Song of Night

City of Night #2

by Aurora Grey

Everything I thought I knew is a lie…The City of Night has always been a dangerous place, but never more so than now.Enemies on our doorstep. A battle brewing. The wild magic out of control, and my connection to it entirely severed. Not to mention I’m imprisoned by my former mentor who betrayed me.But none of that matters as much as finding Asher, and repairing the damage I did.SONG OF NIGHT is an enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance that will appeal to fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer Armentrout. It’s the second in a duology.

Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2023

About the author

Aurora Grey lives in Florida with her dog, too many cats, and a very mischievous horse. She writes stories about magic, swoonworthy dudes, and the strong, sexy women they fall for. When not enjoying books, she can be found traveling, a glass of champagne in hand.

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Reviews

[Lexi (updating reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful ending to the duology. A dreamy, moody, magical story filled with secrets, shadows, and the most heart-aching kind of fated love. 🌙💖✨

📖 Book: Song of Night
🖋️ Author: Aurora Grey
🌟 Rating: 5 ✧
🌌 Genre: Adult romantasy
📚 Series: City of Night
🗝️ Summary: This conclusion to the City of Night duology follows Zara as she fights to save the City, now facing dangers and enemies she never saw coming. The stakes are higher, the truths darker, and the consequences heavier. But this time, she isn’t alone. With Asher at her side, Zara must confront the shadows threatening everything they hold dear — and decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice for love, power, and the future of the City.

♡ What I loved most:
• The political intrigue: this aspect was far more highlighted in this book, and it added a layer of realism that grounded all the magical chaos in something very tangible. It made the stakes feel sharper and more believable 🕊️
• Zara: her strength, intelligence, and unshakable resolve were everything. She truly became a badass femme fatale, and I loved witnessing every step of her evolution 🖤🔥
• Asher and Zara’s relationship: the way Asher acts around Zara — his quiet devotion, his protectiveness paired with deep respect — completely melted me. Their love story felt like a slow-burn symphony, intense and tender all at once 🖤
• The side characters: every character felt real and layered. They weren’t just names on a page — they had depth, motivations, and presence, which made the world feel even more immersive 💫
• The reveal: it was intriguing, emotional, and incredibly satisfying to uncover as a reader. Everything clicked in a way that felt intentional and rewarding 🗝️
• The climax: it was a whirlwind of emotion, magic, and payoff. It was intense, heartfelt, and felt completely earned from start to finish ⚔️

───♡─────────────

୨ৎ Overall:
This was such a beautiful ending to the duology. A dreamy, moody, magical story filled with secrets, shadows, and the most heart-aching kind of fated love. Just like the first book, this one swept me away completely — it felt like stardust and storm clouds woven together.
City of Night was a darkly romantic, magical duology that will stay with me for a long time. Aurora Grey has officially enchanted me, and I’ll be picking up every story she writes in this universe without hesitation.

xoxo, until the next book 🌙🖤✨

「City of Night Duology」
#1 City of Night — 5 ✧
#2 Song of Night — 5 ✧

[Stillbelieveinnightmares (busy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

rtc

[Tara Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.

This was a quick read for me. It worked out pretty well honestly because I finished the first book and by the next morning I had this one in hand and could pick right back up with the story.

The story begins right where it ended in book 1. I really liked that it starts on the EXACT SAME SCENE as the last chapter of book 1. Zara and Asher are at odds, emotions of betrayal and heartbreak are close to the surface, and both of them are without magic. I enjoyed the expansion of the world building and that we got to see into and beyond the waste. Love some of the new creatures and beasts (holla fire wolves!) and that we get to see more of Zara’s sister Jaylen.

I felt like the pacing in this book was just right. I didn’t find myself bored at all and flew through the book in less than a day. I did have a few questions about the Goddess and her deeper meaning and part of this world as a whole, but my questions didn’t deter from my enjoyment of the story.
My one and only complaint was the constant banter between Zara and Asher became very frustrating. One can’t let go of the past, the other is too prideful to admit they care about the other and fight for their possible future. Both of them act annoying immature a time or two and I just wanted to scream at them ‘just work it out and get over yourselves!’ Alas, I appreciate a good HEA! Thank you for that Ms. Grey!

Overall a great read! Good romance overall, great story, nice works building

4 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sherrie Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Book 2 "Song of Night" in the City of Night (2 book series). It's An Enemies-to-Lovers Fantasy Romance. I Literally Could Not Put This Book Down! I was so enthralled in this World I had to know What Happened Next. The World Building and Characters Development were Phenomenal. I felt their Happiness and Pain! I Loved all the new Creatures and Beasts! Just the right amount of Spice and Edge of Your seat battles! I loved Zara and Asher so much..Definitely Your Next 5⭐ Read..

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this duology. This is the 2nd book, so you need to read City of Night before this book. The world-building was really good and the characters were great. The world is set up a bit like Divergent, but each of the factions within the City of Night were different supernatural races (demons, shifters, angels, and sirens) at war with each other.

