The Thief Kingdom is a place hidden within the world of Aadlior. Many whisper of its existence, but few have found this place, where magic and pleasure abound. There, the mysterious Thief King reigns supreme with the help of the Mousai, a trio of revered and feared sorceresses.
Larkyra Bassette may be the youngest of the Mousai, but when she sings her voice has the power to slay monsters. When it’s discovered the Duke of Lachlan is siphoning a poisonous drug from the Thief Kingdom and using it to abuse his tenants, Larkyra is offered her first solo mission to stop the duke. Eager to prove herself, Larkyra accepts by posing as the duke’s potential bride. But her plans grow complicated when she finds herself drawn to Lord Darius Mekenna, Lachlan’s rightful heir. Soon she suspects Darius has his own motivations for ridding Lachlan of the corrupt duke. Larkyra and Darius must learn to trust each other if there is to be any hope of saving the people of Lachlan—and themselves.
Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where lords and ladies can be murderers and thieves, and the most alluring notes are often the deadliest. Dare to listen?
From the award-winning author of the Dreamland series comes a new dark romantic fantasy about a young woman finding hope in her powers of destruction.
E.J. Mellow is an award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of magical mayhem. Her work has been translated into multiple languages, appeared on Best Of lists such as Buzzfeed and Gizmodo and has reached #1 in multiple Amazon categories, as well as received medals from eLit Book Awards and Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Readers have said her "lyrical, vibrant, and imaginative" writing sweeps them into "stunning worlds". E.J. is also the co-founder of She Is Booked, a literary themed fundraising organization that supports women’s charities.
there is magic, but the majority of the times its used, its for a performative purpose, rather than for conflict. and because there is so little action, this is definitely on the slower side of things. if you want to compare books to journey speeds, this would be a lovely sunday stroll.
that being said, i did enjoy this. i think the world-building regarding the kingdoms is interesting, as well as the different types of magic among the three sisters. i dont think the whole ‘infiltrating a neighbouring land to get information by pretending to be a potential bride’ is very original, but it works for this storyline.
all in all, its a pretty great story if you are looking for a little bit of fantasy fluff!
A great new world. It was a good start to the series. I really enjoyed the empire/world building in this book. However, what makes this series extra interesting it that it left me with many questions I wanted to know the answers to.
The Bassett family on the surface are a powerful noble family, but they are so much more. The three daughters are blessed/cursed with great powers. As formidable as they are separately together, they are a force of nature.
When a desperate young lord asks an acquaintance of the Bassett's for help, he has no idea who or what he has unleashed on himself and his lands.
I do find it interesting that the first book concentrates on the youngest and least experienced of the sisters. Though the supporting cast is great, and I have no doubt will each star as main characters in the next books.
Only the surface has been scratched of this family, secrets, and the world. As much as I like the magic, I am very interested in seeing the other skills such as blades that have been hinted at and what training they went through to learn these skills.
This was one of the monthly free books, which rarely are my favorite genre of fantasy, and it sounded good in synopsis, but I really didn't expect it to be quite this good. I loved it. It has taken me until 5:30 in the morning, but I wasn't putting it down till I was done. I adore the love between Larkyra and her family. I enjoyed her relationship with Darius. I love her mutati hawk, Kaipo, and Achak intrigues me. This was a wonderful story, and I'm looking forward to the forthcoming books!
I got this as my free read of the month with Prime Reads and I figured it would be a good way to get over my Gleam hangover but this was just really meh.
Nothing really happens...like at all. Everything goes according to plan, and when it doesn't it still works out. The villain isn't really an evil mastermind, he's just a sad, mean person. There's no sense of urgency or tension in the book and the climax was super underwhelming.
The characters are also really inconsistent, particularly Larkyra and Darius. The Larkyra you get to know when the narration is focused on her is completely different to the Larkyra that appears during Darius' POV and vice versa, and there are some things that are just hard to believe. It's a small thing but it really bugged me. (Also, the flashbacks were really irritating)
I struggled to get through it because it was just really bland. The only things I liked were the Thief King and Achak. I wished they were around more. This is a pretty textbook YA fantasy with a barely there plot and a romance-heavy narrative (but the romance was just eh).
I guess it could possibly be considered a palate cleanser between heavier books, so if you're looking for something sweet where no one gets hurt and has a happy ending then this is for you. If not, don't waste your time.
