution. The worldbuilding was thoughtfully done and well-realised, and I would love to read more books set in this world just to explore its setting, in particular the Abyssal Deep and Terrakor!
I’d like to start this review by saying that I really enjoyed reading this book, and that I think it’s really worth your time if you enjoy reading siren/pirate/sea-centric love stories. It’s very obvious to me that this book is the author’s passion project; her enthusiasm and love for her characters come through strongly in every word of the novel. It’s easy to find yourself invested in this plot, and I think everything culminates really satisfyingly in one of the best third acts I’ve read in a while. I’m about to go into the nitty gritty of my critique, but I would like to emphasise again that I had so much fun reading this, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more stories by Laney Lopez.
The core of the story follows our three main characters: Zephra, Reiven and Ashkade. Of the three, Ash immediately stole my attention with his kindness and intelligence. I love the relationship he has with his bodyguard, Reiven — I think that younger brother/older brother relationships are very underrepresented in a lot of fantasy fiction, and reading about how much they care about each other is such a nice change from the usual romance that we always see. With Ash being the most mild-mannered of the three, I found it hilarious how he would take the role of the mediator between (the much older) Zephra and Reiven early on while they were constantly bickering with each other. I’d also like to commend the author’s bold choices that she took with Ash in the third act of the book. I’m really glad that she committed to his arc, as gutted as I was when I read it.
On the other hand, I found Zephra to be a really difficult character to like, especially in the first half of the book. Her decisions and inner monologue read as a little immature, which may have been an intentional choice to showcase the start of her character development arc, but I think a part of that can be attributed to some awkward writing here and there. I want to keep this review spoiler free, but there were quite a few instances where Zephra would do something that frustrated me to no end, because I thought they were so stupid lol. It was even more frustrating to see Rei and Ash being endlessly patient with her, even when I felt she didn’t deserve it (in particular, a moment involving Zephra and Rei and a sedative, among others).
While I’m always a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers arc, I found the early interactions between Zephra and Rei to be rather trite. I mean, I definitely thought the banter/arguments had their moments, especially when it gets venomous and personal, but in some instances it almost felt like I was reading a YA novel, with how childish and petty their bickering was. I found myself enjoying their interactions a lot more once they started to become friends, but I think the best part of their relationship was after they realised they were in love. Still, I do wish it was a bit of a slower transition, because I found the stages between hate and like (or lust? love?) in the first half to be quite abrupt.
With regards to the spicier scenes, I do think they were really fun to read. There were quite a few of them in this book, and I like how the dynamics shift from soft and vulnerable to passionate and unabashed. Rei has a surprisingly filthy mouth, and there was a scene around the 50% mark that genuinely had me clutching my pearls. I think that readers will definitely enjoy those scenes, but I’d like to make a note of something that took me out of the reading experience a few times: a lot of the dirty talk feels very modern/contemporary, in a way that’s a little bit out of place with the more formal high fantasy elements. Even though I get that the point of the dialogue IS to be rough and dirty, I would have liked something slightly more elevated and not something super cliched/overused in the current contemporary romance market.
I’d also like to talk about the names in this book, from the perspective of an Asian reader. The characters in this book all have really creative fantasy names, like Zephra, Ashkade, Calinia, Shaddan, etc. The reveal of the name Reiven, or Rei Miyasagi, caught me off guard. Compared to the other names in the book, the Japanese naming immediately stood out to me.
Now, I read in the author bio that she attended a Japanese language school in Tokyo after high school, and I’ve seen a few pieces of art of Rei, so I do think this is a purposeful approach. I have no qualms with the Asian representation. I love Asian characters, and Asian love interests! I spent a while trying to articulate why this name in particular made me feel uneasy. What bothered me isn’t the presence of a Japanese name, but rather the contrast between this name and the other unique fantastical names. Because Rei’s name is so recognisably grounded in real-world Japanese naming conventions, it made the Asian element feel unusually marked to me — almost as if the name is being presented as something exotic.
It probably was never the author’s intention, but it did elicit some uncomfortable feelings with me, particularly when we meet some of the other similarly-named Miyasagis in the third act. When it comes to Asian-inspired fantasy names, it’s not like it hasn’t been done before! Authors like Marie Lu, Leigh Bardugo and Elizabeth Lim do it all the time, drawing inspiration from various Asian cultures and roots to create wonderful new names that fit right into their fantasy worlds.
Finally, I’d like to wrap up by talking about how much I loved the third act. The escalation of conflict, action and danger was really tastefully done. I was surprised by all the twists and turns, most of which I did NOT see coming at all. The foundations of the political tension laid out in the former parts of the novel culminated in the end with its hopeful resolution. The worldbuilding was thoughtfully done and well-realised, and I would love to read more books set in this world just to explore its setting, in particular the Abyssal Deep and Terrakor!
September 20, 2026
Thank you so much to the author for gifting me an eARC of this story!!!
This one ended up being such an enjoyable reading experience because it genuinely surprised me more than once, for reasons I did NOT expect.
I’ll admit that I had a few reservations at the beginning. There were certain aspects of the story that didn’t completely convince me at first, particularly in the way some elements were presented and explained. However, I never felt like the underlying ideas were the problem. The story itself had me intrigued enough to keep reading, and knowing I was reading an ARC made me wonder whether some of those things might simply have needed another round of editing. I’m definitely curious to see how the final version compares.
I also really loved the main cast, although I initially couldn’t stand the FMC. She really had to grow on me, but by the end, I genuinely loved her character and the way she developed throughout the story. The characters were a huge part of what kept me engaged, and I particularly appreciated how they reacted to everything happening around them. I do wish I’d gotten a little more from the villain, but that’s honestly more because I am a nosy little gremlin who wants to know EVERYTHING about a villain’s backstory. Their motivations were explained and were more than enough for the story, so this is purely a personal curiosity rather than something I felt was missing. The same goes for a couple of side characters. I liked them a lot, which made me curious to explore their backgrounds a bit more.
Another thing I’d like to note is that the pacing of this book was slower than I expected. The story spans multiple months, and with pirates involved, I naturally went in expecting chaos and epic battles on the ships. There were action scenes, don’t get me wrong. What I was missing a little wasn’t necessarily MORE of them. It was the feeling of higher stakes within those scenes. I wanted to feel more caught up in the danger and tension. I still enjoyed them though, and this didn’t stop me from loving the actual storyline because THE PLOT!! There are some genuinely fantastic ideas here, and I was completely invested in seeing where everything would go.
But the thing that probably affected me the most was something I initially reacted to completely differently.
There’s a traumatic experience that the FMC struggles with, and at first I found myself getting frustrated because her response seemed so different from the person I had come to know. She repeatedly froze in situations where I expected her to fight back, and I remember thinking, “Why aren’t you doing something?!”
And then the more I read, the more I realized that the problem wasn’t her reaction. It was my expectation of what her reaction SHOULD be.
I have never experienced what she experienced, thankfully, and I have absolutely no right to decide how someone should respond to trauma, fear, or vulnerability. People don’t all react to terrible situations in the same way, and sometimes “just fight back” simply isn’t something a person can make themselves do.
What made this even more impactful was that the people around her didn’t all react perfectly either. They were protective and tried to help her, but they also became frustrated and angry because they hated watching her become so vulnerable. That felt incredibly human to me. It wasn’t a neat, perfectly supportive response where everyone magically knows the right thing to say. They cared, they were worried, they sometimes reacted badly, and they kept trying.
Honestly, I ended up feeling like the book had called me out. And I appreciated that more than I can explain.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE PLOT TWIST.
Because excuse me???
I genuinely did not see it coming. I haven’t had a book make me stare at the page in complete disbelief for several minutes in a while, but this one managed it. The setup was SO well done, and I especially loved that the characters’ reactions to the revelation felt just as important as the revelation itself.
I obviously won’t say anything more because I refuse to be the person who commits the crime of spoiling a book in the name of a review.
One last thing I really appreciated was the standalone aspect. The author said this could be read as a standalone, and I’m usually suspicious of that claim because there’s almost always some giant unanswered question lurking at the end, designed specifically to make me immediately reach for the sequel.
But here, the main arc of this story actually feels complete. There’s a clear sense of conclusion, while the world and characters leave SO many possibilities for what could happen next. And yes, I absolutely want to read the second book because I can already see about seventeen ways this story could become even more amazing from here.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, with a plot that kept me intrigued, characters who have grown on me, and a twist that had me completely GAGGED.
This one ended up being such an enjoyable reading experience because it genuinely surprised me more than once, for reasons I did NOT expect.
I’ll admit that I had a few reservations at the beginning. There were certain aspects of the story that didn’t completely convince me at first, particularly in the way some elements were presented and explained. However, I never felt like the underlying ideas were the problem. The story itself had me intrigued enough to keep reading, and knowing I was reading an ARC made me wonder whether some of those things might simply have needed another round of editing. I’m definitely curious to see how the final version compares.