This was a super quick fantasy romance read. I was never bored. I thought there was a pretty perfect balance of description, dialogue, and inner monologue. There was always something happening, and it really kept me engaged. I'm really glad I read these 2 books. Zara and Asher were a great couple, and I'm glad they got their HEA.

I would definitely recommend to fans of romantasy! It's not a well-known series, but it deserves more love.

[Brittany (Brittinbookland) · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a great ending. I didn't know it was only a duology. I thought it would be a series.

Asher and Zara had such an interesting story. It felt like a bite-sized fantasy read considering the size of the book. It's rare to read a fantasy under 250 pages. This would be a great introductory series to the fantasy genre.

I loved the magic and the history and that it ended in a HEA. Also, that spice was really well done. 👌

A solid 4 stars.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Making Things Right Again . . .

Just like Book 1 kept us eagerly reading the exciting story that the author provided, this one continues at that frenetic pace where the reader will not want to stop reading. Lies got Zara in a big mess where she feels helpless to fix anything. She is a captive and can only think about finding Asher. Zara and Asher are both overwhelmed by betrayal and heartbreak and without the magic to make things right. Is there any hope of getting this straightened out? The goddess tells them they must return things to the way they are meant to be and rebalance the magic. But will they have to sacrifice their love to make that happen?

[skylar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series deserves so much more attention!!

I love this world and the characters, the spice is 10/10, and overall the plot is absolutely amazing!! I seriously want more people to read this because it truly is well written. I love that’s it’s short and gets to the point but never seems super rushed or poorly written.

Honestly the perfect books to get out of a reading slump if you need some really good fantasy romance!! I loved it

[Sunshine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! Now I hated that the first book in this series left me hanging, but let me tell you it was worth the wait! This book was full of sexy scenes, unique characters, and twisting plots that keep coming till the end. I do hope the author decides to write more into this story line. While I won't tell you any details of the book, as that would spoil it for you, I can say that this book should be started when you can read it all the way thru cause it grips your attention and you will want to know what happens next! I love when authors write a lead female and male as equals with their own talents that come into play when needed. Of course there's always strife when it comes to romance but everything always works out in the end. Happy reading!
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**

[Jerrica (Mrsmar10Reads) Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My words are not enough to describe the great world building, the action, the push and pull between Asher and Zara, and the Redemption Song of The Song of Night. Aurora Grey builds this world and fills it with warring factions that creates an imagery so real you can literally visualize every sequence as you read. Then there's the enemies turned lovers turned enemies and the betrayal, and centuries old feuds that draw you in and leave you gasping for air and begging for more. Asher, this big soul-consuming, blood drinking, bad-ass leader of Night has a heart and seeing him warring with his emotions over Zara was...squeeeee!!! I'm so full after reading this amazing FaRo I can't recommend this duet enough!.

[Bex Kula Hildrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 60%

This was so bad I need to take a break from the whole genre.

[MarWeeReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow😲!!! Riveting!

Finished this book in 3 Hours!!! After Book 1, I couldn’t wait to see how things ended for Zara and Asher. It was SO GOOD, guys!!!! If you are on the fence about reading this series, don’t worry! You will love it!!! Great job, Aurora!!! Thank you so much!!!!!

[Heather Cravens · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I’m gonna say is—— I needed this book and it’s ending.

[Sissy Satterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful PNR story that picks up flawlessly from the end of book one! You must read book one first, now, I must say that the characters are great and this enemies to lovers story has it all. GREAT READ! I Loved It!!! No Spoilers!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super paranormal/fantasy romance! I liked it very much.. It is intense and spicy, with wonderful scenes and amazing characters..

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jasmin E Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

So excited when this downloaded to my kindle.
This is an angsty & gutsy read! I got up early to read it this morning!!! Book 2 is Much more steamier than Book1!😉.

This book was everything you want in high stakes angsty PNR love story.

Zara is strong, she is fiery and I loved her under dogness so much - I turned each page of book 2 to see the exoneration of her reputation & credibility after book 1's big twists & reveals.


Yes in book 1 we found Zara ultimately betrayed by Kieran but Zara remained resolute & stoic with a strong sense of self. & then to push through that pain as Asher's distrust & confusing seesawing ambivalence towards her. Which meant the banter was fractured and conflated as it would and should until resolve - as the relationship compass reset itself back on course for united survival and protection for both Zara & Asher.

I must say Great expression language visualisations ie such as those fantastic bronze horses and the journey to Vyrin's palace.

& yes I would reread, and look for more books of this world.


Jasmin E Reads

[Toni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh 2.25 star… To begin with there is no reason this should have been a duet. Maybe the page count is different because I read on my iPad and not a Kindle, but both books were less than 350 pages total and by the end I was still hoping it would wrap up faster.

I felt like the author played in my face. Like do you think I’m stupid? This is just one example: towards the end the H and h question if their love was real or if they were just strung together by the goddess to free her. Well upon meeting the goddess she says their falling in love was their own doing. But the kicker is that she was quite literally invisible to them until they admitted their feelings for one another. Idk that sounds pretty conditional to me. Not to mention, if I found another person on this earth with a tangible connection to me and my blood was their kryptonite, I’d fall in love too. Duh. I have no issue with fated romance but don’t try to convince me the sky is green.

