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Lizzie Grace #9

Sorrow's Song

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They say breaking up is hard to do. They’re wrong. Living with the consequences is so much harder, especially when sorrow is a powerful draw to evil …

Lizzie Grace is trying to get on with her life now that she and Aiden have gone their separate ways, but it’s a difficult thing to do when just about everything reminds her of the damn man.

The situation is made worse when a body is found, and her job as Deputy Reservation Witch means she has no choice but to interact with him. At first, the death seems to be nothing more than an accidental drowning in a remote location, but it’s soon evident a supernatural entity is involved.

As they race to uncover what is going on, it becomes clear that this evil is not only targeting werewolves, but one particular pack—the O’Connor’s.

And the reason might well be the song of sorrow. A song that Lizzie’s grief might have given birth to…

309 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 28, 2022

173 people are currently reading
757 people want to read

About the author

Keri Arthur

103 books6,011 followers
Keri Arthur, author of the New York Times bestselling Riley Jenson, Guardian series, has now written more than 25 books. She's received several nominations in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards, and recently won RT's Career Achievement Award for urban fantasy. She lives in Melbourne with her daughter and two crazy dogs

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
Profile Image for Ronda.
891 reviews181 followers
July 6, 2022
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Keri Arthur is absolutely amazing, she is always my 'go to' author and there is not a book that she has written that I don't like!!!

Lizzie Grace is a fantastic series and each book has seen the characters grow and evolve and the story lines just keep me hooked! I loved Sorrow's Song and where the book lead, however, I don't like that I now have to wait for the next book to come out to see where the plot is going to take us. This book definitely took me places that I wasn't expecting but also it's on the path that, hopefully, is going to give me what I am hoping for.

Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Katyana.
1,828 reviews297 followers
July 10, 2022
Just finished it, and ... well, I'm kind of mad, honestly.

Liz is such a great character. And I'm so fucking tired of her being a martyr for people who should be thanking every god they pray to that she's there for them.

I'm tired of Aiden. I was hopeful, after the last book, that we'd get some resolution on this. Like, that it was either done - and frankly, that's my vote, because I'm so fucking done with Aiden - or he'd nut up and grow a damn spine. But he doesn't, not really. By the end of this book he's just maybe going to. Maybe. I mean, who can say. What we can say, though, is Liz deserves way better. And we can also say that he's a self-absorbed jackass who is never there to fight her battles, while she practically kills herself fighting every one of his. And in the next book she's going to be dealing with her worst battle ever, but will Aiden be at her side? Hahahahahaha, of course not. I can't believe anyone would even think so, he is far too "important" to actually do anything for someone ELSE.

I think Liz should have given this fucking pack exactly what they say they want, and what they most certainly deserve: she should have left. All the witches should have left. And good luck to you self-important assholes cleaning up your own messes without the witches.

That is, frankly, the only silver lining to the next book - all the witches have gone to Canberra with Liz (hooray that she has people in her life who do value her, love her, will go to the wall for her ... seriously, the secondary cast of witches in this series is the fucking best). I hope that while they're gone, the reservation is overrun with demons so they have to call Liz, Monty, Eli, Ashworth, and Belle and fucking BEG them to come back. And admit that they're responsible for what happened with the wellspring, and offer Karleen's fucking head in a jar in exchange for the witches coming home immediately.

Because Karleen should not have survived this book. As far as I am concerned, she's the villain of the series. Not the Canberra witches, not the dark witch who killed Liz's sister way back when, not Liz's family or ex-husband. Karleen. Like Katie warned, she was going to pay a dear price ... but the end of it should have been her life. Period.

So while I blitzed through this book, could barely put it down, because I so love the witches in this series ... I ended it kind of mad because despite everything, I don't think anything was resolved. Not with Karleen. Not with the self-important douchebag wolves. And certainly not with Aiden. And even worse, this whole book was like ... Liz barely holding herself back from jumping Aiden. Be mad, goddamn it! He treated her like garbage in the last book. Like she meant absolutely nothing to him, unless he needed to use her for something. Be fucking mad! It's not enough to break up if you're just going to string it along with longing looks and touches and bullshit. He is fucking selfish! He wants to have you to play with until he has to find his real mate and do his duty. Fuck that and fuck him! Get fucking mad! Not just sad, not just heartbroken. MAD.