I’ve read a lot of romantic fantasy, but this world and the tone of the story is different from anything else I’ve ever encountered. It’s simultaneously dark yet fun, brutal but affectionate, ruthless but polished - much like the Mousai themselves.
In this book you will enjoy:
- A trio of affectionate, magically-gifted sisters with a close bond - Their widowed dad, who maintains a secret dark alter ego - Achak (I love them!) and their commentary. Such a unique character - An underground city of vice where the girls by turn run wild and mete out justice - An almost regency-inspired social order above ground, complete with balls, courting and visits to the manor house
This book focuses on the youngest sister Larkyra, whose magic is connected to her voice. She has been a very tightly wound, self-controlled person from a young age - because the slightest word spoken without intent would cause physical harm to those around her. Can she fulfill her duties to her kingdom and family, but also open her heart enough to connect with the handsome stranger who needs her help?
Pacing through the middle was a little slow, but picks up again and the story wraps up nicely. I couldn’t resist digging right into Niya’s book next!
I zipped through this audiobook (the audio version is available with Kindle Unlimited!), and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed Mellow's writing style!
I'm not writing a massively long book review for this one - but I feel like everyone needs to read it. With a distinct arabesque feel to the story and the way the characters are written, I couldn't help but love Larkyra's story of traveling across the lands to unwitting save the man she would grow to love.
While this is a happy-ever-after romance, the gloomy setting would have made Edgar Allen Poe proud! I think the way everything was described made this probably one of my favorite audiobooks I've ever listened to? You are most definitely swept away, and I find that these are the stories that do better on audiobooks because the author does such an incredible job setting the stage. (I'm even adding a new tag/bookshelf for these types of reads!!
NOTES: - Definitely adult thematically/s3xually - HEA ending - Longer/slow read - World building is epic with a uniquely written magic system. - Darker fantasy romance - this isn't sunshine an rainbows.
“Born last of three through ice, wind, and rain, She tore into this world a siren song, Some say with a gift, some a curse, But none will care to remember for long . ”
Encontré este libro de casualidad ya que una compañera de estas redes le dio Want to read. No voy a negar que la portada fue lo que más me llamo la atención, además que parece que está basada en el Art Nouveau y eso es una debilidad para mí. Me puse a indagar sobre el libro, pero vi que no tenía aún traducción en español por lo que lo fui dejando de lado hasta ahora, cuando me he propuesto leer en inglés lo máximo posible. El nivel de idioma de la novela la encuadro en un B2 y no utiliza vocabulario específico.
“-So with your belief that life is a freely given energy, what keeps everyone from practising only gluttony and sin? From abusing gifts given?
+Our souls.
-Our souls.
+Yes. Life is made to move in one direction-forward. It is our souls that act as the winds guiding its course. Life can be given to all, but only our souls decide how we want to live.”
Ahora, en cuanto a la puntuación de esta novela ha sido difícil. Me intentaré explicar lo más escueta. Este libro puedes reseñarlo de dos maneras:
“If you cast a shadow, trouble would be merely one of the unruly things attached to it”.
Por un lado, teniendo en cuenta el punto de vista argumental-historia de la novela, personajes y escenario es pobre en general y cliché, algunas de las escenas son rápidas y el desarrollo de los personajes, aunque son bastante carismáticos y adoro a cada uno de ellos, debo admitir que les ha faltado un poco para parecerme del todo creíbles.
“How truly dark is your heart? And how Good would it feel to silence it ? ”
Por el otro lado, nos encontramos el trasfondo de la historia, la pluma de la autora, sus ideas pues a través de sus páginas notas que la autora ha puesto muchísimo empeño en la novela además que te das cuenta que es una persona con muchísima cultura, por este motivo y la idea para esta obra me ha gustado tanto que he acabado comprándolos en físico. Se lo merece y la autora si sigue así va a llegar lejos.
“Because Trouble is the friend of each of your shadows. ”
"All was fine. Or at least, it appeared to be fine, which of course meant it could very well be all wrong. Larkyra had learned the hard way that calm often camouflaged the most vicious of intent."
I liked the way it was written; it was very easy to fall into the story, be grabbed by it and read it without being able to stop. Fast-paced, with an interesting world, intriguing magical system and lovable characters, I am very happy to have picked this up. A lovely read for the weekend.