There were also just a lot of plot holes and the politics don’t always make sense. The resounding theme was that peace can be restored if the balance of magic is corrected… I never really understood that because none of the leaders of Night could see past their own greed, but it was repeated so many damn times I just accepted that it must be true… of course when faced with that option those same leaders simply chose a different person hold all of the power instead of uniting against a common foe.

By the end I was so exhausted. If they weren’t having sex they were overcoming the never ending list of obstacles. And I mean that in the literal sense. Every ten feet there was something slowing them down.

And I think just to solidify what a waste of time this was, the last piece of dialogue between the MCs was
“Evil is always lurking”
“Yea, but we’ll be ready”

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave Book 1 five stars, and while I enjoyed this one, it didn't hit quite as well as the first one did. I still really enjoy the main characters, and find them to be very likable. It just felt like it dragged a little bit in some places, and yet went completely too fast in others.

I feel very sad for one of the losses in the book, but appreciate the redemption. Also, while we get a happily ever after for the couple, we don't actually get any sort of closure on the world itself. Which I suppose is because the author mentions she'll be continuing to explore the world in further books, with different characters.

If you liked the first book, I'd say read this one, as it's going to close up the story nicely and it's definitely a fun and quick read. If you weren't a fan of the first book, I can't imagine why you're even here, honestly.

[Kristy G · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars.
Book 1 was a struggle but I wanted to give this short duology a chance. I would have enjoyed the world with better storytelling. Book 2 opens with the characters discovering a whole world exists beyond their borders—ya don’t say!? And only one single person knew that whole time. Too far fetched! Then we have our main characters whose magic can only be replenished with sex—a very poor attempt at getting spicy scenes into a book that had no time for romancing. And the “I hate you/love you” trope was way overdone.

How convenient Falling Star just happens to appear when they need her most. How convenient Zara starts having visions a few chapters before the story’s conclusion to help point the way or they’d be completely lost. How easy the big bad guy was swallowed by a wyrm. Such a messy book. Big thumbs down on this series.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so I'm a bit conflicted about this book in the series overall because on one hand it was an interesting world with interesting characters and it did keep me entertained. But on the other hand there were so many plot holes and the characters and the world was so underdeveloped but I just had so many questions. I feel like the books should have been longer so that the author can really give more world building and character development and plot development. In the end it wasn't bad but will I read it again no I will not will I recommend it? I don't know it depends on what the person is looking for.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read

*a tiny spoiler* Okay I’ll start by saying this. I loved the first book. This second book was good but all the whining Ash did talking about the betrayal was really annoying. This man is and was not perfect and Zara forgave him. He could have forgave her much sooner. His grudge was stupid based on the stupid crap he did in his past. Plus his whining was so repetitive I was over it halfway through the book. So with that being said I did enjoy the book and gave it 4 stars.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a strong sequel in the City of Night series, it had what I enjoyed from the first book and improved on this. The characters were what I expected and it had a great concept. I enjoyed what Aurora Grey wrote this and look forward to more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Arctic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really a lot of spoilers but man did it get old hearing how much Asher can't be with Zara because he felt so betrayed. His thinking was utterly moronic. The hot/cold feelings began Zara and Asher were also a bit annoying.
It was a quick read and the story was decent. Felt like mid level fantasy since there wasn't a whole lot of world building and everything happened within less than a week.

[Lanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read both books in a day!

I loved the characters and the storyline. I didn’t like how the first ended, and I didn’t like how the issues carried over to the second book throughout it. It was probably crucial for the plot…but I really didn’t like it lol. All the characters were strong and the build up of the world was good. Definitely a good read for paranormal lovers

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow beginning action ending

I loved the first book,
However,
The second seems to drag on in the first 20 chapters.

I will be honest I almost DNF by chapter 20, but it did pick up.

From chapter 20 to the end everything happens fast.

It was worth the read to understand the back story of her second series Dark Fae Guardian.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this maybe should have been a trilogy. This book felt a little rushed. I think there could have been substantially more character development for the 2ndary characters. And the way they re-build magic... *eye roll*.

[FantasyBound · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the length of the book, not too long and drawn out. This book however didn’t pull me in that much as the first one, there was no build up because most „things unsolved“ have been revealed in the first book.

[Helen Wawrejko · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Nice conclusion, all tied up, HEA. The King's demise was rather abrupt and very anticlimactic for him having massive magic that certainly could have saved him, and the ending big battle seemed rushed, but I was entertained.

[Rukshy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Enemies-to-Lovers Fantasy Romance, but I could not put this book down. Intriguing stories. Great plot, interesting characters and interesting fantasy creatures. 4/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[mo • lesmotsdemo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good conclusion to the duology, even though the sex scenes were a bit too random for me but the plot is closing in a satisfying way. I read it in only a couple of hours and the writing is very easy to go through!