I also really loved the main cast, although I initially couldn’t stand the FMC. She really had to grow on me, but by the end, I genuinely loved her character and the way she developed throughout the story. The characters were a huge part of what kept me engaged, and I particularly appreciated how they reacted to everything happening around them. I do wish I’d gotten a little more from the villain, but that’s honestly more because I am a nosy little gremlin who wants to know EVERYTHING about a villain’s backstory. Their motivations were explained and were more than enough for the story, so this is purely a personal curiosity rather than something I felt was missing. The same goes for a couple of side characters. I liked them a lot, which made me curious to explore their backgrounds a bit more.
Another thing I’d like to note is that the pacing of this book was slower than I expected. The story spans multiple months, and with pirates involved, I naturally went in expecting chaos and epic battles on the ships. There were action scenes, don’t get me wrong. What I was missing a little wasn’t necessarily MORE of them. It was the feeling of higher stakes within those scenes. I wanted to feel more caught up in the danger and tension. I still enjoyed them though, and this didn’t stop me from loving the actual storyline because THE PLOT!! There are some genuinely fantastic ideas here, and I was completely invested in seeing where everything would go.
But the thing that probably affected me the most was something I initially reacted to completely differently.
There’s a traumatic experience that the FMC struggles with, and at first I found myself getting frustrated because her response seemed so different from the person I had come to know. She repeatedly froze in situations where I expected her to fight back, and I remember thinking, “Why aren’t you doing something?!”
And then the more I read, the more I realized that the problem wasn’t her reaction. It was my expectation of what her reaction SHOULD be.
I have never experienced what she experienced, thankfully, and I have absolutely no right to decide how someone should respond to trauma, fear, or vulnerability. People don’t all react to terrible situations in the same way, and sometimes “just fight back” simply isn’t something a person can make themselves do.
What made this even more impactful was that the people around her didn’t all react perfectly either. They were protective and tried to help her, but they also became frustrated and angry because they hated watching her become so vulnerable. That felt incredibly human to me. It wasn’t a neat, perfectly supportive response where everyone magically knows the right thing to say. They cared, they were worried, they sometimes reacted badly, and they kept trying.
Honestly, I ended up feeling like the book had called me out. And I appreciated that more than I can explain.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE PLOT TWIST.
Because excuse me???
I genuinely did not see it coming. I haven’t had a book make me stare at the page in complete disbelief for several minutes in a while, but this one managed it. The setup was SO well done, and I especially loved that the characters’ reactions to the revelation felt just as important as the revelation itself.
I obviously won’t say anything more because I refuse to be the person who commits the crime of spoiling a book in the name of a review.
One last thing I really appreciated was the standalone aspect. The author said this could be read as a standalone, and I’m usually suspicious of that claim because there’s almost always some giant unanswered question lurking at the end, designed specifically to make me immediately reach for the sequel.
But here, the main arc of this story actually feels complete. There’s a clear sense of conclusion, while the world and characters leave SO many possibilities for what could happen next. And yes, I absolutely want to read the second book because I can already see about seventeen ways this story could become even more amazing from here.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, with a plot that kept me intrigued, characters who have grown on me, and a twist that had me completely GAGGED.
Review of advance copy received from Author
10/10.
I love the ocean and I love sirens and rarely do they get depicted as anything but man hungry beasts. Laney made a beautiful story that encompasses healing and acceptance. The plot is amazing and I hope she writes more to continue this!
I love the ocean and I love sirens and rarely do they get depicted as anything but man hungry beasts. Laney made a beautiful story that encompasses healing and acceptance. The plot is amazing and I hope she writes more to continue this!
Review of advance copy received from Author
IMMEDIATE REACTION
First of all, thank you Laney for the advanced copy! I really enjoyed this book. Even though it covers some dark topics, the reading was very smooth and enjoyable. I fell in love with Zephra, Rei and Ash right away. I read this in only a few days (would've finished faster if not for work), and it was a blast.
CHARACTERS & RELATIONSHIPS
As I mentioned, I adored our main trio - Zephra, Rei and Ash. Zephra is strong, fierce, and hates humans, rightfully so after being traumatized by them. Even though she's willing to do what it takes to get revenge on those who wronged her, she still has a beautiful soul and is a compassionate, empathetic being. Rei seems like an a-hole in the beginning, but we get to see the real him as the story progresses, and even though we don't really know the cause, he's in a lot of pain, but still doesn't retaliate against the world and protects protects those he loves with his life. And Ash, speaking of which, is SUCH a loveable character, that made me ponder over certain aspects of life and human interactions sometimes.
As for the rest of the characters, I think they are well constructed in general.
WORLD, PLOT, AND PACING
The plot is soooo good. I'm not going to lie, at the beginning of the story, I was thinking that maybe it wouldn't be so exciting and full of twists and turns as I had originally thought, but OH MY GOD, it was! It had me DMing Laney (even though we do not know each other) more than one time, because my FLABBERS were GASTED. The world-building, the unfolding of the story, and the development of the relationships between the characters were excellent, so much so that I was completely hooked (sometimes I’d read 70 pages in one sitting, thinking it had only been about 10).
WHAT WORKED
I didn't find any loose ends. To me, the magic, powers, and the like were well explained; and while some things I anticipated actually came to pass, there were others I NEVER expected to happen, and they left me absolutely floored.
Also, I loved the chemistry between Zephra and Rei, their bantering was AMAZINNNNG, I have SO MANY highlights from moments when they made me laugh and/or giggle, and their spicy scenes were a nice mix of hot and sweet.
WHO WOULD ENJOY IT?
Anyone who is a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean, KPOP Demon Hunters (specifically Jinu, iykyk), and also fans of books that mix really well romance with topics of trauma, magic, war, hate and prejudice.
First of all, thank you Laney for the advanced copy! I really enjoyed this book. Even though it covers some dark topics, the reading was very smooth and enjoyable. I fell in love with Zephra, Rei and Ash right away. I read this in only a few days (would've finished faster if not for work), and it was a blast.
CHARACTERS & RELATIONSHIPS
As I mentioned, I adored our main trio - Zephra, Rei and Ash. Zephra is strong, fierce, and hates humans, rightfully so after being traumatized by them. Even though she's willing to do what it takes to get revenge on those who wronged her, she still has a beautiful soul and is a compassionate, empathetic being. Rei seems like an a-hole in the beginning, but we get to see the real him as the story progresses, and even though we don't really know the cause, he's in a lot of pain, but still doesn't retaliate against the world and protects protects those he loves with his life. And Ash, speaking of which, is SUCH a loveable character, that made me ponder over certain aspects of life and human interactions sometimes.
As for the rest of the characters, I think they are well constructed in general.
WORLD, PLOT, AND PACING
The plot is soooo good. I'm not going to lie, at the beginning of the story, I was thinking that maybe it wouldn't be so exciting and full of twists and turns as I had originally thought, but OH MY GOD, it was! It had me DMing Laney (even though we do not know each other) more than one time, because my FLABBERS were GASTED. The world-building, the unfolding of the story, and the development of the relationships between the characters were excellent, so much so that I was completely hooked (sometimes I’d read 70 pages in one sitting, thinking it had only been about 10).
WHAT WORKED
I didn't find any loose ends. To me, the magic, powers, and the like were well explained; and while some things I anticipated actually came to pass, there were others I NEVER expected to happen, and they left me absolutely floored.
Also, I loved the chemistry between Zephra and Rei, their bantering was AMAZINNNNG, I have SO MANY highlights from moments when they made me laugh and/or giggle, and their spicy scenes were a nice mix of hot and sweet.
WHO WOULD ENJOY IT?
Anyone who is a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean, KPOP Demon Hunters (specifically Jinu, iykyk), and also fans of books that mix really well romance with topics of trauma, magic, war, hate and prejudice.
September 16, 2026
I watched this book for two months before release. I was SO excited. I love siren stories. But (SPOILERS) let me just show this:
-I'm 2% of the way through and all I can think is it's incredibly rushed. She's waiting for this code phrase. Gets pushed into a fountain by a sexy man who tells her to go along with it, and she is completely oblivious that this might be the contact. Also the "Mister Unnamed Asshole! Hurumph" is a bad sign for me. Same with the heavy handed dropping of the infinitely powerful "voidtome" only she can find. I’m hoping we get settled!
-Ugh. She goes to attack the guy apparently coming to save her. Misses, hits and old woman. Says "fuck off to mourner hell", a different race dude comes in to help. Immediately starts talking about the mourner race and using "mourner hell" as a phrase. The would-be savior has disappeared. She's bumbling. And I'd bet my life he's one of the reclusive mourners no one's seen in years, or that they have to go to the mourner place. Pity.
-Oh of course. A race looked down upon at an all human ball can use metal magic, threaten multiple guards, uses the threat of ALL the metal in the room, to ask to talk to the siren. And this is not suspicious. Also "until the mysterious hero known as the time breaker came along..." bro. I’m begging, lighten your hand
-In 4 pages we've met the metal guy, loved him, he threatened everyone, then betrayed her. I’m getting literary whiplash
-So because sexy guy randomly reappeared (no reason given for disappearing or reappearing) and shoved the metal dude during a chant, she's now.. soul bound (or something?) to him instead of the other guy. I feel like that shouldn't be how interrupting a spell works? I’m so nervous to have this many issues so early on.