》》The Plot《《
“I wanted to go for a walk,” explained Larkyra after she’d taken another moment to steady herself. “A walk?” “Yes, you know, placing one foot in front of the other at a leisurely pace. Some say it’s good for your health.”
In the Thief Kingdom, the Thief King rules with help from the Mousai, a trio of sisters with magical powers. Since the rest of the world doesn't really have magic, the magical places are hidden and difficult to enter and the people gifted with powers are often masked, keeping their identity a secret. Larkyra, the youngest of the Mousai and the Bassette sisters, gets offered her first solo mission when the Duke of Lachlan express his wish to court her. Having received information that the Duke bought and consumed an illegal magical drug and hoping to find the smuggler, the Thief King asks her to play fiancé while snooping in to discover the drug and its source. But things get tricky when Larkyra discovers a pull towards Lord Mekenna, the rightful heir of Lachlan and the Duke's stepson.
“You’re rather terrifying.” “Thank you,” said Larkyra, the smile beneath her mask apparent. “Does it ever bother you?” “What?” “How you get your reputation here.”
The action was pretty fast paced, with enough description to understand the world and the magical system and plenty of banter and teasing to keep me entertained. It was easy to follow and it took me 2 or 3 chapters to get addicted and read it until my eyes literally closed and I was forced to pick it up the next day.
》》Characters and Relationships《《
🐦 Larkyra
“I’ll be careful, Zim,” she said. “As careful as I am able.” “Which for a Bassette means hardly safe.” “Dancing around trouble?” “Playing with death.” “Perhaps,” she said. “But if I can play, then it means I am still alive.”
She was full of life, curious, kind and very lovable. Playfulness was always in the cards when she was around and it was definitely beautiful to watch her growth and healing journey.
👨🏻🦰 Darius
“I do not have that much control over my own life to begin with.” “Darius.” “But with you,” he continued, as if he had to get everything out now or he might never, “it seems I didn’t have a choice. With you, I wanted to let you in beyond my wall, my defenses. You make me feel strong even with the door wide open.”
He was tortured in his own way and this book was his own healing journey as well. I couldn't put a label on him: he was a bit of a Scottish Robin Hood, a bit of a tormented James Frasier, but definitely a great fit for Larkyra.
🐦👨🏻🦰 Larkyra and Darius
“Are you planning my murder, Lord Mekenna?” Darius shook his head, once again baffled yet surprised to find himself grinning at her candor. “Not quite yet, my lady.” Lady Larkyra smiled in kind. “I’m sure that will change as we spend more time together.”
Their light banter was very enjoyable. Not exactly enemies but not exactly friends either, watching them dance around each other was at times delightful and other times a bit frustrating: perfect ingredients for a slow burn, right?
“Larkyra Bassette,” he began. “Singer of the Mousai, filthy girl of Jabari, and woman of, I’m sure, many more masks, all of whom I love. You do things I don’t even know I need, and you surpass the expectations of the things that I do. As you feel endless with me, I feel endless with you. You make me dream bigger than what lives in this world, and I only want to continue exploring it by your side."
Their relationship developed beautifully, from a spark that appeared from their first meeting, to a sort of friendship that left room for doubts, to "partners in crime" and, finally, to soulmates.
🐦💃🎻 The Mousai sisters
“As if you ever need an excuse to sing like a canary to Father.” “Only when it comes to the things you do.” Larkyra wrapped an arm around Niya, giving her an affectionate squeeze. “Arabessa could murder, and I’d never tell.” “Don’t be ridiculous.” Arabessa stood. “You would never know if I murdered in the first place.” “I wouldn’t?” asked Larkyra. “Have you yet?” countered Arabessa, stepping in front of her and Niya to exit the kitchen. “I wouldn’t put it past her,” whispered Niya. “Did you see the way she used that knife to pick up the cheese? Father always said the calm ones are the craziest.”
There's no doubt and no way to deny the way these three love each other. The banter, the teasing and the little jokes they play on each other spice their relationship a bit, but sisterly love is, with no doubt, the main element between them. It was one of my favorite things in this book, seeing them so close and so ready to do anything for each other.
