I had to try and describe this book the other day and found myself at a bit of a loss. Golden age of Hollywood meets….an entirely built fantasy world that you are barely allowed to know or see. The idea of it is so simple but the world around it is so fantastical that it becomes hard to explain.

Siren Queen follows ‘Luli’ Wei, a young girl desperate to break into Hollywood and become a star (literal!) despite the dangers of werewolves, changelings, people who will steal your souls, and other monsters who help make movies while also dealing with regular old racism against her for being Chinese-American.

The world building is so in depth and yet so little described that I often found myself a little confused. The actual becoming a star being one of them. But almost all of it just pulls you along well enough in the story that you find yourself just being like ‘ok yeah you become a star I guess’ and also ‘this car has feelings, sure’ and ‘wait what was that about women with empty backs? Oh were moving on? Ok’. There was no stopping to explain the world which leads to some deep confusion on my end but also keeps the pace and story moving so quickly that it doesn’t feel like a loss. It feels more like a teaser trailer to a whole world you could see and might if you just keep going. As someone who is so detail oriented in my magic world building though I was driven a little crazy. I always feel just a little bit detached from magical realism.

Luli is an interesting character and, I hate to compare it to the only other old Hollywood movie about WLM I know but its right there, gives major Evelyn Hugo vibes. Both are so strong and determined, both facing prejudice (though Evelyn can hide her ethnicity), while discovering their love of women while in the spotlight. Both could be considered cruel and detached and callous to those they don’t love, but seem to love deeply when they do. Both also have an older gay Hollywood friend….wow yeah I can’t really not compare these two. This is basically Evelyn Hugo with a sprinkle of magic dust. Which is not a bad thing since I love that book and Evelyn but take it how you will I guess.

I loved the relationships that Luli builds while building her star. Romantic or otherwise, it felt like such an emotional journey for her to just build trust with anyone. I was cheering for her happiness throughout and success to climb to the top of an extra difficult mountain that seemed to throw every problem her way.

Overall, I enjoyed the story but could have used more world building. I think this may be a style of the author but I think that it works so I would check out her other novels. This was narrated by Natalie Naudus who OF COURSE did great and is an automatic listen :)

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook.

Natalie Naudus never misses -- one of my favorite narrators, so I couldn't pass this up, and her reading was superb as usual. The story itself was very interesting -- not necessarily my favorite time period, but it was hard not to enjoy Luli's journey. There is commentary on so many issues, and it's handled in a deft way.

There is something so magical and gritty about Siren Queen. Don't go into this one expecting the world or magic to be explained. It is written as if it were a memoir, so the realities of this world are known to the fictional reader. It's definitely disorienting at first but everything eventually falls into place. I love the dreamy quality of this story while there also being something sinister about it. Our main character is memorable and the ending was satisfying! Also, it is very sapphic and more steamy than I expected!

I fell in love with Nghi Vo's writing while listening to her Gatsby reimagining, The Chosen and the Beautiful, and was really excited to get my hands on the ALC of her new novel, Siren Queen!

It did NOT disappoint! If you loved the "unassuming" magical realism so expertly woven into The Chosen and The Beautiful, you will absolutely love Siren Queen! In my opinion it's even better!

Truly there is something magical about Nghi Vo's writing. In her novels "magic" co-exists with reality and is simply a part of her protagonists' everyday lives. There is no "dramatic build up" like in most magical realism novels. No "the atmosphere was sinister, and then....all of a sudden...." - nothing like that. Nghi Vo's magic is so "matter of fact" that it makes you do a double take EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. It's akin to this: "She was walking to school, but realized she was going to be late. So she decided to fly instead." WHA???? 😂 There is something so refreshing about this approach! The idea that magic is always here. That it has always existed, and will continue to exist whether you choose to notice it or ignore it. It might not be for everyone. I suppose if you are not into fantasy at all, it may come off as too weird.

But.. magic aside, Nghi Vo's novel brim with on point social commentary. Racism, homophobia, misogyny -- this author does not shy away from exploring any tough topic. As such, it is not just a fantasy book about monsters in Hollywood (although in light of the recent Harvey Weinstein events there is a lot to be said about that too!), it's a very well thought through, important read, that is also fun, and original, and endlessly entertaining.