-Again. The sexy guy is trying to save her. Repeatedly. Has explained this. And she just? Randomly attacks him again? And sprints off only to hold a pillow as a weapon. She calls herself desperate to escape. But she's actively fighting to stay in her situation despite being given an out who uses the code phrase she created.
-GIRL. He has clearly and verifiably proven he's here to help. She's still fighting. And suddenly there's an explosion and weapons flying around in the room! "Nameless asshole" used like 6 times in 2 pages. Again IM NOT EVEN 5% OF THE WAY IN. (It’s 5 times on page 26 alone, and is on nearly every page up to the point I’m at). Threatens to scream if he rescues her (there is an active explosion and people are fleeing)
-"It took every ounce of my restraint to bite my tongue and not tell him I found him in no way handsome. Fuck his pretty face and stupid soft-looking hair. And those dimples I might have liked if he didn't hold so much arrogance in his eyes" bro kill me. Author is going for banter and landing in insufferable.
-Also I completely glossed over this but. The collar goes on, magic stuff, she sees his memories and is inexplicably drawn to him. Then goes "Huh, I know the metal race can enchant stuff, too bad there's absolutely no way to know what he was trying to enchant this with"
-Double also. Why is he using an ear piece while we’re walking around with flint locks and sabres?
-Page 39. We've met the time god kid (that was sudden). He's immediately told them every detail of the spell necklace. Of course they need the voidtome. Of course they must go together. She still thinks Rei planned this despite his obvious hate of sirens. The banter is SO BAD. Ughhraggsgaahhh it’s just hard to sit through.
I am considering DNFing at page 40. It’s truly that hard of a read. I am so, so sad. I was hoping for an “In the veins of the drowning” esc world of sirens and pirates, epic magical tokens, quests, and unwitting but disarming love. Instead it almost reads like a Wattpad story where the author is trying to get all of the world building out of the way so she can just sit on the scenes she likes. So much is happening so fast, and somehow I don’t care about any of it. And even worse, I actually find myself being really frustrated with every character we meet. Even Ash who, for the first two pages of his dialogue is speaking normally but accented, and then is su’ddly tawlkin’ li’ this fr’m ther’ awn out. Bleh. My boyfriend is telling me to at least get to 40% before dnfing, but shouldn’t the first 10% be the hook that pulls you in? I don’t know :(
-I'm 2% of the way through and all I can think is it's incredibly rushed. She's waiting for this code phrase. Gets pushed into a fountain by a sexy man who tells her to go along with it, and she is completely oblivious that this might be the contact. Also the "Mister Unnamed Asshole! Hurumph" is a bad sign for me. Same with the heavy handed dropping of the infinitely powerful "voidtome" only she can find. I’m hoping we get settled!
-Ugh. She goes to attack the guy apparently coming to save her. Misses, hits and old woman. Says "fuck off to mourner hell", a different race dude comes in to help. Immediately starts talking about the mourner race and using "mourner hell" as a phrase. The would-be savior has disappeared. She's bumbling. And I'd bet my life he's one of the reclusive mourners no one's seen in years, or that they have to go to the mourner place. Pity.
-Oh of course. A race looked down upon at an all human ball can use metal magic, threaten multiple guards, uses the threat of ALL the metal in the room, to ask to talk to the siren. And this is not suspicious. Also "until the mysterious hero known as the time breaker came along..." bro. I’m begging, lighten your hand
-In 4 pages we've met the metal guy, loved him, he threatened everyone, then betrayed her. I’m getting literary whiplash
-So because sexy guy randomly reappeared (no reason given for disappearing or reappearing) and shoved the metal dude during a chant, she's now.. soul bound (or something?) to him instead of the other guy. I feel like that shouldn't be how interrupting a spell works? I’m so nervous to have this many issues so early on.
-Again. The sexy guy is trying to save her. Repeatedly. Has explained this. And she just? Randomly attacks him again? And sprints off only to hold a pillow as a weapon. She calls herself desperate to escape. But she's actively fighting to stay in her situation despite being given an out who uses the code phrase she created.
-GIRL. He has clearly and verifiably proven he's here to help. She's still fighting. And suddenly there's an explosion and weapons flying around in the room! "Nameless asshole" used like 6 times in 2 pages. Again IM NOT EVEN 5% OF THE WAY IN. (It’s 5 times on page 26 alone, and is on nearly every page up to the point I’m at). Threatens to scream if he rescues her (there is an active explosion and people are fleeing)
-"It took every ounce of my restraint to bite my tongue and not tell him I found him in no way handsome. Fuck his pretty face and stupid soft-looking hair. And those dimples I might have liked if he didn't hold so much arrogance in his eyes" bro kill me. Author is going for banter and landing in insufferable.
-Also I completely glossed over this but. The collar goes on, magic stuff, she sees his memories and is inexplicably drawn to him. Then goes "Huh, I know the metal race can enchant stuff, too bad there's absolutely no way to know what he was trying to enchant this with"
-Double also. Why is he using an ear piece while we’re walking around with flint locks and sabres?
-Page 39. We've met the time god kid (that was sudden). He's immediately told them every detail of the spell necklace. Of course they need the voidtome. Of course they must go together. She still thinks Rei planned this despite his obvious hate of sirens. The banter is SO BAD. Ughhraggsgaahhh it’s just hard to sit through.
I am considering DNFing at page 40. It’s truly that hard of a read. I am so, so sad. I was hoping for an “In the veins of the drowning” esc world of sirens and pirates, epic magical tokens, quests, and unwitting but disarming love. Instead it almost reads like a Wattpad story where the author is trying to get all of the world building out of the way so she can just sit on the scenes she likes. So much is happening so fast, and somehow I don’t care about any of it. And even worse, I actually find myself being really frustrated with every character we meet. Even Ash who, for the first two pages of his dialogue is speaking normally but accented, and then is su’ddly tawlkin’ li’ this fr’m ther’ awn out. Bleh. My boyfriend is telling me to at least get to 40% before dnfing, but shouldn’t the first 10% be the hook that pulls you in? I don’t know :(
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you, Laney, for the eARC! 💕
I found this book via one of those "can art convince you to read a book" tags. All of the art for this book is gorgeous and I wanted to read mermaid/siren books this summer, so obviously I had to add it to my TBR.
I really liked the world-building and plot. Reiven is charming and Ashkade absolutely precious! The writing and spice were good, and there was actually one twist that completely took me by surprise.
But what didn't work for me is the Zephra (and given that this entire book is her POV that's why I ended up with 2.75 stars). I never felt entirely hooked, it was easy to read, but also easy to put down. 🤷♀️
Let me elaborate. Early on her character seems rather youthful in the way she thinks, and I had trouble placing her on the moral scale, because she isn't "just" vengeful. To me, that'd imply that she wants to particularly punish those who wronged her. But she seems wrathful in general, and for a minute there I was wondering if it's bordering on xenophobic? (She's not in the end, but it still felt weird that this thought even popped into my head.)
A human pirate (the first person she meets outside of the ocean) did her wrong, and I get that things spiraled from there because he sold her into a miserable place and she never had a chance to meet a decent human for six entire years(!), and that clearly brews hate, but her desire to annihilate humans entirely seemed a bit much? 😅
While she didn't hate the Druinn initially, she clearly distrusts the man who hadn't given her any reason not to, and later when explaining why the Tome is in Hell, she states that she'd execute a Mourner on the spot...
I dunno... I still wanted to like her, even though it all made her seem a little unhinged, and her interactions with Reiven early on made her seem immature on top, so it seemed to be gearing up for an unpredictable and morally black FMC - which had me intrigued! 🔥
But her turning into a puddle when faced with her oppressor completely shattered that image of her. All that remained was a girl who treats everyone else like vermin because someone else treated her badly... and that just doesn't sit right with me.
She doesn't take responsibility for her actions (the sedative) and there was no slow and gradual change in her character, she's immature about her feelings towards Rei and insists on being a pain in his ass on principle, right until the very end. (Their chemistry is fantastic though!)
Reiven... I mean yeah, he kind of fumbled that first impression, but other than that I'm not sure why anyone would consider him an asshole? Plus, Zephra is no better than him in their banter?! And other than that he's super lenient with her. Yes, he needs her (well Ash does, but also not really, because he really just wants to bring peace to the world, there's no ulterior goal here, they are really just helping!), but if he were as ruthless and evil as she makes him out to be he'd not be in Ashkade's employ and he'd have insisted on treating her the way any other pirate / siren hunter would have - and whom Zephra compares him to constantly.
I would have liked to learn more about Calinia and Ash's relationship as they travelled to Hell.
Oh, and I was wondering, if his aunt cursed him ???
Rereading parts of the book to write my review, I caught some impressive foreshadowing that I completely dismissed initially! So that was really well done, and I think I'd like Rei even more the second time around.
