Threnody

by Cas E. Crowe

The sea has whispered Ezra Thorn's name for as long as she can remember.

After surviving a shipwreck, Ezra washes ashore on the cursed island of Port Calliope Bay, where sirens haunt the surrounding waters and a brutal ritual sacrifice known as the fleshing keeps the island alive. As an outsider with no protection, Ezra quickly learns her survival is uncertain.

Her only refuge lies with Archie Abrams, the governor's nephew. He’s dangerously charming, fiercely secretive, and bound to the island's darkness in ways he refuses to explain. When an ancient artifact tied to the sea resurfaces, Ezra and Archie join forces to end the curse that has long fed the islanders to the sirens. But as they delve deeper into its secrets, forbidden desire ignites between them, becoming a temptation neither can afford.

Yet Port Calliope Bay hides truths older than its curse, and the voice calling Ezra from the depths knows her far too well. With each haunting song, it lures her toward a fate written long before she was born. Because some curses aren't meant to be broken—but fulfilled.

A gothic fantasy romance of sirens, morally grey heroes, and dangerous desire, perfect for readers who love dark, atmospheric romantasy with a steamy slow burn.

Genres: Romantasy, Gothic, Fantasy, Romance, Dark Fantasy

410 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 13, 2026

About the author

Hi, I’m Cas, an author of gothic romantasy where romance dances with ruin and magic whispers from the shadows. I write haunting, atmospheric stories shaped by folklore and the idea that some secrets are deeper than graveyards.

My novels live in the space where beauty meets fear and love brushes up against the damned. Expect slow-building dread, forbidden romance, morally grey hearts, and characters who are always one choice away from ruin or redemption.

If you love haunted worlds, dark magic, and romances that feel both dangerous and inevitable, you’ll feel right at home here.

If you’d like to step a little deeper into my worlds through exclusive scenes, bonus content, and private writing updates, you can find my newsletter here: https://www.casecrowe.com/

Reviews

[ava ꪆৎ]

3 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑠 ˚. ᵎᵎ

⋆ 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑠

*ੈ 🌊 ✩‧₊˚ 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒. i never read a book about sirens before , that i can rember so i am super glad i got approved for this arc. maybe the fact that i never read about it before helped me get through this book and out of my reading slump. from the start this book was spooky , which i was not expecting in the slightest , but it was spookie enough that i had to have some sort of light turned on in my room when it was dark out. the whole plot of this book is about a girl , Ezra, who hears a voice in her head whenever she goes near water , so she has avoided it her whole life. But she is to be bethrothed to a random man so she has to take a trip overseas to his home , when the ship is attacked by sirens and she ends up by herself washed up on an island and is saved by archie the mmc.

honestly i was really intrigued by the whole plot because it was very mysterious and i was kinda just thrown into the world and i found out things along the way , but also there are some plot holes in this. i’m assuming this takes place a long time ago but im not sure if this is a fantasy world or if its the world we live in, and we also learn pretty early on that Ezra’s parents die but i don’t rember ever hearing how they died. the plot twist in this book didn’t really shock me much, i saw it coming a couple pages before it happened but and i didn’t really know the character much so it was kinda just a bit bland for me. i did really enjoy the vibes this book gave off though, it was comforting and scary at the same time and i prob will read the next one cause i’m intrigued. and i love the hunter / hunted aspect.

𝐄𝐳𝐫𝐚 is the 𝐟𝐦𝐜 of 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐲 and in the world these people live in i am guessing it kinda is like older times when women were just expected to take care of the kids and do the fricking dishes because this girl was dumb as helllll. i honestly hate when a fmc is a classic damsel in distress and the amount of fricking times this girl made a dumb descision and needed to be saved was getting a bit exscessive. and maybe i would understand if it was a different bad decision everytime, but it was the same. damn. thing. ugh pmo pmo. also the romance plot was meh to me , felt like insta love even though it wasn’t really. i lowkey could have gone without romance in this book and maybe in the second book there could be more romance.

𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞 is the 𝐦𝐦𝐜 of 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐲 and i did not really care for him much , i hate when men give mixed fucking signals , in books and in real life as well, because wtf. but also if i was him i would be getting pissed at ezra too, and honestly he didn’t get angry enough with her and they resolved their problems too quickly. and the switch up at the end did not make sense at all, it felt like the wrong emotion for him to be showing and just was confusing, but honestly it's a good set up for book two. also his other agenda made sense to me and i’m not sure why ezra made a big deal over it when he clearly changed - ugh. what i’m trying to say here is that i loved the vibes and plot of this book and just disliked the characters.

*ੈ 🦪 ✩‧₊˚ 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠. the side characters were nothing special to me and i didn’t really care about them, which again is why the plot twist at the end wasn’t really a big thing to me. i am a bit confused with the whole red guard thing going on and what really happened with it and the whole like magic system of this world cause there wasn’t much world building.

*ੈ 🐚 ✩‧₊˚ 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙. i can’t complain too much because this book brought me out of a bad reading slump and lowkey gave me an escape to my own hectic world. i def need to chek out more siren / siren hunter books because i feel like that would be god tier for me so if anyone has any recs like that plssss let me know. this was a good book it just needs some work with the characters and then it would be amazing. but if you want a good scary, mystery, siren book this is for you.

⋆ 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝐺𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑝𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑐 𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑥𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤

[Mora ؛༊ (sorta quit cause every book ends up ass)]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⊹₊˚‧┈┈┈┈┈✧┈┈┈┈₊୨ᰔ୧₊┈┈┈┈┈✧┈┈┈┈‧˚₊⊹
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛ: ᴋɪɴᴅʟᴇ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤᴅɪꜱᴄʟᴀɪᴍᴇʀ: ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ꜰᴏʀ ꜰʀᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋꜱ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ/ᴘᴜʙʟɪꜱʜᴇʀ ᴠɪᴀ ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ꜰᴜʟʟʏ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⊹₊˚‧┈┈┈┈┈✧┈┈┈┈₊୨ᰔ୧₊┈┈┈┈┈✧┈┈┈┈‧˚₊⊹
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⊱ ۫ ׅ✧ My rating: 2.75/5 ᯽

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⊹₊ ˚･:🌼࿔ 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 ࿔:･˚ ₊⊹
I really wanted this one to work for me because the premise sounded really up my alley. I also never read a siren romantasy before, so I was really excited to dive into something different!

While I genuinely enjoyed the concept, I never connected with the execution.
One thing I did appreciate was how easy this book was to read. The pacing kept me turning pages, and I never got bored and basically read it in 1 go. But I just couldn't feel the emotional side of the story.
A lot of the big moments (including the "romance") happened so quickly that I never really had time to sit with them before the story had already moved on. The plot always kept moving which I appreciated, but I personally needed more buildup for those moments to work.