》》Favorite Scenes《《
🐦Larkyra saving Lord Mekenna 🎉The birthday party 🐦💃🎻The Mousai spectacle 🐦Larkyra getting her first solo mission ⚔️The bandits on the road 🐦Larkyra shocking the butler
“Are our rooms close to one another?” “Is there a reason they should be?” “Why, yes,” she said. “It makes things much easier when sneaking into each other’s bedchambers.” The butler’s white complexion turned an enjoyable purple. “I apologize for Lady Larkyra,” said Zimri, giving her a reproachful frown. “It’s best to know now that she’s fond of shocking statements. In truth, she wants to know because this will be her first night alone without one of her sisters present, and since I am practically a brother to her, I know it would ease both our worries to know we are close.”
🐦👨🏻🦰Larkyra encountering Darius while he was helping Henry 🐦👨🏻🦰Larkyra healing Darius 👨🏻🦰🐦Darius catching Larkyra sing 🐦Larkyra asking him if she should marry his stepfather
“Should I marry your stepfather? The purpose of my visit is hardly a secret.” Darius opened and closed his mouth, a fish out of water. “I . . . I hardly think that is an appropriate question.” “So?” “So it shouldn’t be asked.” “The propriety of something should have no bearing on its value. In fact, most improper topics contain more important conversations than proper ones.” “Another lesson from your father not found in tomes or governesses?” “He is one of the wealthiest men in Jabari for a reason.”
👨🏻🦰🐦Darius catching Larkyra in the old ruin 🐦Larkyra finally telling the truth 💨The visit in the Fade 🏴☠️ Dealing with Alōs Ezra
“We need passage to Esrom, without trouble or detection, tonight,” said Arabessa. An upward tick to the pirate’s dark brow. “All things that are a hanging offense and close to an impossible task.” “A regular night for you,” accused Niya. “Is that a compliment, my fire dancer?” “If it seemed like one, then I can assure you it won’t happen again.”
💋The kiss 🐦💃🎻The Mousai choosing dresses for the engagement party 👨🏻🦰Darius's visit
“Larkyra?” Darius pulled back, his eyes a pool of glimmering intoxication as they focused on her. “Are you okay? Am I—we can stop.” “No.” She held him tighter. “Whatever you do, do not stop.” “Thank the lost gods,” he muttered.
🫖The effect of the potion 💍The marriage proposal
》》Conclusion《《
“Was that necessary, my melody?” their father asked as the guest scurried to the other side of the room. “Probably not,” she said. “But fun things hardly are.”
I think there were a lot of elements that made this book lovable: the sisterly love that was very female empowering while also being funny with all the teasing, the subtle bits of inspiration from the Greek mytholgy and Scottish vibes, the main character herself, with the quick wits and even quicker mouth.
“How quiet you are, hiding behind your horse. I hadn’t yet realized we were so lucky to have you in our company.” “I wasn’t hiding.” Darius straightened, taking a step away from Achala. “And not to be forward, but I gather most would be forced into muteness when you three are around.” D’Enieu coughed as if to smother a laugh, while Lady Larkyra raised a manicured brow. “Because of your breathtaking beauty, of course,” added Darius with a smile. “Well played.” Lady Niya clapped behind her sister. “Oh, won’t you two get along splendidly.
It was sweet, easy to read and I enjoyed it. It was very catchy, I fell for the story and I'm definitely intrigued to read the next book as I sense an enemies to lovers there.
𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒃 The Song of Forever Rains follows Larkyra Bassette, the youngest of the Mousai, a trio of revered and feared sorceresses. Larkyra is off on a mission to stop the Duke of Lachlan who’s illegally trading magic by accepting his offer to court.
But things become complicated as she finds herself drawn towards the duke’s son, Lord Darius Mekenna. And now, they must save the people of Lachlan from the duke and their never-ending doom…
𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 I cannot believe I didn’t read this book sooner because it was extraordinary! Firstly, let me just 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀… I mean, how beautiful are they🤩
To start with the prologue was so intense as we were introduced to Larkyra’s power and I loved it. It showed power yet danger lurking around, and 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 appropriately👏🏼
Focused on 𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗢𝗩𝘀 — Larkyra and Darius’s, this book from the start was full of mesmerising energy😯 The way the 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗶 were described was amazing, and I thoroughly enjoyed their hypnotizing dance performances.