But she's not, except for occasional flashes that last about 5 seconds. And I don't think she's going to. Not at Aiden, and not at the wolves. Frankly, I was disappointed that the scene in the council chambers wasn't a fucking beatdown. That physical duel wasn't satisfying, it was fucking stupid. The wolves need to understand where they really are on the power scale, and then maybe they'll treat her with the respect she deserves. If they can't respect her for breaking her back to save them all, then she should make them respect her Alpha-style with a good old-fashioned beat down. She doesn't have to meet them on a physical playing field - that would be like asking the wolves to get into a magical duel with her. No. You bring your weapons, they bring theirs, and may the best win.

Man, I just feel like I want so much more from this series, for characters that this author has made me love utterly.

Re-Read (immediate series re-read)
Why isn't Karleen in jail? No, seriously. Why are there no consequences for her losing control and attacking a non-wolf? Not to mention deceiving the council for the entire time, trying to get the witches evicted because of her personal baggage?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Snehaa M j.
3 reviews1 follower
June 30, 2022
I read the story description... Its fucking awesome ❤️


Story description:. They say breaking up is hard to do. They’re wrong. Living with the consequences is so much harder, especially when sorrow is a powerful draw to evil …

Lizzie Grace is trying to get on with her life now that she and Aiden have gone their separate ways, but it’s a difficult thing to do when just about everything reminds her of the damn man.

The situation is made worse when a body is found, and her job as Deputy Reservation Witch means she has no choice but to interact with him. At first, the death seems to be nothing more than an accidental drowning in a remote location, but it’s soon evident a supernatural entity is involved.

As they race to uncover what is going on, it becomes clear that this evil is not only targeting werewolves, but one particular pack—the O’Connor’s.

And the reason might well be the song of sorrow. A song that Lizzie’s grief might have given birth to…


For the people who didn't read it yet

And guess what ?!! her next book name is. 'Wraith’s Revenge' ..

Story description:

You can’t run from the past forever…

Lizzie Grace has finally returned to Canberra, the city where she grew up and a place that holds so many bad memories. Not only does she have to testify at her father’s trial, but also deal with her ex’s will and relatives unhappy that she’s inherited a good chunk of his assets.

Yet Canberra holds more than just memories of an unwanted marriage. It’s where her sister was murdered, and the man responsible was never caught.

Witches are once again being ritualistically sacrificed, and it holds terrible echoes of those past deaths.

As the murders draw closer to home, Lizzie finds herself in a race to hunt down the wraith of a man after the ultimate revenge…the soul of the woman who once escaped him.

--- this is the book 10 👆---


Book 11 name : Killers Kiss

Description is not out yet


~Enjoy~
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Mary.
523 reviews46 followers
July 10, 2022
Spoiler Alert. The next book isn’t out for 8 more months, so here’s some notes to remind myself where this ended.

A siren was hunting Aiden’s family. His uncle and his father were both killed. Sirens are attracted by grief and rage, so they assumed Liz had called it in her grief over breaking up with Aiden (since she couldn’t bear dating him anymore while knowing he’d leave her eventually to take a wolf mate since his mom/alpha and his pack wouldn’t accept a witch as their future alpha mate). Turned out it was called by Aiden and his mom (his grief/suffering over the breakup and her anger at Liz).

In the end, Aiden’s mom called a council meeting to call for Liz to be evicted. Liz stormed the reservation, deciding it was high time the wolves learned just how strong a witch (one tied to the wellspring of power on the reservation) really is. Most wolves look down on witches. Liz walked past them all and into the council chambers after blowing the doors off. She confronted Aidens mom and as Liz was telling them about how she’s hated Liz since she arrived because of her prejudice against witches (because one raped her sister when they were young) and how the creatures attacking the res were because the council left the wellspring unprotected for a year, not because of Liz as Aiden’s mom claimed. Mom shifted and attacked Liz right in front of everyone. Liz bound the council magically from interfering and managed to hold mom off without magic for while, as a way of proving her strength to them. Seems the wellspring has been changing Liz and she’s got a bit of wolf attributes now (faster, stronger, and heals a little faster). Once she tired, Liz broke out the magic and put mom (their alpha) down quick.

At that time Aiden, Monty (cousin and Belle’s boyfriend), Ashworth (like a father figure), and Eli (father figure’s boyfriend) all stormed into the council. The siren was on her way into the reservation to attack them all. They got mom and Aiden to join a summoning spell (since they called it, they had to participate) so they could summon it and then banish it. The demon appeared but it spooked mom and she broke the circle which allowed the demon out. It lunged for mom but Liz dove for it and knifed it’s tail to the floor to save mom. The demon turned on Liz, grabbed her head, digging her nails into Liz’s skull, and tried to suck out her soul. Belle joined consciousness with Liz and secured her soul while Liz held the demon off long enough for the others to banish it. Liz passed out in Aiden’s arms and now has white streaks in her hair, but is otherwise fine.

