I was given an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book slaps. It's very good, I highly recommend it.

So earlier this year I read Vo's book from last year The Chosen and the Beautiful and I gave it three stars because it fell flat and felt completely bogged down on being a retelling of the Great Gatsby. Siren Queen has no such problem, it has everything I found interesting about the aloof and ambitious protagonist in the 20's/30's without having to waste time on Daisy Buchannan.

The magic is very well integrated into the setting, there's something about the golden age of Hollywood where if you told me that every Friday on the lots there were these communal bondfires wherein people communed with ghosts and had orgies, I'd be like yeah checks out. And there was definitely some fae shit going on with names!

I also love the fact that this book does not romanticize Hollywood at this time in the slightest. It is very explicit in stating that this was (and is) an industry that chews up and spits out young actors.

Nghi Vo is one of my favourite authors and a lot of it has to do with the way she writes (absolutely stunning!) and how she makes me feel. Reading this book made me feel like I was suspended in a cloud, except that cloud was made of dark smoke, and I felt as though if I consumed too much of it all at once, I might hurt myself. Is this perhaps a bit dramatic and a very pretentious way to describe a book? Yes. However, Nghi Vo's writing always manages to evoke very sensory reactions from me, and I don't know how else to explain it.

Siren Queen is sold as a loose companion novel to last year's The Chosen and the Beautiful, and while I can definitely see how these two books exist within the same world, I personally enjoyed this book much more. It has the same allure and glam as The Chosen and the Beautiful, but it's darker and more haunting. I fundamentally find Luli to be a much more compelling protagonist than Jordan was - I can't say I was fully connected to either of the main characters, but I found Luli much more interesting to read about. I also think that thematically, this book worked a lot better for me. Perhaps because it's not tied down by any sort of original text, but I felt like while both books explored what it was like to navigate exclusive, white-dominated social circles as a queer Asian woman, these themes were more fleshed out in Siren Queen.

My only minor critiques of this book was that I did find Act 3 to drag on a bit - I know this isn't a long book, but I do feel that perhaps Nghi Vo's writing and storytelling is best suited for shorter fiction (such as her novellas). Regardless, this book is beautifully written, and I've basically highlighted half of the book.

One thing that I love about this book that I also loved in The Chosen and the Beautiful is the way Nghi Vo blurs the line between magic and reality - in this version of the world, magic is very much ingrained in society, and coupled with the lush writing style, it creates this very dream-like, hazy world in which you don't know what's mundane and what's magical. There's so many moments where I'm not sure if something is just a metaphor or if it's just actual magic, and I realize that this isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but I personally loved it.

I was also so glad to have gotten an advanced copy of the audiobook as well - Natalie Naudus rarely disappoints with her audio performances, and this book was no different. I think the writing style and the first-person narrative really lends itself well to enjoying this book on audio, and it's probably the medium that I would recommend.

All in all, I am very happy with this book, and Nghi Vo continues to be one of my favourite authors of all time.

Siren Queen is a thrilling exploration of magical realism and Hollywood. Nghi Vo writes the story with beautiful language, spinning stories that seem incredibly real even though characters are involved with the Wild Hunt, selling years from their lives, and transforming into trees. The book tells the story of a young woman who wants to become a movie star, no matter what the price. Her story is enchanting in a true fairy tale way, both beautiful and gruesome at moments. Would definitely recommend!

I just started reading this book for the second time and have already found new understandings of the story! Nghi Vo is fantastic! She's masterful at creating unconventional, complex, magical worlds without overexplaining the mechanics. She teaches us her magic by immersion into beautiful yet ominous realities.

Dark magic is the life force that propels Hollywood’s elite to stardom in Siren Queen by Nghi Vo. Those willing to sacrifice whatever is asked get a chance to burn so brightly they become almost untouchable, immortal in more ways than one. These silver screen stars to be are willing to trade their mortality, and often their freedom, to mysterious forces so that they may rise above their own mundane humanity and the confines society has prescribed them.