Plus, the 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱-𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 was amazing and I was drawn into the magical world of mysteries, supernatural powers, and fantastical trio. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱 was marvellous, especially the beauty of Achak and their dances.
Moreover, the 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 this book gave was just🤌🏼 I mean, I loved the bitter-banter and the 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗿-𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 between the main protagonists. Their interactions just made my heart swell with happiness, I was smiling all the time😁
With 𝗴𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘆-𝘀𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲, the chemistry between them was heartwarming. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 and the way Larkyra helped Darius open up and help ease his pain - emotional & physical was just incredible. And when she made him laugh during times of his distress was🥹
𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀😍 and the personalities.. from the get-go, it was apparent that each of them is different yet the same. They were 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲, 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱. The family dynamics in this book were to die for.. the relationship and connection between them were extremely beautiful.
But the plot and the way 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸. I mean, it was interesting and a bit heartbreaking but I feel this could have been so much more…. The 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱😕 and I wanted to see more of it. And I hate how she didn’t use her magic when she realllly needed to use it.. not as badass as they were made to be..
With a 𝗛𝗘𝗔 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, I cannot wait to read the second book because the steam between Niya and Ezra was sizzling, and also coz Niya was my favourite in this book😌
𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 Overall, this was an amazing 𝗬𝗔 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 with a fast-paced plot and slow-burn but sweet romance. The supernatural elements of the plot were 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱 and you can’t help but want more of it despite the weak plot towards the end.
SONG OF THE FOREVER RAINS IS LIVE! For those who have been here from the start, you know how up and down and sideways this journey has been for me with this book and series. I damn near gave up towards the end. But stubbornness has its benefits and I’m so very, very glad I kept going. SOTFR is the hardest book I’ve yet written. It’s also the proudest I’ve felt towards one of my works. If you like dark romantic fantasies with a strong heroine and a group of sisters who like to get up to no good, I hope you pick it up and give it a read 🖤.
Here are some things you might want to know about this dark romantic fantasy: ⚔️ It’s a standalone. No cliffhangers! ⚔️ There's a slow burn romance ⚔️ There is magic. Wonderfully twisted magic. ⚔️ A strong heroine ⚔️ Action + Adventure + Mischief ⚔️ Free to read on Kindle Unlimited! AND…a #1 Best seller in FOUR Amazon categories!!!
The best development was the fact that I was about to DNF this book and then after finishing it, rating it five stars. This book was so freaking good that I honestly was rendered a little speechless to be honest. Can we talk about the fact that Darius and Larkyra were just so perfect for each other? Because they were just beyond perfection. I loved the fact that Darius had a troubled past yet felt so safe in telling Larkyra about his past and opening up to her while Larkyra felt inside and out, including her magic, that she was safe to be herself in front of Darius. Now that was pure amazingness.
Also, if you try this out, PLEASE keep going. I know it is slow at first but I promise it does get a little faster and just absolutely amazing. Seriously stick through it. I went from nearly DNFing this book to giving this five stars. You can enjoy it too I promise.
Please read TWs and make sure you're at least 16+ to read this. I would rate this at a New Adult fantasy romance series.
DNF 47% This had such an interesting blurb but unfortunately it just didn’t deliver for me. I did like the initial prologue with the sisters and I was ever so intrigued by that and also Larks first introduction when she’s slumming and without the use of her magic then it just kind of fizzled and I then found myself just mostly bored.
This was so very slow and lacked a basic plot direction. I’m also slightly confused about larks whole purpose when she’s sent off on her first solo mission besides find the vault that is. Then there’s the whole thief kingdom itself which I couldn’t quite get a handle on and what its actual purpose is and the girls father lord Bassett is he the thief king as that’s how it reads to me? There was just so much I was confused about here.
As for the characters involved I found the sisters banter irritating and definitely not cute. Darius reads as a bit of a insipid male I wasn’t interested in him and he came across as boring and Lark well she was ok but I didn’t feel any deeper emotional connection to her. I’m half way through nearly and I’m failing to feel any chemistry with lark and Darius in fact there’s hardly even any interaction between them either.
The writing is ok I guess and this does have some intriguing ideas but they don’t follow through to anything and I don’t think there executed or explained that well. The prose felt kind of formal and the whole interpretation for me got lost by the overcomplicated nature of it all.