As the book ends, Liz, Belle, Monty, Ashworth, and Eli were getting on a plane to go to Canberra to attend some witch trial about her father and her ex fiancé. When she was 16, dad sold Liz to her ex as a bride. Belle managed to save her from being raped and they fled Canberra. Ex tracked Liz down in book 8 (I think) and if I remember correctly was killed by Monty when the ex kidnapped Belle to get to Liz. A large part of the ex’s assets now belong to Liz because of a contract dad had him sign as part of the forced marriage. The ex’s family is not happy with that.

Also, as they were boarding the plane, Aiden showed up and kissed Liz fiercely, and asked her to make sure she comes back to him. She said she’ll definitely be back, but whether it’s to the town or to him is up to him. He has to be willing to stand up to his pack and claim her as his mate if he wants her. She didn’t let him answer cause she didn’t want to know as she was headed to Canberra, but when she looked back, she got the feeling that he looked like a man ready to fight for what he wants.

P.S. I wonder if Liz might be pregnant, even though they mentioned repeatedly how hard conception is between werewolves and witches. She threw up twice. Granted, it was at gory crime scenes, but it could be foreshadowing. Specially since Liz has dreamed of what her daughter will look like, in this book and in one or two past books too.

I think book 10 will be the final one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for TJ.
3,311 reviews294 followers
February 10, 2023
LOVED this one! No, Lizzie and Aiden are not together but it was absolutely, call-in-sick-read-all-day amazing. I was seriously sneaking to the restroom just to read! SO many things coming to a head. Cannot wait for the next book!
Profile Image for Darcy.
14.5k reviews545 followers
June 30, 2022
This one was tough for Lizzie. She still dealing with breaking up with Aiden and all that involves, while some crazy things started to happen. And if it wasn't bad enough, it wasn't one thing, but two. They were very different things, but both caused a lot of damage. Of course Lizzie and her crew managed to defeat them, but along the way Lizzie finally butted heads with Aiden's mother and the council of wolves. To say that that was caustic is mild. I liked that by that point Lizzie had no fucks left to give and went all in, letting them see everything! It was a show of force of what she could do, what she has been doing and they needed to stop what they were doing and let Lizzie work with the wild magic.

The ending was a bit odd, we don't really know how things shook out with the council, but now Lizzie is on to the next thing, facing the witch's. At least she has her friends by her side. The next book should be very interesting.
Profile Image for Ami.
6,273 reviews489 followers
June 30, 2022
They said breaking up is hard to do...

Well, this book is not really about the breaking up but more of the aftermath of Lizzie breaking up with Aiden in the previous book since "status quo" wasn't enough for her. To be honest, it is too far of the series and I can't see Arthur introducing a new love interest for Lizzie... so I'm sure it will work out in the end (whenever that is) somehow. I hope it gives Aiden a knock on his head that he cannot have everything without consequences.

Anyway, Lizzie (and the rest: Belle, Monty, Ashworth, Eli, Aiden, and the rangers) is dealing with two cases in this one. A mysterious song seems to be targeting the O'Connor men with devastating results (). In another, someone is killing older women. As always, I enjoy the fast pace action of this series. I loved the final confrontation between Lizzie and . That woman needs someone to confront her! I also liked that there was another tidbits of clues on why Lizzie's power grew stronger and how she relates to the older wellspring.

I really wish the next book is here already but alas, I have to wait until February next year ☹️​
Profile Image for Michelle.
47 reviews19 followers
July 1, 2022
I just didn't like this book more because it looks like Lizzie and Aiden are going to end up together.

It makes me a little angry to see Lizzie the only one trying. He spends most of the book wanting to be with her but not really committing. She needed to have to show all the wolves that she was worth being by Aiden's side. But to me it feels a little forced, like if she were weaker it means they would never be together. At the end of the book he hinted that he was going to fight, but I just keep watching.

Anyway, I really like the other characters, but in relation to the main couple I kind of lost the enchantment for them.