The writing itself also didn't always work for me, at times it felt emotionally distant. And the lyrical siren songs.... unfortunately weren't for me. I understand what they were trying to do, but they came across too theatrical for me.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⊹₊ ˚‧ꨄ٠࣪⭑💐 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 ٠࣪⭑ꨄ‧ ˚ ₊⊹

I feel like this book didn't need a romance in it, because for me it never worked.
I never became invested in them as a couple. There are no moments of quiet conversations or banter or moments that would make me understand why these two fell for eachother. It's just...suddenly there.
It's also advertised as a slow burn yet there are already smut scenes in this book, and for it's length I didn't feel like that was really slow. But maybe that's just my personal opinion.

Honestly I think this would've worked better if the focus was on the fantasy part, and if the author really wanted a romance, maybe it shouldn't be the main focus or be better developed. But once again that is just my personal opinion.




⋆.˚🦋༘⋆ Pre read:
Got the arc for this yayy
"A gothic fantasy romance of sirens, morally grey heroes, and dangerous desire, perfect for readers who love dark, atmospheric romantasy with a steamy slow burn."
I fear that screams ME. I'm excitedd

[Rebecca]

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for access to this ARC

[Selene]

This story has an eerie dark gothic atmosphere to it that is absolute perfection. The constant something just isn’t right feeling , combined with how every character feels untrustworthy keeps your turning page after page. It’s has a slight Pirates of the Caribbean vibe that I really enjoyed. I wish Ezra made better decisions at times but I think most of her actions were a product of being sheltered and spoiled so just add to her humanness , even if they had me internally screaming at her not to do something. This is a perfect addition to a summerween tbr!
*this does end on a bit of a cliff hanger that leaves your desperate for book two.

Thanks to the author for my arc, the opinions are my own.

[Rmplift, Rachel Phillips]

Free Copy Provided by NG*

Spoiler Free Summary:
A woman is on a dream/purgatory island after her boat goes down. Now she must run from Sirens and do a treasure hunt.

Vibes
My first impression was that this had one of the strongest opening chapters I've ever read. The author immediately throws you into the chaos, and you genuinely feel like you're going down with the ship alongside the characters. It was an incredibly immersive and gripping start.

After that, the pacing became a bit choppier, but the overall mystery was still well executed. I really enjoyed how the author sprinkled in subtle clues and Easter eggs before delivering major reveals. It kept me piecing everything together and made the payoff satisfying. The story also leaves plenty of room for both main characters to grow, though that means there's quite a bit of immature and childish behavior, which fits their ages but can be frustrating at times.

Toward the end, however, the story started to feel repetitive and dragged enough that I found myself skimming the final 25%. I think the book would have been much stronger if some of the middle had been tightened up. In particular, the scene where the FMC ventures out in the middle of winter only to immediately turn back felt unnecessary and didn't add much to the story. Trimming moments like that would have kept the pacing much sharper.

[Bee]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for granting me an arc.

3.5 rounded up

I enjoyed Threnody, it was dark, it had sirens, it had ghosts. It was spooky in parts.

I wasn’t sure about the romance between Ezra and Archie, it felt quite forced so I wasn’t really invested in them as a couple. They could have simply worked together to break the islands curse without the love story and it would still have been a good book.

The twists twisted however, and I certainly never predicted who the true villain of the story was.

[Traci Lee]

In a strange way, this book reminded me of a dark, gothic version of The Little Mermaid, but with sirens—and yet, it still felt completely original. It was a slow-building story with an almost constant sense of eeriness and unease, which I really enjoyed. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a dark romantasy that didn’t feel like a carbon copy of everything else in the genre, so that was a nice change of pace.

That said, I would have liked more depth in the character development. I struggled to connect with both the FMC and MMC, which made it difficult to become fully invested in their story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I will definitely be reading book 2!

✨Many thanks to Netgalley and the author for sharing this Arc with me!

[moon]

— ARC review 𐙚

Threnody — a song, poem, or speech of mourning composed or performed in memory of someone who has died. Essentially a dirge or elegy, the term comes from the Greek threnos (wailing) and oide (ode).

After fate leaves Ezra trapped on an isolated island, she uncovers a world where pirates, myths, and forgotten secrets are far more real than she ever imagined.

𐙚 Dark fantasy romance
𐙚 Pirate romance
𐙚 Sirens / sea mythology
𐙚 Forced proximity

𐙚 Ezra

I really liked Ezra as a character. She’s a product of both her upbringing and the society she lives in. She’s naive yet cautious, trusting yet distrustful, and I found those contradictions made her feel very human.

Her backstory is well executed, and everything we learn about her unfolds naturally. I found myself growing more attached to her with every chapter.

𐙚 Archie

We don’t really get inside Archie’s head, so it’s difficult to form a definitive opinion about him. Still, I was suspicious of him from the very beginning.

Even toward the end, when he’s supposed to have fallen for Ezra, his feelings didn’t feel entirely genuine to me. They stayed a little too surface-level. One moment he’s telling her there’s no room in his life for a new love, and the next it’s suddenly “She’s mine.”

Maybe it felt a little rushed. Not necessarily underdeveloped, because it never pulled me out of the story, but I do think the emotional transition could have been handled with more care.

Overall, I still liked his character—even if he’s an ungrateful dick. I won’t elaborate because I don’t want to spoil anything.

𐙚 Them

“Archie, what if I can’t escape him?”

He crosses the room and lifts me onto my feet. Our bodies press together, the air thick and charged between us.

“That will not happen,” he tells me, his voice as hard as iron. “You’re mine, Ezra. And I’m yours. Neptus won’t get between us.”

The slow burn could have been… slower. And a lot burnier.

For most of the book, it felt more like unrequited love than an actual slow burn, at least until Archie suddenly decided he wanted her.

Again, it didn’t ruin the romance for me—I genuinely enjoyed their relationship. I just wish there had been more yearning, especially from Archie’s side. More internal conflict, more longing, more moments where he fought his feelings before finally giving in.

Judging by the way this book ends, I have a feeling the sequel will deliver more of that, and I really hope it does.

𐙚 The plot / the book in itself

It was a great reading. It made me curious, wanting to drink in every of its pages. And it may not be THE book of 2026 for some, but for me it was a really good book and I can't wait to read more about its world.

So thank you Cas. E. Crowe for this book. Thank you Netgalley.

[Cassandra Bergman]

Saw this book cover on NetGalley and was like ‘oh that’s gorgeous’, then I read the description and needed to read it. Yes, I judged a book by its cover. It got my attention and I’m glad it did because this book was amazing. I think this is one of the best books I have read in a while. It was impossible to put this book down. Just from the first chapter alone I was hooked. Beautifully written. This is a gothic fantasy with twists & turns. The whole plot & concept of this book was so good. Slow burn, worth it. Sirens NOT mermaids. I need book 2 immediately because this ending was perfect, but I’m hooked & need more.