Some of my favorite aspects of this novel were the Friday night fires and The Hunt, the world-building, the powerful protagonist, and the LGBTQ+ themes and characters. The magical world built is intricate but not tedious. There are worlds within worlds, subcultures, and secrets. The sex scenes are so well done I found myself gripping my Kindle a bit more intensely.

I felt as though I was an invisible companion standing right next to the protagonist, Luli Wei (her acting name) throughout the book. Her power and ambition, curiosity and passion were tangible. I felt how bright her star was burning before we knew who/what she would become.

“You’d rather be proud than happy,” Tara said, squeezing my hand. When I looked slightly offended at her words, she reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “It’s part of you. I don’t think you would fight it if you could.”

Luli wanted to ascend, to leave behind what was forced upon her and live a life of her own choice, no matter how fraught with danger. She forged loyal connections with people who had an unusual spark and natural talent and didn’t let fear stop her from confronting even the most powerful players. And when she did, she knew how to stay cool because letting someone know you’re on the run inside is as good as giving them your soul.

Both a sophisticated fantasy novel and intriguing LGBTQIA romance, Siren Queen is my favorite book of 2022 so far. I would definitely recommend this read to fans of the Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo, Sorrowland by Rivers Soloman, The Hazel Wood series by Melissa Albert, and The Magicians by Lev Grossman.

“No maids,” I said, thrusting my chin up. “No funning talking, no fainting flowers.”

In this Hollywood, the monsters on screen aren’t half as bad the monsters behind the scenes, controlling everything, from their stars’ names to the people they love. Luli Wei would do anything to be a star—anything but play to the racist stereotypes Hollywood wants. She’s going to be famous, even if she has to turn into a monster to do it.

I liked being cold as the Atlantic, somehow monstrous and untouchable.

My thoughts are truly torn on this one.

On the one hand, I loved the world, as dark and horrible as it was. Imagine my delight when there was a little bitty sentence connecting this book to The Chosen and the Beautiful, but with the magic ramped up to 11 and the setting shifted to the silver screen, where stars literally become stars if they burn bright enough and the cameras actually want to devour you (they’ve kinda gotten that figured out now).

The worldbuilding was definitely the star of the show, with complex and unknowable magic possessed by the powerful, leaving everyone else struggling to navigate the waters to succeed. There are wild hunts and awful bargains and powerful men holding the souls and livelihoods of everyone they deem lesser (which is everyone).

Instinctively I understood that there was always something more to lose.

I think that the part that had me disconnecting a bit was the way it was told. Luli holds the reader at a distance—she is telling the story from some point in the future, but there’s something about her narration that kept me at an arm’s length away.

That’s not to say that it was a bad thing. I loved her as a character, all of her harsh angles and sharp self. She was a woman who honed herself into a weapon in order to be taken seriously—or, if not taken seriously, then to do anything she could to get where she wanted, no matter the damage to herself. As a queer Chinese-American woman from a working class family, she faced horrible racism, sexism and homophobia from both her peers (male and female) and the people working above her. And in spite of everything, she clawed her way to some spate of happiness and fame—while learning just how much there was to lose.

I don’t know where I’m going with this review.

This book is the ultimate outsider comes in and demands fame while sacrificing so, so much (and also dealing with shit from the other people of color who came before her and ask her if she thinks she’s better than them for not doing the roles they did that paved the way for her).

It’s an insightful look at Old Hollywood and America, and the inherent racism, sexism and homophobia baked into the core of society—baked even further to show how carefully crafted the narratives were to keep the “status quo” pristine and the power structure intact—but with magic to heighten the comparison.

On the other hand, despite all of this and the often really beautiful prose, I felt that the writing was denser and more complicated than it needed to be? I dunno. My brain was demanding fluff and only fluff when I read this, which made it harder to get through (I still enjoyed it, but it took longer than if I was ready sink my teeth into meaty prose).

Anywho, there’s a lot of pain in this book, but also moments of queer joy, and this is why Nghi Vo has become one of my authors to watch. The way she examines the world is fascinating and I love it.

And of course, there is the delight of watching someone become a monster when they have no other choices—because if you can’t be famous, be infamous.