Look this isn’t a bad book I’m usually all over this genre like a rash but this just didn’t work for me. This is probably going to be a fit for those who prefer fantasy romance that is more geared towards the fantasy and the romance is a very small part of things. I do believe there is one smut scene further along in the story but I’ve basically had enough now and I’m heavily skimming so unfortunately I’m out.
ой, ну мені обідно, що я повелася на красиву обгортку і витратила час на цю книжку, вона була не варта моєї уваги, на жаль.
авторка дуже старалася створити щось вигадливе і темне, а вийшло доволі примітивно і посередньо. власне, відгук для тих, хто не планує читати або не боїться спойлерів.
думаю, я взагалі дочитала цю книжку тільки через те, що шкодувала витрачених коштів, продовження читати не буду, мені байдуже до цих героїв і цього світу.
а, і дратувало, що в перекладі всі один одному тикають, особливо коли це розмова юної дівчини і герцога (а в цьому світі є гендерні упередження) чи слуги і пана, це нищило рештки атмосфери.
One may be beautiful,” she began, “rich, poor, young, blessed with magic or not, a sinner or virtuous, and the gift of life is still given to us all, just as death comes for us all.
Song of the Forever Rains plunges you into an intriguing world of lush magic and dark secrets. Where lords and ladies are adorned in gold and jelwelry in one hand, and tainted with magic and blood in the other.
Beware When The Songbird Sings
This standalone follows the story of one of the Mousai: Larkyra Bassette.
19-year-old Larkrya is the daughter of Dolion Bassette, Count of Raven, of the second house among the six elite houses of Jabari, where no king and queen rules them. She is the third and youngest of the Bassette daughters, her sister Arabessa is the eldest and then comes Niya.
All three sisters are blessed with magic belonging to an ancient bloodline. They are the Mousai, a trio of creatures both revered and feared. No one would dare cross them, especially not in the Thief Kingdom where the most wicked and savage were welcomed.
Before I get to the Thief Kingdom, I must say I adored the bond between the sisters. I enjoyed their interactions and it's always fun to see sisters be mischievous together and each of them had a colorful personality I felt more than I read that they do genuinely love and care for one another, that is something important to me when reading about familial bonds. It made me look forward to Niya and Arabessa's stories in the future.
Let's move on to the other aspects I enjoyed in this book.
For a place said to be filled with depravity and sin, it was extremely dream.
The world-building was brilliant. Although I did wish we could have learned more about the Thief Kingdom and it's king. There are undiscovered wonders and horrors in that kingdom that I am eager to uncover.
I still find the magic system in this book a bit confusing, but I like it is mainly focused on the type of lethal and corrupt magic. For Larkrya, she was in tune with her magic, soothed it when it wanted to erupt, not that her magic was always under control. It took Larkrya a long time to properly wield her magic as it was the source of her fears, because her voice has the power to slay monsters. A songstress of magic and blood.
Larkrya is offered to go on her first solo mission to find out why the Duke of Lachlan is smuggling a poisonous drug out of the Thief Kingdom and using it to abuse his tenants. The Duke sets his sights on the youngest Bassette during a ball and asks for her hand, and so Larkrya must pretend to be his potential bride until they uncover all his plans.
And in comes Darius Mekenna, a tortured hero whose joy was stolen away from childhood. There is more to uncover about him in the book. It took me a while to warm up to him, but I liked him eventually.
And let's get to what is usually my favorite part: Romance
The romance in this book is a slow-burn with a tinge of forbidden love in it. The romance took a while to buildup but I wasn't all that convinced. They seemed polar opposites, not that opposites do not attract sometimes, but I didn't feel they complimented one another. They do have some sweet moments and a steamy moment.
This is one of the books where I wish the romance took a backseat or wouldn't have minded that there isn't any romance in it because I was more interested in the other parts of the story, and Larkrya was a fiesty and adventurous heroine that I wanted to go on more adventures with.
That brings me to why I didn't give this a higher rating. I enjoyed how this book started but I felt everything had begun to slow down as we reached Lachlan. Maybe because with a character like Larkrya I wanted to embark on a bigger adventure with her. It didn't seem like her element for me atleast and from how I interpret her character.
I am anticipating the release of the sequel and look forward to see where the characters pick off.