[Amanda Wheaton]

Thank you to Net Galley and the published for the eARC of Threnody!

Ezra, the FMC finds herself trapped on an island cursed by sirens. The way Crowe created the most perfectly eerie, gothic and atmospheric setting had me totally hooked from the beginning. I loved following Ezra’s story as she learns both about herself, Archie, MMC, and the island’s curse. The story was fast paced and there were so many twists and turns as the book progressed, I could not put it down. This was the perfect book to lead me into the spooky season and I can’t wait to read book 2 when it comes out.

[Megan Densmore]

***ARC Review***

First, thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good dark, gothic, atmospheric setting and this book scratched that itch. You have a mist shrouded island, sirens, pirates, curses and ghosts. The ship Ezra is on ends up shipwrecked by the sirens and she washes up onto the sunless island of Calliope Bay, where she meets very suspicious townsfolk. One in particular, Archie, the Governor’s nephew. Ezra and Archie are both desperate to get off the island but wouldn’t dare go near the sea, near the sirens.

This was my first Cas E. Crowe book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The creepiness of it, is what sucked me in. I loved that the sirens were portrayed as more nightmarish than beautiful creatures. This definitely had a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming which had me turning the pages. The romance tho was a little hard for me. It was more lust, loneliness, and the unknown future of a marriage that I think drove the two of them together. Of course a huge cliffhanger at the end but it’s set to be a duology with the author saying book 2 will be out in 2027.

[Analyn L.J Muldwick]

Thank you to Cas E. Crowe and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Threnody in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this is the first ARC I have chosen not to finish. I chose to DNF at approximately 20%. This review reflects only the portion of the book I read.

There are individual pieces of Threnody that I genuinely think have potential. The cursed island, the sirens, the sacrificial system known as the fleshing, the political takeover by the Red Guard, and the mysteries surrounding Ezra, Erik, Genevieve, Archie, and the Reaper could each provide interesting foundations for a dark gothic fantasy. There are also some strong atmospheric images throughout the opening chapters, particularly surrounding the sea, Brine Manor, and the sirens themselves. My problem was not a lack of ideas. If anything, it was the exact opposite.

By the time I reached the 20% mark, the novel had introduced so many competing mysteries, supernatural elements, political conflicts, character secrets, pieces of mythology, romantic tension, family tragedies, and possible conspiracies that I could no longer identify what the story actually wanted me to care about most. Rather than each revelation deepening one central mystery, they frequently felt like the beginning of another storyline. I kept being given new questions before I had become sufficiently invested in the previous ones. There were sirens trapping an island, a ritual sacrifice system, a deposed governor, an authoritarian military force, a mysterious Reaper who has haunted Ezra since childhood, a possibly supernatural dead fiancée, a child undergoing an unexplained physical transformation, questions about Ezra herself, an ominous family hiding multiple secrets, and more. Individually, several of these ideas intrigued me. Collectively, they became overwhelming.

The opening chapters also felt as though they were working extremely hard to establish the book as gothic. Nearly every setting, description, interaction, and mystery seemed determined to reinforce darkness, decay, danger, or foreboding. I love gothic fiction, but for me the atmosphere is most effective when it has enough room to settle over the story naturally. Here, the abundance of gothic imagery combined with the rapidly accumulating lore made the first several chapters feel more constructed than immersive. I kept wanting the book to simply let its strongest ideas breathe.

My larger issue, however, was that I never became emotionally invested in the characters. Ezra experiences an enormous amount within these first six chapters, yet I still did not feel particularly attached to her. Archie is positioned as an obvious source of romantic tension while simultaneously remaining suspicious, Genevieve clearly knows considerably more than she reveals, and several other characters have potentially interesting secrets, but none of those questions created enough urgency for me to want another roughly 80% of the novel to uncover the answers. I had begun forming theories, particularly about Ezra’s connection to the sirens and Genevieve’s possible motivations regarding Erik, but realizing I could put the book down without caring whether those theories were correct ultimately made my decision for me.

The best comparison I can make to what I experience reading Threnody is what it felt like watching American Horror Story: Asylum. That season contains numerous compelling characters, performances, concepts, and individual storylines, but there is so much happening simultaneously that the individual elements often compete with one another rather than strengthening the whole. That is how the first 20% of Threnody felt to me. There are ingredients here that I might have loved in a more focused narrative, but I was being asked to digest all of them at once before I had developed an appetite for any particular one.

I rarely DNF books, and until now I had never DNF’d an ARC. I considered continuing simply because I had agreed to review it, but forcing myself through another 80% when I was already this disconnected would not have resulted in a fairer review. It likely would have resulted in a substantially harsher one. Threnody may work much better for readers who enjoy densely layered gothic romantasy with numerous simultaneous mysteries and lore threads, but at 20%, I had reached the point where curiosity alone was no longer enough to keep me reading.

I chose to rate Threnody two stars rather than one because, despite deciding not to finish it, I do not think the book is without merit. There are genuinely interesting ideas here, some effective atmosphere, and several plot elements that could work very well for another reader. My decision to DNF came from how overcrowded and disconnected the opening felt to me, not because I thought every aspect of the writing was poor. A one-star rating would suggest a more complete failure than I experienced, while two stars better reflects that I could recognize the book’s potential even though it did not work for me.

[Faiza]

🖤 Threnody completely pulled me into its haunting world from the very first chapter. If you're looking for a gothic fantasy with eerie vibes, dangerous magic, and an island full of secrets, this one absolutely delivers. It has that addictive quality where you promise yourself you'll stop after one more chapter... and suddenly you've finished half the book.

🌊 The story begins with Ezra, who survives a shipwreck only to find herself stranded on an isolated island trapped beneath an ancient siren curse. The sun never reaches its shores, the atmosphere is heavy with fear, and every month someone must be sacrificed to satisfy the sirens. When Archie rescues her and brings her to his family's crumbling manor, it's immediately clear that nothing on this island is quite what it seems. Everyone appears to be hiding something, and I was constantly questioning who could actually be trusted.

🌑 The setting was easily my favorite part of the novel. Cas E. Crowe creates an incredibly immersive world filled with eerie forests, shadowy caves, abandoned villages, and a decaying manor that feels alive with secrets. Every location added to the unsettling atmosphere, and I genuinely felt the isolation alongside the characters. The gothic tone never lets up, making this the perfect book for anyone who enjoys darker fantasy with spooky-season energy.