I received this ARC for an honest review

Siren Queen releases May 10, 2022, from Tordotcom, which is just further proof that Tor is actively trolling us because they clearly use dark magic to get the best books and authors

• This book was very interesting and unique, it had twists turns and a surrealism that I thoroughly enjoyed.

PLOT
• The plot was there and moved at a good pace, it was nothing super special but it was still solid and overall made the story.

CHARACTERS
• This is where this story really shined. The characters were unique and fleshed out, each one had development, secrets, and hidden parts of them that were unlocked as the story progressed. I had loads of favorites and all of them stuck out to be as someone unique and interesting to read about.

WORLDBUILDING
• Magical Realism doesn't always click with me, sometimes it's too modern or to medieval but Siren Queen was a perfect mix of these two, giving us a magical world with new concepts but also connecting it to the real world in a way that made sense.

Overall, the book was good and I see it doing great things.

3.5 stars.

Siren Queen is a new take on a sub-genre that is rising in popularity: fictitious celebrities. But similar to The Chosen and the Beautiful, Nghi Vo has woven a bit of magic throughout the story. Unfortunately, just like in The Chosen and the Beautiful, the magic seems random and nonsensical. It takes you out of the story itself. Had there been no magic whatsoever in the book, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. That's not to say I didn't like it, though. I love stories about fake celebrities and eat them up any chance I can. And this was no different. I finished the book in just a few sittings and enjoyed my time with it. I just couldn't get past the random magic at times.
Overall, if you're looking for an Old Hollywood contemporary, you'd probably like this one. If you're looking for a fantasy, then I would suggest you lower your expectations.

Pre-teen Luli stumbles onto a Hollywood set and is immediately hired as an extra. As she ages, she becomes determined to shine bright as a Hollywood star. She finagles a studio deal and encounters a world she is unprepared, yet strangely attracted too.

With its supernatural elements, this book weaves a tale of monsters, demons, and stars determined to shine. I found this story to be unpleasantly hypnotic. I didn't want to continue, but found myself compelled to read on. Although this book wasn't quite to my likely, it was extremely unique and well developed. Overall, a strange story, for a strange world.

Not all stars of the silver screen are heroines. Sometimes the brightest stars are the monsters…

Thank you Macmillan-Tor/Forge for allowing me the pleasure of reading Siren Queen by Nghi Vo ahead of publication day!

To set the scene, Luli Wei is a young, Chinese American girl with dreams of becoming a star on the silver screens of Old Hollywood. Only, the Hollywood of Vo’s novel is run by ancient gods and creatures who seal contracts with blood magic and the acquisition of names, perhaps even a few years of your life… The plot sees Luli fight for the roles she wants against the prejudices of her Chinese heritage, decide who to trust in a world where everything has a price, and fall in love with magical, illuminating women.

The setting of Old Hollywood combines with the dark, dangerous atmosphere of ancient, ritualistic magic and creatures from myth and folklore across the world to create a reading experience that was enthralling, delicious, and dripping with excitement. Siren Queen will make you rethink your previous assumptions about how the old stars of the silver screen made their names which, perhaps, may not even be their own...

Please do go and read Siren Queen for yourself if you, like me, love the glamour of Old Hollywood, if you thrive on reading about dangerous magic, and you love LGBTQ+ protagonists!

Im honestly not sure how I feel about this book. The Chosen and the Beautiful by the same author is one of my all time favorites, but I'm not feeling the same connection with this story. This book has less of a cohesive plot than TCATB, running more on good writing and vibes alone. Definitely much more of an analysis of character, though I would say at times even that was a bit lost to the overall atmospheric writing. The author would have wonderful one-liners every chapter or so but it was surrounded by details I just couldn't get immersed in.

Siren Queen, I wrote in a raving recommendation text to a friend, is a novel of vibes, not thoughts. Set in a funhouse-mirror version of Old Hollywood, Nghi Vo’s novel borrows from fairy tales and folklore to create its own unique brand of magic. It follows an ambitious aspiring starlet as she fights her way through the the dangers and enchantments of showbiz—dangers, literally, and enchantments, literally. Studio contracts are magical bargains, predatory agents are monsters and the Walk of Fame’s stars shine bright over the city. Unlike many current speculative novels, Siren Queen isn’t built around a single clever metaphor—vibes, not thoughts—so don’t try to ascribe too much logic to its twisting fantasy elements. Instead, get lost in the glamor and wonder and emotion of Vo’s world.