I found this book via one of those "can art convince you to read a book" tags. All of the art for this book is gorgeous and I wanted to read mermaid/siren books this summer, so obviously I had to add it to my TBR.
I really liked the world-building and plot. Reiven is charming and Ashkade absolutely precious! The writing and spice were good, and there was actually one twist that completely took me by surprise.
But what didn't work for me is the Zephra (and given that this entire book is her POV that's why I ended up with 2.75 stars). I never felt entirely hooked, it was easy to read, but also easy to put down. 🤷♀️
Let me elaborate. Early on her character seems rather youthful in the way she thinks, and I had trouble placing her on the moral scale, because she isn't "just" vengeful. To me, that'd imply that she wants to particularly punish those who wronged her. But she seems wrathful in general, and for a minute there I was wondering if it's bordering on xenophobic? (She's not in the end, but it still felt weird that this thought even popped into my head.)
A human pirate (the first person she meets outside of the ocean) did her wrong, and I get that things spiraled from there because he sold her into a miserable place and she never had a chance to meet a decent human for six entire years(!), and that clearly brews hate, but her desire to annihilate humans entirely seemed a bit much? 😅
While she didn't hate the Druinn initially, she clearly distrusts the man who hadn't given her any reason not to, and later when explaining why the Tome is in Hell, she states that she'd execute a Mourner on the spot...
I dunno... I still wanted to like her, even though it all made her seem a little unhinged, and her interactions with Reiven early on made her seem immature on top, so it seemed to be gearing up for an unpredictable and morally black FMC - which had me intrigued! 🔥
But her turning into a puddle when faced with her oppressor completely shattered that image of her. All that remained was a girl who treats everyone else like vermin because someone else treated her badly... and that just doesn't sit right with me.
She doesn't take responsibility for her actions (the sedative) and there was no slow and gradual change in her character, she's immature about her feelings towards Rei and insists on being a pain in his ass on principle, right until the very end. (Their chemistry is fantastic though!)
Reiven... I mean yeah, he kind of fumbled that first impression, but other than that I'm not sure why anyone would consider him an asshole? Plus, Zephra is no better than him in their banter?! And other than that he's super lenient with her. Yes, he needs her (well Ash does, but also not really, because he really just wants to bring peace to the world, there's no ulterior goal here, they are really just helping!), but if he were as ruthless and evil as she makes him out to be he'd not be in Ashkade's employ and he'd have insisted on treating her the way any other pirate / siren hunter would have - and whom Zephra compares him to constantly.
I would have liked to learn more about Calinia and Ash's relationship as they travelled to Hell.
Oh, and I was wondering, if his aunt cursed him ???
Rereading parts of the book to write my review, I caught some impressive foreshadowing that I completely dismissed initially! So that was really well done, and I think I'd like Rei even more the second time around.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2026
Thank you to the author, Laney Lopez, for an eARC of The Song of the Void in exchange for my honest review.
I’m actually a little speechless and wish I could rewind time just so I could read this all over again for the first time. I absolutely loved, loved, loved these characters, this story, and Laney Lopez’s writing.
The main trio, Ashkade, Zephra, and Reiven, were so incredibly well done, and I became immensely attached to all three of them. Especially my sweet precious baby boy Ash, I instantly fell in love with him. I absolutely loved his role in this story and his relationship with both Zephra and Rei. He really felt like their little brother while also being the referee during their enemies phase (despite him being much younger) and their dynamic quickly became one of my favorite parts of the book.
Zephra was snarky, strong, and so much fun to follow. I laughed at all of her little sparring moments with Rei, and learning about her past also made me have such a soft spot for her. Watching her slowly learn how to trust again was so precious, especially as she began letting both Ash and Rei into her life. I loved that she was able to find love even in the person she once believed was her enemy. She truly grew so much throughout the story.
Reiven was a bit of an asshole, just like Zephra said in the beginning, but he grew on me very quickly. I loved how sweet and grumpy he was with Ash, they had such strong big/little brother energy, and I ate it up every time they were together. I feel like we don’t get enough of those types of relationships in fantasy so it was really nice to see it in this story. And his relationship with Zephra was everything. I loved how much he wanted to protect her. Watching the two of them slowly build trust with each other was so sweet, especially after everything standing between them in the beginning.
The third act was probably my favorite, it was truly so well done. There were so many surprises I never would have guessed, and while I’m personally never going to recover from the heartbreak, I still thought it was incredible. This was where all of the character arcs really came together for me, and I think the author especially showcased her talent in those final chapters. Everything felt like it had been building toward those moments and it really paid off.
Overall, I’ll be thinking about this book forever.
“We’re a strange little family, aren’t we.”
I’m actually a little speechless and wish I could rewind time just so I could read this all over again for the first time. I absolutely loved, loved, loved these characters, this story, and Laney Lopez’s writing.
The main trio, Ashkade, Zephra, and Reiven, were so incredibly well done, and I became immensely attached to all three of them. Especially my sweet precious baby boy Ash, I instantly fell in love with him. I absolutely loved his role in this story and his relationship with both Zephra and Rei. He really felt like their little brother while also being the referee during their enemies phase (despite him being much younger) and their dynamic quickly became one of my favorite parts of the book.
Zephra was snarky, strong, and so much fun to follow. I laughed at all of her little sparring moments with Rei, and learning about her past also made me have such a soft spot for her. Watching her slowly learn how to trust again was so precious, especially as she began letting both Ash and Rei into her life. I loved that she was able to find love even in the person she once believed was her enemy. She truly grew so much throughout the story.
Reiven was a bit of an asshole, just like Zephra said in the beginning, but he grew on me very quickly. I loved how sweet and grumpy he was with Ash, they had such strong big/little brother energy, and I ate it up every time they were together. I feel like we don’t get enough of those types of relationships in fantasy so it was really nice to see it in this story. And his relationship with Zephra was everything. I loved how much he wanted to protect her. Watching the two of them slowly build trust with each other was so sweet, especially after everything standing between them in the beginning.
The third act was probably my favorite, it was truly so well done. There were so many surprises I never would have guessed, and while I’m personally never going to recover from the heartbreak, I still thought it was incredible. This was where all of the character arcs really came together for me, and I think the author especially showcased her talent in those final chapters. Everything felt like it had been building toward those moments and it really paid off.
Overall, I’ll be thinking about this book forever.
“We’re a strange little family, aren’t we.”
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you so much Lake Country Press for sending me this ARC!
The Song of the Void is a Fantasy Romance book and omg it was amazing, I loved Zephra and Rei’s story so much!
Zephra is a Siren who has been imprisoned on land for years and wants revenge. When she is rescued by an ex-pirate and Siren hunter Reiven and accidentally bound to him, they reluctantly agree to work together to find a book only she knows the location of to free themselves of the binding, but there are others chasing them and they need to find the book quickly while ignoring their hatred for each other that turns into unwanted attraction.
I loved the premise of this book, enemies to lovers with forced proximity between a siren and ex-pirate sounded amazing and it was even better than I expected. The author created a fascinating world that I loved exploring and the plot was perfectly paced, I read the whole book in one sitting and I couldn’t put it down. But I think what I loved most about it was the amazing characters and beautiful romance. Zephra was a really complex character, she was a strong and badass FMC set on revenge but she had been a captive for many years and my heart was breaking for her because of her trauma, she had a great character development here and I loved her. Reiven was the kind of MMC I adore in romantasy books, charming, full of secrets, morally grey with some amazing ‘touch her and die’ scenes that made me swoon and he fell first, he was still paying for mistakes from his past but held himself accountable and his relationship with Ash was beautiful to read about. He and Zephra definitely didn’t get off on the right foot and I loved their slow burn enemies to reluctant allies to (finally) lovers relationship, they had their reasons to hate each other in the beginning and seeing them slowly start to understand and trust each other was amazing, I loved these two so much and their banter was perfect and made me laugh at times at their antics.
The Song of the Void is a truly incredible romantasy book, I loved it and had such a great time reading, I hope we will get to see these characters again and I already can’t wait to read more books from this author.
The Song of the Void is a Fantasy Romance book and omg it was amazing, I loved Zephra and Rei’s story so much!
Zephra is a Siren who has been imprisoned on land for years and wants revenge. When she is rescued by an ex-pirate and Siren hunter Reiven and accidentally bound to him, they reluctantly agree to work together to find a book only she knows the location of to free themselves of the binding, but there are others chasing them and they need to find the book quickly while ignoring their hatred for each other that turns into unwanted attraction.
I loved the premise of this book, enemies to lovers with forced proximity between a siren and ex-pirate sounded amazing and it was even better than I expected. The author created a fascinating world that I loved exploring and the plot was perfectly paced, I read the whole book in one sitting and I couldn’t put it down. But I think what I loved most about it was the amazing characters and beautiful romance. Zephra was a really complex character, she was a strong and badass FMC set on revenge but she had been a captive for many years and my heart was breaking for her because of her trauma, she had a great character development here and I loved her. Reiven was the kind of MMC I adore in romantasy books, charming, full of secrets, morally grey with some amazing ‘touch her and die’ scenes that made me swoon and he fell first, he was still paying for mistakes from his past but held himself accountable and his relationship with Ash was beautiful to read about. He and Zephra definitely didn’t get off on the right foot and I loved their slow burn enemies to reluctant allies to (finally) lovers relationship, they had their reasons to hate each other in the beginning and seeing them slowly start to understand and trust each other was amazing, I loved these two so much and their banter was perfect and made me laugh at times at their antics.