At the core of the novel is the question suggested by its title. Who is scarier: the movie-type, "cartoonish" monsters, or the "ordinary monsters" we have to deal with in everyday life? And can you even accurately determine who is the real monster and who isn't at any given time?

I enjoyed listening to this novel immensely, but was a little bit disappointed by the ending. This is a good example of the novel that, in my opinion. should have actually been just a little bit longer -- to give us a little more closure. I would have loved to know what happened at the very end of Luli's life for example.

Lastly, I HIGHLY recommend the audio (thank you Macmillan Audio). Natalie Naudus, who also narrated The Chosen and The Beautiful, is irresistible as Luli Wei. I don't know how she does it, but she somehow makes Nghi Vo's books sound even more magical than they already are.

I think you will absolutely love Siren Queen if you liked The Chosen and The Beautiful. I also think you will enjoy it if you are a fan of Evelyn Hugo, AND do not mind a heavy dose of magical realism on top of all the Old Hollywood splendor.

That cover!

A noir, historical, magical realism sapphic romance that focuses on sexism, homophobia and racism in 1930's Hollywood. That's a lot to compress into one story. In order to do that, Vo cuts our much of the world building and uses metaphors to convey significant parts of the storyline. Close readers will enjoy the depth added by the symbolism.

I so wanted to love this book, as I was fascinated by the idea of it, but felt like the plot dragged. Everything about the novel was engaging, but I just didn't care what happened to the main character.

I was really impressed with this book! For one, I absolutely love old Hollywoood so that aspect alone had me sold on this story, but then on top of that we had some dark magic elements that were so perfectly folded in that it felt totally realistic. I also loved the diversity of the characters, not only with Lilu as an Asian American but also as a queer woman.

There were a few moments, especially towards the beginning of the book, that I was a bit confused but as I kept on with the story everything made perfect sense and as a whole this was just really enjoyable. It was dark, a little spicy, but overall interesting with the drama of Hollywood, the young ingenue trying to get her big break, and crusty old white men trying to run the show. 😉😂

I 100% recommend this! ❤️🧜🏻‍♀️

I enjoyed this fantasy take on Old Hollywood. It was interesting, and I liked the authors writing style. I liked how the magical aspects kind of snuck into the historical fiction part of the story. The main character was interesting, if not lovable.

A resounding two thumbs up for the narration of this novel. This is one that I would absolutely recommend the audiobook over the print. The narrator gives this magical world it's soul and I adored listening to this one. The world that Vo builds here is a strong one and I enjoyed the revenge narrative. However, the pace and plotting were slow and lacking a bit. Overall, I still enjoyed this one, primarily due to the narration.

“Siren Queen offers up an enthralling exploration of an outsider achieving stardom on her own terms, in a fantastical Hollywood where the monsters are real and the magic of the silver screen illuminates every page.” — This is such a perfect description of this book, and I don’t know how you could read this and not be all in.

📖 This is an absolutely beautiful story that felt otherworldly, magical, and gritty. The story takes place in the Hollywood Golden Age, where we follow Luli Wei, a beautiful, talented, rising star. She is desperate for fame, just like so many others. However, as a Chinese American girl from Hungarian Hill, the roles for her are a bit limited. Despite that, Luli refuses to be type casted as a maid, comically accented or depicted as a fainting flower…even if that means becoming a monster. For she finds, on her journey to stardom, the worst monsters aren’t the ones like her, done up for the screen. The actual monsters lurk behind the scenes and consume everything from the starlets from the names to their faces, to the people they love.

🎧 The audiobook is narrated by Natalie Naudus, and she does an absolutely fantastic job with this one. The voice she provides to Luli and the other characters is perfect and keeps readers engaged and highly entertained throughout the story. Nghi’s writing is so beautiful and gritty. And Natalie is able to capture it all so perfectly. She brings Nghi’s words to life and it makes for a really stunning listening experience. I would highly encourage you to check out this audiobook.

This book was very good. I feel like I am going to think about it all week. It’s a dark fantasy set in Old Hollywood. There’s magic and monsters. I loved that there are lots of queer characters. Slightly reminded me of Evelyn Hugo (MC is an actress, sapphic rep) but it’s not like super similar. It’s not just historical fiction it’s fantasy/magical realism.
I don’t even know how to properly describe the premise. It’s set in Hollywood like right after the transition from silent films to talking films. The men in power, in charge of studios, etc are legit monsters. Not just shitty people but like a human body possessed by an actual monster. It’s a really interesting premise. The story is definitely dark.
Mad at myself that I didn’t grab this from BOTM this month,
I will have to add it on later so I own a copy. I listened to the audiobook on NetGalley. Natalie Naudus is the narrator and she was great as usual. Definitely would recommend reading this. Pub date is 5/10!
This will be on my Instagram @katebrownreads as well.