🧜 As the mystery unfolds, the story introduces the Siren King, the search for a lost crown, hidden motives, family secrets, and twists that kept catching me off guard. Every time I thought I understood where the story was heading, another revelation completely changed the direction. The final chapters especially were packed with surprises, and I definitely wasn't prepared for everything that happened. And... Rosie deserved so much better. 🥹

❤️ The romance between Ezra and Archie is very much a slow burn. I enjoyed their partnership and the way they worked together to survive everything the island threw at them, but I did find myself wishing for a little more emotional development between them. There were moments where their relationship felt like it was moving in circles, with misunderstandings and repeated rescues slowing the progression. Because of that, some of the stronger romantic feelings expressed later in the book didn't feel quite as earned as I had hoped. I would have loved to see more quiet moments that allowed their connection to grow naturally.

📖 Even with that, the pacing kept me completely engaged. The mystery surrounding the curse, the constant feeling that danger was lurking nearby, and the uncertainty surrounding every character made it incredibly difficult to put the book down. The author's writing is wonderfully atmospheric, making it easy to picture every scene as though you were wandering the island alongside Ezra.

✨ My only other small reservation was that Archie's
final point of view felt more focused on setting up the sequel than concluding his own emotional arc. It definitely made me curious about what's coming next, but I wanted that ending to feel a little more connected to everything we'd experienced before it.

🖤 Overall, Threnody is an immersive gothic romantasy with unforgettable world-building, an intriguing mystery, chilling atmosphere, and enough twists to keep you guessing until the very last page. While I would've liked a bit more development in the romance, the incredible setting, compelling plot, and jaw-dropping cliffhanger left me more than ready to pick up book two.

[Karolina Books]

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.5/5)

Fog, cursed seas, creepy manors, suspicious people… say less. This book had me happily walking straight into danger from the first page and honestly, I would’ve followed the creepy path with absolutely zero survival instincts.

Before I start my review, a huge thank you to Cas E. Crowe for giving me the chance to read this eBook before its October 13, 2026 release. Getting early access to a story is always exciting, but this one grabbed me by the hand, dragged me into the chaos and refused to let go.

Threnody follows Ezra, who survives a shipwreck and finds herself stranded on an island where trusting people feels like trying to win a game where everyone else knows the rules except you. Then comes Archie and immediately my detective mode activated. Every conversation had me squinting at the page like “Hmm… interesting choice of words there.” Everyone had secrets, everyone felt suspicious and my trust issues were absolutely thriving.

The atmosphere was honestly everything. The island felt like it had its own dark little personality. The fog, the eerie coastline, the decaying surroundings, the feeling that something was always watching from the shadows… it was creepy in the best way. This book gave me that “I should probably leave, but I’m way too curious” feeling and honestly, that’s my favorite kind of chaos.

The mystery had me completely hooked. Every time I thought I had something figured out, the story casually walked in, flipped the table, and proved me wrong. The sirens, the secrets, the legends, the hidden motives, it was one giant puzzle and apparently I enjoy suffering because I kept trying to solve it anyway.

Now, the romance. This is a slow burn. Like… someone put it in the oven and forgot about it. I wanted a little more spark between Ezra and Archie because I kept waiting for that moment that would have me kicking my feet and smiling like an idiot. It didn’t fully get there for me, but honestly, the mystery and the gothic atmosphere were doing all the heavy lifting and I was perfectly happy being distracted by all the chaos happening around them.

My only complaint is that the middle dragged a little. There were moments where I wanted the story to pick up the pace because I was ready for things to start exploding (emotionally, not literally). But once everything started moving again, I flew through the rest.

And that ending? Absolutely disrespectful.

Cas E. Crowe really looked at readers and said “Here, have some emotional damage. See you in book two.”

Without spoiling anything, the final chapters completely changed the emotional weight of the story. What starts as a mystery suddenly becomes deeply personal and the last few pages left me with this heavy feeling that nothing will ever be simple for Ezra and Archie again. There’s heartbreak, betrayal, impossible choices and one promise hanging over everything that genuinely gave me chills. I closed the book knowing the real battle is only just beginning and now I desperately need book two because I refuse to live with that ending any longer than necessary.

If you love gothic fantasy, creepy islands, sirens, dark secrets, morally questionable characters and books that make you suspicious of literally everyone, Threnody needs to be on your TBR. Just prepare yourself because this book will take your curiosity, your emotions and your peace of mind… toss them into the ocean… and leave you waiting for the next wave.

[Jen]

Threnody was a really enjoyable read for me, & I really liked the fact it didn't feel like your typical romantasy. It had a cursed island, a shipwreck, sirens & a hell of a lot of mystery, with a gothic atmosphere, what more could you ask for? 😍

We follow Ezra, who is shipwrecked after a storm at sea following her parents' deaths. She ends up washed up on a cursed island, surrounded by sirens who won't let anyone leave. She is found by Archie, who at first seems to think she is a threat, but seemingly saves her, taking her back to his family home. It is then we follow their journey in finding a way to escape the curse & find safe passage off the island, with Ezra struggling to figure out who she can trust, & who might be plotting against her. 👀

The setting stood out to me immediately. Port Calliope Bay has such a bleak, unsettling quality to it with the sea, the weather, the old manor & all the strange things lurking around the island adding to the feeling that something is very wrong. There's a constant sense of isolation throughout the book, & I adored how the setting became part of the story rather than just somewhere for the characters to exist!

The plot revolves around a lot of unanswered questions, that had me constantly trying to connect the dots & figure out what was happening & who to trust. There are secrets within secrets, strange legends, complicated relationships & plenty of moments that had me questioning whether I had worked something out or if I had fallen for a red herring. I only managed to guess one or two of the reveals, & was completely caught off guard with others!

The FMC, Ezra, at times really annoyed me. There were times I understood where she was coming from, & then there were times I just wanted to grab her & scream "THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!" 🤣 Despite this, I was fully invested in her story & where it would end up.

The MMC, Archie, was a stronger character for me. He's guarded, complicated & impossible to fully read, so I spent a lot of time wondering what his intentions truly were. His dynamic with Ezra worked well alongside the mystery. Although at times I would have preferred a bit more from their relationship, it felt forced sometimes, & pretty lacklustre, but as it wasn't the main focal point of the story I was able to overlook that!

The writing in itself was another strong point for me. The descriptions were so vivid, I felt like I could completely picture the scenes that were happening. The sirens also brought something different to the book, particularly through the mythology surrounding them.

The final section of the book had the pace ramp up, pieces started falling into place & suddenly I was flying through the pages as I had to know what was going to happen!
After spending the whole book trying to figure out what was going on, I was not prepared for where things were left. I have so many more questions than when I started, & I am very much needing the next book to find out what happens! 😍

Overall, Threnody was an atmospheric, unusual gothic romantasy. It had a brilliant setting, creepy sirens, plenty of secrets & a mystery that kept me fully invested.