The Song of the Void is a truly incredible romantasy book, I loved it and had such a great time reading, I hope we will get to see these characters again and I already can’t wait to read more books from this author.
September 16, 2026
It is very easy to get me hooked on a story. All I need is a compelling plot, interesting tropes, well-written characters, and engaging world-building. For me, The Song of the Void by Laney Lopez ticks all those boxes.
Siren romantasy stories will always have a special place in my heart, and I really loved how this story was written. I loved the dynamics between each of the characters and how Zephra and the rest of the characters were introduced. She started as a vengeful siren, but I loved seeing how she matured along the way.
Ash and Rei are also amazing together. Every time they were on the same page, I couldn't help but feel like they were siblings. In the early part of the story, it was very easy to misunderstand Rei because of how he seemed to talk and act. But as we got to know him more, we also got more glimpses into who he really was and his past.
The story wasn't just about romance; it also gave me a sense of familial love, especially between Ash and Zephra. They seemed to have opposite outlooks on life in the beginning, but for me, that changed as they started getting to know each other more.
Like I said earlier, it is very easy to get my attention, but it's also really hard to sustain it. The first five chapters are always crucial for me because they usually decide whether I continue reading or put a book on hold. Even with genres I consider my "auto-reads," I still implement this. I didn't have that struggle with this book because I was hooked from the very first chapter.
I loved the world-building and the pacing. There weren't any excessive info dumps when it came to the elements of the world. Instead, everything was woven into the story smoothly, which made it easy to follow without feeling overwhelmed.
Was the story perfect? Absolutely not. There were times when I wished certain plots were expanded on more, but it didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the story. It was more of a "good to have" type of thing rather than a necessity.
Many thanks to Laney Lopez for the opportunity to read this book in advance. I am always happy and grateful for every opportunity that comes my way.
Siren romantasy stories will always have a special place in my heart, and I really loved how this story was written. I loved the dynamics between each of the characters and how Zephra and the rest of the characters were introduced. She started as a vengeful siren, but I loved seeing how she matured along the way.
Ash and Rei are also amazing together. Every time they were on the same page, I couldn't help but feel like they were siblings. In the early part of the story, it was very easy to misunderstand Rei because of how he seemed to talk and act. But as we got to know him more, we also got more glimpses into who he really was and his past.
The story wasn't just about romance; it also gave me a sense of familial love, especially between Ash and Zephra. They seemed to have opposite outlooks on life in the beginning, but for me, that changed as they started getting to know each other more.
Like I said earlier, it is very easy to get my attention, but it's also really hard to sustain it. The first five chapters are always crucial for me because they usually decide whether I continue reading or put a book on hold. Even with genres I consider my "auto-reads," I still implement this. I didn't have that struggle with this book because I was hooked from the very first chapter.
I loved the world-building and the pacing. There weren't any excessive info dumps when it came to the elements of the world. Instead, everything was woven into the story smoothly, which made it easy to follow without feeling overwhelmed.
Was the story perfect? Absolutely not. There were times when I wished certain plots were expanded on more, but it didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the story. It was more of a "good to have" type of thing rather than a necessity.
Many thanks to Laney Lopez for the opportunity to read this book in advance. I am always happy and grateful for every opportunity that comes my way.
September 15, 2026
*ARC*
Ohmygod the way I DEVOURED this book!!! I could not help but fall in love with this story and these characters!
Zephra, the FMC, is a captive siren with hopes of escape from her circumstances. She is seriously a bad*ss FMC with sass for days. I really love her growth throughout this book, especially once she meets the rest of the characters.
In comes Reiven, the MMC who absolutely made his way into my top 5 MMCs list. I absolutely loved his grumpy self and he just has so much sass of his own. He is the bodyguard to Ashkade, the teen genius who decides to help Zephra in her endeavors. I absolutely just loved the dynamic between Ashkade and Reiven. They seriously were just so adorable.
Now they all head on a mission to find the void tome; for peace, for power...you'll just have to find out for yourself. But during this mission, Zephra is confronted with an evil human from her past. And honestly the scenes in this book from these two together had me fighting tears. The cruelty, the pain. I was ready to just throw this kindle. There are definitely a lot of painful pasts for all of the characters that they have to face during this story. Definitely not a dry eye during some of these scenes.
But throughout this whole book, Zephra and Reiven had so many giggling and kick my feet moments! I was SWOONING with all the banter going on in this book! The absolute MOUTHS on these two! And the mutual heckling in the beginning of their relationship had me in fits of giggles. Their chemistry even when trying to one up each other was absolutely perfect. I was just having a great time!
This book was just absolutely amazing and it just made me feel a whole range of emotions. My heart absolutely hurt and shattered so many times, but my heart also felt so happy with the found family and just the growing relationship between Zephra and Reiven. For sure, I highly recommend, and I cannot wait to see what other books this author writes.
Ohmygod the way I DEVOURED this book!!! I could not help but fall in love with this story and these characters!
Zephra, the FMC, is a captive siren with hopes of escape from her circumstances. She is seriously a bad*ss FMC with sass for days. I really love her growth throughout this book, especially once she meets the rest of the characters.
In comes Reiven, the MMC who absolutely made his way into my top 5 MMCs list. I absolutely loved his grumpy self and he just has so much sass of his own. He is the bodyguard to Ashkade, the teen genius who decides to help Zephra in her endeavors. I absolutely just loved the dynamic between Ashkade and Reiven. They seriously were just so adorable.
Now they all head on a mission to find the void tome; for peace, for power...you'll just have to find out for yourself. But during this mission, Zephra is confronted with an evil human from her past. And honestly the scenes in this book from these two together had me fighting tears. The cruelty, the pain. I was ready to just throw this kindle. There are definitely a lot of painful pasts for all of the characters that they have to face during this story. Definitely not a dry eye during some of these scenes.
But throughout this whole book, Zephra and Reiven had so many giggling and kick my feet moments! I was SWOONING with all the banter going on in this book! The absolute MOUTHS on these two! And the mutual heckling in the beginning of their relationship had me in fits of giggles. Their chemistry even when trying to one up each other was absolutely perfect. I was just having a great time!
This book was just absolutely amazing and it just made me feel a whole range of emotions. My heart absolutely hurt and shattered so many times, but my heart also felt so happy with the found family and just the growing relationship between Zephra and Reiven. For sure, I highly recommend, and I cannot wait to see what other books this author writes.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Take me to the Deep because I almost drowned in this book.
The story was exciting and fast paced, and the plot improved with every chapter, making everything flow naturally.
Zephra’s backstory is tragic and explains very well why she was so reluctant to trust Ash and Reiven. She was very strong and I truly enjoyed watching her find the courage to trust again while in her quest with Reiven and Ash.
I LOVED Ashkade. I think he was the most precious, purest soul that ever lived in that universe. The kid only wanted peace, and he was willing to work as hard as he could to make it a reality. He was kind, thoughtful and an amazing person overall, choosing to do the right thing, even if it wasn’t always the easiest thing. I think he deserved the whole world.
Reiven was also a HUGE surprise. He was - as stated by Blue - an a**hole at first but he slowly evolved to someone incredibly sweet when it came to Zephra. He was caring and I thought the world of him when he purposely went after Zephra just so he could be there to try and make her suffer less. The twist in his story made me GASP. I got tense super fast because my mind was going over 8456 possible outcomes. But in the end, I honestly enjoyed how it all turned out.
The final quest was heartbreaking and satisfying at the same time. I loved they all worked mostly together (yes, that’s a jab on you, Shaddan) and how, in the end they all agreed that peace was the only way forward, making solid plans to start reaching for it.
Overall, this book was really entertaining, full of action, with a sweet romance and some spicy spice. I really enjoyed the story and the characters, and if you love sea adventures, some bantering and a surprising story, you should dive into this book!
Thank you, Laney for the amazing opportunity to read this in advance 💙
The story was exciting and fast paced, and the plot improved with every chapter, making everything flow naturally.
Zephra’s backstory is tragic and explains very well why she was so reluctant to trust Ash and Reiven. She was very strong and I truly enjoyed watching her find the courage to trust again while in her quest with Reiven and Ash.
I LOVED Ashkade. I think he was the most precious, purest soul that ever lived in that universe. The kid only wanted peace, and he was willing to work as hard as he could to make it a reality. He was kind, thoughtful and an amazing person overall, choosing to do the right thing, even if it wasn’t always the easiest thing. I think he deserved the whole world.
Reiven was also a HUGE surprise. He was - as stated by Blue - an a**hole at first but he slowly evolved to someone incredibly sweet when it came to Zephra. He was caring and I thought the world of him when he purposely went after Zephra just so he could be there to try and make her suffer less. The twist in his story made me GASP. I got tense super fast because my mind was going over 8456 possible outcomes. But in the end, I honestly enjoyed how it all turned out.