Let me just start my review by saying the narrator of this audiobook is amazing! I could feel the emotion throughout the book. I will definitely listen to other books that Natalie Naudus narrates in the future.

The writing of this book is beautiful, I love the Old Hollywood parts of the book. I loved the romance aspect and everything the main character stood for. I also loved the little bit of spice in the book.

I just don't think it was for me. When it came to the fantasy/magic part I was kind of lost. When I read fantasy, I need more context and build-up to really understand what's going on. I kind of felt like I was thrown into it and I still don't really understand the fantasy/magic aspect of this book. I think without the fantasy/magic, it would have easily been a 4-5 star read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my review.

Hollywood and science fiction combine into a novel with a queer protagonist? Yes, please. In Siren Queen we meet Luli, a Chinese American girl who wants nothing more than to be successful in the Hollywood movie business. In this coming-of-age story both Luli and the reader discover the magical world that truly runs Hollywood and what Luli is willing to sacrifice to succeed as a famous movie star.

I really enjoyed the slower pace of the book and the ways that magic appeared subtly at first then evolved into major components of the story. This was a quirky and unexpected plotline that was great in audio format.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review – I enjoyed reading it!

Content warnings: addiction, adult/minor relationship

Included as a top pick in bimonthly May New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

Three books in, I’m starting to realize I find Nghi Vo’s writing a little bit incomprehensible. It’s a similar feeling I have when I read James Joyce - I acknowledge the technical skill there but it’s just so rambling and disjointed I find myself completely disconnecting from it as a reader. She tends to overuse hyperbole and metaphor in a way that gives a sense of whimsy when she’s writing in the fantasy genre, but is incredibly distracting when her story is set firmly in our real world and grounded in literary fiction.

Siren Queen is a sharp departure from the things I appreciated most in Vo’s previous works - specifically The Empress of Salt and Fortune. My first attempt with her writing, aided in part by being my favorite genre and set in a world that really allowed her authorial voice to shine, made the pieces come together beautifully. But what is now the third work I’ve read from Vo, Siren Queen lacked a sense of direction. This is a story about one woman’s rise to Hollywood stardom, bogged down by very flowery and exaggerated prose. And unfortunately I just generally dislike reading about celebrities, be it fictional or otherwise.

What Siren Queen does best is explore the barriers in place not only for women in the film industry, but queer women of color. And I think there’s an important message here, somewhat eroded by the distracting use of long, meandering metaphors that mask a lot of the meaning here. So I fully respect the project of this book. I just have no interest in film stars. Everyone’s favorite The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo couldn’t sell me on this type of flashy, tumultuous literary fiction. Siren Queen doesn’t either, and the prose itself was more a hindrance than a help in this aspect.

I don’t think Siren Queen is going to universally work for fans of Nghi Vo’s previous works. But if you like lush, rambling stories chock full with figurative language about the tribulations of a rising starlet, this book could be a winner. There’s a lot here to unpack - from exploration of female rage to barriers Chinese women have faced in professional spaces. I just couldn’t work past the style of writing to ever connect with the story itself in a way that will leave a lasting impression.

Thank you to the publisher Tordotcom for providing an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

The Voice actress did a fantastic job; I could feel the echo of future emotion from the Maincaharcter as we experienced their memories.
The movies can make you feel like magic, but all magic comes with a cost, and some actresses pay with their lives for a chance.
Imagine old Hollywood with the occult mixed with everyday life in small ways, and you will find yourself enveloped in this book. Siren Queen is about a young Asian American woman who follows her dream of being an actress.

While this book adds the magic, both dark and captivating, to this book, this Old Hollywood holds the same whitewashing, sexism, controlling capitalism, racism and homophobia that we know from our world.
This book does feel like it has a mundane storyline, but only because the fantasy and magic is casual, which I see as both a hinder and a boost. However, the golden moments in this book come right when you need them to; the magic, the deeper look into the Hollywood sacrifice to have power, fame, and intimacy.
I will save she is MUCH braver/stupid than I to get involved in that world, but I do feel like the bewitchment from the world pulled her in with no escape when she was young.