I'm excited for the next book to be in Canberra, I really wanted to see that arc.
Profile Image for Barbara.
1,348 reviews56 followers
July 14, 2022
Lizzie is still dealing with her breakup with Aiden, but they have no choice but to continue to work together, especially after a new supernatural entity begins preying on werewolves in the reservation. There is also someone attacking older women as well, so Lizzie and the other witches on the reservation, as well as Aiden and his team, have their work cut out for them. This is all intertwined with the unfortunate circumstances that have doomed Lizzie and Aiden’s relationship, and there doesn’t seem like there will ever be a way for them to be together. I like that Lizzie's familiar Belle and cousin Monty have gotten closer and their relationship is flourishing. This author always has such unique villains and situations that our heroes have to work out and/or get themselves out of in one piece. And now Lizzie faces an even greater challenge, dealing with her father and ex’s family, which I look forward to reading about in the next story to come.
Profile Image for Lisa.
447 reviews24 followers
July 4, 2022
Once again Keri has written a masterpiece,
To see these guys come so far and the gang love and heartache, makes you feel every word written, the fights and battles with witch demons and wolfs just makes for more amazing reading. Can not wait for the next book,
Profile Image for Marsha.
3,053 reviews58 followers
July 15, 2022
“Sorrow’s Song” finds Lizzie trying to come to grips with the pain of break up with Aiden. She is all cried out but she begins hearing a siren’s call and goes out to investigate with the help of Belle. They find a dead man in the lake whose soul has totally been consumed.

To make matters worse, Lizzie and Aiden seem to be running into each other everywhere including on the trail of a murderer who is targeting older women. He seems to have a fixation. Is he human or wolf? For some reason it seems hard to tell.

With two killers on the loose and Aiden’s mother targeting Lizzie at every turn, how is she going to handle all that is being thrown her way? With fierce determination and magic of course!

This read is moving the plot closer to an epic showdown between Lizzie and her father. Her friends are already preparing an escape clause in the event he will attempt to detain her to capitalize on her new magical abilities and connections to the wellspring. I for one cannot wait to see where the plot is heading and how it will be resolved. Also, it will be interesting to see if Aiden will be man enough to claim the women he says he loves. If you are interested in a entertaining Werewolf series with a lot of magic, check out Lizzie Grace.
Profile Image for Katrina.
271 reviews1 follower
February 28, 2024
The Lizzie Grace series has a special place in my reading list. As an Australian it's wonderful to have a fantasy series set here that actually feels as gritty as some of the international authors we have. I love the way they talk about Canberra (as it's my home town), some of the comments remind me of The Secret City and the hidden underbelly of the city.

I echo some of the other reviewers, in that I had hoped for more front Lizzie in this book. She's a strong character, but she takes so much crap from other people and I wanted her to break this mold. I was also a little disappointed by the climax, but hopeful things might be resolved in the next novel. I'm excited to see what happens next.
Profile Image for Amitha.
532 reviews6 followers
June 29, 2022
Damnnnn when I thought this series couldn’t get any better, THIS BOOK HAPPENED! I am so excited for the next book, you can even describe my anticipation right now. So much of what I wanted to happen, happened in this book and you can almost taste the bittersweetness of the beginning of an end. I just am blown away by this series because it is genuinely REALLY GOOD. Like it has a touch of old school urban fantasy but with hints of what’s popular now. I am just so excited to read the next book but WHY DOES IT COME OUT NEXT YEAR.
Profile Image for Brittany.
1,366 reviews62 followers
October 19, 2025
3.5 stars

I expected to get to Canberra in this book as it reminds us how the trial is only a few days away. So I spent the book waiting to leave the reservation and move the main storyline forward. That being said it was still a good book with a different magical being.

I enjoyed the siren style mythos in this one. Aside from that mystery there is a nonmagical monster attacking older women as well. It's a good reminder to everyone that not all the issues are magical, some are just damaged beings.

They say breaking up is hard to do.
They're wrong.
Breaking up is easy. Living with the consequences of your decision in the long days after is the hard part.


I love that Lizzie finally shows her power to the wolves as a whole. She is not someone to be messed with.

The next book finally gets us to Canberra which I am excited for. I'll likely read it soonish.
Profile Image for Kimberly #Audiofile.
2,565 reviews29 followers
December 27, 2023
I feel like this one is the best one I’ve read so far. I feel like Lizzie has made the right choice here.
I feel like this won’t last tho and I don’t 100% know how I feel about that.
I’ve just never warmed to this relationship….. I love Monty and belle and the two “grandfathers” just not the main relationship. We shall see I guess.
Great audio I’m glad the next one is here waiting for me to start it. Off to Canberra finally. Bring it on.
Profile Image for Vallene Boddington.
822 reviews35 followers
July 1, 2022
Excellent read...