The final quest was heartbreaking and satisfying at the same time. I loved they all worked mostly together (yes, that’s a jab on you, Shaddan) and how, in the end they all agreed that peace was the only way forward, making solid plans to start reaching for it.
Overall, this book was really entertaining, full of action, with a sweet romance and some spicy spice. I really enjoyed the story and the characters, and if you love sea adventures, some bantering and a surprising story, you should dive into this book!
Thank you, Laney for the amazing opportunity to read this in advance 💙
Review of advance copy received from Author
the dynamic between a snarky siren and a hot cocky ex-pirate / siren hunter WILL NEVER FAIL TO MAKE ME FERAL
i had so much fun reading this book, the romance and banter totally stole the show for me. i binged this in a matter of days and couldn’t stop thinking about Zephra and Reiven.
Zephra is a siren who has been betrayed and trafficked, yet finds a glimpse of freedom when she meets Reiven. while Reiven narrowly helps her escape an enchantment that would bind her to someone who wants to use her for “the song of the void”, the enchantment backfires onto him, binding them to each other. *insert giggling and kicking my feet*
Zephra i hates humans, ESPECIALLY pirates, because of those who captured and betrayed her. Reiven hates sirens because “all they do is lure men to their deaths”. yet despite their hate for each others’ kinds, they are physically bound to stay close to each other. the two are forced together on a journey led by Reiven’s “employer”, the Timebreaker, to find an ancient siren spellbook that will break their bond and keep the peace between the different species.
while the lore and plot at times felt a tad unclear at times, my favorite part of this book was how Zephra and Reiven developed over time. both start out full of blind hate for each other from their dark pasts, but over time they grow to see each other for who they are and learn to trust again. even before they’re fully convinced, their banter and tension is HOTTTT. if you haven’t seen the artwork of them yet, please do yourself a favor and look at it.
this world has so much potential and i think we’ve only seen a small glimpse of it 👀
i’ve heard from the author that this can be read as a standalone but there is potential for other books to come in this world. i will be crossing my fingers and toes that we get them because i yearn to be back with these characters!
i had so much fun reading this book, the romance and banter totally stole the show for me. i binged this in a matter of days and couldn’t stop thinking about Zephra and Reiven.
Zephra is a siren who has been betrayed and trafficked, yet finds a glimpse of freedom when she meets Reiven. while Reiven narrowly helps her escape an enchantment that would bind her to someone who wants to use her for “the song of the void”, the enchantment backfires onto him, binding them to each other. *insert giggling and kicking my feet*
Zephra i hates humans, ESPECIALLY pirates, because of those who captured and betrayed her. Reiven hates sirens because “all they do is lure men to their deaths”. yet despite their hate for each others’ kinds, they are physically bound to stay close to each other. the two are forced together on a journey led by Reiven’s “employer”, the Timebreaker, to find an ancient siren spellbook that will break their bond and keep the peace between the different species.
while the lore and plot at times felt a tad unclear at times, my favorite part of this book was how Zephra and Reiven developed over time. both start out full of blind hate for each other from their dark pasts, but over time they grow to see each other for who they are and learn to trust again. even before they’re fully convinced, their banter and tension is HOTTTT. if you haven’t seen the artwork of them yet, please do yourself a favor and look at it.
this world has so much potential and i think we’ve only seen a small glimpse of it 👀
i’ve heard from the author that this can be read as a standalone but there is potential for other books to come in this world. i will be crossing my fingers and toes that we get them because i yearn to be back with these characters!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to the author and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of my most anticipated indie debut novels of the year!! And I can absolutely say this exceeded the hype that I had built up in my head. If the character art that the author has posted hasn’t made you read this book yet, I hope this review does.
‘For anyone afraid to love again after being betrayed. May you find a beautiful sea of stars with the next person you trust with your heart.’
This story follows Zephra, she’s a siren who was captured and held captive on land like an aquarium animal. One day she has called for help claiming she will help retrieve a lost artifact for help escaping. That’s when our MMC Reiven shows up to save her, the only problem is Zephra doesn’t want to go anywhere with him. While trying to escape the end up magically chained together on the journey to find the lost artifact…
“She tried to take a chunk out of me, though. Like a baby shark.”
I absolutely loved Zephra as a character, she’s funny and sarcastic, her internal monologue had me highlighting things on every page. She hates humans especially pirates, which makes working with Raiven especially difficult for her. They are true enemies to lovers, she tried to kill him multiple times before they started getting along.
This story had a little bit of everything in it, sirens, pirates, time magic, fire magic, other kingdoms, it really was a page turner and kept me up at night. I was going through a rollercoaster of emotions with this and even SOBBED over a character. This story could’ve been 1000 pages and I would’ve happily read every page, I’m desperate to see that the author writes next.
This was one of my most anticipated indie debut novels of the year!! And I can absolutely say this exceeded the hype that I had built up in my head. If the character art that the author has posted hasn’t made you read this book yet, I hope this review does.
‘For anyone afraid to love again after being betrayed. May you find a beautiful sea of stars with the next person you trust with your heart.’
This story follows Zephra, she’s a siren who was captured and held captive on land like an aquarium animal. One day she has called for help claiming she will help retrieve a lost artifact for help escaping. That’s when our MMC Reiven shows up to save her, the only problem is Zephra doesn’t want to go anywhere with him. While trying to escape the end up magically chained together on the journey to find the lost artifact…
“She tried to take a chunk out of me, though. Like a baby shark.”
I absolutely loved Zephra as a character, she’s funny and sarcastic, her internal monologue had me highlighting things on every page. She hates humans especially pirates, which makes working with Raiven especially difficult for her. They are true enemies to lovers, she tried to kill him multiple times before they started getting along.
This story had a little bit of everything in it, sirens, pirates, time magic, fire magic, other kingdoms, it really was a page turner and kept me up at night. I was going through a rollercoaster of emotions with this and even SOBBED over a character. This story could’ve been 1000 pages and I would’ve happily read every page, I’m desperate to see that the author writes next.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Did someone say sirens?
Sign me up!
🌊🧜🏽♀️🏴☠️✨️
"We're a strange little family, aren't we?" 🥺
If you like your bookish trauma sprinkled with sea water (to mask the tears, obviously), The Song of the Void by Laney Lopez could be for you!
The story follows Zephra, a captive siren, and the unlikely allies she has to form in order to gain her freedom, including, but not limited to, a snarky (ex-)pirate who's full of secrets, and the boy-saviour he's sworn to protect.
The plot was plotting, the vibes were vibing and it felt like such a great balance of the two.
There were several twists towards the end that I didn't see coming (and one that I absolutely did, but only because if you know me, you know what a curse it is to be my favourite character 🤫🫣) and I really appreciated that every time I found myself thinking "why don't they just do this?” I was presented with an explanation as to why they couldn't.
Overall, The Song of the Void is a moving story of holding onto hope when everything feels hopeless, learning to trust when you've been given every reason not to, and discovering that sometimes family is the people you meet along the way.
As always, thank you to the author for the oppourtunity to read and review, ahead of the release on Septembers 15th.
Read if you love:
⚔️ Enemies to lovers
🌊 Siren x (ex-)pirate
⛓️ Forced proximity
🗯️ Banter ++
💘 He falls first
🛏️ Only one bed
🤭 "Good girl"
⛵ Seafaring adventure
✨ Elemental magic
🫂 Found family
⚠️ Content note: I recommend checking the trigger/content warnings before reading. There are some pretty heavy themes in this one.
Sign me up!
🌊🧜🏽♀️🏴☠️✨️
"We're a strange little family, aren't we?" 🥺
If you like your bookish trauma sprinkled with sea water (to mask the tears, obviously), The Song of the Void by Laney Lopez could be for you!
The story follows Zephra, a captive siren, and the unlikely allies she has to form in order to gain her freedom, including, but not limited to, a snarky (ex-)pirate who's full of secrets, and the boy-saviour he's sworn to protect.
The plot was plotting, the vibes were vibing and it felt like such a great balance of the two.
There were several twists towards the end that I didn't see coming (and one that I absolutely did, but only because if you know me, you know what a curse it is to be my favourite character 🤫🫣) and I really appreciated that every time I found myself thinking "why don't they just do this?” I was presented with an explanation as to why they couldn't.
Overall, The Song of the Void is a moving story of holding onto hope when everything feels hopeless, learning to trust when you've been given every reason not to, and discovering that sometimes family is the people you meet along the way.
As always, thank you to the author for the oppourtunity to read and review, ahead of the release on Septembers 15th.
Read if you love:
⚔️ Enemies to lovers
🌊 Siren x (ex-)pirate
⛓️ Forced proximity
🗯️ Banter ++
💘 He falls first
🛏️ Only one bed
🤭 "Good girl"
⛵ Seafaring adventure
✨ Elemental magic
🫂 Found family
⚠️ Content note: I recommend checking the trigger/content warnings before reading. There are some pretty heavy themes in this one.