Thank you to Netgalley & the author/publisher for providing me with the ARC. 🖤

[Heather]

The story of Threnody by Cas E. Crowe jumps immediately into a haunting atmosphere when Ezra survives a shipwreck, only to be washed ashore on a cursed island. She encounters Archie, who rescues her and brings her back to his families crumbling manor. Ezra, who has been plagued by the voice of the Reaper since she was a child, is now being hunted by all on the island. Strangers in Port Calliope Bay are offered up in a sacrifice known as the Fleshing, which keeps the sirens at bay. With this threat constantly looming, Ezra and Archie are forced into an uneasy alliance in order to find a way to break the islands curse.

Threnody contains an atmosphere that is delectably spooky. The constant storms thrashing the island, along with the choking fog made me feel always uneasy. The slightest sounds had me jumping with fear that the Red Guard or the sirens were about to strike. The vivid descriptions of the monstrous sirens, the constant darkness, and pungent fear every villager seeped since the start of the curse, spoke volumes to the horrors that enveloped Port Calliope Bay. The monthly Fleshing they performed showed just how far the townsfolk were willing to go in order to keep some semblance of order. The rich darkness this story contained was top-notch, and I loved every second of it.

The romance between Ezra and Archie happened very suddenly; it felt like it needed a bit more build up. Overall, though, the romance part did not bother me. What did was how helpless the fmc was. Ezra had the strength of a wet noodle in many situations. I understand this was written to be in the times when females didn’t have independence, but she could still have been a strong woman with at least a bit of a back-bone. Every time there was trouble, I was screaming in my head for Ezra to save herself and not to rely on Archie coming to her rescue. She also forgave way too easy. I wanted her to show true rage with betrayal, not always sorry for being upset. I hope, with how the book ended, she will find her own strength in the next novel and become a bass-ass fmc.

Archie was at times very hard to like. Yet he was the character I found myself liking the most throughout the book. It makes perfect sense why he holds so much rage and mistrust. In the end, I found my heart breaking for him with what he has endured. It feels like his heart has become a deep, black void with only hatred spurring him on. I’m definitely curious to see where his ruthlessness and desire for revenge will lead him. There was one instance in this book where events were told through Archie’s POV, and I hope there is way more of that in the next one as I think it will add more depth to the story. The mystery in this book was thoroughly enjoyable. I never suspected the twist that occurred in the end. It’s always a thrill when a book takes me by surprise.

Overall, Threnody is a novel that is easy to read and quite enjoyable. It contains the perfect amount of dark fantasy and gothic horror, with an interesting mystery. I look forward to reading the second in this duology. Thank you to Cas E. Crowe and Booksirens for a free copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Mahli Scott]

Review of Advanced Readers Copy from NetGalley.

★★½☆☆ — 2.5 stars

Thank you for the ARC! 🫶🏻

Okay… I have THOUGHTS.

I actually really liked the plot and the whole concept of Threnody. The premise had so much potential and genuinely made me want to keep reading, but OH MY GODDDD this book was so painfully slow 😭 I kept waiting for something to HAPPEN, especially with the romance.

First of all, why did I spend the entire first chapter thinking Ezra was a MAN??? 😭 Maybe this was just me being stupid and missing something, but the moment I realized Ezra was a woman I literally had to stop and reevaluate everything I had just read.

And then we have Archie.

This man was INSUFFERABLE. Like genuinely, sir, what is your problem???

My biggest issue was the romance because… WHERE WAS IT??? Where was the yearning? The tension? The longing? The stolen glances? ANYTHING??? Ezra and Archie barely even talked for what felt like the entire book. Half the time Archie was ignoring her and the other half he was treating her like he couldn’t stand her.

And then Ezra is suddenly talking about how she loves this man with her WHOLE HEART???

GIRL???? SINCE WHEN???? 😭😭😭

I’m sorry but I did not see these people fall in love. At all. I kept waiting for that moment where everything would click and I’d be like “ohhhh okay, NOW I get it,” and it just… never came.

And Archie telling Ezra he couldn’t be with her because being with someone else would feel like betraying his dead fiancée, Amabelle, was actually an interesting conflict. I was ready for the angst. The guilt. The slow realization that he was allowing himself to love again.

NOPE.

Because what do you MEAN this man basically turns around five pages later and sleeps with Ezra???? 😭😭😭 SIR STAND UP.

And THE ENDING????

Did the sirens’ curse break or not??? Because I finished the book and genuinely could not tell you.

Then Archie starts saying Ezra BEWITCHED HIM and THAT’S why he loved her??? And now he hates her????

WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT 😭

Maybe some of this is supposed to be explained later, but as an ending to this book I was just sitting there like 🧍🏻‍♀️

I really wanted to like this more because the actual plot and concept were interesting, but the pacing and romance just did not work for me. If you’re going to tell me these two people are desperately in love, I need to SEE them fall in love. Give me the yearning. Give me the tension. Give me the tiny moments that make me lose my mind.

Instead I got Archie being rude, Ezra loving him with her entire soul for reasons unknown to me, and me sitting there wondering WHEN DID Y’ALL EVEN FALL IN LOVE???

2.5 stars because the plot had me intrigued, but the romance had me fighting for my life.

[Rosie.Reads]

4.25/5 — Threnody by Cas E. Crowe

Firstly, thank you so much to Cas E. Crowe for the opportunity to read the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Threnody was such a unique read. The gothic, haunting atmosphere combined with sirens, curses and the mysteries surrounding Port Calliope Bay made this feel genuinely different from anything I've read before.

One of the biggest strengths for me was the writing. Cas E. Crowe's prose are beautiful and atmospheric, with some gorgeous imagery throughout, particularly around the sea and water. Even during the parts of the story where I wasn't completely hooked by the plot, I could really appreciate the quality of the writing and the world being created.

Archie was easily my favourite character. I found him the most relatable and understood his motivations and emotions the most. I also became genuinely invested in his relationship with Ezra. The romance didn't overwhelm the story and instead enhanced it, and I appreciated that the spice was used sparingly rather than becoming a major focus.

My main frustration was that there were several moments where characters reacted or made decisions that didn't always feel completely consistent with how they'd previously been portrayed. Occasionally this pulled me out of the story and left me questioning their choices rather than becoming immersed in what was happening.

And then came the final 25%...

This is where Threnody completely came alive for me. The story picked up dramatically, some twists confirmed suspicions I had while others genuinely caught me by surprise, and the emotional payoff was fantastic. Archie's POV was one of my favourite chapters in the entire book, and his reaction to everything that had happened genuinely surprised me. But the more I thought about it, the more it felt completely earned — and actually far more believable than the alternative.

By the end, I couldn't put it down. The conclusion took a book I had been enjoying and elevated my overall experience considerably — and I absolutely want to know what happens next.

Beautifully written, haunting and genuinely original. Threnody wasn't perfect for me, but its uniqueness, atmosphere and incredible final act made it a very memorable read.

I will absolutely be picking up book two.

[Second Chapter Books]

I have never wanted to personally fight a fictional woman while simultaneously being this invested in whether she survives.