I wanted to love this book. But with slow pacing and lackluster world building… I felt a lack of depth to the characters & plot. I LOVE a slow burn, enemies to lovers, dark romance, and this definitely had potential. I’ve even read a bunch of great reviews, but maybe because I listened to an audiobook or possibly due to the plot, this just wasn’t for me. I’ve heard the 2nd book is better, but I’m not sure if I’m interested in continuing this story or not? Good, but not great. 2.5 stars rounded up!
"You have been my first thought every morning since the day I saw you out on that road in the rain, standing like some resurrected lost god," he said "You have been the first to show me the beautiful magic that still lives in our world. You have been the first to give me hope since my parents death. And you, my darling, are the first to have started my heart beating again."
Okay if this quote doesn´t make you swoon, I don´t know what will. We have a beautiful YA-ish fantasy here with some romance sprinkled in. It is a two POV book which is told from the POVs of Darius and Larkyra (or Lark).
I loved how sarcastic and honest Lark was all the time, it really added to the banter she had with Darius as well as the chemistry. He constantly tried to figure her out and she constantly made a comment that left him wondering. I really liked Larks relationship with her sister, it was refreshingly amusing. Also I loved to see the relationship with her father and her whole family, they have such a good connection to each other and it shows.
I really didn´t like Hayzar. He reminds me of those 60 year old men who say "oh but she is soo mature for her age." You know which ones I´m talking about, simply disgusting.
I liked the world building in this, although I would have wished for a little bit more explaining at some parts of the book. For example finding out more about the Mousai. But since there are two more books to come, I am looking forward to seeing that in the next book.
Overall it was a nice read that I really enjoyed. The nickname Songbird for Lark is so fitting and I loved her character. I also feel like this book was a nice set up for the second book in the series, in which I am hoping to find out more about Larks sisters.
Початок темний і моторошний, захоплює з перших речень. (Особливо де маленькі діти граються малюючи кровʼю квіти на сорочках і стукають шматком ребра в підлогу. Чарівно ж) Сюжет розгортається доволі повільно проте не було нудно. Цікавий світоустрій, концепція магії і загалом книга атмосферна. Також сподобались примітки автора про неологізми та історії створення імен та назв. Читатиму продовження історії Мусаї
“You make me feel strong even with the door wide open”
★★★★✩ / 4
· Three strong, magical, quirky and lovable sisters · Interesting world-building with a dark thief kingdom · Strong and amazing family bonds · Sweet romance and longing · Soft and tortured hero · Kind and strong heroine
This was a fantastic book. I really, really liked it.
The start immediately pulled me in with the introduction of the Thief Kingdom and the three sisters as the Mousai. I thought the scene when they made the performance was strong and beautifully written. It totally captured the power of the three sisters and the world they belonged to, with a dash of respect and reverence.
I also found the romance, which was a big part of the story, to be very engaging. The longing between them in some parts totally snared me.
The development of the plot was excellent until the last 20%. The final stretch felt a little jarring for a few reasons:
1. I would have loved to see more of the actual investigation leading to the revelation of the drug leak, which was a little sudden at the end after being left a little forgotten.
2. The whole elixir bottle thing was also a little stupid, in my opinion, and made the feel of power from the Bassette family diminish in my eyes. I don’t want to dwell into it because I really liked the rest of the book, even if I wasn’t the biggest fan of the resolution.
Overall I would really recommend this and I’m like crazy eager to read the next book which I suspect will contain a very fascinating dark pirate lord and a very feisty red-headed heroine.
I loved this book!!!!!! I had a feeling when I saw the synopsis that this one was going to capture me and it absolutely did. A new author for me to swoon over 😍.
This was a great romantic dark fantasy full of interesting characters, a wonderful exciting new world and a plot that kept me thirsting for more. I love that we started out with the least experienced sister to allow for the future books to then build upon what Larkyra starts us off with. I also adored the relationship between her and Darius!!! Absolutely enjoyed this.
I think it’s four stars because the beginning was good it had a moment of slowness after that initial first scene but then of course it picked up and I was right back in!!
4.75 ⭐️ I really loved this book and the world it created. also at the very end the author gives an entomology page where she shows how she chose all the names in the book which i though was super neat!