Keri Arthur never disappoints. I find her books to evoke your imagination that you find yourself immersed in the world she created. Her characters become family and friends. A sense of bereavement happens at the end of a book.
After the heartbreaking gut-punched break-up between Lizzie and Aiden, the overwhelming emotion brings a new threat to the reservation which is targeting the O' Conner pack. Lizzie faces off with a granny killing serial killer, as well as the animosity of Karleen, Aiden's mom.
An emotional read. But Belle and Monty's relationship brings some relief, as well as Eli and Ashworth, Lizzies adoptive grandfathers. All-round great characters.
Unique monsters to face brings newness to each book. The unpredictability makes for intense reading. Highly recommended author, book and series.
Profile Image for Marion Over.
399 reviews9 followers
July 11, 2022
I love the world this book takes place in. The idea of shifter reservations where witches guard wellsprings of natural magic. A witch who's Familiar is her best friend, a fellow witch. The unfolding magic that is manipulating their powers as more foul creatures and demons test their strengths.
The slow burn of the different romances in their lives. The heartbreaks, passion and anger.

Liz and Aiden have split up but they will have to work together still.
There's an entity on the reservation calling men to their deaths. If that wasn't bad enough the search for a missing woman ends in a horrid discovery.
With the trial quickly approaching Liz and her companions don't have much time to figure out what and who is causing such chaos.

There's just so much in this series. It's a wonderful read.
Profile Image for Sue Shep.
513 reviews4 followers
January 21, 2023
Lizzie and Belles powers are increasing.
Devastating deaths in Aidens pack make for a showdown in the OConnor packs grounds that banish the demon. Now off to Canberra to face the father and in-laws. Can’t wait the next episode.
So good. Couldn’t put it down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lauren Allen.
126 reviews2 followers
June 29, 2022
Wonderful but with a caveat

Once again we have a riveting story that draws the reader in. The characters are well fleshed out and engaging. The plot is well written as is the whole of the story itself. One tiny part bugged me though. Probably because as a bird hunter I am very familiar with shotguns. The terminology used in the book was incorrect. Shotguns have shells not bullets. They fire shot, or small round balls, or slugs ( regular and sabot ). They do drop their shell casings if using a pump action. But I would not consider them a fast reloading arm. At any rate knowing about the arm used in the book, the lack of correct terminology bugged me. But it may not bother you at all. The book itself is great, give it a read.
Profile Image for C.
211 reviews
June 30, 2022
A great read

A great installment in the Lizzie Grace series. This book picks up with Lizzie & Aiden broken up. It’s so hard to read when it’s clear that the two of them love each other so much. Aiden’s mother made me so annoyed with her prejudice against witches and the fact that she is unconcerned for her son’s happiness. Lizzie’s powers seem to really be growing from the wild magic and it is making her into a force to be reckoned with. I also enjoyed how Belle and Monty’s relationship has grown.
Profile Image for Danielle.
542 reviews10 followers
February 2, 2023
Keri Arthur did it again! Another wonderful book in the Lizzie Grace series!

If you are new to the Lizzie Grace books, I recommend starting at the beginning. There is a lot of history and story building between the books, especially this one.

Sorrow's song is a beautiful, wrenching, fast-paced rollercoaster. We get to see more of the complex, fun characters Arthur has created. I love that her characters are so well-rounded and that she lets them make mistakes, it really helps you connect to them.
The plot was, once again, fantastic which is par for the course for Arthur's books. She does a great job of combining immersive scenes with action in a way that keeps the plot and story moving quickly while including little details that breathe realism into the scenes. She also has a way of finishing a plot line while leaving so much more open for the next installment. And I cannot wait for it!
1,241 reviews24 followers
April 27, 2023
Anyone know if this is the last book?
Profile Image for Kathy Davie.
4,876 reviews736 followers
July 30, 2024
Ninth in the Lizzie Grace cozy urban fantasy series revolving around the Faelan Reservation and its true resident witch, Lizzie, her familiar, Belle Kent, and that sexy Ranger Aiden O’Connor.

My Take
There’s plenty of conflict in the series itself what with the wild magic that fascinates the High Witch Council and Belle’s supernatural library that Lizzie and Belle are doing their best to keep them from knowing about, the hatred Karleen has for Lizzie, and the werewolf council’s refusal to allow a witch back on the reservation. Whew. Then add in the story-specific drama (and trauma), and Sorrow’s Song is one heck of an intense story.