October 2, 2026
Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice - 🌶️🌶️
Plot - 🌏🌏🌏
Firstly I want to complain! How dare Laney destroy me so brutally. I am in equal parts, heartbroken and smitten with this book.
I love Siren romances so much, I think it really is one of my favourite tropes in books. Especially when it’s mixed with Enemies to lovers and the MMC is a bit of an ass but perfect all at the same time.
Zephra’s story made me want to cry, so much was done to this woman, though a lot of the back story isn’t written in the book, you do get little snippets of what she’s been through and it’s just awful. I loved watching her open to Ashkade and eventually Reiven.
The slow burn romance in this book was sublime. Honestly, it’s got some of my favourite spicy scenes I’ve ever read. The part where’s she the mistress of Reiven was hilarious and so so steamy. I was blushing and giddy at the same time lol
I looooved the reveal regarding Reiven, honestly, I really didn’t see that coming. I knew he was cursed but rest of it… yep. I was completely shocked. I was terrified at one point as to what he was upto but I was wrong to assume 🥹🥹 I’m sorry Reiven. Please forgive you, you sweet and fiery man.
The next part of this is painful…
Ashkade.
😭😭
He deserved the world and so much more. I’m still not sure if I’ve even processed some parts of this book. So right now, I’m in denial and that’s how it’s going to stay 😭😭😭.
Overall, this book blew me right out of the water 🌊. I’m not sure if this is a standalone or not but my own selfish needs hope it isn’t, as I’d love another 6 books please 😂😂😂.
Spice - 🌶️🌶️
Plot - 🌏🌏🌏
Firstly I want to complain! How dare Laney destroy me so brutally. I am in equal parts, heartbroken and smitten with this book.
I love Siren romances so much, I think it really is one of my favourite tropes in books. Especially when it’s mixed with Enemies to lovers and the MMC is a bit of an ass but perfect all at the same time.
Zephra’s story made me want to cry, so much was done to this woman, though a lot of the back story isn’t written in the book, you do get little snippets of what she’s been through and it’s just awful. I loved watching her open to Ashkade and eventually Reiven.
The slow burn romance in this book was sublime. Honestly, it’s got some of my favourite spicy scenes I’ve ever read. The part where’s she the mistress of Reiven was hilarious and so so steamy. I was blushing and giddy at the same time lol
I looooved the reveal regarding Reiven, honestly, I really didn’t see that coming. I knew he was cursed but rest of it… yep. I was completely shocked. I was terrified at one point as to what he was upto but I was wrong to assume 🥹🥹 I’m sorry Reiven. Please forgive you, you sweet and fiery man.
The next part of this is painful…
Ashkade.
😭😭
He deserved the world and so much more. I’m still not sure if I’ve even processed some parts of this book. So right now, I’m in denial and that’s how it’s going to stay 😭😭😭.
Overall, this book blew me right out of the water 🌊. I’m not sure if this is a standalone or not but my own selfish needs hope it isn’t, as I’d love another 6 books please 😂😂😂.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2026
I was excited to read this book based on the character art & nautica vibes.
I read the sample read and found out that it was first person — which is not my preference — but I was still willing to give it a chance.
I would not consider this your “enemies to lovers” trope. A more accurate trope would be “Learning to Love Again”
The male (Rei) likes the siren right away from the beginning — you can tell there’s already glimmer in his eyes. The siren has been abused and tortured by her first love, so naturally she hates males. She hates Rei the most because he reminds her of her ex.
The first few chapters were difficult to read with the constant:
“let us help you”
MC - “no”
*Things gets worse* /Repeat
The male-hating siren is too stubborn & clearly doesn’t learn from her mistakes (or anything about how Karma works) & Even the spirits would agreed.
by Ch9 — I didn’t even want them to be together, but I continued through to the ending and it was a good ending. I'm glad I kept going.
Overall, This book was not for me ( Romantasy probably isn’t), but I’d suggest it for anyone who loves the “Learning to Love Again” & a bit of heat 🔥
I read the sample read and found out that it was first person — which is not my preference — but I was still willing to give it a chance.
I would not consider this your “enemies to lovers” trope. A more accurate trope would be “Learning to Love Again”
The male (Rei) likes the siren right away from the beginning — you can tell there’s already glimmer in his eyes. The siren has been abused and tortured by her first love, so naturally she hates males. She hates Rei the most because he reminds her of her ex.
The first few chapters were difficult to read with the constant:
“let us help you”
MC - “no”
*Things gets worse* /Repeat
The male-hating siren is too stubborn & clearly doesn’t learn from her mistakes (or anything about how Karma works) & Even the spirits would agreed.
by Ch9 — I didn’t even want them to be together, but I continued through to the ending and it was a good ending. I'm glad I kept going.
Overall, This book was not for me ( Romantasy probably isn’t), but I’d suggest it for anyone who loves the “Learning to Love Again” & a bit of heat 🔥
September 15, 2026
I read this book based on art I saw on the authors instagram and had been eagerly awaiting its release. I can confidently say I wasn’t disappointed, I read this in less than 24 hours and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I loved the banter between Zephra and Rei, the progression of their relationship and that their feelings didn’t feel forced. I adored Ash (he’s a sweetheart), his brotherly relationship with Rei and ultimately him being the first human Zephra trusts brought so much heart to the story. There were great reveals and plot twists, as well as heartbreak. This books deals with heavy subjects tactfully and has great disability and queer representation.
The beginning felt a little cluncky and I wish there was a little more build up to her trying to escape, it felt like I came in part way through the book but overall didn’t deter me. I do wish we got more of Ash and Calinia’s story, but could be a fun novella if the author wanted to continue the story.
Tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, found family, nurse back to health, forbidden love, secret identity
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5 (multiple open door spicy scenes)
Quotes:
- “I think ‘vicious’ describes both you and the ocean perfectly. And ‘not something I’d be caught dead in.’ Ha.”
- “You wouldn't last two minutes, Reiven.” “Probably. Best thirty seconds of my life, then.”
- “Pretend you love me. Make me believe it, even if it isn't real.”
Would read again
Would recommend
Would buy a special edition
I loved the banter between Zephra and Rei, the progression of their relationship and that their feelings didn’t feel forced. I adored Ash (he’s a sweetheart), his brotherly relationship with Rei and ultimately him being the first human Zephra trusts brought so much heart to the story. There were great reveals and plot twists, as well as heartbreak. This books deals with heavy subjects tactfully and has great disability and queer representation.
The beginning felt a little cluncky and I wish there was a little more build up to her trying to escape, it felt like I came in part way through the book but overall didn’t deter me. I do wish we got more of Ash and Calinia’s story, but could be a fun novella if the author wanted to continue the story.
Tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, found family, nurse back to health, forbidden love, secret identity
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5 (multiple open door spicy scenes)
Quotes:
- “I think ‘vicious’ describes both you and the ocean perfectly. And ‘not something I’d be caught dead in.’ Ha.”
- “You wouldn't last two minutes, Reiven.” “Probably. Best thirty seconds of my life, then.”
- “Pretend you love me. Make me believe it, even if it isn't real.”
Would read again
Would recommend
Would buy a special edition
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I could NOT put this book down! It was more than I could have hoped for with such fun characters, plot, and pacing. Not once did this story slow down and no fluff was added to add length to the page count. Zephra and Reiven were perfect in their bantering enemies to lovers journey. Spice kicked in about 70% of the way through, and girl, Reiven has one filthy mouth 🫣😂 The Timebreaker was a gem and I absolutely love the way he was written 🖤 I hope to see this as a series following other characters as an interconnected standalone, and maybe even a novella for The Timebreaker. There's just so much potential still for this plot and concept If you like your men with a filthy mouth and spice open doored, unforgettable characters, a great plot with exceptional pacing, this is most definitely the book for you!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Kindly received an ARC copy from the author for an honest review
🌊🏴☠️🫧⚔️🐚 The Song of the Void by Laney Lopez 🌊🏴☠️🫧⚔️🐚
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
⭐ Siren & Ex-Pirate Romance
⭐ Enemies to Lovers
⭐ Elemental Magic
⭐ Forced Proximity
I have been meaning to get back into an ocean-themed romantasy for a while now. The Song of the Void captured those vibes perfectly with a Siren and Ex-Pirate Romance. I fell in love with Zephra's character from the first few chapters and eagerly wanted to learn more about her Siren abilities.
This was such a fun read and it only gave us a quick glimpse into the lives of Zephra and Reiven. It was spicy, but who does not love a good romance? If you are looking for pirates, sirens, magical abilities, enemies to lovers, witty banter, and more, this is a great read!
Thank you so much to the author and publisher for sending me an eARC copy of this novel. I cant wait to read more by Laney Lopez! 💙
🌊🏴☠️🫧⚔️🐚 The Song of the Void by Laney Lopez 🌊🏴☠️🫧⚔️🐚
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
⭐ Siren & Ex-Pirate Romance
⭐ Enemies to Lovers
⭐ Elemental Magic
⭐ Forced Proximity
I have been meaning to get back into an ocean-themed romantasy for a while now. The Song of the Void captured those vibes perfectly with a Siren and Ex-Pirate Romance. I fell in love with Zephra's character from the first few chapters and eagerly wanted to learn more about her Siren abilities.