Ezra. My girl. We need to talk.

There were moments in Threnody when I genuinely wanted to reach into this book, grab this woman by the shoulders, and ask her WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! Some of her choices had me frustrated beyond belief. I talked to this book. I argued with this book. At least once I considered whether throwing the entire book across the room would make me feel better.

And weirdly enough, that's part of why this worked for me.

Because I FELT something.

This wasn't one of those books I finished and immediately started forgetting. It got under my skin. I was frustrated, suspicious, uncomfortable, intrigued, and constantly trying to figure out who I trusted. Half the time the answer was absolutely nobody.

And I loved how different it felt.

I've read plenty of romantasy. I've read morally gray men, curses, forbidden romance, and slow burns. But this strange, haunting island with sirens lurking beneath the water and this constant feeling that something terrible was coming? THAT felt fresh.

There is an almost claustrophobic feeling to this story. The longer Ezra stays on the island, the more trapped I felt right along with her. Something is wrong here. Everyone knows more than they're saying. And the sea itself feels like it's watching and waiting.

Then we have Archie.

I didn't know whether I trusted that man, wanted Ezra to run from him, or wanted him to hurry up and kiss her already. Sometimes all three happened within about five pages.

This one took its time with me. I wasn't completely obsessed from page one, and there were places where I wanted things to move faster. But somewhere along the way, curiosity turned into NEEDING answers. And once this story finally showed me what it had been building toward, I couldn't put it down.

By the end, my frustration with Ezra hadn't disappeared. I still wanted to choke her.

But I also cared what happened to her.

And that might be the biggest compliment I can give this book.

Threnody made me mad, made me curious, creeped me out, surprised me, and ultimately left me wanting another book.

Four stars for giving me something I genuinely haven't read before.

[The Little Black Cat]

Netgalley ARC Review:

I requested an ARC of this novel because the premise and gothic atmosphere intrigued me. There was some great imagery throughout the book. The sirens, flesh sacrifices, and hauntings met my needs for a good gothic atmosphere. I felt the pacing was decent, but couldn’t make up for weaknesses in other areas.

Unfortunately, the characterization and world building did not meet my expectations. The writing felt fairly basic and I was never really sure what time period or type of society this was supposed to reflect. I think the author was trying for something Victorian, but the characters’ manner of speaking didn’t consistently reflect this. At one point the phrase “a frigging snowstorm” was used. I did read this as an ARC so maybe this will be edited out before final release. I also wanted to know a lot more about the island and the world beyond. We were never given any information on how the people who currently live on this isolated island sustain their lives. It says they haven’t had a visitor in years. There’s no mention of growing or rationing their food, how they get sugar, tea, etc.? I came away with little idea of what the islanders day to day life was like. Are there lots of children? Schools? Regular jobs? Who knows!

The FMC, Ezra, was the biggest letdown for me. She is sheltered, naive, and obtuse. Nearly every decision she makes is a bad one, and it felt like her mistakes were the main things driving the plot forward. The MMC was constantly having to rescue her and there was a repetitive cycle of the MMC having to come to her rescue and berating her for acting irrationally. I’m at a stage in my life where I am SO tired of reading about useless FMCs. I want to read about women who make reasonable, logical decisions that affect the plot directly, not ones who just constantly have things happen to them.

The romance also did not work for me. The FMC has insta-lust for the MMC almost immediately, while he shows almost no outward interest in her until suddenly, he’s in love. The relationship was not grounded whatsoever and was not believable at all.

I think this could have been a much stronger novel with more thought and care put into the world-building and characterization. I really liked the atmosphere and horror elements, but I needed a lot more depth to enjoy the story overall.

[Kimikat]

Threnody pulled me in with its atmosphere from the very beginning. The cursed island setting, gothic elements, and eerie sense that something was always lurking just beneath the surface created such a strong mood throughout the story. The world of Port Calliope Bay was easily one of my favorite parts of the book, and I loved the darker fantasy elements woven into the setting.

The mystery was another highlight for me. This is a story built around secrets, uncertainty, and the question of who can truly be trusted. I enjoyed the experience of piecing together the larger picture and constantly reevaluating what I thought I understood. The mythology and lore surrounding the island, the sirens, and the larger world added an interesting layer that kept me curious.

The final stretch of the book especially picked up the pace, with higher emotional stakes and a lot of revelations that pushed the story forward. I found myself wanting to keep reading because I needed to see how everything would come together.

Where I struggled was with some of the pacing, particularly with the romance. While I appreciated the emotional connection between the characters and the bond they formed through their experiences, the progression did not fully work for me as a slow burn. The emotional buildup felt more gradual on one side, while the shift into the romantic relationship happened much faster than I expected.

I also found that the story introduced many different threads and mysteries, which kept me engaged but occasionally made me wish certain moments had more room to develop before moving on to the next reveal.

Overall, Threnody is an atmospheric gothic fantasy with a strong sense of place, intriguing mythology, and a mystery that keeps you questioning what is really happening. Readers who enjoy sirens, dark fantasy, morally complicated characters, and stories filled with secrets will likely find a lot to enjoy here.

Despite some of my pacing critiques, I’ll definitely be picking up the second book. The story leaves off with a lot still to explore, and I’m genuinely curious to see how Cas E. Crowe continues and resolves the threads left hanging.

Thank you NetGalley and Cas E. Crowe for providing me with this arc.

[Chloe Sexton]

2.5/5 stars
I was very excited for this ARC! The premise of it sounded so interesting and I love a gothic fantasy romance!
I want to start by saying that I think the author writes really well. It was very immersive and I do love the way she writes the setting and ambiance.
Unfortunately, that is where the good stops for me. I loathed the FMC. Every decision and feeling she had felt so childish that when it was said she was 23, I was shocked to learn that this wasn’t going to be a YA, and I believe that if this was written as a YA novel, it would actually be much better.
The FMC comes off delusional and desperate for most of the book. There was heavy insta love on her end even though he stabbed her, she didn’t trust him, and he was exceedingly and overwhelmingly uninterested in her. It really bothered me that after only a day and a half of being conscious after her injuries, she was already jealous of his DEAD fiance. It is stated multiple times throughout the book that she is jealous when he brings her up, and she even goes as far as to want him to get rid of her engagement ring that he wore around his neck because she was dead and shouldn’t matter to him anymore after they finally got together. It was truly appalling to me.
As far as the MMC goes. He just felt very boring. Only speaking to lie or give half truths to her. There is no indication at any point that he is ever interested in her, and even tells the FMC to her face that he will never love anyone else only a couple chapters before they get together for the first time. His random switch into being completely in love with her felt forced, and I was waiting for the shoe to drop that he never loved her in the first place…
There was no chemistry between the two of them. She was obsessed almost to the point of sounding like a stalker, and he was completely uninterested up until the point where he wasn’t? I just could get behind it and I was actively hoping he was going to use her to sacrifice her to get something he wanted.