DNF for now at 28%

I'm really struggling with the writing in this one, I can't work out what the vibe/tone is supposed to me and as a result I'm just not being gripped unfortunately

I think it could be interesting so I'll probably revisit it in the future, but if I force myself to read it now it's just not going to be a good time

My only complaint about this book is that it ended too soon. My first thought when I finished was "I'm a little surprised that it's over. I ended a chapter and found myself at the Epilogue."

And who wouldn't want to read books like this, where the ride is gloriously smooth, satisfying and compelling as well as challenging, entertaining and even a little dazzling?

I loved this Hollywood, where the stars are immortalized in the sky, rather than on the sidewalk of Los Angeles. I liked the haunted studios and the fact that there are changelings and other beings enmeshed in the fabric of life; that predators are really exactly that.

I appreciated the very interesting secondary characters -- the only one of whom gets served less than we want and perhaps she deserved was the elusive, much-referenced Jane of the future! (see complaint at the start, and also: maybe this will be the sequel that I very much think we need!) I adored all the women along the way -- from Tara, Greta, Mrs. Wiley (what a name!), even Daphne Grove (another pun) to the real Luli. Vo is masterful at fleshing out characters even through minimalism.

The story is simple -- charting Luli's rise to stardom, the siren song of fame, and the bargains (hair, time, tails...) and friends she makes along the way, while challenging the glass ceiling, racism, evil fairy godfathers, and the LGBTQ norms in the pre-code era.

But the writing, oh, the writing ... I think I've highlighted more passages in this book than anything I've read in years!

"I spent November haunted by October."
On falling in love with movies at the cinema: "The arcade was far better than any old apple, and from the first, I was possessed, poisoned to the core by ambition and desire."

All the stars!

The Singing Hills books are some of my absolute favorites, and I was so excited to see what Nghi Vo would do with such a different setting and set-up. I wasn't disappointed. Her writing style is just magical, and this is such an atmospheric story.

I can see this working for fans of LIGHT FROM UNCOMMON STARS (also featuring Asian-American characters, LGBT representation, set in LA, and with some never-fully-explained fantasy elements). I'd even like to try to hand-sell it to everyone who's always asking for something like THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO, because of the depiction of Old Hollywood glam told alongside the story of the sexism and commodification of women.

I do think the magical realism elements will throw some people off, but for people who can stick with it, it's an excellent, unique read.

I received a digital advance copy of Siren Queen by Nghi Vo via NetGalley. Siren Queen is scheduled for release on May 10, 2022.

Siren Queen is the magical story of a Chinese American girl on her path to stardom in the early days of Hollywood. “Luli” wants the immortality offered by Hollywood fame, but is reluctant to give Hollywood what it demands in exchange: her name, her face, and her very soul.

Luli is a very intriguing character, starting as a young girl who accidentally on purpose finds herself on film. Once she has this small taste of stardom, it becomes her life’s goal to become one of the women immortalized on film. But she doesn’t want stardom on the terms Hollywood has traditionally offered young women, and she is willing to push to get it on her terms. This brings her in contact with dangerous men, and potentially more dangerous women, who challenge her to find both herself and her place on the screen.

The story weaves together Luli’s battle to become a star with the larger issues in the world around her. Sexism (and the consumption of women) in Hollywood. Bigotry and racism, particularly toward Chinese Americans. Acceptance of, and rights for, LGBTQ+ individuals. This could be too much for one story, but Vo blends them into the world of Hollywood perfectly. Nothing stands out as a preachy moment, or overshadows any of the other topics.

What did throw me off in this story were the fantastical elements. There is a stream of magic woven through the novel, that remains a bit incomplete at the end. It is not explained, or explored in a way that allowed me as a reader to fully understand it. While it did appear throughout the novel, each time caught me offguard and pulled me out of the story as I tried to puzzle out how it fit in. For me, this element would have worked better if it were more completely woven into the tale, and more clearly explained. After finishing the novel, I had an understanding of why Vo included it, and what it was intended to symbolize, but honestly the story might have been stronger without it. Luli’s journey through Hollywood was powerful enough to not need this magical flourish.