It also finds Liz finally confronting the werewolf council to demonstrate why they should at least respect her. Or, as Monty says:
”I’m certainly tired of risking my life on an almost weekly basis for people who oh-so-casually dismiss my efforts.”
And Lizzie acquires two white streaks in her hair.

One series arc has been Lizzie’s relationship with Aiden. The poor woman fell in love with him even knowing that there can never be anything between them. And she’s finally come to her senses. Yeah, there’s quite a bit of angst on both sides.

More arcs include Lizzie’s relationship with law enforcement, who first greeted her with skepticism and a negative attitude and the changes in her DNA.

The characters are fairly typical although Arthur has given them an endearing individuality, — that Monty and his passion for cake and Belle, mmm . . . It is all revealed through Arthur’s use of first person protagonist point-of-view from Lizzie’s perspective.

Ah-ha! Monty reveals just why that first potential reservation witch missed his plane. He also reveals what attracted him to Belle. More history includes the original reason Karleen hates witches as well as the origins of wellspring guardians and its history.

Naturally, there’s some snark in this, yay!

There’s plenty of action with its attendant drama and tension with periods of ease — cake! A fun read that I’m thoroughly enjoying.

The Story
Lizzie Grace is trying to get on with her life now that she and Aiden have gone their separate ways, but it's a difficult thing to do when just about everything reminds her of the damn man.

The situation is made worse when a body is found, and her job as assistant reservation witch means she has no choice but to interact with him.

At first, the death seems to be nothing more than an accidental drowning in a remote location, but it's soon evident a supernatural entity is involved.

As they race to uncover what is going on, it becomes clear that this evil is not only targeting werewolves, but one particular pack — the O'Connor's.

The Characters
The psychometric Lizzie Grace, a formerly underpowered and despised witch, has discovered her DNA is fused with wild magic. She has also become the assistant reservation witch. The Amazonian Belle Kent (originally a Sarr) is Lizzie’s human familiar, best friend, and co-owner of their café. Belle is also a strong telepath and a powerful spirit talker with opinionated spirit guides. Belle inherited a veritable treasure trove of books on the supernatural from her grandmother, Nell.

Monty, Lizzie’s cousin, is the designated reservation witch. He absolutely adores Red, his vintage Mustang. The retired investigative witch Eli and Ira Ashworth, an IWA witch, are a couple who now live in Castle Rock and have been adopted as grandfathers by Lizzie.

After events in Deadly Vows , 6, Clayton Marlowe, Lizzie’s “husband”, has opened a can of worms for Lizzie’s parents, Lawrence and Eleanor Marlowe. Catherine is the powerful sister Lizzie couldn’t save.

Ranger Aiden O’Connor, an alpha born, is the head of law enforcement on the reservation, a group that mostly consists of werewolves and includes Tala Sinclair, who is his second-in-command; Jaz (Levi is her chocolate-milk-creating husband who has his own café); Ciara, Aiden’s sister and the coroner, with Luke as her assistant; Richardo “Ric” Pérez, who is a replacement; Maggie is the receptionist and a ranger-in-training; Mac; and, Duke.

Castle Rock, Australia, is . . .
. . . where Lizzie and Belle have their Psychic Café, renowned for its cakes. Penny and Celia, Penny’s niece, are waitresses.

The Faelan Reservation is . . .
. . . shared by three wolf clans: the O’Connors, the Marin, and the Sinclairs. They all know about the original wellspring of wild magic; most don’t know about the second, which is protected by the soul of Katie O’Connor, Aiden’s sister, and the ghost of Gabe, Katie’s witch husband.

Lucy's mom, June, is missing. Doris Brown runs sheep. The nasty Florence Seagrave died. Harry Seagrave is her lazy, self-absorbed son. Ryland had been Harry’s younger brother. Janet Whitehall is retired. Witchy Ways is a shop in Trentham.

The O’Connors are . . .
. . . the strongest (and original) pack of werewolves whose alphas are Joseph and Karleen, one nasty woman who harbors an intense hatred for Lizzie, are Aiden's parents. Dillon is a younger brother, badly hurt in Broken Bonds , 8. Bryanna had been Karleen’s sister; Nia Axton had been her daughter. James Axton had been their father who fled Ireland with the family. Josh O’Connor had been Aiden’s uncle and Karleen’s brother. Jerod O’Connor had been an omega. Mia is the werewolf who had deceived Aiden and broken his heart.