This was one of my most anticipated 2022 releases and it did not disappoint! I adored The Chosen and the Beautiful by the same author last year, so I was eager to pick up this one. Siren Queen has everything that I loved about The Chosen and the Beautiful, plus more.

The prose is gorgeous, flowing, and poetic. The characters are complicated and fascinating. The setting is lush - a pre-code Hollywood with all the glitz and glam. And the fantasy is gently and subtly there, almost in the background for just a little extra colorful touch. Some of the people just happen to be monsters or have tails. Hollywood stars have literal (I think) stars in the sky that shine in proportion to their stardom.

I was very much invested in the main character's journey as she tries to make it as a Hollywood star despite the rampant sexism, racism, and homophobia. The title of the book comes from the title of a movie in the story. And I know it's just made up for the story, but it was described so enticingly and with such sparkling detail, that I desperately wish I could go watch this movie now.

I listened to both The Chosen and the Beautiful and Siren Queen as audiobooks and they are both beautifully read by Natalie Naudus. Her performance added so much to my experience reading The Chosen and the Beautiful last year, that I made sure to wait and listen to her performance of Siren Queen also. Her voice is beautiful and really captures the languid beauty of Nghi Vo's writing style.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an audio arc in exchange for an honest review!

Representation: Asian American, gender queer, sapphic romance.

Sexual violence? Yes. Other content warnings? Fire, mutilation, sexism, racism, homophobia, child abuse, dysfunctional family, pregnancy, abortion.

Rep: Chinese American lesbian mc, sapphic lis, gay side character, Venezuelan gay side character, Chinese American side characters, plus size character

This book is set in the 1930’s old Hollywood. The studios basically owned their actors. In order to become big stars, young people have to give up everything, sometimes even their whole lives. It’s a mix of both historical fiction and fantasy elements. It’s also very Sapphic.

It includes some important subjects such as racism, inequalities at work space, abuse of power, misogyny, mansplaining, feminism, marginalization and LGBTQ rights. A lot of these are real world issues that actors today deal with and have been dealing with in the entertainment industry.

Luli Wei was not here for the objectification of woman and racism in the studios. Even though she let them change a lot about her, I liked that she still had her morals and put her foot down for certain things. She was one of the only ones to do so. For one, she refused to play certain roles. Two, she didn’t really care for hiding her sexuality. Everyone else did the safer option and fell in line and listened to everything their superiors told them to do, for fear of losing their spotlight or facing the wrath of the studio.

The writing was very good and the narrator did a great job.

Overall I enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one but adding magical creatures and crossroad-esque deals to the glamour of old Hollywood had me intrigued (plus that cover is gorgeous). I ended up really loving the book and the atmosphere Vo created. Oddly enough this was a book where I didn't fall in love with any of the characters [I liked some, but others had traits that rubbed me the wrong way] but I wanted to know what happened to them. However I felt about them, these were characters whose stories I wanted to read and know. Overall, I highly recommend this book.

a bewitching, glamorous novel set in the same world as vo's the chosen and the beautiful, siren queen is a gorgeously written and enthralling novel following luli wei, whose desire to rise from an overlooked chinese kid who loves movies to the greatest star in 1930s hollywood leads her to contend with the actual magic and monsters that rule hollywood—even if it means becoming a monster herself. full of beautifully realized characters, hopeful and heartbreaking queer representation, and a view of hollywood unlike anything i've ever read, nghi vo's new novel shines, drawing apt comparisons to both the seven husbands of evelyn hugo and the night circus. vo is an author i love more and more with each book and i cannot wait to see where she leads us next. (for fans of audiobooks, this one is narrated by the sublime natalie naudus, who was the absolute perfect fit for this book and who previously lent her voice to the chosen and the beautiful.)

Siren Queen fills a very niche gap in the market: noir, saphhic, historical magical realism. It's possible I would have enjoyed this more by reading the hard copy instead of listening to the audiobook. I found the story difficult to follow, with little context about the world inhabited by the heroine. The reader is thrown into the story with few clues to make sense of events. I liked the general idea of the book, but never felt quite satisfied with what the author provided.