Overall, Siren Queen is a fantastical tale of the sacrifices demanded by old Hollywood and one young woman who pushes back and forms her own immortality. I recommend it for readers who enjoy both historical fiction and stories filled with magic.

I finished this book days ago, and couldn't bring myself to write a review until now because it took me that long to regain my ability to string together words about how phenomenal SIREN QUEEN is, without devolving into screeching joy. Every story I read by Nghi Vo makes me hungry for more – her prose is alluring and she skillfully builds worlds that you want to dive into (and maybe never return).

SIREN QUEEN is the kind of book I've been waiting for, I think for a long time. It's the kind of book for a Hungry reader, who always hears the echoes of "there must be something more" in the back of their mind. SIREN QUEEN lures you into the cruel world of a fae Hollywood, and is dazzling in its portrayal of different kinds of monstrosity. It's the kind of book that makes you want to flip back to the beginning after you've finished it to string together all the threads again, just to revel in how beautiful and complex a story Vo has written!

Although I definitely plan on recommending this to EVERYONE I know, I think this will be a particular hit with folks who loved the strange and beautiful alt-Hollywood of RADIANCE by Catherynne M. Valente, and the way LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB by Malinda Lo opened a beautiful window into the possibilities of queer Chinese-American experiences in early 20th Century California.

Nghi Vo keeps getting better and better, and you don't want to miss being seduced by SIREN QUEEN.

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo is a story about a Chinese-American women who is determined to make it in show business, and knows this from a very young age. Set in old Hollywood, the story quickly shows its cards with things the main character must sacrifice in almost a way to worship the Hollywood movie industry itself. In my experience reading this book, I believe serious discussions about what do POC have to give up in order to be seen and represented in film and seen/represented in American culture were being had through the magical realism of this book. I will be recommending it anywhere and everywhere!

Nghi Vo has truly come into their own in this intriguing novel set in early Hollywood days. Very creative and on-point writing, illustrating power dynamics, celebrity, and interpersonal relationships. And don't forget the surrealism and monsters! Good stuff.

Thank you, Tordotcom, for allowing me to read Siren Queen early!

Nghi Vo is an extraordinary writer. All her words and worlds create such an emotional response in me and Siren Queen was no exception. I devoured every chapter like a famished wolf would, leaving no bones in sight. Simply brilliant!

I always love Nghi Vo's work. Its the way they integrate magic into the landscape for me. The seamless movement of magic makes me hesitant to truly call it hard fantasy because there in the depths is something so graspable and tangible about the world. Like yes, the beings that built this land, died thru capitalist and racist exploitation do haunt and linger. There is such a very real lens and sense of focus to Vo's work that I hardly question it. I know the term is typically magical realism--but i always feel that term dismisses the fact that aspects of that magic exist beyond western conformity and conservatism and so that word seems to dismiss those who engage with the world beyond western colonizer spiritualism and existence. I think with a lot of Vo's work the endings are so quick, almost too quick. Like I want to linger just a little longer before we end. It felt like a quick summary after the big Siren Queen scene that we've been building up to--a montage. But I can see also in this narrative how that mimics the wrapping up of a movie--how some movies just sort of blur to an ending as it summarizes a movie stars life. But over all, I loved this book. I also actually love the tension built between the Black stars and the main character. It was done in a way that I didn't feel was harmful. It felt like an acknowledgement of the racial set up that puts Asian identities closer to whiteness. I also like how the Black people were described, the way they were distinguished and you could see them clearly as themselves even though they were not the core characters. I love that i could be engaged with a very specific identity politic so to speak and not feel distracted by how Black people or others were treated. It was subtle and made it clear--my understanding and connection is the space Vo can inhabit more fully while respecting how that can interplay with other identities. The interactions with the sisters was--i loved it. I loved the weight of a name--how heavy a name can carry as a magic stone. A phenomenal story.