The Marins are . . .
. . . another pack on the reservation where the second wellspring is located. Rocco Marin is one of the pack alphas.

The Sinclairs have . . .
. . . four different lines and includes Jackson as one of the pack alphas as well as Carter Sinclair, Mike’s uncle.

The High Witch Council is . . .
. . . based in Canberra and sets the rules for all witches. There are six witch family bloodlines, split between the royal witches (the bluebloods) and the half-bloods.

The Black Lantern Society is . . .
. . . a watchdog group who enforce the rules as they should be — the Witch Council steps lightly around them! Sophie, Ira’s sister, is the Matriarch, its leader.

The Regional Witch Association (RWA)
Anna Kang had been an RWA rep in Blood Kissed , 1.

Potential killers include a Lorelei, a river nymph, or a rusalka.

Wild magic, a.k.a. earth magic, rises from the deeper recesses of the earth and is neither good nor bad; an unprotected wellspring will attract evil. The White Lady had sought vengeance in Wicked Wings , 5. The Fenna are a race of enhanced witches involved with the wild magic.

The Cover and Title
The cover has a black background framing a gray landscape with the long-haired Lizzie wearing black and sitting in the forefront with swirls of fuchsia surrounding her. All the text is in white from the author’s name at the top, the title set below Lizzie’s knee, and the series info at the very bottom.

Sorrow's Song could well have been birthed by Lizzie’s grief.
Profile Image for Lorie Ham.
Author 2 books89 followers
September 9, 2022
Sorrow’s Song is the ninth book in Keri Arthur’s Lizzie Grace series. Lizzie is a witch and a psychic who was on the run for thirteen years from her powerful magical family after they blamed her for her sister’s death, and trapped her in an unwanted marriage. However, she is not alone; she has her best friend and familiar Belle. The pair now run a tea and psychic consulting business on a werewolf reservation in Australia.

Thankfully, Lizzie and Belle no longer have to hide as the situation with her family came to a head and was mostly resolved in a previous book. Lizzie still has to testify against her father. In this book, Lizzie is also dealing with her recent break-up with Reservation Ranger Aiden O’Connor. She ended the relationship because she knew it was only going to lead to heartache as Aiden would in the end choose his pack over her. Making the break up even harder, she has to see him constantly now that she is the Deputy Reservation Witch.

The pair are brought together in Sorrow’s Song when a body is found that appears to be that of an accidental drowning victim, but something just doesn’t feel right. They soon discover that another supernatural baddie is responsible and it seems to be targeting werewolves, or more specifically the O’Connor pack, with a haunting song that leads them to a watery death. Lizzie fears that her grief has called this thing here. And if that wasn’t enough, there is another seemingly unconnected series of crimes where the criminal is doing horrific things to its victims.

I love everything about this series! First off, it is my favorite pairing of mystery and urban fantasy. Secondly, the cast of characters are well developed and ones that you love spending time with—from Lizzie’s familiar Belle, to her cousin Monty, to the other witches on the reservation Eli and Ashworth, to the werewolves, and of course Lizzie herself. I am currently a little annoyed with Aiden, but really hoping things end up working out for him and Lizzie despite the odds against it. I also love the Australian setting and the café! Reading about their delicious desserts makes my mouth water. I highly recommend this series, but be sure to start with book one, Blood Kissed. You can find a list of all of Keri’s on her website. Sorrow’s Song will definitely be on my list of Best Books of 2022 and I can’t wait for the next one!
160 reviews1 follower
April 27, 2023
A fairly decent read is a bit of a stretch, but it was better than some of the first 8 in the series!
Reason for generous three stars is because 2.5 is not an option
The nasties, as the witches like to call the undesirable characters/creatures, in this particular book were most cruel to their captives.
Harry, a deranged werewolf, liked to kill by torturing- be it burning or cutting out the eyes, and by sewing the lips. The rusalka , a demon like creature, was a “nasty” that was land and water entity summoned by grief . She called her captives thru song very much like the sirens of legends would. Then she would drown them.
It was first thought to have been brought on by Liz’s break up w/ Aiden that the rusalka was in the reservation area. But lo and behold, it was mommy dearest with a slight possibility of Aiden’s grief thrown in for a more dramatic effect.
As Katie had warned mommy dearest about the bad juju to come from mom’s meanness, Karlene , the alpha mom of Aiden, Katie, and young Dillon, chose to not heed Katie’s warning.
The price - the loss of her only living family member, her brother, and Aiden’s wonderful dad, Joseph, her husband.
Liz finally stepped up to the front, after much pep talking and a bit of babying from her cronies, to face the pack council and “show them what she’s really made of” in hopes that Aiden would finally be a man and to show Karlene that’s she’s not afraid of her.
Harry was captured by, you guessed it- Super Liz! She also helped in ridding the pack compound of the rusalka. Of course, she certainly could not do it without the true heroes: Ira, Eli, Monty, and my favorite BELLE!
Now, little Lizzie is off to Canberra for $$$ and to face dear ol’ dad! But wimpy Lizzie can not go without the real grown ups going with her to protect her .
(Geez! For an adult, the amount of dumb things she, Lizzie Grace, does and has to be constantly rescued for is ridiculous! She has had to have someone constantly watching over her like two and three year old children.
I feel so terribly sad for BELLE as her familiar and as her friend!)
Profile Image for Dawn.
283 reviews
October 15, 2022
Despite Lizzie and Aiden caring so much for other Lizzie has walked away from the relationship due to the fact he won't admit to it and commit since the pack do not allow mixed marriages. Being the next in line duty overpowers personal wants. She is heartbroken but refuses to give in because she knows she deserves better in a relationship. It's just as difficult for him since it's obvious to her that he does love her but simply won't commit due to pack tradition. While her depression persists she must continue working with Aiden as Assistant Reservation Witch along with her cousin, Monte, who is the official Reservation Witch.