A new adult fantasy with extremely questionable worldbuilding (i.e. bare threads) that reads like YA except for one scene. I thought this was going to be so good :(
Will I read book two? Honestly, I doubt it. And certainly not anytime soon.
this was such fun!! it's a captivating little chill fantasy, where there wasn't a massive amount of action or suspense, just an easily-followed plotline with some absolutely WICKED magic and gorgeous blossoming romance. i ADORED the platonic relationship between our fmc and her family - the trio of sisters were so funny with their banter and tricks, but also so devoted to one another. and again: they each had the coolest magic!! i'm so jealous.
the overall plot wasn't especially complex but it was entertaining and really well written, and the romance between our two main characters was so cute. i adored the worldbuilding (and those covers MY GOD they're gorgeous). can't wait to read more from this author!
Right from the beginning of reading Song of the Forever Rains, I was hooked. That first scene with the sisters pulled me right in and told me so much about the world so elegantly. A lot of time with fantasy you get those dreaded info dumps with world-building. Not so with Song of the Forever Rains! Much like when Larkyra sings & her voice has the power to slay monsters, I felt like EJ Mellow was singing a masterful fantasy in these pages.
Multiple plot points, character backstory information, and characters felt completely fresh and surprising. I couldn't think of anything I'd read that had something similar.
this was a refreshing and unique read. I loved the relationship and banter between the sisters. Finally a fantasy where siblings get along!! This story follows the youngest sister. Dual POV😉 This world was fantastic! There is magic, secrets, masks and hidden identities, old gods, romance, criminal underworld. Oh, and this series is full of morally gray characters!! Not too much action, but it’s still a ride!! Starting the 2nd book now(there are pirates😏)…
Дуже гарна книга😍 і це я не тільки про оформлення ( воно прекрасне) Мені дуже сподобалось Гарна світобудова, персонажі, все так гарно продумано Авторка дуже гарно написала, такі прекрасні описи використала🥰 Ну дужеее сподобалось Хочу вже скоріше прочитати і про інших сестер, до речі замітила що третя книга про Зімрі і Арабессу а це дуже цікаво Поскорше би вже вийшли і інші частини😻 Однозначно 5/5 ⭐️
Ось ця серія книг, права на яку нещодавно придбало українське видавництво. Захоплююче фентезі, від самого початку так цікаво. Я обожнюю тематику відомства та сестер. Мабуть, тому що в мене є сестра 🧡.
Вже дуже подобається початок, і я сподіваюся, що розчарування мене не спіткає. Я хочу цікаву, гарно написану, пристрасну історію про відьму з запальним коханням.
Читаю далі.
Ця хімія між головними героями просто спокушає мене 😈 Вони обидва ледве стримуються поряд один з одним, скоро рване цей Везувій. 🥳 А взагалі, перша частина поки що в саме серденько. Мені все дуже подобається і я в очікуванні, яка буде кульмінація та кінець 🫣
І трошечки, в кінці, авторка не витримала напруги. Закручували сюжет десь протягом 85-95% книги, а потім швидко зовсім розібралися і жили вони довго та щасливо. Мені здалося, що акцент на магії, родині, сестрах, справі поставленій головній героїні Ларкірі переважили її почуття та формування стосунків із Даріусом. А хотілося, щоб як у ромкомах вже пристрасті у середині були, а потім вже можна і розгрібати все те 💩
Проте плюсом історії, особисто для мене, став досить сентиментальний головний чоловічий герой, із своїми травмами, і приблизно така ж за емоціями головна героїня. Тут нема очевидної альфа-самки чи альфа-самця. Тут є біль, втрати, сльози, розпач, звичайно все це лікує кохання. 🧡
4,5 ⭐️ Nie miałam co do tej książki żadnych oczekiwań, prawdę mówiąc gdy zobaczyłam ją na zagranicznym booktoku dodałam ją na amazonie przez wzgląd na piękne okładki. Gdy wyszła w Polsce, od razu ją kupiłam ale prawdę mówiąc, gdyby nie audiobook, ta książka mogłaby trochę poleżeć na mojej półce wstydu, jednak nie żałuję ani jej zakupu ani czasu poświęconego na przesłuchanie tej historii. Bardzo fajny świat, super bohaterowie i zagadka trochę kryminalna, a do tego bardzo fajnie napisana. Czekam na kolejne części, bo myślę, że mogą mi się spodobać równie mocno co ta.