The twist at the end did get me. I was not expecting it, and while it did get a little convoluted at the end, I did feel like the ending was the best part of the whole book. The ending and the atmosphere is why it has earned 2.5 stars from me.

[Booksandpurrs]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

I saw the cover of this book and was instantly intrigued, so I was super excited when I got approved to read it.

Threnody is the first book in The Salt and Song duology.
A gothic romantasy with dark, haunting vibes, this was right up my street. It felt different and unique and I definitely enjoyed it.

One of my favourite things was the atmosphere. The rain, the clouds, the manor and Port Calliope Bay all created this dark, eerie setting that was so easy to envision. Perfect to read with the autumn season coming in.
There wasn’t a huge amount of world building and I would have liked a little more depth in that area, but it didn’t stop me from becoming fully invested in the story.

The writing was beautiful and atmospheric throughout, and then we have the characters.

Ezra, our FMC, definitely annoyed me at times with her naivety and some of her decisions, but I also think that’s exactly how we’re meant to feel about her. Still grieving the loss of her parents, she’s trying to navigate between everything she knows to be true and things that simply can’t be true. Although she frustrated me, I still wanted to know what was going to happen to her.

Archie, our MMC, was a great character because I could never quite work him out. Is he the good guy? Is he the bad guy? Can we trust him? I genuinely didn’t know, there’s a bit of romance chucked in there too, a slow burn for sure.
And then there are the sirens, I mean we all know sirens are meant to be devious creatures. I loved reading the songs they would sing, they added another creepy element to an already dark story.

The final part of the book was probably my favourite. There were several plot twists that I genuinely wasn’t expecting, and the cliffhanger sets things up perfectly for book two. I will definitely be reading it because now I NEED to know what happens next.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. It’s dark, atmospheric and beautifully written, with a story that felt different from a lot of the romantasy I’ve been reading lately. If you’re a fan of gothic romantasy with horror elements, sirens and an eerie setting, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a read.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[RogueWeaver]

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice:🌶️.5 (Soft Open Door)

Threnody by Cos E. Crowe was an absolute triumph—an atmospheric, dark, and utterly compelling read that had me gripped from the opening chapters. The narrative evolves brilliantly, striking that rare, ideal balance between high-stakes action, sharp dialogue, and grounded slice-of-life moments that let the characters truly breathe.

The Atmosphere & Setting

Crowe builds a deliciously dark setting drenched in rich gothic elements. The mood is thick, eerie, and immersive, providing the perfect canvas for a story that is as haunting as it is thrilling.

Ezra & Archie

The two leads carry this book with exceptional depth and chemistry:

Ezra: What a fantastic protagonist. Despite an extraordinarily sheltered upbringing, her sheer persistence and stubborn drive for independence make her easy to root for. Watching her actively fight to carve out her own autonomy rather than remaining passive was immensely satisfying.
Archie: An utterly fascinating, peculiar character. His duality is both deeply intriguing and dangerously attractive; you are constantly trying to peel back his layers, never quite sure which side of him is going to take the lead next.

The Dynamic & The Romance

The central relationship dynamic is an absolute masterclass in tension. The story constantly spins through a whirlwind: enemies-to-friends, friends-to-enemies, enemies-to-lovers, lovers-to-enemies, only to reset the board and throw you right back into the fray. It is a relentless, chaotic emotional rollercoaster, and I relished every second of the ride.

In terms of heat, the romance was lovely and sweet. Given the gothic, shadowy backdrop, I went in expecting a slightly darker, spicier edge, but the romantic payoff here is quite restrained—featuring one very sober, gentle open-door scene and another moment that fades to black. It fits the emotional build of the narrative well, even if you find yourself longing for just a touch more fire.

Final Thoughts

A gorgeous, dark, and thrilling read that leaves you breathless. Book 2 cannot arrive soon enough!

[Charl Ormond]

Thank you netgalley for this ARC… I was really intrigued by this as I haven’t actually read a siren book before so was interested to see how it goes. 3.75 ⭐

The story follows Ezra who is on a ship on her way to get married in an arranged marriage… on the way the crew all decide to jump overboard into the sea as the ship is shipwrecked and she washes up on a mysterious island and stabbed by our MMC Archie. Where there is mystery’s and a lot hidden beneath the service as well as sirens who are hunting the towns people at night. As well as her having a mystery voice in her head and the siren king searching for something.

The story itself is very very interesting, I loved all the gothic themes and the sirens part themselves were so intriguing… and kept you hooked into the story as I wanted to know what was going on and why things were the way they were. The story was quite fast paced and then started to slow and then ramped up towards the end.

The romance between the characters Honestly felt a bit more one sided… and I didn’t fully fully invest in that. She seemed to fall way too quickly and he seemed to not and then all of a sudden did. But I did believe it at times.

The FMC for me I did like but she was also childish and reckless but she has been brought up sheltered and honestly you feel that throughout the book. But it was annoying at times with the damsel in distress a lot throughout this book.

There was so many twists and turns and betrayals and hidden trusts that did keep the book interesting. The ending was a lot to take in and set it up brilliantly for the next book whether that is going to go the way you think….. or pure rage.

Some of the twists were predictable and others weren’t, it is a very good book but does have some things that weren’t amazing for me.., however the ending and the plot and idea being the story are so intriguing that you want to continue and read on and find out what happens in the next one. And who doesn’t love a good rage moment….

Thank you Cas looking forward to the next book

[Evan]

4 ⭐️

Holy shit. This book really caught me by surprise, even for being in my loved realm of genres.
Threnody is book one of a new dark, gothic, siren romantasy duet that will be WELL worth reading. I struggled against sleep to put this down (but, ultimately, sleep won the battle).
AND CAN WE LOOK AT THAT COVER ART 👀

While this book teeters on a 4-4.5 for me, it is mostly due to the same descriptors used repetitively, and some things that I felt could have been edited a bit better. The timing was superb, the slow burn, deliciously irritating, the story line, brilliantly done, and the atmosphere, beautifully painted. An easy must-read for anyone who enjoys a gothic seaside siren story.