This was such a fun read and it only gave us a quick glimpse into the lives of Zephra and Reiven. It was spicy, but who does not love a good romance? If you are looking for pirates, sirens, magical abilities, enemies to lovers, witty banter, and more, this is a great read!
Thank you so much to the author and publisher for sending me an eARC copy of this novel. I cant wait to read more by Laney Lopez! 💙
September 7, 2026
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review (thank you BookFunnel). ’The Song of the Void' was a bit different than I imagined it would be going into reading it. Usually that would result in disappointment on my end, or frustration, but I didn't mind so much in this case. I was expecting a simpler premise: ex-pirate/siren hunter x siren on an adventure to find an ancient relic of her people. What I didn't expect was time magic, fourway interspecies/peoples bigotry, found family, etc. Some of the elements worked well in this story, and others I found a bit dissonant (heh) with the main aesthetics/fantasy elements. However, I really enjoyed the dynamic between Zephra (FMC) and Reiven (MMC). I especially liked how the stakes unfolded regarding their working relationship, and how the third act reveal complicated everything. Overall, a very strong debut.
September 15, 2026
Arc review!
“My heart… it sings for you.”
This book was incredible. I genuinely could not take my eyes off of it. When I wasn’t reading about this book, I was thinking about this book. I absolutely love the characters and the dynamics between them. I was able to fall in love with each character as I learned about them and I was able to care about them so much. This story was very intriguing to me and I really enjoyed seeing it play out. I found myself enjoying every aspect of this book. The romance was so good and I loved it so much. The banter was incredible and there were points where I found myself literally laughing out loud at my screen.
I am so glad that I got to read this book and it will be a book that I continue to think about for a long time.
"I see an ocean of endless constellations. A world more enchanting than any other, painted in cerulean and navy."
“My heart… it sings for you.”
This book was incredible. I genuinely could not take my eyes off of it. When I wasn’t reading about this book, I was thinking about this book. I absolutely love the characters and the dynamics between them. I was able to fall in love with each character as I learned about them and I was able to care about them so much. This story was very intriguing to me and I really enjoyed seeing it play out. I found myself enjoying every aspect of this book. The romance was so good and I loved it so much. The banter was incredible and there were points where I found myself literally laughing out loud at my screen.
I am so glad that I got to read this book and it will be a book that I continue to think about for a long time.
"I see an ocean of endless constellations. A world more enchanting than any other, painted in cerulean and navy."
September 16, 2026
4.5 Must Read Spicy Romantasy
Dear Laney Lopez how dare you make me cry like that! We have our prickly Siren and our sarcastic Ex-pirate and their “unfortunate” forced proximity. Their goal is to release a curse/magic and hunt for a siren relic, but they may not be the only ones… I absolutely loved the banter and the side characters that were so well developed I wanted more from them. I always love a book with plot twists especially when I don’t see them coming! I hate when I can guess the twist, I definitely didn’t see this one coming. I will mention that the book is written all in past tense which took me a second to adjust to but it was a nice difference. Loved this book, the cool types of magic, and their sea adventures!
Dear Laney Lopez how dare you make me cry like that! We have our prickly Siren and our sarcastic Ex-pirate and their “unfortunate” forced proximity. Their goal is to release a curse/magic and hunt for a siren relic, but they may not be the only ones… I absolutely loved the banter and the side characters that were so well developed I wanted more from them. I always love a book with plot twists especially when I don’t see them coming! I hate when I can guess the twist, I definitely didn’t see this one coming. I will mention that the book is written all in past tense which took me a second to adjust to but it was a nice difference. Loved this book, the cool types of magic, and their sea adventures!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC for this book & I’m so thankful to the author for the opportunity to read this before it’s out in the world.
This was seriously so good! I didn’t want to put it down. Pirates. Sirens. Unique magic system. I loved the characters, the story, the banter, the romance; literally everything. It was such a creative story & refreshing story. My heart was TORN out of my chest at Ash’s end. I loved his character so much & would seriously love like a novella of just him. Reiven the man that you are & Zephra the siren that you are…mmmmm. I really hope we get more of them in the future.
This was seriously so good! I didn’t want to put it down. Pirates. Sirens. Unique magic system. I loved the characters, the story, the banter, the romance; literally everything. It was such a creative story & refreshing story. My heart was TORN out of my chest at Ash’s end. I loved his character so much & would seriously love like a novella of just him. Reiven the man that you are & Zephra the siren that you are…mmmmm. I really hope we get more of them in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
When I first picked up this read I was really interested in the characters but my first thought was this is a good book not a great book by the time was a 3rd of the way in I was hooked by the middle point I had to have more and by the end I was crushed! The charcters in this book grow so much as you journey with them as the circumstances change so does there mind set. I had so much fun reading this Rei is such a stubborn boy but he loves with his whole ❤️ heart its amazing. Zephra is a magnificent character thats starts off almost hopeless and grows immensely as a character thru the book. I look forward to more books by this author im very impressed such a fun story.
September 15, 2026
This book is definitely my kind of book! The world building was excellent, I adored the side characters and felt like they got adequate descriptions and storylines. I loved the FMC, Zephra. She is strong in her convictions and attitude, yet is fragile due to her trauma of being stolen from her home.
The MMC, Reiven, may be my new book boyfriend. The charm, the swagger, the arrogance oooof! He is also loyal, has great banter and how far he'll go to save a loved one just made me swoon!
Some micro tropes you may like in this book- the FMC being 'collared'- happens also in Heir of Illusion and the MMC gives her a nickname.
The MMC, Reiven, may be my new book boyfriend. The charm, the swagger, the arrogance oooof! He is also loyal, has great banter and how far he'll go to save a loved one just made me swoon!
Some micro tropes you may like in this book- the FMC being 'collared'- happens also in Heir of Illusion and the MMC gives her a nickname.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Song of the Void was a refreshing and entertaining read. Our FMC Zephra’s journey to find love and family again is heartwarming and heartbreaking at once.
I loved Ashkade, a true light in the dark for everyone in the story, and quite frankly the true hero of it. He deserved better.
Reiven can burn me alive with a smirk and I’ll still be enchanted by him.
I loved the world as a fan of ATLA, it truly is a great story of war turned into peace, both within nations and also, in the characters themselves.
Thank you Laney that I could read this in advance 🫶🏻
I loved Ashkade, a true light in the dark for everyone in the story, and quite frankly the true hero of it. He deserved better.
Reiven can burn me alive with a smirk and I’ll still be enchanted by him.
I loved the world as a fan of ATLA, it truly is a great story of war turned into peace, both within nations and also, in the characters themselves.
Thank you Laney that I could read this in advance 🫶🏻
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 ⭐️
This was such a lovely seafaring adventure with delicious banter! I truly loved Zephra, Rei, and Ash. I absolutely ate this book up—the journey was so addicting, and I had so much fun exploring this fascinating world filled with magic and all kinds of creatures.
And the romance?? 👀 He falls first, one bed, and some seriously good spice. Say less. 😏 I loved watching their relationship develop, and the chemistry was so good.
Plus, we even got a bonus spicy scene?! 👀🔥 Definitely not complaining!
Overall, such a fun and addictive adventure. I had a great time with this one! ❤️✨
This was such a lovely seafaring adventure with delicious banter! I truly loved Zephra, Rei, and Ash. I absolutely ate this book up—the journey was so addicting, and I had so much fun exploring this fascinating world filled with magic and all kinds of creatures.
And the romance?? 👀 He falls first, one bed, and some seriously good spice. Say less. 😏 I loved watching their relationship develop, and the chemistry was so good.
Plus, we even got a bonus spicy scene?! 👀🔥 Definitely not complaining!
Overall, such a fun and addictive adventure. I had a great time with this one! ❤️✨
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow! The characters, incredible! The plot, amazing! I can't say thank you enough for the opportunity to read this early! Also, what an amazing first ever ARC for me. The banter was bantering, I loved every second of it. The spice? The spice was spicy! There's nothing like character growth and development, it was truly beautiful. I highly recommend you read this the first chance you get!💙 Because Rei? Oh you are going to LOVE him!💙
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.75 stars!
“I hope that if you find yourself on the edge again, you’ll trust that you’ll find beauty in the void instead of pain, Zephra.”
This was a TRUE slow burn with found family. I fell in love with the characters, with this world, with the authors writing! I was smiling so much, I was cryingggggg! Once I really got into it, I devoured this book and couldn’t stop reading. Highly recommend!!
“I hope that if you find yourself on the edge again, you’ll trust that you’ll find beauty in the void instead of pain, Zephra.”
This was a TRUE slow burn with found family. I fell in love with the characters, with this world, with the authors writing! I was smiling so much, I was cryingggggg! Once I really got into it, I devoured this book and couldn’t stop reading. Highly recommend!!
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