She tries to avoid Aiden for a while but then the song begins. It's sorrowful and full of evil and of all the witches now living on the reservation only she can hear it. Using her psychic skills she follows it and finds the corpse of a werewolf. His soul has been consumed and destroyed with no chance of rebirth. She must do her part to protect the reservation even if it means working with Aiden. How can she deal with this when there is also such overt hostility and hatred directed at her on the part of Aiden's mother? The suspect is believed to be a type of Siren or Rusalka since it seems to be enticing men with its song but oddly it is only targeting men from Aiden's werewolf clan only. They know strong negative emotions mixed with the call of the earth magic can draw such creatures. Is Lizzie responsible for this entity coming into the reservation? If so, can she stop it before anyone else in Aiden's family dies?
Profile Image for Aglaea.
482 reviews26 followers
December 27, 2022
Keri Arthur's style of writing is okay, but there is something missing in my view. I enjoy reading of witches and vampires in Australia for a change, but surprisingly there isn't much that makes me think the story couldn't be placed somewhere else with bodies of water, forest, and at times steep slopes. Where is the Australia apart from mentions of Canberra, Melbourne or other territories?

A nuisance are the relatively frequent typos or errors of logic. Was the editor sleeping?

The significant reason for my lack of more enthusiasm for all Lizzie Grace novels are the without exception extremely rushed endings in addition to a in my opinion lukewarm relationship between our heroine and hero. They are supposedly hot for each other, but I don't quite believe it based on how things evolve and how that is described. For example we are told they spend time together and have formed friendships, which has happened outside of the novel, and the way it pops up has me thinking it might as well have been shown to create more realism in the relationship development.

As for the endings of the series, the story finale usually happens with only a few pages left to read and so the pace increases, we get the twist we desire, and BAM! DONE! A few sentences to wrap up the aftermath for Lizzie and Belle, but the rest of the characters already moved on with their own business. Rushed is the word of choice.

I am glad to have engaged with this series so far, but will not re-read.
Profile Image for Melissa Hayden.
1,005 reviews120 followers
February 20, 2024
I can't finish these books fast enough! I want it all and to see how things go for Lizzie and her created family. I have a feeling for what's to come, and can't wait to see if it's true and how it unfolds.

I'm cheering Lizzie on. I'm over here with, "Go Girl," "You are amazing," "You show them!" Because Lizzie is doing ALL of this and so so much more. This girl has come into her power, magically, physically, and emotionally. She has become so much more and is finally seeing what she has become. No more that underpowered witch her parents would tell was worth no good. She's an amazing, caring person and she is so much more than her parents ever saw.

And, I also know.... Lizzie had to live this life to become this person.

This story had me wondering if her power really did draw that "siren" to the reservation. Lizzie is powered by the Wild Magic and not sure how to control it. She's so worried about using it wrong and staining the well spring. And it could be....

Lizzie's actions also brings others to realizations. Huge realizations on how they feel and act.

There's so much to this story. So powerful. The emotions are running high. The battles to be fought physically with what's here. And the bonds that have been created are tested.

Well written and performed in audio book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews

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