Ezra Thorn has heard "The Reaper" calling to her since she can remember. What she did not know was that the voice belongs to the sea.
After surviving a shipwreck of peculiar circumstances, Ezra washes up on the shores of Port Calliope Bay, a secluded island surrounded by mists, where the sun never shines. The thing is, no one should be able to reach the island - the waters are cursed to not only its inhabitants, but to all those who venture too close - and Ezra is the first person to touch its shores in 8 years.
Archie Abrams, a broody, secretive, ex-pirate - and nephew of the islands governor - is her only true hope of survival. But, while the sirens call out to her and the Red Guard search for the stranger on the island, Ezra and Archie must race against the moon and tides to determine how to break the siren curse, and will need eachother to succeed.
But trust is hard to find for Ezra, and the Phantom leading her enforces that she "cannot trust anyone. Especially him." The only problem is that these allies become more than temptation to eachother, and forbidden desires may very well be what halts the curses cure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cas E. Crowe for the ARC copy 🧜🏽‍♀️

[chelsea | honeyiboughtmorebooks]

I requested an ARC of Threnody based on the cover alone, and going in completely blind was so worth it! This story was eerie, haunting, and wonderfully unsettling, and I genuinely enjoyed my time reading it.

The story follows Ezra Thorn, who survives a shipwreck only to wash ashore on the cursed island of Port Calliope Bay. A place haunted by sirens and kept alive through a ritual sacrifice called the Fleshing. With the governor’s mysterious nephew, Archie, as one of her only allies, Ezra becomes tangled in the island’s secrets and a curse that may be far more connected to her than she realizes.

I really appreciated how subtle the romance felt in this one. It was definitely there, but it never took away from the story itself or the mystery surrounding the island. I also really liked Archie’s character, even though he had me questioning him at practically every turn.

My one frustration was Ezra. She could be so gullible and naive at times, making rash decisions without knowing the full story or really having a set plan. There were moments when I wanted to reach through the pages and shake her. 😂 Granted, that’s also what made her feel realistic and messy, and I do love a messy character (no matter how frustrating they may be lol).

And the twists at the end?! Wow. I definitely had my suspicions while reading, but I was not expecting everything to unfold the way it did. It was the perfect ending, and now I need book two immediately!

Overall, this was such a dark and atmospheric read, and I’m so glad the cover convinced me to pick it up. Keep your eyes peeled because Threnody releases October 13, 2026, and this is one you won’t want to miss!

Thank you @netgalley and @casecroweauthor for the eARC! 🫶🏻

WHAT TO EXPECT:
🌊 cursed island
🧜‍♀️ sirens & sea lore
🖤 gothic romantasy
🌫️ dark & haunting atmosphere
🕯️ ancient curses & rituals
🔥 slow-burn romance
🗝️ secrets & supernatural intrigue

[Connie]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ARC from Booksirens

2.5 - Romance

4 - Story

The base story is great, with a very creepy, nerve-wracking vibe throughout the beginning. It's a great read for Spook-tober… If you completely ignore the romance!

Ezra is naive in the worst way. Even the most sheltered people have some sense of survival and self-preservation. Archie is a complete asshole who totally abandons her to be kidnapped. Two seconds later she forgives him. She watched him run away from her and instantly excuses his behavior. Then, there is some awkward back and forth about him wanting her, but still being in love with his dead fiance, so he firmly establishes that they can only ever be friends. Three seconds later he just completely reverses his decision to stay friends and they have sex. Then, she hears both Archie and his hateful Aunt confirm that they plan to give her up to the Siren King (the only character I ended up having sympathy for) and she runs away only to forgive Archie AGAIN four seconds later. When it's all said and done, he promises to "hate [her] forever" if she saves his worthless hide. Finally, she gives herself up still "loving" him. No matter how often you write that they are madly in love, the narrative didn't really earn that. At best, these two are bunkmates who diddle each other for warmth. By the end, he hates her again while she's still pining pathetically.

This would have been a wonderful horror/mystery if the relationship had been omitted or if the narrative had really set the readers up to care about these characters. The lore, the baddies, the back story, all amazing and wonderfully built. However, the protagonists were so damned unlikeable. I really wanted to love this story and I think some serious editing with regards to the protagonists could push it to a truly elevated status.

[TheBookmarkedLife]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars

This was such a creepy, atmospheric gothic romantasy, and honestly, the vibes alone kept me reading. 🖤🌊

This book gave me a similar eerie feeling to One Dark Window, except instead of creepy magic, we have SIRENS… and not the beautiful, mysterious kind. These are straight up ocean monsters that eat humans. 😂

There’s a cursed island, ghosts, siren songs, shipwrecks, people being lured into the ocean, and the powerful male voice known as “The Reaper” that she hears in her mind. Add in all the lies, deception, and mystery surrounding the island and its secrets, and there was always something keeping me curious about what was really going on.

I did struggle a little with the pacing around 60–80% into the book. Things slowed down for me a bit there.

The FMC also frustrated me at times. She’s a naive 23 year old virgin, but given that the story takes place during the Victorian era, I didn’t fault her too much for it. What I really appreciated was seeing her grow throughout the story. She made mistakes, learned from them, and became much more aware by the end, which kept me invested in her character.

And that ending completely got me.

I started this feeling like a 3.25-3.5 star read for me, but the ending pushed it up to a solid 4 stars. The enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies dynamic, the mystery surrounding The Reaper, and all the lies and deception had me completely hooked by the end.

Also, this is SUCH a good fall read. 🍂 The gothic atmosphere, cursed island, creepy ocean setting, ghosts, terrifying sirens, and overall eerie feeling make this perfect for a cozy but creepy autumn TBR. 🖤🌊👻

I’ll definitely be reading the next book in the series because I NEED to know what happens next!


Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to have read this E-Arc. I enjoyed reading it!

[Millie Webber]

***SPOILERS BELOW***

Can we please take a moment for this cover? Absolutely stunning.

Threnody is a gothic setting (love!!), we’ve got a cursed island, abandoned/haunted towns, spooky forests and caves and the inability to escape the island.

The setting of Threnody is fabulous but I do wish we had some more in depth descriptions of the setting. Tell me all the spooky specifics and give me the shivers. I was a bit confused as to when this book was set, I couldn’t get a grip on the temporal setting.

I enjoyed the pacing and thought the story moved along well.

The FMC, Ezra, is a traumatised woman after being involved in a shipwreck and being sent off to be married to a man she’s never met after her family dies. Ezra was thrown into this new world where “all the stories are true” and she has to relearn a lot. For most of the story I felt that Ezra was annoyingly naive and a bit… dumb? Always making silly decisions (repeatedly) and being rescued by the mysterious/suspicious MMC.

The MMC, Archie, is so sketchy. I did not like him at all (other than his muscles, I liked those). I feel like he didn’t have much depth and he was just handsome and mysterious, yet somehow Ezra is head over heels in love with him by the end. I didn’t feel like the romance grew, it just kinda happened? Archie is still grieving his deceased fiancé but then he suddenly wants to get down and dirty with Ezra.
I do really like the villain era and the sudden hate for the FMC after thinking that her selfless act was some sort of trick and now thinking his feels were because he was lured in by the siren side of the FMC.

Overall I do recommend Threnody.
The writing is easy to follow and makes sense. The setting is fabulous and I loved the spooky/gothic elements.

Thank you to Cas E. Crowe for this ARC.